Have you ever wondered if mental health could actually be contagious—just like a cold or the flu? It sounds wild, but new research suggests it might be more than just metaphorical. We’ve all heard phrases like “good vibes only” or felt someone else’s stress rub off on us, right? But what if your partner’s anxiety, depression, or even insomnia could be passed on through something as intimate as a kiss? Yep, that sweet gesture could be doing more than just bonding hearts. Intrigued? You should be—because this new finding might change how we think about emotional well-being in relationships.

A groundbreaking study out of Iran has introduced a startling new concept: that anxiety and depression may not only be shared emotionally between romantic partners—but biologically transferred through a kiss.

Yes, you read that right. Kissing your partner may not just swap affection, but millions of microbes—some of which may be quietly influencing your mental health.

This new research opens up a fascinating, and somewhat unsettling, frontier in how we understand mental wellness within intimate relationships, pointing to a biological pathway for emotional transmission through oral microbiota.

Love, Intimacy, and the Hidden Microbial Highway

It’s long been accepted that couples tend to influence each other’s behaviors—picking up habits, mimicking routines, and even adopting one another’s speech patterns. But recent scientific inquiries suggest that our bodies—and more precisely, the bacteria within them—might be syncing in much deeper ways.

A team of Iranian researchers, led by Dr. Reza Rastmanesh, followed 268 newlywed couples for six months to explore whether the oral bacteria exchanged during intimate contact—like kissing—might play a role in the development of anxiety, depression, and poor sleep.

Their conclusion? Mental health symptoms can potentially be transmitted biologically, mediated by the microorganisms that reside in our mouths.

The study, published in the journal Exploratory Research and Hypothesis in Medicine, recruited newlywed couples from two private sleep clinics in Tehran. Researchers focused specifically on couples where one spouse had been diagnosed with moderate depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbances—what the researchers referred to as the "depression-anxiety phenotype."

At the beginning of the study, the other partner was entirely healthy—no sleep complaints, no psychological distress, and no history of mental illness. Both partners provided saliva and oral swabs, which were analyzed to assess cortisol levels and map out the oral microbiota using DNA sequencing technology.

After just six months of living together, something remarkable occurred: the healthy spouses began to mirror their partners’ symptoms. Their depression and anxiety scores climbed, they reported trouble sleeping, and—most compellingly—their oral microbiomes began to resemble those of their affected partners. How could something as seemingly benign as kissing transmit psychological symptoms?

According to the study, four specific types of bacteria—Clostridia, Veillonella, Bacillus, and Lachnospiraceae—were found in higher concentrations in the saliva of affected partners. These bacteria have previously been associated with neuroinflammation and mood disorders.

When the researchers analyzed the healthy partners' microbiota after six months, they found a significant increase in these same bacteria—implying microbial transmission had occurred.

This bacterial “convergence” may play a role in disrupting the gut-brain axis, a well-documented communication system between the digestive tract’s microbiome and the central nervous system. The oral cavity is the first gateway in this axis, making these findings especially significant.

Cortisol and the Chemistry of Stress

The study didn’t stop at microbes. Researchers also tracked cortisol, a hormone released during times of stress. Healthy spouses began the study with normal cortisol levels—but after six months, levels spiked, particularly among women.

In some cases, female spouses showed nearly double the cortisol compared to their initial readings, underscoring a clear physiological stress response. This rise in cortisol mirrored the uptick in anxiety and depression symptoms, suggesting a complex chain reaction where microbial exposure leads to hormonal shifts, which in turn may affect mood.

Wy Are Women More Vulnerable?

Interestingly, gender appeared to influence susceptibility to microbial and emotional transmission. Female partners reported higher rates of mood disturbances and sleep issues than their male counterparts, despite starting the study in good mental health.

While the study does not definitively explain why women may be more affected, prior research has shown that women’s immune and hormonal systems are more sensitive to stress-related changes—potentially making them more vulnerable to shifts in microbiota and subsequent mental health symptoms.

The concept of “psychological synchrony” in relationships is not new. Previous studies have documented how couples’ heart rates, stress levels, and even reproductive hormone cycles can align over time. But this new study adds a biological layer to emotional co-regulation: one that literally lives inside our mouths.

While the idea that mental illness might be “contagious” through bacteria may sound like science fiction, it builds on a growing body of evidence linking gut and oral microbiomes to cognitive and emotional health.

