Research on the health and development of babies. Covers motor development, maternal-infant health, cochlear implants, and infant nutrition.
Research conducted by Yale University found that most breastfed infants experience little decline in blood serotonin levels after their mothers take Prozac. The study suggests that women should weigh factors such as postpartum depression severity and breastfeeding commitment when considering antidepressant medication.
A new study suggests that maternal circulating cells can migrate to the heart of infants, potentially causing a damaging immune response. The research, led by Dr. Anne Stevens, found that these cells were present at higher levels in the hearts of babies with neonatal lupus syndrome, which can cause severe heart damage.
Researchers found that more socially involved female baboons had higher reproductive success rates and lower infant mortality. This contradicts the long-held assumption that social relationships are only beneficial for mothers.
Researchers found high interleukin-1 levels in SIDS brains, which could disrupt vital brain functions and lead to sudden infant death. The study's findings may help explain the complex cause of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
An asthma intervention study showed a 60% reduction in total hospitalizations among patients with frequent asthma exacerbations. Researchers also found that initial use of three antibiotics followed by diagnostic testing led to better patient survival and reduced antibiotic use for ventilator-associated pneumonia. Additionally, prematu...
A study of premature infants found that human milk, fortified in-hospital, was comparable to nutrient-enriched formula for growth and development. The study tracked the progress of 463 premature infants under four pounds at birth, showing better visual acuity outcomes with human milk.
A study found that alcohol's reinforcing properties in rodent infants are due to its pharmacological effects, independent of smell or taste. This suggests that animals and people may find alcohol rewarding for the same reasons throughout their development, with implications for human brain development and behavior.
Researchers developed vaccines based on human and chimpanzee adenoviruses to protect newborns against viral diseases. These oral vaccines have the potential to be effective even with waning maternal antibodies, offering a crucial solution for infants in developing countries.
New research from Saint Louis University shows that babies under 8 months are at highest risk of death in adult beds due to lack of motor skills to escape safety threats. The study recommends cribs as the safest option for babies' sleep, and calls for a public awareness campaign to alert parents.
Researchers found that 12-month-old infants looked longer at the ball approaching a helpful square, indicating they differentiated between the movies. This suggests that infants have ideas about what type of action would be more likely for the ball given its previous interactions.
A long-term study found that nevirapine sustained a 41% reduction in HIV infection risk compared to azidothymidine (AZT) in infants born to breastfeeding mothers. The regimen showed significant cost savings, approximately 70 times less than AZT treatment.
A single-dose nevirapine regimen significantly decreased the risk of HIV-1 transmission from mother to child by 47% compared to a zidovudine regimen. The regimen was found to be safe and effective in all study mothers up to six weeks after delivery and for all babies up to 18 months of age.
Researchers found that infants as young as four months old learn object concepts through visual observation, not manual exploration. The study used eye-tracking experiments to show that babies quickly grasp fundamental concepts by watching objects in motion.
Purdue University's David Ertmer created an interactive website to monitor early speech development in children with hearing impairments. The site provides audio examples of baby jargon, such as babbling and squealing, to help parents recognize progress in their child's speech development.
Researchers found that infant falls can produce significant rotational forces that cause widespread and serious brain injury, including internal bleeding and nerve cell damage. This challenges the assumption that children respond similarly to head trauma as adults.
A recent CDC study reveals that elderly individuals are at a higher risk of severe complications from dengue infection, including hospitalization and hemorrhagic fever. Clinicians must conduct thorough clinical examinations to avoid delayed diagnosis and treatment, which can lead to further complications.
Researchers found that rotational deceleration increases with higher falls and harder surfaces, leading to more severe diffuse brain injuries. Inflicted impacts on hard surfaces are likely to cause subdural hemorrhage and possibly diffuse axonal injury.
Researchers investigated how babies up to six months old perceive moving objects behind screens, finding that they initially don't see continuity until four months old. This suggests that babies develop their perceptual abilities with age rather than being born with them.
Researchers found that inhibited temperaments show a greater brain response to unfamiliar faces, while uninhibited individuals exhibit less. The study's findings support the theory that temperamental differences relate to amygdala function and persist into adulthood.
A study of 213 premature babies found that brain damage was most likely caused by prematurity and infections. The research revealed that even with advances in medical care, such as electronic fetal heart rate monitoring, the incidence of cerebral palsy and other problems has remained unchanged.
