Unique Danish longitudinal study with over 136,000 measurements reveals the connection between pubertal development and weight throughout adolescence.

An alarming new study reveals that nearly 19 million children and teens in the U.S. live with a parent who has a substance use disorder. That means one-quarter of children and teens are growing up in homes affected by addiction—and for many, it’s not mild. They’re facing moderate to severe addiction struggles, including alcohol and multiple drug use.

Experts warn this can lead to challenges like anxiety, depression, and a higher risk of addiction later on. But there’s hope: More doctors, schools, and communities are starting to pay attention and offer support. If this is something you or someone you know is facing, you’re not alone—and help is out there. Talking about it is the first step toward change.

That fit people have a reduced risk of premature death from various diseases is a recurring result in many studies. New research shows that people with high fitness levels in their late teens also have a reduced risk of dying from random accidents. This suggests that the associations seen in previous studies have probably been misleading.

New research shows that cyberbullying should be classified as an adverse childhood experience due to its strong link to trauma. Even subtle forms -- like exclusion from group chats -- can trigger PTSD-level distress. Nearly 90% of teens experienced some form of cyberbullying, accounting for 32% of the variation in trauma symptoms. Indirect harassment was most common, with more than half reporting hurtful comments, rumors or deliberate exclusion. What mattered most was the overall amount of cyberbullying: the more often a student was targeted, the more trauma symptoms they showed.

A recent study reveals that the average duration of ADHD medication for children and adolescents is more than three years. However, reliable, controlled data on the safety of marketed ADHD medicines in children are available for only one year of follow-up.

New device can give peace of mind and reduce anxiety for breastfeeding moms. It uses bioimpedance, which is currently used to measure body fat, and streams clinical-grade data to a smartphone or tablet in real time. Developed by physicians and engineers, device was tested by new moms. Technology could particularly benefit fragile babies in the NICU, who have precise nutritional needs.

Postpartum maternal mental health and mother-to-infant bonding are well-established as critical factors in a child's psychosocial development. However, few studies have explored the combined impact of postpartum maternal depression and early bonding experiences on emotional and behavioral difficulties during middle childhood. A new study reveals significant associations between postpartum depression, mother-to-infant bonding, and child difficulties. Notably, secure early bonding was found to partially buffer the long-term effects of postpartum depression on child outcomes.

Source: Nemours Foundation - In English and Spanish

Lowering the legal tackle height in women's rugby is proving effective in reducing head contacts between players, a new study suggests. Changes to the tackle height law in women's community rugby in Scotland is linked to reductions in head-to-head and head-to shoulder contacts, the study found. The researchers used video analysis to study the impact of the lowered tackle height law which World Rugby, the sport's governing body, introduced for community rugby in an attempt to improve safety for players.

Here’s something to take seriously: Having high blood sugar now could triple your risk of heart problems by your early 20s, according to a new study. Even if you feel fine and are at a normal weight, high blood sugar can start quietly damaging your heart.

This study followed nearly 1,600 teens and found that prediabetes became far more common between ages 17 and 24. Teens with high blood sugar or insulin resistance had thicker heart walls, poorer heart function, and more stress on their hearts—early warning signs of heart disease. The takeaway: Making healthier food and activity choices keeps your heart strong for the future.

Pregnant women with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) have an increased risk of giving birth prematurely and the risk increase cannot be explained by obesity, according to a new study.

In the United States, breast, colorectal, endometrial, pancreatic, and kidney cancers are becoming increasingly common among people under age 50, according to a new study.

Women diagnosed with breast cancer who carry particular BRCA1 and BRCA2 genetic variants are offered surgery to remove the ovaries and fallopian tubes as this dramatically reduces their risk of ovarian cancer. Now, researchers have shown that this procedure -- known as bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO) -- is associated with a substantial reduction in the risk of early death among these women, without any serious side-effects.

Groundbreaking device instantly detects dangerous street drugs, offering hope for harm reduction A portable device that instantly detects illicit street drugs at very low concentrations, thereby highlighting the risks they pose. The device has the potential to address the growing global problem of people unknowingly taking drugs that have been mixed with undeclared substances, including synthetic opioids such as fentanyl and nitazenes.

A new study surveyed 21,000 children in China and found that the association between parental bereavement and school bullying varied by sex of the child and deceased parent, age when the death occurred, and geographical area. Adolescents in rural areas, girls, and older youth (ages 13-17) were at higher risk of bullying after either parent died.

Researchers reviewed US national fatal crash data (2016-2021) and examined the vehicle age and driver assistance technologies of vehicles driven by teen and middle-aged drivers, and their associations with driver deaths during fatal crashes.

A research team has adapted an intervention for childhood obesity prevention to better serve Latina mothers, non-maternal caregivers, and families of low-income backgrounds in Inland Southern California. The study could make significant contributions to public health by ensuring that early childhood obesity prevention strategies begin in infancy with infant feeding and are culturally and linguistically relevant for immigrant communities.

Eating a healthy diet as a child is linked to girls having their first menstrual period at an older age than those who consumed a less healthy diet, according to a new study. The findings remained unaltered by the girls' body mass index or height, both of which have been associated with the earlier onset of periods. The study has implications for health in later life as it is well known that women who started their periods at an early age may be at higher risk for diabetes, obesity, breast cancer and diseases of the heart and blood vessels.

A systematic evidence review finds that consuming cannabis while pregnant appears to increase the odds of preterm birth, low birth weight and infant death.

One of the first studies in this area to use clinical-level diagnoses reveals a range of differences between young people with and without mental health conditions when it comes to social media -- from changes in mood to time spent on sites.