Preschoolers can learn reading skills in a virtual classroom, University of Washington researchers say. “Children are ready to learn to read at the age of 5. But the pandemic robbed children of the opportunity for in-person reading instruction,” said Patricia Kuhl, co-director of the Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences (I-LABS), in Seattle. “What we’ve…  read on >  read on >

People with substance abuse disorders, depression and other mental health conditions may be at higher risk for COVID-19 — even when they are fully vaccinated, new research suggests. “Individuals with psychiatric disorders, and especially older adults with psychiatric disorders, may be particularly vulnerable to breakthrough infections,” said study author Kristen Nishimi, a postdoctoral fellow at…  read on >  read on >

School segregation may sound like a relic from the past, but it has actually been increasing in the United States for years. Now a new study shows that has come with health consequences for Black children. Researchers found that in school districts with greater segregation, Black students tended to have more behavioral issues and were…  read on >  read on >

(HealthDay News) – The World Health Organization (WHO) is investigating an unexplained increase in severe liver infection in children around the world including in the United States and the United Kingdom. The severe acute hepatitis cases have led to hospitalizations and even some liver transplants, but not deaths, CBS News reported. In Alabama, the state…  read on >  read on >

Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine may have some slight advantages over the Pfizer shot, new research suggests. For the study, researchers tracked antibody levels in 234 people for 10 months after they received either the two-dose Pfizer (114 people) or Moderna (114 people) mRNA vaccines, or the single-dose Johnson & Johnson (6 people) shot, which uses a…  read on >  read on >

U.S. health care workers were most likely to be infected with COVID-19 at work during the pandemic’s first year, according to a new study that challenges previous research suggesting their risk was highest off the job. Researchers said their findings could help guide efforts to better protect health care workers during future infectious disease outbreaks.…  read on >  read on >

New studies add to the extensive body of research showing the many risks that lead poses to youngsters. The association between lead exposure and children’s IQ is well-documented, but these University of Pennsylvania studies revealed how lead affects children’s stress responses and behavior. One study found a significant association between lead exposure in early childhood…  read on >  read on >

Smoking during pregnancy does not directly cause attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children, according to a new paper that challenges a widely held belief. “Our systematic review shows that there is no causal effect between maternal prenatal smoking and offspring ADHD diagnosis,” said lead author Elis Haan, a former research associate at the University…  read on >  read on >

If you’re one of the many people with long COVID, an expert offers advice on how to tackle it. The first step: Give yourself time to recover. “One thing we have seen repeatedly is that patients push themselves too hard while trying to recover. It makes sense. Everyone is so eager to ‘get back to…  read on >  read on >