Minnesota judge blocks child care unionization vote

2011-12-05T14:30:23Z

MINNEAPOLIS (Reuters) - A state court judge blocked on Monday a unionization vote by thousands of state-licensed and subsidized child care workers that had been ordered by Democratic Governor Mark Dayton.

EU, tech firms link up to protect children online

2011-12-01T11:31:02Z

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission joined forces with major technology firms including Apple, Facebook and Google

Woman gives birth at Baltimore airport restroom

2011-11-28T09:30:15Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A woman gave birth in a restroom at Baltimore's airport after arriving on a flight, an airport spokesman said on Monday.

The woman gave birth to a boy on Sunday afternoon at Concourse D of Baltimore/Wash...

Most Britons oppose children having mobile phones, poll finds

2011-11-24T06:00:43Z

(Reuters) - Nearly three-quarters of Britons think it is inappropriate for children under 12 to own a mobile phone, despite the fact that most kids already have them, according to a poll on Thursday.

The survey of 2,000 people found that expensive bills, unmonitored internet use and lack of parental control were some of the reasons adults felt uncomfortable about kids owning mobiles.

However, more ...

U.S. teen birth rate drops to record low in 2010

2011-11-17T16:00:23Z

ATLANTA (Reuters) - The teen birth rate in the United States reached an all-time low last year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on...

AmberWatch unveils TV channel to stop sex abuse

2011-11-14T12:00:40Z

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A child protection group is launching a television service that it hopes will help prevent sex abuse scandals like the one engulfing Penn State University's football team.

The AmberWatch Foundati...

Big belly before pregnancy may mean extra-big baby

2011-11-11T06:01:57Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Women who have large waistlines before pregnancy may be more likely to have a larger-than-normal newborn than women who are trim around the middle, a new study suggests.

The findings, reported in the obstetrics journal BJOG, are in line with what experts know: Women who are obese before pregnancy are more likely to have a baby with an abnormally high birthweight -...

20th child due for "19 Kids and Counting" reality TV couple

2011-11-08T14:30:41Z

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - "19 Kids and Counting" stars Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar are expecting the birth of their 20th child, the couple said on Tuesday as they predicted a need to yet again change the...

Using one embryo in IVF doesn't cut birth rate: study

2011-10-23T19:00:08Z

(Reuters) - Transferring one embryo into women during in vitro fertilization (IVF) doesn't lower their chances of giving birth but it does mean fewer women give birth to twins, with all the attendant health risks, a study said.

IVF has traditionally involved transferring multiple embryos, which is known to increase by many times a woman's chances of having twins and other multiple births, and raise risks...

Using one embryo in IVF doesn't cut birth rate

2011-10-21T14:30:31Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A new study from an Iowa fertility center found that implanting women with one embryo during in vitro fertilization (IVF) didn't lower their chances of having a baby, but it did mean fewer women gave birth to twins.

IVF has traditionally involved implanting multiple embryos, which is known to increase by many times a woman's chances of having twins. P...

Exercise may not limit pregnancy weight gain

2011-10-19T13:30:12Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Exercising during pregnancy was safe for both moms and babies in a new study of heavy women in Brazil, but fitness classes and at-home exercises didn't keep moms-to-be from gaining too much weight.

The finding is "not surprising," according to Dr. Patrick Catalano, a maternal-fetal medicine rese...

Wisconsin woman charged with murder for cutting fetus

2011-10-10T20:00:55Z

MILWAUKEE (Reuters) - Wisconsin police charged a 33-year-old Milwaukee woman with murder on Monday over accusations she cut a full-term fetus from its mother's womb in an attempt to steal the baby and claim it as her own.

Annette Morales-Rodriguez faces two counts of first-degree ...

Couple accused of starving daughter plead not guilty

2011-10-07T15:00:08Z

SEATTLE (Reuters) - A couple accused of starving their adopted 13-year-old Ethiopian-born daughter and locking her outside in the cold, where she died from exposure, pleaded not guilty on Thursday to homicide and child abuse charges.

Although investigators found the Washington state couple adhered to a harsh child-rearing regimen pre...

