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.

Children sitting on park bench

High insulin levels during childhood a risk for mental health problems later in life, study suggests

13 Jan 2021

Researchers have shown that the link between physical and mental illness is closer than previously thought. Certain changes in physical health, which...

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Mother and child at sunset

Family court decisions distorted by misuse of key research, say experts

12 Jan 2021

Family courts are misunderstanding and misusing research around how children form close relationships with their caregivers, say an international...

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Child looking out of a window

Significant increase in depression seen among children during first lockdown

08 Dec 2020

The first lockdown led to a significant increase in symptoms of depression among children, highlighting the unintended consequences of school...

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Man standing in a subway

One in six children has a probable mental disorder, according to new report

23 Oct 2020

The proportion of children experiencing a probable mental disorder has increased over the past three years, from one in nine in 2017 to one in six in...

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Child with hands over face - children may be at risk by too much focus on COVID-19

Opinion: Why too much focus on COVID-19 could be harming our children

25 Jun 2020

COVID-19 hurts even those who escape infection – particularly children, writes paediatrician Dr Kai Hensel from the University of Cambridge in the...

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Experts call for more mental health support for parents of children with genetic learning disabilities

11 Mar 2020

Parents of children with genetic conditions that cause learning disabilities are at risk of mental health problems, suggests new research published...

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Learning difficulties due to poor connectivity, not specific brain regions, study shows

27 Feb 2020

Different learning difficulties do not correspond to specific regions of the brain, as previously thought, say researchers at the University of...

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Brain development during adolescence: red brain regions belong to the “conservative” pattern of adolescent development, while the blue brain regions belong to the “disruptive” pattern

Brain networks come ‘online’ during adolescence to prepare teenagers for adult life

29 Jan 2020

New brain networks come ‘online’ during adolescence, allowing teenagers to develop more complex adult social skills, but potentially putting them at...

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Higher rates of post-natal depression among autistic mothers

15 Jan 2020

Autistic mothers are more likely to report post-natal depression compared to non-autistic mothers, according to a new study of mothers of autistic...

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Women in STEM: Stepheni Uh

24 Oct 2019

Stepheni Uh is a PhD candidate in the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit and a Gates Cambridge Scholar. Here, she tells us about her research...

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Pick & Mix sweets

Childhood obesity linked to structural differences in key brain regions

24 Oct 2019

Obesity in children is associated with differences in brain structure in regions linked to cognitive control compared to the brains of children who...

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Discovering a world of languages

21 Oct 2019

A Cambridge-led team seeks to revitalise languages in the UK with a series of interactive pop-up exhibitions and an online game designed to set...

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