Prenatal Research: Exposure to common flame retardants may contribute to attention problems in children ♦ Climate change negatively affects birth weight,

Climate change negatively affects birth weight, From melting glaciers to increasing wildfires, the consequences of climate change and strategies to mitigate such consequences are often a hotly debated topic. A new study adds to the ever-growing list of negative impacts climate change can have on humans--low birth weight.

Exposure to common flame retardants may contribute to attention problems in children Prenatal exposure to some flame retardants that have been widely-used in consumer products is associated with attention problems in young children. A new study is the first to show the effects of prenatal exposure to polybrominated diphenyl ethers on children's development at ages 3, 4, and 7 years. Children with the highest exposure to certain PBDEs had approximately twice the number of maternally-reported attention problems . PBDEs are found in textiles, plastics, wiring, and furniture containing polyurethane foam to reduce flammability.

Highly sensitive sensors successfully map electrical patterns of embryonic heart Highly sensitive sensors have been successfully used to map the electrical activity of the developing heart in embryos, scientists report. The study could lead to new insight into how heart rhythm abnormalities develop.

Prenatal maternal iron intake shown to affect the neonatal brain In the first study of its kind, researchers have shown that inadequate maternal iron intake during pregnancy exerts subtle effects on infant brain development.

Children's Health: ype 1 diabetes prevention: Insulin vaccine undergoes second trial ♦ Understanding others' thoughts enables young kids to lie ♦ New test predicts teens' future risk of heart diseas

Type 1 diabetes prevention: Insulin vaccine undergoes second trial A vaccination against type 1 diabetes may soon be available to young children: the Pre-POINT early vaccination study will involve children between the ages of six months and two years from across Germany who have a first-degree relative with type 1 diabetes. In the preceding Pre-POINT study a positive immune response was triggered in children aged between two and seven years with the aid of powdered insulin. The follow-up Pre-POINT early study will now test whether this effect can be confirmed by giving very young children oral insulin, and whether type 1 diabetes can be prevented in the long term.

Understanding others' thoughts enables young kids to lie Kids who are taught to reason about the mental states of others are more likely to use deception to win a reward, according to new research.

New test predicts teens' future risk of heart disease A new test can predict teenagers' future risk of heart disease, the number one killer of both men and women. By identifying those at risk early, the test enables doctors to encourage the healthy behaviors that could one day save the teens' lives

Birth weight, poor childhood growth linked to hearing, vision problems in middle age A study of up to 433,390 UK adults has linked being under and overweight at birth with poorer hearing, vision and cognition in middle age. 

Parents Influence Children's Play of Violent Video Games Parents who are anxious and emotional can impact their children's violent video game play, according to new research. Warm and restrictive parents successfully limited children’s play. However, anxious parents had the opposite effect.

Children's Health:Early maturing girls at great risk of alcohol abuse without close parental supervision ♦ Birth weight affects social trust, ♦ Blocking light improves preemies' survival rates

Early exposure to tobacco can cause behavioral problems in children Researchers have analyzed data on pre- and postnatal exposure to tobacco in the homes of 5,200 primary school children, and have found that early exposure to tobacco can lead to behavioral problems in children.

Birth weight affects social trust, Low birth weight is statistically correlated with low levels of social trust. The findings deepen our understanding of what keeps society together.

Early maturing girls at great risk of alcohol abuse without close parental supervision Inadequate parental supervision during early adolescence forecasts a host of behavior problems, including problem drinking. Early maturing girls given the most autonomy had the highest rates of alcohol abuse, with intoxication frequency increasing an average of 234 percent.

Early life infections may be a risk factor for Celiac disease in childhood Children with frequent infections in the first 18 months of life have a slightly increased risk of later developing celiac disease compared with children who have few infections, conclude researchers. Celiac disease is an immune-mediated disease triggered by gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye and barley. In recent decades there has been a marked increase in the prevalence of celiac disease and it is believed that one per cent of the population in Western countries.

Blocking light improves preemies' survival rates The survival rate of preemies born between 26 to 31 weeks of gestation is improved by blocking light from reaching the intravenously-fed infused nutritious mixture they depend on for survival.

Prenatal Research: Obesity drug has no effect on baby birth weights, ♦ High-fat maternal diet changes newborn heart 'tastebuds'♦ antidepressants may be associated with increased birth defect risk

Some SSRI antidepressants may be associated with increased birth defect risk

Some antidepressants known as SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) taken during early pregnancy may indeed be associated with an increased risk of birth defects, finds a study.

Obesity drug has no effect on baby birth weights,

Treating obese pregnant women with a diabetes drug does not stop their babies from being born overweight, a study has found. Doctors had hoped that the treatment would help to reduce obesity rates and lower the number of difficult births.

Gene fuels age-related obesity and diabetes

Practically everyone gets fatter as they get older, but some people can blame their genes for the extra padding. Researchers have shown that two different mutations in a gene called ankyrin-B cause cells to suck up glucose faster than normal, fattening them up and eventually leading to the type of diabetes linked to obesity.

High-fat maternal diet changes newborn heart 'tastebuds'

Baby rats whose mothers were fed a high-fat diet had larger than normal hearts with fewer taste receptors for bitter flavours.

Children's Health: Household items, toys key to infant motor skill development ♦ Lower birth weight associated with proximity home to gas wells ♦ School Curriculum changed to help boost achievements of summer born children

Household items, toys key to infant motor skill development, New research is helping parents and pediatricians better predict what household items and toys will help infants develop their motor skills.

New study calls for radical shake-up of the Early Years curriculum to help boost achievements of summer born children A new study has suggested that summer born children struggle at school entry because of unrealistic education targets and a curriculum that is out of step with their developmental levels

Lower birth weight associated with proximity of mother's home to gas wells Pregnant women living close to a high density of natural gas wells drilled with hydraulic fracturing were more likely to have babies with lower birth weights than women living farther from such wells, according to an analysis of southwestern Pennsylvania birth records.

Babies who can resettle are more likely to 'sleep through the night' Young infants who can 'resettle' themselves after waking up are more likely to sleep for prolonged periods at night, according to a video study. The researchers also looked for times when the infants woke up but were able to "resettle autonomously"--to go back to sleep without parental involvement

Childrens Health: Pollution lowers birth weigh ♦ Premature girls thrive more than premature boys ♦ Technology reduces distracted driving among teens

Adolescent brain on alcohol: Changes last into adulthood Repeated alcohol exposure during adolescence results in long-lasting changes in the region of the brain that controls learning and memory.

Outsmarting smartphones: Technology reduces distracted driving among teens Technology can bolster efforts by parents, lawmakers and insurance companies to reduce distracted driving among novice teen drivers,.

Beijing Olympics study links pollution to lower birth weight Exposure to high levels of pollution can have a significant impact on fetal growth and development. Their study found that women who were pregnant during the 2008 Beijing Olympics, when pollution levels were reduced by the Chinese government, gave birth to children with higher birth weights.

Evidence that premature girls thrive more than premature boys A new study provides further evidence that female infants tend to do better than males when born prematurely. The study found that female infants independently orally fed one day earlier than males. The ability to suck, swallow and breathe simultaneously are reflexes that many premature infants are unable to do.

Brain differences seen in children with dyslexia, dysgraphia Structural brain differences between children with dyslexia and dysgraphia and children who are typical language learners have been observed by researchers in a recent study.The findings prove that using a single category of learning disability to qualify for special education services is not scientifically supported.