Your Health

Cori Bargmann is applying her training as a neuroscientist to shaping the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative's ambitious agenda.

Applying A Silicon Valley Approach To Jumpstart Medical Research

6:28pm October 25, 2016

by NPR Staff

Neuroscientist Cori Bargmann is leading the new Chan Zuckerberg Initiative's $3 billion effort to cure or prevent "all diseases" by the end of this century. She talks about that daunting task.

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The window seat may be a safer spot for small children than along the aisle. Plus there's the view.

For Babies On A Plane, Hot Drinks And Co-Sleeping Pose A Risk

5:47pm October 25, 2016

by Erin Ross

Airplanes are a remarkably safe way to travel, but small children can be injured while aloft. Skipping the hot coffee and putting small ones in the window seat can help, pediatricians say.

This happens, pediatricians acknowledge. So they're offering advice on how to reduce the risk of bed sharing with infants, which includes removing loose bedding that could lead to suffocation.

New Guidelines Acknowledge The Reality: Babies Do Sleep In Mom's Bed

2:12pm October 25, 2016

by Tara Haelle

There's no question bed sharing increases the risk of sudden death, pediatricians say. New guidelines are aimed at reducing that risk as much as possible in the first year of a child's life.

Rates Up 22 Percent For Obamacare Plans, But Subsidies Rise, Too

9:30am October 25, 2016

by Alison Kodjak

The premiums on benchmark plans are increasing by an average of 22 percent in 2017, the government says, but more than 70 percent of people can get one for less than $75 a month after subsidies.

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It would look pretty darned cute if you didn't know it's a colon cancer screening test.

A Noninvasive Colon Cancer Test That's FIT To Be Tried

6:35pm October 24, 2016

by Nancy Shute

Colonoscopy has long been the gold standard for colon cancer screening. Now gastroenterologists say the quick, inexpensive, noninvasive FIT test is a good option for people not willing to go there.

Hygienist Beth Rowan cleans the teeth of Lindsay Klecker, 31, who has cerebral palsy and a seizure disorder. Rowan works at the Marshfield Clinic in Chippewa Falls, Wis.

Getting Dental Care Can Be A Challenge For People With Disabilities

11:50am October 24, 2016

by Alison Kodjak

People with serious disabilities and their caregivers often struggle to find dentists who have the ability and desire to take care of their teeth. Cost is another issue.

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Can you prevent mental illnesses like schizophrenia or anxiety by taking a vitamin supplement?

Can Mental Illness Be Prevented In The Womb?

6:00am October 22, 2016

by Bret Stetka

Researchers are exploring changes in prenatal nutrition to lower risks for future mental disorders. The work is preliminary, but there is ample precedent for maternal diet affecting children's health.

Pediatricians realize parents need strategies beyond "Put down that phone!"

No Snapchat In The Bedroom? An Online Tool To Manage Kids' Media Use

4:34pm October 21, 2016

by Katherine Hobson

The American Academy of Pediatrics has launched more liberal guidelines on children's media use. They're offering parents an online tool to help manage the what, where and when of family screen time.

Biologist Tyrone Hayes speaking with filmmaker Penelope Jagessar Chaffer at TED Women.

How Do Common Chemicals Affect Frogs, Rats — And Maybe Us?

9:09am October 21, 2016

by NPR/TED Staff

Biologist Tyrone Hayes talks about the concerning effects of the herbicide atrazine, which is part of a group of chemicals that are found in everyday food and household products.

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How Do Toxins From Plastics Find Their Way Into Our Food?

9:09am October 21, 2016

by NPR/TED Staff

Ocean advocate Emily Penn has seen first hand how much plastic ends up in the oceans. She explains how the toxins from plastic makes their way into our food chain and how we might be able to stop it.

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