FRIDAY, Aug. 29 (HealthDay News) -- Immunization shots used to be the realm of the young.

Babies would go through series after series of vaccinations. And toddlers would take their shots before entering preschool.

And they still do. But vaccines are now expanding to include all age ranges, in an attempt to ward off disease from the cradle to the grave.

What's more, immunization rates continue to gradually improve in the United States, although not as quickly as public health officials would like.

THURSDAY, Aug. 28 (HealthDay) -- One in four women in the United States carries a bacterium that could cause a debilitating and life-threatening infection in their newborn babies. And many don't know it.

Infants who contract Group B streptococcus before or during birth can be miscarried, stillborn, or die soon after birth. Those who survive often suffer permanent disabilities such as blindness, deafness, mental retardation and cerebral palsy, according to Group B Strep International, a nonprofit group dedicated to informing the public about the disease.

How long did you breastfeed your child(ren)? What influenced the timing of weaning? Did you have an idea of how long you'd nurse when you were pregnant and what influenced this idea?

Studies are showing that increasing Vitamin D, either supplements in diet or through sun exposure, may help lower the risk of developing Type 1 diabetes.

Would you give your baby or infant a Vitamin D dietary supplement, or increase their sun exposure (with sunscreen, of course!), in order to decrease their risk of developing diabetes?

By Steven Reinberg
EmpowHer's HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, April 7 (HealthDay News) -- Babies who get less than 12 hours of sleep a day face twice the risk of being overweight as preschoolers.