“Oral microbiota transmission between individuals in close contact partially mediates symptoms of depression and anxiety,” the researchers concluded—urging the scientific community to consider bacteria as potential contributors in the mental health equation.

Of course, this study is not without its limitations. The researchers noted that they did not account for underlying health conditions, dietary habits, or genetic predispositions that may influence oral microbiota.

Still, the implications are vast. If further studies confirm these findings, oral health may become a new frontier in mental health interventions. Could probiotic therapies or personalized oral hygiene routines serve as preventive strategies for couples living with mental illness? Could clinicians someday assess microbial profiles to predict emotional risk?

Dr. Rastmanesh and his team believe this is just the beginning. They have called for more longitudinal studies to explore whether similar bacterial patterns are found in couples with longer marriages and in other mental health conditions such as bipolar disorder or post-traumatic stress.

Should You Worry About Your Next Kiss?

Not necessarily, the study doesn’t suggest we should avoid kissing or sharing close contact with loved ones. Intimacy remains a cornerstone of healthy relationships. But it does encourage us to broaden our understanding of what it means to be “in sync” with a partner—not just emotionally, but biologically.

As our knowledge of the human microbiome evolves, so too must our understanding of mental health. This study may not offer all the answers, but it raises critical questions about how deeply our relationships shape us—right down to the microscopic level.

Having a family pet is a favorable idea considered by many. While parents of young children are worried about bacteria and germs being an issue, there are also other factors to consider. Many studies, like ‘The Power of Pets’ published in the News in Health, have shown how pets play a very important role in a child’s development. They explain how pets have been observed to lower cortisol levels as well as lower blood pressure. They also pointed out that studies have found pets to lower the feeling of loneliness, increase social support as well, and boost your mood.

A new study shows a favorable result for families who wish to have pets, especially dogs, as they not only passively help your kid’s health, but they can also have an active effect on them.

New research suggests that having a family dog might lower a baby's chances of getting eczema later in life. This study, published on June 4th in the journal Allergy, indicates that being around dogs could actually change how a child's genes react to eczema, by calming down skin inflammation.

How Does Eczema Affect Kids?

Researchers explained that while we know genes play a role in eczema risk and that dogs might be protective, this is the first study to show how this happens at a very basic level. Eczema happens when something irritates the skin, causing it to become dry, itchy, and inflamed. We know some people are born more likely to get eczema, but exactly how their genes and their surroundings work together to either increase or decrease this risk hasn't been clear.

How Was The Research Conducted?

The researchers conducted a comprehensive analysis of data from 16 previously conducted studies. Their goal was to identify interactions between 24 specific genetic variants already known to be linked to eczema and a list of 18 environmental factors that could potentially influence a baby's susceptibility to the condition later in life.

which included over 25,000 people, narrowed down the environmental factors to seven key ones: antibiotic use, owning a cat, owning a dog, breastfeeding, having an older sibling, smoking, and hygiene.

Dogs, Genes, and Inflammation

The team then applied these findings to data from another 254,000 people to see which genes and environmental factors had the biggest impact on eczema risk. This second look found that a baby's exposure to dogs affects the interleukin-7 gene. This gene is involved in making a type of immune protein that helps control inflammation. Lab tests showed that being around dogs interacts with a gene variation that might otherwise cause eczema, essentially reducing skin inflammation by changing how interleukin-7 proteins work in human skin cells.

The experts explained that their research aims to answer common questions parents ask, like "Why does my child have eczema?" and "What can I do to protect my baby?" While these findings are exciting, the researchers also stressed that more studies are needed to confirm what they found in the lab and to better understand exactly how dogs might affect human genes in this way. Researchers believes these findings give us a chance to tackle the rise of allergic diseases and protect future generations.

More American teens are being prescribed Wegovy, a weight-loss drug that mimics a hormone to regulate appetite, as doctors and families grow more comfortable using medications to treat obesity in adolescents. While this signals growing acceptance of medical tools to tackle a complex and often lifelong health issue, experts caution that challenges around access, affordability, and long-term safety persist.

