A low sperm count may do more than affect a man’s ability to have children. It also may be linked to a number of health problems, new research suggests. A study of nearly 5,200 Italian men found that those with low sperm counts were 1.2 times more likely to have more body fat, higher blood…  read on >

One-third of young adults in the United States have been in a vehicle with a driver impaired by alcohol or drugs, a new study finds. Riding with a marijuana-impaired driver was more common than riding with an alcohol-impaired driver, researchers found. “We’ve put a lot of emphasis on drinking and driving, but less effort on…  read on >

The Old Woman in the Shoe may have lost a tooth or two. Nursery rhymes aside, a new study reports that the more children a woman has, the fewer teeth she has in her later years. Mothers of three had an average of four fewer teeth than moms with just two children, according to the…  read on >

A new study of pregnant women in the Caribbean further confirms that Zika virus causes birth defects, particularly if infection occurs early in pregnancy. About 7 percent of Zika-infected women in French territories of the Caribbean delivered babies that suffered from birth defects of the brain and eyes, researchers report. These numbers are close to…  read on >

Every day, more than 300 children are treated in U.S. emergency rooms for accidental poisoning, and two children die from it. Reports of youngsters getting sick after eating colorful laundry and dishwasher detergent pods that they thought were candy have renewed warnings about keeping all cleaning products both out of sight and out of reach…  read on >

Parents should learn a host of terms that schools use to indicate various states of emergency, the American Academy of Pediatrics says. The academy defines these key terms: Evacuation: Used to indicate movement of students and staff out of the school building. Relocation: Used to indicate movement of students and staff to a pre-designated alternate…  read on >

Childhood obesity is a problem that often follows kids into adulthood, exposing them to serious health threats later in life. Here’s how to get — or keep — your child’s weight in a healthy range. First, eating as a family is key to preventing weight gain in kids. Positive family interaction has been listed in…  read on >

Students who feel a like they belong at school have a greater chance of doing well and staying there, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. Research confirms that children who feel “connected” to school are more likely to get better grades, stay in school longer, have higher test scores and are less…  read on >

Is your family struggling with overweight or obesity? To lose weight, take a team approach. Studies show that when overweight parents shed pounds, so do their overweight kids. Parents hold the keys to positive behaviors that encourage a healthy weight, from doing the food shopping and cooking to getting kids involved in sports and other…  read on >

If your parents pushed you to diet as a teen, chances are you will do the same to your own children. New research suggests that when parents focus on a teen’s diet, it creates an unhealthy cycle that can harm generations to come. “Adolescents who received encouragement to diet from their parents were more likely…  read on >