growth – Page 14 – Stepping Stones Center

September 24, 2026· Child Development

New Study Links Congenital TORCH Infections to Significantly Higher Risks of Autism and Intellectual Disability

A comprehensive new study conducted by researchers at the Karolinska Institutet has identified a significant association between rare, maternally transmitted infections during pregnancy and an increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in childhood. The findings, published in the prestigious journal JAMA Pediatrics, shed new light on the long-term impact of congenital infections—specifically those classified as TORCH…

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September 24, 2026· Child Development

New Study Links Deep Sleep and REM Cycles to Reduced Risk of Chronic Disease

A significant new study published on September 17th in the open-access journal PLOS Medicine offers compelling evidence that the architecture of our sleep—specifically the time spent in REM and deep sleep cycles—plays a critical role in long-term health outcomes. Conducted by Shengzhi Sun of Capital Medical University in China and a team of colleagues, the…

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September 23, 2026· Child Development

Rewriting the Past: New Imagery-Based Therapy Shows Promise in Reducing Fear of Failure Linked to Childhood Criticism

For many adults, the specter of a past mistake does not simply vanish with time. Instead, it often lingers as a persistent, internal critic, rooted in the formative years of childhood. Whether stemming from harsh parental feedback, persistent neglect, or the crushing weight of unrealistic expectations, these early experiences can create a profound "fear of…

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September 23, 2026· Child Development

Neural Traveling Waves: The Brain’s Computational Engine for Perception and Prediction

Your brain and the ocean share an unexpected feature: waves. Beneath the surface of our conscious thoughts, electrical activity flows across the brain’s landscape in rhythmic patterns known as traveling brain waves, or neural traveling waves. Much like the swells that roll across the sea, these patterns are dynamic and multifaceted. They arise from a…

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September 22, 2026· Child Development

The Hidden Cost of Caffeine: How Your Morning Brew May Be Sabotaging Deep Sleep

For generations, the debate surrounding coffee consumption has centered on a single, binary question: Does drinking caffeine in the evening make it difficult to fall asleep? It is a topic that has fueled countless dinner table conversations and internal monologues for the sleep-deprived. Some individuals swear they can down an espresso at 9:00 p.m. and…

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September 22, 2026· Child Development

High-Dose Vitamin D Supplementation May Support Cognitive Health in High-Risk Adults, Emory Study Finds

As the global population ages, the challenge of addressing neurodegenerative conditions has become a primary focus of public health initiatives. In the United States alone, more than 7 million people are currently living with Alzheimer’s dementia, a figure that is projected to climb to nearly 13 million by 2050. This looming crisis has spurred an…

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September 21, 2026· Child Development

Finding the Sleep Sweet Spot: New Study Links Sleep Duration to Accelerated Biological Aging Across Organ Systems

A pioneering analysis of biological aging has revealed a striking connection between sleep habits and the internal clockwork of the human body. The research suggests that both insufficient and excessive sleep are associated with accelerated aging in critical organs—including the brain, heart, lungs, and the immune system—and are deeply intertwined with a broad spectrum of…

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September 21, 2026· Child Development

New Research Reveals Link Between Stalled Neurogenesis and Major Depressive Disorder

For decades, the prevailing scientific understanding of clinical depression centered on the "chemical imbalance" theory, specifically the belief that deficiencies in neurotransmitters like serotonin were the primary drivers of the disorder. However, groundbreaking new research from the Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons suggests that the roots of depression are far more complex,…

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September 21, 2026· Child Development

Scientists Uncover the Biological "Scar" of Childhood Trauma in the Brain

Severe stress experienced during childhood acts as a silent architect of the human brain, fundamentally altering its blueprint and increasing a person’s lifelong vulnerability to anxiety, depression, and other mood disorders. For decades, clinicians and researchers have observed the correlation between early-life adversity and later mental health struggles, yet the precise biological mechanism behind this…

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September 20, 2026· Child Development

New Research Suggests Public School Pre-K Provides Lasting Academic Edge Through High School

A landmark study conducted by researchers at Florida International University (FIU) and George Mason University has provided compelling new evidence regarding the long-term impact of early childhood education. The research, which tracked a massive cohort of 400,000 students in Miami-Dade County over two decades, concludes that children who attended public school pre-K programs consistently outperformed…

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