The pandemic has reached a “transition point,” the World Health Organization (WHO) said Monday. Still, that doesn’t mean the public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) designation declared by the WHO in January 2020 is over yet. The organization’s International Health Regulations Emergency Committee met last week to discuss COVID-19, saying in a statement released… read on > read on >
Infants exposed to maternal smoking during pregnancy are more than five times more likely to die unexpectedly compared to babies of nonsmokers, a new study says. “The message is simple. Smoking greatly elevates the risk of sudden unexpected infant death,” said lead study author Barbara Ostfeld, program director of the SIDS Center of New Jersey… read on > read on >
New drugs may be needed to fight the deadliest form of tuberculosis, because it may no longer respond to current treatments. An animal study by Johns Hopkins University researchers found that an approved antibiotic regimen may not work for TB meningitis due to multidrug-resistant strains. Small human studies have also provided evidence that a new… read on > read on >
Children’s amped-up immune systems allow them to beat back COVID-19 easily, producing a strong initial response that quickly slaps away the virus. But there might be a price to be paid for that sharp reaction, a new study from Australia says. Because the initial response provides such a swift takedown, kids’ immune systems don’t remember… read on > read on >
While anyone can experience breast pain, don’t panic: It’s rarely cancer. Penn State Health offers some reassurance about what might cause the pain and when it might be time to have a mammogram. “We see a lot of patients who come looking for answers that have widespread, cyclical breast pain,” said Dr. Alison Chetlen, a… read on > read on >
Just like adults, children need lots of fiber in their diets. Fiber is part of what fuels a child’s normal growth and development. It helps them feel full longer, controls blood sugar levels, reduces cholesterol and promotes regular bowel movements, according to Children’s Health of Orange County, Calif. (CHOC). “We see improvements in disease management… read on > read on >
Researchers have long struggled to figure out what causes a seemingly healthy baby to die suddenly in the first year of life, with an array of possible genetic and environmental factors to choose from. Now a large, Danish study has found that in families where one child has succumbed to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS),… read on > read on >
Autism cases are surging in the New York-New Jersey metro area, mainly fueled by the diagnosis of autistic children who don’t have intellectual disabilities, a new study reports. The percentage of kids identified with autism spectrum disorder rose from about 1% in 2000 to 3% in 2016 in that region, said lead researcher Josephine Shenouda,… read on > read on >
In a finding that suggests the updated bivalent COVID booster shots are worth getting, new government data shows they cut the chances of infection with the new XBB variant by nearly half. While those ages 49 and under saw a 48% reduction in risk, the shots were slightly less effective in older individuals — about… read on > read on >
A mother-to-be’s exposure to air pollution during pregnancy may have a lasting impact on her baby’s brain development, new research indicates. Toddlers scored lower on assessments for thinking, motor and language skills when their mothers had more exposure to pollutants during pregnancy, according to researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder. “Our findings suggest that… read on > read on >