Jenna Fischer gives birth to baby boy

2011-10-03T12:30:50Z

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - "The Office" actress Jenna Fischer gave birth to a baby boy on September 24, her spokeswoman said on Monday.

Fischer, 37, who is married to screenwriter Lee Kirk, welcomed son Weston Le...

Colds and stomach bugs not tied to cerebral palsy

2011-09-29T13:30:19Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Despite concerns that a mother's infections during pregnancy may raise her baby's risk of cerebral palsy, common colds and stomach flu were not tied to the birth defect in a new study.

Other more serious infections, and factors like a woman's history of miscarriage or family history of cerebral palsy, were associated with increased risk to babies, Dr. Michae...

Chemotherapy appears safe in pregnancy: study

2011-09-27T09:00:17Z

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Treating pregnant cancer patients with powerful chemotherapy drugs appears not to harm their unborn children, but pre-term delivery to avoid subjecting them to chemotherapy does, according to a study by cancer experts on Tuesday.

Scientists who studied the health and mental development of children born to mothers treated...

Chemotherapy appears safe in pregnancy, study finds

2011-09-26T15:30:17Z

Scientists who studied the health and mental development of children born to mothers treated...

Sleep-deprived teens engage in more risky behavior: study

2011-09-26T11:00:16Z

ATLANTA (Reuters) - The two-thirds of teenagers who get less than eight hours of sleep on school nights are more likely to smoke, drink and fight, according to a new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"Twilight" trailer reveals vampire baby on the way

2011-09-14T15:30:16Z

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - So much for chastity in the world of the "Twilight" vampires.

The movie trailer for "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn

Fatherhood lowers testosterone in men, study finds

2011-09-13T07:30:11Z

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Fatherhood lowers testosterone levels, U.S. researchers said they have confirmed, making it easier for men to be involved in raising children.

High levels of the hormone can rev up a man's sex drive, increase risk-taking behaviors and raise the need for social dominance. Those factors can help win a mate but are p...

Which is worse in pregnancy, snuff or cigarettes?

2011-08-31T00:00:06Z

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Babies born to snuff-using mothers were more likely to have breathing problems than those whose mothers smoked while pregnant, according to a Swedish study.

Snuff -- ground tobacco that is high in nicotine but doesn't generate the same additional chemicals as cigarette smoke because it's not burned -- is generally assumed to be safer than cigarettes, said lead researcher...

Mom in California baby-dropping case on suicide watch

2011-08-25T16:00:16Z

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The arraignment for a California mom accused of pushing her 7-month-old baby to his death from a parking structure was postponed on Thursday after a doctor found her mentally unfit to go to court.

A doctor who examined Sonia Hermosillo, 31, in the hos...

Unplanned pregnancies rising among poor U.S. women: study

2011-08-23T21:30:04Z

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Unintended pregnancies, which make up nearly half of all pregnancies in the United States, are increasingly concentrated among low-income women, a study showed on Wednesday.

Unplanned pregnancies have skyrocketed among poor women in recent years even as suc...

Women who want to be supermoms at higher depression risk

2011-08-19T21:30:05Z

LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - Working women who expect they can fill the role of a supermom are at greater risk of depression than mothers who combine work and family but don't expect perfection, new research showed on Saturday.

The research showed working moms generally had lower rates of depression than mothers who stayed at home with their childre...

Emmy organizers honor TV crime show host John Walsh

2011-08-09T13:00:10Z

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - "America's Most Wanted" host John Walsh, whose TV crime show has helped police capture 1,500 fugitives and find 50 missing childr...

Philadelphia mayor cracks down on youth flash mobs

2011-08-08T13:30:22Z

PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Mayor Michael Nutter announced a youth curfew in Philadelphia on Monday in response to flash mobs that rioted and beat store owners, saying parents would be held as responsible as their out-of-control children.

The crackdown on teens who swarm in respon...

Teenage brides suffer pain and shame of fistula

2011-08-04T03:00:05Z

NAIROBI (TrustLaw) - "Nobody wants a woman who passes stools all the time and smells," whispered Farhiya Mohamed Farah, explaining why her husband divorced her when she was pregnant with their second child.

