All Articles Tagged As: children

Closing coal-burning power plant in China and improved cognitive development in children (7/25/2008)

Study shows benefits of closing plants on early childhood neurodevelopment ...> Full Article

Water-diffusion technology identifies brain regions damaged by prenatal alcohol exposure (7/25/2008)

A new study has used diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to identify several specific white matter regions as well as deep gray matter areas of the brain that appear sensitive to prenatal alcohol exposure. ...> Full Article

Children are naturally prone to be empathic and moral (7/13/2008)

Research using fMRI scans shows tendencies toward kindness ...> Full Article

Mothers' influence is decisive in tots' first year (7/2/2008)

Study says parenting style and babys' temperament predict challenging behavior in later childhood ...> Full Article

Children Learn Smart Behaviors Without Knowing What They Know (6/17/2008)

Young children show evidence of smart and flexible behavior early in life – even though they don't really know what they're doing ...> Full Article

Sad Children Out-Perform Happy Children in Attention-to-Detail Tasks (6/12/2008)

Psychologists have conducted experimental research that contrasts with the belief that happy children are the best learners ...> Full Article

Knowing looks: Using gaze aversion to tell when children are learning (6/3/2008)

People use eye contact in a variety of ways every minute of every day but how often do you find yourself staring into space with concentrating on an issue or problem? Psychologists now know that people who are carrying out a complex task tend to look away from anyone else who is nearby. They refer to it as 'gaze aversion'. ...> Full Article

Language skills develop at 6, say researchers (4/30/2008)

Psychologists have discovered that children as young as six are as adept at recognising possible verbs and their past tenses as adults. ...> Full Article

Study finds teasing may be more damaging than once thought (4/20/2008)

Children are more likely to interpret teasing -- even teasing intended to be harmless -- as negative rather than positive ...> Full Article

Bullying is a relationship problem, new study confirms (3/28/2008)

Students who bully tend to have difficulties with other relationships as well ...> Full Article

Childhood Personality Can Predict Important Outcomes in Emerging Adulthood (3/23/2008)

A new study reveals the extent to which children's personality types can predict the timing of key transitional moments between childhood and adulthood ...> Full Article

Memory on Trial (3/10/2008)

Research suggests that children's memory may be more reliable than adults' in court cases ...> Full Article

Study Finds Sleep Helps Protect Small Children from Injuries (3/3/2008)

Lack of sleep can lead to increased injuries among preschool children, research from the University of Rochester School of Nursing has found. The study, published in the March/April issue of Public Health Nursing, shows that children who, according to their mothers, lack an adequate amount of sleep, are twice as likely to sustain injuries as compared to their well-rested peers. ...> Full Article

Spanking Kids Increases Risk of Sexual Problems as Adults, New Research Shows (3/2/2008)

Children who are spanked or victims of other corporal punishment are more likely to have sexual problems as a teen or adult ...> Full Article

Children's under-achievement could be down to poor working memory (3/2/2008)

Children who under-achieve at school may just have poor working memory rather than low intelligence according to researchers. ...> Full Article

The Evolution of Aversion: Why even children are fearful of snakes (3/1/2008)

Some of the oldest tales and wisest mythology allude to the snake as a mischievous seducer, dangerous foe or powerful iconoclast; however, the legend surrounding this proverbial predator may not be based solely on fantasy. As scientists from the University of Virginia recently discovered, the common fear of snakes is most likely intrinsic. ...> Full Article

Hypnosis helped physicians pinpoint cause of children's seizures (2/22/2008)

It was no way for an 11-year-old to live. For a month the boy had endured daily episodes of uncontrollable jerking and foaming at the mouth, and his physicians at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital were concerned that the boy had epilepsy. Before starting the boy on a lifetime of anti-seizure medications, though, they turned to an unconventional diagnostic tool: hypnosis. ...> Full Article

Severe Stressful Events Early In Pregnancy May Be Associated With Schizophrenia Among Offspring (2/9/2008)

Children of women who undergo an extremely stressful event-such as the death of a close relative-during the first trimester of pregnancy appear more likely to develop schizophrenia ...> Full Article

Kids learn more when mom is listening (1/24/2008)

Kids may roll their eyes when their mother asks them about their school day, but answering her may actually help them learn. New research from Vanderbilt University reveals that children learn the solution to a problem best when they explain it to their mom. ...> Full Article

Bullies target teenagers unable to express emotion (1/6/2008)

Youngsters with specific language impairment (SLI) are unable to verbally express their feelings and find it difficult to understand what others are saying due to a developmental problem with their language. However they show no physical signs of the disorder, have otherwise normal intellectual ability and do enjoy socialising, so often appear to other people as just 'unusual'. This can lead to them being ostracised or even attacked by their peers. ...> Full Article

