ScienceDaily: Child Development News
Read the latest research in child development including how newborns learn to think, how sleep patterns emerge, problems with toddlers and more.
This blog is one of the best child healthcare blogs out there. Add this blog to My Feeds.
Game on? Video-game ownership may interfere with young boys' academic functioning
Mar 11, 2010 8:00am
According to new findings, owning a video-game system may hamper academic development in some children. Boys who received a video-game system immediately had significantly lower reading and writing scores after four months than boys receiving a video-game system at the end of the experiment. Further analysis revealed that the time...
Abused children more likely to suffer unexplained abdominal pain, nausea or vomiting
Mar 9, 2010 5:00am
Children who have been abused psychologically, physically or sexually are more likely to suffer unexplained abdominal pain and nausea or vomiting than children who have not been abused, a new study concludes....
Prevalence of cyberbullying and its psychological impact on nonheterosexual youth revealed
Mar 7, 2010 9:00pm
One out of every two lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) and allied youths are regular victims of "cyberbullying," which causes psychological and emotional distress to victims -- producing thoughts of suicide in some who are repeatedly victimized, according to new research....
Teaching self-control skills to children reduces classroom problems
Mar 7, 2010 2:00am
Children taught skills to monitor and control their anger and other emotions improved their classroom behavior and had significantly fewer school disciplinary referrals and suspensions, according to a new study....
Students' physical fitness associated with academic achievement; organized physical activity
Mar 4, 2010 5:00am
Physical fitness is associated with academic performance in young people, according to a new study....
Baby monkeys receive signals through their mother's breast milk that affect behavior and temperament
Mar 3, 2010 2:00am
Among rhesus macaque monkeys, mothers who weigh more and have had previous pregnancies produce more and better breast milk for their babies than mothers who weigh less and are less experienced. Scientists are using this natural variation in breast milk quality and quantity to show that a mother's milk sends...
Comparative effectiveness trial leads to evidence-based care for childhood epilepsy
Mar 2, 2010 9:00pm
The first comprehensive comparative effectiveness clinical trial of three widely used anti-seizure drugs for childhood absence epilepsy -- the most common form of epilepsy in kids -- has established an evidence-based approach for initial drug therapy. The trial is expected to impact how physicians select and monitor initial therapy for...
Violent video game play makes more aggressive kids, study shows
Mar 2, 2010 5:00am
Exposure to violent video games is a causal risk factor for increased aggressive thoughts and behavior, and decreased empathy and prosocial behavior in youths, a new study finds....
Children with insomnia may have impaired heart rate variability
Mar 1, 2010 9:00pm
Children with insomnia and shorter sleep duration had impaired modulation of heart rhythm during sleep, researchers report....
Good parenting triumphs over prenatal stress
Feb 26, 2010 5:00pm
A mother's nurture may provide powerful protection against risks her baby faces in the womb, according to a new article. The research shows that fetuses exposed to high levels of stress hormone -- shown to be a harbinger for babies' poor cognitive development -- can escape this fate if their...
Children don't trust each other when learning the rules
Feb 23, 2010 8:00am
Children don't trust other children when it comes to learning a new game and will turn to adults for to learn the rules instead, according to a new psychology study....
Rates of childhood obesity, chronic health problems increase, but conditions may not persist
Feb 22, 2010 11:00pm
A new study confirms that rates of obesity and other chronic health problems have risen in American children in recent years, but it also shows that many children's conditions will improve or resolve over time....
Parents still major influence on child’s decision to pursue science careers
Feb 21, 2010 2:00am
Parental influence and access to mathematics courses are likely to guide students to careers in science, technology, engineering, mathematics or medicine, according to new research....
People not only judge mothers based on work status, but also judge their kids
Feb 17, 2010 9:00pm
A new study evaluated the perceptions people have of women and their children based on the woman's work status. The findings showed that people value mothers who stay in the home full time and mothers who find a compromise between working and at-home motherhood after they have a child. People...
New CATCH rule to determine need for CT scans in children with minor head injury
Feb 15, 2010 5:00pm
A new tool may help standardize the use of computed tomography (CT scans) in children with minor head injury and help reduce the number of scans, according to a new study....
Six month old babies can understand our intentions
Feb 14, 2010 8:00am
Researchers have uncovered evidence that six-month-old babies can comprehend our intentions. This contradicts previous findings that infants develop this ability at nine months of age....
