Health & Medicine

  1. Health & Medicine

    Secondhand smoke exposure in womb linked to eczema in childhood

    Secondhand smoke exposure in the womb may heighten risk of eczema and other dermatitis in children, a study finds.

    By Nathan Seppa
  2. Humans

    Breast-feeding newborns might limit their allergy to pets later

    Breast-feeding newborns might limit their allergy to pets later by inducing a protective mix of gut microbes in the baby.

    By Nathan Seppa
  3. Health & Medicine

    CDC panel gives thumbs up to vaccine against nine HPV types

    A federal vaccine advisory committee voted February 26 to recommend use of an expanded version of the human papillomavirus shot marketed as Gardasil.

    By Nathan Seppa
  4. Health & Medicine

    A little tablet time probably won’t fry a toddler’s brain

    Good or bad, the effects tablet and smartphone use among toddlers demand more research.

    By Helen Thompson
  5. Life

    Sexual conflict in mosquitoes may have worsened spread of malaria

    Sexual conflict in Anopheles mosquitoes may have intensified their power to fuel human malaria.

    By Susan Milius
  6. Health & Medicine

    Additives that keep foods fresh may sour in the gut

    Additives called emulsifiers that are used in ice cream and other foods weaken the intestines’ defenses against bacteria, causing inflammation in mice.

    By Kate Baggaley
  7. Health & Medicine

    Community protection against measles jeopardized

    ‘Herd immunity’ to measles may be threatened by low vaccination rates in some parts of the United States.

    By Lila Guterman
  8. Health & Medicine

    Why stress doesn’t just stay in your head

    Chronic stress may start in the brain, but new research reveals that its influences on the body roam far and wide.

    By Eva Emerson
  9. Health & Medicine

    Stem cells from wisdom teeth could help repair corneas

    A study points to a potential new treatment for corneal blindness: Stem cells extracted from pulp from pulled wisdom teeth.

    By Helen Thompson
  10. Health & Medicine

    For athletes, antioxidant pills may not help performance

    Supplements of vitamins C, E and other antioxidants may blunt the positive effects of exercise training.

    By Laura Beil
  11. Health & Medicine

    Early peanut exposure can reduce likelihood of allergy

    In many infants at risk of developing a peanut allergy, early and steady exposure to peanut butter prevents it, a new study finds.

    By Nathan Seppa
  12. Ecosystems

    Bubonic plague was a serial visitor in European Middle Ages

    Outbreaks of Black Death in medieval Europe may have been triggered by faraway weather patterns and hungry gerbils.

    By Kate Baggaley