56 h. ago The truth about stress: from the benefits of the ‘good kind’ to the exercise that only makes it worse

The authors of a new book explain why understanding the science of stress can help us manage it betterTrue (up to a point)The way stress manifests is very much bodily, centred around hormones such as cortisol and their effect on us. But this process is triggered by the brain (notably the amygdala and the hypothalamus) and the way our brains react to stress is often set in early childhood, even in the womb. Pregnant women who experience extreme stress can give birth to infants who react more strongly to stress hormones – with increasing evidence suggesting that this causes modifications to the baby’s DNA. Self-actualising your way out of stress is difficult – not least because the causes might be serious and inescapable – but not always impossible. Some studies have shown that if you tell people they are the sort of person who doesn’t feel stress, they experience fewer symptoms. One US study found that teenagers growing up with worries about violent crime in a deprived part of Chicag...

Politics

1 week ago New thalidomide fears as women reveal drug their pregnant mothers took could have given them CANCER

More than 100 women fear their health has been impacted due to diethylstilbestrol, know as DES, an ITV News investigation revealed.

Events

1 week ago People who are violent or abusive to NHS staff because they think they have a 'right' to access health care should be turned away, Wes Streeting warns

The health secretary pledged to keep staff safe at work by enforcing a 'zero tolerance' approach and making the reporting of violent incidents mandatory.

Events

1 week ago Alabama lawmakers pass legislation that could give pregnant women more access to health care

Alabama legislators unanimously passed a bill on Tuesday that would expedite access to Medicaid for pregnant women

Society

2 w. ago How paracetamol could be destroying your fertility: Sperm counts are plummeting. Now scientists say painkillers can build up in the body... and for pregnant women the effects could be disastrous

A growing body of research has shown that sperm counts - a measure of male fertility - are declining globally, And it's only getting worse.

Events

2 w. ago Passengers on Heathrow flight 'abandoned' at remote airfield due to visa issue after emergency landing

The Virgin Atlantic service was diverted to a remote military base in Turkey, allegedly leaving passengers including pregnant women ‘with no food’

Society

2 w. ago Huge number of Brits to lose access to free dental work or prescriptions within days

Universal Credit changes mean over two million people have already stopped seeing a dentist because they lost access to free care or confusing new process meant they assumed they had to start paying NHS charges

Politics

2 w. ago ‘I begged them, my daughter was dying’: how Taliban male escort rules are killing mothers and babies

The need for women to be accompanied by a man in public is blocking access to healthcare and contributing to soaring mortality rates, say expertsIt was the middle of the night when Zarin Gul realised that her daughter Nasrin had to get to the hospital as soon as possible. Her daughter’s husband was away working in Iran and the two women were alone with Nasrin’s seven children when Nasrin, heavily pregnant with her eighth child, began experiencing severe pains.Gul helped Nasrin into a rickshaw and they set off into the night. Holding her daughter’s hand as the rickshaw jolted over the dirt road, Gul says she prayed they would not encounter a Taliban checkpoint. Continue reading...

Events

3 w. ago Vermont child welfare agency seeks to dismiss lawsuit alleging it tracked pregnant women

Vermont’s child welfare agency has asked a judge to dismiss a lawsuit alleging the state routinely targets and tracks pregnant women deemed unsuitable for motherhood

Society

3 w. ago Donald Trump’s ‘war on woke’ is fast becoming a war on science. That’s incredibly dangerous | Christina Pagel

Contrary to claims by the US president, we have found that diversity initiatives result in better scientists and greater progressChristina Pagel is a member of Independent SageDonald Trump’s attacks on diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) initiatives since his January inauguration have been intense, indiscriminate and escalating. A tragic plane crash was baselessly blamed on DEI. All DEI programmes within public bodies have been ended and private contractors face cancellation if they also don’t comply. Webpages that defend religious diversity in the context of Holocaust remembrance have been taken down.Science and academia have been particularly targeted. Universities are threatened with losing federal funding if they support DEI. Government reports and government-funded research are being held back if they include prohibited terms such as “gender”, “pregnant person”, “women”, “elderly”, or “disabled”. Grants funded by the National Institutes of Health are being cancelled if they...

