The country’s leading health agency on Wednesday implored all Americans who are pregnant, breastfeeding or planning to become pregnant to get a coronavirus vaccine. COVID-19 poses a serious risk to women who are expecting, since they are vulnerable because of pregnancy’s dampening effect on their immune system, experts say. But less than one-third of pregnant… read on > read on >
Despite the troubling findings of a congressional report released earlier this year on toxins in baby foods, a new report finds even more manufacturers are selling baby foods that contain potentially unsafe levels of heavy metals. The toxins in question include dangerous levels of arsenic, lead, cadmium and mercury, among others. “No level of toxic… read on > read on >
Someday, your smartwatch might be able to tell you if you’re coming down with a virus and how sick you’ll be — even before symptoms start. In a small study, researchers showed that a wearable device, like a Fitbit or Apple Watch, could detect which patients had the H1N1 flu and which had a common… read on > read on >
Kids who are gay, bisexual or questioning their sexuality may be vulnerable to contemplating suicide at a tender age, a new U.S. government study finds. It has long been known that teenagers who are part of sexual minorities have a higher risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors, compared to their heterosexual peers. That includes kids… read on > read on >
Artificial intelligence (AI) might be able to spot the next virus to jump from animals to humans, Scottish researchers report. Identifying diseases before they become a threat to humans is challenging, because only a few of the nearly 2 million animal viruses can infect humans. By developing machine learning models, researchers can analyze genetic patterns… read on > read on >
In a survey of parents in metro Chicago, nearly half of Black parents (48%) said they were reluctant to have their kids vaccinated against COVID-19, researchers say. That’s significantly higher than the 33% of Hispanic parents and 26% of white parents who expressed vaccine hesitancy, the findings showed. “As vaccines are becoming available to younger… read on > read on >
Pregnant women who receive an epidural to ease their pain during labor aren’t any more likely than others to have kids with autism, two new studies show. Earlier research suggested this practice may increase autism risk in offspring, but the pair of studies should put this concern to rest for good, experts say. “Parents can… read on > read on >
Marijuana use by mothers-to-be may have increased by as much as one-quarter during the pandemic, a new study suggests. Researchers found a substantial increase in the number of women in Northern California using pot early in their pregnancies after the pandemic emerged compared to the previous year. “Our previous research has shown that the prevalence… read on > read on >
Spend time with babies and you’ll see they pick up items, bang them together and, often, chew on them. That play is key to learning and development, but most research on infant play has taken place in a lab and not on a living room floor — until now. “At a time in development when… read on > read on >
Air pollution impacts the youngest humans, with new research linking dirty air to almost 6 million premature births and almost 3 million underweight babies worldwide in 2019. More than 90% of the world’s population lives with polluted outdoor air, a new study points out. And its effects continue through the years: Preemies or children with… read on > read on >
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