Farah, developed a hole between her vagina and rectum, causing feces to leak from her body, after giving birth to her first child at age 18 while fleeing gunfire in CHICAGO (Reuters) - Critics say a controversial new study that linked high exposure to electromagnetic fields during pregnancy to asthma in children is flawed and ignores many prior studies that suggest such exposures are harmless.

The study by researchers at Kaiser Permanente

New York law would limit anti-abortion group: judge

2011-07-13T17:00:41Z

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A New York City law forcing non-medical pregnancy centers to disclose what kind of services they offer was frozen on Wednesday by a U.S. judge, who said the law would violate anti-abortion centers free speech rights.

The law, which would have gone into effect on July 14, would have required so-called ...

Texas-sized newborn weighs in at over 16 pounds

2011-07-11T14:30:20Z

AUSTIN (Reuters) - Texans love to brag about how everything is bigger in the Lone Star State. Now they have proof, with the birth of a baby boy who weighed a whopping 16 pounds and one ounce.

JaMichael Brown's weight was more than double the national average for a newborn and he measures 24 inches long, just a few inches shy of an average one-year-old.

JaMichael holds the title of the ...

Oklahoma lawmaker plans to introduce "Caylee's law"

2011-07-07T00:00:06Z

OKLAHOMA CITY (Reuters) - An Oklahoma lawmaker said on Wednesday he planned to introduce a "Caylee's law" in his state requiring parents to swiftly report the death or disappearance of a child in the first legislation stemming from the death of the Florida toddler.

A jury found Reuters Health) - A new study from West Africa suggests that supplementing pregnant women's diets with extra calories and protein doesn't protect their kids against risk factors for heart disease once they're teenagers.

But researchers unconnected to the new work suggest that it might take more time for those extra ...

Finger length may have link to penis length: study

2011-07-04T03:30:05Z

HONG KONG (Reuters Life!) - Hands may say more about their owners than commonly thought, especially in the case of men.

Men whose index fingers are shorter than their ring fingers may have longer penises, according to a South Korean study published in the Asian Journal of Andrology.

"According to our data ... the shorter index (second) finger than ring (fourth) finger you have, the lon...

Ban fast food ads on TV: U.S. doctors

2011-06-26T23:00:09Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Fast food ads on TV are making American youth fatter and should be banned in children's programming, an influential group of doctors said Monday.

"Congress and the Federal Trade Commission have to get tough with the food industry," said Dr. Victor Strasburg...

Portable pools pose summer risk for kids

2011-06-19T23:00:08Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - With the hot summer months arriving, a new study warns that caregivers need to be thinking about the drowning hazards posed by portable pools, including inflatable and wading pools.

"Parents need to be aware that these pools can present the same risks for drowning, especially for young children, as in-ground pools" which are typically thought of as a greater safet...

Obama says still wonders about his absent father

2011-06-18T06:30:13Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Barack Obama, whose Kenyan father left his family when the future U.S. president was 2 years old, said Saturday he still thinks about how things would have worked out had his dad been there.

"I felt his absence. And I wonder what my life would hav...

Report: Working dads' top priority is giving family love

2011-06-15T06:30:14Z

BOSTON (Reuters) - Many fathers these days want it all -- time with kids, promotions at work and a spouse who shares the parenting duties.

But some say they would trade in their commute and office gig for a stay-at-home role.

With Father's Day just around the corner, a new study surveyi...

Sextuplets critical but responding to treatment

2011-06-06T15:30:10Z

ABINGTON, Pa (Reuters Life!) - Sextuplets born to a couple in Pennsylvania were listed in critical condition but were responding to treatment, doctors said on Monday.

At a press conference the parents of the babies and doctors at

Sextuplets born in north Philadelphia suburb

2011-06-02T12:30:27Z

ABINGTON, Pa (Reuters) - Have a cigar -- and another, and another, and another three -- to celebrate the birth of sextuplets at a hospital in a northern Philadelphia suburb.

The three baby boys and three baby girls were in the neonatal intensive care unit of Abington Memorial Hospital o...

More U.S. women using medications during pregnancy

2011-05-25T13:30:14Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Most pregnant women in the U.S. use at least one prescription or over-the-counter medication -- even though the safety of those drugs during pregnancy is not always clear, a new study finds.