Researchers found that infants' vocalizations change in response to their mothers' social interactions, mirroring what birds do when learning to sing. The study suggests that social learning plays a crucial role in the development of speech and song.
Researchers at the University of Illinois found that piglets fed with a fiber-rich formula showed reduced incidence of diarrhea when infected with Salmonella typhimurium. The study suggests that fermentable fibers can help prevent intestinal damage and promote resistance against pathogens.
Research found that young children prefer and pay more attention to sounds than visual images when presented simultaneously. The study suggests that processing visual information is not difficult for children, but they have an auditory preference that helps them acquire language.
A recent study establishes that rapid infant weight gain is associated with obesity in young adulthood, particularly among African Americans. The study found that subjects with rapid early infancy weight gain were more than twice as likely to be obese at age 20 compared to those without rapid weight gain.
A new study by Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center shows that leaving vernix on newborn skin can improve hydration, reduce scaly texture, and promote a faster decrease in pH. The researchers hope to develop a synthetic equivalent for use in various applications, including wound dressings and medication delivery systems.
A new study by Johns Hopkins Medicine has found a link between hyperglycemia and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in premature infants. Infants with ROP had higher daily blood sugar levels compared to healthy peers, with increased risk almost doubling for each 10 mg/dl increase in average monthly glucose.
A Wake Forest researcher has identified a syndrome that causes brain malformations, leading to death in premature infants. The malformations were found using ultrasound and MRI scans during autopsies of premature infants who died soon after birth.
Researchers found that black infants born in the summer and fall had lower birth weights than those born in the winter and spring. Additionally, early infancy weight gain was significantly lower for black and Puerto Rican infants born during the fall compared to those born in the spring and summer.
A rural Indian community study found that training healthcare workers to promote exclusive breastfeeding until age 6 months reduced diarrhea rates by a third. Exclusive breastfeeding rates were also significantly higher in the intervention group compared to the control group.
Exclusive breastfeeding rates increased by 33% with counselling, while diarrhoea decreased by a third at three months and 15% at six months. No negative impact on infant growth was observed in either group.
A study found that prenatal exposure to nicotine increases the function and density of GABAa receptors in brain regions controlling breathing, leading to more frequent and prolonged episodes of apnea in newborn rats. This suggests a possible link between maternal smoking during pregnancy and increased risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndro...
Research suggests that clitoral surgery can lead to non-sensuality and difficulty achieving orgasm in individuals with intersex conditions. The study highlights the need for informed consent and further research on this topic.
Research suggests that mother-infant bed sharing is associated with higher infant heart rates, particularly in non-REM sleep stages. The study found a significant increase in heart rate during bed sharing nights, with smaller increases seen during REM sleep.
A study of premature infants found that mild undernutrition in early infancy may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease later in life. The findings suggest that slower growth and relative undernutrition associated with colostrum and breastfeeding may have a protective effect on cardiovascular health.
A new study estimates that at least 85 newborns are killed or left to die each year by their parents, with the majority being females. The research, led by Dr. Marcia Herman-Giddens, found that 34 cases were reported in North Carolina over a 16-year period, representing 2.1 deaths per 100,000 newborns.
A postnatal home-visiting service for teenage mothers aged under 18 years was shown to reduce adverse health outcomes of their children, including infant deaths and foster care placements. Home visits also increased mothers' contraceptive use, but not breastfeeding or vaccination knowledge.
A study conducted in California found that infants sleeping on their sides are at an increased risk of SIDS, with a significant increase in risk when they turn onto their stomachs during sleep. The researchers recommend placing babies on their backs every time they go to sleep for consistent safety.
Researchers found that 9-month-old American infants exposed to Mandarin Chinese were able to distinguish phonetic units of the language, even when exposed for less than five hours. This suggests that social interaction plays an important role in language learning and that brief exposure can have long-lasting effects.
Researchers found that infants as young as 6.5 months can recognize word boundaries by identifying sound patterns in speech. As they mature, they rely on stressed syllables to determine word ends and begin. The study provides insight into how humans acquire language.
At 2-6 months old, infants learn to connect visible bits and pieces of the world to form mental representations. By 4 months, they can accurately perceive occlusions in object trajectories, laying the foundation for lifelong visual perception.
African-American infants are disproportionately affected by sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) due to sleeping on non-crib surfaces or sharing a bed with adults. The study highlights the need for public awareness campaigns to address this racial disparity and promotes the use of cribs as the only safe places for sleeping babies.
