Do we clamp the umbilical cord too soon? — USF researchers: Early clamping may interrupt humankind’s first ‘natural stem cell transplant’ – The timing of umbilical cord clamping at birth should be delayed just a few minutes longer, suggest researchers at the University of South Florida’s Center of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair.
New blood test for newborns to detect allergy risk – A simple blood test can now predict whether newborn babies are at high risk of developing allergies as they grow older, thanks to research involving the University of Adelaide.
Study finds Alzheimer’s disease link in eyes of children with Down syndrome — Findings may lead to eye tests for brain disease in Alzheimer’s and Down syndrome – Researchers are going to develop an innovative eye test for early detection of Alzheimer’s disease and Down syndrome. As they discovered the protein that forms plaques in the brain in Alzheimer’s disease also accumulates in the eyes of people with Down syndrome.
Each pound at birth lowers risk of developing TB — Just one more pound may help a newborn avoid tuberculosis later in life. – Researchers at the University of Michigan looked at how much protection additional birth weight added against developing the disease years later. They found that every 1.1 pounds of birth weight decreases the risk of developing tuberculosis later by 46 percent among identical twins.
Cooling may benefit children after cardiac arrest — Multicenter study evaluates effectiveness of therapeutic hypothermia in extending survival and reducing brain injury. – When the heart is stopped and restarted, the patient’s life may be saved but their brain is often permanently damaged. Therapeutic hypothermia, a treatment in which the patient’s body temperature is lowered and maintained several degrees below normal for a period of time, has been shown to mitigate these harmful effects and improve survival in adults.
Babies’ language learning starts from the womb – Newborns’ cries bear the mark of the language their parents speak, revealed by researchers. Infants begin picking up elements of what will be their first language in the womb, and certainly long before their first babble or coo.
Daylight could help control our weight – Exciting research into Brown adipose tissue (BAT) – brown fat, which is found in abundance in hibernating animals and newborn babies – could lead to new ways of preventing obesity.
Scientists create energy-burning brown fat in mice — Suggests novel strategy for treating obesity in people. – Researchers have shown that they can produce brown fat, a natural energy-burning type of fat that counteracts obesity. If such a strategy can be developed for use in people, it could open a novel approach to treating obesity and diabetes.
A new Australian study has found that the number of newborns suffering serious drug withdrawal symptoms is now more than 40 times higher than in 1980. – The number of newborns suffering serious drug withdrawal symptoms (Neonatal Withdrawal Syndrome – NWS) is now more than 40 times higher than in 1980, revealed by a A new Australian study.
Low levels of vitamin B12 may increase risk for neural tube defects; Vegans, vegetarians may be at risk. – Children born to women who have low blood levels of vitamin B12 shortly before and after conception may have an increased risk of a neural tube defect, according to an analysis by researchers at the National Institutes of Health, Trinity College Dublin, and the Health Research Board of Ireland.