Orphaned Children Show Higher Intelligence And Fare Better In Foster Care Than In Institutions (12/31/2007)

Newly published research in the journal Science confirms that institutionalized orphans placed into foster care have much better intellectual development than those who remain behind. The authors say the results have implications for countries "grappling with how best to care for abandoned, orphaned and maltreated young children." ...> Full Article

Study Finds Family Environment Critical To Child's IQ (12/29/2007)

The quality of caregiving a child receives within the first two years of life directly affects brain development and IQ, according to a study by a team of researchers from Tulane and other universities. ...> Full Article

Unsupervised children are more sociable and more active (12/27/2007)

Youngsters who are allowed to leave the house without an adult are more active and enjoy a richer social life than those who are constantly supervised, according to a study conducted at UCL and reported in a special edition of the journal Built Environment (19th December). ...> Full Article

Parents show bias in sibling rivalry, says study (12/23/2007)

Most parents would hotly deny favoring one child over another but new research suggests they may have little choice in the matter. ...> Full Article

Behavioral Therapy Effectively Treats Children with Social Phobia (12/22/2007)

A behavioral therapy designed to treat children diagnosed with social phobia helped them overcome more of their symptoms than the antidepressant fluoxetine (Prozac), according to an NIMH-funded study published in the December 2007 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. ...> Full Article

Study finds smaller babies prone to mood disorder later in life (12/9/2007)

It turns out there might be some truth to the popular wisdom that plump babies are happy babies. A landmark public health study has found that people who had a low birth weight are more likely to experience depression and anxiety later in life. ...> Full Article

Study Finds Fever May Lead To Improved Behavior In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders (12/6/2007)

Over the past few decades, parents and clinicians have observed that the behaviors of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) tend to improve, sometimes rather dramatically, during a fever. Longer concentration spans, increased language production, improved eye contact and better overall relations with adults and peers have all been reported. In a study published today in the journal Pediatrics, researchers from the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, Maryland confirmed, for the first time, parent and clinician reports that the behavior of children with ASD improves with fever. The study evaluated children with ASD during and after an episode of fever and found that fewer autistic-like behaviors were recorded for children with fever compared to controls. Understanding how fever affects the behaviors of children with ASD may provide insight into the causes of the disorder and potential treatment opportunities. ...> Full Article

Humans Appear Hardwired to Learn by 'Over-Imitation' (12/5/2007)

Children learn by imitating adults-so much so that they will rethink how an object works if they observe an adult taking unnecessary steps when using that object, according to a Yale study today in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. ...> Full Article

Diet For Brain Development, From The Beginning (12/3/2007)

Studies looking into how diet and nutrition affect central nervous system development from birth are being conducted by Agricultural Research Service (ARS)-funded scientists. They are using noninvasive tools to assess infant, toddler and school-aged children's psychological, neurological and physiological development, as well as other brain-related functions. ...> Full Article

Researchers link low lead exposure to ADHD (12/1/2007)

Very low levels of lead in the blood - previously believed to be safe - could be contributing to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, according to a Michigan State University study of 150 children in the Lansing area. ...> Full Article

Novel Imaging Technique Shows Gray Matter Increase in Brains of Autistic Children (12/1/2007)

Using a novel imaging technique to study autistic children, researchers have found increased gray matter in the brain areas that govern social processing and learning by observation. Results of the study conducted at the Fay J. Lindner Center for Autism, North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System in Bethpage, N.Y., were presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). ...> Full Article

Investigational Medication to be Studied in Children with Autism (11/30/2007)

Children with autism spectrum disorder between the ages of five and 17 years are needed to participate in a research study looking at how a medicine called fluoxetine works to relieve the repetitive behavior and other symptoms associated with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) ...> Full Article

Children's Bad Behavior Gives Insights to Academic Achievement and Later Career Success (11/29/2007)

Early behavior problems don't impede children's school achievement, but persistent problems may impede educational and occupational outcomes. ...> Full Article

Even Very Low Levels Of Lead Cause Brain Damage In Children (11/26/2007)

Even very small amounts of lead in children's blood -- amounts well below the current federal standard -- are associated with reduced IQ scores, finds a new, six-year Cornell study. ...> Full Article

Brain Matures a Few Years Late in ADHD, But Follows Normal Pattern (11/17/2007)

