http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/mind_brain/child_psychology/ Child psychology and medical research. From how massage can help infants cry less, to the effect of chemical pollution on children, read the latest child psychology news here. en-us Sat, 17 May 2008 04:05:01 EDT Sat, 17 May 2008 04:05:01 EDT 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/mind_brain/child_psychology/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080515092610.htm New research findings from the world's largest study on language emergence have revealed that one in four late-talking toddlers continue to have language problems by age seven. Fri, 16 May 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080515092610.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080515072645.htm Teenage girls of all ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds still experience sexism and sexual harassment -- but cultural factors may control whether they perceive sexism as an environmental problem or as evidence of their own shortcomings. Older girls and those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds experienced more sexism than their peers. Latina and Asian American girls reported less harassment than others. Sexual harassment may lead girls to believe demeaning behaviors are normal in relationships. Fri, 16 May 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080515072645.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080516094416.htm In the wake of divorce, illness, violence and other problems that can unsettle homes, countless young children are liable to experience temporary separations from one or both parents before packing their knapsacks for kindergarten. Researchers warn that such kids are at increased risk for learning difficulties. Fri, 16 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080516094416.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080514154700.htm Infants and toddlers whose mothers are severely depressed are almost three times more likely to suffer accidental injuries than other children in the same age group, according to a new study. The study's findings suggest that proper treatment for depression would improve not only the mothers' health, but the health of young children as well. Thu, 15 May 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080514154700.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080515101348.htm Although children as young as 5 can be diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder, few research studies have looked at treatments specifically geared toward young children with this disorder. Now, a new study provides some of the first evidence-based data on a successful intervention for early childhood OCD. Thu, 15 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080515101348.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080515100659.htm More than 40 percent of parents have used cough medicine for children younger than two -- even though it is not recommended, nor proven effective for children in this age group, a new study has found. Thu, 15 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080515100659.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080515073026.htm New research has found that minimum standards of quality in early education classrooms, including teachers' level of education and field of study, class size, and child-to-teacher ratio were not directly related to children's learning and social development. The research was conducted among 2,349 4-year olds enrolled in 671 pre-kindergarten classrooms in 11 states. The findings suggest that focusing on high quality instructional and emotional interactions within pre-K classrooms has the potential to improve children's development. Thu, 15 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080515073026.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080515073014.htm Interviews conducted among ethnically and socio-economically diverse 13- and 14-year olds found that teens who felt good about their social standing did well over time, regardless of their actual popularity. These teens who had positive perceptions of their own social success were increasingly less hostile and more frequently sought out by their peers as compared to teens who lacked a strong sense of their own social acceptance and were rated as unpopular by their peers. Thu, 15 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080515073014.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080515073009.htm A study conducted among Arab and Jewish adolescents in public schools in Israel found that certain values helped protect teens against behaving violently. Surveys among 907 students examined how 10 different values related to violent behavior. Teens who valued universalism reported less violent behavior than their peers. Those who valued power reported more violent behavior. In high-risk environments, programs might be used to promote universalistic values over power values. Thu, 15 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080515073009.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080515073004.htm A study among 589 9th graders found that stress at home affects adolescents' school life and vice versa. When adolescents experienced family stress, their learning and attendance problems increased at school the following day. Conversely, attendance and learning problems increased family stress the following day. These "spillover effects" lasted for two days after the initial stressor. Also, adolescents with higher family stress in 9th grade saw declining academic achievement in the 12th grade. Thu, 15 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080515073004.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080515072958.htm New research found that ethnic minority teens tend not to hang out in groups based on ethnicity. Only 30 percent of teens were described by peers as part of ethnically-oriented crowds. The researchers found that being associated with ethnically-oriented crowds at school had different implications for different groups. For Asian students, this was associated with positive characteristics (such as pride). For Latino students, the associations were mixed (pride, but also feelings of discrimination and stereotyping). Thu, 15 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080515072958.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080513140139.htm Agarose gel electrophoresis? Most teenagers wouldn't have a clue what this scientific term means, but middle school student Andrew Trigiano knows the protocol inside and out. Setting out to compare differences in popular brands of Easter egg dyes, Trigiano's project grew into a full-blown scientific study and set of replicable classroom experiments. Wed, 14 May 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080513140139.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080512191132.htm Children who attend schools that run fruit tuck shops are much more likely to eat more fruit if they and their friends are also banned from bringing unhealthy snacks on to the school premises, according to new research. Wed, 14 May 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080512191132.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080513101717.htm Researchers will use music as a tool to explore the ability of children with ASD to identify emotions in musical excerpts and facial expressions. Wed, 14 May 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080513101717.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080513112355.htm The post-university years can start out tough. The good news: it gets better. A new study of almost 600 recent graduates (ages 20-29 years old) tracked mental health symptoms in participants for seven years post-graduation and looked at how key events like leaving home and becoming a parent were related to depression and anger. Graduates showed a significant decrease in depressive symptoms over the seven years. Expressed anger also declined over time after graduation, suggesting improved mental health. Tue, 13 May 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080513112355.