Cramps are a better-known symptom of a woman’s period, but about 20 percent of women are also prone to migraine headaches during menstruation. The Office on Women’s Health suggests seeing a doctor if you have any of these symptoms during menstruation: Your headaches change. Treatments that once worked no longer help. You have side effects…  read on >

A young person’s decision to drink alcohol may be related to the stress of trying to fit in with a particular crowd, the desire to get good grades or adjusting to a new school. Keeping open lines of communication with your child or teen may help prevent underage drinking. The U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental…  read on >

The first day of preschool is a milestone in a child’s life. And parents can help prepare kids for this momentous occasion with everyday family routines that create a nurturing home environment. According to researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City, routines help develop a child’s social and emotional readiness. That’s…  read on >

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 >

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 >

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 >

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 >

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 >

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 >