There’s some good news for expecting moms who are trying to weather a brutal flu season — a new study shows that getting the flu vaccine during pregnancy causes no harm to newborns. Researchers reviewed records on more than 400,000 infants born between 2004 and 2014, and found no increased risk of infant hospitalization or… read on >
All Mommy:
Many Parents in the Dark on When Kids Should First See a Dentist
American parents are less likely to seek early dental care for their children if they don’t receive guidance from a doctor or dentist, a new national survey finds. The poll of 790 parents with at least one child aged 5 or younger found that one in six of those who did not receive dental advice… read on >
Health Tip: Protect Baby from Whooping Cough
Vaccination is the best way to prevent whooping cough, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. Whooping cough (pertussis) is a very contagious disease that causes about half its victims aged 1 or younger to end up in the hospital, the agency says. The CDC offers these suggestions to help protect your baby: Vaccinate… read on >
Sibling Bullying Could Have Mental Health Effects
People who, as young kids, either bullied their siblings or were bullied themselves by siblings face an increased risk for psychotic disorders, a new British study suggests. By age 18, those who’d been either the victim or the bully several times a week or month were two to three times more likely to have a… read on >
Flu Season Shows First Signs of Slowing
While this flu season is still one of the worst seen in years, the first signs that infection rates are starting to level off were reported by U.S. health officials on Friday. As of Feb. 10, a total of 43 states continued to experience widespread flu activity, down from 48 the week before, according to… read on >
How to Put Mass Shooting Tragedies in Perspective for Kids
In the wake of yet another deadly school shooting in the United States, one health specialist offers advice on how to ease children’s fears about acts of terror and violence. Consider the child’s age and emotional maturity when weighing the right time to discuss such tragedies, recommends Dr. Hannah Chow, a pediatrician at Loyola University… read on >
How to Spare Family and Coworkers Your Flu Misery
You’ve caught the flu, but you have to go to work and you can’t desert your family. What do you do? Believe it or not, one expert says there are ways to stem the spread of sickness — even if you can’t avoid being around other people. It sounds like a tall order during this… read on >
Kids Who Need Sickle Cell Meds Don’t Always Get Them
Less than a fifth of U.S. children with sickle cell anemia are getting the antibiotics that could save their lives, a new study finds. “Longstanding recommendations say children with sickle cell anemia should take antibiotics daily for their first five years of life,” the study’s lead author, Sarah Reeves, said in a news release from… read on >
Dad Can Pass on Ovarian Cancer Genes, Too
A gene mutation that’s passed down from a father is associated with earlier onset of ovarian cancer in daughters and prostate cancer in the father and his sons, a new study suggests. Previous research had shown that sisters of women with ovarian cancer have a higher risk for the disease than their mother, but the… read on >
Here’s to a Healthy Pregnancy
Take good prenatal care of yourself and not only will you have a healthier baby, you’ll also lower his or her risk of type 2 diabetes, obesity and heart disease later in life. First, you’ll want to monitor your weight while pregnant. A baby’s future diabetes risk, for example, is higher if mom is under-… read on >