Bacteria don’t set up house in the human gut until after birth, a new study finds. Gut bacteria are vital for digestion and overall health, but when researchers examined the stool (meconium) from 20 infants collected during breech cesarean deliveries, they found these critical germs show up in the gut after birth, not before. “The… read on > read on >
Strokes are on the rise among people younger than 50, and new research suggests that packing on the pounds during the teen years is a big reason why. The more overweight you were from ages 16 to 20, the greater your risk of having a stroke before age 50, the new study shows. “Given ongoing… read on > read on >
Contrary to misleading reports spread on social media, a new study finds the COVID-19 vaccine does no damage to the placenta in pregnancy. In a study of placentas from patients who were vaccinated for COVID-19 during pregnancy, researchers found no evidence of any harm. “The placenta is like the black box in an airplane. If… read on > read on >
Cora Oakley is a rough-and-tumble 4-year-old who loves gymnastics and outdoor activities, particularly if it involves bouncing on a trampoline. It’s hard to tell from looking at her that she was born without an immune system. Kids with this condition can acquire dangerous, life-threatening infections from day-to-day activities as simple as going to school or… read on > read on >
Rural school districts in the United States have led the way back to in-person instruction during the pandemic, a survey of school leaders finds. About 42% of rural school districts were fully back to in-school learning by February, compared with 17% of urban districts, the survey found. The opposite was true for online learning: 29%… read on > read on >
It may be possible to treat the thinking problems that result from repeated hits to the head, a new laboratory study suggests. The new experiments with mice are the first to offer a molecular analysis of what happens in the brain after repetitive but mild blows to the head, said researcher Mark Burns. He is… read on > read on >
Could there be a way to tell years in advance which girls are more likely to develop eating disorders? New research from Denmark suggests that childhood body mass index (BMI) may offer important clues. BMI is an estimate of body fat based on height and weight. The new research linked lower BMI as early as… read on > read on >
Neurological problems are occurring in a very high percentage of hospitalized COVID-19 patients — and what’s worse, those symptoms foretell a bad end for many sufferers, a new study finds. About four out of five people sick enough to be hospitalized for COVID-19 suffer some sort of neurological problem, ranging from headache and a loss… read on > read on >
In a move that should hasten the country’s recovery from the pandemic, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday approved the emergency use of Pfizer’s two-dose coronavirus vaccine for 12- to 15-year-olds. “Today’s action allows for a younger population to be protected from COVID-19, bringing us closer to returning to a sense of normalcy… read on > read on >
Could having heart disease risk factors in childhood sow the seeds of thinking declines in middle-age? It looks like it might, new research claims. “I think it was not so big of a surprise for us, but maybe for the scientific community who have been focusing mainly on the midlife risk factors and old-age cognition,”… read on > read on >
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