Genetic testing can help guide management and treatment of unexplained epilepsy in children, new research suggests. “A genetic diagnosis impacted medical management for nearly three out of four children in our study,” said study author Dr. Isabel Haviland. She’s a postdoctoral research fellow in neurology/neurobiology at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. In the…  read on >  read on >

Nearly 235,000 pounds of fully cooked ham and pepperoni products were recalled by Michigan-based Alexander & Hornung on Sunday due to possible listeria contamination. There are no confirmed reports of illness associated with the products that were sold across the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).…  read on >  read on >

Starting college can be a time of fun, new experiences and growth. Yet it can also be a rough transition for many students who struggle with mental health issues. A new study from researchers in the United Kingdom and Canada found about one-third of first-year students have or develop moderate to severe anxiety or depression.…  read on >  read on >

The Omicron variant appears to spread at twice the rate as the Delta variant does, due mostly to a combination of contagiousness and an ability to dodge the body’s immune defenses, scientists report. The degree to which each factor contributes to the spread of Omicron is still unclear, according to the findings of an analysis…  read on >  read on >

It happens very rarely, but most teens and young adults who do experience heart inflammation (myocarditis) after a COVID-19 shot have mild symptoms and recover quickly, new research shows. “Overwhelmingly, data continue to indicate that the benefits of COVID-19 vaccination — 91% effective at preventing complications of severe COVID-19 infection including hospitalization and death —…  read on >  read on >

A boy or a girl? New research suggests that the air pregnant women breathe or the water they drink could play a role in their baby’s sex. The finding stems from tracking hundreds of factors — including pollution exposure — surrounding the birth of more than 6 million Americans and Swedes. “To my knowledge, this…  read on >  read on >

Five cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant have been detected in New York state, one in Minnesota and one in Hawaii, officials in those states announced Thursday. That brings the known total in the United States to nine, with California and Colorado previously announcing one case each. One of the New York cases is a…  read on >  read on >

If you’re getting together with others outdoors, a windy day might be best, researchers say. The investigators found that when people socialize outside, the risk of coronavirus infection is as much as 45% greater when there’s hardly any breeze than when there are stronger winds. “The issue is really about an increased danger of infection…  read on >  read on >

Autism may be more prevalent among American children than believed, a new U.S. government study shows. One in 44 children at age 8 in the United States have been diagnosed with the developmental disorder, a jump from the previous estimate of 1 in 54 children, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report found.…  read on >  read on >