Family Health and Nutrition

While recent studies have found the ways that everything from stress to marijuana and climate change may affect consumers’ fertility, a new study is looking into the effect of socioeconomic factors. According to researchers from Oregon State University, where consumers live could impact the likelihood that women conceive. 

“The world of fertility research is beginning to examine factors associated with the built environment,” said researcher Mary Willis. “There are dozens of studies looking at how your neighborhood environment is associated with adverse birth outcomes, but the pre-conception period is heavily under-studied from a structural standpoint. Turns out, before you’ve even conceived, there may be things affecting your health.” 

What affects fertility health?

The researchers analyzed data from over 6,300 women between the ages of 21 and 45 enrolled in Boston University’s Pregnancy Study Online (PRESTO) to better understand how consumers’ neighborhoods may affect their fertility. The women answered questionnaires every two months for a year, reporting on their pregnancy status, menstrual cycles, and addresses. The participants had all tried conceiving naturally between 2013 and 2019. 

Ultimately, the team learned that where the women lived played a role in the likelihood of them conceiving. The biggest differences came from advantaged areas versus disadvantaged areas. 

On a national level, women who lived in the most disadvantaged neighborhoods were 21% less likely to conceive during any single menstrual cycle. When looking at women at a statewide level, those living in disadvantaged neighborhoods were 25% less likely to conceive during a menstrual cycle. 

The researchers explained that the majority of the women involved in the study weren’t necessarily socioeconomically disadvantaged themselves. They were predominantly college-educated women who made at least $50,000 per year. However, where they lived proved to be a hindrance to their fertility. 

“The fact that we’re seeing the same results on the national and state level really shows that neighborhood deprivation can influence reproductive health, including fertility,” said Willis. 

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine explored the importance of kids getting enough sleep. According to their findings, young kids who aren’t getting at least nine hours of sleep each night may struggle with long-term brain and cognitive function. 

“We found that children who had insufficient sleep, less than nine hours per night, at the beginning of the study had less gray matter or smaller volume in certain areas of the brain responsible for attention, memory, and inhibition control compared to those with healthy sleep habits,” said researcher Ze Wang, Ph.D. “These differences persisted after two years, a concerning finding that suggests long-term harm for those who do not get enough sleep.” 

Health risks related to poor sleep

The researchers analyzed data from over 8,300 kids between the ages of nine and 10 who were enrolled in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. The children’s parents completed surveys about their children’s sleeping habits when the study began and two years later. The team used that data and also evaluated the kids’ medical records and brain scans. 

Ultimately, not getting enough sleep was evident from both brain health and cognitive function standpoints. Kids who weren’t reaching nine hours of sleep on a nightly basis had less gray matter in certain parts of the brain. Over time, this can be detrimental to important cognitive skills. 

The study showed that insufficient sleep increased the risk of anxiety, depression, poor overall well-being, and impulsive behaviors. The researchers also found that a lack of sleep was linked with poorer outcomes in key areas like intelligence and memory. 

By the study’s two-year follow-up mark, these findings held up. Children who were struggling to sleep at least nine hours each night were still getting poor sleep each night. While children who were sleeping well when the study began started sleeping less as the study progressed, the team explained that this is expected as kids enter their teenage years. 

Knowing that there are long-term risks associated with poor sleep, the researchers hope parents recognize how important it is that their children regularly get a good night's sleep. 

“Sleep can often be overlooked during busy childhood days filled with homework and extracurricular activities. Now we see how detrimental that can be to a child’s development,” said researcher Dr. E. Albert Reece.

A new study conducted by researchers from University College London and the University of Helsinki explored how conception via infertility treatments may affect children long-term. According to their findings, these children may be at a higher risk of struggling with their mental health by the time they become teens. 

“Whilst we don’t have the data to explain why those born by medically assisted reproduction (MAR) are at a slightly higher risk of mental health disorders, we believe that this may be due to different mechanisms,” said researcher Hanna Remes. 

“The fact that MAR-conceived children tend to be firstborn – around 60% of the children in the study – explained some of the excess risks. It is also possible that because of the process they went through, parents of children conceived by IVF, for example, may have been exposed to mental health problems, such as depression and anxiety, which may, in turn, have put the children themselves at higher risk of having mental health problems.” 