Looking at data from two long-running studies, researchers found that by 2008, more than 80 percent of pregnant women...

IVF restrictions could reduce newborn deaths

2011-05-12T14:30:19Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Limiting the number of embryos used for in vitro fertilization (IVF) would prevent up to 40 newborn deaths in Canada each year, researchers say.

It would also stave off dozens of cases of severe eye and brain damage, and cut the time babies spend in intensive care units by 42,000 days annually, they estimate...

"Something Borrowed" star Kate Hudson loves being pregnant

2011-05-05T11:00:20Z

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Kate Hudson stars in the romantic comedy "Something Borrowed," due out in U.S. movie theaters on Friday.

Based on author Emily Giffin's best-selling novel of the same name, the fil...

U.S. women opt for help at home over office: poll

2011-05-03T14:00:38Z

BOSTON (Reuters Life!) - Working mothers want to earn a good salary, put a higher priority on getting some help around the house than at the office, and undervalue their work at home, surveys released on Tuesday showed.

Salary is the key factor when job-hunting, according to women who work outside the home, but a family-friendly office, job enjoyment and flexible schedules are also prioritie...

Women opt for household help over office help, survey says

2011-05-03T12:01:17Z

BOSTON (Reuters) - Working moms want to make good money on the job, put a higher priority on getting some help around the house than at the office, and undervalue their work at home, surveys released on Tuesday showed.

Salary is the key factor when job-hunting, according to women who work outside the home, but a family-friendly office, job enjoyment and flexible schedules are also priorities...

"Mad Men" actress pregnant, father not revealed

2011-04-28T18:00:08Z

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actress January Jones, who plays sullen housewife Betty Draper on the Emmy-award winning television drama "Mad Men," is about to become a single mother,

2011-04-27T03:30:13Z

LOS ANGELES (Reuters Life!) - Since catapulting to fame on the TV show "Saturday Night Live," Amy Poehler has acted in and produced her own series "Parks & Recreatio...

Busy expectant moms hire baby planners to prepare

2011-04-23T05:00:07Z

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla (Reuters) - New Yorker Melissa Garden learned she was pregnant with her first child last year just as her communication director job at New Meadowlands Stadium hit full throttle.

When exactly, she wondered, wou...

Prenatal pesticide exposure linked with lower IQ

2011-04-20T22:00:11Z

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Babies exposed to pesticides before birth may have significantly lower intelligence scores by age 7 than children who were not exposed, three separate studies published on Thursday said.

Results from the studies -- two in New York and one in an agricultural community in Reuters Health) - Acupuncture using a laser beam might help young bedwetters break the nighttime habit, according to a new study from Turkey.

The results show that "laser acupuncture therapy which is noninvasive, painless, short-term therapy with low cost can be considered as an alternative therapy for patients with (bedwetting)," Dr. Orhan Koca, one of th...

White House joins forces to support military families

2011-04-12T10:30:09Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House launched on Tuesday a "Joining Forces" initiative to encourage non-government support of the particular needs of military families.

Leading the initiative, First Lady Michelle Obama and Reuters) - The U.S. teen pregnancy rate in 2009, the latest year for which data are available, hit its lowest since tracking began 70 years ago, the Center for Disease Control said on Tuesday.

However, more than 400,000 teen girls still give birth a year according t...

Parents of twins slightly more likely to divorce

2011-03-30T14:00:08Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Parents of twins may be slightly more likely to get divorced than parents without twins, according to a new study.

The findings "are not surprising, given the stresses that caring for (twins) brings," Dr. John Moore, a pediatrician at LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Vera Farmiga first caught Hollywood's eye in low-budget film "Down to the Bone," then vaulted to fame when she was nominated for a best actress Oscar in 2010, playing a traveling businesswoman in "

Kids should ride rear-facing longer, doctors say

2011-03-20T22:30:03Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Kids should sit in rear-facing car seats as long as they fit, or until age two, pediatricians urged Monday.

After that, they should ride in booster seats up to age eight or if they're still too small to fit correctly in seat belts.

"The best possible thing you can do is keep your child rear-facing as long as possible," said Dr. Benjamin Hoffman ...

