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Hidden viral reservoirs in tonsils may explain school-year respiratory outbreaks

A study conducted at the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil reveals that tissues such as the tonsils and adenoids can serve as hiding places for the rhinovirus, which causes the common cold and is responsible for most respiratory infections worldwide.

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

Study explains the link between NDMA-contaminated water and childhood cancer

A new study from MIT suggests that a carcinogen that has been found in medications and in drinking water contaminated by chemical plants may have a much more severe impact on children than adults.

17 Apr 2026

Scientists discover a biological "memory" of breastfeeding in child blood samples

Babies who are exclusively breastfed for at least three months carry markers in their blood that differ from babies who are not breastfed.

16 Apr 2026

New lab-grown organoids accurately mimic pediatric brain tumor biology

Efforts to identify and evaluate next-generation therapeutics for pediatric brain tumors are easily stymied by the quality and availability of laboratory models for research. To address this issue, scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital developed patient-derived tumor organoids and tumor organoid xenografts that accurately reflect the biologic underpinnings of embryonal brain tumors.

16 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

Researchers discover how stress signals weaken the aging immune system

As we age, our ability to maintain healthy blood and a strong immune system gradually declines, largely because hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), the cells responsible for producing all blood cell types, begin to lose their effectiveness. Normally, HSCs can both self-renew and generate a balanced mix of blood cells, but over time they produce fewer new cells, favor certain cells such as myeloid cells over lymphoid cells, and struggle to support a robust immune response.

16 Apr 2026

Lower-protein toddler formula does not reduce BMI at age 2, trial finds

A large randomized trial in Germany and Spain found that lowering milk protein intake during the second year of life did not reduce BMI z-score at 24 months, though it did produce a temporary BMI reduction at 18 months. Lower protein intake also led to more stable weight and length trajectories, while higher protein intake pushed growth upward relative to WHO standards.

15 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

Middle-aged Americans face rising loneliness and mental health challenges

Frank Infurna first started thinking about the plight of middle-aged adults 10 years ago. He conducted a monthly survey, asking about their health, well-being, relationships, and life events.

15 Apr 2026

Parents' genes shape children's mental health beyond inherited DNA

What if some of the risk of anxiety and depression in children is not only about the genes they inherit, but also about their parents' genetic dispositions and how these influence the home environment?

15 Apr 2026

Sudan accounts for the world’s largest ongoing humanitarian health crisis

After three years of war, Sudan now accounts for the world's largest humanitarian crisis, with 34 million people needing aid, 21 million lacking health services, and repeated attacks crippling a medical system already weakened by disease and hunger.

15 Apr 2026

Brain organoids reveal mutation-specific insights for Rett syndrome

Though many studies approach the developmental disorder Rett syndrome as a single condition arising from general loss of function in the gene MECP2, a new study by neuroscientists in The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory at MIT shows that two different mutations of the gene caused many distinct abnormalities in lab cultures.

15 Apr 2026

Calorie labels on menus may benefit people with binge eating disorders

Food calorie labels on menus in cafes and restaurants can be helpful for people with binge eating disorders, even aiding their recovery, finds new research from UCL and King's College London.

15 Apr 2026

Medi-Cal immigrant enrollment is dropping. Researchers point to Trump’s policies.

For months, a cloud of fear has hovered over the immigrant community in San Bernardino, California, making it hard for María González to do her job as a community health worker in this city where almost a quarter of residents are foreign-born.

15 Apr 2026

Waist-to-height ratio outperforms BMI in predicting hypertension risk

New waist-to-height cut-offs to assess fat mass and obesity predicted the risk of hypertension better than body mass index, according to a new study from the University of Eastern Finland and the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School at Rutgers University in the US.

14 Apr 2026

Study finds when parents are depressed may shape children’s mental health for decades

A long-running UK cohort study found that exposure to parental depression from pregnancy through young adulthood was linked to higher odds of depression and anxiety in adult offspring. Maternal depression in late pregnancy was uniquely associated with later psychotic symptoms, while paternal associations emerged more clearly from mid-childhood onward.

14 Apr 2026

States change custody laws to keep children of detained immigrants out of foster care

As immigration authorities carry out what President Donald Trump has promised will be the largest mass deportation operation in U.S. history, several states are passing laws to keep children out of foster care when their detained parents have no family or friends available to take temporary custody of them.

14 Apr 2026

A new model to break the cycle of chronic nightmares in children

The DARC-NESS model targets chronic nightmares in youth, promoting confidence and coping strategies to restore healthy sleep patterns and mental well-being.

14 Apr 2026