U.S. girls are getting their periods at younger ages, a new study has found. Girls born between 2000 and 2005 started their periods at an average age of 11.9 years — a half year earlier than the average age of 12.5 years for girls born between 1950 and 1969, researchers reported May 29 in the…  read on >  read on >

Weighted blankets are trendy items, largely based on the idea that the pressure of a heavy blanket will help a person more easily slip into slumber. But they do little to help troubled children sleep better, a new study has found. There was no difference in sleep between weighted and normal blankets among a group…  read on >  read on >

Women who get an epidural during delivery appear to have a marked reduction in serious complications the first few weeks after giving birth, a new study shows. A painkilling epidural can reduce risk by 35% in women for complications like heart attack, heart failure, blood infection and hysterectomy that can occur as a result of…  read on >  read on >

Louisiana has become the first state to pass a law that designates abortion pills as dangerous controlled substances. Once Gov. Jeff Landry signs the bill into law, as he is expected to do, possession of the drugs mifepristone and misoprostol without a prescription would be a crime punishable with possible fines and jail time. Louisiana…  read on >  read on >

Most young breast cancer survivors can go on to have children despite the effects of their lifesaving treatment, a new study shows. About 73% of breast cancer survivors attempting to conceive achieved a pregnancy and 65% had a live birth, researchers report. Those who opted for egg/embryo freezing prior to cancer treatment tended to have…  read on >  read on >

For decades, the responsibility for birth control has fallen largely on women, but new research suggests a birth control pill for men might one day become a reality. How does it work? It targets a protein required for fertility, scientists report. The protein, called serine/threonine kinase 33 (STK33), is enriched in the testicles and is…  read on >  read on >

About 1 in 9 American children have ever received an ADHD diagnosis, slightly more than the number of kids currently being treated for the disorder, a new study shows. About 7.1 million kids (11.4%) have ever been diagnosed with ADHD, according to findings published May 23 in the Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology.…  read on >  read on >

A mom or dad who vapes at home might be setting their child up for eczema, new research suggests. In a study involving data from over 35,000 U.S. households, children with a parent who used e-cigarettes had a 24% higher odds for eczema (also known as atopic dermatitis) than kids with two non-vaping parents did.…  read on >  read on >

TikTok is full of fun memes, pranks, dances and challenges — and illicit vaping product sales targeting teenagers, a new study reports. Advertising and sales of vaping products is common on the video-sharing platform, according to findings published May 23 in the journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research. What’s more, the users offering these items often…  read on >  read on >