Children's Health: Pressure to be cool, look good is detrimental to many children ♦ The hormonal factor FGF21, present in breast milk, plays a key role in regulating newborn metabolism

Poor motor skills in two-year-olds could indicate slow development in mathematical proficiency Two-year-olds with poor motor function also exhibit poor mathematical skills, a new study shows. This knowledge will make it easier for teachers to identify children who may need extra help.

The hormonal factor FGF21, present in breast milk, plays a key role in regulating newborn metabolism A compound found in breast milk, named fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21), plays a key role in neonatal nutrient absorption and intestinal function. FGF21 also contributes to improve newborn growth and metabolic profile.

Pressure to be cool, look good is detrimental to many children The pressure to be cool, look good and own the 'right stuff' is detrimental to many children and teenagers.While many young people buy into consumer culture believing it will make them feel better about themselves and help them to make friends, often the reverse happens.

More time for school lunches equals healthier choices for kids Elementary and middle school students who are given at least 25 minutes to eat lunch are more likely to choose fruits and consume more of their entrees, milk, and vegetable

Children's Health:Better fine motor skills with delayed cord clamping ♦ Communication made easier for children with cerebral palsy ♦ 'Do' is better than 'don't' when it comes to eating better

Infusions of donor bone marrow cells help children with inherited skin blistering Promising results from a trial of a new stem-cell based therapy for a rare and debilitating skin condition suggest that the therapy, involving infusions of stem cells, provide pain relief and to reduce the severity of this skin condition for which no cure currently exists.

Better fine motor skills with delayed cord clamping The importance of the umbilical cord for both the fetus and for newborn infants was demonstrated by researchers several years ago, in a study that received great international acclaim. In a follow-up study, the researchers have now been able to show an association between delayed cord clamping (DCC) and children's fine motor skills at the age of four years, especially in boys.

Communication made easier for children with cerebral palsy A European initiative has developed a new brain-computer interface system to enhance communication skills of people with cerebral palsy from childhood, improving the relationship with their environment and the expression of emotions.

'Do' is better than 'don't' when it comes to eating better Tell your child or spouse what they can eat and not what they can't, experts advise. Telling your child to eat an apple so they stay healthy will work better than telling them not to eat the cookie because it will make them fat. A new discovery shows that 'Don't' messages don't work for most of us.

Strength-based parenting improves children's resilience and stress levels Children are more likely to use their strengths to effectively cope with minor stress in their life if they have parents who adopt a strength-based approach to parenting. Strength-based parenting is an approach where parents deliberately identify and cultivate positive states, processes and qualities in their children.

Health Research: Obesity may exacerbate inactivity,due to poor motor skills ♦ New gene implicated in multiple sclerosis ♦ Sleep apnea linked to depression in men

New gene implicated in multiple sclerosis disease activity A new study reports the discovery of a genetic variant that is associated with a patient's likelihood of responding to interferon-beta. The study also presents evidence that the affected gene, SLC9A9, may have a broader role in regulating the development and activity of certain immune cells that play important roles in inflammatory diseases like multiple sclerosis.

Obesity may exacerbate inactivity, due to poor motor skills Obese adults have very poor motor skills which makes fine movements difficult for them. The findings suggest inactivity may not be a cause of obesity, but instead a result of poor motor skills associated with the condition.

Readmissions in severe sepsis are as common as those in heart failure and pneumonia Severe sepsis is a significant cause of rehospitalization along the lines of nationally recognized outcome measures and more commonly discussed conditions such as heart failure (HF) and pneumonia.

Agriculture, declining mobility drove humans' shift to lighter bones

Modern lifestyles have famously made humans heavier, but, in one particular way, noticeably lighter weight than our hunter-gatherer ancestors: in the bones. Now a new study of the bones of hundreds of humans who lived during the past 33,000 years in Europe finds the rise of agriculture and a corresponding fall in mobility drove the change, rather than urbanization, nutrition or other factors

Sleep apnea linked to depression in men Severe obstructive sleep apnea and excessive daytime sleepiness are associated with an increased risk of depression in men.