http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/mind_brain/child_development/ Read the latest research in child development including how newborns learn to think, how sleep patterns emerge, problems with toddlers and more. en-us Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:05:01 EST Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:05:01 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/mind_brain/child_development/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091123083654.htm In a new study, the amount of television viewed by many young children in child care settings doubles the previous estimates of early childhood screen time, with those in home-based settings watching significantly more on average than those in center-based daycares. Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091123083654.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091124103619.htm Involving family members of pediatric cancer and hematology patients in medical rounds benefits both the family and the medical team, according to a new study. Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091124103619.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091124103615.htm Nearly half of the 3- to 6-year-old girls in a new study worry about being fat. The study surprisingly concluded that the girls did not appear to be influenced by short video clips of stereotypically beautiful, thin princesses in animated children's movies. But it's still important for parents to use "The Princess and the Frog" and other movies to start conversations with their children about weight, skin color and their perceptions of beauty. Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091124103615.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091123083652.htm Children exposed prenatally to tobacco smoke and during childhood to lead face a particularly high risk for ADHD, according to new research. The study estimates that up to 35 percent of ADHD cases in children between the ages of 8 and 15 could be reduced by eliminating both of these environmental exposures. Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091123083652.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091122095411.htm Researchers have determined that children who suffer physical or emotional abuse may be faced with accelerated cellular aging as adults. Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091122095411.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091121093234.htm Treatment that includes medication plus a structured training program for parents reduces serious behavioral problems in children with autism and related conditions, according to a new study. Mon, 23 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091121093234.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091123125155.htm Finding a permanent home for children and youth who are in the care of welfare agencies should be a priority for all Canadians, researchers urge. Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091123125155.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119193632.htm They were in a deep sleep, yet sounds, such as a teakettle whistle, somehow penetrated their slumber. The 25 sounds were reminders of earlier spatial learning, though the research participants were unaware of the sounds as they slept. Yet, upon waking, memory tests showed that spatial memories had changed. Deep sleep, then, is actually is a key time for memory processing, the study suggests. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119193632.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119193626.htm Children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) have a number of cognitive deficits. Mathematical ability seems particularly damaged in children with FASD. A new study supports the importance of the left parietal area for mathematical abilities in children with FASD. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119193626.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119194122.htm Maternal depression can worsen asthma symptoms in their children, according to new research. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119194122.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119193630.htm Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) has been linked to significant impairments in social skills. Researchers have found that a social- skills intervention called Children's Friendship Training can lead to a decrease in hostile attributions or perceptions of children with PAE. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119193630.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118143207.htm At birth, children with Down syndrome aren't developmentally delayed. But as they age, these kids fall behind. Memory deficits inherent in Down syndrome hinder learning, making it hard for the brain to collect experiences needed for normal cognitive development. Scientists have now demonstrated a possible new approach to slowing the inevitable progression of cognitive decline found in Down syndrome. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118143207.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117094931.htm Parents have long suspected that the brains of their teenagers function differently from those of adults. With the advent of magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, we have begun to appreciate how the brain continues to develop structurally through adolescence and on into adulthood. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117094931.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116103437.htm Most of the linguistic functions in humans are controlled by the left cerebral hemisphere. A new study of captive chimpanzees suggests that this "hemispheric lateralization" for language may have its evolutionary roots in the gestural communication of our common ancestors. A large majority of the chimpanzees in the study showed a significant bias towards right-handed gestures when communicating, which may reflect a similar dominance of the left hemisphere for communication in chimpanzees as that seen for language functions in humans. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116103437.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116085040.htm A study of 145 preschool children reports, for the first time, that when the concentrations of two common phthalates in mothers' prenatal urine are elevated their sons are less likely to play with male-typical toys and games, such as trucks and play fighting. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116085040.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091113083257.htm Using data from the late 1970s, researchers have looked at almost 200 children ages 3 to 9 in Belize, Kenya, Nepal and American Samoa to determine whether modernization changes have had an effect on the thinking skills that are learned over the course of childhood. Results show that children in communities with more modern resources performed better in some areas of cognitive functioning and that they took part in more complex sequences of play. