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Controversy surrounding Covid-19 vaccination during pregnancy

Whether or not those who are pregnant should take a Covid-19 vaccine to protect themselves and their infants became more controversial in May, when three top U.S. health officials – Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya, and Food and Drug Administration director Marty Makary – announced that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) immunization schedule will no longer recommend it "for healthy children and healthy pregnant women."

30 Sep 2025

Income inequality in society associated with structural changes in the developing brain

Income inequality in society has been linked to structural changes in the brains of children who go on to experience poorer mental health.

30 Sep 2025

Discovery of EUDAL reveals new mechanism behind chemotherapy resistance in oral cancer

Oral cancer is one of the most common head and neck cancers worldwide, with hundreds of thousands of new cases diagnosed every year. Despite advances in surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, survival rates remain poor.

30 Sep 2025

What’s more dangerous, road cycling or mountain biking?

Researchers in Barcelona analyzed 149 injured cyclists and found that while mountain biking accidents were more frequent, road cycling caused more severe injuries, especially head trauma. Older age strongly increased injury severity in road cyclists, highlighting a vulnerable group in need of attention.

29 Sep 2025

Yale researchers develop new test for early leptospirosis detection

In a new study, Yale School of Medicine (YSM) researchers unveiled a novel diagnostic method for detecting leptospiral virulence-modifying (VM) proteins in the blood and urine of hamsters, an advance that could pave the way for early diagnosis of the tropical disease leptospirosis in humans and improved treatment options.

29 Sep 2025

Herd immunity from HPV vaccine provides protection even for unvaccinated women

A large, long-term study led by an Albert Einstein College of Medicine researcher has found that the introduction of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in community settings is highly effective in protecting young women from infections caused by the cervical-cancer-causing virus-including women who didn't even receive the vaccine.

29 Sep 2025

Breakthrough discovery reveals HIV’s survival strategy in human cells

For over three decades, HIV has played an elaborate game of hide-and-seek with researchers, making treating-and possibly even curing-the disease a seemingly insurmountable obstacle to achieve.

29 Sep 2025

How maternal microbes shape babies’ gut health and disease risk

Early microbial exposures from maternal microbes, milk components, and the environment shape infant gut development and long-term disease risk. The review highlights mechanisms, preventive levers, and research gaps in supporting healthy microbiome inheritance across generations.

29 Sep 2025

Simple, affordable HPV test delivers results in less than an hour

A team of researchers led by Rice University, in collaboration with colleagues in Mozambique and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, has developed a simple, affordable human papillomavirus (HPV) test that delivers results in less than an hour with no specialized laboratory required.

29 Sep 2025

2-in-1 budesonide-formoterol inhaler reduces children's asthma attacks by 45%

Findings from a trial comparing the real-world effectiveness of asthma inhalers could reshape how children with asthma are treated.

29 Sep 2025

Many older adults meet criteria for ultra-processed food addiction

They were the first generation of Americans to grow up with ultra-processed foods all around them – products typically loaded with extra fat, salt, sugar and flavorings.

29 Sep 2025

In hepatitis B vaccine debate, CDC panel sidesteps key exposure risk

The Trump administration is continuing its push to revise federal guidelines to delay the hepatitis B vaccine newborn dose for most children.

29 Sep 2025

How air pollution harms kids’ eyesight, and why clean air makes a difference

Improving air quality may safeguard children's vision, with findings revealing a strong connection between pollution and myopia in school environments.

29 Sep 2025

Sleep apnea patients in high-pollution areas suffer higher disease severity, study shows

People who have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may suffer worse symptoms if they live in areas with higher levels of air pollution, according to a multi-national study presented at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Congress in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

29 Sep 2025

Nirsevimab sharply cuts RSV hospitalizations in U.S. infants during the 2024–2025 season

In a nationwide EHR cohort of over 400,000 U.S. infants during the 2024–2025 RSV season, nirsevimab use was linked to a 77% lower risk of RSV-related hospitalization. The study also found reduced ICU admissions and intubations, supporting broad seasonal protection in routine care.

28 Sep 2025

Solar storms linked to increased heart attack risk in women

An article published in the journal Communications Medicine points to a correlation between disturbances in the Earth's magnetic field resulting from solar storms and an increase in the frequency of heart attacks, especially among women.

26 Sep 2025

Exercise helps improve sleep and mood in smokers over 40

Getting enough weekly exercise may help smokers over 40 reduce depression and sleep issues to levels seen in non-smokers, according to a study from the Texas A&M University School of Public Health.

26 Sep 2025

Uganda’s most vulnerable region faces high Salmonella burden

In the dry, isolated area of Karamoja in northeastern Uganda – the country’s poorest sub-region – children have long suffered from malnutrition and water shortages.

26 Sep 2025

Survey shows low public concern despite rising West Nile virus infections in the U.S.

West Nile virus is the leading cause of mosquito-borne illness in the continental United States. As of Sept. 23, over 1,100 human cases of West Nile disease have been reported across 42 states, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), including nearly 750 cases of the more serious neuroinvasive form which affects the brain.

26 Sep 2025

Infant mortality rate rises sharply when mothers experience pregnancy-associated death

A new study found that infant mortality rates in Massachusetts were 14 times higher among babies whose mother experienced a pregnancy-associated death than among babies whose mother survived pregnancy and postpartum.

26 Sep 2025