Feet First: AI Reveals How Infants Connect with Their World

Researchers explored how infants act purposefully by attaching a colorful mobile to their foot and tracking movements with a Vicon 3D motion capture system. The study tested AI’s ability to detect changes in infant movement patterns. Findings showed that AI techniques, especially the deep learning model 2D-CapsNet, effectively classified different stages of behavior. Notably, foot movements varied significantly. Looking at how AI classification accuracy changes for each baby gives researchers a new way to understand when and how they start to engage with the world.

NUTRITION 2024 Press Materials Available Now

Press materials are now available for NUTRITION 2024, the annual flagship meeting of the American Society for Nutrition (ASN). Top nutrition scientists and practitioners from around the world will gather to share the latest research findings on food and nutrition during the meeting in Chicago from June 29–July 2.

Babies attend to clues of meaning as they take in complex visual world

Findings from a National Eye Institute-supported study show for the first time that when babies look at photos of unfamiliar everyday scenes, such as an office or a lab, they tend to fixate on the same regions where adults find meaning. This inclination to home in on what’s interesting or meaningful grows more pronounced as babies age. The findings, published in Infancy, provide a more nuanced understanding of visual development, which may lead to earlier detection of brain-based causes of vision problems, such as cerebral/cortical visual impairment.

Stigma felt by opioid-dependent moms impacts the health care received by their babies

The rate of opioid use among pregnant women in the United States quadrupled between 1999 and 2014 and continues to rise — an alarming trend that researchers from the University of Missouri and University of Iowa say has exposed the stigma felt by opioid-dependent mothers and how their shame has negatively impacted the health care received by their infants.

Chula Faculty of Medicine Released Research Results that “Wang Nam Yen” Thai Herbal Tea Can Stimulate Lactation in Mothers after Childbirth Similar to Modern Medicine

Chula Faculty of Medicine, in collaboration with the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine, has released the results of their research on “Wang Nam Yen” herbal tea formula to stimulate lactation in mothers after childbirth, especially those who have had a caesarean delivery, to solve their problem of scarce breast milk. The herbal tea yielded as good results as modern medicine.  The team aims at expanding to commercial production and export. 

Valved Sano Shunt Improves Immediate Outcomes Following Norwood Operation for Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome

Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) is a birth defect that affects normal blood flow through the heart. As the baby develops during pregnancy, the left side of the heart does not form correctly. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that each year about 1,025 babies in the United States are born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome—about one out of every 3,841 babies each year.

Milk boost: Research shows how breastfeeding offers immune benefits

When infants breastfeed, they receive an immune boost that helps them fight off infectious diseases, according to recent research from Binghamton University, State University of New York.

FSU pediatrician cautions against homemade baby formula

By: Pete Reinwald | Published: May 13, 2022 | 2:27 pm | SHARE: Florida State University pediatrician Mary Norton said she has seen parents pour their last amount of formula into a bottle and tell her, “I have nothing else for my baby.” Indeed, families in Tallahassee and throughout Florida are feeling the effects of a national shortage of baby formula that continues to alarm health care workers, government officials and especially parents of infants.

Antidepressant Use During Pregnancy Not Linked to Epilepsy in Children

A new study suggests that antidepressant use by mothers during the first trimester of pregnancy does not increase the chances of epilepsy and seizures in babies. The research is published in the May 11, 2022, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR BABY’S DELICATE SKIN, HAIR AND NAILS

Bringing home a new baby is a time of joy and excitement. However, caring for them can be overwhelming — even for experienced parents. Fortunately, dermatologists from the American Academy of Dermatology say five simple tips can help make caring for babies’ delicate skin, hair and nails easier and less intimidating.

Baby detector software embedded in digital camera rivals ECG

Facial recognition is now common in adults, but University of South Australia researchers have developed software that can reliably detect a premature baby’s face in an incubator and remotely monitor its heart and breathing rates, rivalling ECG machines and even outperforming them. This is the first step in using non-contact monitoring in neonatal wards, avoiding skin tearing and potential infections from adhesive pads.x

Antibiotics for C-sections Effective After Umbilical Cord Clamped

Antibiotics for cesarean section births are just as effective when they’re given after the umbilical cord is clamped as before clamping – the current practice – and could benefit newborns’ developing microbiomes, according to Rutgers co-authored research. The study, by far the largest of its kind and published in the journal Antimicrobial Resistance & Infection Control, challenges current recommendations for antibiotic use. Administering antibiotics after clamping does not increase the risk of infection at the site of C-section incisions, the study concludes.

Strokes in babies are surprisingly common. Here’s how the body rushes to the rescue.

New research is shedding light on the development of the brain’s immune defenses – and how those defenses respond to strokes that strike one in 4,000 babies in the first month of life.

Story Tips From Johns Hopkins Experts on COVID-19

It seems there will never be enough “thank you’s” for the incredible doctors, nurses, technicians and support staff members who are working around the clock to help patients who have the dangerous coronavirus disease. The dedication, determination and spirit enable Johns Hopkins to deliver the promise of medicine.

Ohio State Study: Exercise Increases Benefits Of Breastmilk For Babies

A new study led by researchers at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and College of Medicine finds even moderate exercise during pregnancy increases a compound in breast milk that reduces a baby’s lifelong risks of serious health issues such as diabetes, obesity and heart disease.

Mother/Infant Skin-to-Skin Touch Boosts Baby’s Brain Development and Function

As the world prioritizes social distancing due to COVID-19, new research shows that extended use of Kangaroo Care, a skin-to-skin, chest-to-chest method of caring for a baby, can positively benefit full-term infants and their mothers, which has important implications for post-partum depression. The study provides evidence that the physiology of mothers and their full-term infants is influenced by Kangaroo care: it increases oxytocin levels in mothers, and during infancy, can favorably influence both neurodevelopmental trajectories and infant neurobiological functioning.

Scientists May Have a Way to Let Preemies Breathe Easier

The continuing epidemic of pre-term birth includes this stark reality: tiny, fragile babies are born with underdeveloped lungs and prone to lifelong respiratory infections and related chronic illnesses. Cincinnati Children’s researchers report in Immunology the discovery of a complex biological process could in the development of cost effective treatments to help babies develop lifelong pulmonary resistance to respiratory infections.

Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas Earns State’s Highest Designation for Comprehensive Maternal and Neonatal Care

Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas, a part of Baylor Scott & White Health, is the first hospital in Dallas-Fort Worth designated as a Level IV maternal care center, the highest possible designation by the Texas Department of State Health Services.