#Healthcare

A recent Atlantic feature shines a light on the “default parent” problem — the default expectation that mothers are the primary caregiver. This bias persists across homes, schools, clinics, and workplaces, shaping work-life balance and gender equality worldwide, including in Thailand.

For Thai readers, the phenomenon feels familiar. School forms often list mothers as emergency contacts, doctors reach out chiefly to mothers, and fathers who are primary caregivers are still treated as exceptions. Despite rising dual-income households and greater father involvement, the expectation that mothers coordinate daily child care remains deeply rooted. This dynamic adds emotional labor for mothers and obscures active father participation.

Two leading computer scientists received top honors at the IEEE Vision Innovation Challenges Summit in Tokyo for breakthroughs that are reshaping technology and health. IEEE awarded the John von Neumann Medal to a retired IBM Research scientist and the Frances E. Allen Medal to an MIT professor for applying unconventional methods across computer science, cryptography, and medicine. The recognition underscores how theory and practice can blend to improve security and patient care, a message highly relevant to Thailand’s growing tech and health sectors.

Two leading computer scientists have captured global recognition for innovative breakthroughs that are now shaping the future of technology and health. At this year’s IEEE Vision Innovation Challenges Summit in Tokyo, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) honored a retired IBM Research scientist and an MIT professor with its prestigious medals for applying unexpected methods that have redefined core areas in computer science, cryptography, and medicine (research.ibm.com).

This development resonates far beyond the international scientific community—it carries timely lessons for Thailand, inspiring researchers and policymakers to advance cross-disciplinary approaches in technology and healthcare.

Recent decades show a dramatic decline in early childhood deaths in wealthy nations, a public health achievement not always acknowledged in headlines. The trend reflects sustained investments in health systems, disease prevention, and social supports that have dramatically lowered a child’s risk of dying before age five. Data from international research underscores how vaccines, better prenatal and neonatal care, access to antibiotics, nutrition, and safer living conditions have reshaped child survival.

In recent decades, children born in wealthy countries are far less likely to die in early childhood than at any point in modern history—a fact highlighted by a wave of new research but rarely celebrated in global headlines. This profound decline in child mortality is among the most significant public health achievements of our time, yet its story is often overshadowed by other health challenges, leaving many unaware of the progress made and the factors driving these improvements Our World in Data.

A new wave of “reasoning” AI models is showing a troubling trend: the more capable these systems become, the more likely they are to fabricate convincing but false information. This phenomenon, known as AI hallucination, is drawing fresh concern from users and industries worldwide, including Thailand.

For Thai readers who rely on tools like ChatGPT and other AI assistants in learning, work, and daily life, the stakes are high. When AI systems are embedded in banking, healthcare, media, and public services, a higher rate of invented facts can undermine trust, decision-making, and public information accuracy.

Artificial Intelligence systems, particularly the large language models that drive today’s chatbots and virtual assistants, are experiencing a troubling twist in their evolution: the more advanced and “intelligent” they become, the more likely they are to fabricate convincing but false information—a phenomenon known as AI hallucination. New research and industry reporting reveal that the latest generation of “reasoning” AI models, despite appearing more capable and articulate, are showing a dramatic increase in these errors, raising serious concerns for everyday users and global industries alike.

A groundbreaking study published in Nature has delivered unexpected results in the scientific quest for understanding consciousness, challenging two of the most prominent theories about its origins and offering fresh insights with potential to reshape clinical neuroscience worldwide. The findings reveal that neither Integrated Information Theory (IIT) nor Global Neuronal Workspace Theory (GNWT)—the cornerstones of modern consciousness research—can fully account for how human conscious experience arises, redirecting scientific focus to the brain’s sensory areas and raising critical implications for patient care and brain injury diagnosis (Neuroscience News).

