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 >
All Mommy:
Pregnancy-Linked Depression Tied to Shorter Life Spans for Women
Women are far more likely to suffer an early death if they develop depression during or after pregnancy, a new Swedish study has found. Women who developed what’s known as “perinatal” depression were generally twice as likely to die as women who didn’t experience the mood disorder, researchers reported Jan. 10 in the BMJ. They… read on > read on >
Hormonal Changes May Help Trigger Rheumatoid Arthritis in Women
Women are four to five times more likely than men to develop early-onset rheumatoid arthritis, and a few hormonal factors could be why, new research suggests. Entering menopause early (before age 45), taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT), and having four or more kids are all related to heightened odds for developing rheumatoid arthritis, the study… read on > read on >
Pregnancy-Linked Depression Could Have Links to Autoimmune Diseases
Could the immune system play a role in why some women become depressed during and after a pregnancy? Swedish researchers have uncovered a “bidirectional relationship” between pregnancy-linked depression and autoimmune diseases such as psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, ulcerative colitis and celiac disease. In other words, women who experienced depression specific to a pregnancy were more… read on > read on >
Pregnancy-Linked Depression Raises Odds for Suicide Years After Delivery
Depression that emerges around the time of pregnancy raises a woman’s risk for suicide sharply and for many years, new Swedish research shows. The study found that a new mom’s odds for suicide soars seven-fold in the year after a diagnosis of perinatal depression — depression that arises just before, during or after a pregnancy.… read on > read on >
Addiction Treatment for Teens in Crisis Is Often Hard to Find
A ‘secret shopper’ study finds that for many American families, accessing inpatient treatment for a teen battling addiction can be next to impossible. “If you are a family in crisis and you have a kid for whom outpatient treatment is not an option, you hope to be able to call the closest residential facility to… read on > read on >
Teen Sports Pay Dividends for Bone Health Decades Later
Teens who are active are doing their bones a lasting favor, Japanese researchers report. “Physical exercise in adolescence affects BMD [bone mineral density] more than 50 years later in older adults,” said lead researcher Dr. Yoshifumi Tamura, a faculty member at Juntendo University in Tokyo. “Our findings can guide the selection of sports played during… read on > read on >
Latest Data Show 22 U.S. Teens Die of Overdoses Each Week
An average of 22 U.S. teens die each week from drug overdoses, a death toll driven by the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl, a new study reports. Researchers also have identified 19 “hotspot” counties where fatal ODs are occurring as much as double the national average. The overdose death rate for 14- to 18-year-olds now stands… read on > read on >
Black Teens Gain Mental Health Boost From ‘Connectedness’ at School
“School spirit” appears to provide long-lasting mental health benefits for Black teens, new research finds. School connectedness – the degree to which students feel like part of to their school community – is a protective factor against depression and aggressive behavior later in life among Black students, researchers report in the Journal of Youth and… read on > read on >
Too Much Screen Time Might Harm Kids’ ‘Sensory Processing’
Exposing babies and toddlers to TV and other digital media could be linked to a heightened risk for dysfunction in what’s known as “sensory processing,” a new study warns. Kids with “atypical sensory processing” are often hypersensitive to the touch, sound, taste or look of stimuli in their environment. For example, kids might try to… read on > read on >