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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

NFL PLAY 60 grants help schools boost student physical activity

Lower physical activity is taking a toll on the health of American children and contributing to rising obesity rates nationwide.

17 Jul 2026

Training helps pediatricians independently treat child anxiety and depression

Pediatricians who participated in the collaborative mental health program at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago were more likely to diagnose and treat anxiety and depression in kids without reliance on additional support from specialists, according to a study published in Academic Pediatrics.

17 Jul 2026

Prenatal acetaminophen use not linked to adverse birth outcomes

There is no statistically significant evidence that taking acetaminophen, also known as Tylenol, during pregnancy has a negative impact on how early a child is born or a child's weight at birth, according to new research led by environmental scientists at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health.

17 Jul 2026

Dexamphetamine and methylphenidate work similarly for ADHD but differ in weight effects

A head-to-head trial of ADHD treatments finds dexamphetamine and methylphenidate equally effective, with notable differences in weight management over time.

17 Jul 2026

Maternal diets high in UPFs may influence children’s health years later

A narrative review of 84 publications links higher ultra-processed food intake during pregnancy and early childhood with poorer diet quality, maternal complications, childhood obesity, and potential immune, metabolic, and neurodevelopmental effects. The authors identify possible microbiome and biopsychosocial pathways but emphasize that the predominantly observational evidence cannot establish causality.

17 Jul 2026

Early PFAS exposure linked to childhood intestinal inflammation

Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have found that exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), commonly known as "forever chemicals," during pregnancy and early life is associated with increased intestinal inflammation during childhood.

16 Jul 2026

Brain signals explain speech communication differences in autistic children

Why do some children with autism communicate more easily than others, even when they hear the same words?

16 Jul 2026

Japanese study links breastfeeding to mixed risks for childhood allergies

Breastfeeding is widely recognized for its important role in supporting a child's early growth and immune system development.

16 Jul 2026

Epidurals during labor show no significant risks to newborns

Having an epidural during labor is not associated with clinically significant increased risks of harm to newborn babies, including brain injury, severe breathing problems, sepsis and death, or cerebral palsy later in childhood.

15 Jul 2026

Social media restrictions for adolescents require broader systems approach

Amrit Kaur Purba and colleagues argue that social media restrictions operate within a wider system of adolescents, families, schools, governments, and commercial actors - and therefore should be treated as complex systems interventions rather than isolated behavioral policies.

15 Jul 2026

Evidence does not support universal vitamin D supplementation to prevent preterm birth

Announcing a new article publication in BIO Integration. Preterm birth complications are among leading causes of mortality in neonates and children under 5 years of age worldwide.

15 Jul 2026

Global child immunization rates stall despite minor pandemic recovery

In 2025, 90% of infants globally – or nearly 116 million – received at least one dose of a diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP) vaccine, and 85% – or 110 million – completed the full three-dose series, according to the annual WHO-UNICEF Estimates of National Immunization Coverage (WUENIC) released today.

15 Jul 2026

India's childhood immunization program reduced deaths while reshaping educational outcomes

Each year, approximately 700,000 children worldwide die from diseases that vaccines could have prevented, nearly all of them in low- and middle-income countries.

14 Jul 2026

Lockdown-born children show lower executive function at school age

Children born during the first COVID-19 lockdown in England had lower reported levels of executive function - crucial skills involved in making plans, solving problems and adapting to new situations - suggest the findings of a study published online in the Archives of Disease in Childhood.

14 Jul 2026