Children – Science & research news

Children may instinctively know how to do division even before hitting the books, study finds

February 25, 2022

By Peter Rejcek, science writer Image: Fizkes/Shutterstock.com Beginning at an early age, children can perform simple mathematical calculations using an intuitive ability to [...]

Requirement for adults to wear masks in schools has major impact on Covid-19 transmissions, study finds

December 20, 2021

Requirement for adults to wear masks in schools has major impact on Covid-19 transmissions, finds new study in Frontiers in Public Health [...]

Infographic: How grid cells in the brain help us navigate the world

November 5, 2021

Image: Corona Borealis Studio/Shutterstock.com Have you ever asked yourself what is it in our brains that actually helps us navigate in the world? Helping us answer that [...]

Anita Conti – The Lady of the Sea

December 2, 2020

We invite you to read the compelling (forgotten) story of the first female oceanographer: Anita Conti. [...]

Coronavirus infection in children – it may not start with a cough

May 12, 2020

Gastrointestinal symptoms, coupled with a fever or history of exposure to COVID-19, could indicate coronavirus infection in children: Frontiers in Pediatrics [...]

Little scientists: children prefer books that explain why and how things happen

April 15, 2020

Books rich in causal information could help increase their motivation to read: Frontiers in Psychology [...]

Mother nose best

March 4, 2020

Child body odor provides olfactory clues to mothers about child's developmental stage: Frontiers in Psychology [...]

Connectedness to nature makes children happier

February 26, 2020

Encourages children to display more sustainable behaviors, and gives greater levels of happiness: Frontiers in Psychology [...]

Blindfolded training could help doctors save young lives

February 20, 2019

Doctors' leadership in pediatric resuscitation improved most when they wore a blindfold during simulation training; Frontiers in Pediatrics [...]

Study highlights potential benefits of continuous EEG monitoring for infant patients

January 16, 2019

In a large cohort of child ICU patients with continuous brain monitoring, nearly half of those younger than 14 months were found to have suffered seizures -- many of which were asymptomatic; Frontiers in Pediatrics [...]

Virtual reality could help doctors spot child abuse

August 21, 2018

Image of doctor wearing virtual reality glasses. VR could become a vital tool for training doctors to look out for hard-to-detect signs of child abuse: Frontiers in Robotics and AI

The VR environment allowed doctors to interact with virtual, avatar patients in the same way as they would in a 'real' consultation: Frontiers in Robotics and AI [...]

Footwear habits influence child and adolescent motor skill development

August 10, 2018

Frontiers in Pediatrics: Researchers show that regular physical activity without shoes may improve children's and adolescents' balancing and jumping skills

Regular physical activity without shoes may improve children's and adolescents' balancing and jumping skills: Frontiers in Pediatrics [...]

Saliva test could improve diabetes control and treatment

August 8, 2018

Frontiers in Physiology: Proteins in saliva can identify uncontrolled type 1 diabetes in children and adolescents -- helping to both predict and prevent complications associated with the disease

Proteins in saliva can identify type 1 diabetes in children, helping to predict and prevent complications associated with the disease: Frontiers in Physiology. [...]

Changing students’ attitudes to mathematics improves test scores

May 29, 2018

Frontiers in Education: Changing children's attitudes to mathematics improves academic achievement

Stanford study shows that a free, online course can change students' mindsets about their math abilities and increase academic achievement: Frontiers in Education [...]

Risk factors involved in the early onset and severity of childhood obesity

May 16, 2018

Childhood obesity is linked to a family history of obesity, high blood pressure and lipid levels, type 2 diabetes and heart disease: Frontiers in Endocrinology

Childhood obesity is linked to a family history of obesity, cardiovascular and metabolic disease: Frontiers in Endocrinology [...]

Class clowns: Playful boys viewed more negatively than playful girls

May 2, 2018

Gender differences in how teachers perceive playful children can have damaging effects on playful boys: Frontiers in Psychology [...]

Children are as fit as endurance athletes

April 25, 2018

Study shows how young children can run around all day: their muscles resist fatigue and recover in the same way as elite endurance athletes: Frontiers in Physiology [...]

Music lessons improve children’s cognitive skills and academic performance

April 19, 2018

Structured music lessons significantly enhance children's cognitive abilities which lead to improved academic performance: Frontiers in Neuroscience [...]

Childhood aggression linked to deficits in executive function

April 4, 2018

Primary school kids with lower planning and self-restraint skills are more likely to show increased aggression in middle childhood, report University of Potsdam researchers in Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience [...]

Early numeracy of young kids linked to specific math activities at home

March 28, 2018

Early numeracy of young kids linked to specific mathematics activities at home

The more parents engage in math activities with their children, the higher their early numeracy performance: Frontiers in Psychology [...]

Overweight children more likely to underestimate their body size

January 26, 2018

overweight children body size underestimation

Research suggests that overweight children are more likely to underestimate their body size: Frontiers in Psychology [...]

Children more engaged and attentive following outdoor lesson in nature

January 17, 2018

Children education learning outdoor lesson

Outdoor lessons allowed teachers to teach uninterrupted for almost twice as long during a subsequent indoor lesson, finds a study in Frontiers in Psychology [...]

Do violent communities foster violent children?

November 17, 2017

Children and adolescents regularly confronted with violence have a greater tendency to show antisocial behavior, shows a study in Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience [...]

Trends in kids’ fitness not as bad as assumed

November 10, 2017

The motor performance of young children has only partly declined over the past decade, says a report in Frontiers in Pediatrics. [...]

