Schizophrenia Risk May Begin in the Placenta

Summary: A new study highlights the placenta’s role in neuropsychiatric development, showing that DNA methylation influences gene expression tied to psychiatric disorders. Researchers found strong links between placental DNA methylation…

Early-Life Adversity Reshapes Brain Development and Behavior

Summary: Early-life adversity affects over half of children worldwide, increasing the risk of cognitive and mental health issues later in life. A new review highlights how unpredictable sensory experiences, beyond…

Childhood Abuse Doubles Psychiatric and Health Risks

Summary: New research finds that adults who experienced both physical and sexual abuse in childhood are about twice as likely to suffer chronic physical and mental health issues, such as…

Eating Seafood Linked to Kinder, More Socially Skilled Young Children

Summary: Children who regularly eat seafood at age 7 exhibit more positive social behaviors—such as sharing, helping, and interacting kindly—by ages 7 and 9, compared to those who rarely consume…

Prenatal Stress Timing Shapes Infant Stress Response

Summary: New research reveals that the timing of stress during pregnancy has gender-specific effects on infants, altering how boys and girls respond to stress differently. Scientists found mid-pregnancy stress has…

Maternal Diet Influences ADHD and Autism Risk

Summary: A large study analyzing over 60,000 mother-child pairs found that a Western diet during pregnancy—high in fat, sugar, and processed foods—was associated with a significantly increased risk of ADHD…

Multilingualism Starts Early: Study Challenges View on Language Learning

Summary: A new study of 121 infants in Accra, Ghana, reveals that babies regularly hear between two and six languages from multiple caregivers. Unlike the Western model of learning one…

Early Life Stress Rewires Brain Circuits Linked to Social Motivation

Summary: New research shows that early life stress disrupts dopamine signaling, altering social motivation and behavior. Scientists found that mice raised in stressful conditions were less likely to engage in…

Prenatal Stress Hormones Alter Brain Development

Summary: Environmental factors like stress and medication exposure during pregnancy can shape brain development, but the mechanisms remain unclear. Researchers used brain organoids to study the effects of synthetic glucocorticoids,…

Parents can soon use QR codes to reveal heavy metal content in baby food

Parents across the U.S. should soon be able to determine how much lead, arsenic, cadmium and mercury are in the food they feed their babies, thanks to a California law,…