Kindergarten might seem like child’s play, but embracing the adventure can play a key role in a kid’s future educational success, a new study finds. A successful early transition to kindergarten — what the researchers called the “big little leap” — can put a child firmly on the right path, researchers found. Kids who made… read on > read on >
Think your kid is safe from exposure to gambling? Don’t bet on it. “Teens and young adults may have a difficult time going into a casino unnoticed but they have easy access to a variety of betting and gambling options,” said Sarah Clark, co-director of C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health. “This… read on > read on >
Microbiomes: You’ve probably heard of these communities of largely helpful bacteria that colonize the gut or the skin. But a man’s semen has a microbiome of its own, and new research suggests it could play a role in fertility. Researchers at the University of California Los Angeles examined the microbiomes and sperm health of 73… read on > read on >
Expecting moms who often turn to acetaminophen for their aches and pains are more likely to wind up with kids who have behavioral issues, a new study warns. Children between the ages of 2 and 4 were more likely to have attention and behavioral problems if their mothers frequently used acetaminophen during pregnancy, researchers found.… read on > read on >
Abortion bans are intended to preserve the lives of children, proponents say, but a new study has found infants are more likely to die in the states with the most restrictive laws. States with the tightest abortion laws had a 16% increased infant mortality rate from 2014 to 2018, compared to the states with the… read on > read on >
Fetal exposure to opioids may change a baby’s immune system, triggering a rise in risks for eczema and asthma through early childhood, new research shows. Children born to women who used opioids during pregnancy had much higher rates of eczema, as well as conditions such as “diaper rash,” during infancy, Australian researchers report. These children… read on > read on >
College freshmen who are more outgoing and agreeable — and less moody — are more likely to feel a sense of belonging at their new school, new research has found. Those personality traits could result in better academic performance and better mental health during college, the study authors concluded. However, two other important personality traits… read on > read on >
Stressed-out teens are likely to have more heart health risk factors in adulthood, a new study says. Teens with elevated stress levels tended to have high blood pressure, obesity and other heart risk factors as they aged, compared to those teens with less stress, researchers found. “Our findings suggest that perceived stress patterns over time… read on > read on >
For the more than 3 billion gamers around the world, the loud noises they experience while playing video games could threaten their hearing, a new review suggests. Whether on the couch, parked at a computer desk or in an arcade, studies have shown the noise from video games often exceeds levels deemed safe for a… read on > read on >
Art therapy has the potential to help women deal with menopause, a new study reports. Creative arts therapies combined with nutrition education significantly improved quality of life, stress, anxiety and body image in a group of overweight women who had entered menopause, researchers said. All participants also experienced decreases in body mass index and blood… read on > read on >
