Nominations for the 2026 cohort of Kid Captains are open until Friday, March 13, for current or former pediatric patients of Stead Family Children’s Hospital ages 18 and younger. Only parents and legal guardians may nominate their child.

Amelia Earley’s childhood was shaped by cancer. In 2014, the current University of Iowa student’s younger brother, Mason, went to an eye appointment and ultimately was diagnosed with a brain tumor. From then on, cancer became a constant presence in their family’s life, upending ordinary routines and demanding extra precautions. Over the years, Mason underwent a dozen rounds of chemotherapy.

How does carbon monoxide (CO) affect me? In a typical year, nearly 400 Americans die from carbon monoxide poisoning, usually in their own home or car. Many of those deaths happen during the winter months, when people are heating their homes and reducing the amount of outside ventilation. Even if CO levels are not high enough to be fatal, they can produce serious illness.

Atrial fibrillation, also known as Afib, is an irregular heartbeat where the heart's upper chambers beat at around 400 beats a minute, quivering instead of beating steadily.

A dangerous trend has emerged online: counterfeit car seats. These fake products look like popular, trusted brands, but they lack the essential safety features, testing, and engineering required to protect a child in a crash.

Iowans should be on their guard outside during winter months, particularly against damage to the nose, ears, toes, and fingers, explains Hans R. House, MD, an emergency medicine physician at UI Health Care. Several factors determine how much damage is done by the cold, he notes. Temperature, dampness, and the duration of exposure are among factors, of course, but, also, immobility of the victim-…

Working in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at the university campus, Chrissy McCullough, BSN, RN, CCRN, has always taken a patient-centered approach to nursing, guided by her own version of the golden rule: “If this were my own child, how would I want them to be cared for?” That same philosophy resonates with fellow PICU nurse Cale Muhlhausen, BSN, RN, CCRN.

Looking to quit smoking? Maybe you tried once, but it didn’t work out? Don’t get discouraged. On average, it could take you as many as seven attempts to give up tobacco use before you quit for good, says Autumn Carstens, MEd, tobacco treatment specialist at UI Health Care.

University of Iowa Health Care Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center has begun treating its first patient with T-cell receptor therapy, an innovative treatment that uses the body’s own immune system to fight synovial sarcoma — a rare and aggressive cancer.

Staying active is vital in maintaining a healthy lifestyle at every stage of life by strengthening your bones and muscles and supporting cardiovascular and mental health.