Topic description and stories

Understanding the implications of enabling children to grow into healthy, happy, educated and inquiring adults, in safety and free from adversity.

A ball of neuroblastoma cells forming mature nerves after drug treatment

Developing ‘kinder’ treatments for a devastating childhood cancer

20 Sep 2023

Neuroblastomas can be devastating to children and their families and the treatments can be harsh. But thanks to scientists, some tadpoles and a...

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Monitoring particle air pollution either side of the tredge installed at St Ambrose primary school, Manchester.

Roadside hedges can reduce harmful ultrafine particle pollution around schools

13 Sep 2023

A new study led by Cambridge University confirms that planting hedges between roadsides and school playgrounds can dramatically reduce children’s...

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Children playing tug of war

Largest ever DNA and health research programme for children and young people launches

25 Jul 2023

Cambridge researchers are helping launch a nationwide study for children and young people to unlock the power of our DNA.

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Girl reading a book

Reading for pleasure early in childhood linked to better cognitive performance and mental wellbeing in adolescence

28 Jun 2023

Children who begin reading for pleasure early in life tend to perform better at cognitive tests and have better mental health when they enter...

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Children in Idlib Governorate, Syria: one of the countries most seriously affected by the underfunding of pre-primary education

Richest nations drift further away from 10% aid goal for pre-primary education

17 May 2023

New research shows proportion of international education aid for early childhood learning fell to just 1.1% post-pandemic, far short of an agreed 10...

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Teenager sitting near graffiti

Problems with ‘pruning’ brain connections linked to adolescent mental health disorders

24 Apr 2023

Problems with the brain’s ability to ‘prune’ itself of unnecessary connections may underlie a wide range of mental health disorders that begin during...

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Father and son talking

Assisted reproduction kids grow up just fine – but it may be better to tell them early about biological origins

13 Apr 2023

Landmark study finds no difference in psychological wellbeing or quality of family relationships between children born by assisted reproduction (egg...

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Angry boy on stairs

Harsh discipline increases risk of children developing lasting mental health problems

31 Mar 2023

Parents who frequently exercise harsh discipline with young children are putting them at significantly greater risk of developing lasting mental...

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BaYaka camp in Congo. Image courtesy of Nikhil Chaudhary

Hunter-gatherer childhoods may offer clues to improving education and wellbeing

07 Mar 2023

Hunter-gatherers can help us understand the conditions that children may be psychologically adapted to because we lived as hunter-gatherers for 95%...

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Child's hands pouring a drink into a glass

Sugary drinks tax may have prevented over 5,000 cases of obesity a year in year six girls alone

26 Jan 2023

The introduction of the soft drinks industry levy – the ‘sugary drinks tax’ – in England was followed by a drop in the number of cases of obesity...

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Family playing frisbee

Mums’ activity levels may depend on number and ages of children

16 Nov 2022

Less than half of mums meet the recommended levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity – and mothers of younger children manage to do the least...

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Boy taking part in a virtual lesson

Lack of computer access linked to poorer mental health in young people during COVID-19 pandemic

14 Nov 2022

Cambridge researchers have highlighted how lack of access to a computer was linked to poorer mental health among young people and adolescents during...

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