Sharp Rise in Teen Prescriptions

Wegovy was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in late 2022 for children aged 12 and older who are living with obesity. Since then, prescriptions have surged. According to health data company Truveta, which reviewed medical records from 30 U.S. health systems, prescriptions for Wegovy among teens jumped by 50% in 2024—rising from 9.9 per 100,000 adolescents in 2023 to 14.8 per 100,000 in 2024. The first quarter of 2025 showed another increase, with the rate reaching 17.3 per 100,000.

But these numbers are still small compared to the scale of the issue. Government data shows that 8 million U.S. teens—about 23% of those aged 12 to 19—are living with obesity, a number that has more than quadrupled since 1980. The condition raises long-term risks such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and liver disease.

A Promising Tool, But Not a Cure-All

“It’s promising that more young people are using these medications, but it’s still a very small percentage of patients with severe obesity that are getting access to them,” said Dr. Cate Varney, an obesity medicine specialist at the University of Virginia Health System, in an interview with NBC News. “When lifestyle changes alone are insufficient, we need these additional tools.”

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) updated its guidelines in 2023 to recommend that doctors consider GLP-1 medications, like Wegovy, for children 12 and older with obesity. GLP-1 drugs mimic the effects of a hormone that controls hunger and food intake. However, only Wegovy is FDA-approved for adolescents. Others, such as Ozempic and Zepbound, are not approved for teen weight loss, though they are being studied for future use.

Safety, Access, and Insurance Hurdles

Despite the increased use, concerns linger. Experts point out that there is limited long-term data on how these medications may affect a developing adolescent’s body. “These medications are likely to be needed for a very long time to maintain weight,” said Dr. Robert Siegel of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. “And we only have a relatively short-term experience with them.”

Insurance coverage also presents a significant barrier. Many health plans do not cover weight-loss drugs for teens and often deny coverage for complementary care such as visits to dietitians or behavioral counseling. At Nemours Children’s Hospital in Delaware, about 25% of teens in one obesity treatment program were prescribed Wegovy or a similar drug last year—almost double the number from 2023. Still, many could not access the drug due to insurance or concerns about side effects.

What the Future Holds

Novo Nordisk, the maker of Wegovy, claims its trials found no negative effects on puberty or growth. Eli Lilly, which produces Zepbound, is conducting its own studies in teens and so far reports no adverse effects on growth or metabolism.

“We are confident in the proven safety and efficacy of our GLP-1 medicines,” Novo Nordisk said in a statement. Still, both researchers and government officials, including U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., stress the need for long-term studies to fully understand the impact of using these medications in young people.

After the long, emotionally and physically demanding journey of in-vitro fertilization (IVF), hearing the words “you’re pregnant” often feels like crossing the finish line. However, for many couples, particularly those navigating fertility challenges, pregnancy is only part of the journey—and miscarriage remains a deeply feared possibility.

Experts points out that although IVF brings a lot of couples closer to parenthood, it does not entirely prevent the risk of miscarriage. "About 15% of all pregnancies, whether they occur naturally or through assisted reproductive technology such as IVF or IUI, result in miscarriage," says Dr. Varsha Patil, a well-known fertility expert. The number may sound shocking, but with the knowledge of the causes, risk factors, and preventive measures, the couple is given the clarity and confidence to proceed.

What Is A Miscarriage?

A miscarriage in medical terminology is the spontaneous loss of pregnancy before 20 weeks of gestation. In Dr. Patil's opinion, miscarriages can be generally divided into two broad categories—early miscarriage, which is a pregnancy loss before 13 weeks, and late miscarriage, which takes place between 13 to 20 weeks. Although it's easy to think that when women become pregnant after IVF, they've exceeded the most dangerous period, the truth is usually different. IVF pregnancies, which are thoroughly monitored, are not completely safe from complications. Actually, some factors underlying the case—like maternal age, embryo quality, uterine anomalies, and hormonal imbalance—can still lead to miscarriage despite a successful embryo transfer.

What Causes Miscarriage After IVF?

Miscarriages after IVF are generally not an indication of treatment failure but usually result from natural biological and physiological problems. Chromosomal abnormalities are one of the most frequent reasons for miscarriage irrespective of how pregnancy is achieved. "An embryo with the incorrect number of chromosomes is unlikely to survive," says Dr. Patil, pointing to the biological problem that can sideline even the best-planned IVF pregnancy. In addition to this, maternal health is also crucial—chronic diseases like uncontrolled diabetes, thyroid disturbances, kidney illness, and autoimmune diseases can disrupt a normal pregnancy and predispose to loss. Lifestyle factors are also very important.

