Deprivation, neglect and abuse during childhood can increase a person’s long-term risk of health problems, a new study warns. “Stress is implicated in nine of the 10 leading causes of death in the United States today,” said senior researcher Dr. George Slavich, director of the UCLA Laboratory for Stress Assessment and Research. “It’s about time…  read on >  read on >

A few cups of coffee each morning can help protect a person against heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes, a new study says. Drinking three cups of coffee a day — or about 200 to 300 milligrams of caffeine — lowered the risk of health problems linked to the heart or metabolism, researchers found.…  read on >  read on >

For the second time this year, the Senate plans to vote Tuesday on a law that would create a nationwide right to IVF. The bill was already blocked by Republicans earlier this year, but Democrats are hoping to use this second vote to pressure Republican congressional candidates on the hot button issue, the Associated Press…  read on >  read on >

With implications for research around postpartum depression and other health issues, scientists have tracked the changes pregnancy brings to the female brain. These changes weren’t subtle: Big shifts in what’s known as the brain’s “white matter” versus “gray matter” were observed, according to a team from the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). “The maternal…  read on >  read on >

Many parents worry that their kids aren’t popular enough, or that they aren’t making the right friends, a new survey finds. About 1 in 5 parents say their child aged 6 to 12 has no friends or not enough friends, according to the results of the University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National…  read on >  read on >

Florida’s six-week abortion ban caused the state’s abortion rate to drop dramatically, new research shows. Abortions in Florida dropped to an estimated 5,630 in May and 5,200 in June, a 30% and 35% decrease from the average between January and March, data released Thursday shows. “Our data paint a vivid picture of the chaos and…  read on >  read on >

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Tuesday that it will launch an independent review into any possible effects of toxic metals found in tampons. The announcement follows the release of a study in July that found traces of lead and other metals in 30 tampons from 14 brands obtained from major online retailers and…  read on >  read on >

In the two years since the March of Dimes’ last report on the state of U.S. maternity care, more than 100 hospitals nationwide have shuttered their obstetric units, leaving more new moms with literally “Nowhere to Go” for care. The March of Dimes’ 2024 report, titled “Nowhere to Go: Maternity Care Deserts Across the U.S.,”…  read on >  read on >