Poisonous plants, holiday decorations and unsafe toys are just a few of the potential hazards children face during the holidays.

Some studies indicate that death rates from heart attacks and stroke as well as non-heart-related causes spike during the holiday season. Researchers have coined this phenomenon "Merry Christmas Coronary and Happy New Year Heart Attack."

Vanderbilt sleep researchers are reporting a relationship between good sleep and how much melatonin the body produces ñ the first in a series of research studies intended to help children with autism spectrum disorders sleep through the night.

Now that Halloween night is upon us, experts at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children‘s Hospital at Vanderbilt say it‘s time for one last safety review. Trick-or-treating is a fun family event and accidents are rare, but they do still happen. Accidents are more common in children who are just old enough to ask for less parental supervision.

Lasers are at the cutting edge of surgery. From cosmetic to brain surgery, intense beams of coherent light are gradually replacing the steel scalpel for many procedures.

Women who receive silicone gel-filled breast implants do not have a higher risk of breast cancer or other cancers and do not experience lower survival rates after breast cancer diagnosis, according to a new report published in the November issue of Annals of Plastic Surgery. This is the first exhaustive review in almost a decade of the health effects of cosmetic breast implants.

Coffee, an enticing beverage that is one of Latin America‘s most prized exports, will be the focus of a conference and tasting at Vanderbilt University on Friday, Oct. 26. The event will be from 1 to 3:30 p.m. at the Bishop Joseph Johnson Black Cultural Center and is free and open to the public.