Mental health risks

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from over 280,000 Finnish children born between 1995 and 2000. They followed up with the kids when they were between the ages of 16 and 18 and assessed their mental health and academic performance. Among the children involved in the study, nearly 270,000 were conceived naturally, and nearly 14,000 were conceived through MAR. 

The study showed that a link between MAR conception and mental health struggles existed only when the researchers factored in family circumstances. They explained that while many couples who undergo fertility treatments tend to be financially secure, they may struggle with stress, anxiety, and other mental health concerns as a result of struggling to conceive. The team said that this early exposure to mental health issues from their parents may make them predisposed to their own mental health issues as teens. 

“We explicitly put a lot of focus on the social demographics of families who conceived through medically assisted reproduction – and our findings underscore the importance of integrating this perspective in studies of medically assisted reproduction and its consequences,” said researcher Alice Goisis. 

The study also showed that children born via MAR had better academic outcomes than children conceived naturally. Similar to mental health outcomes, the researchers learned that the kids’ family demographics also played a role. Stable home environments led to fewer kids dropping out of school, better grades, and a lower risk of leaving home early. 

“What we’re seeing is mostly reassuring; children conceived through medically assisted reproduction do better overall and are in fact not more disadvantaged in terms of mental health outcomes,” said Goisis. “However, the fact that we observe an increased risk of mental health disorders once we account for family characteristics could be a cause for concern and merits further attention in future research.” 

A new study explored the effect that sports can have on kids’ mental health. The findings showed that while team sports were associated with a lower risk of mental health concerns for young athletes, individual sports may make kids more susceptible to mental health struggles. 

“Children and adolescents who played exclusively team sports, like basketball or soccer, had fewer mental health difficulties than those who did not participate in any organized sports,” the researchers wrote. “However, to our surprise, youth who had participated in only individual sports, had more mental health difficulties compared to those who did not participate in organized sports.” 

How sports affect mental health

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from more than 11,200 kids between the ages of nine and 13. Parents answered questions about what sports their kids played and completed the Child Behavior Checklist to give the researchers some insight into the kids’ mental health. The researchers then compared how the kids’ history with sports affected their mental health. 

The study revealed a positive association between kids who played team sports and strong mental health outcomes. Team sports players were less likely to experience a number of mental health concerns, including social problems, anxiety, attention problems, and depression. Additionally, young girls who played sports were 20% less likely to engage in rule-breaking behaviors when compared to those who didn’t play sports. 

The researchers were surprised to learn that kids who played individual sports didn’t experience similar mental health benefits. In fact, kids who were involved in individual sports like gymnastics, golf, or tennis had a higher risk of mental health struggles. These kids were 16% more likely to have anxiety or depression and 14% more likely to be more withdrawn. 

Moving forward, the team plans to do more research in this area to better understand why individual sports negatively affect kids’ mental health.

A new study conducted by researchers from Children’s National Hospital explored how women’s mental health during pregnancy may impact their children’s development. According to their findings, women who struggle with anxiety, depression, or high levels of stress during pregnancy may be more likely to have toddlers who struggle with cognitive development. 

“By identifying the pregnant women with elevated levels of psychological distress, clinicians could recognize those babies who are at risk for later neurodevelopmental impairment and might benefit from early, targeted interventions,” said researcher Catherine Limperopoulous, Ph.D. 

How mental health impacts children’s cognition

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from healthy mothers and infants involved in a cohort study from January 2016, to October 2020, at Children’s National Hospital. The mothers completed questionnaires that assessed their mental health during pregnancy. Their babies had MRI scans and then underwent a cognitive assessment at 18 months old. 

Ultimately, the researchers identified a link between mental health struggles during pregnancy and toddlers’ cognitive development. Mothers who had stress, anxiety, or depression while pregnant were more likely to have toddlers with poorer cognitive skills. 

The researchers observed this effect on the infants’ brain scans while they were still in the womb. They noticed that the infants struggling with cognitive development were more likely to have a smaller left hippocampus region of their brains. The team attributes this to exposure to maternal stress while in the womb. 

They explained that this is likely to have an effect on toddlers’ ability to establish relationships as they continue to grow and develop. This may hinder their social-emotional skills long-term. 

Because of how strongly stress can affect pregnant women and their babies, the researchers hope these findings continue to highlight the importance of consumers taking care of their mental health. 

“We’re looking at shifting the health care paradigm and adopting these changes more broadly to better support moms,” said Dr. Limperopoulos. “What’s clear is early interventions could help moms reduce their stress, which can positively impact their symptoms and thereby their baby long after birth.” 