A recent Nature study reshapes thinking on consciousness by challenging the two leading theories and focusing attention on the brain’s sensory regions. The work, conducted with a large, diverse group of participants and led by researchers from a major research institution, suggests that neither Integrated Information Theory (IIT) nor Global Neuronal Workspace Theory (GNWT) alone can fully explain conscious experience. The findings emphasize sensory processing as a core driver of awareness, with important implications for patient care and brain-injury diagnosis in Thailand and beyond.

A new framework released in early May by a leading fintech group product manager is making waves throughout the global business and technology communities, urging organizations to reconsider the automatic use of large language models (LLMs) for every artificial intelligence (AI) application. The article, recently published by VentureBeat, cautions that LLMs—despite their popularity—are not always the best fit for all customer needs and often prove costly and imprecise compared to other machine learning (ML) or rules-based solutions (VentureBeat).

A new framework released in early May by a leading fintech product manager is sparking debate in global business and tech circles. It urges organizations to pause before automatically adopting large language models (LLMs) for every AI need. The piece, summarized by VentureBeat, notes that while LLMs are popular, they are not always the best fit, and can be costly and less precise than alternative machine learning (ML) or rules-based solutions.

A new voice in literature is reshaping how we talk about reproductive health. A San Francisco-based women’s health physician channels real-life experience into fiction with her debut novel, I Trust Her Completely. The author, known for her op-eds and a prior memoir, Boundless: An Abortion Doctor Becomes a Mother, blends her roles as healer and parent to examine abortion through a compassionate, comprehensive lens. The May 6 launch arrives as global attention to reproductive health intensifies, offering Thai readers a fresh look at storytelling as activism.

A new literary voice is shifting the conversation on reproductive rights, as a San Francisco-based women’s health physician channels her real-world experience into fiction. In her debut novel, “I Trust Her Completely,” the author – known for her op-eds in major news outlets and prior memoir “Boundless: An Abortion Doctor Becomes a Mother” – draws from her dual roles as a doctor and mother, bringing a nuanced perspective to the contemporary debate on abortion. The book, launched on May 6, arrives at a time of heightened global attention to reproductive health, offering Thai readers fresh insight into the use of storytelling as a form of activism (sfchronicle.com).

A new international research protocol highlights a long-overlooked area in chronic illness care: sexual health, well-being, and pleasure for people with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs). By proposing a comprehensive review of global literature and patient experiences, the initiative seeks to move beyond traditional clinical focus to address intimacy as part of holistic disease management. This conversation is increasingly relevant to Thai patients and families seeking comprehensive, patient-centered care.

RMDs such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and ankylosing spondylitis cause painful joints, fatigue, and limited mobility. The impact extends to emotions, self-esteem, and relationships. The new scoping review aims to integrate sexual health and rights into routine care, recognizing them as essential components of quality of life for people living with chronic conditions.

A new international research protocol is shining a spotlight on a long-neglected aspect of patient care: the sexual health, well-being, and pleasure of individuals living with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs). By proposing a sweeping review of global literature and lived experiences, this initiative aims to address both the clinical and societal fatigue around topics of intimacy for millions affected worldwide—a conversation now increasingly relevant to Thai patients and families seeking holistic chronic disease management [source: Wiley Online Library].

A major international research project led by the University of Ottawa is upending decades-old assumptions about how serotonin neurons function in the brain, with profound potential implications for treating mood disorders such as depression and understanding how our brains make binary decisions. Published in Nature Neuroscience on April 25, 2025, the study reveals that serotonin neurons—long thought to act as isolated units—actually form interconnected networks that collaborate and compete, orchestrating the brain’s serotonin output in ways far more complex than previously believed. The findings mark a major shift in neuroscience’s understanding of one of the brain’s most important neurotransmitter systems and open new avenues for targeted mental health therapies (Neuroscience News).

A major international study led by researchers at the University of Ottawa reshapes how we understand serotonin neurons in the brain. Published in Nature Neuroscience on April 25, 2025, the work shows these neurons are not isolated messengers but form interconnected networks that cooperate and compete. This dynamic orchestration influences regional serotonin release and could inform targeted treatments for mood disorders such as depression. The findings mark a significant shift in neuroscience and open doors to more precise mental health therapies.

