U.S. women who utilized a pump found to breastfeed 21 weeks longer on average

Among a large group of U.S. mothers who breast fed between 2016 and 2021, breast pump use was associated with 21 additional weeks of breastfeeding on average, according to a new study from researchers at Yale School of Medicine.  In the first…

Contracting RSV Before Age 2 Can Cause Long-term Lung Changes and Impairment

Infants and children who have severe cases of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) before age 2 are likely to have changes to their lung structure and function that could affect respiratory health later in life.

UAlbany Researchers Awarded $3 Million to Study Disparities in Black Maternal and Infant Health

UAlbany researchers recently received new funding to investigate why Black families disproportionately experience negative health outcomes in the first postpartum year. Findings from the five-year study will inform strategies aimed at improving Black maternal-infant health.

Mouse study links changes in microbiome to prenatal opioid exposure

Prenatal exposure to opioids had been linked to a range of adverse outcomes in infants, including poor fetal growth, low birthweight, possible congenital defects and a higher risk of admission to neonatal intensive care. Less information is known, however, on how developmental opioid exposure shapes an infant’s microbiome and how that influence, in turn, may trigger neurological or behavioral effects later in life.

Bacteria are connected to how babies experience fear

New research from MSU shows that an infant’s gut microbiome could contain clues to help monitor and support healthy neurological development

Why do some babies react to perceived danger more than others? According to new research from Michigan State University and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, part of the answer may be found in a surprising place: an infant’s digestive system.

Thirdhand smoke impacts gut bacteria for infants, study finds

Infants exposed to thirdhand smoke while hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) show a difference in the composition of their gut microbiome, according to a new study by researchers with The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth).

Science Snapshots From Berkeley Lab

Science Snapshots From Berkeley Lab – Water purification, infant-warming device, cuff-based heart disease monitor, ancient magnetic fields

Exercise during Pregnancy Protects Kids’ Future Health from Parents’ Obesity

New research in mice suggests that exercising during pregnancy may help prevent children—especially boys—from developing health problems related to their parents’ obesity. The study is published ahead of print in the Journal of Applied Physiology. It was chosen as an APSselect article for February.