Adolescent Health News and Research

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Boston Children's Hospital establishes first Division of Addiction Medicine to address substance use in children and adolescents

Boston Children's Hospital has launched the first Division of Addiction Medicine at a pediatric institution, reinforcing the importance of addressing substance use in children and adolescents providing multidisciplinary care for youth working towards recovery.

25 May 2023

Teens unaware of diabetes risk: Study highlights need for lifestyle change awareness in at-risk

Study aimed to evaluate the association between diabetes risk perception and awareness and health behaviors in youth with overweight or obesity.

5 May 2023

Interventions improved well-being among children and youth during COVID-19 pandemic

Researchers review interventions aimed at enhancing the well-being of children and adolescents amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

10 Apr 2023

Young adults with strong parent relationships have better long-term health outcomes

Researchers determine how the relationship with their parents affected the long-term health of young adults or adolescents.

26 Mar 2023

Cleaner air improves lung capacity of children and adolescents

As air pollution in Stockholm has decreased, so has the lung capacity of children and adolescents has improved, a new study published in the European Respiratory Journal reports.

23 Feb 2023

Distinct genomic patterns of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors may help with early diagnosis

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a common genetic condition, affecting 1 in 3000 individuals, and people with NF1 are at greater risk of developing a rare, aggressive form of cancer.

4 Jan 2023

Screen addictions associated with OCD symptoms in preteens

During the holidays, kids often spend more time on screens, leaving parents to wonder: Is it causing harm? Possibly.

12 Dec 2022

Concrete steps for screening, detection and treatment of adolescent substance use

Despite advances in technology and availability, one of the best ways for parents and health care providers to prevent or help stop adolescent substance use is still an old-fashioned conversation, according to a new Viewpoint published in the November issue of The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health.

9 Dec 2022

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