Children’s Health

Infants who were diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) at 24 months old had differences in the visual processing areas of the brain that were apparent at 6 months old, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health. The researchers theorized that disruption in visual processing could interfere with how infants see

Lactation Lab, which offers the most scientifically advanced breast milk testing available, has announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), has granted the company Breakthrough Device designation for its latest device Emily’s Care Nourish Test System that tests and provides a nutritional analysis of breast milk. This first-of-its-kind breast-milk (point of care)-test

A case report published in the New England Journal of Medicine provides evidence that enterovirus D68 directly infects spinal cord neurons and that a corresponding robust immune response is present – a direct causation to the polio-like paralyzing illness, acute flaccid myelitis (AFM). Matthew Vogt, MD, PhD, assistant professor of pediatrics and microbiology & immunology

Children with high-risk neuroblastoma had worse outcomes if they were from certain racial/ethnic groups or were on public rather than private insurance, despite being treated in clinical trials with standardized protocols, according to a study led by investigators from Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center. The study shows that young patients from historically marginalized

Antibiotics inappropriately prescribed to nonhospitalized children resulted in at least $74 million in excess health-care costs in the U.S. in 2017, according to a new study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and The Pew Charitable Trusts. Children who were prescribed unneeded or unsuitable antibiotics in outpatient settings, such as doctors’ offices

Inflammation of the skin and the esophagus, food allergy and asthma are just some of the symptoms of a now 12-year-old boy who was the first to have a mutation on the IL-33 gene. An international team led by a physician from the Karl Landsteiner University for Health Sciences, Krems, discovered this new disease entity.

Pregnant women and new mothers are often presented with information on the benefits of breastfeeding their infants. A new study in Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, the scientific journal of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) shows that a longer period of exclusive breastfeeding was associated with decreased odds of current

The Best Emollients for Eczema trial has found that no one type of moisturizer is better than another. This study, the first in the world to directly compare different types of moisturizers, highlights the importance of patient education and choice when deciding which moisturizers to use for children with eczema. The results from the National

UCLA researchers have taken the initial step in identifying what may be an effective way to detect gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) earlier in pregnancy, potentially improving diagnosis and treatment for what is the most common disorder of pregnancy. The study is published in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS ONE. Gestational diabetes causes blood sugar levels to

Immune response and the lymphatic system are central to cardiac repair after a heart attack, according to a study from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and Northwestern University Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute. These insights into the basic mechanisms of cardiac repair are the first step towards developing novel therapeutic approaches to

A new study co-led by a Cedars-Sinai investigator identified a gene that plays an important role in a biological pathway involved in embryo development. The gene’s impact at the cellular level could explain why some babies are born with physical abnormalities and why some adults develop diseases such as cancer. The findings are published in

In a recent article posted to the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, researchers presented baseline outcomes from a longitudinal assessment of post-acute sequelae of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection (PASC), also known as long-COVID. Study: A Longitudinal Study of COVID-19 Sequelae and Immunity: Baseline Findings. Image Credit: tilialucida / Shutterstock Background SARS-CoV-2 is a

As of May 25, 2022, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus responsible for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has infected more than 526 million people and caused over 6.28 million deaths worldwide. Scientific and clinical evidence has shown the presence of potential post-acute and long-term effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection in multiple

Parents are generally receptive to the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in the management of children with respiratory illnesses in the Emergency Department (ED), according to a survey from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. However, some demographic subgroups (non-Hispanic Black and younger age parents) had greater reservations about the use

In a recent study published in Pediatrics, researchers evaluated the impact of masking policies in schools on the secondary transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Study: School Masking Policies and Secondary SARS-CoV-2 Transmission. Image Credit: Drazen Zigic/Shutterstock Masking practices have been implemented throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to limit the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome

In a recent Nutrients study, researchers evaluate the persistence of anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) immunoglobulin A (IgA) and IgG in breast milk before and after in vitro gastrointestinal digestion. The researchers also assess the potential difference in these antibody levels based on whether the lactating mother was previously infected or vaccinated against

In a recent study posted to the medRxiv* pre-print server, researchers evaluated coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine-induced humoral immune response in five to 11-year-old children. The children had a delayed and reduced immune response as they received a 10 μg dose of the BNT162b2 vaccine; however, they mounted a robust neutralization at peak immunogenicity. Study:

Across the world, food allergies are on the rise. One of the most important cells in studying this ailment are basophils, which activate inflammation and other responses to allergens such as rashes, and sometimes, anaphylaxis. But basophils are exceedingly rare in a typical vial of blood, compromising 1% or less of all white blood cells.

Many young people spend much of their time using digital screens which may reduce their engagement in physical activity. But children have always been sedentary during most of their awake time. This has been shown every time researchers have measured physical activity among different groups of children regardless of their cultural background and geography (also

In a recent study published in the British Medical Journal, researchers evaluated the association between coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination and long COVID symptoms among adults residing in United Kingdom (UK) communities with positive COVID-19 history before vaccination. COVID-19 vaccines have been effective in decreasing severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections, transmission, hospitalizations,