Politics

3 w. ago Trump’s show of support for Conor McGregor is making fertile ground for Ireland’s far right | Justine McCarthy

The fighter won’t be Irish president any time soon, but the Trumpocracy seems to think it can shift the country’s politics by endorsing himMiddle Ireland feels grievously insulted by the US president. On St Patrick’s Day, when the globe traditionally turns green, Donald Trump’s official guest at the White House was not the taoiseach bearing a bowl of shamrock, but an unelected stooge recently found by a civil court jury liable for the rape of a woman in a Dublin hotel. Fear and loathing of the mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor, who is facing civil trial in the US for alleged sexual assault of another woman in Florida, is one of middle Ireland’s most unifying forces.“We couldn’t think of a better guest to have with us on St Patrick’s Day,” gushed Trump’s press secretary Karoline Leavitt on 17 March, rubbing salt in the wound. McGregor was given access to the Pentagon, met the defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, the health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, and the national security...

Politics

3 w. ago Israeli legislators pass state budget in a move that shores up Netanyahu's government

Israel’s parliament has passed a state budget in a move that shores up Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition

Politics

last month Hegseth says Musk did not see China war plan as Trump announces new jet fighter program – US politics live

Defense secretary says Musk was at Pentagon to talk about efficiencies; president says new F-47 jet has state-of-the-art stealth technologyTrump awards Boeing contract to build next-generation US fighter jetIn Tempe on Thursday, Ocasio-Cortez praised Arizona voters for electing two Democratic senators. She then swiped at the state’s former one-term senator, Kyrsten Sinema, who left the Democratic party to become an independent while in office and declined to seek re-election. “One thing I love about Arizonans is that you all have shown that if a US Senator isn’t fighting hard enough for you, you’re not afraid to replace her with one who will,” Ocasio-Cortez said. Sinema recently resurfaced old comments by Ocasio-Cortez attacking the then-senator over her refusal to abolish the filibuster, a Senate rule requiring 60 votes to pass most legislation. Last week, House Democrats implored their Senate counterparts to use the filibuster to block a Republican-drafted funding bill. “Change of...

Politics

last month Trump could announce new jet fighter program; Musk visits Pentagon – US politics live

President and Pete Hegseth are due to address reporters in the Oval Office amid reports new jets are feared towards fending off ChinaIn Tempe on Thursday, Ocasio-Cortez praised Arizona voters for electing two Democratic senators. She then swiped at the state’s former one-term senator, Kyrsten Sinema, who left the Democratic party to become an independent while in office and declined to seek re-election. “One thing I love about Arizonans is that you all have shown that if a US Senator isn’t fighting hard enough for you, you’re not afraid to replace her with one who will,” Ocasio-Cortez said. Sinema recently resurfaced old comments by Ocasio-Cortez attacking the then-senator over her refusal to abolish the filibuster, a Senate rule requiring 60 votes to pass most legislation. Last week, House Democrats implored their Senate counterparts to use the filibuster to block a Republican-drafted funding bill. “Change of heart on the filibuster I see!” Sinema posted. “Still no. In fact, the sa...

Politics

last month Musk arrives at Pentagon amid reports he will be briefed on China war plans – US politics live

Trump and Hegseth deny NYT report that ally due to be briefed on US military’s plan for any war that might break out with ChinaIn Tempe on Thursday, Ocasio-Cortez praised Arizona voters for electing two Democratic senators. She then swiped at the state’s former one-term senator, Kyrsten Sinema, who left the Democratic party to become an independent while in office and declined to seek re-election. “One thing I love about Arizonans is that you all have shown that if a US Senator isn’t fighting hard enough for you, you’re not afraid to replace her with one who will,” Ocasio-Cortez said. Sinema recently resurfaced old comments by Ocasio-Cortez attacking the then-senator over her refusal to abolish the filibuster, a Senate rule requiring 60 votes to pass most legislation. Last week, House Democrats implored their Senate counterparts to use the filibuster to block a Republican-drafted funding bill. “Change of heart on the filibuster I see!” Sinema posted. “Still no. In fact, the same Dem...

Politics