Cognitive Maturity: 18 is the Threshold of Cognitive Adulthood

Summary: A new study sheds light on when adolescents start thinking like adults. Researchers found that executive function, critical for task-switching and focus, typically matures around 18 years old. Drawing…

Bilingual Boost: Preterm Children Thrive with Two Languages

Summary: Researchers discovered that bilingualism benefits children born prematurely, contradicting some health care professionals’ advice. The study found bilingual preterm children outperformed monolingual peers in cognitive tests. Bilingualism could be…

Innocent Faces of Fentanyl: Opioid Use Linked to Distinct Birth Anomalies

Summary: Researchers have identified a potential new syndrome in babies born to mothers who used fentanyl during pregnancy. The infants displayed distinctive facial features, small heads, short stature, and various…

Curbing Overthinking in Teens Alters Brain Connectivity

Summary: Researchers revealed that Rumination-focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (RF-CBT) can significantly reduce overthinking in teens. This treatment method, originally designed for adults with recurrent depression, has been adapted for younger…

Dad’s Postpartum Depression: Hidden Risk for Childhood Adversities

Summary: Research reveals that a father’s depression during a child’s first year can lead to increased odds of the child experiencing multiple adverse events by age 5. Adverse childhood experiences…

Shyness Skews Child Language Assessments

Summary: Shyness can notably impact a child’s performance in language assessments, particularly those requiring higher levels of social interaction. The research, encompassing 122 children aged 17-42 months, explored how different…

Is Inflammation in Childhood A Mechanistic Link to Neurodevelopmental Disorders?

Summary: Scientists unveiled a potentially transformative link between early childhood inflammation and the subsequent development of neurodevelopmental disorders, through a pioneering study that utilizes single-cell genomics. By examining brain tissues…

Protein Deficiency Reveals Evidence Fragile X Develops Before Birth

Summary: Researchers shifted the paradigm around Fragile X syndrome (FXS), the leading form of inherited intellectual disability, by uncovering its developmental origins pre-birth through the role of FMRP, a protein.…

Emotional Training Strengthens Mother-Baby Bonds

Summary: Up to one-third of mothers struggle to bond with their babies, leading to emotional distress for both, but a new approach may offer hope. Researchers trained expectant mothers, particularly…

Early Parental Bonds Shape Future Empathy

Summary: A new study links early parental bonding with children’s future prosocial behavior, exhibiting kindness and empathy. Utilizing data from over 10,000 people born from 2000-2002, the study illustrates the…