Physical activity has many well-known health benefits, but its association with lung function in childhood and adolescence is not well understood. A new study by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), a centre supported by “la Caixa,” has for the first time demonstrated an association between regular physical activity during childhood and higher lung-function […]
Childhood trauma tied to tooth loss later in life
Even if children grow up to overcome childhood adversity, the trauma they experience in early life causes them to be at greater risk for tooth loss, according to University of Michigan researchers. Haena Lee, a postdoctoral researcher at the U-M Institute for Social Research, assessed the impact of adverse childhood events on oral health—specifically, total […]
Common oral infections in childhood may increase the risk of atherosclerosis in adulthood
A Finnish 27-year follow-up study suggests that common oral infections in childhood, caries and periodontal diseases, are associated with an increased risk of atherosclerosis in adulthood. The association between childhood oral infections and adulthood carotid atherosclerosis was observed in The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study, an ongoing prospective cohort. “The observation is novel, since […]
Air pollution poses risks for childhood cancer survivors
Poor air quality days significantly increase the risk of hospitalizations for respiratory issues in young survivors of cancer, according to a study conducted by researchers at Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) at the University of Utah (U of U) and published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. Better treatments—developed through research—have resulted […]
New website walks parents through early childhood development, alerts them to early signs of autism
Your baby delights you but he’s causing you concern. Why is it so hard to get him to look at you? Why doesn’t he gesture as much as other babies you know? Your relatives say you worry too much. They blame your parenting for the child’s frequent tantrums. Still, you wonder: “Could my baby have […]
Researchers restore fertility in non-human primate model of childhood cancer survivorship
One in three childhood cancer survivors is at risk of becoming infertile due to chemotherapy or radiation, and since their sperm or eggs have not matured, assisted reproduction using those sperm or eggs is not an option when they become adults. Now in a major first, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine […]
Childhood trauma may affect brain structure, predisposing adults to recurring major depressive disorder
Early life trauma may affect the structure of the brain in a way that makes clinical depression more likely to be severe and recurrent, according to a two-year observational study of 110 patients published in The Lancet Psychiatry journal. Previous studies have suggested an association between maltreatment and altered brain structure, while others have identified […]
Research reveals machinery of a deadly childhood brain cancer
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital scientists have mapped the effects of aberrant biological machinery that drives a deadly brain cancer called diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG). The research included development of a genetically engineered mouse that will offer ways to further understanding of such brain cancers, as well as a laboratory model for developing more […]
It’s time to go back to basics in the fight against childhood pneumonia
Pneumonia is a respiratory infection that affects the lungs. The viruses and bacteria that cause the disease are spread through airborne droplets from a cough or sneeze. An infection can cause the lungs to fill with pus and fluid, making breathing and oxygen intake difficult. And while anyone can get pneumonia, children with weakened immune […]
AHA: Heart Health’s Impact on Brain May Begin in Childhood
TUESDAY, Oct. 23, 2018 (American Heart Association) — A child’s blood pressure could indicate cognition problems into adulthood, according to a new study suggesting the cardiovascular connection to cognitive decline could begin much earlier in life than previously believed. The findings may provide a window into the roots of dementia, for which high blood pressure […]