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Children's health news
Looksmaxxing isn't just a TikTok trend—it often reflects severe body image issues in teen boys and young men
Punishing regimens of facial exercises. Intentional starvation. Reshaping the jawline or cheekbones by smashing them with a hammer or chisel.
6 hours ago
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Early lung damage mapped in children with cystic fibrosis
Researchers have mapped how lung damage begins early in life for children with cystic fibrosis, providing new insights that will help reshape future care. The research team, led by Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI) ...
10 hours ago
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Is baby talk bad? Why 'parentese' actually helps babies learn language
Many parents have heard the warning: Don't use baby talk with babies and toddlers. Instead, caregivers are often encouraged to speak properly and use adultlike language, out of concern that simplified speech could confuse ...
21 hours ago
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How making children laugh can help brains become more resilient to struggle and open to learning
Making children laugh can build deep emotional connections and soothe their nervous systems, making them more resilient and open to new ideas, says a leading child development expert. Dr. Jacqueline Harding, director of Tomorrow's ...
22 hours ago
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Good dog! More children's hospitals turn to furry caregivers to help kids heal
The first time 5-year-old Calvin Owens went outside in more than a month, he met up with his canine friend Hadley on a hospital patio. Despite being tethered to equipment with wires and tubes, the little boy managed to stand ...
May 24, 2026
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Community-based baby hip screening successfully reduces late diagnosis of developmental dysplasia
A recent trial of community-based and nurse-led ultrasound screening for hip dysplasia in Japan has been met with great success, according to new research at the University of Tokyo. The trial achieved almost universal reach ...
May 23, 2026
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Digital platform significantly reduces distress among children of divorce
Every year, thousands of Danish children experience their parents splitting up. For many, this is a major upheaval that can leave lasting marks on their well-being and daily lives. A new study conducted in collaboration with ...
May 23, 2026
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A once-daily pill takes aim at measles, croup and other dangerous viruses
A new oral antiviral drug candidate has been developed for the treatment of diseases caused by orthoparamyxoviruses, such as measles and croup syndrome, according to a study published by researchers in the Center for Translational ...
May 22, 2026
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3D-printed trays help human gut organoids self-build nerves and mature twice as fast
Thanks to special 3D-printed scaffolding trays designed by experts at Cincinnati Children's, researchers can now produce larger versions of functional human gut organoids twice as fast as previous methods—and these organoids ...
May 22, 2026
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DKA may trigger lingering inflammatory surge in children with type 1 diabetes
Many children who develop type 1 diabetes, the inability to produce insulin and process blood sugar, do not know they have the condition until symptoms arise. These symptoms are often driven by a severe and sometimes fatal ...
May 22, 2026
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New indicator for response to therapy in pediatric cancers identified
A study by researchers at the University of Birmingham has identified a new biomarker for response to a specific cancer therapy, treating children with Ewing Sarcoma and other tumor types. The study, which is a Phase I/II ...
May 22, 2026
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Mental health difficulties among young adults have doubled in past decade
More than a fifth (22%) of generation Z in England report having a longstanding mental health condition in their early 20s, double the rate of millennials (10%) at a similar age 10 years earlier, finds a new UCL study.
May 22, 2026
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Advocacy is key to preserving vital vaccine research, researchers say
Scientists and physicians should advocate to protect the vaccine research infrastructure that has saved an estimated 154 million lives over the past 50 years, according to a new commentary by researchers at Weill Cornell ...
May 22, 2026
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Support for adolescents in military families can improve their mental health
Youth in military families need support from parents and peers to maintain a healthy mental well-being, according to a new study from the University of Georgia. Researchers found these relationships are connected to adolescents' ...
May 22, 2026
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Child death rates in the United States have increased, study finds
The overall death rate of children and adolescents in the United States increased 6.6% between 2020 and 2023, researchers reported on May 13 in the New England Journal of Medicine. Many of the top causes of death in young ...
May 21, 2026
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What you eat as a teenager may shape food choices later in life
New research from the University of Aberdeen Rowett Institute suggests that an unhealthy diet during adolescence could have long-lasting effects on how the brain makes decisions about food—even after returning to a healthy ...
May 21, 2026
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Early detection of type 1 diabetes in children is feasible from routine pediatric care
For ten years, the Fr1da study, coordinated by Helmholtz Munich, has been investigating whether early stages of type 1 diabetes in children can be detected in routine pediatric care. The latest evaluation shows that the screening ...
May 21, 2026
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Wearable knee robot could help children with muscle weakness
A lightweight robotic device that facilitates neuromuscular recovery in children with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), helping them to stand unassisted, is published in Nature this week. Improved function persists after discontinuing ...
May 21, 2026
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Working up a sweat: How sweat patterns change as girls get older
Researchers have worked out how girls' sweating patterns change as they grow, establishing that the age of 14 is a critical turning point. Their findings can inform better sportswear designs for teenagers, and be used to ...
May 21, 2026
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Bacterial STIs reach record highs in Europe, and congenital syphilis cases nearly double
The latest Annual Epidemiological Reports from ECDC indicate a surge in bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs) across Europe. In 2024, notifications of gonorrhea and syphilis, alongside congenital syphilis, reached ...
May 21, 2026
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Teen attitudes to exercise shape fitness years later
Teenagers who see exercise as fun, social and good for their health are significantly fitter by late adolescence than those driven by competition, pressure or fear of judgment, new research led by Flinders University shows. ...
May 21, 2026
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Teen self‑harm: Responses should focus on social context, not just mental health
Around 1 in 6 adolescents worldwide report having self-harmed at some point in their lives. In England, an NHS mental health survey of 2,370 children and young people found that more than 1 in 3 young adults aged 17 to 24 ...
May 21, 2026
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Rural siblings of people with neurodevelopmental conditions are left to go it alone, study finds
New Curtin University-led research has found siblings of people with neurodevelopmental conditions in regional and remote Australia are struggling with poorer well-being and are more likely to feel overlooked. The study is ...
May 21, 2026
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Autism social differences emerge early but can change considerably by adulthood, research suggests
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by differences in behavior, social interactions, communication, and sensory perceptions. Some autistic individuals find communicating and connecting ...
A brief kidney crisis in childhood can cast a long shadow over health for years afterward
Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a condition in which the kidneys suddenly lose their ability to filter waste from the blood. Developing within hours or days, AKI can cause dangerous waste accumulation and disrupt the body's ...
