Could the immune system play a role in why some women become depressed during and after a pregnancy? Swedish researchers have uncovered a “bidirectional relationship” between pregnancy-linked depression and autoimmune diseases such as psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, ulcerative colitis and celiac disease. In other words, women who experienced depression specific to a pregnancy were more… read on > read on >
Depression that emerges around the time of pregnancy raises a woman’s risk for suicide sharply and for many years, new Swedish research shows. The study found that a new mom’s odds for suicide soars seven-fold in the year after a diagnosis of perinatal depression — depression that arises just before, during or after a pregnancy.… read on > read on >
A ‘secret shopper’ study finds that for many American families, accessing inpatient treatment for a teen battling addiction can be next to impossible. “If you are a family in crisis and you have a kid for whom outpatient treatment is not an option, you hope to be able to call the closest residential facility to… read on > read on >
Teens who are active are doing their bones a lasting favor, Japanese researchers report. “Physical exercise in adolescence affects BMD [bone mineral density] more than 50 years later in older adults,” said lead researcher Dr. Yoshifumi Tamura, a faculty member at Juntendo University in Tokyo. “Our findings can guide the selection of sports played during… read on > read on >
An average of 22 U.S. teens die each week from drug overdoses, a death toll driven by the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl, a new study reports. Researchers also have identified 19 “hotspot” counties where fatal ODs are occurring as much as double the national average. The overdose death rate for 14- to 18-year-olds now stands… read on > read on >
“School spirit” appears to provide long-lasting mental health benefits for Black teens, new research finds. School connectedness – the degree to which students feel like part of to their school community – is a protective factor against depression and aggressive behavior later in life among Black students, researchers report in the Journal of Youth and… read on > read on >
Exposing babies and toddlers to TV and other digital media could be linked to a heightened risk for dysfunction in what’s known as “sensory processing,” a new study warns. Kids with “atypical sensory processing” are often hypersensitive to the touch, sound, taste or look of stimuli in their environment. For example, kids might try to… read on > read on >
Ear infections are common for kids, but they can lead to long-term developmental problems, a new study finds. Temporary hearing loss caused by recurring ear infections can lead to delays in language development and sound processing years later, researchers reported recently in the International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology. “Ear infections are so common that we… read on > read on >
Most people have heard of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), where babies die during sleep for reasons that aren’t always clear. But every year, about 400 cases of similar “sudden unexplained deaths in children” (SUDC) occur in the United States among a slightly older age group — toddlers. New research, involving video from baby monitors… read on > read on >
Acetaminophen, best known as Tylenol in the United States, is a go-to pain med for millions. However, a new study is raising doubts about its safe use by women who are pregnant. The researchers found kids born to women who used acetaminophen while pregnant had delays in language development, compared to children born to women… read on > read on >
