Air pollution from vehicles increases the risk of dangerously high blood pressure in pregnant women, U.S. government researchers report. Scientists from the U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences’ (NIEHS) National Toxicology Program analyzed published studies on the links between traffic-related air pollution and preeclampsia. The analysis was reviewed by experts from academia and industry,… read on >
Microbes that live in a child’s upper airway could be linked to severe asthma attacks, new research suggests. For parents, it’s an all-too familiar scene: A child’s seemingly harmless cough quickly escalates to wheezing, gasping and an urgent need for emergency treatment. Asthma is the leading chronic disease in kids and third-most common cause of… read on >
Smartphones, tablets and laptops are everywhere, and young children are fascinated by them. Now, new research suggests that parents might be able to harness that curiosity and use apps on the devices to boost early learning. The review found that apps could be particularly useful for teaching early math and language skills. “Screen time is… read on >
If your child is obese, new research suggests that those extra pounds can alter the results of routine blood tests. “We performed the first comprehensive analysis of the effect of obesity on routine blood tests in a large community population of children and found that almost 70% of the blood tests studied were affected,” said… read on >
As an early flu season spreads its misery across the United States, new research shows that few child care centers require children or their adult caregivers to get a flu shot. Flu can be especially dangerous for children, who have a greater risk than adults for serious complications, hospitalization and even death, the researchers noted.… read on >
Many women use birth control pills or other hormone-based contraceptives to enjoy sex without fear of an unplanned pregnancy. But could they kill your mojo? There has been some concern that a woman’s sex drive can drop after starting a new form of hormone-based birth control. Sex drive studies involving the pill, the patch and… read on >
It’s hard not to worry when your child suffers from the flu, but pediatricians say too many parents are taking their sick kids to the emergency room when a doctor’s visit would suffice. “We are seeing a jump in the number of patients coming to our emergency department for flu-like symptoms,” said Dr. Michele Walsh,… read on >
A special dye that’s injected at the time of vaccination could become an alternative to paper or electronic vaccination records, researchers report. “In areas where paper vaccination cards are often lost or do not exist at all, and electronic databases are unheard of, this technology could enable the rapid and anonymous detection of patient vaccination… read on >
Flying with a small child can be dangerous without the proper equipment, especially if the ride gets bumpy. Holding your little one in your arms during turbulence is not safe. If you’re taking a child under 40 pounds on a plane, USAGov urges you to keep your child safe in a government-approved car seat or… read on >
Australian researchers are sounding the alarm over cases of a highly infectious intestinal illness that appear to be resistant to all forms of standard oral antibiotic treatment. The disease is called shigellosis, a form of dysentery. So far, most cases have involved gay and bisexual men in the Australian state of Victoria, the researchers said.… read on >
