In 2024, 31.7% of adults and 29.5% of children had a diagnosed seasonal allergy, diagnosed eczema, or a diagnosed food allergy in the United States, according to two data briefs published online Jan. 8 by the National Center for Health Statistics.

U.S.-born individuals have higher odds of infant mortality than non-U.S.-born individuals, according to a study published online Jan. 6 in JAMA Network Open.

Dr. Heather Skanes opened Alabama's first freestanding birth center in 2022 in her hometown of Birmingham. Skanes, an OB-GYN, wanted to improve access to maternal health care in a state that's long had one of the nation's highest rates of maternal and infant mortality.

With multiple measles cases reported in North Carolina, rising flu deaths and shifting federal recommendations, state health officials stressed the importance of vaccination and urged people to contact their health care providers with questions.

The worldwide prevalence of obesity has more than doubled in the last three decades, bringing with it an increase in weight-related diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancers. This public health crisis strains global health care systems and economies, but a new study co-led by investigators from Mass General Brigham could inform strategic programs to make GLP-1 medications part of the solution.

Mental trauma, including specific phobias and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), follows one in seven dog-related injuries, while over half of cases result in the need for time off work and/or loss of earnings, suggests a study of personal injury claims data for England and Wales, published in the journal Injury Prevention.

Breastfeeding may lower mothers' later life risks of depression and anxiety for up to 10 years after pregnancy, suggest the findings of a small observational study, published in the open access journal BMJ Open.

In 2005, psychologist Cliff Arnall coined the term "Blue Monday" as part of a marketing campaign for a British travel agency to encourage people to book a holiday during the winter. Using a pseudo-scientific formula, the third Monday in January was determined to be the "bluest" day of the year, marked by sadness, low energy and withdrawal from social interaction.

In 2013, before the Affordable Care Act helped millions get health insurance, California's Placer County provided limited health care to some 3,400 uninsured residents who couldn't afford to see a doctor.

Taking anti-inflammatory drugs after surgery is fairly standard protocol. But a new study from researchers at Michigan State University suggests this approach may be backfiring and that blocking inflammation during this critical time may, in fact, delay recovery and prolong pain rather than relieve it.