Oxford Brookes University Babylab

Fathers’ to***co use linked to metabolic changes in their children 💨

New research published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society suggests that a father's ni****ne exposure could influence how his offspring process sugar. In a mouse study, scientists found that paternal ni****ne intake led to metabolic changes in the next generation. These alterations may affect how the body handles glucose and could increase the risk of developing diabetes.

The study also notes that to***co use remains one of the most significant preventable causes of poor health outcomes. Reducing behaviors such as smoking and electronic cigarette use could help slow the growing diabetes epidemic. This may be especially important for men, who use to***co products more frequently than women.

"When male mice consumed ni****ne in their drinking water, their offspring had metabolic alterations that appear to impact the way the body metabolizes sugar," said the study's senior author, Raquel Chamorro-Garcia, Ph.D., of the University of California, Santa Cruz, in Santa Cruz, Calif. "This suggests that to***co use in men is linked with an increased risk of their descendants developing diabetes."

The study also notes that to***co use remains one of the most significant preventable causes of poor health outcomes. Reducing behaviours such as smoking and electronic cigarette use could help slow the growing diabetes epidemic. This may be especially important for men, who use to***co products more frequently than women.

Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260315001844.htm

Study finds dangerous lead levels in children’s clothing

After analysing shirts from several retailers, undergraduate researchers found that every item tested exceeded U.S. federal safety limits for lead. Their findings also suggest that even brief chewing on these fabrics could expose kids to unsafe levels.

Fast fashion offers an affordable way to keep up with kids who quickly outgrow their clothes. But new early research suggests that some of these garments may contain a dangerous substance: lead.

After analyzing shirts from several retailers, undergraduate researchers found that every item tested exceeded U.S. federal safety limits for lead. Their findings also suggest that even brief chewing on these fabrics could expose kids to unsafe levels.

The lead researcher, Deaver, says: "I started to see many articles about lead in clothing from fast fashion, and I realised not too many parents knew about the issue."

Earlier research has shown that lead can appear in metal components of children's clothing, such as zippers, buttons and snaps, sometimes leading to recalls. However, lead has also been detected directly in fabrics, including items sold for adults. According to Deavers, some manufacturers use lead(II) acetate as a low-cost way to help dyes bond to fabric and maintain bright, long-lasting colors.

Source:https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260402042737.htm

Pregnancy is a chance to reshape family eating habits before the baby arrives 🥑🥦

Pregnancy is often regarded as a time to prepare the nursery, but it is also a useful moment to get the kitchen ready.

For many expectant parents, the months before a baby arrives are filled with practical jobs: buying clothes, assembling a cot, choosing a pram, packing a hospital bag. Yet one of the most important forms of preparation happens somewhere less photogenic: in the cupboards, the fridge and the daily routines of the home.

Research Peles and colleagues conducted suggests that pregnancy can be a powerful moment for change. During pregnancy, food becomes about more than personal preference. It is bound up with the health of the developing baby, the wellbeing of the mother, and the kind of family life parents hope to create.

Soource:https://theconversation.com/pregnancy-is-a-chance-to-reshape-family-eating-habits-before-the-baby-arrives-278058

What teens eat could be affecting their mental health more than we thought 🍀

A new study led by researchers at Swansea University suggests that the way teenagers eat could influence their mental health. The team also lays out a detailed plan for future research to better understand how diet and mental well-being are connected.

Published in the journal Nutrients, the review looked at findings from 19 studies that explored links between diet and mental health in adolescents.

Overall, healthier eating patterns were commonly associated with fewer symptoms of depression. In contrast, lower-quality diets were more often linked to higher levels of psychological distress.

Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260328043602.htm

Language used by mothers affects oxytocin levels of infants 🌿

Infants whose mothers regularly use language to describe what their child is thinking or feeling, have higher levels of the hormone oxytocin, finds a new study led by UCL researchers.

Oxytocin, a hormone that is involved in a range of psychological processes, plays an important role in social relationships.

For te research, 62 new mothers aged between 23 and 44 years old, and who had an infant between three and nine months old, were filmed interacting naturally with their baby for five minutes. The researchers analysed the videos to see how well the mother accurately referred to her infant’s internal experience. They also collected saliva samples from the infant and measured the level of the hormone oxytocin. When the relationship between these two measures was analysed, the researchers found a positive correlation.

Dr Lindley Baron-Cohen said: “This study demonstrates a new psychobiological link between mothers and their infant, in which the mother’s emotionally sensitive speech is reflected in her infant’s hormone levels.

