https://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. Swiss authorities said Monday they were investigating batches of infant formula, following reports of several babies showing symptoms of possible exposure to a toxin. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-swiss-probing-infant-formula-babies.html Mon, 09 Feb 2026 14:30:01 EST news689869636 While the global shift toward plant-based living continues to accelerate, a critical question has lingered for parents and pediatricians: Can a vegan or vegetarian diet support the rapid growth required in the first two years of life? A landmark study of nearly 1.2 million infants led by Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) researchers and the Nutrition Division of the Israeli Ministry of Health suggests the answer is a reassuring yes. The research, published last week in JAMA Network Open, found that infants from vegan and vegetarian households follow growth trajectories nearly identical to their omnivorous peers by age two. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-vegetarian-upbringing-stunt-growth-million.html Mon, 09 Feb 2026 14:00:01 EST news689867519 Arachidonic acid (AA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) decrease the risk for severe retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in extremely preterm infants by nearly half, according to a research letter published online in JAMA Ophthalmology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-arachidonic-docosahexaenoic-acid-severe-retinopathy.html Wed, 04 Feb 2026 07:07:15 EST news689411157 The EU's food safety agency on Monday proposed reference doses for a toxin sometimes found in powdered milk following recalls in dozens of countries. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-eu-agency-toxin-dose-limits.html Mon, 02 Feb 2026 09:40:05 EST news689247211 Two infant formula manufacturers withdrew batches from the market on Monday after France imposed stricter limits on acceptable levels of a toxin that can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-baby-recalls-france-toxin.html Mon, 02 Feb 2026 09:32:08 EST news689247078 France has said it will impose stricter limits on the acceptable level of a toxin called cereulide in infant formula after potentially contaminated products were recalled in over 60 countries. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-france-tightens-infant-formula-toxin.html Sat, 31 Jan 2026 10:28:27 EST news689077675 While early allergen introduction may reduce long-term allergy risk, it is tied to an increase in emergency department (ED) visits for food reactions in infancy, according to a study published in the March issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: Global. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-food-allergic-reactions-ed-infants.html Wed, 28 Jan 2026 21:00:01 EST news688830778 New brain imaging research reveals that by 10 months old, infants are already beginning to understand verbs, before they even say their first words. In the first study to directly test infants' understanding of verbs using neurophysiological techniques, scientists from the University of East Anglia, Cardiff University and the University of Warwick, measured brain rhythms to visualize babies' comprehension of verbs. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-brain-imaging-infants-verbs.html Wed, 28 Jan 2026 08:25:31 EST news688811102 A deep learning model using retinal images obtained during retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) screening may be used to predict diagnosis of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and pulmonary hypertension (PH), according to a study published online Jan. 22 in JAMA Ophthalmology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-deep-cardiopulmonary-disease-retinal-images.html Mon, 26 Jan 2026 17:40:04 EST news688664146 Federal health officials say a milk ingredient used in ByHeart infant formula may be tied to a botulism outbreak that has sickened dozens of babies across the U.S. On Friday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported finding bacteria that causes infant botulism in two samples connected to the formula. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-fda-links-byheart-baby-formula.html Mon, 26 Jan 2026 17:20:04 EST news688664114 One hundred and seventy babies, kids and teens in North Carolina died after fentanyl exposure between 2015 and 2024, new state data shows. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-decade-babies-kids-teens-died.html Wed, 21 Jan 2026 18:20:01 EST news688202028 Baby talk isn't just cute—it could play a vital role in helping infants learn the sounds of their language, new research from the University of the Sunshine Coast has found. The study is published in the journal Developmental Science. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-baby-aid-infants-early-language.html Thu, 15 Jan 2026 09:18:35 EST news687691081 Allergies and asthma affect an increasing number of children worldwide, but now an international research group led by DTU has identified a previously unknown mechanism that can reduce the risk of allergies and asthma later in life. The study shows that children are less likely to develop these diseases if, as infants, they are colonized with certain bifidobacteria that produce a substance in the gut—a so-called metabolite—that dampens immune responses to allergens. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-infant-gut-bacteria-key-asthma.html Mon, 12 Jan 2026 11:16:36 EST news687438961 U.S.-born individuals have higher odds of infant mortality than non-U.S.-born individuals, according to a study published online Jan. 6 in JAMA Network Open. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-odds-infant-mortality-higher-born.html Thu, 08 Jan 2026 19:40:01 EST news687096397 Nestlé has announced a global recall of some baby formula products, saying they may contain a toxin that can cause food poisoning in infants. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-nestl-recalls-baby-formula-toxin.html Thu, 08 Jan 2026 13:00:01 EST news687096406 Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common virus that affects the nose, throat, and lungs. For most healthy adults and children, it causes only mild, cold-like symptoms and goes away on its own. Infants under 6 months of age, however, can become much sicker and might need special medical care. It is one of the leading reasons for infants getting hospitalized. