No evidence that maternal sickness during pregnancy causes autism, study finds
While many studies have reported a link between a mother's health condition during pregnancy and her child's risk of autism, a new study shows that nearly all of these 'associations' can otherwise be...
View ArticleMusic can touch the heart, even inside the womb
Researchers have used mathematical analysis tools to study the effect of classical music on a fetal heartbeat and identify patterns in heart rate variability. They recruited 36 pregnant women and...
View ArticleMaternal stress during pregnancy could leave traces in the placenta that...
Maternal stress could leave epigenetic imprints on genes in the placenta associated with cortisol -- a necessary hormone for fetal development -- and this would affect the baby's development from very...
View ArticleBreakthrough in childhood brain cancer research could heal...
Research has shown that a potential new targeted therapy for childhood brain cancer is effective in infiltrating and killing tumor cells in preclinical models tested in mice. The novel drug CT-179 was...
View ArticleScientists reveal gut microbes' hidden role in anxiety: Could probiotics be...
Could the key to easing anxiety be hidden in our gut? Scientists have discovered a crucial connection between gut microbes and anxiety-related behavior. Their research suggests that microbial...
View ArticleImproved brain decoder holds promise for communication in people with aphasia
A new AI-based tool can translate a person's thoughts into continuous text, without requiring the person to comprehend spoken words. This latest advance suggests it may be possible, with further...
View ArticleScratching through the negative emotions
'We feel sorry because we cry,' wrote philosopher and psychologist William James, 'angry because we strike, afraid because we tremble,' suggesting that emotional bodily responses like crying cause...
View ArticleAdults can learn absolute pitch: new research challenges long-held musical...
It's been a long-held belief that absolute pitch -- the ability to identify musical notes without reference -- is a rare gift reserved for a select few with special genetic gifts or those who began...
View ArticleMore sunshine as a baby linked to less disease activity for children with MS
Getting at least 30 minutes of daily summer sun in the first year of life may mean a lower relapse risk for children who are diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) later, according to a new study. The...
View ArticleThe complicated question of how we determine who has an accent
How do you tell if someone has a particular accent? It might seem obvious: You hear someone pronounce words in a way that is different from 'normal' and connect it to other people from a specific...
View ArticleStudy maps new brain regions behind intended speech
Imagine seeing a furry, four-legged animal that meows. Mentally, you know what it is, but the word 'cat' is stuck on the tip of your tongue. This phenomenon, known as Broca's aphasia or expressive...
View ArticleGroup childcare positively affects toddler development
Many Japanese mothers are reluctant to send their children to childcare before the age of three due to the 'Three-Year-Old Myth,' which suggests that healthy development requires a child to stay at...
View ArticleLack of discussion drives traditional gender roles in parenthood
Conversations about parental duties continue to be led by mothers, even if both parents earn the same amount of money, finds a new study.
View ArticleA single protein may have helped shape the emergence of spoken language
How much does the evolution of human speech owe to one amino acid?
View ArticleLike human brains, large language models reason about diverse data in a...
Researchers find large language models process diverse types of data, like different languages, audio inputs, images, etc., similarly to how humans reason about complex problems. Like humans, LLMs...
View ArticlePromising results from first prenatal therapy for spinal muscular atrophy
Scientists report results from a promising new approach to treat the rare neurodegenerative disorder.
View ArticleAnother way longer paternity leaves help new parents
A longer paternity leave after the birth of a child can improve the co-parenting relationship between moms and dads in a key way, a new study finds. Researchers found that mothers were less likely to...
View ArticleChild ADHD risk linked to mother's use of acetaminophen
Fetal acetaminophen exposure increases the likelihood that a child will develop attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to a new study.
View ArticleScreening and treating maternal psychological health key to improving...
Identifying and treating risk factors for depression, anxiety and other psychological health conditions during pregnancy and postpartum may improve short- and long-term health outcomes for both mother...
View ArticleHow parenthood may help keep your brain young
Researchers find that parents show patterns of brain connectivity that oppose age-related changes.
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