“This highlights the key role mothers play in their child’s early development, and indicates how mothers who are experiencing depression could be supported to facilitate their child’s social development.”

New study reveals similarities in language development between chimpanzees and humans 🐵

A new study has provided evidence that young chimpanzees are capable of vocal functional flexibility; a known building block in human language development.The ability to produce sounds that can fulfill a variety of functions is fundamental to how we learn to speak, but it has long been believed that non-human primates don't share this skill.

Human babies make noises that have specific purposes. But there are other free speech sounds, like pre-babbling, that are more flexible in their function. New research has found that infant and juvenile chimps demonstrate a similar vocal flexibility, which implies the foundations for speech are rooted in our primate evolutionary heritage.

Lead author, Dr Derry Taylor, from the University of Portsmouth's Department of Psychology, said, "Until now, we didn't have evidence of vocal functional flexibility in non-human primates early on. This discovery holds profound implications for our understanding of the origins of human language."

The paper, published in iScience, is one of the first systematic studies of early chimp vocal production and function. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-reveals-similarities-language-chimpanzees-humans.html

Singing to babies improves their mood 🎤🎼
A new study highlights how singing is a simple yet effective way to support infant well-being.

Singing to your infant can significantly boost the baby's mood, according to a recent study. Around the world and across cultures, singing to babies seems to come instinctively to caregivers. Now, new findings support that singing is an easy, safe, and free way to help improve the mental well-being of infants. Because improved mood in infancy is associated with a greater quality of life for both parents and babies, this in turn has benefits for the health of the entire family, the researchers say. The study also helps explain why musical behaviors may have evolved in parents.

The new study included 110 parents and their babies, most of whom were under the age of four months. The researchers randomly assigned the parents into two groups, encouraging one group to sing to their infants more frequently by teaching the parents new songs, providing karaoke-style instructional videos and infant-friendly songbooks, and sending weekly newsletters offering ideas for incorporating music into daily routines.
For four weeks, these parents received surveys on their smartphones at random times throughout the day. Parents answered questions related to infant mood, fussiness, time spent soothing, caregiver mood, and frequency of musical behavior. For instance, parents were asked to rate how positive or negative their baby's mood was within the last two to three hours before receiving the survey. The 56 parents in the control group also received an identical intervention in the four weeks following the initial experiment.
The researchers found that parents were successfully able to increase the amount of time they spent singing to their babies. "When you ask parents to sing more and provide them with very basic tools to help them in that journey, it's something that comes very naturally to them," said Yurdum.

More information-https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250530124123.htm

Scientists link childhood stress to lifelong digestive issues
Childhood stress doesn’t just affect the mind—it may quietly reshape the gut for life

Early life stress may set the stage for long-term digestive problems by disrupting the gut-brain connection. Studies in both mice and thousands of children found links to symptoms like pain, constipation, and IBS. Scientists discovered that different biological pathways control different gut issues, hinting at more personalized treatments in the future. The research also highlights how a child’s early environment can have lasting physical effects—not just emotional ones.

A new study published in Gastroenterology suggests that stress during early life may increase the risk of digestive problems later on. Researchers found that these effects are linked to changes in both the gut and the sympathetic nervous system.

"Our research shows that these stressors can have a real impact on a child's development and may influence gut issues long-term. Understanding the mechanisms involved can help us to create more targeted treatments," said study author Kara Margolis, director of the NYU Pain Research Center and professor of molecular pathobiology at NYU College of Dentistry and pediatrics and cell biology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine.

More information-https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260317064444.htm

Screens are part of modern parenting – five tips for healthy use 📱🖥️
By Liane Beretta de Azevedo and Colette Marr

Screens are everywhere in children’s lives. They use them at school and at home. They see their parents using screens as they work on laptops, using phones to arrange playdates or look up outings or recipes, or using tablets.

Managing screen time can be difficult when, as recent guidelines published by the Department for Education make clear, it’s not just how much time children spend on screens, but what they’re doing with them that matters. This applies to parents’ use of screens, too. Here are five tips for using screens with and around children in a positive way.
Managing screen time can be difficult when, as recent guidelines published by the Department for Education make clear, it’s not just how much time children spend on screens, but what they’re doing with them that matters. This applies to parents’ use of screens, too. Here are five tips for using screens with and around children in a positive way.
1. Model healthy habits

2. Keep an eye on using screens to manage stress

3. Use screens together

4. Follow age-specific guidelines

5. Encourage alternative activities

For more information:
https://theconversation.com/screens-are-part-of-modern-parenting-five-tips-for-healthy-use-280673