https://medicalxpress.com/pediatrics-news/ en-us Latest medical news and research in Pediatrics Scientists at Children's Medical Center Research Institute at UT Southwestern (CRI) have discovered why babies born with a rare inborn error of metabolism called GPT2 deficiency suffer from severe neurological impairment. Using their newly developed biosensor to track the essential metabolite alpha-ketoglutarate (αKG), researchers found that the mitochondrial enzyme GPT2 and transporter protein SLC25A11 work together to control the production and transport of αKG from the mitochondria to the nucleus. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-metabolite-rare-childhood-brain-disorder.html Fri, 17 Jul 2026 10:00:01 EDT news703496892 Body Mass Index (BMI) has long been used in public health and clinical settings as a simple tool to classify an individual's physical status based on their height and weight. Originally developed in the 1830s by Belgian mathematician Adolphe Quetelet, BMI was designed to describe the characteristics of the average man rather than to assess an individual's health, and it did not account for age, sex, ethnicity or body composition. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-body-index-aims-bmi-babies.html Fri, 17 Jul 2026 07:50:02 EDT news703491612 Breastfeeding is widely recognized for its important role in supporting a child's early growth and immune system development. Previous studies have found that exclusive breastfeeding for 4 to 6 months is associated with a lower risk of bronchial asthma and allergic rhinitis during early childhood. Recognizing these health benefits, the World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life. Despite its positive effects, its impact on food allergies remains inconclusive. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-associations-breastfeeding-childhood-allergies.html Thu, 16 Jul 2026 20:40:01 EDT news703420210 A low-cost antiseptic treatment routinely used in health care settings could help reduce the risk of life-threatening infections in newborn babies, according to new research led by scientists at City St George's. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-simple-antiseptic-approach-deadly-infections.html Thu, 16 Jul 2026 15:20:07 EDT news703427765 Scientists from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and collaborators have identified the RNA-binding protein RBM5 as a potential vulnerability in a set of difficult-to-treat childhood leukemias. They characterized how RBM5 regulates and interacts with the well-known cancer-driving protein MYC, which has long been considered impossible to effectively and directly target with existing cancer drugs. The findings, published today in Leukemia, present a new opportunity to develop targeted therapeutic interventions. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-rbm5-disrupt-undruggable-myc-childhood.html Thu, 16 Jul 2026 15:00:02 EDT news703427405 Long before a baby's ears are functional, the brain is already building the circuitry needed for hearing, according to new research from Johns Hopkins University. Published in the journal Science Advances, the study in mice identifies a previously unknown neural "shortcut" that organizes the auditory system before birth, offering new insight into how the auditory system prepares to process sound and eventually learn language. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-babies-brains-wiring.html Thu, 16 Jul 2026 14:30:02 EDT news703427394 New research from The Kids Research Institute Australia suggests a simple dietary intervention during pregnancy could help protect against the increased risk of food allergies associated with antibiotics taken before birth. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-prebiotics-pregnancy-babies-antibiotic-linked.html Thu, 16 Jul 2026 09:20:01 EDT news703410578 "I think you always believe it's never going to happen to me." That is how one parent described learning that their newborn baby had been identified as being at possible risk of a rare genetic condition through routine newborn screening. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-newborn-screening-communication.html Wed, 15 Jul 2026 19:40:03 EDT news703345943 Having an epidural during labor is not associated with clinically significant increased risks of harm to newborn babies, including brain injury, severe breathing problems, sepsis and death, or cerebral palsy later in childhood, according to a study published in The BMJ. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-epidurals-linked-newborns-children.html Wed, 15 Jul 2026 18:30:06 EDT news703314795 Schoolchildren in Hong Kong face intense academic demands, with long hours of sedentary study leaving little time for movement. On average, their physical activity falls short of the World Health Organization's recommendation of at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) per day. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-parents-boost-children-physical.html Wed, 15 Jul 2026 18:00:01 EDT news703345923 One in every 12 children has asthma, making it the most common chronic condition in children. But many teachers lack the training needed to support those students, according to a new study from the University of Georgia. The paper is published in the Journal of Applied School Psychology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-teachers-students-asthma.html Wed, 15 Jul 2026 17:00:07 EDT news703339862 New data on breastfeeding initiation across the U.S. reveal broad geographic patterns as well as local factors that can inform targeted public health interventions. The study by Tony Grubesic from the University of California Riverside and colleagues was published in the open-access journal PLOS Global Public Health. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-geographic-local-drivers-breastfeeding.html Wed, 15 Jul 2026 14:00:38 EDT news703325729 A few hours after eating, an infant may suddenly experience a severe reaction that leaves his or her parents searching for answers. Such episodes may be caused by food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES), a condition that is often mistaken for other health problems and frequently goes undiagnosed. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-misunderstood-childhood-food-allergy.html Wed, 15 Jul 2026 13:20:11 EDT news703338301 Middle schoolers who stayed consistently involved in extracurricular activities maintained stronger personal reasons to avoid drinking alcohol, according to a new study. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-staying-sports-clubs-kids-alcohol.html Wed, 15 Jul 2026 13:00:09 EDT news703338242 Dextroamphetamine and methylphenidate have been found to be equally effective in the treatment of ADHD in children, but greater weight loss was observed in children taking dextroamphetamine, according to an Australian study published in the Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-adhd-medications-equally-effective-children.html Wed, 15 Jul 2026 12:00:03 EDT news703328806 A coalition of public health organizations, pediatricians and parents has filed a federal lawsuit challenging the Food and Drug Administration's new enforcement policy that allows e-cigarette and nicotine pouch products to be marketed and sold without the scientific review and marketing authorization required by federal law. