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Language skills are essential to a child’s ability to communicate and develop. These skills enable children to engage with other people and learn from their surroundings and in the classroom.

State highlights: DOJ sues Fla. over keeping children in nursing homes

The U.S. Justice Department filed a lawsuit against Florida on Monday, accusing the state of unnecessarily institutionalizing about 200 disabled children in nursing homes and cutting services that would allow them to receive care at home (7/22).

24 Jul 2013

LUHS pediatrician shares tips for getting the most out of doctor visits

It's nearing the end of summer and trying to squeeze in that school physical can be difficult. Everyone is strapped for time, especially busy moms and dads. From sporting events to music rehearsals or just acting as a chauffer, it's hard to get everything in. The juggling act becomes even more stressful when a child gets sick. Still, kids' health is a priority.

24 Jul 2013

Research: No association between pre-natal mercury exposure and autism-like behaviors

The potential impact of exposure to low levels of mercury on the developing brain - specifically by women consuming fish during pregnancy - has long been the source of concern and some have argued that the chemical may be responsible for behavioral disorders such as autism.

24 Jul 2013

NYCEDC declares Innovate Health Tech NYC winners

New York City Economic Development Corporation today announced the winners of Innovate Health Tech NYC, a competition designed to promote innovation within New York City's health technology sector.

23 Jul 2013

Research findings on brain development may shed light on neurological disorders

Dennis O'Leary of the Salk Institute was the first scientist to show that the basic functional architecture of the cortex, the largest part of the human brain, was genetically determined during development.

23 Jul 2013

Researchers identify neural pathways involved in word learning among humans

For the first time scientists have identified how a pathway in the brain which is unique to humans allows us to learn new words. The average adult's vocabulary consists of about 30,000 words. This ability seems unique to humans as even the species closest to us -- chimps -- manage to learn no more than 100.

23 Jul 2013

Children with unilateral hearing loss are more likely to struggle in school

Children born with a complete absence of the external ear canal, even if only one ear is affected, are more likely than their peers to struggle in school, according to new research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

20 Jul 2013

Listen-and-repeat singing method can improve foreign language learning

Singing in a foreign language can significantly improve learning how to speak it, according to a new study.

20 Jul 2013

Oxytocin may not improve symptoms of children with autism, study finds

The so-called trust hormone, oxytocin, may not improve the symptoms of children with autism, a large study led by researchers at the University of New South Wales has found.

19 Jul 2013

Children exposed to AEDs in womb at risk of early development issues: Study

Children whose mothers took antiepileptic drugs while pregnant are at increased risk of early development issues, according to a new study published in Epilepsia, a journal published by Wiley on behalf of the International League Against Epilepsy.

18 Jul 2013

Role-playing how energy flows helps learners gain insight into concept

In a study released today, education researchers found that personifying energy allowed students to grapple with difficult ideas about how energy works. Contrasted with more traditional lectures and graphs, this innovative instructional technique may be useful for teaching about other ideas in physical science, which commonly deals with things that change form over time.

17 Jul 2013

Study shows 90% of East Asian adolescents in BC are not sexually active

A new study by University of British Columbia researchers shows that although 90 per cent of East Asian adolescents in British Columbia are not sexually active, those who are may engage in high-risk sexual behaviours.

17 Jul 2013

New discovery reveals how RNA moves genetic information from DNA to create proteins

The discovery cracks the "RNA control code," which dictates how RNA - a family of molecules that mediates DNA expression - moves genetic information from DNA to create proteins.

15 Jul 2013

GADES tool can help pediatricians in early detection of language disorders

The GADES tool was developed as a result of a research conducted by the group Telematic Systems for the Information and Knowledge Society of the Telecommunication School at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid.

12 Jul 2013

Genome sequencing promises to identify rare mutations that give rise to autism

An international consortium, consisting of Autism Speaks, Duke University School of Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children of Toronto, BGI and other institutes, has investigated the genetic variants in 32 families with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

12 Jul 2013

Aflibercept drug shows minor added benefit for overall survival in colorectal cancer patients

The drug aflibercept (trade name: Zaltrap) has been approved in Germany since February 2013 in combination with a certain chemotherapy for adults with metastatic colorectal cancer in whom chemotherapy with oxaliplatin could not stop the disease from progressing.

12 Jul 2013

Researchers develop new cry analyzer to look for clues about baby's health

To parents, a baby's cry is a signal of hunger, pain, or discomfort. But to scientists, subtle acoustic features of a cry, many of them imperceptible to the human ear, can hold important information about a baby's health.

12 Jul 2013

Newcastle experts design DemTalk toolkit to help people with dementia

DemTalk, an award-winning toolkit designed by Newcastle University experts to help those coping with the condition, has gone online.

12 Jul 2013

Many pediatricians underuse interpreters to improve care of children, families with limited English

U.S. pediatricians are not using trained language interpreters as often as they should, despite evidence that such services are vital to improving the care of children and families with limited English, according to findings from research conducted jointly by the Johns Hopkins Children's Center and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

11 Jul 2013

Healthful eating habits, physically active lifestyle prevent obesity and chronic diseases

Preventing obesity and chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and some cancers is possible through healthful eating habits and a physically active lifestyle, according to a newly updated position paper of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Because diseases can take many years - sometimes decades - to develop, the best prevention is early prevention.

11 Jul 2013