Children's Health

With CDC Help, Puerto Rico Aims To Get Ahead Of Zika

6:55pm February 26, 2016

So far, the U.S. territory has reported 117 Zika cases, including five pregnant women. But health officials say the real test will come when April and May rains bring more mosquitoes.

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Health & Safety

Study Finds Most Young Men Aren't Aware Of Emergency Contraception

10:59am February 26, 2016

by Michelle Andrews

Although 84 percent of teenage boys and young men said they believed avoiding a partner's pregnancy was important, only 42 percent had heard of emergency contraception, researchers in Colorado found.

Scientists say they still have a lot to learn about Zika before they'll have a vaccine ready for people.

Why Scientists Hope To Inject Some People With Zika Virus

6:55pm February 25, 2016

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

There's no vaccine yet, but Zika researchers are racing to find a good candidate. After testing it in animals, checking for effectiveness in humans might include injecting Zika into healthy people.

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Most women get prenatal care from the doctor they expect will deliver the baby, which can make it difficult if the doctor and hospital are far away.

More Rural Hospitals Are Closing Their Maternity Units

11:37am February 24, 2016

by Michelle Andrews

Facilities for delivering babies are expensive to run and hard to staff. But when small rural hospitals close their birthing units, pregnant women must travel much farther for care.

Two More U.S. Cases Of Zika Virus Likely Shared Via Sex

8:55pm February 23, 2016

by Rae Ellen Bichell

U.S. health officials say they have confirmed the two women had Zika. And their only risk factor was having slept with male partners who had recently traveled to places with active virus transmission.

Mylene Helena Ferraira of Recife, Brazil, carries her 5-month-old son, David Henrique Ferreira, who was born with microcephaly. She's returning home after a medical visit.

CDC Arrives In Brazil To Investigate Zika Outbreak

6:33pm February 22, 2016

by Rob Stein

U.S. disease detectives are launching a research project that health authorities hope will produce the most definitive evidence yet about whether the virus is really causing birth defects.

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A health worker in Lima, Peru, fumigates against the mosquito that spreads Zika virus, dengue and chikungunya.

How Scientists Misread The Threat Of Zika Virus

5:21pm February 19, 2016

by NPR Staff

Zika was ignored by infectious disease scientists for years. This happens more often than you might think, especially with diseases discovered in remote regions. A researcher says we can do better.

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Born in December, Valentina Vitoria has microcephaly, the birth defect that causes an abnormally small head and can cause brain damage as well. Her mother is 32-year-old Fabiane Lopes.

Health & Safety

Moms And Infants Are Abandoned In Brazil Amid Surge In Microcephaly

8:40am February 19, 2016

by Lourdes Garcia-Navarro

There have been several cases of abandoned babies already — at least three in Rio. And a psychologist believes that some men will walk out on their partner if a newborn has the birth defect.

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Heat lamps warm fresh pizza in the food line at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo's Amazon Cafe in the Rainforest. The dining area has increased offerings of healthful foods such as salads, but pizza, fries and corn dogs remain popular choices among visitors.

Beyond Pizza And French Fries: Museums Eye More Healthful Menus

5:13pm February 18, 2016

by Sarah Jane Tribble

Bringing kids to a museum or zoo can be great — until lunchtime. Often those cafeterias offer few healthful food options, but there's a movement to change that.

Inside a mobile clinic parked near a Conservation Corp high school, Dr. Seth Ammerman talks with a patient. About 400 young people who visit the van each year have never seen a doctor, Ammerman says.

Teen Health Van Delivers More Than Medical Care To Homeless Youth

6:18pm February 17, 2016

by Farida Jhabvala Romero

The number of homeless Californians under age 24 keeps rising, and many aren't getting the physical and mental health care they need, teen advocates say. Mobile clinics are trying to fill the gaps.