Research programs focused on child health and development. Covers pediatric research standards, infant nutrition and sleep, rare disorders, and childhood diabetes.
Researchers at the University of Gothenburg have identified clear stress patterns among children undergoing dental treatment, particularly during anesthetic injections. The study used a sensor tool to monitor hand movements and sweating, revealing that invasive treatments were significantly more stressful for longer periods.
The Kids First DRC has introduced an upgraded data portal to streamline big data search and analysis, improving collaborative pediatric research outcomes. The new portal integrates diverse datasets, including genomic information from the Children's Brain Tumor Network, to foster cross-disciplinary research.
Researchers found that mono-canalicular Lacrijet stent insertion is a safe and effective treatment for congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction in children, with success rates unaffected by age or previous failed probing. The study suggests early assessments and stenting as an option for pediatric epiphora management.
Researchers discovered that T-cell aging is not limited by organismal age, and healthy T cells can proliferate indefinitely. The epigenetic clock of T cells shows that death is not the end, and these cells do not plateau with age, defying traditional notions of cellular aging.
A new study found that children who were more positively sensitive to their parents' praise when they were 3 years old had fewer behavioral and emotional problems when they were 5–7 years old. Childhood sensitivity to psychosocial influences was also found to predict mental health in middle childhood.
A Pusan National University study finds that heatwaves significantly impact public health among individuals with disabilities, increasing the risk of hospitalizations by 1.07 times. This results in a substantial economic burden, highlighting the need for well-informed public health policies to address these vulnerable groups.
A new study highlights the importance of providing developmental supports to young victims of serious child abuse before they start school. Researchers found that children who were removed from their homes and entered out-of-home care were more likely to be developmentally delayed in some areas, but also vulnerable in other areas. The ...
A new study found that adolescents with higher rates of prediabetes often experience adverse social determinants of health, such as food insecurity and low household income. Screening for these non-medical factors may help identify youth at risk of progressing to type 2 diabetes.
A new study aims to improve learning and boost academic performance in South Australian schools by teaching self-regulated learning techniques. The 5-year project will engage 4000 students in years two, four and six across 57 primary schools, providing them with skills to manage their own learning and adapt to challenges.
A new study finds that adolescents with higher levels of social anxiety symptoms are more likely to report increased suicidal thoughts and depressive symptoms two years later. Early intervention for social anxiety may be crucial in preventing these mental health issues.
The number of calls to US poison centers has increased sharply, with a 233.9% rise in intentional exposures among adults. The severity of unintentional exposures also increased, with 37.4% more cases resulting in severe harm and 65.3% more deaths.
Researchers discovered that the youngest students in a class are overrepresented among those receiving an ADHD diagnosis or medication. This is due to teachers misattributing relative immaturity as symptoms of ADHD.
Researchers found that restricting screens in bedrooms and at mealtimes has the biggest impact on reducing screen time and addictive behavior. Parents who model healthy practices at home also see a decrease in their child's screen use. Limiting and monitoring screen time can reduce usage by 1.29 hours and 0.83 hours, respectively.
A new autism screening tool, Autism Detection in Early Childhood (ADEC), has been successfully adapted for a Spanish-speaking population in Ecuador. The study found that ADEC can be used to identify children with high likelihood of developing autism, providing a cost-effective way to improve early diagnosis and support.
Drug-involved infant deaths in the US increased by 120% from 10.8% in 2018 to 24.4% in 2022, with the highest proportion occurring in 2021. The most common causes of death were assault, poisoning, and psychostimulants.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on mental health, with increased rates of anxiety, depression, and attempted suicides. The interruption of major life milestones and prolonged social isolation have been particularly traumatizing for children and adolescents.
A new study by the Colorado School of Public Health found that high ICU occupancy levels during COVID-19 patients' stays contributed to increased mortality rates. The research highlights the critical need for tools to anticipate surges and effective resource management in healthcare systems.
Researchers found that infants in English-learning environments were exposed to more spoken language than music, with the gap widening as they get older. The study used daylong audio recordings collected from home environments and crowdsourced annotations through Zooniverse, closing the gap on past studies that relied on parental reports.
A recent study suggests that YouTube's automated video recommendations for children do not always filter out violent or age-inappropriate content, leaving young users exposed to problematic clickbait. Researchers analyzed over 2,800 video thumbnails recommended by the platform and found that many contained disturbing images or messages.
Researchers analyzed 130 English-learning infants' vocalizations and found significant cluster patterns of squeals and growls, indicating active play and sound practice. These findings suggest that infant vocal category exploration is a fundamental pathway for language development.
