Claudia Kalb

Since the illness first surfaced in the U.S. in the '80s, chronic-fatigue patients have endured skepticism from doctors, who have not known what to make of a constellation of symptoms that has no known cause, no diagnostic test, and no specific treatment.

Over the last decade, the fledgling field of "oncofertility" has focused largely on banking sperm or freezing eggs or embryos for teenagers and adults diagnosed with cancer.

Robert Evans started his research in the 1950s. Now the universe of IVF has expanded into a nuanced and ever-evolving area of science and culture.

Medical errors kill some 100,000 Americans every year. How we can reverse the trend.

Seven million Americans are taking prescription drugs for "nonmedical reasons." Tomorrow, the Drug Enforcement Agency hosts its first national effort to collect unwanted meds to keep them away from people who might abuse or sell them, especially teenagers.

Health and celebrities can be an intoxicating and major money-raising mix. Michael J. Fox, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 1991, has raised awareness—and large amounts of money. Now Angie Dickinson is telling the story of her daughter's struggle with autism.

Embryonic-stem-cell research has provoked more controversy—political, religious, and ethical—than almost any other area of scientific inquiry. This week the field suffered a legal blow with U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth's ruling, which blocks the Obama administration's 2009 regulations expanding embryonic-stem-cell research.

Earlier this year, Stanton A. Glantz, professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, and James Cameron, director of the science-fiction thriller "Avatar," got into a public sparring match over Hollywood and cigarettes. Now Glantz is back on the attack against the continuing presence of smoking in movies.

Food insecurity goes hand in hand with "food deserts"—neighborhoods that don't have good access to grocery stores. Here's how "Sesame Street" is trying to deal with that issue.

Food insecurity is on the rise. In 2008, 14.6 percent of U.S. households fell into the food-insecure category at some point during the year—the highest rate since the Department of Agriculture started recording stats in 1995. At the same time, legislation to improve childhood nutrition is now making its way through Congress.

A slew of important medical developments includes a report that adult stem cells have memories, the advent of a vaginal gel that reduces the risk of HIV infection among women, and a change in guidelines that may lead to a decrease in the number of births by Caesarean section.

Autism is a diverse condition, but one characterized by behaviors that can be misinterpreted as unusual and even disrespectful by law-enforcement officers trained to seek out those acting suspiciously. One activist is educating police so they can better serve citizens on the spectrum.

As obesity rates hit record levels, a new study finds that many adults don't recognize weight problems in their children. The consequences, for families and the country, can be severe.

Tests and tools to keep infants healthy. Plus: vaccine safety.

The Childhood Years: As your children grow, so do their medical needs. Plus: childhood obesity, and how to fight it.

A group of psychoanalysts gathered this week in Washington to tackle a serious subject: America's national pastime.

New research has found that a majority of Americans want to know the details of their genetic codes, including what diseases they might be at risk of developing.

One year ago, I called Pamela Madsen, a well-known advocate in the fertility world, to interview her about the fate of some 400,000 frozen embryos stored in clinics across the country.

Women who decide to have children without a partner don't fit into rom-com cliches.

Would lives have been saved if officials connected the disease to dying birds earlier? The vet who raised the alarm says yes.

Animal-based diseases account for 75 percent of newly emerging infections, including H1N1. Can health agencies work together to stop their spread?

Childhood obesity isn't the first thing that comes to mind when you think about the military. But Mission: Readiness, a D.C.-based organization of retired generals, admirals, and civilian military leaders, is seriously worked up about the epidemic.

I first met Josephine Ruggiero 13 years ago when I was reporting a story about international adoption, "Bringing Kids All the Way Home." Ruggiero and her husband had adopted three young biological siblings from Russia in 1994 and they invited me into their home, where they talked openly about how difficult adoption can turn out to be—for parents and children alike.

After his twins almost died in a medical accident, actor Dennis Quaid takes his mission to improve hospital safety worldwide.

Last week, I called attention to a candid and illuminating memoir about autism in Harper's magazine. The piece, as I pointed out, is refreshingly devoid of controversy.

Stories about autism tend to feel like literary battlefields, with vaccine-theory supporters on one side and vaccine-theory opponents on the other. Which makes Sallie Tisdale's memoir, "My Daughter, Her Autism, Our Life," in the April issue of Harper's Magazine so illuminating.

Health-care reform will help mitigate America's obesity problem, but there are more contentious issues that will need to be resolved to fully address it.

As he stood on a Baltimore dock in a glorious March sun, U.S. Navy Cmdr. Tim Donahue remembered the Haitians. The 44 patients with spinal-cord injuries, two of whom broke their necks.

More women want to be able to have a baby naturally, even if they've had Caesareans. Research backs them up—so why won't doctors?