THURSDAY, March 25, 2021It’s very rare, but it is possible to catch COVID-19 even if you’ve been vaccinated, a new study finds. Looking at vaccinated health care workers at two University of California campuses, researchers found a tiny number tested positive for the virus. This finding highlights the need to keep wearing a mask and… read on > read on >
There’s a reason you may choose to talk in singsong tones and with exaggerated sounds when you’re talking to babies — they’re more likely to listen. New research shows that babies pay more attention to baby talk than to regular speech. The finding held in many languages, and even when the baby was bilingual. “Crucially… read on > read on >
Fewer children end up in ERs for asthma attacks if nearby coal-fired power plants are shut down, a new study finds. “When these power plants close, we see a reduction of somewhere between 12% and 18% in emergency department visits for asthma,” said senior researcher Emily Pakhtigian, an assistant professor of public policy at Pennsylvania… read on > read on >
Kids born to moms who took a drug widely used to prevent miscarriages in the 1950s and 1960s may be twice as likely to develop cancer in adulthood. The drug in question, hydroxyprogesterone caproate, also known as OHPC or 17-OHPC, is a man-made version of the hormone progesterone. It is no longer used to reduce… read on > read on >
Nearly half of the public schools in America are now holding in-person classes, with white children far more likely to be in those classrooms than Black, Hispanic or Asian students, the first federal data on the state of education during the pandemic shows. The survey, released early Wednesday, suggests the nation is moving toward a… read on > read on >
Heavy bleeding following birth can threaten the life of the mother, and doctors at times turn to a hysterectomy to end the bleeding. But a new study suggests a less invasive, underused procedure might be a better, less drastic option. Investigators determined that when postpartum bleeding occurs, hysterectomies — the removal of the uterus —… read on > read on >
Women who develop diabetes during pregnancy have a higher risk of complications for themselves and their babies if they’re night owls instead of early birds, a new study finds. Gestational diabetes increases the mother’s risk of premature delivery and preeclampsia (pregnancy-induced high blood pressure). It also raises the baby’s risk of growing too large in… read on > read on >
After a sharp drop early in the COVID-19 pandemic, rates of routine breast and colon cancer screening soon returned to near-normal levels, a new study finds. “These are the first findings to show that, despite real fears about the consequences of drop-off in cancer screens, health facilities figured out how to pick this back up… read on > read on >
It was bound to happen: As the pandemic wore on, many older Americans couldn’t resist the urge to bring home a furry friend. According to a new poll from the University of Michigan, about 10% of all U.S. adults between the ages of 50 and 80 adopted a new pet between March 2020 and January… read on > read on >
COVID-19 transmission is rare in schools that follow precautions such as mandatory masks, social distancing and frequent hand-washing, a new study finds. And that’s true even among close school contacts of people who test positive for the new coronavirus, according to researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. “Schools can operate safely… read on > read on >
