American teenagers cite stress as the leading reason they might get drunk or high, a new report reveals. That only underscores the need for better adolescent mental health care, according to the research team behind the study. Better “access to treatment and support for mental health concerns and stress could reduce some of the reported… read on > read on >
The Pearl Jam song “Jeremy” tells the story of a boy driven mad by bullies who commits suicide in front of his classroom. The song might reflect a real and ongoing threat to teens’ mental health, new research suggests. Teens being bullied face a greater risk of early-stage psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations or paranoia,… read on > read on >
Preterm births linked to “hormone-disruptor” chemicals in plastics cost the U.S. health care system billions of dollars, a new study claims. Daily exposure to phthalates — chemicals used to manufacture plastics — might be tied to nearly 56,000 preterm births in the United States in 2018, researchers report. Estimated medical costs resulting from those early… read on > read on >
The COVID-19 vaccine given to pregnant women does no harm to their unborn babies, and can actually lower the risk of serious complications in newborns, a new study finds. Babies born to women who received the COVID vaccine had half the death rate of those born to unvaccinated moms, according to findings published Feb. 6… read on > read on >
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has resumed a national campaign that uses the stories of former smokers to warn Americans about the many health dangers of tobacco. Known as the “Tips From Former Smokers” campaign, seven new people are featured in ads sharing their stories about how cigarette smoking damaged their health.… read on > read on >
Using ultrasound to measure blood flow in the placenta and the fetus could help spot issues tied to low birth weight, researchers report. As the Dutch investigators explained, about 10% of fetuses are determined to be “small for gestational age” after ultrasound examination in the womb. Some underweight newborns do just fine, but others may… read on > read on >
Women with a common ovarian disorder might be more likely to have memory and thinking problems in middle age, a new study suggests. Females diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) scored lower on cognitive tests than women without the condition, according to a report published Jan. 31 in the journal Neurology. The condition specifically appeared… read on > read on >
There’s one treatment for pregnant women addicted to opioids that’s safer for their unborn child, a new study reports. Buprenorphine is associated with a slightly lower risk of birth defects overall compared to methadone, according to findings published recently in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine. However, the researchers stressed that expecting mothers with opioid use… read on > read on >
Becoming pregnant as a result of sexual violence is disturbingly common in the United States, a new study reveals. Nearly 6 million U.S. women have become pregnant as a result of rape or sexual coercion, researchers reported recently in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. This equates to about one in every 20 American women… read on > read on >
U.S. approval of over-the-counter emergency contraception like “Plan B” has had an unintended but positive side effect for America’s hospitals, a new study shows. Emergency room visits related to “morning-after” contraception plummeted after the pills became easily available to adults in 2006, according to the report published Jan. 24 in the journal JAMA Network Open.… read on > read on >