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091113083257.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091113083930.htm Youth development programs that tackle deprivation and help children and young people enjoy school are successful in reducing teenage pregnancy rates. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091113083930.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091113083259.htm A study of more than 250 African-American youths from urban, low-income families examined the unique effects of racial identity and self esteem on mental health. Findings reveal that when young people's feelings of ethnic pride rose between 7th and 8th grades, their mental health also improved over that period, regardless of their self-esteem. The researchers also found that racial identity was a stronger buffer against symptoms of depression for boys than for girls. Sun, 15 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091113083259.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091115123711.htm Children as young as 12 have a strong sense of their personal futures and can reflect thoughtfully on what life might hold for them, according to new research. Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091115123711.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091113083301.htm A study of more than 120 ethnically and socioeconomically diverse US elementary school children shows that children develop an awareness about racial stereotypes early and that those biases can be damaging. Specifically, the study illustrates that when children become aware of bias about their own racial or ethnic group, it can affect how they respond to everyday situations, ranging from interacting with others to taking tests. Sat, 14 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091113083301.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091113083305.htm A new study has found that young people feel differently about two types of parental control, generally viewing a type of control that's thought to be better for their development more positively. In the study, researchers asked 67 American children to respond to hypothetical scenarios involving both kinds of control. Their results show that youths put a negative spin on both types of control when the parents in the scenarios exercised a lot of control. Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091113083305.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091113083254.htm Two new studies explore why young children ask so many "why" questions and conclude that children are motivated by a desire for explanation. In the first study, researchers examined longitudinal transcripts of children's everyday conversations and in the second study, they looked at laboratory-based conversations. Results indicate that when preschoolers ask "why" questions, they're not merely trying to prolong conversation, they're trying to get to the bottom of things. Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091113083254.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111200213.htm Malfunctioning circadian clock genes may be responsible for bipolar disorder in children. Researchers found four versions of the regulatory gene RORB that were associated with pediatric bipolar disorder. Fri, 13 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111200213.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111130942.htm If humans are genetically related to chimps, why did our brains develop the innate ability for language and speech while theirs did not? Scientists suspect that part of the answer to the mystery lies in a gene called FOXP2. When mutated, FOXP2 can disrupt speech and language in humans. Now, a new study reveals major differences between how the human and chimp versions of FOXP2 work, perhaps explaining why language is unique to humans. Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111130942.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111123600.htm The vast majority of school-aged children can focus on the voice of a teacher amid the cacophony of the typical classroom thanks to a brain that automatically focuses on relevant, predictable and repeating auditory information, according to new research. But for children with developmental dyslexia, the teacher's voice may get lost in the background noise of banging lockers, whispering children, playground screams and scraping chairs, the researchers say. Thu, 12 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111123600.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109121334.htm Teachers and parents must be vigilant in observing difficulties with language comprehension, reading and spelling in children and young people with autism, Asperger's syndrome and ADHD. Thu, 12 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109121334.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110202847.htm You can improve your second-language listening ability by watching the movie with subtitles -- as long as these subtitles are in the same language as the film. Subtitles in one's native language, the default in some European countries, may actually be counter-productive to learning to understand foreign speech, according to a new study. Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110202847.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110202855.htm Researchers have developed a pupil response test that is 92.5 percent accurate in separating children with autism from those with typical development. In the study, the scientists found that children with autism have slower pupil responses to light change. Wed, 11 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110202855.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109173412.htm Researchers have shown that the brain regions that have long been recognized as a center in which spoken or written words are decoded are also important in interpreting wordless gestures. The findings suggest that these brain regions may play a much broader role in the interpretation of symbols than researchers have thought and, for this reason, could be the evolutionary starting point from which language originated. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109173412.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109174256.htm Handwriting skills are crucial for success in school, communication, and building children's self-esteem. The first study to examine handwriting quality in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has uncovered a relationship between fine motor control and poor quality of handwriting in children with ASD. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109174256.