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-health-groups-sue-fda-policy.html Wed, 15 Jul 2026 11:20:12 EDT news703326018 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved an expanded indication for Zoryve (roflumilast) cream, 0.3%, for the topical treatment of plaque psoriasis in patients ages 2 and older. The expanded approval was granted to Arcutis Biotherapeutics. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-fda-zoryve-young-children-plaque.html Wed, 15 Jul 2026 08:20:01 EDT news703319072 Each year, approximately 700,000 children worldwide die from diseases that vaccines could have prevented, nearly all of them in low- and middle-income countries. New research from University of Notre Dame economist Santosh Kumar Gautam finds that India's national childhood immunization program helped address this persistent global health challenge, producing substantial reductions in child deaths. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-india-immunization-child-mortality-highlights.html Wed, 15 Jul 2026 08:00:01 EDT news703318954 Rain had turned the dirt road into thick mud, but Mabel Djoumessi kept walking with her 9-month-old son, Kenfack, strapped to her back. His malaria vaccination appointment at a clinic in central Cameroon was too important to miss. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-malaria-vaccine-africa-doses.html Wed, 15 Jul 2026 04:19:45 EDT news703307953 An international team led by the Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC) in Barcelona, the Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research (GENyO) and the University of Granada (UGR) has identified a new biological vulnerability in one of the most aggressive forms of childhood leukemia. The findings could pave the way for new therapeutic strategies for patients who currently have very limited treatment options. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-uncover-therapeutic-vulnerability-aggressive-childhood.html Tue, 14 Jul 2026 19:20:02 EDT news703255489 Children born during the first COVID-19 lockdown in England had lower reported levels of executive function—crucial skills involved in making plans, solving problems and adapting to new situations—suggest findings from a study published online in the Archives of Disease in Childhood. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-children-born-lockdown-weaker-function.html Tue, 14 Jul 2026 18:30:04 EDT news703172790 Adolescents who use nicotine are more likely to report symptoms of anxiety, depression and other mental health problems than their peers who do not use nicotine. Girls appear to be particularly vulnerable, according to three recent studies from the University of Gothenburg. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-nicotine-linked-mental-health-problems.html Tue, 14 Jul 2026 15:40:07 EDT news703246283 Sudden unexpected postnatal collapse during the first week of life is rare but can have deleterious consequences. A new study from Karolinska Institutet shows that the condition is more common than previously estimated and highlights measures that may reduce the risk. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-postnatal-collapse-rare-deleterious-consequences.html Tue, 14 Jul 2026 15:20:08 EDT news703246269 One in 10 children ages 7 to 9 is living with obesity in Europe. In England, childhood obesity rises from around 10% of children in Reception to around 22% by Year 6. While we know there are many complex and inter-connected biological, social and environmental causes of childhood obesity, a good start is to tackle it with what we know works: Better diets are linked to better health. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-food-skills-school-curriculum-left.html Tue, 14 Jul 2026 12:40:04 EDT news703244161 More than half (57%) of children born before 32 weeks were not ready for school at age 5, including in areas such as communication and language and physical and emotional development. Those born earlier, at 23–24 weeks, were up to three times more likely to miss expected developmental milestones than those born at 31 weeks. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-preterm-birth-impacts-early.html Tue, 14 Jul 2026 11:00:04 EDT news703229436 Cerebral (or cortical) visual impairment (CVI) is a brain-based visual disorder that is the leading cause of pediatric visual impairment in developed countries. Unfortunately, because of low awareness, CVI is often misdiagnosed as other conditions—such as autism, ADHD or a learning disability. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-peer-cvi-range-valid-reliable.html Tue, 14 Jul 2026 06:30:02 EDT news703228321 Like other teenagers, teens on the autism spectrum are itching to exercise their social muscles. They hope for new friends, fun with people who share their interests, maybe even a romantic relationship. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-brains-teens-autism-tune-unfamiliar.html Mon, 13 Jul 2026 15:00:06 EDT news703140918 In "Llama Llama Mad at Mama," a popular children's book from 2007, a little Llama Llama goes to the grocery store with his mama and becomes overwhelmed by all the sounds, sights, smells and shopping decisions happening around him. In a scene familiar to every parent, the cartoon animal has an epic meltdown in his shopping cart, screaming and throwing the contents of his mama's shopping list on the floor. Mama Llama gets down to his level and calms him down by turning shopping into a fun game. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-screens-calm-child-bad.html Mon, 13 Jul 2026 14:59:04 EDT news703173493 A new study from researchers at LSU's Pennington Biomedical Research Center, FMOL Health | Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center and Metamor Institute demonstrates that metabolic and bariatric surgery can be delivered safely and effectively for adolescents and young adults living with severe obesity, offering promising improvements in weight loss and obesity-related health conditions. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-outcomes-bariatric-surgery-adolescents-young.html Mon, 13 Jul 2026 14:40:07 EDT news703168442 Testosterone may play a bigger role in the emotional development of girls entering puberty than previously thought, according to new research from the University of Georgia published in Psychoneuroendocrinology. Greater changes in the hormone were linked to more emotional difficulties among girls ages 10–12, even when accounting for levels of other hormones. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-hormonal-puberty-linked-emotional-distress.html Mon, 13 Jul 2026 14:40:01 EDT news703164002