Articles tagged with Infants
Scientists have identified a range of microbiome species never before detected in human milk, which change significantly between early and late lactation. These bacteria are thought to protect the infant gastrointestinal tract and improve aspects of long-term health, such as allergy prevention and toxin resistance.
A new study suggests that vaccinating all babies on the day of birth with BCG could reduce neonatal infections and death in areas with high infectious disease rates. The results also increase the possibility that the vaccine might be used to protect children and adults against COVID-19 and other new infectious diseases.
A Johns Hopkins Medicine study reveals that emotional stress promotes symptoms of genetic heart disease and worsens its progression. Physicians and patients are advised to focus on good mental health, in addition to exercise avoidance, to keep patients healthy.
A new study reports that activated B. infantis EVC001 improves health outcomes in preterm infants by reducing enteric inflammation, diaper rash, and antibiotic use. The probiotic also enhances gut microbial composition and reduces pathogenic bacteria, leading to improved clinical outcomes.
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought additional challenges for pregnant people, new mothers, and their families. A new study found that those who gave birth during the pandemic experienced higher levels of psychological trauma, stress, and isolation due to confusion about hospital protocols and visitor restrictions. The lack of social sup...
Researchers found that vegetables in U.S. Department of Agriculture's 'dark green' category were often included in product names, but their average order in the ingredient list was close to fourth. Fruits, particularly juice and juice concentrates, were less likely to appear in product names despite being more prominent in the ingredie...
A study by Florida Atlantic University researchers found that breastfeeding mothers with depression exhibit different EEG patterns than non-depressed mothers, indicating improved brain development in infants. The study also reveals a positive effect of breastfeeding on maternal and infant affectionate touch.
A study published in Breastfeeding Medicine found that separating COVID-infected mothers from their babies can cause significant maternal distress and negatively impact exclusive breastfeeding. The research suggests that skin-to-skin care, rooming-in within arms' reach, and direct breastfeeding may be safe for infected mothers.
A study of 850,000 Danish pregnancies found that nitrate in maternal drinking water was associated with lower birth weights and smaller body lengths, highlighting a critical data gap in current water standards for nitrate.
A new study in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior has found that inconsistent information exists on commercial infant and toddler food packages, making it difficult for parents to understand what they are buying. This confusion can lead to early exposure to nutritious foods not helping children develop healthy eating habits.
A Wayne State University study will explore how family migration stress affects infant development and health. The research, led by Dr. Dalia Khalil, aims to identify effective early intervention strategies for immigrant families.
A Swedish study found that administering a new supplement combining various fatty acids halves the risk of severe retinopathy of prematurity, which can cause blindness. The study showed significant reductions in severe retinopathy among extremely premature babies.
A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences presents a computationally-based modeling approach that simulates infant language learning. The researchers found that infants do not learn consonant- and vowel-like phonetic categories, but rather learn to distinguish between speech sounds in a more nuanced way.
Infants with symptomatic congenital CMV infection treated with a combination of immunoglobulin fetal therapy and neonatal therapy with antiviral drugs showed less severe aftereffects than those receiving only neonatal therapy. This integrated approach holds promise for reducing the number of children suffering from severe CMV infection.
A new study published in Preventive Medicine found that increasing the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 per hour can reduce infant deaths by up to 1.8% annually in large U.S. cities, saving over 1,400 infant lives annually. States preempting city and county governments from raising the minimum wage contribute to these infant deaths.
Researchers found that toddlers with high daily touchscreen use are quicker to look at objects when they appear and less able to resist distraction. The study suggests a potential link between increased screen time and difficulties with attention in young children.
A new study found that exposure to antibiotics within the first 14 days of life is associated with reduced weight and height in boys up to age six. However, antibiotic use after neonatal period leads to higher body mass index (BMI) in both boys and girls during childhood.
A new study found that adults who acquired their second language as a young child show quicker attention shifting and faster visual change detection than those who learned later. These cognitive benefits are thought to be linked to adaptations made by infants in bilingual homes.
Approximately nine out of ten US infants suffer from a gut microbiome deficiency, including a lack of Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis, which plays a critical role in infant health and development. This deficiency is linked to an increased presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, such as Escherichia coli, and a higher risk of a...
