WEDNESDAY, Oct. 17, 2018American women are having fewer children, and they’re having them later in life, a new government report shows. “Overall, we saw continuing decreasing trends in total fertility,” said report author Danielle Ely, a health statistician at the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), which is part of the U.S. Centers for Disease… read on >
The number of genes known to be associated with autism now stands at 102, researchers report. They also said that they’ve made significant progress in distinguishing between genes associated with autism and those associated with intellectual disability and developmental delay, conditions that often overlap with autism. The analysis of more than 37,000 genetic samples collected… read on >
Young football players who suffer repeated head blows — but not concussions — may not sustain brain damage, a new study suggests. For the study, researchers followed 112 football players, aged 9 to 18, during the 2016 season. “We expected repetitive impacts to correlate with worsening neurocognitive [brain] function, but we found that sub-concussive head… read on >
Nations that officially frown upon hitting kids as a form of punishment appear to have teens who are less prone to violence, new research suggests. In countries that have a complete ban on corporal punishment (spanking and slapping), the rates of physical fighting among teens are as much as 69 percent lower than in countries… read on >
A year after a concussion, up to one-third of kids still have symptoms such as headache and irritability that may affect school performance, a new study finds. “Children with all types of injuries may show post-concussion symptoms,” said lead researcher Linda Ewing-Cobbs, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Texas Health Science Center Medical… read on >
Fear of doctors is common among American preschoolers, and a trip to the pediatrician’s office can cause equal anxiety for Mom and Dad. Half of 2- to 5-year-olds are afraid of going to the doctor, according to a new survey of 726 parents. And some kids get so upset that 1 in 5 parents say… read on >
The number of women delivering babies via cesarean section has nearly doubled worldwide since 2000, to about 21 percent, new research shows. That’s significantly higher than the 10 percent to 15 percent considered medically necessary, researchers said. When complications develop, C-sections can save the lives of mothers and their babies. But the surgery is not… read on >
Contrary to popular belief, heart surgery patients who leave the hospital on a weekend or holiday do not have a higher risk for readmission, a new study finds. Some studies have reported the readmission rate after major heart surgery is as high as 22 percent. Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles looked at… read on >
Women whose final stages of pregnancy occur during the short, dark days of winter may be at increased risk for postpartum depression, a new study suggests. It has to do with reduced exposure to sunlight — the same culprit that contributes to seasonal affective disorder, or SAD. That’s a type of depression that usually starts… read on >
The hormone prolactin — most commonly associated with breastfeeding — may play a role in reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes, a new study suggests. Researchers found that women with the highest levels of the hormone, though still in the normal range, had a 27 percent reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared… read on >
