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Infant screen time linked to slower cognitive processing and teen anxiety

Children exposed to high levels of screen time before age two showed changes in brain development that were linked to slower decision-making and increased anxiety by their teenage years, according to new research by Asst Prof Tan Ai Peng and her team from A*STAR Institute for Human Development and Potential (A*STAR IHDP) and National University of Singapore (NUS) Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, using data from the Growing Up in Singapore Towards healthy Outcomes (GUSTO) cohort.

30 Dec 2025

Prediabetes prevalence doubles over two decades in Finnish children with obesity

The prevalence of prediabetes has increased significantly in recent years among Finnish children living with overweight or obesity, a recent study by Tampere University and the University of Eastern Finland shows.

30 Dec 2025

Teacher collaboration drives cognitively activating teaching practices

Cognitively activating teaching is recognized as an innovative and effective instructional approach, yet it is still underutilized worldwide.

30 Dec 2025

Study shows AI can predict language success after cochlear implants

AI model using deep transfer learning – the most advanced form of machine learning – predicted with 92 % accuracy spoken language outcomes at one-to-three years after cochlear implants (implanted electronic hearing device), according to a large international study published in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.

30 Dec 2025

Rising gestational diabetes rates raise alarms for maternal and child health

Gestational diabetes rose every single year in the U.S. from 2016 through 2024, according to a new Northwestern Medicine analysis of more than 12 million U.S. births. The condition, which raises health risks for both mother and baby, shot up 36 % over the nine-year period (from 58 to 79 cases per 1,000 births) and increased across every racial and ethnic group.

30 Dec 2025

Reduced peanut OIT dose offers safer, accessible treatment for children

Children with peanut allergies may not need large doses of peanut oral immunotherapy (OIT) to build protection to peanut, finds a new study led by The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and Montreal Children's Hospital. Researchers found that a small dose can help children with their peanut allergy and reduce the risk of severe reactions from accidental exposures, with less side effects than the current standard treatment.

30 Dec 2025

Pediatric surgeons weigh AI benefits against ethical challenges and practical barriers

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly advancing across modern healthcare, yet its role in pediatric surgery remains limited and ethically complex.

26 Dec 2025

Paternal microplastic exposure alters metabolic health in offspring

A study led by biomedical scientists at the University of California, Riverside, has shown for the first time that a father's exposure to microplastics (MPs) can trigger metabolic dysfunctions in his offspring.

23 Dec 2025

Marijuana use associated with worse school performance and emotional distress for teens

Using marijuana just once or twice a month was associated with worse school performance and emotional distress for teens, according to a large national study of adolescents led by Ryan Sultán, an assistant professor of clinical psychiatry at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons.

23 Dec 2025

Probiotic supplementation restores beneficial gut bacteria in breastfed infants

In recent years, scientists have learned that key beneficial infant gut bacteria Bifidobacterium infantis are disappearing from infants in high-resource areas such as the United States and Europe.

22 Dec 2025

How family dynamics can have a profound impact on eating behavior

As the holiday season approaches, many families will gather around the dinner table, sharing meals and memories. But what if the way we eat during these gatherings is shaped by more than just tradition?

22 Dec 2025

Prenatal exposure to hot and humid conditions worsens child growth outcomes

The dangers of heat and humidity are so well known it's become cliche to mention them. But the impacts can extend farther than even scientists and doctors realized.

19 Dec 2025

Children’s Hospital Colorado completes its first heart and liver dual transplant

Children's Hospital Colorado (Children's Colorado) successfully performed the hospital's first-ever heart and liver dual organ transplant, with support from dozens of team members across 25 different multidisciplinary care teams.

19 Dec 2025

First Europe-wide analysis reveals widespread raccoon roundworm infection

The raccoon roundworm Baylisascaris procyonis can cause severe diseases in humans, including fatal brain damage.

19 Dec 2025

Raising the drinking age cuts teen drinking and boosts test scores

Stricter minimum legal drinking age laws in Spain are linked to reduced adolescent alcohol use and better academic outcomes, benefiting student well-being.

19 Dec 2025

Early peanut introduction can prevent allergy but parents need clearer guidance

Feeding babies peanut-containing foods as early as possible can help prevent peanut allergy, but a new study published in JAMA Network Open found that parents need more support to get it right.

18 Dec 2025

Orthorexia nervosa links strongly to perfectionism and OCD traits, review shows

This umbrella review synthesised five meta-analyses to estimate the reported prevalence of orthorexia nervosa and examine its psychological correlates. Findings show wide variability in prevalence estimates and consistent links with eating disorder symptoms, obsessive-compulsive traits, and perfectionistic strivings, limited by high methodological heterogeneity.

18 Dec 2025