New research from McMaster University found that treating mothers with postpartum depression with cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) results in healthy changes in the brains of their babies. The study also showed that these changes lead to improved infant behavior and reduced risk of emotional problems later in life.
A recent study published in Acta Paediatrica found that skin-to-skin contact with the father can help establish stable physiological parameters and increase wakefulness in newborns after Caesarean section delivery. This approach may provide benefits during mother-infant separation, suggesting its potential as a supportive strategy.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine have identified a link between gut disease and brain injury in premature infants. The study found that an immune system cell called CD4+ T cells travels from the gut to the brain and attacks healthy cells, leading to severe brain injury.
A systematic review of international COVID-19 literature found that young children under five years old generally develop mild disease and are often asymptomatic. The study also highlights the potential risk of transmission from infants to mothers, caregivers, and other family members.
A comprehensive analysis of 16 previous trials found that providing supplemental oxygen to mothers during labor and delivery has no benefit for infant health. The study suggests that the practice could be safely discontinued for many women, potentially reducing unnecessary interventions and healthcare costs.
A large randomized clinical trial compared thresholds for blood transfusions in premature babies and found no advantage in survival or neurological impairment. The study, led by Dr. Rosemary Higgins of George Mason University, suggests that current guidelines for blood transfusions may not be optimal.
A National Institutes of Health-funded study found that providing a higher threshold of red cells offers no survival benefit for preterm infants and does not reduce neurological impairment. The study used data from 845 infants with varying hemoglobin thresholds to compare outcomes.
Research found that toddlers are more likely to look at the caregiver's hands when trying to feed themselves, rather than their face. The study suggests that the caregiver's behavior and the toddler's attention play a crucial role in facilitating this new skill.
A study found that Zika infection during pregnancy can impact fetal retinal development and cause congenital ocular anomalies. However, the virus does not appear to affect eye growth postnatally.
An international study by Aarhus University reveals that infant circumcision may lead to social challenges in adulthood, including difficulty bonding with partners and altered emotional stability. The research suggests a link between the state of stress triggered by infant circumcision and changes in behavior revealed as an adult.
New research from the University of California San Diego found that modern crop varieties introduced in 1961 reduced infant mortality rates by up to 5.3 percentage points globally, resulting in around 3-6 million infant deaths averted per year by 2000.
A third of all newborns and half of Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) babies are vitamin D deficient. Vitamin D levels vary by ethnicity, season, and deprivation indices.
This study examines clinical characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 in infants, revealing varying disease severity based on age. Infants under 3 months old are at higher risk for severe symptoms, while older infants show milder symptoms.
A study by the University of Helsinki found that singing to preterm infants during kangaroo care significantly reduced maternal anxiety. The intervention also improved mood, general wellbeing, and promoted interaction with the infant. Mothers reported continuing to sing at home after the study, establishing it as a daily family routine.
A new poliovirus vaccine has been developed to combat a mutated strain linked to outbreaks in Africa and Asia. The vaccine, known as nOPV2, has shown similar immune responses and improved genetic stability compared to the licensed Sabin oral vaccine.
Despite excellent auditory capacities, dogs fail to attend to differences between words with single speech sound variations. This may be why dogs' learned vocabulary remains low throughout life. Brain activity studies show dogs quickly differentiate known from nonsense words but not those differing in just one sound.
Research finds that infant health inequality has increased in the US since 2010, with disparities growing between mothers' educational attainment and socioeconomic status. This trend is concerning as it may lead to long-term health complications and affect mental, physical, and economic well-being.
The study reveals that the release of internal primordial heat caused large melting in the shallow mantle, extruding magma onto the Earth's surface. This led to the formation of keels of the first continents and made them weak and prone to destruction. The process resulted in the emergence of life on Earth.
A study of 44 infants found that half never slept 8 hours consecutively, and parents' perceptions of infant sleep vary greatly. Researchers suggest that understanding these differences is key to supporting healthy sleep habits in infancy.
Research finds that taking turns in 'conversation' with caregivers relates to synchronized activation in language areas, shaping brain function. Weaker connectivity in the bottom-up subnetwork is associated with more conversational turns at home.
Analysis of audio recordings from infants' homes reveals that certain types of vocal interactions are associated with larger infant vocabularies. Infants tend to have a greater vocabulary if they produce speech-like babbling sounds and receive adult responses incorporating similar sounds.