The biggest loser: Maternal obesity puts a load on her offspring that lasts a lifetime
Feb 13, 2010 2:00pm
As if there are not enough reasons for obese people to lose weight, a new research report adds several more. In a study involving rats, researchers found that obesity in mothers causes cellular programming in utero that predisposes offspring to inflammation-related disorders (such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, type 2 diabetes, stroke,...
Psychosocial problems are common in children with dental fear
Feb 11, 2010 8:00pm
Children and adolescents with severe dental fear often come from families with a turbulent background. It is also more common that they have had counseling contact with a psychologist....
How brain hears the sound of silence: Separate brain pathways process the start and end of what we hear
Feb 11, 2010 8:00pm
Researchers have isolated an independent processing channel of synapses inside the brain's auditory cortex that deals specifically with shutting off sound processing at appropriate times. Such regulation is vital for hearing and for understanding speech....
First genes for stuttering: Common speech problem, in some cases, may actually be an inherited metabolic disorder
Feb 11, 2010 8:00am
Researchers have identified three genes as a source of stuttering in some people. Mutations in two of the genes have already been implicated in rare metabolic disorders involved in cell recycling, while mutations in a third, closely related, gene have now been shown to be associated for the first time...
If children won't go to school doctor's notes are not the answer, experts say
Feb 10, 2010 9:00pm
Children and adolescents who refuse to attend school should not be given doctors' sick notes. A child and adolescent psychiatrist explains the causes of school avoidance and describe measures to tackle the problem....
Childhood obesity: It's not the amount of TV, it's the number of junk food commercials
Feb 10, 2010 2:00pm
The association between television viewing and childhood obesity is directly related to children's exposure to commercials that advertise unhealthy foods, according to a new study....
Family meals, adequate sleep and limited TV may lower childhood obesity
Feb 9, 2010 8:00pm
A new national study suggests that preschool-aged children are likely to have a lower risk for obesity if they regularly engage in one or more of three specific household routines: eating dinner as a family, getting adequate sleep and limiting their weekday television viewing time. The study showed that 4-year-olds...
Couples who say 'we' do better at resolving conflicts
Feb 5, 2010 5:00pm
People often complain about those seemingly smug married couples who constantly refer to themselves as "we." But a new study suggests that spouses who use "we-ness" language are better able to resolve conflicts than those who don't....
From music to sports: Autonomy fosters passion among kids
Feb 4, 2010 8:00pm
Parents take heed: children and young adults are more likely to pursue sports, music or other pastimes when given an opportunity to nurture their own passion. According to a new study, parental control can predict whether a child develops a harmonious or obsessive passion for a hobby....
Children with suspected development problems may not get needed referrals, study shows
Feb 2, 2010 11:00pm
Many pediatricians score high on screening their patients for developmental delays, but barely make a passing grade in referring children with suspected delays for further testing or treatment, according to a new study....
Even mild kidney disease harms a child's quality of life
Feb 2, 2010 2:00am
Challenging prevailing wisdom that only children with end-stage kidney disease suffer physical, social, emotional and educational setbacks from their disease, new research shows that even mild to moderate kidney disease may seriously diminish a child's quality of life....
Children with cochlear implants have quality of life equal to normal hearing peers, study finds
Feb 1, 2010 11:00pm
Children who have cochlear implants rank their quality of life equal to their normally hearing peers, indicates new research....
Sexual minority youth bullied more than heterosexual youth
Feb 1, 2010 11:00am
The act and victimization of bullying continues to be a problem among today's youth. While many children are experiencing this form of violence, it is more prevalent in children that are different from the social norm. As medical professionals continue to further their understanding of bullying, research shows a high...
Fatality Rates Among Young Drug Users A Cause For Concern
Feb 1, 2010 5:00am
Ecstasy-related death rates in young users is a cause for concern, researchers report....
Data on Haitian Creole released hasten development of translation tools
Feb 1, 2010 5:00am
In response to the humanitarian crisis in Haiti, scientists have publicly released spoken and textual data they've compiled on Haitian Creole so that translation tools desperately needed by doctors, nurses and other relief workers on the earthquake-ravaged island can be rapidly developed....
