Newswise Feature Channel: Children's Health

APSA and Unbound Medicine Launch Augmented Pediatric Surgical Intelligence(tm)

Unbound Medicine — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 11:00:30 EST

The American Pediatric Surgical Association (APSA) and Unbound Medicine today announced the launch of Augmented Pediatric Surgical Intelligence(tm) (APSI), a groundbreaking AI capability integrated into APSA's Pediatric Surgery Digital Library. APSI elevates APSA's authoritative surgical content with Unbound Medicine's AI-infused digital publishing platform and knowledge engineering expertise to create personalized learning pathways for pediatric surgeons, residents, and educators worldwide.

Frequent Use of Antibiotics in Infants and Young Children May Increase Risk for Asthma, Allergies and Other Conditions

Rutgers University-New Brunswick — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 09:20:13 EST

Rutgers Health researchers highlight the connection between early repeated antibiotic use how it impacts the digestive microbiome

Nurturing Now, Thriving Later: The Lasting Power of Affectionate Mothering

American Psychological Association (APA) — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 09:00:00 EST

Affectionate mothering in childhood may have a lasting impact on important personality traits, potentially influencing life outcomes such as educational achievement, economic success, and health and well-being, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.

Autism Rates Hit Record High, With One in 31 Children Affected, CDC Reports

Rutgers University-New Brunswick — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 18:30:57 EST

Researchers note a demographic shift as autism is now more prevalent among minority children.

Experts Stress Importance of Vaccination Amidst Measles Outbreaks

Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 17:15:50 EST

Pediatric infectious diseases experts stress the importance of vaccination against measles, one of the most contagious viruses, which is once more spreading in the United States.

A $25 Million Gift Establishes the Stein Tikun Olam Early Connections Program at Children's Hospital Los Angeles

Children's Hospital Los Angeles — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 13:00:00 EST

The Tikun Olam Foundation of the Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles has awarded a $25 million gift to establish the Stein Tikun Olam Early Connections Program at Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA). This program will be one of the first of its kind in the nation providing universal, hospital-wide infant-family mental health services. The transformational donation is the largest in the history of CHLA dedicated to early childhood mental health.

Young Children, as Early as Age 5, Are Guided by an Inner Moral Code

Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 09:00:00 EST

The results of an international Italy-Japan-UK collaboration by the Universita Cattolica in Milan captured this ability at its core. For a child, an incorrect action is always wrong and immoral, even if it is made by a robot.

MSU Expert: Why the US Is Experiencing a Boomerang Effect in Formerly Rare Childhood Illnesses

Michigan State University — Mon, 14 Apr 2025 19:40:50 EST

MSU expert: Why the US is experiencing a boomerang effect in formerly rare childhood illnesses

Immune Protein STING Key for Repairing, Generating Lysosomes

UT Southwestern Medical Center — Mon, 14 Apr 2025 19:15:38 EST

The STING protein, known for helping cells fight viral infections by generating inflammation, also appears to function as a quality control sensor for organelles that serve as cellular waste disposal systems, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers found.

Study Looks at Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Rates of Congenital Heart Disease Procedures Among Children

University of Bristol — Mon, 14 Apr 2025 18:20:47 EST

Major reallocation of healthcare services during the COVID-19 pandemic meant that elective surgery in children with congenital heart disease (CHD) was significantly reduced, so that those needing urgent, lifesaving and emergency surgery could be treated.

THC Exposure before Birth May Impair Infant Lung Development and Function

American Physiological Society (APS) — Mon, 14 Apr 2025 17:40:05 EST

Using cannabis products during pregnancy may negatively affect offspring lung development and function, according to new research.

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Researchers Chart Natural History of Patients with SCN8A-Related Disorders

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia — Mon, 14 Apr 2025 16:00:00 EST

Researchers have completed a comprehensive natural history study of SCN8A-related disorders, which represent a spectrum of neurological symptoms. The study, using retrospective clinical information analyzed through novel data analysis methods, revealed a range of seizure types and neurodevelopmental features, and identifies potential targets for future clinical trials.

A Dynamic Peripheral Immune Landscape During Human Pregnancy

Chinese Academy of Sciences — Mon, 14 Apr 2025 10:50:07 EST

This study uncovers dynamic immune adaptations during pregnancy through single-cell RNA sequencing of peripheral blood mononuclear cells at different pregnancy stages. A gradual reduction in cytotoxicity of T and NK cells, along with decreased MHC-II and CD40 signaling in T and B cells, suggests weakened adaptive immunity. Meanwhile, upregulated pro-inflammatory genes in monocytes may compensate for this reduction. Late pregnancy shows a transition toward immune activation in dendritic and CD4+ T cells. Notably, we highlight a novel pro-aging effect of pregnancy, which may reverse postpartum. These findings enhance our understanding of pregnancy immunity and its impact on disease risk.

Study Explores Relationship Between Stigma Faced by Parents in Sexual and Gender Minority Families and Children's Emotional and Behavioral Health

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign — Mon, 14 Apr 2025 08:55:18 EST

Researchers Identify Factors in Early-Life Linked to Body Fat in South Asian Children

McMaster University — Thu, 10 Apr 2025 11:00:00 EST

Researchers at McMaster University have identified six key factors in the first three years of life that influence the trajectory of obesity in South Asian children.

Lewis University Secures $170,000 Grant to Help Addiction Counseling Students

Lewis University — Thu, 10 Apr 2025 10:50:55 EST

Lewis University Secures $170,000 Grant to Help Addiction Counseling Students

Crystal L. Mackall, MD, FAACR, Recognized with the 2025 AACR-Cancer Research Institute Lloyd J. Old Award in Cancer Immunology

Cancer Research Institute — Thu, 10 Apr 2025 10:50:46 EST

The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)-Cancer Research Institute (CRI) Lloyd J. Old Award in Cancer Immunology will be presented to Crystal L. Mackall, MD, Fellow of the AACR Academy, during the AACR Annual Meeting 2025, to be held April 25-30 at the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago, Illinois.

Recognizing and Overcoming Postpartum Depression

Children's Hospital Los Angeles — Thu, 10 Apr 2025 09:25:22 EST

Having a baby is a life-changing experience filled with emotion. It can bring great joy, fulfillment, and a sense of purpose, but also feelings of sadness, irritability, self-doubt, inadequacy, and exhaustion. When the negative feelings begin to outweigh the positives, a new parent might be experiencing postpartum depression.

Georgia's Pre-K Program Boosts Kindergarten Readiness

University of Georgia — Thu, 10 Apr 2025 09:25:08 EST

Children who attend school-based sites in Georgia's universal pre-K program start kindergarten better prepared than their peers who do not attend any Georgia pre-K, according to a new study from the University of Georgia.

Landmark Study Identifies New Genetic Cause of Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Bringing Long-Awaited Answers to Families

Mount Sinai Health System — Thu, 10 Apr 2025 05:00:00 EST

A seminal study from researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and their collaborators in the United Kingdom, Belgium, Spain, the Netherlands, and Iceland has uncovered a new genetic cause of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). The discovery offers both closure and hope to potentially thousands of families worldwide who have long been searching for answers. The study, published in the April 10 online issue of Nature Genetics [DOI: 10.1038/s41588-025-02159-5], reveals that mutations in a small, previously overlooked non-coding gene called RNU2-2 are responsible for relatively common NDD. Non-coding genes are genes that don't produce proteins but may still play critical roles in regulating cell functions.