Researchers have identified genetic changes that can leave children born with little to no immune defense against infection. The study links mutations in the NUDCD3 gene to Severe Combined Immunodeficiency and Omenn syndrome, rare and life-threatening immunodeficiency disorders.
A recent study by University of Houston sleep expert Candice Alfano found that weighted blankets do not improve sleep for children who have experienced various types of maltreatment, including abuse or neglect. Despite the popularity of weighted blankets as a sleep aid, research has been lacking on their effectiveness in this population.
The study highlights the significant post-COVID recovery of youth aged 25-34 in employment, while those aged 16-24 experienced a slower recovery. Innovative programs and practices for supporting youth with autism in their employment search are also discussed.
A new study reveals that preteens are using online dating apps at an alarming rate, with LGB adolescents being 13 times more likely to report engagement. The study also found that preteen boys spend more time on screens than girls, highlighting the need for guidance and media literacy programs to mitigate risks.
A new study found significant differences in brain development between autistic boys and girls, with autistic females showing a thicker cortex at age 3 and faster cortical thinning into middle childhood. The findings highlight the need for longitudinal studies that include both sexes to better understand sex-specific changes in autism.
A study found distinct brain connectivity patterns in six-week-old infants at risk for developing autism spectrum disorder. These early differences predict behavior and may lead to ASD-related behaviors by altering social development.
Researchers at the University of Oklahoma have created a new structured clinical interview to screen for multiple sleep problems in children. This tool allows clinicians to assess children for various sleep disorders simultaneously, providing a more comprehensive view of their sleep issues.
Newborns of bilingual mothers exhibit greater sensitivity to a range of sound pitches compared to those from monolingual mothers. The study suggests that prenatal exposure to multiple languages may shape the fetus's auditory system, influencing its ability to process speech sounds at birth.
A longitudinal study of LGBTQ+ youths found that transitioning gender identities is not associated with depression. Instead, higher rates of depression were linked to bullying and victimization. The study followed 366 young people ages 15-21 and measured depressive symptoms periodically over three years.
A recent study by Wayne State University researchers has demonstrated a connection between exposure to per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) in males and health problems in their offspring. The study found that PFAS mixtures can alter sperm methylation and affect the long-term reprogramming of offspring liver and fat tissues.
A groundbreaking system utilizing a flexible tactile sensor based on electrical impedance tomography (EIT) offers significant advantages in terms of flexibility and sensitivity compared to conventional methods. The system achieved high classification accuracies, with reconstructed images and measured voltage vectors.
A new study led by University of Florida researcher Ashley Malin found a possible link between fluoride exposure during pregnancy and increased odds of neurobehavioral problems in children at age 3. The findings, based on an analysis of 229 mother-child pairs, suggest that higher fluoride levels may negatively affect fetal brain develo...
A new US-based study examines the link between prenatal fluoride and childhood social, emotional and behavioral functioning. Higher fluoride exposure levels during pregnancy were associated with a higher chance of children showing neurobehavioral problems, including emotional reactivity, anxiety and somatic complaints.
Researchers discuss the benefits of CAR-T therapy in treating B-cell lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) in children. The therapy, tisagenlecleucel, has shown promising results and is now priced at $508,250, a more manageable cost compared to other gene therapies.
The Planetary Child Health & Enterics Observatory (Plan-EO) is developing an online tool to identify diarrheal disease transmission hotspots and accelerate treatment deployment. The dashboard will provide up-to-date epidemiological estimates and predictions, enabling public health communities to make informed decisions and save lives.
Researchers are studying the early brain development of babies born to mothers with diabetes to understand the link between prenatal exposure and later childhood obesity. They aim to identify key differences in brain structure and function that may contribute to the increased risk of obesity.
A new study found that rates of obesity and severe obesity increased among Black, Hispanic, and foreign-born students in NYC public schools. Despite overall decline in obesity prevalence, these groups saw significant increases, with Black students experiencing a larger relative increase.
Research at Ruhr-University Bochum found that preschool children tend to prepare for upcoming events by considering how bad it will feel to lose, rather than how good it will feel to win. This pessimistic outlook motivates them to behave proactively in the present.
New research emphasizes the importance of integrated care for children with epilepsy and co-occurring psychiatric conditions. The study reveals that fragmented care can lead to negative outcomes, including disjointed treatment plans and inadequate seizure control.
A new study found that transgender preteens reported 13 hours of daily recreational screen time, which was 4.5 hours more than their cisgender peers. The researchers highlight the importance of managing the risks associated with excessive screen use for this vulnerable population.
