Women have long been told fainting is a common but harmless symptom of pregnancy, but new research shows it may indicate issues for both the baby and mother's health, especially when it occurs during the first trimester.

Pediatricians are often reluctant to recommend bariatric surgery for teenagers, but a study concludes it is a justifiable treatment for adolescents with persistent extreme obesity if they can maintain a healthy lifestyle afterward.

Children and adolescents with long-term obesity have increased arterial stiffness by their late teens, a study of more than 3,000 children followed from age 9 to 17 shows. These results, in the researchers' view, call for more initiatives to reduce teenage obesity.

Teenage girls with problematic social behavior display reduced brain activity and weaker connectivity between the brain regions implicated in emotion regulation. The findings now offer a neurobiological explanation for the difficulties some girls have in controlling their emotions, and provide indications for possible therapy approaches.

A study that started in 1985 in Gothenburg, Sweden, followed some 50 people who had become anorexic in their teens. It shows that 30 years later, the majority were healthy but some had persistent eating disorders.

Ahmad Ali is a Canadian teen, who just won a national science fair award for his prototype the SignSMART glove. Ali’s SignSMART glove is a re-engineered version of a glove that translates American Sign Language (ASL) gestures into text and speech. There are “flex sensors” along the fingers and knuckles of the glove to create electric currents. These currents are then wirelessly transmitted to a smartphone. Then, the smartphone announces the letters through a speech-to-text function.

The idea came to Ali after taking a computer science course and learning about a “sign language glove” designed by two university students. After studying their glove design, he felt there were many flaws that could be fixed. After several re-engineering trials, he created his version of the SignSMART glove and submitted it for the Canada-Wide Science Fair. He won a bronze medal plus a scholarship against 462 peers. Ali says, “The problem with languages like ASL is it is not understood by most hearing people, hence there’s a communication gap between the hearing and non-hearing communities.” He hopes his prototype will help bridge that gap.

Chibuike “Chibby” Uwakwe is an award-winning teen pianist. He loves classical music, but is also a fan of jazz. However, winning the Omega Psi Phi Piano Award is just one of his many accomplishments. Chibby—a first-generation American born to parents who came to the U.S. from Nigeria—was also part of the International Baccalaureate program and track team for his high school. After applying to 12 prestigious universities, the 18-year-old found himself getting acceptance letters from all of them, including Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Columbia. Although he is passionate about his music, Chibby has decided to attend Harvard and pursue becoming a surgeon. He says, “Surgery and piano are similar in that you have to use your fingers intricately when you’re doing surgery, right? So, that’s why I’m leaning towards that.” His hope is that his unique abilities as a pianist will help him become a skilled surgeon so he can help people through their medical difficulties.

Teen drivers diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are significantly more likely to crash, be issued traffic and moving violations, and engage in risky driving behaviors than their peers without ADHD.

Despite similar weight loss, teens who had gastric bypass surgery were significantly more likely to have remission of both type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure, compared to adults who had the same procedure. Previously, no treatment has shown longer-term effectiveness at reversing type 2 diabetes in youth, which tends to advance more quickly than in adults.

A history of eating disorders and body image concerns before or during pregnancy are associated with future depressive symptoms among mothers, finds a new study.

When tragedy strikes, the media is an immediate source of information. You may recently have heard about Kendrick Castillo, the 18-year-old student who died rushing a shooter at his Colorado high school. His actions, along with other students, allowed many to find safety and for the shooter to be apprehended. Learning about Castillo’s heroism can help people feel connected to those who experienced the tragedy and lead to an increase in empathy, community awareness, and involvement. However, it’s important to remember that repeated exposure to reports of tragedy can be a source of stress and anxiety. It’s okay to take care of your own mental health and take a break from the news whenever it feels like too much. You may also want to talk to an adult you trust, such as a parent, teacher, or school counselor.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. schools have significantly increased security measures for emergencies over the last 20 years. At the same time, the Center for Safe and Healthy Schools at John Hopkins University is using research and education on a range of issues—youth suicide, trauma, and bullying—to broaden the conversation about fostering safe and healthy climates. Both organizations say that the narrative on school violence needs to change. Despite the heightened attention in the media, statistics show that about the safest place you can be on any given day in the U.S. is in a school.

In a study of women in Denmark with and without migraines who became pregnant, migraines were associated with an increased risk of pregnancy-associated hypertension disorders in the mother. Also, in newborns, maternal migraine was associated with an increased risk of a variety of adverse outcomes, including low birth weight, preterm birth, cesarean delivery, respiratory distress syndrome, and febrile seizures.

Postpartum women who have previously or currently struggle with substance abuse are at greater risk of overdosing.

The National Athletic Trainers’ Association found through a recent study that higher levels of negative emotional states are being reported by student-athletes in high school. They stated that while parents and coaches are often the best to remedy the situation, they can also make it worse. Today’s trend in high-school sports is to copy the methods and increased intensity of playing college-level sports.

Playing sports on a regular basis typically can boost physical and mental health. For serious high-school athletes, sports can also be a contributor to depression and anxiety. Many of these athletes train year-round and may be counting on an athletic scholarship to afford college tuition. These athletes’ fear of getting hurt and falling behind, pressure to compete and win, as well as extra hours of practice cutting into homework, socializing, and sleeping-time all can contribute to an increase in anxiety or lead to depression.

A new study found rates of suicide attempts by self-poisoning among adolescents have more than doubled in the last decade in the United States, and more than tripled for girls and young women.

A study published in 2019 may be the first to offer estimates for the deaths of teenagers due to dating violence in the United States. The study found that out of the more than 2,000 adolescents that died between 2003 and 2016, almost seven percent were killed by their former or current partners. Around 90 percent of the victims were female, with an average age of around 17. In most of the cases, their partner was 18 years old or older.

The American Academy of Pediatrics encourages teens to talk about healthy relationships with their doctors. Teens should also go to “safe adults” in their life when they need help with a stressful experience. These adults—parents, teachers, counselors, doctors—provide support and a physical stress buffer from negative situations. There are also programs that teach how to avoid partner abuse that can be found through the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Last week, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced plans to introduce legislation that would raise the minimum age to buy tobacco products in the U.S. from 18 to 21. The proposed bill would cover all tobacco products, including vaping devices. According to McConnell, teen vaping is “the serious threat” his legislation will try to combat.

McConnell made this announcement at the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky in Louisville. He was joined by the CEO of the foundation, former Congressman Ben Chandler. Chandler explained that raising the minimum purchase age is an effective way to reduce smoking rates. The bill even has support from the tobacco industry, including Altria, one of the world’s largest tobacco companies which includes the vaping company Juul. Altria’s Vice President said that putting tobacco on a par with alcohol “makes sense” and could persuade lawmakers to “approach tobacco regulation a bit more reasonably.”

A new study of more than 25 million pregnant women reports on rates of smoking cessation at the start of and during pregnancy and also examines the association of quitting cigarette smoking and the risk of preterm birth.

A simple and brief intervention can provide lasting protection for adolescents against the harmful effects of food marketing. Researchers find that reframing how students view food-marketing campaigns can spur adolescents, particularly boys, to make healthier daily dietary choices for an extended period of time. The method works in part by tapping into teens' natural desire to rebel against authority.