Holidays are often depicted as picture-perfect moments: families blissfully united around a table filled with seasonal food favorites against an immaculate backdrop. For many parents, attempting to meet such unrealistic expectations can undermine their self-worth – and their sanity.

In the real world, parents are juggling more ...Read more

Among the biggest-grossing films in America in February 2002 were a war drama about American troops in Somalia (“Black Hawk Down”), an Arnold Schwarzenegger action movie (“Collateral Damage”), and a future Oscar winner about a brilliant mathematician struggling with schizophrenia (“A Beautiful Mind”).

But none of these films topped ...Read more

California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency Wednesday as the H5N1 bird flu virus moved from the Central Valley to Southern California dairy herds, while federal officials confirmed the first U.S. case of severe illness in a hospitalized Louisiana patient — a concerning development as the virus continues to spread throughout the ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency as the H5N1 bird flu virus moves from the Central valley to Southern California herds and federal officials confirmed flu in a Louisiana patient hospitalized with severe illness. This is the first case of severe illness caused by bird flu in the U.S., and is considered a concerning ...Read more

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency Wednesday in response to rising cases of bird flu, the same day the U.S. Centers for Disease Control confirmed a person in Louisiana had been hospitalized with a ‘‘severe’’ case of the disease.

“This proclamation is a targeted action to ensure government agencies ...Read more

The pivotal World Trade Center Health Program that covers medical expenses for those suffering from 9/11-related illnesses will be fully funded for the next 15 years, thanks to a bipartisan agreement hammered out in Washington, D.C., officials said Wednesday.

A federal budget bill coming up for a vote next week will include permanent funding ...Read more

BBarely a month after gaining access to Affordable Care Act coverage for the first time, millions of Dreamers across 19 states were barred from getting health insurance.

A North Dakota federal judge’s ruling prevents Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) immigrants in Kansas, along with 18 other states including Florida, from ...Read more

The holidays are the season for gathering, giving, sharing meals, and, yes, shopping. Lots of shopping to make it all happen. This year, as you plan menus, decorations, and gifts, consider shopping locally and supporting local farmers and artisans.

There’s a cache of unexpected treasures in the offerings to be discovered in your community. ...Read more

The new year is a great time for a health reset. But when we set the bar too high, we inevitably blow it, blame ourselves, and go back to the status quo," says nutrition therapist Dana Sturtevant, RD, a co-owner of Be Nourished in Portland, Oregon.

Take fad diets like juice cleanses: We’re drawn to them because they promise big results and ...Read more

It’s undeniable: modern medicine offers ever-expanding ways to heal and prevent disease. But it’s also true that health care can cause harm. One analysis found that about 6% of health care encounters caused preventable harm, leading to thousands of deaths each year. And it’s not just errors that cause trouble. Highly skilled health care ...Read more

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I am a 40-year-old overweight woman diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes a little over a year ago. I have become more mindful about the food our family eats, limiting sugar and incorporating more fruits and vegetables into meals at home. Recently, though, I learned my 14-year-old daughter has been “snacking” on spoons of ...Read more

Anna Goldman, a primary care physician at Boston Medical Center, got tired of hearing that her patients couldn’t afford the electricity needed to run breathing assistance machines, recharge wheelchairs, turn on air conditioning, or keep their refrigerators plugged in. So she worked with her hospital on a solution.

The result is a pilot effort...Read more

Juana Valle never imagined she’d be scared to drink water from her tap or eat fresh eggs and walnuts when she bought her 5-acre farm in San Juan Bautista, California, three years ago. Escaping city life and growing her own food was a dream come true for the 52-year-old.

Then Valle began to suspect water from her well was making her sick.

“...Read more

You might notice an uptick in your drinking habits, now that the holiday season is in gear. The gatherings and celebrations that are filling your schedule often include alcohol as a part of the festivities.

For those who typically keep their drinking low throughout the year, this change in consumption can have adverse effects — particularly ...Read more

Liver cancer rates have more than tripled in the U.S. since 1980 and continue to rise. More than 41,000 people will be diagnosed with liver cancer in the U.S. this year, and about 29,000 will die from the disease, according to the American Cancer Society.

Dr. Lionel Kankeu Fonkoua, a Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center oncologist, discusses...Read more

MIAMI — More than seven months after Manatee County launched a pilot program for a drone that can quickly respond to medical emergencies, 911 dispatchers have yet to use it.

The program, which is a partnership between Manatee County government, Tampa General Hospital and Archer First Response Systems, aims to deploy a drone in situations ...Read more

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: Ever since I had my son, I tend to worry whenever he gets ill, so I try to educate myself on different viruses and autoimmune disorders. I recently came across encephalitis. What is it? What are some of the warning signs? And how is it treated?

ANSWER: It's normal to worry as a parent. However, encephalitis is a rare disease. ...Read more

Vaccinations provide significant protection for the public against infectious diseases and substantially reduce health care costs. Therefore, it is noteworthy that President-elect Donald Trump wants Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a leading critic of childhood vaccination, to be secretary of Health and Human Services.

Doctors, scientists and ...Read more

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A growing number of people — many of them older and homeless — are freezing to death during winter.

Hypothermia from exposure to cold temperatures was the underlying or contributing cause of death for 166 Californians last year, more than double the number a decade ago, according to provisional death certificate data...Read more