Health & Safety

One mother details her journey with addiction in a group therapy session at Mothers and Infants Sober Together.

In Tennessee, Giving Birth To A Drug-Dependent Baby Can Be A Crime

10:17pm November 18, 2015

The state's "fetal assault" law punishes women whose babies are born with drug withdrawal symptoms. Proponents say the law spurs women to seek treatment, while opponents say it deters them.

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Syrian boys herd sheep near a refugee camp in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley.

Barring Syrian Refugees From The West Would Be Bad For The Middle East

6:25pm November 18, 2015

by Jason Beaubien

Millions of Syrians are crowding into Jordan and Lebanon as well as Turkey. Aid efforts there are already at the breaking point.

The Aedes mosquito can spread Zika virus in addition to Dengue fever and Chikungunya virus. The virus was first spotted in the Americas in 2014.

Health & Safety

Zika Virus 101: One More Mosquito-Borne Disease To Worry About

5:20pm November 18, 2015

by Rina Shaikh-Lesko

It's spread quickly in South America and was reported in Mexico this week. It's not fatal, but there's concern about a potential impact on babies born to infected moms.

Rajiv Kumar (left), a pediatric endocrinologist, with patient Blake Atkins. The California teenager, diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, uses Apple's HealthKit to monitor his blood sugar levels and share the information with his mother and doctor.

Health & Safety

Here's How An iPhone Helps One Teen (And His Mom) Manage Diabetes

3:42pm November 18, 2015

by Christina Farr

These are the early days of innovation that allows diabetes patients to conveniently and securely gather and share data via a smartphone. One California teenager is an early user of Apple's HealthKit.

A group at MIT built this tiny package of sensors to collect vital signs as it travels through the digestive system.

A Tiny Pill Monitors Vital Signs From Deep Inside The Body

3:34pm November 18, 2015

by Rae Ellen Bichell

Sensors that work inside the body are gaining new skills. The latest version can track heart rate and respiratory rate, as well as temperature, as it travels through the digestive system.

A Butterball turkey for sale in November 2014, in Centreville, Va. Terms like "premium" and "raised without hormones" tell you little about the quality of the turkey or how it was raised.

Premium, Young And Natural: The Turkey Labels We Cluck-Cluck Over

2:58pm November 18, 2015

by Anders Kelto

Turkeys these days are often plastered with an array of terms that can confuse and even mislead consumers. Here's a glossary of jargon for the wannabe informed Thanksgiving turkey buyer.

Modeled after Manhattan, Conch Bay is a massive development project in northern China. But at least for now, it's more ghost town than bustling metropolis.

We Know China Has Ghost Cities, But Where Are They Hiding?

2:07pm November 18, 2015

by Maanvi Singh

The locations of the infamous empty housing complexes have been secret, but ghost city hunters are now using smartphones and GPS receivers to track them down.

Was it good for you? Yes, as long as we're doing it at least once a week.

Is Sex Once A Week Enough For A Happy Relationship?

12:37pm November 18, 2015

by Nancy Shute

A study of thousands of people, most in committed relationships, finds that having sex about once a week correlates best with happiness and well-being. More didn't turn out to be better.

Testing for prostate cancer has declined after a recommendation in 2012 said it shouldn't be routine.

Health & Safety

Prostate Screening Drops Sharply, And So Do Cancer Cases

7:32pm November 17, 2015

by Rob Stein

A decrease in PSA testing came after a controversial recommendation against routine screening. As a result, many fewer cases of the most common cancer to hit men are being diagnosed, research finds.

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Top Silicon Valley High Schools Respond To Rising Suicide Rate

7:19pm November 17, 2015

At two top-tier high schools in Palo Alto, Calif., the suicide rate is four times higher than the national average over the last 10 years. NPR's Audie Cornish speaks with Hanna Rosin, who's reported for The Atlantic, on what might be behind the trend and how the schools are responding.

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