Little is known about language development after late-to-moderate premature birth, the most significant part of prematurity worldwide. We examined minimal-pair word-learning skills in 18 eighteen-month-old healthy full-term (mean gestational age [GA] at birth = 39.6 weeks; 7 males; 100% Caucasian) and 18 healthy late-to-moderate preterm infants…

The climate crisis encompasses a constellation of risks that threaten human livelihoods, well-being, and survival globally. In this article, we present a new framework based on bioecological and dynamic systems perspectives, and on evidence for conceptualizing how the distinctive dual time frame of both acute (e.g., extreme weather events) and…

To investigate the association between labor epidural analgesia exposure and the risk of autism spectrum disorder in offspring, this meta-analysis reviewed relevant literature from Medline, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, and EMBASE databases from inception to May 2022 to evaluate the overall adjusted risk of autism spectrum disorder in…

Objective: This is a protocol for a Campbell review. The aim of this scoping review is to identify and map the available evidence on the association of antenatal cytokine concentrations with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) of the offspring and to inform future research avenues. Introduction: NDDs are a heterogeneous group of conditions with…

The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has increased in recent decades, much of which is related to changes in diagnostic criteria, and greater awareness among professionals and parents. Using a prospective cross-sectional study design, this study explores the prevalence of ASD among 173 adolescents admitted to two psychiatric facilities…

This paper investigates the impact of students' month of birth (MOB) on their university career choices. Specifically, we analyze whether the oldest students in their academic cohorts show more aspirational preferences when expressing their first choice of university degree. Using administrative records for students in a large university district…

This research critically reflects on co-facilitating a perinatal singing program in a regional community in Victoria, challenging traditional adult education models. Utilising Kolb (1984) and Brookfield's (2005) reflective lenses, and Kemmis et al.'s (2004) participatory praxis cycle (PAOR), co-facilitators (a mother-daughter dyad) interrogated…

This study was conducted to determine pregnant women's exposure to third-hand smoke, beliefs and influencing factors. The study included 400 pregnant women in a tertiary care obstetrics and gynecology hospital in Turkey. Data were collected using personal information form, Beliefs About Third-Hand Smoke Scale (BATHS-T) and Fagerström Test for…

The heterogeneity of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) clinically and aetiologically hinders intervention matching and prediction of outcomes. This study investigated if the behavioural, sensory, and perinatal factor profiles of autistic children could be used to identify distinct subgroups. Participants on the autism spectrum aged 2 to 17 years and…

Background: Extensive research suggests that peripartum depression is a risk factor for children's early language development. Yet, previous research on this association shows mixed results, often lacking information on the persistence of depression and the social context. This population-based cohort study addresses this gap by investigating the…

Human breast milk dynamically adapts to meet the needs of healthy neurodevelopment. While a great deal of research has examined the relationship between breastfeeding, infant cognitive development and IQ, findings are inconclusive when potential confounders are adjusted for. This raises questions about the various ways in which breastfeeding and…

Language processing is an extremely important, uniquely human cognitive ability. For well over a century, researchers have sought to understand how the human brain implements a system for instantaneously recognizing and generating complex linguistic patterns. Left perisylvian regions are considered to have certain computational abilities that are…

We analyzed claims data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance database, which contains data of 23.5 million Taiwan residents. We included children born after January 1, 2000 who had received a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Patients who were not diagnosed with ASD were included in the control group. The ASD prevalence was 517 in…

This study investigated developmental pathways between early language and later social skills in a large, prospective cohort consisting of 3387 mother-child dyads. Mediational pathways were examined between parent-reported expressive language (at 2 years of age) and social skills (at 8 years of age), via core language and pragmatic language (at 5…

Epigenetics shows how environmental factors and life experiences alter gene activity without changing the gene sequences. This review examines key epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation, histone modifications, microRNAs, and long non-coding RNAs, and their roles in gene regulation. It also highlights the impact of maternal diet, stress, and…