Small Risk of Autism Seen in Babies Born Preterm and Post-Term

There may be a slightly increased risk of autism for each week a child is born before or after 40 weeks of gestation, according to a new study.

Researchers are still trying to pinpoint the causes of autism, but both genetic and environmental factors are believed to play a role.

Some previous studies have suggested that being ...

No 'Last Goodbye' for Cello: 5-Hour Surgery Saved Dog's Life

Risky, groundbreaking surgery saved a 12-year-old dog that had an aggressive tumor and was given only weeks to live, University of Florida veterinarians report.

Cello, a female goldendoodle, had a rare tumor that caused a life-threatening obstruction of her major veins.

"This was one of the most advanced cases of tumor invasi...

Low Vitamin D Levels Tied to Higher Odds for Severe COVID

Low blood levels of vitamin D might heighten people's odds for severe or even fatal COVID-19, new research shows.

Taking in a healthy level of vitamin D may therefore "reduce the complications, including the cytokine storm [release of too many proteins into the blood too quickly] and ultimately death from COVID-19," said study author D...

Kids Much Less Prone to Coronavirus Infection Than Adults: Study

Combined data from 32 studies from around the world suggest that children under the age of 10 are much less likely to become infected with SARS-CoV-2 compared with adults, given the same daily contacts.

Children's risk appears to rise with age: Among adolescent and older teenagers, the risk of infection begins to approach that of adul...

Breast Cancer Treatment Comes Later, Lasts Longer for Black Women

Among breast cancer patients in the United States, Black women are more likely to start treatment later and to have a longer treatment period than white women, new research shows.

For the study, researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill analyzed data from more than 2,800 patients (about equal numbers of Black women...

AHA News: Her Pain Seemed Muscular, But It Was Actually a Heart Attack

After taking her daughter to softball practice, Kelly Sosnowski popped over to the mall to run an errand.

Walking inside, she felt a heavy pain in her chest and upper back. She paused and the pain let up. But when she started walking again, the pain returned.

She found a place to sit and rest for a few minutes and the pain went a...

U.S. Coronavirus Cases Top 7 Million

FRIDAY, Sept. 25, 2020 (Healthday News) -- The number of U.S. coronavirus cases passed 7 million on Friday, with California the hardest hit state so far in a pandemic that has crippled the country for more than six months.

The United States has been averaging about 41,500 cases daily, down from the pandemic's midsummer peak, but states...

Conspiracy Theories Are Helping Fuel Rejection of Masks, Vaccines

People who buy into conspiracy theories about COVID-19 may be especially likely to refuse a vaccine when one becomes available, a new study suggests.

Researchers said the results are not surprising. But they highlight how mistrust in authorities could already be undermining efforts to get the pandemic under control: Those same conspira...

Is Shock Therapy Making a Comeback Against Bipolar Disorder?

Over the years electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) -- commonly known as "shock therapy" -- has gotten a bad rap.

But new research out of Italy suggests that reputation may be unwarranted. Investigators found that among bipolar patients who fail to respond to standard treatments, ECT can be a lifesaver, preventing out-of-control mood swings...

Immune System Clues to Why COVID Is Easier on Kids

Kids and adults have different immune system responses to infection with the new coronavirus, which may help explain why severe COVID-19 is more common in adults, researchers report.

For their new study, they examined blood and cell samples from patients admitted with COVID-19 symptoms to the Montefiore Medical Center in New York City....

'Silent' COVID-19 Produces as Much Virus as in Patients With Symptoms: Study

People who have COVID-19 but no symptoms have the same amount of virus in their nose and throat as those with symptoms and may play a major role in spreading the disease, a new study reveals.

The researchers compared levels of SARS-CoV-2 in 213 people in South Korea who tested positive for the virus.

Their symptoms ranged fr...

Good News on Heart Attacks: Fewer Folks Are Having Second Ones

Fewer U.S. heart attack survivors are having another heart attack within a year, a new study finds.

Rates of recurrent heart attacks, hospitalization for heart failure and deaths within a year have gone down in heart attack survivors, according to the study published Sept. 21 in the journal Circulation. However, the rates are st...

FDA Warns of Danger From 'Benadryl Challenge,' Asks TikTok to Remove Videos

Parents and other caregivers need to be more aware of the potentially lethal "Benadryl Challenge" circulating on social media, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned Thursday.

The new internet dare, broadcast widely on teen-friendly TikTok, urges kids to overdose on the over-the-counter antihistamine Benadryl to achieve a halluc...

Even If Hips, Legs Slim Down, Belly Fat Remains a Health Danger

Gaining weight around your mid-section may be the makings of much more than a wardrobe crisis: It may also signal the start of a serious health crisis.

So warns a team of Canadian and Iranian researchers who conducted an extensive review of 72 studies involving more than 2.5 million patients from all over the globe.

"We foun...

America's COVID Pandemic Is Now Skewing Younger

Young adults in their 20s now account for more cases of COVID-19 than any other age group, according to a new study from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

From June through August, people in their 20s accounted for more than 20% of all COVID infections in the United States, CDC researchers found.

Unfortunat...

Parent's Skin-to-Skin Hug Does Ease a Baby's Pain, Brain Study Suggests

Infants may feel less pain when held by a parent with skin-to-skin contact, a new U.K. study suggests.

"We have found when a baby is held by their parent with skin-on-skin contact, the higher-level brain processing in response to pain is somewhat dampened. The baby's brain is also using a different pathway to process its response to pa...

Accuracy of COVID-19 Antibody Tests Varies Widely, Study Finds

Wide variation exists in the accuracy of commercial testing kits that check for antibodies against the new coronavirus, researchers say.

Antibody tests can determine whether someone has had the virus in the past. For diagnosis at a later stage of illness or in cases of delayed-onset, antibody tests could also be an important part of ho...

AHA News: After Grieving Mother's Death, Teen Commits to Helping Others

Growing up in Wichita, Kansas, Ngoc Vuong had a wide circle of Vietnamese friends to play with in his neighborhood.

His parents had left Vietnam in the 1990s to build a new home in the U.S., making Vuong and his two older sisters first-generation Americans.

"A lot of my summers were spent hanging out with people who looked like m...

AHA News: They Survived COVID-19, Then Faced Stigma

From the moment in January when she first heard about the new coronavirus, Suzanne Kathro worried about catching it. In mid-August, she did.

"That's when the ghosting started," said Kathro, 72, of Hot Springs Village, Arkansas.

After she and her husband, Paul, got sick, some of their friends stopped communicating. "Just – p...

Hazardous Ingredients Make 'Smart Drug' Supplements a Not-So-Smart Buy

Maybe you're a senior concerned that your mind has started to lag a bit. Or maybe you're a college student looking for an edge in your classes.

Either way, a new study warns that you should seriously reconsider taking any over-the-counter supplement that promises a powerful brain boost.

A review of so-called "smart drug" nutr...