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Results for search "Child Development".

01 Jun

Why Do Male Infants ‘Talk’ More During the First Year of Life?

A new study finds male infants make more vowel- and word-like sounds during the first year of life, but then lose that early advantage.

Health News Results - 588

MS Drugs Can Be Safely Taken While Breastfeeding

Certain drugs used to treat multiple sclerosis appear to be safe for babies if taken by breastfeeding moms, a new study finds.

Breastfed babies whose moms received monoclonal antibody treatments for MS did not develop any more developmental delays than babies not exposed to the drugs through breast milk. The findings will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s upcoming annu...

Toddlers Fixated on Screens Talk Less With Parents

Using TVs and tablets as "e-babysitters" really cuts down on the time toddlers spend interacting with parents or other caregivers, new research shows.

The Australian team of investigators are calling the phenomenon "technoference" -- a scenario where "young children’s exposure to screen time is interfering with opportunities to talk and interact in their home environment."

The res...

Could General Anesthesia in Pregnancy Raise Behavioral Issues in Kids?

Children exposed to anesthesia in the womb when their pregnant mom has surgery are more likely to suffer from behavioral issues later, a new study finds.

Exposure to general anesthesia before birth was associated with a 31% increased risk of diagnosis with a behavioral disorder as a child, researchers reported Feb. 29 in the

  • Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
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  • March 4, 2024
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  • Simple Eye Test Might Spot Autism in Kids

    The eyes may have it when it comes to the early diagnosis of autism in children, a new study finds.

    Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), have pinpointed a gene that affects how kids' eyes react when they turn their heads.

    Typically, people use what's called the vestibulo-ocular reflex to help their sight coordinate with their head movement.

    Howeve...

    How Is Autism Diagnosed?

    According to the advocacy group Autism Speaks, one in every 36 U.S. children has an autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

    Early diagnosis is crucial to helping to treat the condition, but how is a diagnosis done?

    The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

    Food-Focused Toddlers at Higher Risk for Eating Disorders as Teens

    Toddlers who are really into their food might have a higher risk of developing an eating disorder once they enter adolescence, a new study shows.

    Kids ages 4 and 5 with a strong urge to eat when teased with tasty food appear more likely to report a range of eating disorder symptoms by ages 12 to 14, researchers report Feb. 20 in

  • Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
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  • February 23, 2024
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  • Want to Boost Your Preschoolers' Language Skills? Reminisce With Them

    Talking about the “good old days” might elicit eye rolls from teenagers, but it could be the key to boosting a preschooler's language skills, a new study finds.

    Reminiscing about past events with preschoolers presents young kids with high-quality speech as good as or better than sharing a book or playing with toys, researchers discovered.

    “Talk in reminiscing is characterized ...

    Long Hours Watching Videos May Stunt Toddlers' Language Development

    Television has been wryly referred to as the “electronic babysitter,” but a new study argues TV or other media could stunt a child's language development.

    Children plopped in front of videos for hours on end tend to use phrases and sentences with fewer words, researchers reported recently in the journal Acta Paediatrica....

    School Uniforms Might Get in the Way of Kids Exercising

    THURSDAY, Feb. 15, 2024 (Health Day News) -- Schools that want little girls to get plenty of exercise might want to rethink their dress code.

    A University of Cambridge study of more than 1 million kids in 135 countries found that in countries where most students wear school uniforms, fewer kids get the 60 minutes a day of physical activity recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO...

    Schools May Be Underestimating How Many Kids Are Homeless

    School districts could be severely underestimating how many kids are homeless in their communities, allowing those children to fall through the cracks, a new study warns.

    Schools around the United States report that more than 1.2 million students are homeless every year.

    But the information gathered by the districts isn't enough to accurately track homelessness, researchers argue.

    Being Born Even a Bit Early Could Harm a Child's Development

    Babies born even slightly early have a higher long-term risk of developmental difficulties that could affect their behavior and learning ability, a new study finds.

    Infants born moderately (32-33 weeks) or late preterm (34-36 weeks) are more likely to have epilepsy or problems with brain function, motor skills, vision or hearing, according to analysis of data from more than 1 million Swed...

    'Big Little Leap' to Kindergarten an Important Milestone for Kids

    Kindergarten might seem like child's play, but embracing the adventure can play a key role in a kid's future educational success, a new study finds.

    A successful early transition to kindergarten -- what the researchers called the “big little leap” -- can put a child firmly on the right path, researchers found.

    Kids who made a more successful transition in the first 10 to 14 week...

