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Vulnerable adolescents face sharp drop in mental health service access

Some of the most vulnerable children and young people are failing to get access to mental health support despite much higher levels of need, according to new research from the University of Cambridge.

16 Sep 2026

Finnish adults eat too little of some foods and too much of others, study finds

Analysis of dietary data from 1,655 Finnish adults found that usual food intake often differed substantially from the quantitative targets later set by the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2023. Plant-based foods were generally underconsumed, while red and processed meat and dairy intake frequently exceeded study targets, with adherence varying by sex, education, physical activity, age, and energy intake.

16 Sep 2026

Summer program improves social skills in young autistic children

A summer intervention program for autistic children ages 4-6 with no intellectual disability significantly improved their social performance, according to a study by researchers at the Institute for Autism Research (IAR) at the University at Buffalo. It was published in Advances in Neurodevelopmental Disorders in July.

15 Sep 2026

What children eat may leave a measurable signature in their blood

Researchers analyzed 236 blood metabolites in 421 children to examine metabolic signatures associated with three dietary patterns characterized by core foods, animal protein sources, or poor-quality fats and sugars. The results identified distinct, biologically plausible metabolite patterns across dietary exposures, although most individual associations did not survive multiple-testing correction and require validation in independent cohorts.

15 Sep 2026

Interaction with miniature animals improves the mood of adolescents

Interacting with animals can make people feel calmer and less lonely and anxious. A new study from the University of California, Davis, shows that animals play an active role in shaping these interactions and their outcomes.

15 Sep 2026

Adolescent cannabis use disorder diagnoses rise after legalization

New diagnoses of cannabis use disorder (CUD) among adolescents in Northern California began climbing after recreational cannabis was legalized in California in 2016, reversing a steady decline in the three years prior, according to a new study published in the journal Addiction.

15 Sep 2026

Ultra-processed foods enter babies’ diets early. What comes with them?

In a Denver cohort of 114 healthy infants, higher ultra-processed food intake during complementary feeding was associated with greater added sugar and sodium intake at 9 and 12 months. UPF intake showed no consistent relationship with growth through 12 months, while dietary diversity was not reduced among infants consuming more UPFs.

14 Sep 2026

What happens to blood pressure during extreme heat? A 4.2 million-visit study offers a clue

In a cross-sectional analysis of more than 4.2 million summer outpatient encounters across US community health centers, same-day extreme heat was associated with small reductions in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, with somewhat larger differences among adults aged 65 years or older. The changes were unlikely to be clinically meaningful for most individuals, suggesting that acute blood pressure shifts may account for little of the cardiovascular risk associated with extreme heat.

14 Sep 2026

A large US study found no overall link between fluoride in pregnancy and children’s behavior

A US cohort study of 5,520 children found no overall association between prenatal exposure to fluoride in public drinking water and internalizing or externalizing behavioral problems across the primary analyses. Exploratory analyses identified some associations with externalizing problems at higher fluoride concentrations and in certain subgroups, but the researchers said these findings require further investigation.

13 Sep 2026

Risk factors for cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic disease can be identified in young children

Risk factors for cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic disease, a health condition made up of heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes, and obesity, can be identified in children as young as 8, UTHealth Houston researchers discovered.

11 Sep 2026

Proteomic signatures reveal early signs of cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic disease in children

Researchers at Vanderbilt Health, UTHealth Houston and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have identified early signs of cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic disease (CKMD) in children as young as 8 years old that potentially can be reversed with a new class of weight loss drugs used widely by adults

11 Sep 2026

Childhood chemotherapy leaves lasting DNA damage in healthy cells

Chemotherapy, which saves the lives of many children with cancer, causes previously unknown DNA alterations in the liver and leaves genetic footprints in other healthy cells as well.

10 Sep 2026

Shade and protective clothing best protect young babies from the sun

When you go outdoors with your infant, whether for a quick stroll in the park or a day at the beach, it's important to keep your little one out of the sun. But should you put sunscreen on your baby to protect them from the sun's bright rays? Not usually.

10 Sep 2026

Study reveals hidden DNA damage from childhood chemotherapy

The amount of DNA damage caused by certain chemotherapies used to effectively treat childhood cancer has been revealed, along with a hidden impact on the liver, paving the way for future research into new ways to mitigate these impacts.

10 Sep 2026

Autistic people face a fourteen-year deficit in life expectancy

People with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the United States face a 14-year deficit in life expectancy, according to a new study by researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and University of Colorado Anschutz.

10 Sep 2026

Experts call for gradual independence before children reach adolescence

As thousands of children start secondary school, experts have called for children to be given more opportunities for independence before they hit adolescence.

10 Sep 2026

New funding supports LMU research on pediatric inflammatory bowel disease

The non-profit Boehringer Ingelheim Stiftung supports LMU clinician-scientist Daniel Kotlarz through its Rise up! program.

10 Sep 2026

The link between PM2.5 and ADHD held up after researchers tested other explanations

Using two decades of U.S. county-level data, researchers found that long-term PM2.5 exposure was robustly associated with higher childhood ADHD prevalence, while associations with low birth weight and diabetes weakened after accounting for county-specific temporal trends. The ADHD association persisted after socioeconomic, demographic, state-level, exposure-period, and spatial adjustments, although the ecological study cannot establish an individual-level causal relationship.

9 Sep 2026

Skin microbiome changes may predict infant eczema and food allergies

The first clues that a baby may develop eczema or food allergies could be hiding in the microscopic organisms living on their skin, according to a study led by researchers in Washington State University's College of Veterinary Medicine.

9 Sep 2026

Standard pediatric blood pressure thresholds miss early trauma warning signs

Blood pressure thresholds commonly used to identify dangerously unstable vital signs in children may not signal trouble soon enough after a traumatic injury, according to a national study of more than 230,000 pediatric trauma patients.

9 Sep 2026