Pregnant woman who ate rat poison charged with murder

2011-03-16T13:30:27Z

INDIANAPOLIS (Reuters) - An Indianapolis woman who tried to commit suicide by eating rat poison near the end of her pregnancy was charged with murder in the death of her baby, officials said on Wednesday.

Bei Bei Shuai, 34, was arrested Monday and appeared in court Wednesday on charges of knowingly killing a viable fetus and attempted f...

Scientists develop blood test for Down's Syndrome

2011-03-06T10:30:11Z

NICOSIA/LONDON (Reuters) - Pregnant women may soon be able to have a blood test to predict whether their babies are likely to have Down's Syndrome instead of undergoing risky, invasive tests, scientists said on Sunday.

In a study in the Nature Medicine journal researchers from Cyprus said a...

New York City requires more disclosure on abortion

2011-03-03T14:31:08Z

NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York City has approved a measure requiring "truth in advertising " from crisis pregnancy centers that critics said are deceiving women into thinking that they are medical facilities offering abortion.

The City Council passed a bill that such centers must state whether abortion is offered, whether birth control...

Data lacking for many home fertility tests: study

2011-02-27T18:30:13Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - Many at-home kits used to predict a woman's fertility, a man's sperm viability or a baby's gender lack solid data to confirm their accuracy, according to a new review of pregnancy and fertility tests.

A trio of researchers from Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions in Baltimore looked at dozens of products across a range of applications, including pregnan...

Data lacking for many home fertility tests

2011-02-25T13:30:34Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Many at-home kits used to predict a baby's gender, a woman's future fertility, or a man's sperm viability lack solid, independent data confirming their accuracy, according to a new review of fertility and pregnancy tests.

A trio of researchers from Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions in Baltimore looked at dozens of products across a range of applicati...

Suspended teacher defends blog calling students lazy whiners

2011-02-16T13:30:29Z

PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - A high school English teacher suspended from her job after she blogged that her students were "rude, disengaged, lazy whiners," said on Wednesday that she did nothing wrong.

"Some of the students, parents and administrators don't want to hear the truth," said Natalie Munroe, 30, a teacher at C...

Link between cocaine use, smaller babies strengthens

2011-02-03T18:30:25Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - Women who used cocaine while pregnant -- even just once -- had a one in three chance of having smaller, more premature babies, according to a study.

While health care workers have long known of such a link, the latest study, published in the

Bristol Palin cancels college sex talk after protests

2011-01-28T09:30:09Z

ST. LOUIS (Reuters) - Bristol Palin won't be speaking to Washington University students about teen pregnancy and abstinence after an invitation was withdrawn on Friday because of ...

Donald Trump's daughter, Ivanka, tweets pregnancy

2011-01-21T16:30:10Z

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Donald Trump's daughter, Ivanka, is pregnant.

"I have been wanting to share some amazing news with you all for some time... I'm pregnant!" she Tweeted.

Ivanka, 29, wed Jared...

More tiny babies surviving, but with problems

2010-12-28T12:00:18Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - While still extraordinarily unlikely, the chances of survival are on the rise for infants born weighing less than 400 grams, or about the size of a potato, hints a new survey of the world's tiniest babies.

Of course, the children that do survive such a premature birth are not in the clear, and often face an array of health problems as they grow up.

"By far, ...

Exercise may help limit pregnancy weight gain

2010-12-27T11:00:15Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Being physically active while pregnant may help women gain a little bit less weight, according to a new review of recent research.

Pooling the results of 12 studies, researchers in Munich, Germany, found that women who exercised while pregnant gained an average of 1.3 fewer pounds than women w...

A Minute With: Nicole Kidman working on "Rabbit Hole"

2010-12-23T09:30:15Z

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Oscar winning actress Nicole Kidman has scored positive reviews, and a Golden Globe nomination, for her role as a mother dealing with the death of her child in...

Moms who take folic acid, iron have smarter kids

2010-12-21T13:30:20Z

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Children in rural Nepal whose mothers were given iron and folic acid supplements during pregnancy were smarter, more organized and had better fine motor skills than children whose mothers did not get them, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday.

They said ensuring t...