    Study Links Use of Acetaminophen in Pregnancy With Child Behavioral Issues

    Expecting moms who often turn to acetaminophen for their aches and pains are more likely to wind up with kids who have behavioral issues, a new study warns.

    Children between the ages of 2 and 4 were more likely to have attention and behavioral problems if their mothers frequently used acetaminophen during pregnancy, researchers found.

    “The kinds of behaviors the caregivers reporte...

    Too Much Screen Time Might Harm Kids' 'Sensory Processing'

    Exposing babies and toddlers to TV and other digital media could be linked to a heightened risk for dysfunction in what's known as "sensory processing," a new study warns.

    Kids with "atypical sensory processing" are often hypersensitive to the touch, sound, taste or look of stimuli in their environment.

    For example, kids might try to avoid the feel of certain clothing, the taste of ...

    Ear Infections Could Delay a Child's Speech

    Ear infections are common for kids, but they can lead to long-term developmental problems, a new study finds.

    Temporary hearing loss caused by recurring ear infections can lead to delays in language development and sound processing years later, researchers reported recently in the Internationa...

    Paxlovid Won't Cut Odds for Long COVID: Study

    Paxlovid might help shorten and diminish a COVID infection, but the antiviral doesn't reduce the risk of developing long COVID, a new study shows.

    About 16% of COVID patients treated with Paxlovid wound up with long COVID symptoms, compared to 14% of those not given the oral medication, researchers found.

    “Our finding that Paxlovid treatment during acute infection is not associate...

    Could Mom's Acetaminophen Use in Pregnancy Lead to Language Delays in Kids?

    Acetaminophen, best known as Tylenol in the United States, is a go-to pain med for millions.

    However, a new study is raising doubts about its safe use by women who are pregnant.

    The researchers found kids born to women who used acetaminophen while pregnant had delays in language development, compared to children born to women who didn't use the drug.

    This isn't the first time ...

    Brain's 'Spaces' Hold Clues to Origins of Autism

    The fluid-filled spaces around the brain's blood vessels need proper waste "clearance" every few hours. When that fails to happen, a baby's risk for autism appears to rise, new research shows.

    It's too early to say that trouble within these "perivascular" spaces causes autism, but it seems to be an early marker for the condition, a team from the University of North Carolina (UNC) reports....

    New Syndrome May Be Affecting Babies Exposed to Fentanyl

    Doctors report they are seeing what they think is a new syndrome in babies who are exposed to fentanyl while in the womb.

    All of the infants have cleft palates and unusually small heads, and all were born to mothers who said they'd used fentanyl and other drugs while pregnant.

    Six babies were first` identified at Nemours Children's Health in Wilmington, Del., two in California and o...

    EPA to Require Removal of All Lead Pipes From U.S. Water System

    THURSDAY, Nov. 30, 2023 (Healthday News) -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Thursday that it plans to require the removal of all lead pipes from the country's water systems.

    The proposed rule, an ambitious effort that will cost up to $30 billion over the next decade, would affect about 9 million pipes that send water to homes in countless communities across the United S...

    AI Might Accurately Spot Autism in Early Childhood

    University of Louisville researchers say they've developed an artificial intelligence (AI) system with a near-perfect record of diagnosing autism in toddlers.

    Using specialized MRI scans of the brain, the tool diagnosed toddlers with 98.5% accuracy, according to findings scheduled for presentation in Chicago next week at a meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

    Forget Grandma: Today's Parents Turn to Social Media for Advice, Poll Finds

    MONDAY, Nov. 20, 2023 (Healthday News) -- Expert advice and self-help books are officially passé: Social media is where nearly all new parents now go for guidance on potty training, sleep issues and toddler tantrums, a new poll shows.

    Four in five turn to forums like TikTok and Facebook for tips on caring for young children, while nearly half rate social media as very useful for finding ...

    Air Pollution Exposure Before Birth May Harm Reproductive Development: Study

    Air pollution could be harming the development of children, reaching into the womb to alter their healthy growth, a new study reports.

    Researchers say certain air pollutants appear to negatively alter a specific measure of prenatal exposure to hormones.

    “These findings suggest air pollution may interfere with normal hormone activity during critical periods of prenatal and early in...

    Is Your 18-Year-Old Really 'Mature'? New Brain Study Has Answers

    An adolescent starts thinking like an adult right around the age of 18, according to new research.

    That provides some of the first definitive evidence that executive function matures by that time.

    Executive function is a set of mental skills that include the ability to plan, switch between tasks, resist tempting distractions and focus.

