Just a daily cigarette or two before or during pregnancy endangers the health of newborns, a new study warns. Infants are 16% more likely to suffer major health issues following delivery if their mothers engaged in “light smoking” of one or two cigarettes a day prior to getting pregnant, researchers found. Those newborns also have…  read on >  read on >

A quality physical education program involves more than just getting kids to move for a set amount of time during the school day, experts say. PE classes can teach lessons not found in any other classroom, Erika Mundt, a PE teacher at Iowa West City High School in Iowa. “A successful PE program can literally…  read on >  read on >

Final government data finds the number of U.S. births falling by 2% last year compared to 2022, continuing a decades-long decline. Overall, annual U.S. birth numbers have fallen by 17% since peaking in 2007, according to the new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The general fertility rate (births per 1,000…  read on >  read on >

AI can help predict which young kids are more likely to develop autism, a new study says. The AI looks for patterns in medical data that can be easily obtained from children 2 or younger without extensive assessments or clinical tests, researchers said. The “AutMedAI” program was able to identify about 80% of children with…  read on >  read on >

One of the most abundant fatty acids in the body — and a key ingredient in the Mediterranean diet — could be a safe, easy and natural cure for bacterial vaginosis, a new lab study suggests. Oleic acid can inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria that cause vaginosis, and promote other bacteria species that contribute…  read on >  read on >

Uterine transplants are relatively rare and recent — the first was performed in 2011, and to date a little more than 100 transplants have been conducted worldwide. However, a new study finds that these procedures are often successful, leading to pregnancies and live births in 14 out of the 20 patients assessed. “A successfully transplanted…  read on >  read on >

Kids considering suicide after receiving mental health care at a hospital can be helped by automated text messages that help them feel hopeful and supported, a new study finds. Children receiving the texts as part of a program called Caring Contacts said they felt more positive after receiving the messages. “Prior research has shown that…  read on >  read on >