Lab-created heart valves that grow with the recipient could spare kids born with heart defects from the repeated valve-replacement surgeries they now endure. University of Minnesota researchers found that lab-created valves implanted in young lambs for a year were capable of growing within the recipient. “This is a huge step forward in pediatric heart research,”…  read on >  read on >

Kids and teens are already struggling to learn outside the classroom during the pandemic, but lockdowns and quarantines are also making it hard for them to control their weight, child health experts say. Lost routines, economic insecurity and grief are making things more challenging for children who struggle with their weight, whether it’s with obesity…  read on >  read on >

The U.S. COVID-19 vaccination program is proceeding apace, with more than one-fifth of adult Americans having received at least one dose and eligibility opening up for everyone by May 1, under orders from President Joe Biden. That means the fully vaccinated now have one pressing question: What can I do now that I haven’t been…  read on >  read on >

Researchers outfitted high school athletes with head impact sensors to see which of four popular sports put them at the greatest risk of concussion. No. 1 for both boys and girls: Soccer, according to a study published online recently in the Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine. Blame it on intentional headers, which accounted for 80%…  read on >  read on >

The pandemic is turning what should be a joyful time for pregnant women into a stress-filled experience. Why? Fears that their infants might catch COVID-19 is one of the main reasons anxiety levels are soaring, a new survey finds. Researchers from Washington State University analyzed responses from more than 160 pregnant and postpartum women (those…  read on >  read on >