    For

  • Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
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  • November 6, 2023
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  • Youngest Kids With ADHD in Class No Less Likely to See Diagnosis Fade

    Experts have long wondered whether diagnoses for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in the youngest children in a class would hold.

    A new study suggests that being the youngest, and possibly most immature, did not appear to make a difference.

    “We know the youngest children in their year group are more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD -- but many believe this is becaus...

    New Clues to How Inflammation in Young Children's Brains Might Spur Autism

    Severe inflammation very early in childhood might hamper the development of key brain cells, perhaps setting the stage for conditions such as autism or schizophrenia, new research suggests.

    The origins of many neurodevelopment disorders remain mysterious. But the new study of postmortem brain tissue from children who died between the ages 1 and 5 shows how inflammation affects brain cells...

    Want Your Child to Have Empathy? Stay Close

    Young children who are close to their parents are more likely to grow up to be kind, caring and considerate. These kids may also have fewer mental health problems during early childhood and adolescence, a new study finds.

    By contrast, children whose early relationships with their parents are emotionally strained or abusive are less likely to become thoughtful and generous.

    “Taking...

    Nearly 4 in 10 Toddlers Diagnosed With Autism No Longer Have It by Age 6

    Not all children diagnosed with autism as toddlers continue to have that diagnosis once they reach elementary school, a new study shows.

    While some past research has suggested this could be true, the new research backs that up, finding that a large percentage -- about 37% -- of these toddlers no longer met the criteria for the condition by the age of 6.

    “I think what this shows is...

    1 in 4 Teens With Autism May Be Undiagnosed

    As many as 1 in 4 teens with autism may be undiagnosed, new research suggests.

    “Autism is much more prevalent than people assume,” said lead researcher Walter Zahorodny, an associate professor at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School in Newark.

    The

  • Sarah D. Collins HealthDay Reporter
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  • October 6, 2023
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  • Spending on Kids' Mental Health Keeps Rising

    In yet another reminder of the psychic toll the pandemic has taken on young people, new research shows spending on mental health services for U.S. children and adolescents has risen sharply since 2020.

    It climbed 26% for youths aged 19 and younger between March 2020 and August 2022, the RAND Corp. study found. Among a large group whose families had employer-provided insurance, use of ment...

    PFAS Chemicals Tied to Later Puberty in Girls

    Exposure to ubiquitous chemicals known as PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, may delay puberty in girls, new research indicates.

    The study is the first to consider the role hormones play in the delay, according to researchers from the University of Cincinnati.

    Delayed puberty can lead to negative long-term health outcomes for girls, such as a higher incidence of breast ca...

    Breastfeeding in Infancy Tied to Healthier Weight Later for Kids

    What a baby eats, or how the baby eats, may have an impact on future weight and health, research has shown.

    A new study backs that up. It found that 9-year-olds who had been breast-fed for six months or more had a lower percentage of body fat than their peers who were ne...

    Playtime With Dad Brings Kids Better Grades at School

    Most parents want to help their kids do well in school, and for dads the answer may be found in something simple and fun.

    A new study from the United Kingdom finds that kids do better in elementary school when their fathers regularly spend time interacting with them through reading, playing, telling stories, drawing or singing.

    Researchers at Leeds University Business School found t...

    Unsafe Neighborhoods Have Higher Levels of Child Abuse

    Having safer neighborhoods, where families feel less stress, can help prevent child abuse, according to new research that supports this long-suspected theory.

    When parents feel higher levels of stress or hopelessness about their surroundings, they may have a harder time caring for their children,

  • Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
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  • September 25, 2023
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  • Future of 'Artificial Wombs' for Human Preemies to Be Weighed by FDA Advisors

    Advisors to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will weigh the possibilities and parameters of experiments with artificial wombs for premature human babies.

    Scientists have already had some success with the concept in animals.

    During a two-day

    Pediatricians' Group Warns Against Keto Diet for Kids With Diabetes

    Low-carb diets may be all the rage, but they're not for kids with diabetes, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

    In a new report, the AAP says that low-carbohydrate diets cannot be recommended for children or teenagers with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes. That's because there's little evidence they're helpful, but there are concerns about restricting kids' diets to tha...

    Disney Princesses: Are They Good or Bad for Your Child's Self-Image?

    For parents worried about how Disney princesses might impact their child's self-image, a new study is saying, “Let it go.”

    “In children's media, about 60% of the characters are men and boys, they're male. And Disney princesses are probably one of the more visible and more well-known examples of media, made for children specifically, that's focused on female characters and women's st...

    Bacteria at Day Care Might Raise Kids' Odds for Asthma

    Certain combinations of bacteria found in dust in children's day care settings may have an impact on their young lungs.

