Microbiomes: You’ve probably heard of these communities of largely helpful bacteria that colonize the gut or the skin. But a man’s semen has a microbiome of its own, and new research suggests it could play a role in fertility. Researchers at the University of California Los Angeles examined the microbiomes and sperm health of 73… read on > read on >
Expecting moms who often turn to acetaminophen for their aches and pains are more likely to wind up with kids who have behavioral issues, a new study warns. Children between the ages of 2 and 4 were more likely to have attention and behavioral problems if their mothers frequently used acetaminophen during pregnancy, researchers found.… read on > read on >
Abortion bans are intended to preserve the lives of children, proponents say, but a new study has found infants are more likely to die in the states with the most restrictive laws. States with the tightest abortion laws had a 16% increased infant mortality rate from 2014 to 2018, compared to the states with the… read on > read on >
Fetal exposure to opioids may change a baby’s immune system, triggering a rise in risks for eczema and asthma through early childhood, new research shows. Children born to women who used opioids during pregnancy had much higher rates of eczema, as well as conditions such as “diaper rash,” during infancy, Australian researchers report. These children… read on > read on >
College freshmen who are more outgoing and agreeable — and less moody — are more likely to feel a sense of belonging at their new school, new research has found. Those personality traits could result in better academic performance and better mental health during college, the study authors concluded. However, two other important personality traits… read on > read on >
Stressed-out teens are likely to have more heart health risk factors in adulthood, a new study says. Teens with elevated stress levels tended to have high blood pressure, obesity and other heart risk factors as they aged, compared to those teens with less stress, researchers found. “Our findings suggest that perceived stress patterns over time… read on > read on >
For the more than 3 billion gamers around the world, the loud noises they experience while playing video games could threaten their hearing, a new review suggests. Whether on the couch, parked at a computer desk or in an arcade, studies have shown the noise from video games often exceeds levels deemed safe for a… read on > read on >
Art therapy has the potential to help women deal with menopause, a new study reports. Creative arts therapies combined with nutrition education significantly improved quality of life, stress, anxiety and body image in a group of overweight women who had entered menopause, researchers said. All participants also experienced decreases in body mass index and blood… read on > read on >
A crowded house may not be the best for the mental health of a family’s kids, a new study has found. Teens from larger families tend to have poorer mental health than those with fewer siblings, according to a large-scale analysis of children in the United States and China. In the United States, children with… read on > read on >
Hot or humid days during pregnancy could influence the future heart health of your unborn child, a new study finds. The children of expecting moms exposed to high humidity tended to have a steeper increase in blood pressure through ages 3 to 10, researchers reported Jan. 8 in the journal JACC: Advances. On the other… read on > read on >
