Shark Bites Are Up, but Attack Risk Is Down?
California coast visitors are now 91 percent less likely to be bitten by a great white than they were in 1950, in part because beach populations of humans have risen dramatically
Stories by Tara Haelle
The INTERCEPT Blood System Rids Blood Donations of All Pathogens
Blood banks begin using the method in donations this summer as the northward spread of chikungunya continues
Prime Suspect in Infant Deaths: Lack of Oxygen
The thinner, oxygen-poor air above 2,400 meters may be among the environmental stressors that increase the risk of SIDS
Meds Trump Therapy Recommendation for Treating ADHD
Guidelines that emphasize the need for behavioral therapies often go unheeded, although study results broken out by demographics were surprising
Misfolded Proteins Travel in Huntington’s Disease
The movement of proteins involved in neurodegenerative diseases could serve as a target for future therapies
More Parents Nixing Anti-Bleeding Shots for Their Newborns
Vitamin K injections, given after birth, can prevent potentially fatal hemorrhaging in infants, but anti-vax parents are extending their fears into a general rejection of all shots
Delaying Vaccines Increases Risks—with No Added Benefits
Some parents delay vaccines out of a misinformed belief that it’s safer, but that decision actually increases the risk of a seizure after vaccination and leaves children at risk for disease longer
ID’ing a Skull Just Got Easier
CT scans may soon link human remains to missing persons
500 Drugs Updated with Directions for Child Use Since 2002
That’s the good news. Bad news: Half of drugs used in kids are still unlabeled, which is a problem because of the risk of improper dosing or usage
Baboon Study Reveals New Shortcoming of Pertussis Vaccine
The shortcomings of the whooping cough vaccine may help explain the disease's resurgence
Vaccination Opt-Outs Found to Contribute to Whooping Cough Outbreaks in Kids
Several factors may be contributing to recent whooping cough outbreaks, but parents’ refusal to immunize their children is one
Expanded Clinical Definition of Anorexia May Help More Teens
The DSM-5 broadens the criteria for anorexia nervosa, but will the expanded definition of the illness help catch those who need help before their disease progresses too far?
Preschoolers Who Drink Daily Sodas Are More Likely to Be Obese by Age 5
In the wake of a failed New York City law to ban oversize sodas, new findings show the link between sugar-sweetened beverages and obesity starts as young as toddlerhood
Childhood Concussion Studies Butt Heads
Second and third concussions take more recovery time, new research shows, but many concussions are not adequately identified in the first place
Shooting the Wheeze: Whooping Cough Vaccine Falls Short of Previous Shot’s Protection
Long considered a conquered childhood disease, pertussis has made a comeback in the U.S., in part because the combination vaccine, DTap, appears less effective than its predecessor, DTP
Childhood ADHD Linked to Obesity in Adulthood
Increased risk of adult obesity is one of the long-term consequences facing children with ADHD, even if their diagnostic symptoms fade
From Baghdad to Boston: War Lessons on Amputations Help Blast Victims Walk Again
A decade of battlefield experience in Iraq and Afghanistan has led to better understanding of IED injuries that will likely improve the outcomes of survivors of the Boston Marathon bombing
Consumption Junction: Childhood Obesity Determined Largely by Environmental Factors, Not Genes or Sloth
In looking for ways to fight childhood obesity, an emerging consensus of literature points to the need to reengineer kids’ environments to change what and how they eat
5 Shark Species May Gain Protection Boost from New Findings
Two new studies make clear the global threat to sharks as well as some of the challenges conservationists face, just in time for an international meeting this week that could decide the fate of several of the iconic species
Putting Tests to the Test: Many Medical Procedures Prove Unnecessary—and Risky
The overuse of many medical tests and interventions wastes money and can actually harm patients, say over two dozen medical societies