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Survey reveals critical knowledge gaps in maternal health recommendations

Most Americans know that how well a mother takes care of herself before and during pregnancy affects the health of a baby, but many people remain unclear about some specific maternal health recommendations, including when to start avoiding alcohol, according to a new nationally representative survey from the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) of the University of Pennsylvania.

29 May 2026

Unhealthy snacks drive disruptive behavior in young children

Researchers at the University of Agder (UiA) have already identified clear links between what children eat and their mental health as early as the age of four.

29 May 2026

Gut microbes may reveal who is at risk of type 2 diabetes years before diagnosis

A large Swedish prospective cohort study found that specific gut microbial species and metabolic pathways measured years before diagnosis were associated with future type 2 diabetes risk. The findings suggest that gut microbiome composition and functional potential may help explain T2D development, but replication is needed before clinical use.

28 May 2026

Menstrual pain relief purchases reveal stark income-related healthcare disparities

More than a quarter of women buying menstrual products also purchase pain relief at the same time-and those in lower-income areas are significantly less likely to do so-according to a new study published this week in the open-access journal PLOS Digital Health by Dr. Victoria Sivill of the University of Bristol, UK, and colleagues, which used supermarket loyalty card data to map menstrual pain disparities across England.

28 May 2026

Mount Sinai study links long COVID symptoms to autoimmunity

A Mount Sinai-led research team has demonstrated that autoimmunity, where the body's immune system attacks its own tissues, is responsible for the often-debilitating and confounding symptoms of long COVID in a subset of people.

28 May 2026

Grant funds research on unique challenges facing young cancer survivors

Weill Cornell Medicine received a five-year, $5 million grant from the National Cancer Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, to develop innovative support strategies for an understudied group of cancer patients: adolescents and young adults (AYAs).

28 May 2026

Low-cost training for frontline health workers can reduce medical supply shortages

A recent study from The University of Texas at San Antonio reveals that low-cost training for frontline health workers can significantly reduce medical supply shortages, potentially saving thousands of lives in developing nations.

28 May 2026

How common spices may improve gut, brain, and metabolic health

The health effects of spices are explored, revealing their potential to influence blood sugar, inflammation, and brain function through various mechanisms.

28 May 2026

How do everyday spices help protect the heart?

A Nutrition Reviews supplement article reviewed controlled studies showing that culinary spice and herb blends may improve selected cardiometabolic risk markers, including post-meal triglycerides, insulin responses, inflammation, endothelial function, and 24-hour blood pressure. The review also highlighted exploratory evidence that spices and herbs may influence immune-cell activity, circulating phytochemical metabolites, and gut bacterial composition, while emphasizing the need for longer and more diverse studies.

27 May 2026

Tobacco price cap could raise billions and improve public health

The UK could raise up to £4.9 billion over five years and significantly improve public health by capping tobacco prices and increasing taxes.

27 May 2026

Early pregnancy interventions improve healthy gestational weight gain outcomes

Both too little and too much weight gain during pregnancy are associated with serious maternal and child health outcomes, including preterm birth, low birth weight, death, preeclampsia, and unplanned cesarean delivery.

27 May 2026

Study reveals inequities in wastewater-based disease outbreak detection systems

Wastewater surveillance was hailed during the COVID-19 pandemic as a more equitable way to track disease.

27 May 2026

True toll of long COVID may be double that of current estimates, research shows

The true toll of long COVID may be double that of current estimates and hidden from current surveillance systems that rely on capturing diagnostic codes, according to new research led by Mass General Brigham.

27 May 2026

Persistent gut microbiome changes linked to sustained colorectal cancer risk

More than a decade after removal of an adenoma-a precancerous mass-from the colon, alterations to the gut microbiome and metabolites remain and may drive heightened risk of colorectal cancer (CRC), according to a new study led by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

27 May 2026

Prenatal forever chemical exposure may affect puberty timing in children

An EHU-University of the Basque Country and Biogipuzkoa Health Research Institute study has linked certain chemicals measured during the first trimester of pregnancy to the subsequent onset of puberty in the children.

27 May 2026

European health sector workers face significant workplace carcinogen exposure

Exposure to cancer risk factors in the workplace remains an important and preventable cause of disease in Europe.

27 May 2026

Climate change could expand chikungunya into temperate regions worldwide

Chikungunya ('to become contorted' in the Kimakonde language, named after the characteristic joint ache) is classified as one of the neglected tropical diseases by the World Health Organization.

27 May 2026

Study finds many hikers remain unprepared for wilderness emergencies

With the arrival of warmer weather across the United States, outdoor enthusiasts are returning to America's parks and forests to hike and run on the country's beautiful, often remote, networks of trails.

26 May 2026

Adults with developmental disabilities or cerebral palsy face earlier fall injury risks

Falls are a common cause of injury, especially for adults over age 65. But adults with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities or cerebral palsy may also be at higher risk.

26 May 2026

Guava juice boosts hemoglobin levels in women with anemia

Regular guava juice consumption may prove a readily accessible and affordable addition to helping lower the risk of anemia in women in low and middle income countries, suggests a synthesis of the available evidence, published in the open access journal BMJ Nutrition Prevention & Health.

26 May 2026