Health, Wellness & Beauty

March for Babies Tops $18.1 Million in 56th Year

ARLINGTON, Va. – October 29, 2026 -- March of Dimes' flagship fundraiser, March for Babies, has raised more than $18.1 million to date, and registration for the 2027 edition opens Nov. 1, 2026.

Now in its 56th year, the event drew over 57,000 registered participants, including families, corporate partners, volunteers, and community advocates. Fundraising continues through the rest of 2026.

Money raised funds research, education, and advocacy

March of Dimes President and CEO Cindy Rahman said the proceeds will help the nonprofit accelerate research, education, and advocacy work on pressing maternal and infant health challenges. She said the event reflects the belief that "every mom and baby deserves the opportunity to thrive."

Swiss Skincare Brand Valmont Opens Rare U.S. Spa in Rhode Island

Richmond, Rhode Island – October 29, 2026 -- Valmont facials now start at $350 at The Hilltop Lodge & Spa, making The Preserve Sporting Club & Resort one of only four Valmont spas in the United States.

Valmont brings Swiss treatments to a 3,500-acre resort

The Preserve, a 3,500-acre sporting destination in Richmond, has partnered with Valmont, a Swiss luxury skincare house with more than 40 years of history. The new Valmont for The Hilltop Lodge & Spa program adds signature facial and body treatments to the resort's hilltop spa. Valmont combines Swiss cellular cosmetic research with ingredients inspired by the country's natural resources and is known for its use of Salmon DNA.

Prenatal Omega-3s and Kids' Focus: What a New Study Found

Folsom, Calif. – October 29, 2026 -- A handful of walnuts, about 12–14 halves, delivers 2.5 grams of plant-based omega-3 ALA, and new research links higher prenatal ALA levels to better attention in early childhood.

The study, published in the European Journal of Epidemiology and funded by the California Walnut Commission, examined how omega-3 fatty acids measured at birth related to children's thinking skills years later. It is described as the first to assess cord plasma ALA proportions against cognitive trajectories in offspring.

ARD Doc Explores Nightmares, Lucid Dreaming and Sleep Training

Mainz – October 29, 2026 -- A new documentary from ARD Wissen, "Meine Träume – Was verraten sie über mich?" (My Dreams – What Do They Reveal About Me?), is streaming now in the ARD Mediathek. It asks whether people are helpless against their nightmares or can learn to shape them.

Nightmares affect 3 to 7 percent of healthy adults every week

People spend about a third of their lives asleep, and they dream even if they don't remember it. According to the film, roughly 3 to 7 percent of healthy adults have at least one nightmare a week. People with mental illness or trauma have them far more often. A so-called nightmare disorder can be severely distressing, because fear and negative feelings from sleep can spill into daily life.

LaserAway Opens 238th Clinic in Modesto at 20-Year Mark

Los Angeles – October 29, 2026 -- Residents of Modesto, California, can now book laser hair removal, Botox® and dermal fillers at a new LaserAway clinic at 3401 Dale Road, Suite 655. It is the company's 238th location.

LaserAway reaches its 20th year without closing a clinic

The opening coincides with the company's 20th anniversary. LaserAway says it has grown continuously for two decades without a single clinic closure. Dr. Roy Winston and brothers Scott, Brock and Todd Heckmann founded it in 2006, starting with one clinic on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood. Today the company operates in 36 states, and all locations are privately owned and operated, with no franchises.

Licensed medical professionals perform every treatment

Nurse practitioners, physician assistants and registered nurses carry out all treatments. Dr. Will Kirby serves as Chief Medical Officer and leads a Medical Board of more than 25 board-certified dermatologists.

SightMD Wins 2026 The City's Best Eye Care Awards in Manhattan

Hauppauge – October 29, 2026 -- Manhattan voters have named SightMD a winner in the 2026 The City's Best competition, with awards covering LASIK surgery, optometry and ophthalmology.

Public votes decide The City's Best winners

The competition invites the public to nominate and vote for favorite Manhattan businesses and professionals. The top nominees advance to the official ballot, and the organization with the most votes wins first place in its category. Schneps Media promotes the program across its local print and digital publications.

SightMD runs 38 locations across New York

SightMD describes itself as an integrated ophthalmic group with over 100 doctors and more than 50 years of clinical track record. It serves communities in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.

Polyester T-Shirts Linked to 42% More Airborne Microplastics

Memphis – October 29, 2026 -- Wearing a polyester T-shirt increased microplastic exposure in the personal breathing zone by up to 42% compared with a cotton one, according to preliminary results from a University of Memphis pilot study.

Polyester wearers breathed in nearly 2,000 particles per cubic meter

Researchers measured airborne microplastic concentrations near participants' breathing zones while they wore either cotton or polyester-containing T-shirts. With polyester, readings reached nearly 2,000 microplastic particles per cubic meter.

Up to 77% of the detected particles were microscopic. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a polymer commonly used in polyester clothing, turned up in 99% of the airborne microplastics the team identified.

South Florida Teen With Down Syndrome Gets Inspire Sleep Implant

Hollywood – October 29, 2026 -- Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital has implanted an Inspire hypoglossal nerve stimulation device in a teenage patient with Down syndrome and obstructive sleep apnea, its first such procedure. The hospital is now the only center in South Florida offering the therapy to these patients.

How the implant keeps airways open during sleep

Inspire is described as the first FDA-approved obstructive sleep apnea treatment that works inside the body to address the root cause of the condition. A small device is implanted in a minimally invasive procedure and uses gentle stimulation to keep the airway open during sleep. Patients or caregivers turn the therapy on before bedtime by clicking a button on the Inspire remote.

Peptides by Prescription: What the New FDA Policy Changes

Carlsbad – October 29, 2026 -- Men in the US can now get certain peptides through state-licensed compounding pharmacies with a prescription, and Gameday Men's Health says it offers peptide therapy at 430 locations nationwide, subject to state law and pharmacy availability.

FDA interim policy moves peptides into licensed pharmacies

Under the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's new interim policy, state-licensed compounding pharmacies can prepare certain peptides with a prescription. Until now, many men have bought peptides online as "research chemicals," often made overseas, with no prescription and no medical oversight.

Gameday Chief Medical Officer Dr. Haleem Mohammed said the policy gives men "a safer option." He added that every prescription should start with a real medical evaluation and come from a licensed pharmacy.

Grant Helps Low-Income Women Get Treatment for Bladder Leaks

Newtown, Connecticut – October 29, 2026 -- Older women on tight budgets who live with bladder leaks may soon find treatment easier to reach, thanks to a new grant for the nonprofit EliHealth Initiative.

A trust grant funds education and treatment access

The David N. Lane Trust for Aged & Indigent Women, administered by Bank of America, awarded the grant. It will support education and treatment access for financially disadvantaged older women.

Many women assume leakage is a normal part of aging or worry about the cost of care. EliHealth Initiative Director Daly Johnson says urinary incontinence is "usually treatable."

Managing leaks is not the same as treating them

Leaks can limit work, exercise, travel and social life, and the ongoing cost of pads strains limited budgets. Treatment options include pelvic floor therapy and treatments used at home.