Children who were given antibiotics in their first six months had a higher incidence of obesity later.
A higher risk of obesity has been found in the use of antibiotics in young children, according to new studies. Two new studies, one on mice and one on humans, conclude that changes of the intestinal bacteria caused by antibiotics could be responsible.
Continue reading… “Childhood obesity linked to antibiotic use in infants: Studies”
Dogs who were spoken to or who had direct eye contact with a person were more likely to follow that human’s gaze.
Some dogs have the skills of a 6-month-old baby, according to a new report in Current Biology. Man’s best friend not only responds to the words and ministrations of humans, dogs can understand and anticipate the intentions of their people, researchers are reporting.
Continue reading… “Dogs have skills equivalent to 6-month old babies”
More babies could be saved if the mothers had better medical care.
Worldwide, more than 2 million babies are stillborn every year. About half of the babies born stillborn could be saved if their mothers had better medical care, according to researchers’ estimates.
Continue reading… “More Than 2 Million Babies are Stillborn Every Year: Study”
Babies born late at night have a slighter risk of brain problems.
Babies born late at night or in the wee hours of the morning may have a slightly higher risk of rare brain problems compared to infants delivered during the day, suggests a new study.
Continue reading… “Late Night Delivery Linked to Brain Problems”
1 in 9 babies in poverty have babies with severely depressed mothers.
More than half of babies in poverty are being raised by mothers who show symptoms of mild to severe depression, potentially creating problems in parenting and in child development, according to a new study.
Continue reading… “Half of Babies in Poverty Have a Mother with Depression”
A new setup at the University of Washington combines a cap to monitor head position (top) and the Magnetoencephalography (MEG) (bottom) lets researchers use it on infants and young children.
A maelstrom of neural connections develop in a child’s brain during the first five years of life. Understanding how interconnected circuits develop, and how babies think, could lead to a host of new insights into everything from autism to language acquisition. But gathering such information has been tricky: infants can’t be ordered to stay motionless, which is required for most advanced neuroimaging techniques. Now a system that works in concert with existing imaging machinery can account for head movement and, for the first time, let researchers see detailed activity in an active baby’s brain.
Continue reading… “Technology that Opens a Window into Babies’ Developing Brains”
Newborn babies are such fast developers because they keep learning even in their sleep.
Even though infants may stay awake for just a few hours a day, their brains keep working around the clock, scientists said.
Do infants only start to crawl once they are physically able to see danger coming? Or is it that because they are more mobile, they develop the ability to sense looming danger? According to Ruud van der Weel and Audrey van der Meer, from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim, infants’ ability to see whether an object is approaching on a direct collision course, and when it is likely to collide, develops around the time they become more mobile.
Continue reading… “Do Babies Only Start To Crawl When They Are Able To See Danger Coming?”
Hard plastic drinking bottles and baby bottles are not devoid of health risks because a study has found that the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) – which is used to make plastics and has been linked with cardiovascular disease and diabetes–often releases into the liquid contained in such containers.
Continue reading… “Study Finds Plastic Bottles Release Harmful Chemical Into Liquids”
Infrared lasers have helped researchers detect minute traces of a synthetic chemical like melamine in baby formula, within minutes.
Continue reading… “Infrared Lasers Help Detect Synthetic Chemicals In Baby Formula”
One sister is 14; the other is 9. They are a vibrant pair: the older girl is high-spirited but responsible, a solid student and a devoted helper at home; her sister loves to read and watch cooking shows, and she recently scored well above average on citywide standardized tests.
Continue reading… “Crack Babies – The Epidemic That Didn’t Happen”
Infants born at very low birth weights are at increased risk of lung ailments in the first 12 months of life, and a new study suggests that modifiable indoor respiratory triggers, namely exposure to cigarette smoke and pests in the home, may be at least partly to blame.
Continue reading… “Living with Smokers Hard On Tiny Babies”
