Children's Health
Published

Poverty negatively impacts structural wiring in children's brains, study indicates      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A study reveals that household and community poverty may influence brain health in children. Childhood obesity and lower cognitive function may explain, at least partially, poverty's influence on the brain.

Children's Health Infant's Health
Published

RSV is a serious heath threat, but the public knows little about it      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new survey finds that the American public is ill-informed about RSV, unfamiliar with its most common symptoms, and more hesitant to recommend a vaccine against it to pregnant people than to older adults.

Breastfeeding Child Development Children's Health Infant and Preschool Learning Infant's Health Parenting
Published

Dads are key in supporting breastfeeding, safe infant sleep      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Fathers can make a huge difference in whether an infant is breastfed and placed to sleep safely, according to a recent survey of new fathers.

Child Development Infant and Preschool Learning Parenting
Published

High-quality child care contributes to later success in science, math      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Children who receive high-quality child care as babies, toddlers and preschoolers do better in science, technology, engineering and math through high school, and that link is stronger among children from low-income backgrounds, according to new research.

Children's Health Diabetes Today's Healthcare
Published

Machine-learning method used for self-driving cars could improve lives of type-1 diabetes patients      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The same type of machine learning methods used to pilot self-driving cars and beat top chess players could help type-1 diabetes sufferers keep their blood glucose levels in a safe range.

Child Development Infant and Preschool Learning Parenting Relationships
Published

Conflict in marriage less harmful for kids when dad keeps it constructive      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Conflict is unavoidable in all marriages. When it erupts in families with children, stressed or angry parents may take their pain out on the kids, projecting their anger or withdrawing emotionally or physically. In the worst cases, children's socioemotional development can suffer. But the way parents, especially fathers, deal with marital conflict can make a difference to kids, according to a new study.

Children's Health Psychology Research
Published

Mouse models of adolescent binge drinking reveal key long-lasting brain changes      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Heavy alcohol consumption may cause permanent dysregulation of neurons, or brain cells, in adolescents, according to a new study in mice. The findings suggest that exposure to binge-levels of alcohol during adolescence, when the brain is still developing, lead to long-lasting changes in the brain's ability to signal and communicate -- potentially setting the stage for long-term behavioral changes and hinting towards the mechanisms of alcohol-induced cognitive changes in humans.

Children's Health Pregnancy and Childbirth
Published

Exposure to 'forever chemicals' during pregnancy linked to increased risk of obesity in kids      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) during pregnancy was linked to slightly higher body mass indices and an increased risk of obesity in children, according to a new study.

Child Development Infant and Preschool Learning Parenting
Published

How caregiver speech shapes infant brain      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

New research shines light on how parents who talk more to their infants improve their children's brain development. Scientists used imaging and audio recordings to link early language skills to caregiver speech, delivering an affirming message that parents can greatly influence their child's linguistic growth in ways that are trackable in brain scans.

Child Development Infant and Preschool Learning Parenting
Published

Male babies 'talk' more in the first year than female babies do      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Young babies make many squeals, vowel-like sounds, growls, and short word-like sounds such as 'ba' or 'aga.' Those precursors to speech or 'protophones' are later replaced with early words and, eventually, whole phrases and sentences. While some infants are naturally more 'talkative' than others, a new study confirms that there are differences between males and females in the number of those sounds.

Birth Defects Children's Health Today's Healthcare
Published

Open-analysis platform for pediatric brain tumors provides robust data resource for childhood cancer research      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have partnered to create a first-of-its-kind open-source, reproducible analysis platform for pediatric brain tumors. With the help of thousands of genomically sequenced samples, researchers have used this platform to identify initial findings about genetic variants associated with poorer outcomes that could help guide future diagnostic and therapeutic advances.

Children's Health
Published

Humans are unique but not exceptional species of mammal      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Humans appear to resemble mammals that live in monogamous partnerships and to some extent, those classified as cooperative breeders, where breeding individuals have to rely on the help of others to raise their offspring.

Children's Health
Published

Skin patch shows promise for toddlers with peanut allergy      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A global phase 3 clinical trial found that a year-long immunotherapy through a skin patch safely desensitized toddlers with peanut allergy, lowering the risk of a severe allergic reaction from accidental exposure.

Birth Defects Children's Health Healthy Aging Psychology Research
Published

Understanding the speed of brain communication      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Called the human connectome, this structural system of neural pathways develops as people age. A new study shows transmission speed among brain regions increases into early adulthood. Learning more about neuron transmission may improve the understanding of psychological disorders.

Children's Health Nutrition
Published

Elevated levels of toxic metals in some mixed-fruit juices and soft drinks      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study that analyzed 60 commonly available beverages found mixed-fruit juices and plant-based milks such as oat and almond were most likely to contain levels of toxic metals above federal drinking water standards.

Child Development Infant and Preschool Learning Infant's Health Parenting
Published

Poor air quality linked to cognitive problems in babies      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

New research shows that poor air quality could be causing cognitive problems in babies and toddlers. A new study reveals an association between poor air quality in India and impaired cognition in infants under two. Without action, the negative impact on children's long-term brain development could have consequences for life.

Child Development Infant and Preschool Learning Parenting
Published

Study finds early RSV infection linked to significantly increased risk of asthma in children      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new observational study has found that RSV infection in the first year of life is associated with a significantly increased risk of asthma in children. The study looks at the effects of RSV infections of all different severities on childhood asthma risk at a population level.

Birth Defects Child Development Children's Health Chronic Illness Depression Mental Health Research Psychology Research
Published

Problems with 'pruning' brain connections linked to adolescent mental health disorders      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Problems with the brain's ability to 'prune' itself of unnecessary connections may underlie a wide range of mental health disorders that begin during adolescence, according to research published today. The findings may help explain why people are often affected by more than one mental health disorder, and may in future help identify those at greatest risk.

Children's Health Chronic Illness
Published

Study shows most children recover from Lyme disease within six months of treatment      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A majority of parents of children diagnosed with Lyme disease reported that their kids recovered within six months of completing antibiotic treatment, according to a new study. The findings, based on Lyme disease treatment outcome data from 102 children in the United States, also revealed that a notably small percentage of children took longer than six months to recover and experienced a significant impact on their daily functioning.