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.
Tag: Infants
New anti-cancer ‘degrader’ targets protein essential to infant leukemia
Scientists have developed a potent anti-cancer compound that inhibits cancer cell growth in a tough-to-treat type of infant leukemia.
‘Baby Talk:’ Decoding How Children’s Vocal and Cognitive Cues Sway Adults
In infancy, caregivers rely on facial expressions and vocal cues to understand a baby’s needs and emotions, as babies do not use language. A new study shows that while facial expressions are important, they are less effective than vocal and cognitive signals. Adults are more focused on a child’s voice when assessing emotional states and helplessness, but use cognitive content, such as reasoning abilities, to gauge intelligence. When a child’s vocal immaturity conflicts with advanced cognitive abilities, caregivers prioritize vocal cues for emotional needs and cognitive cues for intelligence, highlighting how different cues influence judgments in early childhood.
U.S. Drug-related Infant Deaths More than Doubled from 2018 to 2022
Drug-involved infant deaths more than doubled (120% increase) from 2018 to 2022, with the greatest proportion of deaths in 2021 (25.8%). The most prevalent underlying causes of death included assault (homicide) by drugs, medicaments and biological substances (35.6%).
Brain scans for babies reduce risk of stroke later in life
Non-invasive brain scans for children under the age of one could identify risk factors and reduce the potential for stroke later in life, say researchers at the University of South Australia.
NEW TOOL MAY HELP PRIORITIZE HIGH-RISK INFANTS FOR RSV IMMUNIZATION
Pediatric Impact of COVID-19 and Other Respiratory Infections Clinical Prediction Tool for Prioritizing Respiratory Syncytial Virus Prevention Products for High-Risk Infants During Current Limited Availability of Nirsevimab in the United States
Plagiocephaly and Torticollis Awareness Month
The Osteopathic Center for Children & Osteopathy’s Promise to Children is now looking for infants 4 months old and younger diagnosed with plagiocephaly (flat head syndrome), which affects 47% of infants in the US.
Texas A&M AgriLife researcher receives $4 million grant to study feeding intolerance in preterm infants
Novel noninvasive method allows for precise diagnosis of feeding intolerance severity
Eureka Baby! Groundbreaking Study Uncovers Origin of ‘Conscious Awareness’
Fundamental questions of agency – acting with purpose – have perplexed some of the greatest minds in history including Sir Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin. Now, human babies provide groundbreaking insight into the origins of agency.
Opioids, Methadone and Babies
A new study led by Lorraine Kelley-Quon, MD, MSHS, pediatric surgeons at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles shows that methadone use in babies after surgery can lead to longer hospital stays.
Babies talk more around man-made objects than natural ones
A new study, led by the University of Portsmouth, suggests young children are more vocal when interacting with toys and household items, highlighting their importance for developing language skills.
Echovirus 11 in newly born twins: case in Italy shows close genetic relation to strains found in France among neonates
A group of French clinicians and researchers described an observed increase in both incidence and severity of acute and fulminant hepatitis associated with an emerging lineage of E11 in new-borns in France since summer 2022. This upsurge has been particularly affecting male twins.
Comparing Management Strategies for Infants with Critical Left Heart Obstruction
Each year, 3 out of 10,000 babies will be born with critical left heart obstruction (CLHO). Most infants born with severe left-sided cardiac defects, such as CLHO, require at least three major open-heart surgeries before the age of 5.
Babies’ gut microbiome not influenced by mothers’ vaginal microbiome composition
It has been a longstanding assumption that birth mode and associated exposure of newborns to their mothers’ vaginal microbiome during delivery greatly affects the development of babies’ gut microbiome.
Forensic Study Sheds Light on the Remains of Infants, Children
A forensic science study sheds light on how the bones of infants and juveniles decay. The findings will help forensic scientists determine how long a young person’s remains were at a particular location, as well as which bones are best suited for collecting tissue samples to help ID the deceased.
Spontaneous baby movements have purpose
Spontaneous, random baby movements aid development of their sensorimotor system, according to new research led by the University of Tokyo.
Vaccinating women infected with COVID during pregnancy prior to delivery provides antibodies to newborns
FINDINGS Women with COVID in pregnancy who are subsequently vaccinated after recovery, but prior to delivery, are more likely to pass antibodies on to the child than similarly infected but unvaccinated mothers are. Researchers who studied a mix of vaccinated and unvaccinated mothers found that 78% of their infants tested at birth had antibodies.
