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 >
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 >
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 >
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 >
Single dads have been played for laughs in countless TV sitcoms, from “The Andy Griffith Show” and “My Three Sons” up to modern takes such as “Arrested Development” and “Louie.” But in real life, being a single dad is tough — so much so that it can lead to an early grave, Canadian researchers report.… read on >
As a particularly nasty flu season rages across the United States, scientists have found a powerful new disinfectant that makes “light” work of the virus. Researchers say a certain spectrum of ultraviolet light — called far-UVC — easily kills airborne flu viruses while posing no risk to people. It could offer a new, inexpensive way… read on >
