Millions of babies have been born in this year of the coronavirus crisis. We asked photojournalists to introduce us to some of the new arrivals — and share the hopes and fears of their parents.
Traditional blood tests still do a better job flagging common inherited diseases. Gene sequencing can be useful for detecting some conditions, but the results can be difficult to interpret.
There's a genetic test for ALD, the inherited disorder portrayed in the movie Lorenzo's Oil, and the federal government recommends it for all newborns. But only a handful of states offer it routinely.
Each year more than 600,000 babies die of sepsis. Researchers have found a simple way to prevent it: Feed babies probiotic bacteria that are common in kimchi, pickles and other fermented vegetables.
Women who develop diabetes or high blood pressure during pregnancy, or whose babies are born prematurely, often are unaware of their own increased risk of heart disease later. So are their doctors.
The vast majority of pregnant women in the U.S. say they plan to breast-feed, but aren't told that many new moms worldwide find it tricky. Being mentored the first weeks after birth can help a lot.
The two-pronged approach to promoting safe sleep led to a 25 percent drop in the risky practice of bed sharing with babies in the first eight days of life, a study found. But more research is needed.
A study published Monday finds that newborns suffering through drug withdrawal now make up at least 7.5 per 1,000 hospital births in rural areas, in contrast to 4.8 per 1,000 in urban areas.
The state's 2002 law offers six weeks' leave at a little over half-pay to eligible workers after the birth of a child. Ninety percent of businesses say the law's had a "neutral or positive" impact.
Each year, nearly 6 million children die of preventable and treatable conditions. Nearly 300,000 mothers die of complications from pregnancy and childbirth. Yet a new report offers reason for hope.
The release of a new report on the world's mothers is a reminder of the gap between rich and poor — in the developing world and in American cities as well.
