Genetic Link to Alzheimer’s Disease Risk
Razi Berry The brain has a natural protective mechanism against Alzheimer’s disease, and researchers at Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital and collaborating institutions have discovered that gene variants associated with risk of developing the disease disturb the protective mechanism in ways that can lead to neurodegeneration. The researchers also showed in a fruit […]
Olive Oil Great for the Heart
Razi Berry Consuming more than 7 grams (>1/2 tablespoon) of olive oil per day is associated with lower risk of cardiovascular disease mortality, cancer mortality, neurodegenerative disease mortality and respiratory disease mortality, according to a study publishing today in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. The study found that replacing about 10 grams/day […]
Breastfeeding is Good for Mother’s Heart Health
Razi Berry Women who breastfed were less likely to develop heart disease or a stroke, or die from cardiovascular disease than women who did not breastfeed, according to a meta-analysis published today in a pregnancy spotlight issue of the Journal of the American Heart Association (JAHA), an open access, peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart […]
Babies Can Differentiate Between Musical Notes at 6 Months
Razi Berry There’s a common belief that musicians are born with a natural ability to play music, while most of us have to work twice as hard to hear the difference between musical notes. Now, new research from neuroscientists at York University suggests the capacity to hear the highs and lows, also known as the […]
Babies Know Grammar at 8 Months
Razi Berry Even before uttering their first words, babies master the grammar basics of their mother tongue. Thus, eight-month-old French infants can distinguish function words, or functors — e.g. articles (the), personal pronouns (she), or prepositions (on) — from content words — e.g. nouns (rainbow), verbs (to drive), or adjectives (green). Functors are frequently encountered […]
COVID-19 Not Transmitted to Fetus, Study Suggests
Razi Berry Finally, some good news! Finally, some good news has emerged about the novel coronavirus that has spread to about 50 countries across the world. Chinese professors report in the journal Frontiers in Pediatrics that it doesn’t appear that the viral infection is transmittable from pregnant mothers to newborns at birth. Second study out […]
Breastmilk Helps Early Childhood Growth
Razi Berry Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) found in breastmilk may influence a child’s growth from infancy through early childhood, according to a study supported by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The study also suggested that maternal obesity may affect […]
You Really Are on the ‘Same Wavelength’ as Your Baby
Razi Berry New research suggests that you might quite literally be “on the same wavelength,” experiencing similar brain activity in the same brain regions. Have you ever played with a baby and felt a sense of connection, even though they couldn’t yet talk to you? A team of Princeton researchers has conducted the first study […]
Added Sugar Almost Impossible to Avoid for Toddlers
Razi Berry 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). Infants were 6-11 […]
Antibodies in Breastmilk Important to Prevent Disease in Premies
Razi Berry A new study from the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh finds that an antibody in breastmilk is necessary to prevent necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC)- an often-deadly bacterial disease of the intestine- in preterm infants. Antibody in breastmilk necessary to prevent necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) Immunoglobulin A (IgA) antibodies bind to bacteria […]