Early daycare linked to fewer infections later

2010-12-07T10:30:29Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Although young children might get sick more often when they first start group daycare -- replete with its shared finger paints, building blocks and germs -- a new study hints at a possible future pay-off: fewer infections come kindergarten.

The researchers stop short of crediting childcare for the protection, however.

"Daycares have a reputation for being ge...

Tonsil surgery may not help bed wetting

2010-11-04T13:30:46Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Bedwetters don't get drier nights by having their tonsils removed, according to a small study.

Unlikely as it sounds, many doctors say the surgery, when used to help kids who have breathing trouble at night, will also stop them from wetting the bed.

But in the new study, researchers found that although many kids who had their tonsils removed -- so-called ton...

Retired Dementieva plans to start a family

2010-11-03T10:00:53Z

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Olympic champion Elena Dementieva, who stunned the tennis world by announcing her retirement last week, said starting a family was one of the main reasons for her decision to quit the sport.

"It is true that I expect changes in my private life in the nea...

Fish oil no help for mother's mood, baby's development

2010-10-19T22:50:02Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - Women taking fish oil capsules during pregnancy are not more likely to stave off postpartum depression nor boost the mental development of their babies, according to an Australian study.

But they may help reduce their chances of giving birth too early and the only side effect they are likely to suffer from taking fish oil is increased belching, according to the stu...

Stem cell therapy promising for leg artery disease

2010-09-14T08:30:14Z

TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Pluristem Therapeutics said early clinical trials show its placenta-derived cell therapy is safe and improves quality of life in patients with peripheral artery disease, or PAD.

PAD is an obstruction of blood vessels, usually ...

Herpes meds not linked to birth defects: study

2010-08-24T13:30:19Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Women who took medication to treat herpes infections during pregnancy weren't more likely to have a baby with birth defects than women who didn't take these drugs in a study of over 800,000 babies born in Denmark.

While the finding doesn't rule out a link between these antivirals and specific types of birth defects, it does show that the drugs ...

Girls hitting puberty earlier as obesity rises: study

2010-08-09T17:45:17Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - Girls in the United States are hitting puberty at an earlier age with overweight youngsters tending to develop earlier, according to a U.S. study.

Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center researchers compared...

Child injuries drop after NY booster seat law

2010-08-09T11:45:15Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Traffic injuries among children ages 4 to 6 declined in New York State in the wake of a law requiring them to be strapped into car booster seats, researchers reported Monday.

Most U.S. states now require that children who have outgrown traditional car seats use a car booster seat, which raises a child high enough so that the car seatbelts can...

Pakistani woman brings double joy amid flood misery

2010-08-09T08:15:15Z

SANAWAN, Pakistan (Reuters Life!) - A Pakistani woman stranded by the country's worst floods in 80 years gave birth to twin boys Monday, bringing joy to soldiers and villagers struggling amidst death and destruction.

The floods have killed 1,600 people and affected more than 13 million.

Army helicopter pilot Reuters Health) - Girls in the U.S. may be continuing to hit puberty at earlier ages, according to new research.

The findings suggest earlier development than what was reported in a 1997 study and show a worrying pattern, say the study's authors, led by Dr. Frank Biro of Reuters Health) - You don't need to delay a second pregnancy if you've had a miscarriage, Scottish researchers said Friday.

In fact, women who got pregnant within six months of their miscarriage were more likely to go on to have a live birth than those who waited longer, the researchers' report shows.

"Women are often advised to delay the second pregnancy," KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - A Malaysian state is to allow Muslim girls under the age of consent of 16 years to wed in a bid to stem unwed pregnancies, angering the country's women's activists and politicians.

The Islamic council in the southern Malaysian state of Malacca on Tuesday announced that it would to allow marri...

Study finds no point using acupuncture to induce labor

2010-07-26T17:00:08Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - Although acupuncture is promoted as a way to induce labor in women who go past their due date, a Danish study had added to evidence casting doubt on its usefulness.

Researchers from Aarhus University Hospital found that among 125 pregnant women who were past their due dates, those who were randomly assigned to undergo t...

Miscarriage tough on men, harder on women

2010-07-23T14:30:23Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Many men suffer emotionally when their partner loses a pregnancy, new research shows. But they recover more quickly from their distress than women do, the study shows.

