When American kids do downhill skiing or snowboarding, they almost always wear a helmet, their parents say, but they’re far less likely to do so when cruising down a neighborhood hill on a sled. That puts them at risk for serious head injuries, experts warn. “Because sledding is so common, parents may overlook important safety… read on > read on >
Losing weight before beginning fertility treatment doesn’t boost the odds that a woman who is obese will have a successful pregnancy, a new study shows. Obesity has been linked with difficulty conceiving, as well as pregnancy complications and loss. Many women who are obese and want to get pregnant are advised to lose weight to… read on > read on >
Booster shots are keeping the Omicron variant from landing millions of Americans in hospitals, emergency rooms and urgent care clinics across the country, three new government studies show. In one study, published Friday in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), a third dose of either the Pfizer… read on > read on >
One less excuse to avoid that COVID vaccine: The shots don’t affect fertility in either men or women, new research shows, but coronavirus infection could cause short-term fertility problems in men. “Many reproductive-aged individuals have cited concerns about fertility as a reason for remaining unvaccinated,” said lead study author Amelia Wesselink. She is research assistant… read on > read on >
Some kids might be able to get over their peanut allergy if they start immunotherapy while they’re still toddlers, a major new clinical trial reports. In the trial, a group of 1- to 3-year-olds with severe peanut allergies were safely fed gradually increasing daily doses of a peanut protein flour to help accustom their immune… read on > read on >
Shortages of both supplies and workers are wreaking havoc on the efforts of COVID at-home test makers to deliver enough of the tests to Americans, even as the federal government pledges to provide 500 million free, at-home kits. Like many other businesses, test kit manufacturers “have too many of their staff out with COVID. Thus,… read on > read on >
Some recreational pot shops are using tricks from the old playbooks of alcohol and tobacco companies to target underage users on social media, a new study reports. Despite state laws restricting such marketing, researchers found marijuana retailers on social media promoting their wares with posts that: Featured cartoon characters like Snoopy, SpongeBob SquarePants, and Rick… read on > read on >
The risk of hospitalization for COVID-19 among older Americans is far higher for those who are unvaccinated than for those who are fully vaccinated and have had a booster shot, new government data shows. The differences were stark: In December, unvaccinated people 50 and older were 17 times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19… read on > read on >
Herd immunity against COVID-19 is unlikely, and coping with the disease will likely hinge on vaccination, treatment and ensuring adequate hospital capacity, a new study conducted in Los Angeles County claims. With herd immunity, most people have antibodies from vaccination or prior infection, so a virus has fewer people to infect and stops spreading. Early… read on > read on >
Sharing food and smooching are two ways babies can suss out whom they can depend on to take care for them, a new study suggests. The tell-tale clue common to both is a surprising one: saliva. “Babies don’t know in advance which relationships are the close and morally obligating ones, so they have to have… read on > read on >
