You Asked, We Answer: Can Microloans Lift Women Out Of Poverty?
The vision: Microloans will let women start their own businesses. What do the studies show?
Health & Safety
Premature Births Rise Once Again, Despite Efforts To Prevent Them
Being born too soon puts babies at risk of lifelong disabilities, and it is the leading cause of infant death. It's not clear why the numbers are going up, but lack of health care is one factor.
Lack Of Child Care Rating Systems Leaves Parents In A Bind
About 20 states are in the process of creating a system for rating child care providers. But it's hard to decide which standards best measure quality and which are most useful to parents.
Burning 'Inferno' Question: How Fast Can A Deadly Virus Spread?
Could a virus go around the world in a week? How scary are man-made viruses? Does WHO have a clandestine army? We consider questions raised by the movie.
Many Parents Reluctant To Test Newborn DNA For Disease Risk
We're getting closer to the day when doctors can check a baby's entire genetic code to look for diseases that might develop during childhood or even later. But some parents are reluctant to do these tests.
Yes, Cat Yoga Is A Thing Now, And It's Pretty Purrfect
The Greater Birmingham Humane Shelter in Alabama hosts yoga sessions — for people — right alongside the shelter's cats.
Hospice Chaplain Reflects On Life, Death And The 'Strength Of The Human Soul'
Kerry Egan's job is to help dying people accept their own mortality. It's profoundly sad, but it's also rewarding. "I'm constantly reminded of ... how much love people have for each other," she says.
Would You Want To Know The Secrets Hidden In Your Baby's Genes?
A study offering the parents of newborns a scan of thousands of the baby's genes raises a big question: Do you want this kind of information on disease risk in your child's permanent record?
More Children Are Being Poisoned By Prescription Opioids
Whether it's toddlers mistaking pills for candy or teenagers taking opioids on purpose, the huge rise in access to opioid painkillers has led to more children being poisoned and hospitalized.
300 Million Children Are Breathing 'Extremely Toxic' Air, UNICEF Says
Altogether, some 2 billion children worldwide are breathing air that has been deemed a "long term hazard," a report finds. Pollution contributes to around 600,000 deaths annually of kids under age 5.