Nancy Shute

Ten percent of pregnant women say they drink, even though doctors have spent decades saying that birth defects and developmental delays from alcohol can be prevented completely by abstaining.

When drinking is part of the picture, young women are more apt to say their first sexual experience was coerced, and that it wasn't planned with a romantic partner in an ongoing relationship.

Ductal carcinoma in situ often doesn't turn into breast cancer, but most women have surgery for it. The trend is for less invasive surgery, which hasn't affected survival rates.

Firstborns in Britain are more likely to be nearsighted, a finding that matches other studies. Maybe it's because parents are more likely to push studying than they do with subsequent kids.

Hispanics are less likely to get cancer than non-Hispanic whites, but they're more susceptible to gallbladder, liver and stomach cancer. And country of origin affects cancer risk, too.

Older people with low levels of vitamin D are likely to lose memory and executive function more quickly, a study finds. But it didn't look into whether taking supplements could help.

Teenagers aren't always risk-taking gamblers; they put a lot of effort into weighing financial choices, a study finds. Adults are more apt to adopt rules and quickly make choices that are good enough.

Cities and towns across the West are warning residents that high levels of smoke from forest fires threaten their health, with no sign of abating. That means indoor recess and no vacuuming.

Yes, health officials in Florida have reported nine cases of leprosy so far this year. And yes, armadillos can transmit leprosy. But scientists say we needn't fear the armored mammals.

Babies in the neonatal intensive care unit often get multiple tests and treatments a day. Not all of them help, and some can hurt. Neonatologists have picked the five least likely to do good.