Health & Wellness News

Federal health officials say 31 babies in 15 states have been sickened in a growing outbreak of infantile botulism tied to ByHeart infant formula. ByHeart recalled all of its products sold throughout the U.S. No deaths have been reported. Health officials say parents and caregivers who have the formula in their homes should stop using it immediately and dispose of the product. Botulism is a rare but serious disease that can cause paralysis and death. Symptoms can take weeks to develop. The most recent case was reported Nov. 11.

In just two weeks time, 75 businesses, organizations and individuals contributed $677,000 to address food insecurity throughout the Greater Lehigh Valley.

Easton City Council approved a resolution that will let the city seek a $750,000 grant to help in the rehabilitation of the Heil Park Pool on South Side.

For this year’s event, set for Sunday, officials are cutting out single-use water bottles and trading plastic medal packaging for paper, among other sustainability initiatives.

With SNAP benefits delayed in November and the holidays approaching, Lehigh Valley residents can help or get help. Here's where to find food pantries, volunteer opportunities, and donation info.

U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-Lehigh Valley, has organized a food drive while pinning the ongoing government shutdown on Senate Democrats. SNAP benefits that help feed millions of low-income Americans are hours away from expiring.

The United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley and the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation have launched a $500,000 fundraising campaign to strengthen food access and deliver rapid relief to families in need.

In the Lehigh Valley, 105,000 people rely on SNAP benefits for food assistance. One in four of them is a child. When federal safety nets falter, the charitable food network becomes the community’s last line of defense. It requires collaboration, leadership and shared purpose.

About 400 Allentown families came to The Salvation Army for The Give Back resource event Wednesday, where they received shelf-stable food, daily necessities, and more, just as federal assistance benefits are about to be cut off.

The move announced Monday affects patients at LVHN hospitals and offices in the Lehigh Valley – those properties that were providing care before Jefferson Health’s acquisition of LVHN last summer.

The St. Luke’s D&L RaceFest signups are open, offering participants a chance to qualify for the prestigious Boston Marathon.

The Lehigh Valley International Airport on Friday debuted GoodMaps, a smartphone-driven, audio guidance app for passengers with physical and emotional challenges.

The mayors of Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton will participate in group bike rides for Lehigh Valley Bike to Work Week.

If you get a special card in the mail, it means your mailperson can pick up food donations from your home, and take it straight to the food bank.

Lehigh Valley high school students had the opportunity to see firsthand what it's like to be a nurse. A nursing simulation was held during National Nurses Week.

A plan two years in the making is proving to be successful in Allentown. Nurses for the city and the district worked together to make sure students are safe from preventable disease.

Mattel has marketed a Barbie doll that represents those with Down syndrome.

The Palmer Recovery Center is the site of a free trauma-informed yoga class every Wednesday evening at 5:30 p.m. The class helps veterans with their mental health struggles.

The U.S. surgeon general issued a public health advisory about loneliness, isolation and lack of connection. The health consequences are enormous — equivalent by some estimates to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

Lehigh Valley Mental Health Awareness Walk offers the public education and resources. Behavioral health needs are growing.

The $25,000 fund, offered by Lehigh and Northampton counties, will be used to support the schools' Aevidum program.

Lehigh Valley Health Network names two new presidents in their system. One is the President of the Lehigh Valley Hospital Cedar Crest campus and the Lehigh Region. The other is the President of the LVH–Muhlenberg campus and the Northampton Region.

Local health networks agree the virus is still here, still harmful. Another vaccine could help.

On July 1, the Girls on the Run Lehigh Valley and Pocono chapters will merge.