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-infants-nirsevimab-fare-rsv-maternal.html Tue, 06 Jan 2026 09:50:01 EST news686913561 Swiss food giant Nestle announced on Monday a recall of batches of infant formula in several European countries, notably France, Germany, Austria, Denmark, Italy and Sweden, as a precautionary measure. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-nestle-recalls-infant-formula-european.html Tue, 06 Jan 2026 04:31:49 EST news686896278 In the more than four years since the state of Texas significantly restricted access to abortion, medical researchers have been studying the health effects of that policy change. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-maternal-infant-health-texas-abortion.html Mon, 29 Dec 2025 08:10:01 EST news686214327 In recent years, scientists have learned that the key beneficial infant gut bacteria Bifidobacterium infantis are disappearing from infants in high-resource areas such as the United States and Europe. A new study published in the journal mSphere finds that supplementing exclusively breastfed infants with a probiotic, B. infantis EVC001, between 2 and 4 months of age can successfully restore beneficial bacteria in their gut. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-probiotics-gut-microbiome-breastfed-infants.html Mon, 22 Dec 2025 09:00:01 EST news685614662 For many newborn infants, access to a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) can mean the difference between life and death. The specialized staff and equipment available at NICUs are essential for infants with complex medical needs, but a new study from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health shows that many people in rural America live far from hospitals equipped with these potentially life-saving facilities. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-rural-residents-access-neonatal-intensive.html Thu, 18 Dec 2025 18:10:04 EST news685283949 Some of the nation's biggest retailers are receiving stern warning letters after regulators found recalled baby formula still being sold weeks after it was pulled for safety concerns. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-fda-slams-retailers-recalled-infant.html Wed, 17 Dec 2025 13:50:01 EST news685199120 Some 99% of global newborn deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where pregnant women often struggle to access adequate fetal monitoring. In Tanzania, with 24 neonatal deaths per 1,000 live births, a new wireless fetal heart rate monitoring technology is showing promise in preventing newborn complications and deaths. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-mobile-fetal-heart-linked-newborn.html Wed, 17 Dec 2025 13:10:11 EST news685198138 Over five decades, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) has become known as the nation's first "food as medicine" program. Low-income families receiving WIC benefits—which provides nutritious food in designated categories, nutrition education and access to other social services—have fewer premature births and infant deaths, eat higher-quality diets, and are more likely to receive regular medical care. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-households-popular-wic-food-benefits.html Mon, 15 Dec 2025 15:45:30 EST news685035901 A new study from the University of Oklahoma suggests that small genetic differences in two proteins—previously known for their role in premature infants' lungs—may also influence how their eyes develop, potentially affecting the risk of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-links-genetic-variants-eye-disease.html Mon, 15 Dec 2025 05:06:28 EST news684997561 For infants undergoing cleft palate surgery, local anesthetic injection targeting the maxillary nerve of the face may reduce or eliminate the need for opioid medications to control postoperative pain, reports a study in The Journal of Craniofacial Surgery. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-nerve-block-opioid-infants-cleft.html Sun, 14 Dec 2025 12:10:01 EST news684756183 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved an expanded indication for MED-EL (Medical Electronics) cochlear implants for children ages 7 months and older with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-fda-cochlear-implants-children-young.html Fri, 12 Dec 2025 12:20:02 EST news684763048 One in 10 babies in the U.S.—nearly 374,000 infants—were born preterm in 2023, meaning before 37 weeks of pregnancy. More than 15% were very preterm, meaning they were born before 32 weeks. A full-term pregnancy lasts 40 weeks. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-florida-preterm-births-communities.html Thu, 11 Dec 2025 12:27:21 EST news684678422 Babies born prematurely can have a number of complications at birth, simply because they are brought into the world before their organs are fully developed. One complication is called patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-early-meds-life-threatening-conditions.html Tue, 09 Dec 2025 16:52:14 EST news684521521 An infection with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) typically affects infants much harder than adults. While adults usually experience RSV as a mild cold, infants can develop more severe conditions, including life-threatening pneumonia. Globally, RSV is one of the most common causes of severe lung infections in babies and young children and is responsible for thousands of hospitalizations and deaths in infants every year. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-human-mini-noses-rsv-infections.html Tue, 09 Dec 2025 15:53:24 EST news684517981 Parenteral nutrition (PN) is a lifesaving means of nutritional support for thousands of hospitalized infants who cannot tolerate normal oral feeding due to the immaturity or surgical removal of the intestine due to congenital or disease-related causes. PN is a method of delivering nutrients directly into the bloodstream via an intravenous catheter, bypassing the digestive system entirely. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-parenteral-nutrition-liver-disease.html Tue, 09 Dec 2025 13:54:16 EST news684510841