Cigarette smoking, alcohol use, illicit drug use, and even overuse of caffeine are all recognized risk factors for miscarriage. Dr. Patil reiterates that having IVF doesn't erase the need to make healthier lifestyle changes. Physical conditions like fibroids, polyps, a uterine septum, or an incompetent cervix can make it difficult to carry a pregnancy to term. Advanced age is another significant factor; women above 35 have a 25% or more chance of miscarriage, and for women aged above 40, this chance increases to more than 50%. In addition, serious anemia, malnutrition, and inadequate post-embryo transfer medical follow-up can adversely affect pregnancy and hence require holistic post-IVF care to ensure a successful process.

How Age Can Affect Chances Of Miscarriage After IVF?

Although age is a natural component of reproductive aging, it plays an extensive role in the success of IVF. Dr. Patil clarifies, "Between 20 and 35, the rate of miscarriage is 10–15%. But post 35, the rate increases significantly." This is partly because eggs from women who are older have a greater chance of chromosomal abnormalities.

For individuals who are thinking about IVF later in life, this information underscores the value of genetic screening and preconception counseling to get the healthiest embryos to transfer.

Role of Embryo Quality

Embryo quality is critical to the success of IVF—and to eliminating the risk of miscarriage. As Dr. Patil puts it, "A good quality embryo has a much lower risk of miscarriage than a poor quality one."

Chromosomal information clarifies the different rates of miscarriage associated with the quality of the embryo.

Research indicates that high-quality embryos suffer a miscarriage rate of about 13.3%, but low-quality embryos can suffer a much higher percentage, about 20%. This is where sophisticated reproductive procedures such as Preimplantation Genetic Testing for Aneuploidies (PGTA) are utilized. PGTA allows physicians to detect chromosomally normal (euploid) embryos prior to implantation, significantly enhancing the likelihood of a successful pregnancy while minimizing the risk of miscarriage. For couples who have gone through the devastation of miscarriage following IVF, the path ahead seems uncertain.

How long, then, should one wait before attempting another pregnancy? In Dr. Patil's opinion, a waiting time of 2 to 3 months is what is usually advised. This window of time accommodates both emotional recovery and physical healing," she explains. It also allows fertility doctors to assess any underlying complications, fine-tune medication regimens, and perform any further medical procedures that are required. Sparing this time not only gets the body ready for another cycle, but it also enables couples to rejoin the process with fresh hope and knowledge-based support.

Signs of Miscarriage Women Should Watch For

Pregnancies that occur through IVF are normally closely monitored, but it's still important for women to remain vigilant for complications. Dr. Patil enumerates the following signs that may be a sign of miscarriage:

• Spotting or brownish discharge
• Moderate to heavy vaginal bleeding
• Abdominal cramps or lower back pain
• Sudden loss of pregnancy symptoms (such as nausea or breast tenderness)
• Fluid or tissue passing from the vagina
• Lack of fetal heartbeat or growth on ultrasound

If any of these symptoms are noticed, immediate medical consultation is essential. "The sooner we take action, the greater opportunity we have to offer support or handle complications," she maintains.

A miscarriage, be it following natural conception or IVF, is not merely a medical occurrence—though an emotional one. Dr. Patil forbids couples to blame themselves. "It's a natural aspect of the reproductive cycle, frequently as a result of factors nobody has control over."

Support systems, counseling, and community groups may assist couples in dealing with sorrow in a positive way while remaining positive about the future. Significantly, a single miscarriage does not predict the next pregnancy to end similarly. With updated technologies, individualized fertility care, and psychological strength, numerous couples proceed to have healthy pregnancies following miscarriage.

Whereas IVF provides access to parenthood for millions worldwide, it's also important to note that it does not entirely eliminate the threat of miscarriage. Elements such as age, the quality of the embryo, maternal health, and lifestyle all remain crucial in determining the success.

What is still crucial, as Dr. Patil stresses, is educated optimism. "Couples must know about the risks but not be discouraged by them. With proper medical attention, emotional support, and healthy lifestyles, the journey to parenthood continues to hold hope."

Dr Varsha Patil is a Fertility specialist at GarbhaGudi IVF Centre, Bengaluru in India