Researchers found moderate cell death in brain regions involved in learning and memory, as well as significant learning and memory deficits in infant rats exposed to common pediatric anesthesia drugs. The study suggests that prolonged exposure to these anesthetics may be problematic for developing brains.
A study found that premature babies with mild to moderate oxygen deprivation during or immediately after birth had significantly lower cognitive and language skills compared to those with no such risk. The researchers suggest that even minor risk of hypoxia may be associated with damage to the brain's periventricular white matter.
Researchers at Tufts University found that 1-year-olds can pick up on emotional signals from TV and make decisions based on them. Infants as young as 12 months old are able to use information from televised emotional reactions to guide their interactions.
Researchers found alterations in airway structure due to cigarette smoke exposure in utero may cause symptoms and abnormal lung function in exposed infants. A potential therapy for premature babies with bronchopulmonary dysplasia has been identified as low molecular weight catalytic antioxidant.
Preterm infants exhibit intense moods, withdrawal to new stimuli, and irregular bodily functions at 6 weeks, but these challenges resolve by six months and 12 months as they adapt to full-term infant-like behavior, according to a study published in the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics.
A study by Tel Aviv University and the University of Haifa found that massage therapy helps infants develop a more aligned circadian system with their mothers' night-day cycle. After 14 days of bedtime massage therapy, infants in the treatment group showed improved sleep coordination, with peak activity during early morning hours.
A study by Gerianne Alexander found that male and female monkeys showed similar preferences for 'boy' and 'girl' toys as human children, suggesting innate preferences. The findings suggest that perceptual cues attract males to active play objects like cars and balls, while females prefer toys with nurturing functions.
A Purdue University psychology professor's research reveals infants can comprehend words and grammar from a young age, defying the common notion of gradual learning. By analyzing infant responses to language experiments, Hollich's study shows that babies as young as 5 months old demonstrate surprising linguistic savvy.
Researchers tested infants' ability to recognize relationships among shapes, finding they paid more attention to pairs of shapes that occurred most often together. This innate ability helps babies build a concept of the world by recognizing patterns in images and is essential for learning and understanding.
A groundbreaking study by Dr. Jorge Bezerra at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center has identified a genetic underpinning to biliary atresia, the most common reason for liver transplant in children. The discovery points to a potential role of cytokines in driving an inflammatory response against the body's own tissues.
A study by Purdue economist William Masters found that African mothers are willing to pay a premium of 30% for infant food with guaranteed quality and safety information. This could lead to reduced child malnutrition rates if generic options were made available, saving up to 6 million lives annually.
A study by the American Heart Association suggests that long Q-T syndrome, a heart condition, may be responsible for some sudden infant deaths. Researchers analyzed DNA from frozen heart tissue of unexplained infant deaths and found genetic anomalies in 32% of cases.
Researchers found a significant correlation between maternal placenta inflammation and infant neurological function decline. The study revealed chorioamnionitis as a key cause of perinatal brain injury, potentially leading to new diagnostic tests and preventive strategies.
Pre-terms exhibit significantly slower processing speed at recognizing new faces, a skill linked to intelligence and academic achievement. The study suggests pre-terms' slower processing speed is rooted in infancy and may be related to medical risks such as respiratory distress syndrome.
Researchers found that infants can distinguish between their own name and another name linked with a word, recognizing 'bike' but not 'cup'. This ability is crucial for learning word meanings and patterns.
Researchers have identified a genetic mutation that causes acute fatty liver of pregnancy, a rare and potentially life-threatening condition. Screening newborns can detect the disease early, allowing for treatment and preventing deaths.
A study by University of Washington psychologists reveals infants' ability to gaze follow is crucial for learning language and understanding emotions, with open eyes leading to longer attention and more vocalization. By 14 months, infants become sensitive to potential obstacles and can initiate pointing and babbling towards objects.
Researchers found that Cox-2 inhibitors preserve crucial growth-inducing chemicals that help lungs and tissues grow in premature babies. The study suggests these medications may prevent diseases such as bronchopulmonary dysplasia and retinopathy of prematurity, common complications of premature birth.
A recent study reveals that asthma affects over 42,000 US households, with moderate to severe persistent disease prevalent among individuals. Additionally, the research highlights the significant impact of asthma on daily activities, affecting two-thirds of respondents.