The latest research review, published Friday in The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynecology & Women's Health, looked at 43 studies and concluded that the most rigorous ones, such as those that compare siblings, provide strong evidence that taking the drug commonly known as paracetamol outside of the U.S. does not cause autism, ADHD or intellectual disabilities. It's safe to use in pregnancy, said lead author Dr. Asma Khalil. It remains the first line of treatment that we would recommend if the pregnant woman has pain or fever.
States like Florida, Ohio, North Carolina, and Georgia saw the most significant dips. "People have less access to care, and that tends to translate into worse health outcomes," said Matthew Fiedler, a senior fellow at The Brookings Institution. He added that many households' financial security is at risk: "People will face big bills that they either can't pay, and that hurts their credit. Or they do pay, but it requires them to skimp in other areas."
This systematic review and meta-analysis found no evidence that maternal paracetamol use during pregnancy increases the risk of autism spectrum disorder, ADHD or intellectual disability among children, says the study, which is published in the Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Women's Health. It has been undertaken by a team of seven researchers from across Europe, led by Asma Khalil, a professor of obstetrics and maternal fetal medicine at City St George's, University of London, who is also a consultant obstetrician at St George's hospital in London.
Adult literacy advocate Toni Cordell recounts the story of feeling comforted when her doctor told her that her medical concern could be solved with an easy surgery. She agreed to proceed without asking further questions and didn't understand the medical consent forms because she didn't read well. At a follow-up office visit a couple of weeks after the procedure, Cordell was shocked when the nurse asked, "How are you feeling since your hysterectomy?"
The group aims to begin piloting business certification in Southern California, the nation's silicosis epicenter, as early as this summer, according to testimony by ISFA's CEO Laurie Weber to California regulators Thursday in Sacramento. The audit and training program, which would be expanded statewide later in the year, aims to protect workers without banning artificial stone, she added. "We believe that bans happen when systems fail, and we're here to help fix the system," Weber said. "We want an opportunity to sit at the table and talk about how to solve this together."
The Alaska Department of Corrections does not provide comprehensive access to this life saving medication. "I'm gonna give you a little pinch," Spencer said, sliding the needle into a fold of skin on the patient's belly for the subcutaneous injection. Alaska's not an outlier. Despite the fact that those recently released from incarceration are some of the most vulnerable to dying from drug overdose, addiction experts say that many jails and prisons around the country don't provide medication treatment.
From Africa to Latin America to Asia, babies have been carried in cloth wraps on their mothers' backs for centuries. Now, the practice of generations of women could become a lifesaving tool in the fight against malaria. Researchers in Uganda have found that treating wraps with the insect repellent permethrin cut rates of malaria in the infants carried in them by two-thirds.
The cameras aim to change driver behavior and slow traffic - ultimately reducing crashes and fatalities, making Oakland streets safer for all road users. The cameras can be found at 18 locations throughout the City. They can detect when a vehicle is traveling 11 MPH or more above the posted speed limit. When a vehicle is speeding, the camera captures the license plate and a warning is mailed to the registered owner.
In the past, researchers studying peoples' experiences with addiction relied mostly on clinical observations and self-reported surveys. But only about 5% of people diagnosed with a substance use disorder seek formal treatment. They are only a small sliver of the population who have a substance use disorder-and until recently, there has been no straightforward way to capture the experiences of the other 95%.
An NHS manager who siphoned off more than 120,000 from his trust, primarily to fuel a gambling addiction, has been handed a prison sentence. Alec Gandy, a senior operational manager at Dudley Integrated Health and Care NHS Trust, orchestrated a scheme involving fake temporary worker accounts, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) revealed. Gandy created fictitious roles for his friend, Matthew Lane, as a physician's assistant, and his ex-wife, Kaylee Wright, as a paramedic. He then authorised invoices totalling over 123,000 to be paid into these accounts.
