File photo of an emergency room sign. (WTTW News)

While researchers haven’t yet pinpointed the cause for the decreasing age, they caution it indicates a need for awareness from both patients and responders.

FILE - Plastic bottles and other garbage are seen next to a beach at Fiumicino, Italy, near Rome, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2020. (Andrew Medichini / AP Photo, File)

We breathe, eat and drink tiny particles of plastic. But are these minuscule specks in the body harmless, dangerous or somewhere in between?

Maternal mental health disorders such as suicide and opioid overdose are responsible for nearly one in four maternal deaths in the U.S., research shows. (Prasit photo / Moment RF / Getty Images / File via CNN Newsource)

The maternal mortality rate in the U.S. is two- to threefold greater than in other high-income countries, and it has only increased in recent years, according to a new evidence review.

File photo of an at-home COVID-19 test. (Annie Spratt / Unsplash)

Millions of people deal with COVID-19 symptoms long after their initial infections. Two new studies give a better look at the burden from this health problem that doctors say often goes under the radar.

Using a glass or stainless steel container is a safer way to consume water, experts say. (Clara Margais / dpa / picture alliance / Getty Images)
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Nanoplastics are so teeny they can migrate through the tissues of the digestive tract or lungs into the bloodstream, distributing potentially harmful synthetic chemicals throughout the body and into cells, experts say.

(MD Duran / Unsplash)

A growing number of students are working to earn as many college credits as possible while they are still in high school. But even as the popularity continues to grow for “dual credit” offerings, a new study shows disparities between racial, economic and geographic groups are also widening.

(Pexels / Kei Scampa)

The state still has a long way to go toward ensuring that all Illinois residents can have a safe and healthy pregnancy, Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Sameer Vohra said in a press release.

This 2020 photo provided by the British Antarctic Survey shows the Thwaites glacier in Antarctica. No matter how much the world cuts back on carbon emissions, a key and sizable chunk of Antarctica is essentially doomed to an “unavoidable” melt, a new study found. (David Vaughan / British Antarctic Survey via AP, File)

Though the full melt will take hundreds of years, slowly adding nearly 6 feet to sea levels, it will be enough to reshape where and how people live in the future, the study’s lead author said.

(Credit: gorodenkoff / iStockphoto / Getty Images)

Researchers found about 40% of the brains studied had developed some of the earliest signs of the disease, which is associated with repeated head trauma. The study also includes what researchers believe to be the first case of an American female athlete diagnosed with the disease.

(Thanasis Zovoilis / Digital Vision / Getty Images)

Having anywhere from one to four hours of screen time per day at age 1 is linked with higher risks of developmental delays in communication, fine motor, problem-solving and personal and social skills by age 2, according to the study.

(WTTW News)

The Northwestern Medicine Comprehensive COVID-19 Center released the results of a study on 1,200 long COVID patients. According the CDC, one in five COVID-19 patients experienced long COVID three months later, about 150 million adults in the U.S.

(WTTW News)

In recent decades, Illinois has lost a significant portion of its Black population. While a variety of issues have been cited as reasons for Black families to leave the state, a recent study suggests financial equity could also be a consideration.

(Raven Domingo / Pexels)

According to a 2022 American Heart Association study, Black and Latino people experiencing cardiac arrest are 41% less likely than their White peers to receive CPR from a bystander. But health professionals say just about anyone with hands can help save a heart.

Ansonia Lyons carries her son, Adrien Lyons, as she takes him for a diaper change in Birmingham, Ala., on Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022. After two miscarriages, Ansonia became pregnant in 2020, and it was difficult. (AP Photo / Wong Maye-E, File)

Among wealthy nations, the U.S. has the highest rate of maternal mortality, which is defined as a death during pregnancy or up to a year afterward. Common causes include excessive bleeding, infection, heart disease, suicide and drug overdose.

(Dana Neely / Stone RF / Getty Images)

The U.S. maternal mortality rate nearly doubled between 2018 and 2021, with COVID-19 as a “contributing factor” in more than 30% of maternal deaths, according to a new report. The report also says medical debt amounts to $88 billion nationwide.

A person is silhouetted against the sky at sunset at Papago Park in Phoenix on Thursday, March 2, 2023. (AP Photo / Charlie Riedel)

Experts cited several possible reasons for the increases, including higher rates of depression, limited availability of mental health services and the number of guns in U.S. homes.