Showing 20 articles starting at article 1
Categories: Fitness, Infant and Preschool Learning
Published Why reading nursery rhymes and singing to babies may help them to learn language



Phonetic information -- the smallest sound elements of speech -- may not be the basis of language learning in babies as previously thought. Babies don't begin to process phonetic information reliably until seven months old -- which researchers say is too late to form the foundation of language. Instead, babies learn from rhythmic information -- the changing emphasis of syllables in speech -- which unlike phonetic information, can be heard in the womb.
Published How pre- and postnatal B-12 vitamins improve breast milk vitamin B-12 levels, which supports infant brain development



According to a new study B-12 vitamins increase the presence of the micronutrient in mothers' breast milk, which is especially helpful in countries where it can be difficult to eat what is needed for the body to produce B-12 naturally.
Published High altitude training shows promise for patients ahead of surgery



Simulated high altitude could help older patients at risk of health complications related to surgery, a new study has found.
Published Despite pressures facing young families, parents take precious moments to play with their babies



Four in five primary caregivers of nine-month-old babies reported cuddling, talking and playing with their little one several times a day, in the first national long-term study of babies in over two decades.
Published Early body contact develops premature babies' social skills



Skin-to-skin contact between parent and infant during the first hours after a very premature birth helps develop the child's social skills. The study also shows that fathers may play a more important role than previous research has shown.
Published Genes influence whether infants prefer to look at faces or non-social objects



Whether infants at five months of age look mostly at faces or non-social objects such as cars or mobile phones is largely determined by genes. The findings suggest that there is a biological basis for how infants create their unique visual experiences and which things they learn most about.
Published New study on experience of adopted people as they become parents



A new piece of research looks at the challenges faced by adopted people when they become parents. The study investigated the lived experiences of adopted people in the UK as they become parents. Until now research in this area has been very limited and hasn't tended to included the experiences of adopted men as fathers.
Published Poor work performance among Japanese employees strongly associated with insufficient sleep



This study examined the association between work performance and lifestyle habits among Japanese employees. The results revealed that insufficient sleep was the predominant factor affecting work performance in men and women, followed by lack of regular exercise and eating late-evening meals. Furthermore, the study indicated that men were more likely to exhibit lifestyle habits that impacted work performance than women.
Published Benefits of adolescent fitness to future cardiovascular health possibly overestimated



There is a well-known relationship between good physical fitness at a young age and a lower risk of cardiovascular disease later in life. However, when researchers adjusted for familial factors by means of sibling analysis, they found a weaker association, although the link between high body mass index (BMI) and cardiovascular disease remained strong.
Published People with obesity burn less energy during day



A study found people who have a healthy weight use more energy during the day, when most people are active and eat, while those who have obesity spend more energy during the night, when most people sleep. Researchers also found that, during the day, those with obesity have higher levels of the hormone insulin -- a sign that the body is working harder to use glucose, an energy-packed sugar.
Published Physical fitness since childhood predicts cerebellar volume in adolescence



Physical fitness since childhood is associated with cerebellar grey matter volume in adolescents. Those who were stronger, faster and more agile, in other words, had better neuromuscular fitness since childhood, had larger Crus I grey matter volume in adolescence.
Published Any activity is better for your heart than sitting -- even sleeping



Replacing sitting with as little as a few minutes of moderate exercise a day tangibly improves heart health, according to new research.
Published Vigorous exercise, rigorous science: What scientists learned from firefighters in training



Scientists took thousands of measurements of firefighters in training to learn more about how the body responds to vigorous exercise.
Published When dads are feeling a bit depressed or anxious, how do kids fare?



A team of researchers has found that slightly higher, but mild anxious or depressive symptoms in fathers were associated with fewer behavioral difficulties in the first years of elementary school and better scores on a standardized IQ test in their children.
Published Higher risk of 17 cancers after high BMI in late teens



Men who are overweight or obese at age 18 have a higher risk of 17 different cancers later in life. This has been shown in a study at the University of Gothenburg. The research also describes how the youth obesity epidemic is expected to affect the cancer situation over the next 30 years.
Published Some benefits of exercise stem from the immune system



Research in mice shows that the anti-inflammatory properties of exercise may arise from immune cells mobilized to counter exercise-induced inflammation. Immune cells prevent muscle damage by lowering levels of interferon, a key driver of chronic inflammation, inflammatory diseases, and aging.
Published Outlook on exercise may curb aging anxiety



A positive attitude about physical activity may be related to lower anxiety about aging. Researchers who analyzed results from a multi-state survey say gender, age, marital status and income affect perspectives on exercise and aging but that reframing messages about both can lead to healthy behaviors.
Published 8,000 steps a day to reduce the risk of premature death



An international study has identified for the first time the optimal number of steps at which most people obtain the greatest benefits, and also shows that the pace at which you walk provides additional benefits.
Published Most forms of exercise are overwhelmingly safe -- but don't ignore the dangers



The risk of serious injury from most exercise is astonishingly small, according to the results of a five-year study. Even forms of sport sometimes considered risky by the public, such as road cycling, are generally safe, suggesting the benefits of taking part in fitness activities far outweigh the dangers.
Published Stunting in infancy linked to differences in cognitive and brain function



New research shows that children who are too short for their age can suffer reduced cognitive ability from as early as six months old. Researchers compared the 'visual working memory' in children who had stunted growth with those having typical growth. They found that the visual working memory of infants with poor physical growth was disrupted, making them more easily distracted and setting the stage for poorer cognitive ability one year later.