Child Health News

RSS

Breast milk nutrient boosts long-term immune system development

Trans-vaccenic acid (TVA), the most abundant trans fatty acid found in human breast milk, helps boost immune system development and has long-lasting effects on immune system health in mice, according to a new study by researchers from the University of Chicago.

18 Jun 2026

Childhood stress leaves lasting epigenetic marks across the body

The experiences we face early in life may leave their marks on our health in ways that echo across decades-and even across the entire body.

18 Jun 2026

Early life stress leaves unique biological signatures in cells

New research links childhood adversity to mitochondrial bioenergetic changes later in life, underscoring the impact of stress in early life on cellular health.

18 Jun 2026

Parents' phone distraction linked to insecure attachment in teenagers

We worry about the time kids spend using screens - but what if the time their caregivers spend on phones is also harmful? Scientists working on digital mental health noticed increasing reports of teenagers struggling with their parents' phone use and decided to investigate.

18 Jun 2026

Caregivers experience food insecurity during hospitalization of sick children

Researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine found caregivers of children hospitalized for cancer and blood disorders may experience food insecurity during their child's stay, even if they don't face that issue at home, and it could be linked to longer stays.

18 Jun 2026

Teen sleep quality associated with mental health, BMI, and screen time

A teen's mental health, as well as their body mass index (BMI) and screen time, are significantly associated with their sleep quality, according to a new paper published June 10, 2026 in the open access journal PLOS One by Jianying Li of Shanxi University, China, and colleagues.

18 Jun 2026

Legal system contact increases mental health risks for youth

Youth who have contact with the US legal system may be at increased risk of mental health symptoms including anxiety, depression, hostility, and psychoticism, according to a study published June 17, 2026 in the open access journal PLOS One by Raquel V. Oliveira and Elizabeth Culatta from Augusta University, US.

18 Jun 2026

Aircraft emissions could double air pollution deaths by 2040

Scenario-based modeling projects that aviation-related air pollution could drive a major rise in premature deaths by 2040, mainly through PM2.5 and ozone exposure. The study estimates that aircraft emissions caused 33,900 PM2.5-related deaths and 24,600 ozone-related deaths in 2019, with baseline 2040 deaths projected to more than double.

18 Jun 2026

Autism study reveals shared brain cell changes during early development

Hundreds of genes have been linked to autism, yet the precise molecular and cellular mechanisms behind it remain largely unclear.

17 Jun 2026

New center expands neurorecovery care for children with spinal injuries

The University of Louisville, UofL Health and Kosair for Kids today celebrated the grand opening and ribbon cutting of the newly expanded Kosair for Kids Center for Pediatric NeuroRecovery, a transformative milestone in pediatric rehabilitation, research and care.

17 Jun 2026

Mirror exposure shapes the social brain in young infants

A study assessed whether exposure to their own reflection influences the development of facial mimicry, a process associated with empathy and emotion recognition, in 4-month-old infants.

17 Jun 2026

Engineered cartilage grafts improve surgery for narrowed child airways

A study led by researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) demonstrated a new method of using decellularized cartilage with patient-specific cells to help enlarge the pediatric airways narrowed as a result of severe subglottic stenosis.

17 Jun 2026

Infant limb movement during sleep follows a rhythmic cycle

Infants' activity whilst sleeping is rhythmic, according to a new study from the University of Surrey. Findings provide crucial insight into sleep cycles of infants in the first year of life.

17 Jun 2026

Media pressure makes high-calorie food cues feel longer to teen girls

In 55 French female adolescents, high-calorie food images were perceived as lasting longer than low-calorie images during a temporal bisection task. Perceived media pressure strengthened this time-distortion effect, while body appreciation showed tentative evidence of reducing it after accounting for eating-disorder risk.

17 Jun 2026

Maternal RSV vaccine shows 68% protection against infant RSV hospitalization

In a test-negative case-control study of 274 hospitalized infants aged 90 days or younger, maternal RSVpreF vaccination was associated with 67.6% effectiveness against RSV-associated acute respiratory illness hospitalization. Protection was similar against RSV-linked lower respiratory tract disease, with the highest point estimate in the first month of life, although confidence intervals were wide.

16 Jun 2026

Depression shapes how children pay attention to emotional faces

A smile. A frown. The faces a child pays closer attention to might offer invaluable insight into their mental health.

16 Jun 2026

Study shows branding on cannabis products appeals to youth

Unlike cigarettes or alcohol, cannabis products often come packaged as colorful gummies, chocolates, candies and snacks that can look remarkably similar to items found in a grocery store aisle.

16 Jun 2026

Doctors find unexpected regional differences in retinopathy of prematurity in Norway

It's a mystery. The eye disease known as retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) can make infants permanently blind if they are not treated. But there are big differences between how often Norwegian hospitals actually provide this treatment.

16 Jun 2026

Nearby wind turbines show no broad health hit, but clusters raise questions

A German longitudinal study found no robust evidence that nearby construction of wind turbines broadly reduced physical or mental health-related quality of life among residentially stable adults. However, living within 3 km of a higher turbine density was associated with lower mental HRQoL, suggesting cumulative exposure may matter more than distance alone.

16 Jun 2026