People with autism do not appear to be at greater risk of age-related brain decline, a new study says. Older people with autistic traits have no differences when it comes to spatial working memory, which helps folks remember and use information about where things are and how they are arranged, researchers reported April 24 in…  read on >  read on >

Dads are supposed to be strong, steady and stoic, given how they’re portrayed in sitcoms and family entertainment. But in real life, fathers sometimes falter — and brushing it off can have a devastating impact on their kids’ development, a new study says. Undiagnosed or unaddressed depression in fathers can have negative social and behavioral…  read on >  read on >

In a sudden about-face, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said it won’t slash funding for the Women’s Health Initiative, a major research project focused on preventing disease in older women. The decision follows concerns about a move to end contracts supporting the whole study, which has tracked the health of tens…  read on >  read on >

THURSDAY, April 24, 2025 (Health Day News) — Fewer babies are being born in the U.S., and experts are worried what that portends for the future. The number of babies born in the U.S. rose slightly in 2024, the fertility rate remains below levels needed to sustain population growth, The New York Times said. More…  read on >  read on >

Treating anemia during pregnancy might lower the risk of heart defects in newborns, a new study says. Women with anemia in early pregnancy have a 47% increased risk of giving birth to a child with a heart defect, researchers reported April 23 in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology. “We already know that…  read on >  read on >

Early menopause could be a warning sign for future age-related brain decline, a new study says. Women who entered menopause before 40 had a greater cognitive decline than women who entered menopause after 50, according to a study published recently in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia. Early menopause also was associated with worse depression, researchers…  read on >  read on >

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) will provide private health data to researchers for U.S. health chief Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s new autism study. NIH Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya told advisers the aim is to help researchers study autism by giving them access to “comprehensive” health records. These records will cover a wide range of…  read on >  read on >