Adolescents News and Research

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Exercise may be safer for children with heart conditions

Physical activity in children and teenagers with cardiomyopathy (conditions that affect the heart muscle's structure and function, impairing its ability to pump or fill effectively), as well as children with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) may be safer than previous research suggested, according to a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association, published today in the Association's flagship peer-reviewed journal Circulation.

23 Apr 2026

Long COVID in children doubles risk of poor grades

Findings indicate long-COVID leads to academic and social difficulties in children, highlighting the importance of addressing their unique educational needs.

23 Apr 2026

Bioengineered chewing gum reduces cancer-linked oral microbes

Researchers led by Henry Daniell of the School of Dental Medicine have shown that extracts from bioengineered chewing gum reduce the levels of three microbes known to be associated with head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC), paving the way for more effective and affordable therapies.

23 Apr 2026

Blood protein levels shift significantly from childhood through early adulthood

Blood protein levels change markedly already during childhood and adolescence, and differences between girls and boys become increasingly pronounced with age.

22 Apr 2026

Rural and urban children face distinct mental health challenges

A study in Pediatric Investigation found that rural and urban children and adolescents tend to experience different mental health issues, with those living in the country showing more emotional problems and those in the city demonstrating more behavioral issues.

22 Apr 2026

Researchers identify ADHD and social traits in preschoolers with heart defects

Congenital heart disease (CHD) which is a problem with how the heart forms before birth -- occurs in approximately 1 % of newborns.

22 Apr 2026

Bullying and social policies worsen mental health in gender-diverse teens

Gender-diverse adolescents who experience bullying and live in states with persistently unsupportive gender identity laws are significantly more likely to suffer escalating psychological distress compared to their peers, according to new research by UCLA Health.

21 Apr 2026

Why Japan saw a major pertussis surge in 2025 while other countries peaked earlier

This study found that pertussis cases fell across Japan, Australia, New Zealand, China, and the USA during COVID-19 restrictions, then resurged afterward, with most countries peaking in 2024 but Japan showing a delayed major outbreak in 2025. In Japan, the surge was concentrated in school-aged children and adolescents, highlighting possible gaps in booster protection and the need to reassess immunization strategies.

20 Apr 2026

Academic stress weakens mental resilience and triggers a reliance on gaming

China's highly competitive education system is known for its strict evaluation, rigorous intensity, and academic pressure. A recent study has highlighted the growing problem of this academic pressure leading to burnout amongst Chinese adolescents, which is pushing them towards online gaming.

17 Apr 2026

Researchers debunk the existence of the childhood "adiposity rebound" phenomenon

In new research to be presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity in Istanbul, Turkey (12-15 May) and published in The Journal of Nutrition, a 42-year old theory as to why children's body mass index (BMI) decreases post-infancy before then rising continuously from age six years –'the adiposity rebound' is refuted using new analyses – rather than decreasing body fat, the real reason is proposed as increasing muscle mass.

17 Apr 2026

BMI increases in early childhood may reflect muscle growth, not fat

A new study published in The Journal of Nutrition, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Society for Nutrition, offers new insights into a decades-old puzzle in childhood obesity. The study found that while body mass index (BMI) starts to rise in early childhood during a stage known as adiposity rebound, when BMI increases after an initial decline, the waist-to-height ratio, a measure that better reflects body fat, continues to drop. This suggests that the BMI increase at this age mainly reflects growth in lean tissues such as muscle and bone, rather than extra body fat.

16 Apr 2026

Migraine genes linked to worse headaches after concussion in children

A University of Calgary-led study has found evidence that children with genes predisposing to migraine might have an increased risk of having more headaches after a concussion, which are known to be linked to prolonged symptoms up to six-months after the injury.

15 Apr 2026

New RNA sequencing method improves rare disease diagnosis

Researchers from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) developed a new RNA sequencing strategy that can reveal how genetic variants disrupt gene function and improve the diagnosis of rare diseases.

15 Apr 2026

Ultra-processed foods linked to higher obesity risk in adolescents

Adolescents who consume more ultra-processed foods (UPFs) have significantly higher odds of being overweight or obese, according to a new systematic review and meta-analysis published in the open-access journal PLOS One by Mekuriaw Nibret Aweke of the University of Gondar, Ethiopia, and colleagues.

15 Apr 2026

Study finds higher anxiety and depression in children with brain injuries

A new study, published today in JAMA Network Open, reveals that schoolage children and adolescents with medically diagnosed traumatic brain injury (TBI) have significantly higher rates of anxiety/depression, and strong family support and resilience helps alleviate some of it.

13 Apr 2026

Young cancer survivors face double the risk of later cancers

Survivors of cancer in their teen and young adult years are at double the risk of most types of later cancers, according to research from Alberta published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) https://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.251381.

13 Apr 2026