Review finds poor compliance with helmet use in baseball and softball

November 7, 2017

Serious brain injuries occur once in about every 2,000 baseball and softball games reports a study in Frontiers in Neurology. [...]

Montessori preschool boosts academic results and reduces income-based inequality

October 31, 2017

Children in Montessori preschools show improved academic performance and social understanding, while enjoying their school work more, shows a study in Frontiers in Psychology. [...]

HIV infection, even with antiretroviral therapy, appears to damage a growing child’s brain

October 19, 2017

HIV-positive children who started ART by the age of 18 months show ongoing disruptions in white matter development, shows a study in Frontiers in Neuroanatomy [...]

Maternal diet could affect kids’ brain reward circuitry

September 28, 2017

Children from high-fat diet mothers have altered brain circuitry into adulthood. Research from Frontiers in Endocrinology explains how a preference for unhealthy foods can be passed from mother to child during pregnancy. [...]

Google Glass app helps autistic children with social interactions

September 22, 2017

Wearable technology described in Frontiers in Robotics and AI can recognize conversational prompts and provide the user with suitable responses. [...]

Tablets can teach kids to solve physical puzzles

September 21, 2017

Touchscreen tablet educational apps for children

Contrary to popular belief, a Frontiers in Psychology study shows that children who learn to solve a puzzle on a tablet can transfer the learning to the physical world. [...]

Iconic words critical to vocabulary acquisition in young children

September 15, 2017

Language-vocabulary-acquisition-young-children

Words whose form is linked to their meaning are critical to effective language learning in young children, finds a study in Frontiers in Communication. [...]

Preventing exercise-induced bronchospasm

September 13, 2017

Research in Frontiers in Pediatrics identifies the best ways to diagnose, prevent and treat exercise-induced bronchospasm in children with and without asthma. [...]

Inattentive kids show worse grades in later life

September 5, 2017

A study of young kids, published in Frontiers in Psychology, reveals that inattentiveness is linked to poor grades up to 10 years later. [...]

Brain injury in kids might lead to alcohol abuse

August 29, 2017

Traumatic brain injuries in children and adolescents could lead to alcohol abuse in later life

Researchers find evidence that traumatic brain injuries in children and adolescents could be a risk-factor for alcohol abuse in later life [...]

Is it okay for children to count on their fingers?

July 4, 2017

Frontiers in Education study suggests finger training intervention combined with exposure to number representations supports quantitative skills development [...]

Assessing and addressing the impact of childhood trauma

June 20, 2017

Dr. Danessa Mayo and colleagues offers a model of the trauma-psychosis risk cycle that results from experiencing childhood trauma, published in Frontiers in Psychiatry.

A comprehensive literature review, published in Frontiers in Psychiatry, helps us to understand why childhood trauma leads to an increased risk for psychosis. [...]

Playground politics — what drives rejection amongst children?

May 15, 2017

New research, published in the open-access journal Frontiers in Psychology, explores playground rejection amongst school children.

New study, published in Frontiers in Psychology, reveals that it's not what a child does that leads to rejection, but how other children feel about it. [...]

How do toddlers learn best from touchscreens?

May 9, 2017

Smartphones and tablets have become so pervasive that, even in lower-income households, 90% of American children have used a touchscreen by the age of 2.

New research, published in Frontiers in Psychology, shows that touchscreens can either help or hinder learning in toddlers. [...]

How can children’s active exploration of the world influence development?

May 8, 2017

Challenging some established theories on child development, a collection of research articles—published in Frontiers in Psychology—shows how as a child learns to master motor skills, other areas of development can improve over time.

Research, published in Frontiers in Psychology, shows motor skills impact growth beyond physical health, such as language, math and social behavior. [...]

Helping children achieve more in school

December 8, 2016

Study shows learning strategies are key to academic achievement and describe behavioural interventions that could reverse underachievement – By Abigail Pattenden, [...]

Robotic tutors for primary school children

November 4, 2016

By Ian Salter, Frontiers Science Writer The use of robotic tutors in primary school classrooms is one step closer according to research recently published in the open access [...]

Disease-causing gut bacteria common in children

October 5, 2016

A type of bacteria, which can cause diarrhea and inhibit growth in children in developing countries, is highly prevalent in a sample of children in an industrialized country. [...]

Touchscreens may boost motor skills in toddlers

September 13, 2016

by Conn Hastings, Frontiers Science Writer Younger use of touchscreens by toddlers correlates with increased fine motor control. Does your toddler use a touchscreen [...]

Emotionally invested parents give children a leg up in life

September 7, 2016

By Mark Wartenberg, Frontiers Science Writer Emotionally invested parents can mean children are more likely to be successful later in life, a study published in [...]

Children less likely to trust ugly people

June 13, 2016

A new study shows that children judge us on our looks – and beauty wins out on trustworthiness ratings by Abigail Pattenden, Frontiersin.org Is beauty only skin deep? [...]

New treatment for children with ARDS

May 6, 2016

By Alice Rolandini Jensen, Frontiers science writer Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) affects hundreds of thousands of people each year, many of them children. Those [...]

Does the moon affect our mood or actions?

May 6, 2016

By Fernando Bolaños, Frontiersin.org Always surrounded by an aura of mystery, the moon and its possible influence over human behavior has been object of ancestral [...]

Children’s interactions more complex than predicted

April 8, 2016

By Fernando Bolaños, science writer While sharing toys and fighting with each other, kindergarten children helped researchers understand the patterns and qualities of [...]