Children

Cambridge researchers have found that women who smoke during pregnancy are 2.6 times more likely to give birth prematurely compared to non-smokers – more than double the previous estimate. The study, published today in the International Journal of Epidemiology, also found that smoking meant that the baby was four times more likely to be small

In a recent article published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, researchers assessed whether physical inactivity in early childhood affects mental health in middle-aged children. Study: A prospective analysis of physical activity and mental health in children: the GECKO Drenthe cohort. Image Credit: Africa Studio/Shutterstock.com Background Over 50% of mental health disorders arise

Scientists already know that the stress caused by racial discrimination is related to a host of chronic health conditions, but less is known about which types of discrimination are most harmful. To answer that question, researchers at the University of Michigan School of Kinesiology surveyed 100 adolescents aged 13-19, who had obesity or who were

In a recent study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, a group of researchers utilized the newly developed Planetary Health Diet Index for the United States (PHDI-US) to evaluate adherence to the Planetary Health Diet and discern crucial areas for improvement in U.S. adults’ diets to enhance dietary sustainability and quality. Study: Cross-sectional

Black children may have more severe asthma episodes than their white counterparts but are less likely to be transported to the hospital by emergency medical services (EMS), according to a new study published in the journal Prehospital Emergency Care by University of Pittsburgh and UPMC researcher-physicians. A baseline understanding of how prehospital treatments and transport

In a recent study published in JAMA Network Open, researchers evaluated the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on the mental health of secondary school children in the United Kingdom (UK). They also investigated the relationships between individual, home, friendship, and school (e.g., school community, operational elements of the school, the larger school context) variables

When three teenagers died of fentanyl overdoses last year in Larimer County, Colorado, it shocked the community and “flipped families upside down,” said Tom Gonzales, the county’s public health director. Several schools began stocking naloxone, a medication that reverses opioid overdoses. Community organizations trained teens to use it. But county and school officials wanted to

In a recent study published in JAMA Network Open, researchers examined diabetes incidence among youth in the United States before and during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Study: Incidence of Diabetes Among Youth Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Image Credit: PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock.com Background Youth-onset diabetes is a chronic condition that puts people at

In the “ThemenCheck Medizin” procedure offered by the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG), interested members of the public can submit proposals for the assessment of medical procedures and technologies. On behalf of IQWiG, researchers from Germany and Austria, led by the Institute for Evidence in Medicine at the Medical Center

Children exposed to higher levels of synthetic chemicals in everyday products, such as water-resistant clothes, umbrellas and food packaging, are more likely to mature later during puberty, according to research presented at the 61st Annual European Society for Paediatric Endocrinology Meeting in The Hague. The findings may help better regulate the industrial production and use

About one million pregnancies in the United States end in miscarriage each year. Additionally, about 20,000 end at or after 20 weeks of pregnancy in stillbirth, with about 50% of these cases unexplained. A new study in Reproductive Sciences examines potential placental diseases that could be responsible for these cases of unexplained fetal demise. Study: Placental

Very young children who attend child care and receive onsite meals and snacks were more likely to be food secure and in good health, and less likely to be admitted after a hospital emergency department visit than children in child care whose meals and snacks were provided from home, according to a new study in

Scientists have known for decades that pregnancy requires a mother’s body to adjust so that her immune system does not attack the growing fetus as if it were a hostile foreign invader. Yet despite learning a great deal more about the immunology of pregnancy in recent years, a new study shows that the cellular crosstalk

In a recent review published in the journal Nutrients, researchers in Italy investigated the influence of gut microbiota changes during the first 1000 days of life on the onset of food allergies (FAs) in children. Background  Allergic diseases, encompassing conditions like asthma, FAs, and eczema, have seen a global uptick, especially in children. These diseases

A follow-up study found unfavorable changes in glucose metabolism, HDL cholesterol levels, and body mass index in adolescents whose physical activity decreased between the ages of 15 and 19. Reduced blood pressure were observed among adolescents with increased physical activity. The health benefits of physical activity don’t concern just the older population. A study from

Puberty in both girls and boys with type 1 diabetes has shifted forward over the last two decades, according to research presented at the 61st Annual European Society for Paediatric Endocrinology Meeting in The Hague. Additionally, longer duration of diabetes, bigger waistlines, and lower blood sugar levels were associated with even earlier puberty onset. The

The No. 1 cause of death in children is trauma. There are an estimated 2,000 pediatric deaths from traumatic bleeding in the U.S. each year that are preventable with optimal care, yet there have been no large-scale clinical trials to guide the best way to resuscitate children with life-threatening bleeding from traumatic injury. Until now.

Expanding newborn screening (NBS) to include identifying genes associated with an increased risk for neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) would cause more harm than good, according to an article published in Pediatrics. While some experts believe early identification of NDDs in the newborn period would provide an equitable way to flag and treat disabilities early, the authors

Craniosynostosis, the premature fusion of the top of the skull in infants, is caused by an abnormal excess of a previously unknown type of bone-forming stem cell, according to a preclinical study led by researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine. Craniosynostosis arises from one of several possible gene mutations, and occurs in about one in 2,500

Researchers from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and colleagues reported for the first time that a genetic biomarker may help predict the severity of food allergy reactions. Currently, no reliable or readily available clinical biomarker accurately distinguishes patients with food allergies who are at risk for severe life-threatening reactions versus mild

The commonly-held belief that attempting to suppress negative thoughts is bad for our mental health could be wrong, a new study from scientists at the University of Cambridge suggests. Researchers at the Medical Research Council (MRC) Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit trained 120 volunteers worldwide to suppress thoughts about negative events that worried them and

A supplement to the Journal of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine (JPRM) published by IOS Press, presents a compendium of abstracts from the 2023 World Congress on Spina Bifida Research and Care. The issue not only serves as a repository, but also as a catalyst to continue the international dialog on research, practical challenges, and real-life solutions

The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development awarded $3.1 million to the University of Arkansas to study a spectrum of pediatric mitochondrial disorders caused by mutations in the mitochondria. These disorders often impact different organs requiring energy and can lead to mitochondria-induced multiple organ disorder syndromes, or MIMODS. Shilpa Iyer,

Whether vaccinated or not, having at least four disease risk factors puts adults hospitalized due to COVID-19 at higher risk for critical outcomes, according to a 10-state study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) VISION Network. The study describes the characteristics of adults hospitalized with COVID-19 from June 2021 through March 2023

A recent eBioMedicine study found key risk factors associated with the development of melanoma in children and adolescents. Study: UV-radiation and MC1R germline mutations are risk factors for the development of conventional and spitzoid melanomas in children and adolescents. Image Credit: Andrey_Popov/Shutterstock.com Background Melanoma is a type of skin cancer mostly found in adults. Although it is

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is among the most common pediatric neurodevelopmental disorders. In 2019, nearly 10% of United States (U.S.) children had a diagnosis of ADHD. Approximately 3.3 million children, or roughly 5 out of every 100 children in the U.S., are currently prescribed medication for ADHD. In a new study, published today in Pediatrics, researchers

A new study from the Texas A&M University School of Public Health suggests that vaping increases the risk of asthma in adolescents who have never smoked conventional tobacco products. Vaping, or the use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), among adolescents has grown dramatically over the past several years. Although e-cigarettes have fewer toxins than regular cigarettes,

Discovery from the lab of Youyang Zhao, PhD, from Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago offers promising treatment approaches for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in the elderly that can be caused by severe COVID-19, pneumonia, flu or sepsis. Currently there are no pharmacological or cell-based