While the Omicron variant appears wily enough to evade people’s antibodies, researchers report that it should have a much harder time slipping past a person’s T-cells. “Despite being a preliminary study, we believe this is positive news. Even if Omicron, or some other variant for that matter, can potentially escape antibodies, a robust T-cell response…  read on >  read on >

That sing-song speech parents use when talking to their babies is universal, and infants tend to prefer it. So, when a baby doesn’t seem to engage with this melodic “motherese,” or baby talk, it can be an early sign of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Researchers at the University of California, San Diego used numerous techniques…  read on >  read on >

Babies born at the height of the pandemic appear to suffer small but significant delays in their motor and social development, a new study reports. Babies were particularly at risk if their mothers were in the first trimester of their pregnancy during spring 2020, when the United States entered lockdowns. “It’s important to recognize these…  read on >  read on >

Can eating a highly restrictive “few-foods diet” ease the classic symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in kids? New research suggests that short-term nutritional intervention, which tests whether certain foods are a trigger for ADHD symptoms through the process of elimination, might make a difference. ADHD can result in inattentiveness, hyperactivity and impulsiveness, and…  read on >  read on >

COVID-19 hospitalizations among children are surging across the United States just as students return to school and the highly transmissible Omicron variant begins to dominate the country. At least nine states have reported record numbers of COVID-related pediatric hospitalizations: They include Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maine, Missouri, Ohio and Pennsylvania, as well as Washington,…  read on >  read on >

TUESDAY, Jan. 4, 2022 (HealthDay News) – Young patients with early-onset scoliosis, a dangerous curvature of the spine, have two options for surgery, but a new study finds one of the procedures results in fewer complications. For 8- to 11-year-olds, growth-friendly surgery that allows the spine to continue growing might sound preferable, but researchers say…  read on >  read on >