Childhood Development News and Research

RSS

Researchers discover key blood molecules impacting child development

McMaster University researchers have identified small molecules in the blood that may impact early childhood development, showing how dietary exposures, early life experiences, and gut health can influence a child's growth and cognitive milestones.

28 Feb 2025

Multilingualism boosts executive function and reduces core symptoms in children with autism

A study reveals that multilingual exposure boosts executive function and perspective-taking in children with autism, highlighting its potential benefits.

8 Jan 2025

Study shows milk, eggs and fish boost child development in Africa

A study by the University of Bonn and the CABI Centre in Kenya shows that milk, eggs and fish are good for child development.

2 Dec 2024

Better infant growth linked to healthy prenatal diet following USDA guidelines

Findings indicate that a quality prenatal diet is crucial for healthy infant growth, potentially reducing risks of childhood obesity and promoting development.

25 Nov 2024

Blue light exposure may accelerate bone growth and early puberty in rats

Exposure to blue light, like that from smartphones or tablets, may accelerate bone growth and bone age, leading to early puberty in rats.

15 Nov 2024

How the Arts Reshape Brain Function: Susan Magsamen on the Future of Neuroaesthetics

The intersection of arts and neuroscience reveals transformative effects on health and learning, as discussed by Susan Magsamen in her neuroaesthetics research.

29 Oct 2024

Childhood obesity: How the first 2,000 days hold the key to lifelong health

Researchers reveal that early life factors, especially within the first 2,000 days, play a critical role in shaping future obesity risk. Addressing these factors with integrated interventions could combat the global childhood obesity crisis.

26 Sep 2024

New insights into how the brain processes the concept of zero

Despite its importance for mathematics, the neuronal basis of the number zero in the human brain was previously unknown.

24 Sep 2024

Enhancing neighborhood opportunities can be a promising approach to promote infant development

Growing up in neighborhoods with more educational and socioeconomic opportunities has a positive impact on infants' brain activity, according to new research from Boston Medical Center (BMC).

27 Jun 2024

Climate change heat poses lasting brain risks for children, study finds

The impact of temperature exposure on children's mental health and cognition during prenatal and early childhood periods.

14 Jun 2024

Study examines the effects of pregnant mother's epilepsy medications on child's creativity

While older drugs for epilepsy, taken while pregnant, have been shown in previous research to affect the creative thinking of children, a new study finds no effects on creativity for children born to those taking newer epilepsy drugs.

29 May 2024

Thriving early environments boost brain and cognitive development in children

Researchers have found that environmental supports in the first year of life, termed the thrive factor (T-factor), play a crucial role in brain, cognitive, and socioemotional development in children by age 3, underscoring the importance of quality environments for early childhood development.

19 Mar 2024

Supportive parenting and screen time link maternal depression to child self-control, research finds

The potential association between depression among mothers and behavioral self-regulation.

13 Feb 2024

COVID-19's impact on early education: Retrospective study shows decrease in kindergarten readiness

A new study explored associations between school district early Kindergarten Readiness Assessment (KRA) and electronic health records (EHR) data and linked KRA scores with the changes occurring during the COVID-19 pandemic.

6 Feb 2024

Gut microbiome diversity predicts cognitive function and brain structure in healthy children

Emerging evidence implicates the gut microbiome in cognitive outcomes and neurodevelopmental disorders, but the influence of gut microbial metabolism on typical neurodevelopment has not been explored in detail.

26 Dec 2023

Early childhood education and care enhance language and problem-solving skills, study reveals

A study in the Journal of Early Childhood Research shows that early childhood education and care (ECEC) significantly benefits language development and problem-solving skills in children aged 5 to 23 months, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

4 Dec 2023

Study highlights need for early intervention for behavioral problems

A six-year study that analyzed data from a 25-question screening tool found alarming evidence of unhealthy behavioral trajectories starting as early as age 2 among families affected by low income and other social stressors.

16 Oct 2023

Indoor air pollution from cooking fuels linked to developmental delays in children

Just about everyone knows that cigarette smoke is bad for babies. Should cooking fuels like natural gas, propane and wood be viewed similarly when used indoors?

26 Sep 2023

Study finds link between PFAS exposure and later puberty in children

Children exposed to higher levels of synthetic chemicals in everyday products, such as water-resistant clothes, umbrellas and food packaging, are more likely to mature later during puberty, according to research presented at the 61st Annual European Society for Paediatric Endocrinology Meeting in The Hague.

21 Sep 2023

Doctors created a primary care clinic as their former hospital struggled

About a year ago, Valory Wangler, a family medicine doctor, invited a handful of former co-workers to her backyard.

21 Jul 2023