Experts raise the alarm: children are turning into sex objects at preschool age. By age six, girls need branded clothes, at seven they want their hair styled, at eight they start dieting, and by eleven they engage in sexual contacts or sexually explicit conversations. Full story

The 31-year-old passenger of AirAsia jumbo jet on flight from Penang to Kuching (Malaysia) gave birth to a baby boy as the plane was at the height of about 2000 feet (600 meters). The baby was delivered by a doctor who happened to be on board and was assisted by flight attendants. Full story

Some glorious day in December Gisele Bündchen, 29, is going to give birth to a girl; meanwhile she is walking about with a baby bump that has visibly grown. Saturday, October 24, was the latest she let us admire the way her child is coming on while she was having lunch in a West Village restaurant. Full story

Tom Cruise’s daughter, Suri, is a frequenter on the lists of most stylish celebrity children. One of the reasons behind that is pretty simple – the girl's clothes are estimated at a staggering sum of £2 million. Full story

Everyone knows about comfort eating. But after researchers from King's College London did a series of studies, it has become clear what kind of stress some people are trying to eat away. Full story

The inclination to turn to violence and become a criminal is considered to be linked with social and environmental influence and brought down to family factors. But a new study published in the British Journal of Psychiatry proves that there is a direct interrelation between a child’s behavior and his or her diet. Full story

A study recently published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine reports that individuals whose childhood was stressful and harrowing are going to have a significantly shorter lifespan. Whereas the average life expectancy comes up to about 79 years, those who underwent negative childhood experiences are apt to die at the age of around 61 years, that makes nearly 20-year difference. Full story

Strange as it seems, but some moms experience kind of euphoria when they see their baby crying. Other women get negative feelings, and even disgust. A study looking at reasons for maternal neglect found that such opposite behavior patterns have their root in different brain chemical responses which could be explained how mums themselves were treated as children. Full story

Scientists used to think that the immune system of the baby in the womb can successfully dispose of any offender that passes through the placenta – but the latest discoveries seem to be refuting that belief. There are 17 existing cases of mothers and their babies sharing the same kind of cancer, namely melanoma and leukemia, and the question of why it should have happened this way isn’t answered properly yet. Full story

Indulging in liquorice-rich diet on the part of the expectant mom can influence the fetus, negatively shaping his intelligence and behavior in future life, as the new study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology informs. The research showed that mothers who liked to take much liquorice with their meals gave birth to children who displayed impaired cognitive functions in terms of memory and spatial awareness. Full story

A recent study reports that life expectancy is rising all over the world, and these days children born in the countries with a high level of civilization may well be expected to live to be a hundred! Researches conducted in Germany and Denmark reveal that in a number of countries life expectancy grew beyond scientists’ estimations. Full story

A study in a recent issue of the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health links the popularity of children in school with their health when adults. The research showed that school popularity lessens the risk of such health problems as diabetes and various heart dysfunctions. Full story

A series of researches has led Polish scientists to sad conclusions that air pollution levels directly impact fetus growth. For instance, even small increase in air pollution levels (like the difference between the lake air and the busy street air) will reduce the weight of newly born by 5-7 percent below normal. Full story

American government has become concerned over revised statistic about the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders. According to the new data, one in 91 children suffers from autism. In response, experts urge efforts to provide autists with lifelong support. Full story

Women who smoke during pregnancy, increase the risk of asthma, heart conditions and respiratory diseases in their babies. A new study could now help to explain why this happens. Maternal smoking imposes health risks not only on the mother but also on her baby, and the findings show this may affect both the child’s health later in life and the health of succeeding generations, according to the authors of study. Full story

More and more women are postponing pregnancy or wanting fewer babies. The recession has hit at much more than people’s wallets. According to Dr. Laura Lindberg from the Guttmacher Institute, women, especially those struggling financially, are trying more than ever to avoid getting pregnant. And many of them can’t even afford to buy their contraceptives. Lindberg and her colleagues interviewed about 1,000 sexually active women aged between 18 and 39 years old with their annual income less than $75,000. Full story

If an expectant mom takes antidepressants during first three months of pregnancy, her baby may be born with heart defect, with the risk increasing by 80 per cent. If she takes more than one antidepressant, the risk quadruples. The so called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are usually prescribed to those suffering from depression. The most recognizable of those is Prozac. Full story

A survey, which involved 4245 Canadian school children, discovered direct association between the body mass index and satisfaction with their body. Girl displayed linear response, as the skinnier they are the happier they feel. Full story

British Heart Foundation has launched a campaign called Eat Smart aimed at children. The survey conducted by the foundation revealed that three out of four children have no idea about the effects of unhealthy eating. Full story

New fetal heart monitor can help to save the lives of fetuses in complicated pregnancies. The report about this device was published in International Journal of Engineering Systems Modelling and Simulation. In cases of complicated pregnancies that result in premature birth, miscarriage, fetal growth cessation and stillbirth, problems do not usually happen suddenly but develop over a certain period of time. Regular ultrasound monitoring of fetal growth can help identify some problems, but too frequent ultrasound monitoring of a mother and her fetus involves its own health risks. Full story

Physicians warn that pregnant women are in the risk group for developing severe health problems during the flu season. So in this year marked by swine flu threat, they have to be even more on the alert. Dr. Keith Reeves from Methodist Hospital in Houston says that physicians don't want pregnant women to be panicked by this virus, but they do want women to be more responsible for taking precautions typical for the flu season. In particular, women should be vaccinated. Full story

A recent study published in the Pediatrics magazine reports that over one-third of pictures in women's magazines portray babies sleeping in dangerous positions. Moreover, two thirds of photos show babies in dangerous sleep environments. The study was supervised by Rachel Moon and Joyner - SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) researchers from the Children's National Medical Center, USA. Full story