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080513101605.htm A new study that is the first to systematically examine a large sample of female child molesters finds that many of them were themselves victims of sexual abuse as children. The finding has the potential to help break the cycle of abuse by improving treatment for offenders and their young victims. Tue, 13 May 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080513101605.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080512163859.htm Multiple sclerosis typically starts in young adulthood, but about five percent of cases start in childhood or the teen years. Children with MS are at risk to exhibit low IQ scores and problems with memory, attention and other thinking skills, according to a new study in Neurology. Tue, 13 May 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080512163859.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080512115935.htm A new study in Psychology of Women Quarterly explored the outcomes of sexual harassment on both boys and girls. While girls were harassed more frequently, boys were indirectly yet negatively affected through a school climate that tolerates the harassment of girls. Tue, 13 May 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080512115935.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080512191126.htm Young children whose parents read aloud to them have better language and literacy skills when they go to school, according to a new review. Mon, 12 May 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080512191126.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080512105708.htm Young children tend to think that other kids with glasses look smarter than kids who don't wear glasses, according to a new study. Children between the ages of 6 and 10 who were surveyed for the study also thought that kids wearing glasses looked more honest than children who don't wear glasses. Mon, 12 May 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080512105708.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080511190834.htm Women and men tend to have different types of stress-related psychological disorders. Women have greater rates of depression and some types of anxiety disorders than men, while men have greater rates of alcohol-use disorders than women. A new study of emotional and alcohol-craving responses to stress has found that when men become upset, they are more likely than women to want alcohol. Mon, 12 May 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080511190834.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080512113505.htm Public investment in early childhood programs may be able to lower public costs for social services by improving children's long-term welfare. Such work is helping to promote a reorientation of child and human services toward investment and prevention, moving away from the current system that seeks to "treat" problems. Research from the fields of neuroscience, developmental psychology and program evaluation has shown how early experiences help determine how a person's brain develops and that effective early intervention strategies can improve a wide range of outcomes from childhood through early adulthood. Mon, 12 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080512113505.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080512105705.htm A new study of homeless youth suggests that treating substance abuse and mental health problems may not be enough to help get teens off the streets. Instead, researchers found that creating more opportunities for work, education and medical care were the most important factors in reducing homelessness. Mon, 12 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080512105705.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080509105348.htm Millions of American teens report experiencing weeks of hopelessness and loss of interest in normal daily activities and many of these depressed teens are using marijuana and other drugs, making their situation worse, according to a new White House report. Sat, 10 May 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080509105348.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080508143321.htm Which is better, giving more food to a few hungry people or letting some food go to waste so that everyone gets a share? A new study finds that most people choose the latter, and that the brain responds in unique ways to inefficiency and inequity. Sat, 10 May 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080508143321.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080508222424.htm Young women would accept age-based screening for the sexually transmitted infection chlamydia, but would want this test to be offered to everyone, rather than to people "singled out" according to their sexual history. Sat, 10 May 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080508222424.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080508115812.htm The first national study of Asians living in the United States shows that for some individuals, strong ties to their ethnicity can guard against the negative effects of racism. For others, strong ties to ethnicity can actually make the negative effects of discrimination worse. And the mental health effects of such discrimination may shift over a lifetime as Asian-Americans continue to examine their ethnic ties, say researchers. Fri, 09 May 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080508115812.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080509164807.htm The middle school years is the time when time kids spend begin to spend less time in physical activity, a growing concern as youth obesity rates rise. A new study of middle school girls shows that after-school programs, in addition to school physical education classes, may be one answer to reducing obesity in teens. The just-released results of the Trial of Activity for Adolescent Girls showed that moderate to vigorous after-school physical activity, in programs that can range from hip hop dancing to surfing, can modestly increase the amount of physical activity for young teenage girls, to the point that it could prevent excess weight gain of about two pounds per year. Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080509164807.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080508090044.htm Depressed people may have far fewer of the receptors for some of the brain's "feel good" stress-response chemicals than non-depressed people, new research shows. And even among depressed people, the numbers of these receptors can vary greatly -- and may be linked with the severity of their symptoms and response to treatment. Thu, 08 May 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080508090044.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080507152419.htm Children who speak a second or third language may have an unexpected advantage later in life, a new study has found. Knowing and speaking many languages may protect the brain against the effects of aging. Thu, 08 May 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080507152419.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080507133326.htm Anti-obesity drugs that work by blocking brain molecules similar to those in marijuana could also interfere with neural development in young children, according to a new study from MIT's Picower Institute for Learning and Memory. Thu, 08 May 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080507133326.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080507132910.htm For children of divorce, what happens after their parents split up may be just as important to their long-term well-being as the divorce itself. A new study found that children who lived in unstable family situations after their parents divorced fared much worse as adults on a variety of measures compared to children who had stable post-divorce family situations. Thu, 08 May 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080507132910.