Children's Health: Parental absence affects brain development in children ♦ Herniated disks in children, ♦ First language wires brain for later language-learning

Recommended levels of activity rarely achieved by obese children and those with liver disease Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is most common form of chronic liver disease in children and adolescents in western countries, and yet new research indicates that obese children rarely achieve recommended levels of activity.

Parental absence affects brain development in children Researchers have found that children who have been left without direct parental care for extended periods of time show larger gray matter volumes in the brain.

Herniated disks in children, teens linked to lower spine malformations Most children and adolescents with herniated disks in the lower (lumbar) spine have some sort of malformation of the spinal vertebrae, reports a study. Herniated disks in the lumbar spine are common in adults, typically related to repetitive overloading and age-related degeneration. But this type of wear and tear can't explain the uncommon occurrence in children and teens.

First language wires brain for later language-learning You may believe that you have forgotten the Chinese you spoke as a child, but your brain hasn't. Moreover, that "forgotten" first language may well influence what goes on in your brain when you speak English or French today.