Child Development News

September 9, 2016

Maternal Smoking Could Lead to Tic Disorders

Learning Foreign Languages Sharpens Our Minds

Autism Severity Linked to Genetics, Ultrasound

Pain from Childhood Bullying Persists For Decades

Latest Headlines

updated 1:08am EDT

Summer Learning Programs Can Benefit Low-Income Students, Study Finds

Sep. 7, 2016 — During long summers, children may forget many of the lessons they learned from the prior school year -- particularly low-income children who may have access to few enrichment activities. But new ... read more

Emotionally Invested Parents Give Children a Leg Up in Life

Sep. 7, 2016 — Children with emotionally invested parents are more likely to be successful, a study ... read more

Early-Life Language Stimulation, Skills May Prevent Childhood Depression

Sep. 7, 2016 — Children who experience low levels of language learning stimulation beginning at three years of age are more likely to experience language delays by first grade and are three times more likely to ... read more

Young People Exposed to Vaping Ads Less Likely to Think Occasional Smoking Bad for Health

Sep. 6, 2016 — Exposure to advertisements for e-cigarettes may decrease the perceived health risks of occasional tobacco smoking, suggests new research, prompting ... read more

CRF Overexpression Increases Anxiety in Primates

Sep. 6, 2016 — Overexpression of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), a stress-related gene, increases anxious temperament in monkeys, new research indicates. The findings provide a direct link in primates between ... read more

Most States Report Medicaid Covers Children's Key Mental Health Services but Gaps Remain

Sep. 1, 2016 — A national study shows an uneven picture of states' use of Medicaid to help families with young children gain access to mental health services. A ... read more

Babies Chew on Subtle Social, Cultural Cues at Mealtime

Sep. 2, 2016 — At the dinner table, babies do a lot more than play with their sippy cups, new research ... read more

Sign Language May Be Helpful for Children With Rare Speech Disorder

Sep. 1, 2016 — Using sign language with intensive speech therapy may be an effective treatment for children with a rare speech disorder called apraxia of speech, according ... read more

Parents' Math Skills 'Rub Off' on Their Children

Sep. 1, 2016 — Parents who excel at math produce children who excel at math. This is according to a recent study that shows a distinct transfer of math skills from parent to child. The study specifically explored ... read more

Trauma's Epigenetic Fingerprint Observed in Children of Holocaust Survivors

Sep. 1, 2016 — The children of traumatized people have long been known to be at increased risk for posttraumatic stress disorder, and mood and anxiety disorders. However, according to researchers, there are very ... read more

Severe Paralysis Partially Reversed Using Brain-Machine Interface Training

An Orangutan Was Able To Learn, And Mimic, Human Speech

Music Therapist Makes Recordings With Heartbeats

Last Words: Language of China's Emperors in Peril

Four-Year-Olds Are Not Physically Ready to Start School

Sep. 2, 2016 — New research from Loughborough University has revealed many four-year-olds are not physically ready to start school. ... read more

Genetic Intersection of Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Shared Medical Conditions

Sep. 1, 2016 — Researchers have analyzed current gene-disease findings to understand why people with neurodevelopmental and mental illness often have physical ... read more

Is Your School Ready for an Opioid Overdose?

Sep. 1, 2016 — A new article offers great back-to-school questions for parents to ask teachers, principals, and school administrators to see if their school is ready to handle a possible opioid ... read more

Newer Epilepsy Drugs Taken While Pregnant Not Linked to Lower IQs in Children

Aug. 31, 2016 — Two newer epilepsy drugs may not harm the thinking skills or IQs of school-aged children whose mothers took them while pregnant -- but an older drug is linked to cognitive problems in children, ... read more

Parents' Psychiatric Disease Linked to Kids' Risk of Suicide Attempt, Violent Offending

Aug. 31, 2016 — Risk for suicide attempts and violent offending by children appears to be associated with their parents' psychiatric disorders, according to a new ... read more

High Rates of Suicide and Self-Harm Among Transgender Youth

Aug. 31, 2016 — In a new study, 30 percent of transgender youth report a history of at least one suicide attempt, and nearly 42 percent report a history of self-injury, such as cutting. The study also discovered a ... read more

Insecure Childhood Can Make Dealing With Stress Harder

Aug. 31, 2016 — Emotional bonds with our primary caregiver or parent in early childhood are thought to be the basis of our ability to regulate our emotions as adults, report ... read more

Cognitive Behavior Therapy Could Be Key for Children With Autism Getting Enough Sleep

Aug. 30, 2016 — Experts believe that a family-based cognitive behavioral therapy may be the key for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who have problems ... read more

New iPad Game Could Help Diagnose Autism in Children

Aug. 30, 2016 — Autism could be diagnosed by allowing children to play games on smart phones and tablets, a study has found. Researchers used fun iPad games to track players’ hand movements – gathering ... read more

Outpatient Bloodstream Infections Costly for Pediatric Transplant and Cancer Patients

Aug. 29, 2016 — Pediatric stem cell transplant and cancer patients often are discharged from the hospital with an external central venous line for medications that parents or other caregivers must clean and flush ... read more

iPads as Effective as Sedatives for Children Before Operations

Aug. 29, 2016 — New research shows that allowing children to use iPads to distract them before surgery requiring general anesthesia is as effective at lowering their anxiety as conventional ... read more

Sertraline, Brand Named Zoloft, Improves Functioning in Young Children With Fragile X

Aug. 26, 2016 — Treatment with sertraline may provide nominal but important improvements in cognition and social participation in very young children with fragile X syndrome, the most common genetic cause of ... read more

Mechanism Identified Through Which Lead May Harm Neural Cells, Children's Neurodevelopment

Aug. 26, 2016 — Researchers have identified a potential molecular mechanism through which lead, a pervasive environmental toxin, may harm neural stem cells and neurodevelopment in ... read more

Zika Virus Detected in Newborn Until 2 Months After Birth

Aug. 24, 2016 — Researchers outline the case of a baby born with Zika infection in January 2016, who remained infected by the virus even two months and one week after birth. This is the first reported case of ... read more

Study Shows Diabetes Treatment Helps Reduce Weight in Children With Autism

Aug. 24, 2016 — A drug that's been used for decades in the treatment of type 2 diabetes is proving effective in helping to control weight gain in children who are treated for autism spectrum disorder, according ... read more

Researchers Measure Emotional Flexibility in Mother-Daughter Dyads

Aug. 24, 2016 — New research has been published on the emotional bonds between mothers and adolescent daughters. The study examined how well mother-daughter pairs were able to manage rapid transitions between ... read more

Childhood Head Injury Linked to Higher Risk of Poor Adult Mental Health and Life Chances

Aug. 24, 2016 — Childhood brain injuries, including concussions, are associated with an increased risk of subsequent mental illness, poor school attainment and premature death, according to a new ... read more

Direct and Active Parent Involvement Key to Healthy Living for Kids

Aug. 24, 2016 — Parents who directly and actively engage their children in healthy living behavior -- instead of passively 'supporting' the behavior -- are significantly more likely to see their kids meet ... read more

Evidence of Changes to Children's Brain Rhythms Following 'Brain Training'

Aug. 23, 2016 — New research questions the strong claims that have been made about the benefits of 'brain training' -- enhanced mental skills, a boost to education, improved clinical outcomes and sharper ... read more

Brain Damages Caused by Zika Virus Congenital Infection Go Beyond Microcephaly

Aug. 23, 2016 — A recent study published by Brazilian researchers indicates brain malformations induced by Zika virus congenital infection. More than microcephaly, the research indicates other neurological changes ... read more

Friday, September 2, 2016