Not too long ago, experts thought that a man didn't bond with his unborn child, and that miscarriages didn't affect men. While several investigators have since reported that men also report feelings of loss, sadness, and hel...

Pregnant women given OK to drink a coffee a day

2010-07-21T18:31:04Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - Pregnant women need no longer give up their morning cup of coffee.

A research review by The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists had found that moderate caffeine consumption probably won't increase the risk of a miscarriage or premature birth.<...

Some caffeine okay during pregnancy: obstetricians

2010-07-21T16:00:35Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A cup of coffee a day during pregnancy probably won't increase a woman's risk of miscarriage or premature birth, The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists said today.

Until recently, studies have had conflicting findings about the effect of mod...

To protect babies, keep car seats in the car: study

2010-07-04T22:30:12Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - To prevent injuries in babies, car seats should stay in the car. That's the message of a new study, published today in the journal Pediatrics, which shows that almost 9,000 infants go to the emergency room (ER) every year for car seat-related injuries that happen outside the car.

If the seat does have to come out of the car, said co-author Reuters Health) - Because of low success rates, many fertility clinics have traditionally been reluctant to freeze and store eggs until a woman was ready to use them. In response to increasing demand, and with clinics reporting higher success rates, more than half of U.S. clinics will now do so, a new study reports.

Women about to have certain cancer...

Family-centered rounds more common, obstacles remain

2010-06-28T10:00:15Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Many hospital pediatric wards have moved from conducting traditional "rounds" to a newer, family-oriented form of the practice -- but obstacles still remain, a new study finds.

Traditionally, hospital rounds have been "provider-oriented," with doctors, doctors-in-training (residents and medical students), and other members of the medical team discussing patients' cases among themselves.

For a long life, upbringing may trump education

2010-06-24T14:31:15Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Good health and a long life may have more to do with how you grew up than how much education you have under your belt, research from Denmark hints.

Studies, including the Danish one, have generally found that people with more education tend to live longer and are healthier than those with shorter transcripts.

But in the small Scandinavian...

When might reducing a multiple pregnancy be beneficial?

2010-06-22T15:45:21Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The fewer babies a pregnant woman carries, the more likely she is to bring a healthy one home from the hospital, suggests a new study.

The findings may prompt a woman bearing identical twins plus one or more additional fetuses, a relatively common scenario after in vitro fertilization (IVF), to consider removing the risky twin pair in order to save the solo siblings, researchers say.

Procter & Gamble launches male homemaking tip site

2010-06-18T19:45:18Z

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Procter & Gamble has launched a household tips website for the growing number of American men who have become homemakers in a tough job market.

The site, Manofthehouse.com, went live this month and offers the kind of advice on child-rearing, cleaning and cooking more often found in w...

Smoking may contribute to pelvic pain in pregnancy

2010-06-18T14:45:42Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A lower risk of pelvic pain could be yet one more reason for women to quit smoking before becoming pregnant, a new study suggests.

Danish researchers found that among 5,000 women interviewed during and soon after pregnancy, those who smoked during pregnancy were 20 percent more likely to have pregnancy-related pelvic pain than non-smokers.

A similar risk was seen among women who had ...

Low, high manganese levels may affect the infant brain

2010-06-17T11:30:19Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Babies with either relatively high or relatively low levels of manganese in their blood may be slower to hit certain developmental milestones in their first year than other infants, a new study suggests.

The findings do not prove that manganese -- which is present in food, water, air and soil -- is the reason for the slower development. But they are in line with the general understanding o...

Brazilian had 7 kids with captive daughter: police

2010-06-26T05:37:46Z

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - A farmer in Brazil is accused of holding his daughter captive for more than 15 years and fathering seven children with her, at least one of whom he also raped, police said on Thursday.

Police arrested Jose Agostinho P...

Wikileaks Berkeley

2010-12-14T22:31:11Z

Beverly Dove holds a sign as she speaks during a city council meeting in Berkeley, Calif., Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2010. The council in this famously liberal city is considering a resolution Tuesday night bestowing hero status on Pfc. Bradley Manning, the soldier at the center of the

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