Adolescent Health News and Research

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Experts analyze the association between gender dysphoria-related diagnostic coding and suicidality

Among hospitalized young people in the United States, 66% of those with a gender dysphoria diagnosis were admitted for suicide attempts or self-harm in 2019, compared to 5% without gender dysphoria, according to a study published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health.

17 Nov 2022

Study explores how corporal punishment may impact neural systems to produce adverse effects

Don't spank your kids. That's the conventional wisdom that has emerged from decades of research linking corporal punishment to a decline in adolescent health and negative effects on behavior, including an increased risk for anxiety and depression.

16 Nov 2022

Chromosomal microarray analysis could help identify the cause of SIDS or SUDC in older children

A genetic test known as chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) could help identify the cause of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) or its counterpart in older children, known as sudden unexplained death in childhood (SUDC), finds a study led by Boston Children's Hospital.

7 Nov 2022

ADOS testing not required for ASD diagnosis by developmental-behavioral pediatricians

Trained developmental-behavioral pediatricians can generally diagnose autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in young children without the need for additional Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) testing, finds a prospective multicenter study.

28 Oct 2022

Geographical location of an individual may determine the likelihood of receiving autism diagnosis

New autism diagnoses tend to be clustered within specific NHS service regions, suggesting that where an individual lives may influence whether they receive an autism diagnosis and access to special education needs support.

25 Oct 2022

Vast majority of people with gender dysphoria continue using gender-affirming hormone treatment

Among individuals treated at a gender identity clinic in The Netherlands, those who used puberty supressing treatment before the age of 18 and then started gender-affirming hormones, 98% (704 out of 720) continued use at follow-up, according to an observational study published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health journal.

20 Oct 2022

Live imaging and cellular barcoding reveal how new stem cells are vetted for quality

Using live imaging and cellular barcoding, researchers in the Stem Cell Program at Boston Children's Hospital have glimpsed how new stem cells -; in this case, blood stem cells -; are vetted for quality soon after they're born.

28 Sep 2022

First real-world study shows the effectiveness of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy

The first large, real-world study of the effectiveness of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy found these vaccines, especially two initial doses followed by a booster, are effective in protecting against serious disease in expectant mothers whether the shots are administered before or during pregnancy.

27 Sep 2022

Study finds spike in the "Years of Life Lost" among adolescents during COVID-19 pandemic

The first year of the COVID-19 pandemic saw a 113% increase in the "Years of Life Lost" among adolescents and young people in the United States due to unintentional drug overdose, according to researchers at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and College of Medicine.

13 Sep 2022

Study helps understand how dietary therapies work for epilepsy

Calorie restriction has long been associated with reduced seizures in epilepsy. New research from Boston Children's Hospital helps explain how fasting affects neurons in the brain and could lead the way to new approaches that would avoid the need for fasting or restrictive diets. The findings were published August 30 in the journal Cell Reports.

9 Sep 2022

New web app links children's daily activities with health

Researchers studying how children's daily activities are associated with their health have developed a web app that shows users how reallocating time in their day from one activity to another could impact their health and academic performance.

8 Sep 2022

Older heart muscle cells accumulate new genetic mutations -; while losing the ability to repair them

Why does the risk of heart disease go up as we age? Known risk factors such as hypertension or high cholesterol don't explain all cases.

12 Aug 2022

National follow-up study identifies risk factors for a prolonged COVID-19 recovery

In one of the largest follow-up studies to date, involving 25 pediatric hospitals, more than a quarter of children and adolescents hospitalized with coronavirus infection early in the pandemic still had health problems two to four months later, either persisting symptoms or activity impairment. The study, led by Boston Children's Hospital, is published August 12 in the journal Pediatrics.

12 Aug 2022

Overnight EEG studies may help inform care for girls with Rett syndrome

In Rett syndrome, a genetic condition affecting girls almost exclusively, mutations in the MECP2 gene cause a regression of language and motor skills starting at 12 to 18 months of age.

8 Aug 2022

Pediatric adjuvant formulation offers protection against RSV in newborns

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading global cause of death in children under age 5 and lacks an effective vaccine. In a study from the Precision Vaccines Program at Boston Children's Hospital, a new vaccine formulation protected newborn mice against infection and evoked strong responses in immune cells from human newborns in the laboratory. Results were reported August 2 in Nature Communications.

2 Aug 2022

Parents set the tone for healthy technology use among teens, study says

Parents play a major role in determining whether teens' use of digital technology is healthy or puts their mental and physical health at risk, according to a new study from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.

1 Aug 2022

Insufficient sleep could have long-lasting impact on the neurocognitive development of pre-teens

Elementary school-age children who get less than nine hours of sleep per night have significant differences in certain brain regions responsible for memory, intelligence and well-being compared to those who get the recommended nine to 12 hours of sleep per night, according to a new study led by University of Maryland School of Medicine researchers.

29 Jul 2022

Symptomatology of long COVID among children below 14 years of age in Denmark

Researchers investigated long COVID symptoms among SARS-CoV-2-infected Danish children below 14 years of age.

24 Jun 2022

Adolescents and young adults less likely to get addiction treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic

A study analyzing prescription claims for a drug used to treat opioid addictions found that adolescents and young adults were less likely than usual to get treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially if they were covered by private, commercial health insurance.

17 Jun 2022

Cellular "barcoding" in mice unravels the origins of blood

The origins of our blood may not be quite what we thought. Using cellular "barcoding" in mice, a groundbreaking study finds that blood cells originate not from one type of mother cell, but two, with potential implications for blood cancers, bone marrow transplant, and immunology. Fernando Camargo, PhD, of the Stem Cell Program at Boston Children's Hospital led the study, published in Nature on June 15.

15 Jun 2022