New study shows effectiveness of MEND program in prevention and treatment of pediatric obesity
Jan 31, 2010 9:00pm
Groundbreaking results from a study to evaluate the effectiveness of the MEND Program, a multi-component community-based childhood obesity intervention have just been published. The independent study demonstrates the success of weight management program MEND for overweight/obese children and their families. Results coincide with the launch of Michelle Obama's initiative to...
After 18, family influence still key to one's ethnic identity
Jan 31, 2010 9:00pm
The formative years don't stop at 18, according to a new study that found the actions and lifestyle of the family continue to influence whether young adults embrace their ethnicity and take pride in their roots. The study of young adults between the ages of 18 and 30 found that...
Can blocking a frown keep bad feelings at bay?
Jan 30, 2010 8:00am
Your facial expression may tell the world what you are thinking or feeling. But it also affects your ability to understand written language related to emotions, according to new research....
Most parents don't realize their 4- or 5-year-olds are overweight or obese
Jan 29, 2010 2:00am
Half of the mothers who took part in a study thought that their obese four or five year-old was normal weight, as did 39 percent of the fathers. When it came to overweight children, 75 percent of mothers and 77 percent of fathers thought that their child was normal weight....
Music in speech equals empathy in heart?
Jan 28, 2010 8:00am
Brain circuits involved in prosody seem to operate on a mirror neuron system, according to neuroscientists. A new study also finds correlation between empathy and prosodic ability....
Do children need both a mother and a father?
Jan 27, 2010 11:00pm
A recent study focused on the importance of gender-specific parents for child rearing....
Design vs. Dyslexia: Innovation promises new hope for children with dyslexia
Jan 27, 2010 8:00pm
Researchers are designing a 21st century electronic toolkit to speed learning for children with dyslexia....
Fast food menus with calorie information lead to lower calorie selections for young children
Jan 27, 2010 2:00am
In a new study, the amount of calories selected by parents for their child's hypothetical meal at McDonald's restaurants were reduced by an average of 102 calories when the menus clearly showed the calories for each item. This is the first study to suggest that labeled menus may lead to...
Facebook or MySpace, youths' use reflect face-to-face interactions
Jan 26, 2010 2:00pm
Though parents often have concerns about letting their teens use social media Web sites like Facebook and MySpace, a new study suggests that well-adapted youth with positive friendships will use these sites to further enhance the positive relationships they already have. However, teens who have behavioral problems and difficulty making...
Everybody laughs, everybody cries: Researchers identify universal emotions
Jan 26, 2010 2:00am
Here's a piece of research that might leave you tickled: laughter is a universal language, according to new research. The study, conducted with people from Britain and Namibia, suggests that basic emotions such as amusement, anger, fear and sadness are shared by all humans....
Three key factors to help children avoid social rejection identified
Jan 25, 2010 11:00pm
Neurobehavioral researchers have found three key factors in a child's behavior that can lead to social rejection. The studies are a crucial step in developing scientifically sound screening tests and treatment planning for social-emotional learning difficulties....
Parents' perceptions of their child’s competence linked to physical activity
Jan 25, 2010 9:00pm
According to a new study, there is no direct link between parents' own level of physical activity, and how much their child may exercise. In fact, parents' perceptions of their children's athleticism are what have a direct impact on the children's activity....
Driven to distraction: New study shows driving hinders talking
Jan 25, 2010 2:00pm
It is well known that having a conversation (for example on a cell phone) impairs one's driving. A new study indicates the reverse is also true: Driving reduces one's ability to comprehend and use language....
Want to convince? Use abstract rather than concrete language
Jan 22, 2010 8:00am
When consumers talk to each other about products, they generally respond more favorably to abstract language than concrete descriptions, according to a new study....
Low socioeconomic status affects cortisol levels in children over time
Jan 21, 2010 11:00am
Given the importance of identifying risk factors for such diseases early in life, a new study looked at the relationship between low SES and cortisol in children over a 2-year period. The researchers hypothesized that living in a low SES environment would increase cortisol trajectories over time....
Small sounds, big deals: How do number sounds influence consumers?
Jan 21, 2010 2:00am
Consumers remember the sounds of numbers in prices and associate certain sounds with value, according to a new study....
Siblings play formative, influential role as 'agents of socialization'
Jan 20, 2010 5:00am
What we learn from our siblings when we grow up has -- for better or for worse -- a considerable influence on our social and emotional development as adults....
Claim your "Top 100 Blogs" award now!
Top 100 Blogs Size: 125x125 px. Copy and paste the following code to your blog or website.