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080507105644.htm A new way to measure breathing patterns in sleeping infants which may also work for adults has just been created. The researcher has created a mathematical formula that measures varying breathing patterns which indicate different sleep states such as active or quiet sleep. Wed, 07 May 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080507105644.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080507084001.htm Scientists have discovered important differences between the brains of suicide victims and so-called normal brains. Although the genetic sequence was identical in the suicide and non-suicide brains, there were differences in their epigenetic marking -- a chemical coating influenced by environmental factors. All of the 13 suicide victims in the study had experienced abuse as children. Wed, 07 May 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080507084001.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080505223427.htm Whether a young man's mother earned a college degree and whether she worked outside the home while he was growing up seems to have an effect years later when he considers his ideal wife, according to a new study. High-achieving men -- those who earn salaries in the top 10 percent for their age and/or have a graduate degree -- are highly likely to marry a woman whose education level mirrors their mom's. Wed, 07 May 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080505223427.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080506163918.htm Gambling activity is widespread among US adolescents and young adults ages 14 through 21, according to a new study. Results of the first national survey of its kind show problem gambling -- described as gambling with three or more negative consequences (for example, gambling more than you intended or stealing money to gamble) in the past year -- occurring at a rate of 2.1 percent among youth 14 to 21. That percentage projects to approximately 750,000 young problem gamblers nationwide. Wed, 07 May 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080506163918.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080506074451.htm A community-wide study in upstate New York found that nearly 28 percent of all visits to the pediatric emergency department could have been replaced with a more cost-effective Internet doctor's "visit," or telemedicine. Health researchers -- who direct Health-e-Access, a Rochester-based telemedicine program that provides interactive, Internet-based health care "visits" to diagnose and treat routine childhood symptoms in 19 urban and suburban schools and childcare centers -- analyzed data from 2006, tracking all pediatric (younger than 19) visits to the largest emergency department in the city. Wed, 07 May 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080506074451.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080505162826.htm A 2001/2002 report by the World Health Organization found that, among young people in western countries who began drinking before 16 years of age, the average age of initiation was 12 years of age. A new twins study from the Netherlands has found that genetic factors appear to be involved in the early initiation of alcohol use, while common environmental factors become involved once alcohol use has begun. Wed, 07 May 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080505162826.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080505162902.htm Prolonged and exclusive nursing improves children's cognitive development. The largest randomized study of breastfeeding ever conducted reports that breastfeeding raises children's IQs, and improves their academic performance, scientists say. Tue, 06 May 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080505162902.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080505162858.htm Although most adopted American teens are psychologically healthy, adoptees appear to be at greater risk for emotional and behavioral problems than non-adoptees, according to a new report in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. They are also more likely to have contact with a mental health professional. Tue, 06 May 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080505162858.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080505162854.htm Young people who live in towns where regulations ban smoking in restaurants may be less likely to become established smokers, according to a new report. Many studies have examined the risk factors that lead young people to try their first cigarette. However, fewer researchers have differentiated these factors from those that cause children and teens to progress to established smoking, or having smoked 100 or more cigarettes. Tue, 06 May 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080505162854.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080506074445.htm Two studies that offer new insights to help adolescents and younger children improve their asthma control were recently conducted. One study found that teens with asthma dramatically overestimate their ability to control the condition, while the other study found that a creative approach referred to as "unplanned planned asthma visits" resulted in young patients having fewer emergency room and hospital visits. Tue, 06 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080506074445.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080504095619.htm Because the first national study of its kind has found that US mothers report they are less likely to vaccinate daughters under age 13 against human papillomavirus virus, even though the vaccine is recommended for girls at age 11 and 12, it's incumbent upon the healthcare community to work to improve mom's acceptance of the vaccination for younger daughters, say researchers at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center who conducted the study. Mon, 05 May 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080504095619.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080505072829.htm Parents of children with autism were roughly twice as likely to have been hospitalized for a mental disorder, such as schizophrenia, than parents of other children, according to a new analysis. The association was present regardless of the timing of the parent's diagnosis relative to the child's diagnosis. Mon, 05 May 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080505072829.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080502102606.htm Directly influenced by pro-tobacco advertising and marketing campaigns, urban sixth-graders in India are using tobacco products in disproportionate numbers, according to a new study. The new information reveals a country setting itself on a dangerous path to tobacco-related illnesses and death in the next two decades. Mon, 05 May 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080502102606.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080505162849.htm Children who had a parent who died suddenly have three times the risk of depression than those with two living parents, along with an increased risk for post-traumatic stress disorder according to a new article. Mon, 05 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080505162849.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080505162838.htm Infants who are exposed to television and video in low socio-economic households tend to have limited verbal interactions with their mothers, according to a new study. Educational television may not be a solution, says new study. Mon, 05 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080505162838.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080505072824.htm At a time when over half of US children (aged 3-6) are in child care centers, and growing concern over childhood obesity has led physicians to focus on whether children are getting enough physical activity, a new study of outdoor physical activity at child care centers has identified some surprising reasons why the kids may be staying inside. Mon, 05 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080505072824.htm