Pediatrics

Adverse situations experienced by the mother during childhood—such as neglect or physical, psychological or sexual violence—can trigger excessive weight gain in male children as early as the first two months of life. This was shown in a study that followed 352 pairs of newborns and their mothers in the cities of Guarulhos and São Paulo, Brazil. The results were published in the journal Scientific Reports.

Unvaccinated children and adolescents were up to 20 times more likely to develop long COVID than their vaccinated peers, according to new research led by a team from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. However, the analysis they performed also indicated that protection afforded by the vaccine primarily comes from preventing infection in the first place, rather than offering special protection against long COVID itself.

Hypnotherapy and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) are the most effective treatments for children suffering with unexplained abdominal pain, according to new research published today in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health.

The cumulative incidence of children with medical complexity (CMC)-defining diagnoses in military-connected children is 12.0% by age 60 months, according to a study published online April 8 in Pediatrics.

Nearly 5 million children in the U.S. have asthma, a disease that narrows the airways. While there’s no cure, it can be controlled with anti-inflammatory medications. However, it can be tough for kids to take their daily medication on schedule, especially while they’re in school.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends primary care behavioral counseling interventions to support breastfeeding, according to a final recommendation statement published online April 8 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

A study conducted by the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, followed the development of children’s motor skills over a three-year period, from early childhood education to school age. The study showed that independent outdoor time and multisport activities support the development of motor competence. Even 30 minutes of outdoor time after a day at childcare makes a difference.

Children in areas with the lowest Child Opportunity Index—which reflects factors like education, social and economic resources—were over twice as likely to suffer another violent injury within a year after an initial firearm-related emergency room visit, according to a study published in JAMA Pediatrics.

Health experts are warning that whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is making a dangerous comeback.

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, firearm violence surpassed motor vehicle accidents as the leading cause of death among US children. A new study led by Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) for the first time reveals how this worrying pattern among children varied by age—and how the pandemic-related gun homicide spike is rising faster among kids than adults.