Laura Kelly

Long school days and heavy workload impacting sleep in teens: Survey

While changing the clocks back on Saturday gave Americans an extra hour of sleep, data released Monday shows that nearly half of parents report their children don't get the recommended eight to 10 hours of shut-eye.

November 5, 2018

Pregnant women increasingly using marijuana: Report

Pregnant women are increasingly using marijuana, especially during the first trimester, even as rates of alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking decrease, according to research published Monday.

November 5, 2018

At least two children dead from seasonal flu: CDC

At least two children have died from complications of this year's seasonal influenza, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, starting a new mortality count as health officials continue to tally ongoing deaths from last year's deadly flu season.

November 5, 2018

Spanking kids doesn’t improve behavior, American Academy of Pediatrics warns

Disciplining children through spanking or other physical punishment increases aggression and has negative health effects, the American Academy of Pediatrics warned on Monday, issuing its recommendations for parents against the use of corporal punishment.

November 5, 2018

Acute flaccid myelitis, polio-like disease, paralyzes children

At least 72 children across the U.S., including six in the District of Columbia, have contracted a rare polio-like disorder this year, and health officials expect that number to increase.

November 1, 2018

10th ‘medically fragile’ child dies from adenovirus outbreak at N.J. health facility

The New Jersey Department of Health said Thursday it has no plans to move the remaining patients from a medical facility for the severely disabled where 10 children have died of a viral outbreak.

November 1, 2018

UNRWA Palestinian refugee agency faces funding cut

UNRWA -- and operations specifically in the Gaza Strip -- faced an existential financial crisis this year when the Trump administration decided to provide only $60 million in funding for the agency, compared with approximately $350 million the previous year.

October 31, 2018

Palestinian determination turns Israeli fence to warzone

The grass-roots, civil society movement was established to draw international attention to the Palestinian refugee issue and the 12-year-old Israeli and Egyptian blockade of the Gaza Strip. But the 40-mile-long border fence has quickly turned into a war zone.

October 30, 2018

Obesity epidemic costs U.S. economy $1.72 trillion

The obesity epidemic in the U.S. has cost the U.S. economy $1.72 trillion, which includes hundreds of billions of dollars in health care costs and more than a trillion dollars in lost productivity, according to a report published Tuesday by the Milken Institute, a California-based economic think tank.

October 30, 2018

U.S. trade war with China casts specter on Halloween industry, advocacy group warns

Candy, costumes and pumpkin carving, the hallmarks of Halloween, are expected to hit U.S. bank accounts harder this year with fallout from President Trump's trade war with China, according to an organization of chamber of commerce representatives.

October 30, 2018

Kibbutz Kfar Aza, Israel on frontlines of Palestinian ‘war’

For seven months, Palestinians have violently rioted at the border, launching flaming balloons that burned thousands of acres of farmland and shooting hundreds of rockets into Israel. Despite the proximity to Gaza, residents here say the recent tension is not normal.

October 29, 2018

U.S. closes diplomatic mission to Palestinian Authority, merges with U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem

The U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem primarily responsible for outreach to Palestinians will be absorbed by the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Thursday, merging previously separate missions in an effort to increase "efficiency" and "effectiveness."

October 18, 2018

Israel retaliates on Hamas targets in Zeitoun, Tel Al-Hawa

From certain parts of this crowded city, one doesn't hear rockets like the salvo fired from the Gaza Strip in the twilight hours of Wednesday morning, nor the more than two dozen retaliatory strikes by the Israeli Defense Forces shortly after.

October 17, 2018

FDA conducts ‘surprise inspection’ of JUUL’s offices, seizes documents on youth marketing

The Food and Drug Administration announced Tuesday that it raided Juul Labs last week and seized more than a thousand documents on the e-cigarette maker's marketing and sales strategy and information on its product design as it appeals to youth.

October 2, 2018

Two hours or less of screen time for children improves cognitive function: Study

Limiting screen time for children to two hours or less per day is associated with higher cognitive function, according to research published Wednesday in the journal The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health.

September 27, 2018

The National Marrow Donor Program pushes for more bone marrow donor signups

The National Marrow Donor Program has a list of 30 million potential bone barrow donors. Yet, Sheldon Mba is still searching for a donor six years after he was diagnosed with a rare, life-threatening disorder in which the body destroys its own blood cells.

September 25, 2018

Syphilis cases in newborns more than doubled in 5 years: CDC

The number of babies born with syphilis has more than doubled in just five years, according to a report published Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

September 25, 2018

Tiny medical clip lowers hospitalization and death from severe heart failure: Study

Patients suffering from a severe form of heart failure can benefit from a tiny implant that improves organ function and reduces hospitalization, according a study published Sunday in the New England Journal of Medicine.

September 24, 2018

Brian Wansink, Cornell University professor, resigns after research retracted

The head of the food and nutrition research lab at Cornell University resigned Thursday after six of his studies were retracted from a scholarly medical journal and an internal university investigation found inconsistencies among his work.

September 20, 2018

Light physical activity can offset stroke severity in older adults: Report

Light walking at least four hours a week could lessen the severity of a stroke later in life, according to a study published Wednesday in a scholarly medical journal.

September 20, 2018