CNN Health

Passing federal laws that require universal background checks for firearm purchases, background checks on ammunition purchases and firearm identification could reduce the rate of U.S. gun deaths by more than 90%, according to a new study.

A crowd of about 350 listened quietly as the recording of a teacher's eerie 911 call from Columbine High School bellowed over the church auditorium's speakers.

Astronaut Scott Kelly and his twin brother used to be the same height.

My girls will think it's more than a little bit ironic that I am writing a story about emojis, those characters you find throughout texts and social media, since they believe I'm the last person on the planet to download them on my phone. (I only did that a few months ago!)

Daytime turns to dusk as Natalie St. Clair's phone lights up with text messages. They come from clients across the vast Lone Star State.

Angela's son Jacob was born with a number of concerning traits. He had an extra finger, and a foot and hip that were abnormally shaped. The doctors called in geneticists to try to diagnose his unusual condition. "That started our long, 12-year journey," said Angela, who lives in the Baltimore area.

Parents are faced with a lot of difficult questions when they're getting ready to give birth. Should the mother get an epidural? Is saving umbilical cord blood worth it? They may even ponder eating the placenta.

Six-year-old Anika Aramburu darts in and out of the rooms of her small home. In just minutes her attention flits from a toy train to a colorful plastic matryoshka nesting doll to a wooden puzzle piece to a Cabbage Patch Kid doll. Everywhere she goes, one of her parents holds her hand so she won't fall down.

It's called the "celebrity effect" -- the ability of a well-known personality to raise awareness of an illness or public health concern.

At the start of every year, millions of people resolve to get in shape. A few months later, the majority of them have abandoned their commitments.

Sexting among teens is, unfortunately, pretty common. Many parents are shocked to hear how casually teens discuss how prevalent it is. And, while experts differ on statistics, a 2009 study conducted by Pew Internet & American Life Project confirms sexting is a teen reality that's here to stay. Why do they do it? To show off, to entice someone, to show interest in someone, or to prove commitment. Or even as a joke. Teens' developing interest in sex, an impulse to experiment, and apps that make sexting easy -- and acceptable -- create an environment that some teens find irresistible.

Hydrating foods can help you quench your thirst. See 15 super hydrating foods to add to your diet.

The water crisis in Flint, Michigan, may have you asking, "Does my home's water contain lead?"

Every week, I get unsolicited email ads from airlines, Nigerian widows -- and now biotech companies selling gene editing services. I usually just reflexively delete the biotech emails along with most of the others, giving them little thought. That was until last week, when British researchers made a momentous announcement: A British regulatory agency has given them permission to begin altering genes in human embryos.

Lucy, a cross between a Labrador retriever and an Irish water spaniel, failed miserably at guide dog school. As she was curious and easily excitable, random scents distracted Lucy from her master's path, and it wasn't long before she was unceremoniously kicked out.

Whether you are rocking out to Macklemore & Ryan Lewis in your car or reading with Bach in your bedroom, music has a special ability to pump us up or calm us down.

It's a mantra repeated by doctors all over the world: There is no safe amount of lead.

If there's anything both sides of America's heated and polarizing gun debate may agree on, it's the need to keep firearms out of the hands of people with serious mental illness.

The chances you'll die from heart disease are good -- too good.

Some people just ooze happiness: They always seem to be smiling and having fun, and let negative emotions and experiences roll off their backs. But if you think there's no way you could possibly ever be that way, you're wrong. Science proves that you do have the power to change your outlook on life. And it isn't hard, either: Most of the tips that follow are as simple as cracking a smile once in a while (yes, that's one of the tips). Here's to a happier you!