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109121213.htm What do you get when you cross a mouse with poor hearing and a mouse with even worse hearing? Ironically, a new strain of mice with "golden ears" -- mice that have outstanding hearing as they age. The new mouse hears much like people with "golden ears" -- people who are able to retain great hearing even as they grow older. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109121213.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110090903.htm Last year, the United States provided asylum and resettlement assistance for nearly 80,700 people from other countries, an increase from 71,300 individuals in 2007, according to the US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants. Health experts say the increase has made issues of immigrant and refugee violence and the need for effective intervention strategies more apparent. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110090903.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105121220.htm A professor of library and information science says that comic books are just as sophisticated as other forms of literature, and children benefit from reading them at least as much as they do from reading other types of books. Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105121220.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105201441.htm Parents who dress their children in inappropriate clothing could be inadvertently hampering their child's physical activity in childcare settings. The study suggests that inadequate or inappropriate clothing could restrict children's outdoor play. Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105201441.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105121041.htm Recent studies investigating the question of parental control in the west and in east Asian countries suggest that extreme meddling by parents can have negative effects on their children's psychological development in both of those regions, although the effects may not be uniform. Fri, 06 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105121041.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105092607.htm From their very first days, newborns' cries already bear the mark of the language their parents speak, reveals a new study. The findings suggest that infants begin picking up elements of what will be their first language in the womb, and certainly long before their first babble or coo. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105092607.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104181155.htm Childhood obesity in the United States is reaching epidemic proportions. With more than one fourth of advertising on daytime and prime time television devoted to foods and beverages and continuing questions about the role television plays in obesity, a new study examines how food advertising aimed at children might be a large contributor to the problem. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104181155.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104091724.htm Literary Arabic is expressed in the brain of an Arabic speaker as a second language and not as a mother tongue, according to a new study. The research offers an explanation for the objective and day-to-day difficulties that confront Arabic-speaking students when attempting to learn to read the non-spoken language. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104091724.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102172441.htm Learning to talk also changes the way speech sounds are heard, according to a new study. The findings could have a major impact on improving speech disorders. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102172441.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102171413.htm Three-year-old children who are exposed to more TV appear to be at an increased risk for exhibiting aggressive behavior, according to a new report. Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102171413.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102171557.htm Researchers have identified a part of the brain that responds to both facial and vocal expressions of emotion. They used the MagnetoEncephaloGraphic (MEG) scanner at the York Neuroimaging Centre to test responses in a region of the brain known as the posterior superior temporal sulcus. Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102171557.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102121718.htm Adults who had experienced physical abuse as children have 56 percent higher odds of osteoarthritis compared to those who have not been abused, according to a new study. Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102121718.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102085834.htm More than 50 international experts in endangered languages are convening to take the first step in cataloging endangered and dying languages in a comprehensive online database. Tue, 03 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102085834.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026152814.htm Try to pronounce the words "caught" and "cot." If you're a New Yorker by birth, the two words will sound as different as their spellings. But if you grew up in California, you probably pronounce them identically Fri, 30 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026152814.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028134631.htm It has long been suggested that healthy folate levels in expectant mothers goes hand in hand with healthy nervous system development in their children. Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028134631.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026125359.htm When do you first leave the nest? Early in development infants of many species experience important transitions -- such as learning when to leave the mother's protection to start exploring the world. Neuroscientists have now pinpointed molecular events occurring in the brain during that turning point. The findings, in animals, may help explain the strength of attachments in many species -- including the conundrum of why human children form strong attachments to even abusive caregivers. Wed, 28 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026125359.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091027132253.htm Anxiety in pregnant women impacts their babies' size and gestational age. Specifically, women with more severe and chronic anxiety during pregnancy are more likely to have affected babies. Tue, 27 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091027132253.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091027101420.htm Having children improves married peoples' life satisfaction and the more they have, the happier they are. For unmarried individuals, raising children has little or no positive effect on their happiness. Tue, 27 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091027101420.htm