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Black adolescents in Canada face barriers to mental health care access

Black adolescents with mental distress are less likely to use mental health services than their White peers, and Black girls are the least likely to access care, according to new research published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) https://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.241733.

9 Sep 2025

Core sugars in breast milk fuel gut and brain health beyond 12 months

Researchers reviewed 13 studies of human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) through 24 months of breastfeeding, analyzing 4,786 samples. Six “core” HMOs remained dominant, with total concentrations plateauing after 12 months and evidence suggesting persistence into the second year.

8 Sep 2025

How breast milk changes from day to night and why timing matters

Breast milk's hormonal and microbial variations throughout the day may affect infant development, emphasizing the need for synchronized feeding practices.

8 Sep 2025

Childhood blood pressure predicts cardiovascular mortality risk in adulthood

Blood pressure matters at all ages. Children with higher blood pressure at age 7 may be at an increased risk of dying of cardiovascular disease by their mid-50s, according to preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association's Hypertension Scientific Sessions 2025.

8 Sep 2025

Can gaming strengthen the brain’s attention pathways?

Research reveals structural brain differences in action gamers, with greater cortical thickness and connectivity in regions vital for visuospatial processing.

8 Sep 2025

Social isolation drives reward-seeking behavior in teens

A study has found that adolescents become highly motivated to seek rewards after just a few hours of social isolation.

5 Sep 2025

New MRI correction method reveals brain structure differences in children with ADHD

Over five percent of children and adolescents are diagnosed with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) globally.

5 Sep 2025

Why your playlist could be the key to reducing motion sickness

Scientists found that specific music genres can significantly reduce motion sickness, with joyful and soft music offering the most relief during travel.

5 Sep 2025

Too much caffeine may worsen stress for students hooked on studying

Findings suggest that caffeine intake can worsen anxiety and depression in students, emphasizing the need for balanced consumption and mental health support.

5 Sep 2025

New study explores how childhood social determinants impact young adult cardiovascular health

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death and disability for adults in the U.S. Recent projections from the American Heart Association suggest that by 2050, more than 45 million American adults will have clinical CVD and more than 184 million will have hypertension.

4 Sep 2025

Targeting complement with an inhibitor may prevent preterm birth and protect the baby’s brain

A research team at the Medical University of South Carolina reports in Cells that the complement system, part of the body's natural immune defenses, is a key driver of inflammatory responses that contribute to fetal brain inflammation and preterm birth, the latter of which is the leading cause of complications and death in newborns.

4 Sep 2025

Dental care gaps affect children with sickle cell disease in Michigan

Children with sickle cell disease are more likely to have dental problems - but fewer than half of those covered by Michigan Medicaid got dental care in 2022, according to a new study.

3 Sep 2025

Do pediatricians recommend vaccines to make a profit? There’s not much money in it

It makes sense to approach some marketing efforts with skepticism. Scams, deepfakes, and deceptive social media posts are common, with people you don't know seeking to profit from your behavior.

3 Sep 2025

Study links childhood passive smoking in fathers to higher COPD risk in offspring

A father's exposure to passive smoking as a child may impair the lifelong lung function of his children, putting them at risk of COPD-a risk that is heightened further if they are childhood passive smokers themselves-finds research published online in the respiratory journal Thorax.

2 Sep 2025

Advances in ultrasound improve prenatal detection of congenital heart disease

A new study published in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, the journal from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons, suggests that prenatal detection of congenital heart disease (CHD) has improved in recent years largely due to advances in ultrasound screening practices.

2 Sep 2025

Glutamate receptors found to drive pediatric brain tumor development

The most common type of brain tumor in children, pilocytic astrocytoma (PA), accounts for about 15% of all pediatric brain tumors.

1 Sep 2025

Breastfeeding at six months boosts children’s IQ and academic skills into adolescence

Breastfeeding at six months was linked to higher IQ, better reading and math skills, and improved conversational abilities in children, according to the ALSPAC study. The findings, based on 42 significant outcomes, highlight long-term cognitive advantages but stop short of proving causality.

1 Sep 2025

Most school PE programs fail to build basic motor skills

Findings indicate alarmingly low fundamental motor skill proficiency in Polish students, questioning the effectiveness of current physical education approaches.

1 Sep 2025

Can oral bacteria make heart disease worse?

The presence of viridans streptococci in coronary plaques indicates a role in atherosclerosis, potentially influencing heart disease outcomes.

1 Sep 2025

Babies fed blueberries show fewer allergy symptoms and boosted immune balance

Daily blueberry powder given to infants during complementary feeding modestly influenced allergic symptom resolution and shaped immune biomarker–microbiota associations. Findings suggest early diet may play a role in immune development, though results are preliminary and exploratory.

31 Aug 2025