A new study published in Addiction journal found that high-potency cannabis use between 16 and 18 doubles the risk of psychotic experiences from 19 to 24. Researchers analyzed data from the Children of the 90s study, which tracked over 14,000 individuals from birth to age 24.
A new study from the University of South Australia shows that young children learn about pain through reading, promoting empathy and emotional development. Reading picture books frequently prompts interactions about pain and injury, teaching valuable responses to these concepts.
A new IU study reveals that young infants' daily-life input is unique to their age, characterized by high-contrast edges and simple patterns, which serve as a foundation for human vision. This finding has implications for addressing lifelong visual deficiencies and improving AI visual systems.
Researchers Polina A. Loseva and Vadim N. Gladyshev challenge the existing definition of human life, suggesting a new meaning for the 14-day stage in organismal life grounded in recent mechanistic advances and insights from aging studies. This stage defines the separation of soma from the germline and marks the boundary between rejuven...
Researchers found a significant association between neighborhood deprivation and DNA methylation in brain tissue, which may be linked to immune response. The study identified one CpG site (cg26514961, PLXNC1 gene) significantly associated with neighborhood deprivation after controlling for covariates.
Researchers at the University of Toronto have found a family of natural compounds that stall the unique metabolic process used by parasites to survive in the human gut. The discovery offers potential as new and more effective treatments for parasitic worm infections, which cause debilitating symptoms and developmental defects.
Research from the University of Birmingham found that children who experienced chronic lack of sleep from infancy were more than twice as likely to develop a psychotic disorder in early adulthood. Persistent sleep problems also increased the risk by nearly four times. The study, published in JAMA Psychiatry, suggests that addressing sl...
A Swansea University-led study investigates the impact of omega-3 supplements on children's behavior, mood, and mental wellbeing. The research aims to identify which children may benefit most from supplements and how they can be best identified.
A new study found no correlation between increased social media use and decreased interaction with friends offline, contrary to previous assumptions. Children with symptoms of social anxiety who used social media excessively were at risk of developing poorer social skills.
A new review from Teachers College, Columbia University, and other institutions reveals varied impact of preschool programs on long-term school success. The study found a mix of positive, negative, and no differences in school performance among children who attended or did not attend preschool.
A study published in Neurology found that nonmotor seizures were often missed in children and teens, leading to delayed diagnosis and potentially worse outcomes. Researchers discovered that participants with initial nonmotor seizures were less likely to seek emergency care and had a higher percentage of incorrectly identified seizures.
A new study reveals that pediatric emergency departments miss signs of epilepsy in two-thirds of cases. Nonmotor seizures, which cause 'zones out' behavior, are often overlooked due to similarities with anxiety and panic attacks.
Researchers developed a virtual reality environment for teens to reduce stress and improve mood. The system showed promise in reducing stress levels without significant effects on anxiety and depression.
Researchers validated pediatric emergency department guidelines promoting safer CT scan use, finding both predictive rules safe and effective in minimizing unnecessary radiation exposure. The study enrolled thousands of children and adolescents nationwide, showing high accuracy in identifying cases requiring immediate intervention.
Research suggests that frequent teen vaping may boost the risk of toxic metal exposure, potentially harming brain and organ development. Analysis of urine samples showed higher levels of lead and uranium among frequent vapers compared to occasional users, with sweet flavours linked to increased uranium levels.
A culturally-responsive training intervention based on science of reading and math improved comprehension, visualization, and connection-making skills among 66 third-grade English language learners. The program enhanced students' performance in math by utilizing direct and explicit teaching methods, focusing on key cognitive concepts.
A national US study found that nearly a quarter of children with symptoms of brain injuries or concussions were not checked for the condition. Younger children were more likely to be overlooked. Routine checks can help ensure these children receive necessary care and support their mental and social well-being.
A University of Turku study found that maternal grandmother investment improves grandchildren's well-being, particularly after facing adversities. This support can have lasting effects into adulthood, reducing risks of premature death and lower likelihood of having children.
Researchers used wearable devices to study the behavior of 3- to 6-year-olds, finding that they modulated their behavior across the school day and self-regulation declined over time. The study suggests that tools like wearable technology can help parents and teachers identify impulsive and inattentive behaviors and develop strategies t...
A new study by Loma Linda University reveals that mechanical bull riding is a real public health concern, especially for young riders. The study found that traumatic brain injuries are the most common outcome, and long-term consequences can be severe, including memory issues and learning disabilities.