Children

James Cook University scientists in Australia believe they have made a breakthrough in the science of keeping premature babies alive. As part of her PhD work, JCU engineering lecturer Stephanie Baker led a pilot study that used a hybrid neural network to accurately predict how much risk individual premature babies face. She said complications resulting

A social media post circulating on Facebook and Instagram claims that the World Health Organization recently flipped its policy recommendation about children receiving a Covid-19 vaccine. “The WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION recently reversed its stance on children getting the Covid vaccine. Sorry to all those dumb parents who rushed out to get their 12 year olds

With the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic showing signs of a third wave, many researchers are exploring the long-term consequences of severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in children. While this infection is typically asymptomatic and fleeting in this age group, some reports have come in of long COVID in children, with

Five months after her husband died of Covid-19, Valerie Villegas can see how grief has wounded her children. Nicholas, the baby, who was 1 and almost weaned when his father died, now wants to nurse at all hours and calls every tall, dark-haired man “Dada,” the only word he knows. Robert, 3, regularly collapses into

In Finland, every fifth mother was diagnosed with gestational diabetes in 2019. The condition increases the mother’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the future. However, the most significant consequence of gestational diabetes is fetal macrosomia, or excessive growth of the fetus. Macrosomia increases birth injuries for both the child and the mother, causes

An electroencephalogram (EEG) study of adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) identified a neural signal that may help explain the variation of how those with ASD perceive or understand the mental states of others (called “Theory of Mind”). Led by Matthew Lerner, PhD, of Stony Brook University, the study is published in Clinical Psychological Science.

According to a recent Finnish study, higher levels of moderate and vigorous physical activity can curb arterial stiffening already in childhood. However, sedentary time or aerobic fitness were not linked to arterial health. The results, based on the ongoing Physical Activity and Nutrition in Children (PANIC) Study conducted at the University of Eastern Finland, were

Lucien Wiggins, 12, arrived at Tufts Children’s Hospital by ambulance June 7 with chest pains, dizziness and high levels of a protein in his blood that indicated inflammation of his heart. The symptoms had begun a day earlier, the morning after his second vaccination with the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA shot. For Dr. Sara Ross, chief of

The intestinal disease necrotizing enterocolitis is a leading cause of death among premature infants born in the U.S. and across the globe. Characterized by excessive inflammation that can cause tissue decay in the bowels, the disease provides a pathway for infectious and deadly bacteria to enter the bloodstream. Despite four decades of research, effective treatments

With economic development, it would seem that undesirable side effects such as the mass production and consumption of highly processed junk foods, obesity, pollution and lifestyle diseases also increase in prevalence. A new paper published recently in the journal JAMA Pediatrics reports consistent and significant associations between the increased consumption of such ‘ultraprocessed foods’ by

To better understand the physiological processes that take place while infants sleep, a group of researchers from the University of Iowa studied the twitching movements of infants during REM sleep. More specifically, the researchers were interested in evaluating how these twitches contribute to the babies’ ability to coordinate their bodily movements. Sleeping Baby. Image Credit:

A recent JAMA Pediatrics paper discusses the positive association that exists between the consumption of ultra-processed foods and adiposity measurements from British children. What are ultra-processed foods? The NOVA Food Classification system classifies food products according to the extent to which industrial processing has been used to alter their physical, biological, and/or chemical composition. According

In most nations, intermittent school closures have been implemented to varying degrees since the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, with children being likely transmitters of disease between one another, causing the virus to spread to homes and families. Children also bear the lowest risk of severe illness resulting from COVID-19, however, many have argued

A new global study of 30-day outcomes in children and adolescents with COVID-19 found that while death was uncommon, the illness produced more symptoms and complications than seasonal influenza. The study, “30-day outcomes of Children and Adolescents with COVID-19: An International Experience,” published online in the journal Pediatrics, also found significant variation in treatment of

Every day, around 15000 children under the age of five die from causes that could have been prevented. But the children of highly educated parents survive more often than others. This statistic applies worldwide, according to a newly published sweeping systematic review in The Lancet. The mother’s level of education is particularly important for their

Heart attacks and strokes -; the leading causes of death in human beings -; are fundamentally blood clots of the heart and brain. Better understanding how the blood-clotting process works and how to accelerate or slow down clotting, depending on the medical need, could save lives. New research by the Georgia Institute of Technology and

If a newborn is moved or becomes agitated while on a ventilator, the breathing tube also could move. Just a few seconds with the tube in the wrong position might lead to a critical lack of oxygen to the brain, possibly resulting in lifelong disability or brain damage or even ending the baby’s life. The

According to estimates from the Children’s Bureau, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, there were 673,000 children in or entering foster care in the United States in 2019. Data from the Minnesota Department of Human Services say that approximately 15,300 children experienced foster care in 2019. Minnesotan children of color

A study published in the journal Pediatrics shows the combination of two early reading programs had positive effects on preschool students entering kindergarten in Cincinnati Public Schools over a three-year period. The two early reading programs are: https://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/service/r/reach-out-and-read“>Reach Out and Read, through which children receive a new book and guidance about reading at home during

The rate of Kawasaki disease in South Korea has substantially decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic, possibly due to pandemic prevention efforts, such as mask-wearing, hand-washing and physical distancing, according to new research published today in the American Heart Association’s flagship journal Circulation. Kawasaki disease is the most common cause of heart disease that develops after

A study of over 59,000 Icelandic adolescents by a team of Icelandic and North American behavioral and social scientists found that COVID-19 has had a significant, detrimental impact on adolescent mental health, especially in girls. The study is the first to investigate and document age- and gender-specific changes in adolescent mental health problems and substance

Children’s Hospital Los Angeles has been awarded a $2 million grant from the state of California to study a precision medicine approach to screening children for adverse childhood experiences. The three-year grant–part of the California Initiative to Advance Precision Medicine–was announced by the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, in partnership with the Office of

A different type of surge may be on the way more than a year into the pandemic – a baby surge. The COVID-19 shutdown initially seemed to hit pause on pregnancy and birth rates, new research from one major hospital system suggests, but that trend is quickly reversing. Birth rates declined early on in the

For many people, the need to go grocery shopping is met with a sigh, or an “ugh.” It’s generally not considered to be an enjoyable experience. For moms who shop using WIC benefits, it can be a downright awful experience, one that’s often made worse by difficulty finding eligible products and dealing with a lengthy

In a study of mice, researchers showed how the act of seeing light may trigger the formation of vision-harming tumors in young children who are born with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) cancer predisposition syndrome. The research team, funded by the National Institutes of Health, focused on tumors that grow within the optic nerve, which relays

Researchers at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) have developed a proof-of-concept treatment for blood disorders like sickle cell disease and beta-thalassemia that could raise hemoglobin levels by activating production of both fetal and adult hemoglobin. Using a viral vector engineered to reactivate fetal hemoglobin production, suppress mutant hemoglobin, and supply functional adult hemoglobin, the researchers

Scientists from the Wellcome Sanger Institute and the University of Cambridge found that in children with neuroblastoma – a cancer of immature nerve cells – treatment with platinum chemotherapy caused changes to the genome that could then cause leukaemia in some children later on. The findings, published 27th May 2021 in Blood could lead to

When San Francisco voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot measure banning the sale of flavored tobacco products in 2018, public health advocates celebrated. After all, tobacco use poses a significant threat to public health and health equity, and flavors are particularly attractive to youth. But according to a new study from the Yale School of Public