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Father absence in early childhood linked to depression in adolescent girls

15 May 2013

New research from Children of the 90s shows that girls whose fathers were absent during the first five years of life were more likely to develop depressive symptoms in adolescence than girls whose fathers left when they were aged five to ten years or than boys in both age groups (0-5 and 5-10).

Children’s brain processing speed indicates risk of psychosis

1 May 2013

New research shows that children whose brains process information more slowly than their peers are at greater risk of psychotic experiences.

Maternal vitamin D levels in pregnancy do not affect children’s bone health

19 March 2013

A study of nearly 4,000 pairs of mothers and their children in Children of the 90s has shown that maternal vitamin D levels during pregnancy are not associated with the child’s bone health in later life.

Children of the 90s welcomes 2,000th dad

28 February 2013

Today [Thursday 28 February 2013], Children of the 90s welcomed the 2,000th father through their doors.

Being double-jointed can cause musculoskeletal pain in teenagers

28 February 2013

Young people who have joint hypermobility (better known as being double-jointed) are at increased risk of developing musculoskeletal pain in their teenage years, according to new research from Children of the 90s.

Most babies slow to grow catch up by early teens

25 February 2013

New research from Children of the 90s shows that most babies who are slow to put on weight in the first nine months of life have caught up to within the normal range by the age of 13, but remain lighter and shorter than many of their peers. There are significant differences in the pattern of ‘catchup’, depending on the infant’s age when the slow weight gain occurs.

Deodorants: do we really need them?

17 January 2013

New research from Children of the 90s shows that more than 75 per cent of people with a particular version of a gene don’t produce under-arm odour but use deodorant anyway.

Genes link growth in the womb with adult metabolism and disease

3 December 2012

Researchers from 43 studies of pregnancy and birth, including Children of the 90s, have identified four new genetic regions that influence birth weight, providing further evidence that genes as well as maternal nutrition are important for growth in the womb.

Even moderate drinking in pregnancy can affect a child's IQ

14 November 2012

Relatively small levels of exposure to alcohol while in the womb can influence a child’s IQ, according to a new study led by researchers from the universities of Bristol and Oxford using data from over 4,000 mothers and their children from Children of the 90s.

Children at risk of eating disorders have higher IQ and better working memory

15 October 2012

Children at risk for eating disorders have, on average, a higher IQ and better working memory but have poorer attentional control, according to new research based on data from Children of the 90s. The study looked at what might make some children more likely to develop an eating disorder later in life. Funded by WellChild, the national charity for sick children, this was the first large-scale study of children aged 8-10 deemed to be at high risk of developing an eating disorder, due to having a family member with anorexia, bulimia or both. Importantly, the children did not show any signs or symptoms of such a disorder at the time they were studied. Using data from the Children of the 90s study (ALSPAC) at the University of Bristol,