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Health news

  • Parents of Harper Atkinson, Leah Pitman and Dustin Atkinson.

    Sydney hospital where two children died recently is at risk of failure, scathing report finds

    Report accusing Northern Beaches hospital of not taking sufficient actions to stop risks comes as parents of baby who died after waiting for caesarean speak out
  • Stephen Bates

    Brisbane Greens MP joins OnlyFans to ‘make people pay attention’ to HIV prevention drug policy

  • A doctor measures a patient’s blood pressure

    Labor announces $10m to provide ‘inclusive, culturally safe’ healthcare for LGBTQ+ Australians

  • A close-up of a woman sitting in a doctors surgery waiting room with her hands clasped together

    NSW’s sole women’s-only clinic dedicated to trauma ends ‘gamechanging’ focus

  • A generic image of in vitro fertilisation

    Woman gives birth to stranger’s baby after IVF bungle in Brisbane

  • Exterior of Northern Beaches Hospital

    NSW government may buy back Northern Beaches hospital but Healthscope ‘should not expect to profit’

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Key issues

  • Illustrations of capsules in the shape of a brain

    ‘A pill for every ill’: doctors say Australia overprescribing antidepressants to mask toxic social conditions

  • An illustration of a person climbing a hill of pills towards a light at the top

    We asked readers about taking antidepressants. The response points to a ‘silent epidemic’ and urgent need for reform

    Out of 776 responders to our callout, 711 say they experienced withdrawal symptoms, many debilitating
  • Pokies machines

    ‘I had a full-blown relapse’: woman allowed into Victorian pokies clubs despite self-excluding from gambling

    Bree Hughes says state’s safeguards to curb gambling are a ‘joke’ after she realised very few venues checked if she was on the self-excluding list
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Antiviral

  • The evidence is yet to stack up on the latest anti-ageing trend: NAD+ supplements, taken as pills, shots and infusions.

    Antiviral
    NAD boosters: Kendall Jenner and Hailey Bieber are into them, but do they actually stop ageing?

    Natasha May
    Despite social media hype, there is little evidence that the therapies, marketed as pills, shots and IV infusions, have any effects on ageing
  • Experts say keeping consistent bedtimes, reducing caffeine intake later in the afternoon, reducing screen exposure before bedtime and developing a calming pre-bedtime routine can contribute to a good night’s sleep

    Antiviral
    Sleepmaxxing: from red light to mouth taping and nasal dilators, do any of the viral trends work?

    Donna Lu
  • Composite image for Antiviral column on gut health

    Antiviral
    Social media’s gut feeling is all wrong: there is no fast track to a healthy microbiome

    Natasha May
  • The image shows a man in a crossed-legged yoga position and a woman's bare feet on grass

    Antiviral
    ‘Grounding’ proponents say it helps us realign with the Earth’s electric charge – but the claims don’t land

    Donna Lu
  • Composite for Melissa Davey's fortnightly column.

    Antiviral
    Guardian Australia’s new health column helps you determine science from snake oil

    Melissa Davey
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Opinion

  • Scrabble tiles

    My sister died 10 years ago. Here’s what I wish I had known about dementia when she was alive

    Jackie Bailey
  • A combination diptych of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (left) and Leader of the Opposition Peter Dutton (right) during their campaign launches in Perth and Sydney respectively on Sunday, April 13, 2025. (AAP Image/Lukas Coch, Mick Tsikas) NO ARCHIVING

    More bulk billing will ease the cost of living. But what Australia’s health system really needs is genuine reform

    Stephen Duckett
    • Victorian Liberal party leader Brad Battin

      Victoria’s Liberal leader is counting the days to the election. But will ‘brand Brad’ pass the pub test?

    • A mother and child made of cassette tape reach out to one another

      ‘It can break you’: life for parents of autistic children can be exhausting. One podcast is offering hope. Is it real?

    • Eoin O’Dwyer (right) and Mitch (left) at their wedding at Cashel Palace Hotel, Ireland

      The moment I knew: he bared his soul in a performance and I fell for his sensitive side

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Science

  • Close-Up of Baby's Feet in Soft Light<br>A tender close-up shot captures the tiny feet of a newborn baby, radiating warmth and innocence. The gentle lighting and soft focus bring out the delicate details of the baby's toes and skin, evoking a sense of love, care, and the preciousness of early childhood. This image is ideal for themes surrounding family, motherhood, newborn care, and the joy of welcoming a new life.

    Newborns treated with antibiotics respond less well to vaccines, study shows

    An Australian study found that babies with early exposure to antibiotics had lower levels of antibodies against jabs in later infancy
  • Image of the type of mushrooms that FOODiQ will attempt to grow in space.

    ‘Perfect space crop’: Australian company to attempt to grow first mushrooms in orbit

  • Several exquisitely detailed fossil fish discovered in central New South Wales – video

  • ‘It’s a history lesson’: fossil fish up to 16m years old found perfectly preserved in central NSW

  • Trump cuts to have ‘chilling effect’ on climate science and ‘degrade’ Australia’s ability to forecast weather

  • More than 60 dinosaur footprints found on boulder that sat at Queensland school for 20 years

  • Bacteria transferred during intercourse could help identify sexual assault perpetrators, scientists say

  • Australian oysters’ blood could hold key to fighting drug-resistant superbugs, researchers find

  • Cockney influences found in Scotland, Australia and New Zealand, says expert

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Multimedia

  • 'Our health system is broken': hospital doctors on three-day strike in NSW – video

  • Health minister responds to reports of social media video appearing to show two hospital workers claiming they refuse to treat Israeli patients
    1:28

    Two NSW nurses stood down after video appears to show they would 'kill' Israeli patients – video

    Health minister responds to reports of social media video appearing to show two hospital workers claiming they refuse to treat Israeli patients
  • Matilda Boseley explains how commercial-scale cooling can cause deadly outbreaks of legionnaires' disease
    2:20

    How office buildings, factories and shopping centres can cause legionnaires' outbreaks – video

    Matilda Boseley explains how commercial-scale cooling can cause deadly outbreaks of legionnaires' disease
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