Health/Medical Research

Children who are exposed to negative parenting -- including abuse, neglect but also overprotection -- are more likely to experience childhood bullying by their peers, according to a meta-analysis of 70 studies of more than 200,000 children.

Young adults reduce their overall prescription drug misuse up to 65 percent if they are part of a community-based prevention effort while still in middle school, according to researchers.

New research findings show that “redshirting” in kindergarten – the practice of delaying for a year a child’s entry into kindergarten – is not happening at the rate previously reported.

Examining social factors is vital to better explaining and understanding the dramatic rise in the number of Americans diagnosed with mental disorders in recent years, according to a new analysis.

Researchers have figured out how to measure an infant's risk of developing autism by looking for abnormalities in his/her placenta at birth, allowing for earlier diagnosis and treatment for the developmental disorder.

Scientists are showing that while not all of the current interventions used to improve language among Autistic children are effective, there is real hope for progress by using interventions based on understanding natural language development and the role of motor and "motor mirroring" behavior in toddlers.

With a better understanding of underlying mechanisms that cause a rare neurodevelopmental disorder in the Old Order Mennonite population, referred to as Pretzel syndrome, a new study reports that five children were successfully treated with a drug that modifies the disease process, minimizing seizures and improving receptive language.

A first-ever vaccine for gut bacteria common in autistic children may also help control some autism symptoms.

Maternal use of valproate (a drug used for the treatment of epilepsy and other neuropsychological disorders) during pregnancy was associated with a significantly increased risk of autism in offspring, according to a new study. The authors caution that these findings must be balanced against the treatment benefits for women who require valproate for epilepsy control.

Infants who sweat less in response to scary situations at age 1 show more physical and verbal aggression at age 3, according to new research.

Scientists have identified patterns of epigenetic changes involved in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by studying genetically identical twins who differ in autism traits. The study is the largest of its kind and may shed light on the biological mechanism by which environmental influences regulate the activity of certain genes and in turn contribute to the development of ASD and related behavior traits.

Parents know that crying babies usually calm down when they are picked up and carried, but why is that? In a study published today, researchers from the RIKEN Brain Science Institute show that human babies and mouse pups alike automatically and deeply relax when they are carried.

The most common cause of lower respiratory tract infections in infants and young children, respiratory syncytial virus, can be transferred during pregnancy to an unborn baby, according to new research.

Psychologists have found that use of certain objects for counting have mixed results with preschoolers, particularly if those objects are rich in perceptual detail (bright and shiny).

Up to 10 percent of the population are affected by specific learning disabilities, such as dyslexia, dyscalculia and autism, translating to 2 or 3 pupils in every classroom, according to a new review.

There is a very good reason mothers often carry their crying babies, pacing the floor, to help them calm down. New research shows that infants experience an automatic calming reaction upon being carried, whether they are mouse or human babies.

Children and teens with autism spectrum disorder use screen-based media, such as television and video games, more often than their typically developing peers and are more likely to develop problematic video game habits, a researcher found.

The use of harsh discipline of unwanted behavior in children has long been controversial. Whether verbal (insults, disparaging remarks, threats) or physical (slapping/spanking), harsh discipline at all stages of childhood carries a large risk of manifesting antisocial ‘externalizing behaviors’ in the child, including aggression, delinquency or hyperactivity.

Light drinking during pregnancy is not linked to adverse behavioural or cognitive outcomes in childhood, suggests a new study. This study collated data from the Millennium Cohort Study, a national study of infants born in the UK between 2000-2002, to assess whether light drinking (up to two units of alcohol per week) in pregnancy was linked to unfavourable developmental outcomes in 7-year-old children.

In a study including children and adolescents six to 18 years of age, those who have experienced migraine headaches were more likely to have had colic as an infant, according to a new study.