"These are cuts he should not have issued in the first place," Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, said in a statement after reports of the reversal. "This episode has only created uncertainty and confusion for families and healthcare providers." she added. "I hope this reversal serves as a lesson learned. Congress holds the power of the purse, and the Secretary must follow the law."
California officials are issuing warnings about a new flu strain that is increasing flu-related cases and hospitalizations statewide, with public health experts across the nation echoing the alerts. A newly emerged influenza A strain, H3N2 subclade K, is already wreaking havoc globally and is affecting hospitals and clinics in California, the California Department of Public Health announced on Tuesday. Although the agency did not provide specific data for California cases, it described the seasonal flu activity as "elevated" in the state.
"If you or someone you love is going to give birth in a hospital, there is a question you need to ask before you go that can determine whether you are likely to have safe care or not," said labor and delivery nurse Jen Hamilton. Her multi-part TikTok videos amassed a combined 300,000 views their first 24 hours. "You need to know whether the hospital you are going to give birth in follows AWHONN's safe staffing standards," she continued.
Resins and other chemicals added to the factory-made slabs contribute to making engineered stone dust more dangerous than dust from natural stones such as granite or marble, according to doctors. Cambria faces 400 lawsuits from stoneworkers for silica-related injuries, most of them in California, Schult said. Other major manufacturers facing lawsuits, such as Israel-based Caesarstone and Cosentino, headquartered in Spain, have developed low or no-crystalline silica alternatives.
Gun violence in Berkeley last year hit the lowest point since the police department first started publishing data on it nearly a decade ago, reflecting local and national trends. A network of violence intervention workers, faith leaders and volunteers has been working to keep the numbers down, but their pilot program is only funded for another six months.
Use a cleaner that will kill the flu virus: The CDC advises to use cleaners that contain chlorine, hydrogen peroxide, detergents (soap), iodophors (iodine-based antiseptics), or alcohols. Use disinfectants according to package instructions: A quick spray and wipe isn't sufficient for disinfecting. In general, you need to apply enough of the disinfecting solution that it takes some time to dry from the surface. (That "dwell time" is always indicated on the label.)
It all comes amid a massive bloom of aptly named death cap mushrooms, which has been fueled by potent storm systems in October and December and has left health officials pleading with foragers to stop collecting wild mushrooms altogether. "Since death cap mushrooms are easily confused for safe-to-eat, lookalike mushrooms, all mushroom foraging should be avoided," the health department warned Wednesday.
Babies in the Midlands and North of England are more likely to die before, during or shortly after birth than those in the South, a new study has found. Researchers analysed data from 121 maternity services in England to see which centres repeatedly produced outcomes better or worse than the average between 2013 and 2022. The 10 worst-performing centres were in the Midlands and North of England, and the 15 best-performing in the South.
In recent years, there's been a wave of studies reporting that humans are basically full of microplastics: They've been found in our brains, arteries, and even in placentas. But some scientists, quoted and cited in an article published by the Guardian this week, have critiqued some of those findings, saying that microplastics research has been muddied by issues like contamination and false positives.
French residents who cannot digest gluten can now have a gluten-free version of the traditional Galette des Rois cake reimbursed by the state health system. An enterprising baker in Rouen has begun producing a gluten-free version of the Galette des Rois, which is partially reimbursed on the French health system for people who have been diagnosed with Celiac Disease. Anthony Roy, owner of Le Petit Minotier bakery based in Darnétal,
If you're smoking three packs of cigarettes a day, should you expect society to pay when you get sick?" He added that while Americans would always have the right to "eat donuts all day," nevertheless, "should you then expect society to care for you when you predictably get very sick at the same level as somebody who was born with a congenital illness?
The 2025 America's Health Rankings report by the United Health Foundation ranked Massachusetts as the second healthiest state in the nation, falling shy of first-place New Hampshire. The state saw some progress with a 17% increase in cancer screenings among adults aged 40 to 75 between 2022 and 2024. It also had a low prevalence of obesity at only 27% of adults. Massachusetts last ranked No. 1 in 2017 and has remained in the top five since.
