Having safer neighborhoods, where families feel less stress, can help prevent child abuse, according to new research that supports this long-suspected theory. When parents feel higher levels of stress or hopelessness about their surroundings, they may have a harder time caring for their children, the study confirms. “To get the best outcomes for kids and… read on > read on >
Piercings can be a fun way to express yourself, but they can also cause complications — particularly in areas that aren’t the earlobes — and need proper care. “The first step to caring for your piercing is choosing a qualified piercer,” said Dr. Steven Daveluy, an associate professor and program director at Wayne State Dermatology… read on > read on >
Women may soon have a vaccine they can take during a pregnancy to help protect their newborn from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Following approval one month ago by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday also approved the shot, called Abrysvo. That marks the last hurdle needed… read on > read on >
While the start of the school year can give kids and teens the chance to reconnect with friends and enjoy school sports and activities, it can also trigger stressors that send many to the emergency room for mental health woes, a new report shows. Among children aged 5 to 17, emergency department visits for depression,… read on > read on >
New research underscores the harms of e-cigarettes, showing that vaping increases the risk of asthma in teens who have never smoked cigarettes. Although e-cigarettes have fewer toxins than regular cigarettes, they still contain a mixture of harmful chemicals and raise the risk of respiratory diseases, researchers say. “Increasing knowledge about the harmful effects of e-cigarette… read on > read on >
One pregnancy may leave behind microscopic souvenirs that prepare a mom’s immune system for the next one, a new study suggests. Experts said the research, carried out in lab mice, offers new insights into a longstanding puzzle: Why doesn’t a pregnant woman’s immune system attack the fetus, which is essentially a foreign invader? Scientists do… read on > read on >
A new government report finds that federal regulators need to do more to help in the battle to keep kids and teens off tobacco. Among the report’s findings were that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration needs to get tough on retailers selling tobacco to youth and should improve its oversight of online retailers. The… read on > read on >
Americans will once again be able to get free at-home COVID tests. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced Wednesday that it will spend $600 million to buy and offer the tests, produced by 12 domestic manufacturers, and it will begin accepting orders for those tests on Monday through covidtests.gov. “The Biden-Harris… read on > read on >
The United States is experiencing an alarming wave of congenital syphilis, and one southern state saw a 1,000% rise in babies born with the infection between 2016 and 2022. The number of babies born with the infection in Mississippi rose from 10 in 2016 to 110 in 2022. Syphilis is a sexually transmitted bacterial infection.… read on > read on >
Substance abuse and pregnancy may be a dangerous combination. New research finds that pregnant women with a history of substance abuse had a dramatically increased risk of death from heart attack and stroke during childbirth compared to women with no drug history. “This telling research shows that substance use during pregnancy doubled cardiovascular events and… read on > read on >
