childhood

Children born in October are more likely to be vaccinated against flu during that month and less likely to be diagnosed with the disease than those born in other months, according to a study published in BMJ. The research involved more than 800,000 US children aged two to five years who were vaccinated against the flu between 1 August and 31 January in the period from 2011 to 2018. The results suggest that the month of birth is related to both the timing of flu vaccination and the likelihood of flu diagnosis, and that October is the best month for flu vaccination.

Dressing in school uniform is associated with less physical activity in children, especially primary school girls, according to a study by the University of Cambridge (UK) published in the Journal of Sport and Health Science. The study analysed data on the physical activity levels of more than one million children aged 5-17 in 135 countries, including Spain, combined with an online survey.

The largest meta-analysis to date that studies the risk of children of people with a mental disorder also suffering from some type of mental disorder during their lifetime has been published, with Spanish participation. According to the study, the risk is more than double that of the rest of the population. To explain the study and resolve any doubts that may arise, the Science Media Centre Spain organised an information session with one of the authors, psychiatrist Joaquim Raduà.

A meta-analysis by the University of Valencia has studied the links between leisure reading habits on digital devices and the reading comprehension of students of different ages. The research - which is based on 25 studies published between 2000 and 2022 involving some 470,000 students from different countries - concludes that in the early stages (primary and 1st and 2nd ESO in the Spanish case) there were small negative relationships between digital leisure reading and reading comprehension, while in later stages (3rd and 4th ESO, baccalaureate and university) the relationship became slightly positive. The research is published in Review of Educational Research.

Intimate partner violence is associated with an increased risk of depression and miscarriage, according to a systematic review of the scientific literature published since 1970. Sexual abuse in childhood is associated with an increased risk of alcohol use disorder and self-harm, says the study published in Nature Medicine. According to its authors, this analysis of 229 previous studies reveals that intimate partner violence and childhood sexual abuse have a more extensive impact on health than previously described.

A meta-analysis, pooling the results of 40 previous studies - involving more than 310,000 children and adolescents in total - concludes that treatment rates for mental disorders in these age groups are "generally low, especially for depression and anxiety". The research, published in JAMA Network Open, shows that the treatment rate for any mental disorder is 38%, ranging from 31% for anxiety, 36% for depression, 49% for conduct disorders and 58% for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

A study conducted with nearly 58,000 boys and girls revealed that increased television or DVD screen time starting from 12 months of age had a negative impact on later development, as reported by JAMA Pediatrics.

Two decades of research has found no differences in psychological well-being and the quality of family relationships between children born through assisted reproduction with third-party intervention (gamete donation or surrogacy) and those born naturally. The results, published in Developmental Psychology, suggest that it is better to talk to them early, at preschool age, about their biological origins.

Between 10-15% of childhood brain tumours are diffuse midline gliomas, a type of tumour that occurs within the brainstem, making it almost impossible to remove surgically. Research published in Science Translational Medicine has used a type of molecule (antisense-ASO oligonucleotides) in mouse models of this tumour to slow tumour growth and prolong survival. The authors hope that the research will reach clinical trials and, in that case, the potential new treatment would be combined with others such as radiotherapy or immunotherapy with CAR-T cells.

Babies who are exposed to dogs and cats during foetal development and early childhood have a lower risk of food allergies up to the age of three, according to a Japanese study published in PLoS ONE. Previous work has focused on the beneficial effect of dogs in this period, while this analysis, based on retrospective data from more than 66,000 children, also includes other pets such as cats and hamsters. According to the study, exposure to dogs is associated with a lower incidence of egg, milk and nut allergies, while contact with cats is linked to a lower incidence of egg, wheat and soy allergies. However, exposure to hamsters is associated with a higher incidence of nut allergy.