Tryptophan deficiency in breast milk may explain health challenges in children born to mothers with HIV

Tryptophan deficiency in breast milk may explain health challenges in children born to mothers with HIV

A new UCLA study reveals that breast milk from women living with HIV contains significantly lower levels of tryptophan, an essential amino acid likely important for infant immune function, growth, and brain development. This discovery may help explain why children born to women living with HIV experience higher rates of illness and developmental challenges, even…

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Nemours neurologist wins major NIH award to study hippocampal dysfunction in brain disorders

Nemours neurologist wins major NIH award to study hippocampal dysfunction in brain disorders

Rodney Scott, MBChB, MRCP, DipStat, PhD, Division Chief of Neurology, Nemours Children’s Health, Delaware Valley, has received a prestigious National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director’s Transformative Research Award. Dr. Scott will use the $2.6 million, five-year grant to investigate malfunctions in the brain’s hippocampal region, aiming to identify patterns that could lead to shared therapies…

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Mother’s voice promotes development of language pathways in preemies’ brains

Mother’s voice promotes development of language pathways in preemies’ brains

Hearing the sound of their mother’s voice promotes development of language pathways in a premature baby’s brain, according to a new Stanford Medicine-led study. During the study, which is publishing online Oct. 13 in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, hospitalized preemies regularly heard recordings of their mothers reading to them. At the end of the study,…

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UCLA scientists uncover the role of DGRs in structuring the infant gut microbiome

UCLA scientists uncover the role of DGRs in structuring the infant gut microbiome

Oct 10 2025 Everywhere you go, you carry a population of microbes in your gastrointestinal tract that outnumber the human cells making up your body. This microbiome has important connections to health in your gut, brain and immune system. Some resident bugs produce vitamins, antioxidants, nutrients and other helpful compounds. Even those whose direct effects…

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