A new study conducted by researchers from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health explored how different environments may impact how kids grow. 

According to their findings, living close to spaces with trees may be better than grassy or paved areas for children’s long-term development. 

“Our findings indicate that increased early-life residential exposure to vegetation is positively associated with early childhood developmental outcomes, and that associations may be stronger for residential exposure to tree cover relative to grass cover,” the researchers wrote. “Our results further indicate that childhood development may be negatively associated with residential exposure to paved surfaces.”  

Environment impacts development

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from over 27,500 children who were part of a large birth cohort study in the Vancouver area between 2000 and 2005. The study tracked the children’s development from the time they were born through kindergarten.

By the time they were five, the participants' kindergarten teachers reported on their communication skills, emotional maturity, physical health and well-being, general knowledge, and language and cognitive development. In looking at maps of where the children lived, the team was able to compare their developmental outcomes to their residential areas. 

They learned that children were more likely to have high developmental scores when they had the greatest exposure to greenery – including trees and grass. However, the best association between environment and development came when children lived the closest to tree-filled spaces.

While green spaces were found to be beneficial for kids’ development, the opposite was also found to be true. Children who lived in areas that were heavily paved were more likely to have lower developmental scores. 

“Because we assessed different types of vegetation, our findings contribute to an improved understanding of associations between exposure to green spaces and early childhood development,” said researcher Ingrid Jarvis. 

Converting paved spaces may be the answer

Moving forward, the team hopes these findings highlight the benefits associated with living close to green spaces – especially those that have a lot of trees. 

“Taken together, our findings suggest that converting paved surfaces to green spaces and, in particular, increasing the amount of trees in neighborhoods may have positive effects on early childhood health and development,” said researcher Matilda van Bosch. “Even minor individual gains in childhood could lead to important public health benefits across the life course.” 

A new study conducted by researchers from Michigan Medicine explored how women’s mental health during pregnancy can impact their delivery. According to their findings, spikes in depression and anxiety while pregnant may increase the risk for C-section deliveries. 

“Our findings reinforce the importance of better identifying and treating perinatal depression and anxiety disorders in pregnant women,” said researcher Dr. Vanessa Dalton. “It’s critical to better understand how these mood disorders increase the likelihood of cesarean section deliveries, which we know have both short- and long-term health consequences for both expecting moms and their babies.” 

How mental health impacts delivery

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from more than 360,000 women who gave birth between 2008 and 2017. The team was primarily interested in evaluating how the women delivered their babies -- naturally or via C-section -- and their mental health status during pregnancy. 

The researchers found a clear link between depression and anxiety and an increased risk of C-section deliveries. Women struggling with their mental health during pregnancy were 3.5% more likely to deliver via C-section. 

“Cesarean sections are a major contributing factor to maternal morbidity events after a delivery with many adverse effects downstream,” said Dr. Dalton. “We need to understand all factors that may increase a woman’s chance of a C-section delivery so we can avoid unnecessary risks.” 

The study showed several factors that could increase women’s risk of depression or anxiety during pregnancy, including socioeconomic status, age, and race; women from low-income backgrounds, older women, and white women were all more likely to struggle with depression and anxiety.

“We need more research to clarify the relationship between perinatal mood and anxiety disorders and primary cesarean section rates to enhance our understanding of the consequences of these disorders for health outcomes,” said Dr. Dalton. “This could potentially inform efforts to develop and evaluate effective treatments and policy interventions.” 

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of New Hampshire explored how kids’ mental health can be affected by abuse in the home. 

According to their findings, when children witness their siblings’ abuse, it can increase the risk for a number of mental health conditions, such as depression, anxiety, and anger. 

“When we hear about exposure to family violence, we usually think about someone being the victim of direct physical abuse or witnessing spousal assault,” said researcher Corinna Tucker. “But many children witness the abuse of a sibling without being a direct victim and it turns out we should be thinking more about these dynamics when we tally the effects of family violence exposure.” 

The toll on mental health

For the study, researchers analyzed data from more than 7,000 children who were part of three different national surveys. The children were between the ages of one month and 17 years old. Parents and children over the age of 10 answered questions related to the physical abuse of a sibling. 

Ultimately, the researchers learned that less than four percent of the children involved in the study had exposure to parental abuse against a sibling (EPAS). However, of that group, the overwhelming majority of the abuse was done by fathers and, most often, to male siblings. 

