Doctors can’t yet predict if someone exposed to the flu will become sick. But such predictions may be getting closer to reality, new research hints. Researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine say they’ve identified a “biomarker” that indicates a person’s susceptibility to flu viruses. “We’ve been after this for about four years,” said study… read on >
Having a baby is a unique joy, yet it can also bring profound sadness to some women. In fact, about 13 percent of new mothers will experience a major depressive episode during their baby’s first year. Postpartum depression, or PPD, affects baby as well as mom because it can keep you from taking care of… read on >
The effects of neighborhood violence can seep into schools and lead to lower grades, even among students who have no direct exposure to the violence, a new study reveals. For the study, researchers analyzed data from students who attended Chicago public schools between 2002 and 2010. The researchers found that in schools where large numbers… read on >
Is your kitchen towel making you sick? The answer could be yes if you use the towel for many purposes, have a large family and are not a vegetarian, according to a new study of germs lurking on towels. Forty-nine percent of the kitchen towels collected for the study were laden with bacteria, and the… read on >
More good news for coffee lovers: Having three or more cups of “joe” each day may help ward off serious liver ailments, new research suggests. The 26-year study of more than 14,000 Americans couldn’t prove cause and effect. However, participants who drank three-plus cups of coffee a day were 21 percent less likely to find… read on >
It’s well-known that Americans consume too much sugar. But that affinity for the sweet stuff starts as early as infancy, with some babies consuming added sugar that exceeds maximum levels recommended for adults, U.S. researchers report. Eating foods with added sugar can influence a child’s food choices later in life. And added sugar has been… read on >
Some 5 million children in the United States wet the bed, the American Academy of Pediatrics says. Although most kids are potty trained by age 4, bedwetting may still be a problem for about 20 percent of 5-year-olds, 10 percent of 7-year-olds and 5 percent of 10-year-olds, the group says. Most cases seem to be… read on >
High school baseball players who both pitch and catch suffer more injuries than pitchers who play other positions, a new study finds. High rates of shoulder and elbow injuries are common among young pitchers. In fact, pitchers incur 73 percent of injuries among high school baseball players, and about 10 percent of them require surgery,… read on >
Omega-3 fatty acids — good fats found in fish — can boost the heart health of adults, but a new study suggests that babies might also stand to benefit from them. In the study from Australia, infants were given a daily fish oil supplement or a placebo from birth to 6 months. When they were… read on >
You’re probably familiar with the stereotypes about people who wear glasses — these folks are studious and spend a lot of time indoors with their noses in a book. As is often the case, it turns out that at least that stereotype may be true, a new British study suggests. The research found that the… read on >
