https://medicalxpress.com/pediatrics-news/ en-us Latest medical news and research in Pediatrics Whether you are first-born or second-born may be associated with your risk of developing certain diseases, according to a new study published in Nature Health. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-birth-disease-life.html Wed, 05 Aug 2026 15:20:05 EDT news705146593 In January this year, a team of Johns Hopkins Medicine investigators, led by pathologist Aaron W. James, MD, Ph.D., discovered that sensory neurons in skeletal tissue are constantly sensing their environment and quickly respond to injuries. In new research published in Science Translational Medicine, they describe how this response profoundly affects growth plates, the soft cartilage at the end of bones in children that support normal growth and development, and how they respond to targeted treatment in mice. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-sensory-nerves-growth-plate-injuries.html Wed, 05 Aug 2026 14:00:20 EDT news705068461 Researchers at the Department of Women's and Children's Health have used a novel technique to map which genes are active in different regions of the skeleton's growth plates. The findings offer new clues about how the body controls bone elongation—and why certain genetic mutations lead to skeletal disorders. The study is published in the journal Bone Research. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-spatial-growth-plate-tissue-bones.html Wed, 05 Aug 2026 13:00:06 EDT news705148621 Mental health conditions are more common among autistic individuals than in the general population, but knowledge about how physical and mental health interact over time has been limited. In the new study, researchers analyzed data from nearly 2 million individuals born in Sweden between 1985 and 2004, including more than 58,000 people diagnosed with autism. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-childhood-physical-illnesses-linked-mental.html Wed, 05 Aug 2026 12:00:04 EDT news705148185 Self-reports from more than 23,000 high school students in 15 states for a school-based survey administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveal a strong association between firearm carrying and the risk of suicide by any method, according to a new study by Michael A. Lindsey of New York University and other mental health experts. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-firearm-suicide-high-school-students.html Wed, 05 Aug 2026 11:00:05 EDT news705068041 Congenital heart disease affects approximately two in every 100 newborns globally. But why does it occur? An important part of the answer may lie in a previously unknown mechanism on the surface of our cells. Researchers from the University of Copenhagen identified this mechanism in a new study. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-uncover-hidden-mechanism-congenital-heart.html Tue, 04 Aug 2026 14:00:05 EDT news704993941 A study of nearly 61,000 women in Denmark finds that women who had a body mass index (BMI) trajectory in the overweight or obesity range during childhood were less likely to have children than women with a normal (average) BMI trajectory. This effect on childlessness was already apparent in their mid-20s. The study is published in JAMA Network Open. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-overweight-obesity-childhood-childlessness-adulthood.html Tue, 04 Aug 2026 11:00:10 EDT news705059609 Digital technologies have profoundly transformed how adolescents acquire information and interact with each other outside school. Numerous preteens and teenagers worldwide access social media platforms daily to read posts, view images, watch videos, post content and communicate with their friends. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-social-media-algorithms-expose-adolescents.html Tue, 04 Aug 2026 08:00:01 EDT news704987432 QIMR Berghofer researchers have found how breast milk supports infant immunity via a protein called osteopontin. The study also identifies a potential way of mimicking this protective effect in baby formula. The findings, published today in the journal Cell, reveal osteopontin triggers a cascade of biological signals that support immune cell development in a baby's liver and lungs and help protect against potentially deadly respiratory infections. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-breast-protein-osteopontin-shield-infants.html Mon, 03 Aug 2026 15:40:02 EDT news704986561 A research team from the School of Nursing at the LKS Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed) has found that video-call support from trained peer mothers helped first-time mothers breastfeed more successfully. Among mothers who received this support, the study revealed a 42.6% relative increase in the number of mothers exclusively breastfeeding their babies at two months after birth, along with greater confidence in breastfeeding. This is the first-of-its-kind randomized clinical trial in Hong Kong to evaluate video-call-based peer support for breastfeeding and is also one of the first trials globally to rigorously examine the effectiveness of this digital approach in improving breastfeeding outcomes. The research findings were published in JAMA Network Open. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-video-based-peer-boost-breastfeeding.html Mon, 03 Aug 2026 14:20:04 EDT news704980381 Researchers at the University of Gothenburg and Sahlgrenska University Hospital have conducted the world's first randomized clinical trial to test cortisone eyedrops to slow the progression of serious eye disease in extremely premature babies. The results suggest that the intervention can reduce the need for invasive treatment for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), a disease that causes blindness in 35,000 children worldwide each year. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-cortisone-eyedrops-sight-extremely-premature.html Mon, 03 Aug 2026 12:40:06 EDT news704978641 While Black and Hispanic families are enthusiastic about research participation, other provider- and system-focused factors may influence their involvement in pediatric oncology clinical trials, a UT Southwestern Medical Center-led study found. The findings, published in JAMA Network Open, focused on parent and clinician perspectives, revealing opportunities to increase clinical trial participation among historically marginalized patients to help improve outcomes and make trial results more generalizable. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-boost-enrollment-black-hispanic-patients.html Mon, 03 Aug 2026 10:20:05 EDT news704970001 Exposure to secondhand cigarette smoke during the first days of life can cause changes in tooth enamel mineralization without causing visible changes to the teeth. This was demonstrated in an animal model study conducted by researchers at the Ribeirão Preto School of Dentistry at the University of São Paulo (FORP-USP) in Brazil. The results were published in May in the scientific journal Calcified Tissue International. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-rat-early-secondhand-exposure-tooth.html Sat, 01 Aug 2026 07:00:03 EDT news704769247 Puberty is a process regulated by the endocrine system, and its timing can be altered by environmental factors. Several recent studies point to a trend toward earlier onset of puberty in girls, a phenomenon linked to a complex interplay among genetics, lifestyle and exposure to chemicals capable of interfering with hormones. Among these substances are certain pesticides, widely used in agriculture and present in some everyday foods. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-links-exposure-fungicides-insecticides-age.html Fri, 31 Jul 2026 13:00:02 EDT news704720762