The study showed that race and ethnicity didn’t play a role in children witnessing EPAS; however, the age of the child played a role, as adolescent siblings were more likely to be abused. Having two parents at home lowered the likelihood of abuse. 

Overall, witnessing abuse was associated with an increased risk of mental health concerns. These children were more likely to struggle with anxiety and depression and had a harder time controlling their anger than children who hadn’t witnessed EPAS. 

Moving forward, the team hopes that these findings shed light on how physical abuse in families can have long-term impacts on kids’ mental health -- even when they aren’t the ones experiencing the abuse firsthand. 

“In some families, EPAS may be part of a larger family climate of violence,” Tucker said. “As more family members are exposed to violence in the household, there can be less emotional security among family members and less opportunities for children to observe, listen, and practice healthy responses to stress.” 

A new study conducted by researchers from University College London explored how green spaces can benefit kids’ mental health outcomes. According to the findings, living in close proximity to woodlands can lead to better behavior, stronger cognitive development, and overall better mental health for children. 

“Previous studies have revealed positive associations between exposure to nature in urban environments, cognitive development, and mental health,” said researcher Mikaël Maes. “These findings contribute to our understanding of our natural environment types as an important protective factor for an adolescent’s cognitive development and mental health and suggest that not every environment type may contribute equally to those health benefits.” 

Fostering positive mental health outcomes

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from more than 3,500 kids enrolled in the Study of Cognition, Adolescents, and Mobile Phones (SCAMP) in London. Participants answered questions about their interactions with peers at school, general behavior, and overall well-being. The team then compared their answers to the geographic surroundings around their homes; they assessed how close the kids were to different kinds of outdoor spaces and how much time they spent in these areas. 

The study showed that kids had the strongest mental health, behavioral, and cognitive outcomes when they lived closer to woodlands. The results were even better than close proximity to other green and blue spaces, such as parks or lakes. The benefits associated with being so close to woodlands were long-lasting, as the team learned that these spaces positively impacted mental health outcomes for two years. 

Though the team plans to do more work in this area to better understand why these areas are so beneficial to kids’ development and mental health, they hope their findings shed some light on the overall importance of natural spaces.

Having an exercise routine is important for all consumers, but several studies have highlighted the benefits associated with pregnant women staying physically active. 

Now, a new study conducted by researchers from the University of Virginia Health System shows that exercising during pregnancy may lead to health benefits throughout kids’ lives. In an experiment conducted on mice, their work showed that mice born to mothers that exercised during pregnancy were less likely to develop long-term health conditions into adulthood. 

“Most of the chronic diseases that we talk about today are known to have fetal origin,” said researcher Zhen Yan, PhD. “This is to say that parents’ poor health conditions prior to and during pregnancy have negative consequences to the child, potentially through chemical modification of the genes.”

Long-term health benefits from exercise

The researchers conducted their study on mice to determine the long-term effects of parents’ health pre-conception and mothers’ exercise habits during pregnancy. There were two groups of mice: one group received a high-fat diet prior to pregnancy and another group was fed a standard diet. Once the mice were pregnant, a portion of the mice given the high-fat diets were given wheels to exercise on during pregnancy. 

After the mice gave birth, the researchers analyzed the DNA patterns of all the offspring to understand what effect parental obesity and exercise had on the newborn mice’s health. The team learned that when both parents are obese, their children are more likely to have genes associated with diabetes and other metabolic conditions. However, when the pregnant mice took advantage of their opportunities to exercise during pregnancy, their offspring had better health outcomes. 

The study showed that mice that exercised during pregnancy produced newborns that were less likely to develop chronic metabolic issues. This was true even as the mice grew beyond infancy into adulthood; exercising during pregnancy had long-term protective benefits for the mice’s offspring. 

Never too late to start exercising

Though the researchers want to continue this work to include human participants, they hope that consumers understand just how beneficial it can be to incorporate exercise during pregnancy. 

“The take-home message is that it is not too late to start to exercise if a mother finds herself pregnant,” Dr. Yan said. “Regular exercise will not only benefit the pregnancy and labor, but also the health of the baby for the long run. This is more exciting evidence that regular exercise is probably the most promising intervention that will help us deter the pandemic of chronic diseases in the aging world, as it can disrupt the vicious cycle of parent-to-child transmission of diseases.”