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‘MAHA Report’ calls for fighting chronic disease, but Trump and Kennedy have yanked funding

‘MAHA report’ calls for fighting chronic disease, but Trump and Kennedy have yanked funding

2 Jul 2025

Prenatal exposure to nitrates associated with increased risk of preterm birth

Even low levels of nitrate-a common agricultural runoff and drinking water contaminant-are associated with increased risks of preterm birth and low birthweight babies, according to a new study published June 25 in PLOS Water by Jason Semprini of Des Moines University College of Health Sciences, US.

25 Jun 2025

Cord blood proteins help detect early sepsis in preterm infants

Scientists from Stanley Manne Children's Research Institute at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago and colleagues identified several proteins from the umbilical cord blood of preterm newborns that signal acute systemic inflammation as an immune response to infection, providing objective and noninvasive means to diagnose early onset sepsis.

20 Jun 2025

Disrupted biological rhythms in teens can produce unexpected brain effects

A new McGill University-led study suggests that disrupting the body's internal clock during adolescence can alter how the brain responds to an in-utero risk factor linked to certain brain disorders.

17 Jun 2025

Genetic factors influence obesity risk in children exposed to gestational diabetes

Children exposed to gestational diabetes in utero with a specific variation of a common gene are at a higher risk of becoming overweight or obese during childhood, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.

30 May 2025

Injecting medicine into amniotic fluid shows promise for treating genetic disorders

Injecting medicine into the amniotic fluid staves off progression of spinal muscular atrophy in utero.

14 May 2025

Maternal testosterone levels shape boys' activity and girls' strength by age 7

Boys born to mothers with PCOS or high third-trimester testosterone levels are less physically active at age 7, particularly on weekends. Girls exposed to high prenatal testosterone show reduced muscle strength but not lower activity levels.

10 May 2025

Children born with congenital syphilis face higher risk of hospitalization

Children born with syphilis are six times more likely to be admitted to hospital in their first five years of life compared to children not exposed to syphilis from their mother before birth, according to new research.

1 May 2025

Oklahoma Children's Hospital improves care for babies with neonatal abstinence syndrome

In years past, health care providers took a punitive stance toward women giving birth to babies exposed to substances like opioids in the womb.

9 Apr 2025

Scientists link emulsifiers in processed foods to allergy and immune disorders

Review identifies common food additives in ultra-processed foods—particularly emulsifiers like carrageenan and polysorbate 80—as key drivers of gut dysbiosis, inflammation, and allergic diseases by disrupting intestinal barriers and activating proinflammatory pathways.

26 Mar 2025

How your diet and probiotics can improve vaccine effectiveness

Researchers uncover how probiotics and diet shape the gut microbiome to boost vaccine efficacy, offering new avenues for precision immunization.

23 Mar 2025

Tunneling Nanotube-Like Structures found to play a critical role in heart formation

From his lab at the University of Houston College of Pharmacy Drug Discovery Institute, Mingfu Wu, associate professor, is offering new hope for treating heart disease by sharing his insights into the fundamental process of how the heart is formed in utero.

17 Mar 2025

Air lead concentrations found to affect infant mortality

Concentrations of lead in the air remain substantial in developed and developing countries, largely the result of industrial emissions.

25 Feb 2025

First prenatal treatment for spinal muscular atrophy shows promising results

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder set in motion before birth. Scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital led the first in uterotreatment of SMA with the orally administered drug risdiplam.

20 Feb 2025

Infant exposure to herpes virus may cause memory problems later in life

Very early exposure to even a very small dose of herpes simplex virus (HSV) in infant mice can lead to cognitive decline later in life, according to findings from a new Dartmouth-led study, in collaboration with Harvard Medical School and published in the journal PLoS Pathogens.

19 Feb 2025

Babies develop food preferences in the womb, study suggests

Babies show positive responses to the smell of foods they were exposed to in the womb after they are born, according to a new study.

13 Feb 2025

UConn receives $400,000 grant for cutting-edge autism research

Just in time for the Super Bowl, researchers at UConn School of Medicine are part of a big win for autism research.

7 Feb 2025

Classical music influences fetal heart rhythms, enhancing predictability and stability

Research shows that classical music in the third trimester enhances fetal heart rate stability, potentially influencing neurodevelopment and movement patterns.

7 Feb 2025

Breakthrough model simulates human bone marrow function in the lab

Hidden within our bones, marrow sustains life by producing billions of blood cells daily, from oxygen-carrying red cells to immune-boosting white cells.

31 Jan 2025

Study finds a subset of artificial heart patients can regenerate heart muscle

A research team co-led by a physician-scientist at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson's Sarver Heart Center found that a subset of artificial heart patients can regenerate heart muscle, which may open the door to new ways to treat and perhaps someday cure heart failure.

20 Dec 2024