Health & Safety

A high school football team charges onto the field.

Concussions Can Be More Likely In Practices Than In Games

2:28pm May 11, 2015

by Nancy Shute

Long hours in practice might account for the higher concussion risk in high school and college football, a study finds. Some schools are retooling practice to reduce the number of hits.

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In a FIT zone at Bell Street Park in East Palo Alto, Calif., friends from the neighborhood now gather regularly to play volleyball.

Can Volleyball Fight Crime? East Palo Alto Says, 'Game On'

2:01pm May 11, 2015

by Jeremy Raff

A California city with a crime problem — shootings, drug dealing and gang activity — finds that getting more kids and cops playing sports together regularly in the park can make a big difference.

In Palo Alto's High-Pressure Schools, Suicides Lead To Soul-Searching

10:51am May 11, 2015

by NPR Staff

The competitive California school district has seen four students take their own lives since October. One junior talks about reactions to the deaths, pressures students face and hopes for the future.

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People Have Misconceptions About Miscarriage, And That Can Hurt

8:28am May 11, 2015

by Katherine Hobson

Miscarriages are common — but people think they're rare, a survey finds. And they often blame the woman. Readers tell us that those mistaken beliefs make the experience even more painful.

TMAYD founder Izzy Lloyd (right) gives a friend a hug after asking about her day.

After Campus Suicides, Building Community With A Simple Statement

7:08pm May 10, 2015

by Priska Neely

After two of her classmates took their lives, MIT freshman Isabel "Izzy" Lloyd made wristbands to promote compassionate outreach on campus. The white bands say TMAYD, for Tell Me About Your Day.

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Ebola Hides In The Eyes Of A Man Who Was Considered Cured

10:38pm May 08, 2015

by Nancy Shute

Weeks after being diagnosed with Ebola, a doctor came down with a dangerous eye infection. Ebola was lurking there. Other Ebola victims face the risk of blindness through these delayed infections.

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A nurse holds a young girl who was vaccinated at the kickoff of a national measles prevention campaign in Liberia.

As Ebola Leaves Liberia, Measles Makes A Forceful Comeback

10:38pm May 08, 2015

by Jason Beaubien

Ebola put the country's immunization program on pause. Now officials are launching a nationwide vaccination campaign to stop the largest measles outbreak the country has seen in years.

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The top names for newborns in the U.S. last year were Noah and Emma, followed by Liam and Olivia. Third on the list were Mason and Sophia.

We're In The Age Of Noah And Emma: Most Popular Baby Names Of 2014

5:17pm May 08, 2015

by Bill Chappell

New arrivals in the top 10 include James and Charlotte, the Social Security Administration says.

A recent Death over Dinner party in San Francisco. From left: Tim Ferriss, Laura Deming, Luke Nosek, Eric Weinstein, Mason Hartman, and Max Hodak.

Let's Talk About Death Over Dinner

3:50pm May 08, 2015

by Lesley McClurg

Over the last two years, more than 70,000 people around the world have gathered to dine and discuss their own deaths, and the end-of-life decisions that entails. We eavesdrop on one such gathering.

Are You Sick, And Sick Of Hearing 'Everything Happens For A Reason'?

3:24pm May 08, 2015

by Ina Jaffe

Afraid of saying the wrong thing to someone with a serious illness? Now there are "empathy cards" that make fun of those well-meaning but tasteless remarks.

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