A recent collaboration between Chinese and French neuroscientists has produced groundbreaking findings on the neural mechanisms underlying consciousness, signaling potential advances in how the human mind is understood and how altered states of awareness might be approached in medical settings. This research, as reported by the South China Morning Post, has captured the global scientific community’s attention by illuminating the intricate neural networks believed to govern conscious experience, and it raises important implications for the future of neuroscience, medicine, and even philosophy.

Global efforts to combat childhood malnutrition are facing a dangerous setback as disruptions in US government funding threaten the distribution of Plumpy’Nut, a ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) that has transformed survival rates for severely malnourished children. Experts warn that millions could be left without this critical lifeline, triggering renewed concern across regions already suffering humanitarian emergencies.

For families like those in northeastern Nigeria, the stakes are heartbreakingly clear. After losing her husband to violence and fleeing her village, one mother found her two-year-old son failing to thrive on inadequate rations in a displaced persons camp. It was only after receiving Plumpy’Nut—an energy-dense peanut paste fortified with vitamins and minerals—that her son rapidly recovered from acute malnutrition, illustrating the product’s vital role on the frontlines of humanitarian care (source: NPR).

A global effort to combat childhood malnutrition faces a dangerous disruption as U.S. funding shifts threaten the distribution of Plumpy’Nut, a ready-to-use therapeutic food that has dramatically improved survival for severely malnourished children. Experts warn that millions could lose access to this critical lifeline, intensifying humanitarian strain in regions already under pressure.

In northeastern Nigeria, a mother who fled violence with her two-year-old son recalls the turning point. Her child, once stunted by inadequate rations in a displacement camp, rapidly recovered after receiving Plumpy’Nut, a nutrient-dense peanut paste fortified with vitamins and minerals. This example underscores the program’s frontline importance in emergency settings.

A viral personal account about growing up with anti-vaccine parents has sparked renewed debate on vaccine hesitancy and its real-world consequences. The piece, originally published by BuzzFeed as “17 Brutally Honest Confessions From A Woman Who Was Raised By Anti-Vax Parents,” offers a candid look at how parental skepticism can shape a child’s health, education, and social life. The narrative resonates in Thailand, where vaccine debates exist alongside strong public health achievements.

A new focus in cancer care is highlighting an often neglected area: sexual health. While treatments advance and survival improves, many patients’ sexual health needs are still overlooked in research and clinical practice. This gap affects quality of life and recovery, underscoring the need for changes in patient care protocols worldwide, including Thailand, where social taboos and limited support persist.

Growing evidence shows sexual health is closely tied to overall physical and emotional well-being. In discussions with clinicians, it’s clear there are substantial gaps in support for sexual health during and after cancer treatment. Surgeries, chemotherapy, and radiation can cause sexual dysfunction and changes in body image, adding to the distress of diagnosis.

A new focus in cancer care is emerging, shining a light on an often neglected aspect of patient well-being: sexual health. Recent discussions among medical professionals highlight that, while cancer treatments have advanced and survival rates are improving, the sexual health needs of patients are still frequently overlooked in both research and clinical practice. This oversight has a profound impact on quality of life and recovery, underscoring an urgent need for change in patient care protocols around the world—including Thailand, where taboos around sexual health and limited support services persist.

A recent viral personal account has reignited the debate over vaccine hesitancy, shining a spotlight on the real-life consequences faced by those raised in anti-vaccination households. The article, published by BuzzFeed and titled “17 Brutally Honest Confessions From A Woman Who Was Raised By Anti-Vax Parents,” offers a candid look at how parental skepticism toward vaccines can shape every facet of a child’s development—physically, emotionally, and socially. Its frank revelations underscore issues of public health and personal risk that resonate worldwide, including in Thailand, where anti-vaccine sentiment has gained traction in some circles.