Babies’ babble may be smarter than you think. A new study shows that infants as young as 3- to 5-months of age can tell that the unintelligible sounds they make before they learn to talk can impact the people around them. Traditionally, this babbling has been regarded simply as a byproduct of babies trying to…  read on >  read on >

Wearing a bike helmet can save the life of your young child or teenager, but it needs to fit well to really do its job. A well-fitting bike helmet significantly reduces the odds of serious head injury or death due to a bicycle, scooter or skateboard accident, experts say. Children’s Hospital Los Angeles offers some…  read on >  read on >

More than 6,000 monkeypox cases in 59 countries have surfaced since the outbreak began in May, the World Health Organization confirmed Thursday. The United Nation’s health agency reported a 77% rise in cases on Thursday, with cases in nine additional countries. So far, the cases have been concentrated in Europe and Africa. Ten countries that…  read on >  read on >

Poor mental and physical health among older adults can sometimes trace back to childhood abuse, a Canadian study suggests. The study, published online July 7 in the journal Aging and Health Research, found that people who were physically abused during childhood were twice as likely to experience anxiety and depression later in life. They were…  read on >  read on >

The Biden administration said Wednesday it is taking steps to ensure that international makers of baby formula can continue marketing their products in the United States, to avoid any infant formula shortage in the future. The move to help foreign suppliers who have had temporary approval for their formulas will provide consumers with more choices…  read on >  read on >

An array of problems, including overcrowding, led to a surge of COVID-19 cases in California prisons in 2020-2021, a new report details. Preventing outbreaks in the future will require a comprehensive list of fixes, from reducing overcrowding in the state’s 34 adult prisons to improving old buildings. Vaccination drives and methods for rapid detection are…  read on >  read on >

Despite reports that rates of childhood obesity are decreasing, kids seem to be packing on pounds at younger ages. In 1998, just under 73% of children entering kindergarten in 1998 had a normal body mass index (BMI), while 15.1% were overweight, and 12% were obese. However, fast forward 12 years and just 69% of kids…  read on >  read on >