In youth with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), the brain matures in a normal pattern but is delayed three years in some regions, on average, compared to youth without the disorder, an imaging study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) has revealed. The delay in ADHD was most prominent in regions at the front of the brain's outer mantle (cortex), important for the ability to control thinking, attention and planning. Otherwise, both groups showed a similar back-to-front wave of brain maturation with different areas peaking in thickness at different times (see movie below). ...> Full Article

Children and Monkeys Rationalize Their Decisions After A Tough Choice (11/15/2007)

Like adults, children and monkeys rationalize their decisions following a tough choice, Yale University researchers report in Psychological Science. ...> Full Article

Research team finds link between asthma and depressive and anxiety disorders (11/13/2007)

Young people with asthma are about twice as likely to suffer from depressive and anxiety disorders than are children without asthma, according to a study by a research team in Seattle. Previous research had suggested a possible link in young people between asthma and some mental health problems, such as panic disorder, but this study is the first showing such a strong connection between the respiratory condition and depressive and anxiety disorders. The findings appear in the November issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health. ...> Full Article

Children with gene show reduced cognitive function (11/6/2007)

7- to 10-year-olds carrying apoE4 show reduced cognitive function. ...> Full Article

Behavioral Intervention Normalizes Stress-related Hormone in High-Risk Kids (10/30/2007)

Family Intervention that Improves Behavior, Social Skills Also Improves Cortisol Patterns ...> Full Article

Playing with Blocks May Improve Language Development in Toddlers, New Study Finds (10/8/2007)

Playing with toy blocks may lead to improved language development in young children ...> Full Article

Infant Expert Helps Show Children Learn Language Skills Earlier Than Thought (10/2/2007)

Research with English-language babies shows toddlers are learning language skills earlier than expected, and by the age of 18 months understand enough of the lexicon of their own language to recognize how speakers use sounds to convey meaning. ...> Full Article

Future career path of gifted youth can be predicted by age (9/10/2007)

The future career path and creative direction of gifted youth can be predicted well by their performance on the SAT at age 13, a new study from Vanderbilt University finds. The study offers insights into how best to identify the nation's most talented youth, which is a focus of the new $43 billion America Competes Act recently passed by Congress to enhance the United States' ability to compete globally. ...> Full Article

Depression In Women With Migraine Linked To Childhood Abuse (9/7/2007)

Childhood abuse is more common in women with migraine who suffer depression than in women with migraine alone, according to a study published in the September 4, 2007, issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. ...> Full Article

New Study Reveals Higher Social Skills Are Uniquely Human (9/7/2007)

Apes bite and try to break a tube to retrieve the food inside while children follow the experimenter's example to get inside the tube to retrieve the prize, showing that even before preschool, toddlers are more sophisticated in their social learning skills than their closest primate relatives. ...> Full Article

Childhood TV Viewing Linked to Teenage Attention Problems (9/5/2007)

Children who watch a lot of television are more likely to have attention problems when they are teenagers, according to a new study by University of Otago researchers. ...> Full Article

Less work more play makes for smarter children (8/28/2007)

Teachers are being urged to keep the lines of communication open with parents to prevent potential discontent over the new prep year. ...> Full Article

Babies' brains to be monitored using light scans (8/22/2007)

Researchers hoping to better understand the development of the infant brain have long been stymied by a formidable obstacle: babies just don't want to sit still for brain scans. ...> Full Article

New Centre Plans Early Attack For Dementia Crisis (8/14/2007)

Dementia prevention strategies that start with children as young as seven will be a focus of a new network of researchers and health practitioners based at The Australian National University who will develop ways to prevent and mitigate the growing crisis of dementia in Australia, which is predicted to affect up to 500,000 people by 2040. ...> Full Article

Study Reveals Hidden Suffering Of Children With Language Difficulties (8/13/2007)

Children in the UK with speech and language difficulties are prone to loneliness, feelings of frustration and poor self-esteem, a new Department of Health study has revealed. ...> Full Article

Baby DVDs, Videos May Hinder, Not Help, Infants' Language Development (8/10/2007)

Despite marketing claims, parents who want to give their infants a boost in learning language probably should limit the amount of time they expose their children to DVDs and videos such as "Baby Einstein" and "Brainy Baby." ...> Full Article

Researcher Decodes the Toddler Language Explosion (8/7/2007)

The astonishing speed at which toddlers learn new words may relate to the distribution of easy and complex words in a language, not some specialized part of the toddler brain becoming active, according to new research published in the 3 August issue of Science. ...> Full Article

Training Mothers Improves Children's Memory and Narrative Skills (7/23/2007)

Pre-schoolers' memory and language skills can be significantly improved if their mothers talk to them in richer ways about past events, according to University of Otago research published today. ...> Full Article