Child Health News

RSS

Poor premature infant growth linked to lasting brain abnormalities

Research led by the University of Granada (UGR) paves the way for new intervention and monitoring strategies for this high-risk population.

24 Jul 2026

WHO launches PROTECT package to reduce global drowning deaths

Ahead of World Drowning Prevention Day on 25 July, the World Health Organization (WHO) is launching a new technical package to help governments and communities implement seven proven measures to reduce drowning deaths.

24 Jul 2026

Oral antibiotics safely shorten hospital stays for children with pneumonia

Children hospitalized with severe pneumonia can safely switch from injectable to oral antibiotics once they begin to recover, allowing many to return home sooner and complete treatment outside hospital.

23 Jul 2026

Chemotherapy leaves early genomic fingerprints in childhood tumors

Nearly half of childhood tumors treated with common types of chemotherapy showed detectable DNA changes linked to treatment within 18 months, according to a new international study led by The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids).

23 Jul 2026

Short-term immunosuppressive therapy briefly restores autism-like brain changes in adult mice

A new mouse study led by UCLA Health suggests that inflammation during pregnancy can trigger autism-like changes in offspring, but also that those brain and behavior effects may be rapidly but temporarily reversible in adulthood with a short-term dose of the immunosuppressive drug rapamycin.

23 Jul 2026

Study reveals regional disparities in Brazilian childhood leukemia mortality

An international study involving LMU found regional differences in childhood lymphoid leukemia mortality across Brazil.

23 Jul 2026

Stuffed toys can release short-chain PFAS into saliva, study finds

Researchers tested 18 stuffed toys and found that all released at least one targeted PFAS into artificial saliva under mouthing-relevant conditions, with PFHxA driving much of the variation between products. Modeled intake of the four PFAS covered by EFSA’s group tolerable weekly intake remained below that benchmark, but some high-PFHxA toys had reduced margins of exposure, and water rinsing produced mixed results.

22 Jul 2026

Prolactin activates brain pathway promoting maternal caregiving behavior

New research has found a hormone is responsible for making mothers' interactions with newborns feel rewarding rather than just necessary.

22 Jul 2026

Parenting quality at age 3 predicts adolescent reward responsiveness

In 465 young people followed from late childhood to late adolescence, EEG reward responses increased until mid-adolescence before declining by age 18. Higher positive parenting and lower negative parenting at age 3 predicted stronger developmental changes in neural responses to monetary rewards, while early stress exposure showed no significant association.

22 Jul 2026

Sports-based interventions may improve motor skills in children with autism

Research suggests that more than half of children with autism spectrum disorder, a neurodevelopmental condition, experience motor impairments.

22 Jul 2026

Study: Why First Nations children still face health care inequalities

A new study finds that First Nations Children still face long-standing inequalities in health care access in Canada despite improvements made through the application of Jordan's Principle - a policy designed to ensure First Nations children receive the services they need.

22 Jul 2026

Childhood ultra-processed food intake associates with altered insulin responses

Researchers analyzed dietary and metabolic data from 508 nondiabetic Mexican American children in the SAFARI family cohort, finding that higher ultra-processed food scores were associated with lower insulin sensitivity and altered early insulin secretion measures. The exploratory cross-sectional study did not establish causality, and its multiple comparisons, historical dietary data, and questionnaire-based UPF estimates warrant confirmation in longitudinal studies and trials.

21 Jul 2026

Childhood unpredictability linked to higher mental health risks

Children who grow up in unpredictable environments may face elevated risks for depression, anxiety, sleep disorders and other mental health challenges, according to a new study by researchers at the University of California, Irvine, Chapman University and Rady Children's Hospital Orange County, formerly called Children's Hospital of Orange County.

21 Jul 2026

Tailored gene therapy dramatically reduces childhood epilepsy seizures in trial

SCN2A‑related developmental epileptic encephalopathy (DEE) is a rare, severe form of childhood epilepsy and one of the most common causes of monogenic autism.

21 Jul 2026

Copper isotope shows promise for early childhood anemia detection

The rising incidence of anemia and overweight has been identified as a serious public health problem worldwide, especially among children and adolescents.

21 Jul 2026

Drinking more water with meals may lead people to eat more

In two randomized crossover studies involving 86 adults, greater water consumption and more frequent switching between bites and sips were associated with higher food and energy intake during beef chili and chicken tikka masala meals. The exploratory secondary analysis cannot establish causality, but it challenges the assumption that drinking water during a meal necessarily curbs eating.

20 Jul 2026

Rising antimicrobial resistance in children threatens life-saving antibiotic effectiveness

Antimicrobial resistance in children is rising globally and will worsen over the next decade, threatening the effectiveness of life‑saving antibiotics, according to a world-first monitoring platform.

20 Jul 2026

Global childhood IBD trends reveal unequal progress in diagnosis and survival

An analysis of GBD 2021 estimates across 204 countries and territories found that global deaths from early-onset IBD fell by approximately 71% among children younger than 10 between 1990 and 2021. However, estimated incident and prevalent case numbers rose while the age-standardized incidence rate remained broadly stable, with persistent socioeconomic and regional inequalities.

20 Jul 2026

Fish oil supplementation during pregnancy changes two childhood brain metabolic markers

Randomized maternal fish oil supplementation from pregnancy week 24 lowered offspring cerebral blood flow and oxygen metabolism at age 10 but did not alter precuneus lactate. The small differences resembled a more adult-like metabolic profile, although researchers found no associated cognitive or behavioral benefits.

19 Jul 2026

Study reveals how adolescent brain remodeling reshapes memory retrieval

Scientists have long known that the human brain continues developing well beyond the teenage years, with important changes involving decision-making and emotional regulation extending into the mid-to-late 20s.

17 Jul 2026