A novel drug target has been identified for neonatal and infant heart failure, a condition with no specific treatment. The target stimulates cardiac contractility in newborns and infants with minimal side effects, offering new possibilities for pediatric heart failure treatment.
A new study found that infant sleep patterns differ by race and socioeconomic status, with Hispanic and Black infants having shorter night sleep durations. The research, published in Sleep, suggests that these disparities begin early in life and may be linked to future health risks.
Girls born extremely preterm are three times more likely to be diagnosed with depression than their full-term peers. Poor fetal growth and increasing gestational age exacerbate this risk, according to a nationwide Finnish registry study.
A new Vanderbilt-designed prediction model can identify infants at high risk of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) after opioid exposure, allowing for early discharge and potentially reducing hospital costs. The tool uses several factors, including gestational age, type of opioids, and other drugs, to estimate the risk of NAS.
Researchers aim to boost protection against severe flu infection in babies under 6 months with a new vaccine approach.
A home-visiting program delivered by trained Native American family health coaches improved healthy growth and feeding practices in babies of mothers on the Navajo Nation. The intervention lowered infant weights and reduced sugar-sweetened beverage consumption, supporting a healthier growth trajectory.
A new study found that pregnant women with obesity can alter their children's DNA through diet and lifestyle modifications, reducing the risk of metabolic disease. The research suggests that a healthy diet and increased physical activity during pregnancy can have a positive impact on infant health.
A vast majority of doctors and parents believe genomic sequencing is beneficial for managing care in infants with diseases of unknown origin. The test reveals genetic variations responsible for the child's disease, even if results are negative.
The ACA's Medicaid expansion improved preconception health indicators for low-income women, including increased health counseling and daily folic acid intake. While no changes were found in chronic condition prevalence or health behaviors, the expansion may help address risk factors for maternal and child health.
Researchers found that infant gut microbial ecosystems develop unique patterns of stability, with changes influenced by diet and antibiotic exposure. The study used genomic tools to analyze massive amounts of genetic data and identified individual strains within single species of the gut microbiome.
A recent study provides genetic insights into Bifidobacterium infantis strains, revealing that strain EVC001 has a unique mechanism of action to optimize human milk metabolism and maximize health benefits in infants. The findings suggest that strain selection is crucial for maximizing impact on short- and long-term health outcomes.
Researchers argue music's primary function is to signal attention to infants, while also forming alliances with groups. This theory challenges existing music origin theories, including social bonding and auditory cheesecake hypotheses.
Two studies found that the prevalence of COVID-19 in NICU infants was low, yet many hospitals restricted parental visitations and scaled back lactation support and therapy. The researchers noted that these rapid policy changes may carry secondary unintended consequences.
A study found that premature infants who experienced fewer needle pokes had better thalamus growth, a structure involved in pain perception. Infants with longer use of central lines had larger thalamus volumes and improved cognitive and motor skills at age five.
Researchers discovered a novel cellular mechanism for disposing of misfolded proteins in a rare condition called alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency, which can also affect neurological disorders like Alzheimer's. The study identified the human enzyme Man1b1 as key to degrading these proteins.
Researchers found distinct effects of adversity early in life on the genomes of extremely preterm-born individuals, particularly males. The study suggests that extreme perinatal adversity may elicit wide-ranging epigenetic changes that remain detectable years later.
A new study reveals high levels of microplastics are released from infant-feeding bottles when preparing formula, with warmer liquids leading to greater MP release. The researchers developed recommendations to minimize MP release, calling on policymakers to reassess current guidelines for safer bottle use.
A study published in Nature Human Behaviour found that American infants relaxed when played unfamiliar and foreign-language lullabies. The researchers discovered universal elements of songs that produced relaxation effects independently of experience, supporting the idea that there is something universal about lullabies.
Researchers found that increasing funding in public health, housing, parks, and recreation can reduce infant deaths. Modest increases in annual funding were associated with small improvements in infant mortality rates, especially for mothers under 20 years old.
A nearly 1.5-kilometer-long trackway of early-human footprints has been discovered at White Sands National Park, showing a woman or adolescent male carrying a toddler in their arms. The tracks, dating back over 11,500 years, suggest a perilous journey through mud and animal habitats.