Study Finds Delays in Initial Cystic Fibrosis Evaluation in Infants of Color
Infants from minoritized racial and ethnic backgrounds who have positive newborn screening tests for cystic fibrosis received their diagnostic follow-up for the disease later than recommended and later than white, non-Hispanic infants, according to a study published in the Journal of Cystic Fibrosis. The study also found that this delay in diagnosis and treatment was associated with worse early nutritional outcomes and may contribute to previously documented, considerable health disparities in people with cystic fibrosis.
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.
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.
Infants have more microplastics in their feces than adults, study finds
Researchers reporting in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology Letters discovered that infants have higher amounts of one type of microplastic in their stool than adults. Health effects, if any, are uncertain.
Women who Vape are More Likely to Have Low Birthweight Babies, Study Shows
Women who use electronic cigarettes during pregnancy are 33% more likely than those who don’t to give birth to low-birthweight infants, according to a new study by a team of researchers from UCLA and other institutions.
Lurie Children’s Study to Use Soy Isoflavones in a Precision Medicine Approach to Prevent Wheezing and Asthmatic Inflammation in High Risk Infants
Rajesh Kumar, MD, and Jacqueline Pongracic, MD, from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago received $3 million from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for a site-specific clinical trial on whether a soy supplement in infancy can prevent asthma in children with a high-risk genetic variation. This will be one of the earliest precision medicine approaches to asthma prevention.
Depressed Moms Who Breastfeed Boost Babies’ Mood, Neuroprotection and Mutual Touch
Feeding method and affectionate touch patterns in depressed and non-depressed mothers and babies as well as infant’s EEG activity showed that mother-infant affectionate touch differed as a function of mood and feeding method (breastfeeding and bottle-feeding). Infants in the depressed and bottle-fed group reduced touch toward their mothers while breastfeeding had a positive effect on both mother and baby. Infants of depressed and breastfeeding mothers showed neither behavioral nor brain development dysregulation previously found in infants of depressed mothers.
Story Tips From Johns Hopkins Experts On COVID-19
For many of us, this year’s holiday season may look different, and many are asking how we can enjoy the fellowship of the season while keeping ourselves, our loved ones and our communities safe from COVID-19.
The Medical Minute: How to choose the right baby formula
Baby formulas come in vibrant containers, adorned with pictures of stuffed toys and adorable infant faces. They carry all sorts of brand names, labels and initials. So, how can parents know which one is right for their baby?
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.
Infants in Households With Very Low Food Security May Have Greater Obesity Risk
Infants from households reporting very low “food security,” a measure of access to adequate and healthy meals, tend to weigh more than those from households with relatively high food security.
Approximately A Third of Pediatricians Fully Follow Guidelines on Peanut Allergy Prevention in Infants
While 93 percent of U.S. pediatricians surveyed were aware of the national guidelines on peanut allergy prevention in infants, only 30 percent were fully implementing the recommended practices and 64 percent reported partial implementation, according to the study published in JAMA Network Open.
Babies with COVID-19 Tend to Have Mild Illness, Mostly with Fever
A report from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago shows that infants under 90 days of age who tested positive for COVID-19 tend to be well, with little or no respiratory involvement. Fever was often found to be the primary or only symptom. Findings were published in The Journal of Pediatrics.
Researchers Get Important Glimpse Into Microbiome Development in Early Life
A team of researchers at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) has characterized how the gut microbiome develops in the first hours of infancy, providing a critical baseline for how changes in this environment can impact health and disease later in life.
Infant straining: Why your baby’s crying is actually a good thing
Babies aren’t born knowing how to poop. It takes them a little while after they’re born to get the hang of it.
Altruistic babies? Study shows infants are willing to give up food, help others
New research by the University of Washington’s Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences finds that altruism may begin in infancy. In a study of nearly 100 19-month-olds, researchers found that children, even when hungry, gave a tasty snack to a stranger in need.
Not just ‘baby talk’: Parentese helps parents, babies make ‘conversation’ and boosts language development
A study by the Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences at the University of Washington finds the value of using “parentese,” an exaggerated speaking style that conveys total engagement with a child.
UW research expands bilingual language program for babies
A study by the University of Washington’s Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences (I-LABS) shows that a bilingual language program for babies can reach more families, and instructors, through online training for teachers.
Unhealthy habits can start young: infants, toddlers and added sugars
A new study in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, published by Elsevier, found that nearly two-thirds of infants (61 percent) and almost all toddlers (98 percent) consumed added sugars in their average daily diets, primarily in the form of flavored yogurts (infants) and fruit drinks (toddlers).
Moderate to Heavy Drinking During Pregnancy Alters Genes in Newborns, Mothers
Mothers who drink moderate to high levels of alcohol during pregnancy may be changing their babies’ DNA, according to a Rutgers-led study.