It may seem a bit counterintuitive, but treating the pancreas of a child with autism could help ease problematic behaviors, new research shows. The key here, researchers say, is the link between dietary protein intake and crucial brain neurotransmitter chemicals, such as serotonin and dopamine.  When those neurotransmitters aren’t working as they should, that can…  read on >  read on >

Beyond a myriad of other consequences, childhood trauma appears to raise the specter of chronic pain in adulthood, new research shows. Researchers pored over 75 years’ worth of data involving more than 826,000 people. That included information on levels of neglect or physical, emotional or sexual abuse, plus other serious trauma of childhood. Their review…  read on >  read on >

Exposure to a common chemical group found in many household products may delay or even prevent a woman from becoming pregnant, a new study says. Phthalates can lower a woman’s odds of becoming pregnant by up to 18% in any given month, researchers report in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives. Phthalates are chemicals found in…  read on >  read on >

Hospital coffee machines have received some side-eye as a potential source of spreading infection, but a new study debunks the belief. “To our great relief…a general ban on coffee makers doesn’t seem necessary,” concluded researchers led by Dr. Sarah Victoria Walker, head of the Institute for Clinical Microbiology and Hospital Hygiene in Ludwigsburg, Germany. For…  read on >  read on >

Remaining childless throughout adult life might be tied, in some cases, to illnesses experienced in childhood, new research suggests. Childlessness isn’t just about fertility. As a University of Oxford news release on the study noted, “multiple social, economic and individual preferences have been studied” to understand why some adults never become parents.  “Various factors are…  read on >  read on >