https://medicalxpress.com/childrens-health-news/ en-us Latest health news and information about Children's Health Interacting with animals can make people feel calmer, less lonely and less anxious. A new study from the University of California, Davis, shows that animals play an active role in shaping these interactions and their outcomes. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-minutes-miniature-horses-donkeys-mood.html Tue, 15 Sep 2026 05:00:17 EDT news708596941 Reading for pleasure—from tucking into a Jane Austen classic to devouring a Heartstopper graphic novel—is linked to better mental health, greater empathy and a lower risk of dementia, say researchers. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-pleasure-lifelong-health-cognitive-benefits.html Mon, 14 Sep 2026 19:10:01 EDT news708603121 A new immunization, offered free to all infants through universal programs in two Canadian provinces, provided strong protection against respiratory syncytial virus, commonly referred to as RSV, sharply reducing hospitalizations and intensive care unit (ICU) admissions in infants. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-rsv-immunization-effective-icu-admission.html Mon, 14 Sep 2026 17:40:01 EDT news708622682 As children return to school, new research from the University of Iowa shows how parents can help their kids learn while literally being on the same wavelength. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-parents-combine-words-gestures-children.html Mon, 14 Sep 2026 15:00:04 EDT news708610022 Researchers at Vanderbilt Health, UTHealth Houston and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have identified early signs of cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic disease (CKMD) in children as young as 8 years old that potentially can be reversed with a new class of weight-loss drugs widely used by adults. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-early-blood-protein-clues-children.html Sun, 13 Sep 2026 09:00:06 EDT news708353097 A study led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) and Aarhus University shows that children and adolescents diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in Denmark today share more characteristics with their peers in the general population than those diagnosed a decade ago. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-profile-people-adhd-autism-decade.html Sat, 12 Sep 2026 14:00:04 EDT news708352527 A study published in Experimental Neurology provides new insights into the biological alterations underlying difficulties with precise fine movements observed in pediatric obstructive sleep apnea (POSA). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-brain-insulation-clues-emerge-pediatric.html Fri, 11 Sep 2026 14:20:04 EDT news708352022 People with autism often come at life from a different angle—seeing details others miss, focusing on patterns rather than faces, experiencing heightened or dimmed physical sensations. Although researchers have tracked some of the many ways the neurodevelopmental disorder alters perception of the world, the precise brain mechanisms involved remain obscure, says Boston University researcher Benjamin Scott. One reason: Research often excludes people with more severe symptoms. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-video-game-reveal-people-autism.html Fri, 11 Sep 2026 14:00:03 EDT news708176941 Risk factors for cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic disease, a condition comprising heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes and obesity, can be identified in children as young as 8, UTHealth Houston researchers found. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic-disease-factors.html Fri, 11 Sep 2026 05:00:03 EDT news708247999 University of Warwick researchers have analyzed data from more than 1.9 million people across 23 studies and found that ADHD is linked to an almost 50% increase in overall gastrointestinal symptoms compared with people without ADHD. The association was even stronger for specific problems: nearly double the odds of constipation, a 58% increase in irritable bowel syndrome, and more than four times the odds of encopresis (loss of bowel control). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-people-adhd-gut-problems-major.html Thu, 10 Sep 2026 19:10:01 EDT news708257581 The amount of DNA damage caused by certain chemotherapies used to effectively treat childhood cancer has been revealed, along with a hidden impact on the liver, paving the way for future research into new ways to mitigate these effects. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-platinum-chemotherapy-decades-worth-dna.html Thu, 10 Sep 2026 14:00:08 EDT news708257401 People with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the United States face a 14-year deficit in life expectancy, according to a new study by researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and University of Colorado Anschutz. The study provides one of the first large-scale estimates of age-specific death rates and life expectancy among people with ASD. The findings are published in JAMA Network Open. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-autism-linked-year-gap-life.html Thu, 10 Sep 2026 11:00:07 EDT news708189181 Researchers using a portable MRI scanner found that measurable differences in brain volumes emerged at around 12 months of age, offering some of the earliest evidence yet that maternal anemia shapes infant brain development in the first year of life and beyond. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-anemia-pregnancy-linked-differences-babies.html Wed, 09 Sep 2026 11:20:14 EDT news708168182 Some preteens have no trouble getting a full night's rest. Those experiencing anxiety often lie awake. The reason for both may be related to a pea-sized gland in the middle of their brains. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-high-anxiety-brain-preteens.html Wed, 09 Sep 2026 10:40:11 EDT news708165693 A new study from the University of Kansas shows that additives common in commercially available vaping devices, such as vitamin E and CBD, soften a vital lung surfactant at high enough concentrations, at least in a simplified lab model. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-vaping-additives-weaken-key-lung.html Wed, 09 Sep 2026 10:00:22 EDT news708163323