    Researchers are trying to understand whether attending day care can affect children's lung health. Their aim is to lower the risk of asthma.

    “We find mixtures of different bacteria and other microbes living everywhere — outside, inside our homes, on our skin a...

    Kids Have Already 'Normalized' Gender Roles by Preschool, Study Finds

    So much for the powerful feminist messaging in the new Barbie movie.

    Director Greta Gerwig's feminist interpretation of Barbie depicted the fashion dolls as judges, surgeons, naval officers, astronauts and U.S. Presidents in Barbie World, and it resonated. The Barbie movie broke box office records this summer.

    But new research shows most people are not living in this re-imagined Bar...

    Boosting Their Creativity Helps Kids Face Life's Challenges, Study Finds

    Just like adults, kids face daily stressors.

    Luckily, a new study suggests that teaching them creative thinking can help them manage it all.

    Researchers found that when school-age children learned some "narrative creativity" techniques -- such as shifting your perspective and imagining "what if" scenarios -- they quickly became better problem-solvers.

    After a week-long creativ...

    Eye-Tracking Device Could Be More Accurate Test for Autism in Toddlers

    Just 1 in 4 children with autism is diagnosed before age 3, but a new eye-tracking technology may allow for earlier diagnosis and intervention, according to three clinical studies of more than 1,500 kids.

    Autism is a disorder marked by difficulties with communication and social interaction. In the United States, it affects about 1 child in 36, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Con...

    Childhood Trauma Can Affect a Woman's Adult Sex Life, Study Finds

    A stressful or traumatic childhood experience — anything from parents divorcing to a sibling's drug problem — may have long-term effects on a woman's sexual health.

    These adverse childhood experiences may be linked to sexual inactivity and dysfunction in women later in life, a

    Common Plastics Chemical Could Harm Boys' Development

    Phthalates are commonly used in plastics, and researchers have now tied them to developmental issues in toddler boys who were exposed to the chemical in the womb.

    The new study links the chemicals to emotional and behavioral development issues in 2-year-old boys ...

    ADHD: What Parents Need to Know

    Lots of children and adolescents have the condition known as ADHD, or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

    What should parents know? A number of treatments exist to help with functioning, including medications approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

    Typically, ADHD begins between ages 3 and 6, according to the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health. It can continu...

    When Parent Is in Prison, Kids' Heart Risks Rise

    Along with having to deal with the social stigma of having a parent who is incarcerated, young adults in that situation may be more likely to develop signs of heart trouble, a new study finds.

    The health impacts of having a parent who spent time in jail have been understudied, the researchers noted.

    "There was very little data on its association with cardiovascular risks,” said le...

    For Preemie Babies, Preschool Plus Parenting Can Spell Academic Success

    Infants born three to six weeks early -- considered late preterm -- are at risk for learning problems, but they can be overcome, researchers say.

    Preschool attendance and sensitive parenting can help them bridge the gap academically, a new study shows.

    "Our findings highlight an opportunity for pediatric providers to offer prevention strategies to parents of late preterm infants to...

    Better Sleep, Less Stress-Linked 'Acting Out' in Kids

    If your child is acting out and you're looking for solutions, researchers at the University of Georgia's Youth Development Institute suggest better sleep might be the answer.

    Getting more hours of slumber could reduce impulsive behavior in kids, their new study showed.

    “Stressful environments are shown to make adolescents seek immediate rewards rather than delayed rewards, but the...

    Segregation Has Close Ties With Lead Poisoning in Black American Kids

    Young Black children living in racially segregated U.S. neighborhoods are at heightened risk of potentially brain-damaging lead exposure, a new study warns.

    The study, of nearly 321,000 North Carolina children under the age of 7, found that those living in predominantly Black neighborhoods had higher blood levels of lead than those living in more integrated areas.

    Experts said the f...

    Antidepressants for Postpartum Depression Could Mean Better Mental Health for Kids, Too

    If you are a new mom struggling with postpartum depression, taking antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) may also bear benefits for your child's development.

    That's according to new research that found the medications were associated with improvements in a child's behavior up to five years after birth.

    Researchers from the Institute of Psychiatry, ...

    As Parents Drop Kids Off for Their Freshman Year at College, An Expert Offers Tips

    Tears may flow when parents drop their teen off at college. Watching kids leave the nest can tug at the heart and make parents a little anxious about what's to come.

    That makes sense, but it's natural that young adults will become more independent and develop autonomy from their parents and grandparents. So, how can parents rise to the occasion?

    An expert from Virginia Tech offers s...

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