Despite decades of research, the structural and functional brain abnormalities in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) remain unclear. Now, researchers from Japan have used advanced neuroimaging to identify white matter differences linked to autism symptoms. Alterations in the left hemisphere were associated with repetitive behaviors and communication difficulties. These findings could lead to more objective diagnostic tools and potential therapeutic strategies, improving early detection and intervention for children with ASD.

In some countries, the number of dogs has increased so much that it now exceeds the number of children. While the emotional significance of dogs is clearly rising worldwide, it remains uncertain whether people are choosing to keep dogs instead of having children or whether other factors are driving this trend. Professor Enikő Kubinyi, head of the Department of Ethology at Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE), has proposed a groundbreaking theory in one of the world's leading psychology journals. According to her, there is indeed a connection between dog ownership and declining birth rates — but not in the way we might think.

Children who have their own smartphones fared better than kids who don’t on nearly every measure of wellbeing assessed. Efforts to limit digital media use among kids don’t appear to be working, as more than 70 percent of 11-year-olds surveyed have their own smartphone.