Latest news with #UniversityofRomeTorVergata
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
The Key Factor That Determines When Your Child Will Take Their First Steps
Fact checked by Sarah ScottIn a new study from the University of Surrey, researchers looked at genetic information of more than 70,000 infants. They found genetics accounted for nearly 25% of the variation in the walking milestone. This information may help health care providers assess and evaluate reasons for a child's delay in walking.A baby's first wobbly steps are a source of pride for many parents. A child's environment has long been associated with when they will walk. Yet, a groundbreaking study from the University of Surrey discovered that genetics also play a significant role. What does this research mean for parents and their babies? Let's break it down. Study authors, Anna Gui, PhD, a researcher at the University of Rome Tor Vergata, and Angelica Ronald, PhD, professor of psychology and genetics at the University of Surrey, and their research team analyzed the genetic information of more than 70,000 infants. They identified 11 genetic markers that may influence a child's brain development from birth and the timing of independent walking. The study revealed that genetics account for nearly 25% of the variation in this milestone. The study also revealed some good news for late walkers. While some previous studies linked early walking to higher achievement later in life, this study found a correlation between the genes influencing later walking and those associated with higher educational attainment. The research also indicates that late walking may be genetically linked to a decreased chance of developing attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Keep in mind, the research did not define what's considered late walking. 'What we think it might mean is that children who are genetically predisposed to be a bit more active and move around more are also going to walk a bit earlier,' explain both Dr. Gui and Dr. Ronald. 'It's important to clarify that the association is significant but modest. Therefore, we don't expect all early walkers to have ADHD, or all people with ADHD to have walked early. But there is a modest overlap in the genetic variation involved, which may help understand child development a bit further." A child's genes may influence when they walk, but so does their environment. Dr. Gui and Dr. Ronald recommend that children need a nutritious, energy-sustaining diet and ample space to practice their walking skills. Michael Glazier, MD, a pediatrician and chief medical officer for Bluebird Kids Health, agrees that a nourishing diet matters, as malnourishment can result in "decreased energy, decreased engagement with the environment, decreased muscle strength, and decreased stamina.' But that's not all parents should focus on. 'Babies who are constantly held or placed in swings or other constrained environments do not get the opportunity to engage in the physical exploration that is not just helpful but necessary for learning to walk,' explains Dr. Glazier. In contrast, he says, infants in safe, open spaces who can explore on their own may develop walking skills earlier. Encourage your child to play and explore to help them develop their motor skills. Dr. Glazier reassures parents that it's OK if their child is upset when a toy is out of reach—they need to learn to problem-solve and strengthen their muscles. Many parents eagerly anticipate their child's first steps, assuming they'll occur by the child's first birthday, but Dr. Glazier says there is a wide range of 'normal' milestones. Studies show the average onset of walking is between 8 and 18 months. Dr. Glazier says that gross motor skills tend to progress from the 'top-down' as babies first gain some control of their head, followed by the shoulders and trunk, knees, and legs. 'It is also important to understand there is a range of normal, and early attainment does not necessarily mean earlier or eventual better mastery,' he states. Still, if you're ever concerned about your child's motor skills' progress, Dr. Glazier strongly suggests contacting your health care provider for an assessment. Here are a few indicators your child may need an assessment, according to Dr. Glazier: Not pulling up to stand by 12 months Not cruising (using objects for support to move around) by 15 months Not walking independently by 18 months Dr. Glazier also notes that an infant who cannot walk independently but can stand on their own and walk by holding on to things is less concerning than one who has not been able to do these things yet. Typical developmental evaluation for motor delays will involve close observation, collecting patient history, and a thorough physical exam, explains Dr. Glazier. He recommends having videos to show the health care provider what your child can and cannot do. Although this new genetic study will not replace the need for individual examinations, Dr. Glazier believes it does promise additional information for health care providers to help them assess and evaluate the reasons for a child's delay in achieving the walking milestone. Dr. Gui and Dr. Ronald hope their research better supports children with learning disabilities and motor disorders, and helps parents to see that achieving milestones is not a race and that every child learns at their own pace. Read the original article on Parents
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
The Modern Cat May Have Emerged From Ancient Egyptian Ritual Sacrifice
The macabre world of ancient Egyptian ritual sacrifice may have contributed to the domestication of cats, new research suggests. Mummified cats (Felis catus) were such a common offering to the Egyptian gods around 3,000 years ago that humans started breeding them (along with other sacrificial species). It's estimated ancient Egyptians mummified up to 70 million animals including cats, shrews, falcons, crocodiles, and ibis during their reign in North Africa. Raising cats together in large numbers to meet this demand would have favored more social and docile individuals. These tamer kitties were likely then traded across continents. Another theory suggests cats gradually domesticated themselves in Europe during the Neolithic period, as humans transitioned into farming, providing felines with an ample supply of rodents that fed off our crops. This may have inspired rat-plagued farmers to encourage their presence for vermin control. The discovery of a 9,500-year-old grave in 2004, containing human and cat remains in Cyprus, seemed to support the Neolithic domestication theory. But domestic cat morphology and DNA do not corroborate this scenario, two new studies, both still awaiting peer review, have now found. University of Exeter zooarchaeoligst Sean Doherty and colleagues compared the bones of domestic cats with European wildcats (Felis silvestris) and found their features are no more similar than domestic cats are to African wildcats (Felis lybica). What's more, the Cyprus grave kitty is morphologically more similar to the European wildcat, not African. Its genetic material is, unfortunately, too degraded for study. A non-European origin of F. catus is also corroborated by research from paleogeneticist Marco De Martino from the University of Rome Tor Vergata. His team's genetic analysis supports African wildcats as the ancestors of domestic cats. Examining 70 ancient cat genomes from archaeological sites across Europe, Anatolia, North Africa, Bulgaria, and Italy, the analysis appears to pinpoint the domestic cat's most likely place of origin. "Our results demonstrate that the dispersal of present-day domestic cats can be traced back not to the Neolithic or from the Fertile Crescent, but instead several millennia later and most likely from North Africa," write De Martino and colleagues. These genes revealed two waves of spread into the Mediterranean, the first during the 1st millennium BCE that introduced a wild population on the island of Sardinia, and a later wave that became the domestic cats we still coddle today. The team found F. catus didn't reach China until about the 8th century CE. Other researchers still argue the cat domestication process began centuries before Egypt's mass sacrifices. Instances of human relationships with cats certainly occurred multiple times, including the example in Cyprus as well as early Egyptian burials with cats around 3800 BCE, but these are not necessarily from the same line of cats that became F. catus. The earliest genetically confirmed domestic cat is a mummified sacrifice as early as 500 BCE. "Genome data from modern and ancient cats from Egypt, which are currently lacking, will allow these two hypotheses to be tested," De Martino and team concede. If Egyptian origins of F. catus hold true, it wouldn't be the first time religious worship spurred humans to carry animals with them, both teams of researchers point out. "Cults and religions are often drivers for animal translocations. For instance, the spread of fallow deer has been directly linked to the cults of Artemis and Diana, while chickens were associated with Mercury and Mithras," write Doherty and team. "The Egyptian goddess Bastet … first appeared in the 3rd millennium BCE depicted with a lion's head, but during the 9th-7th centuries BCE she was increasingly represented with the head of an African wildcat. This transformation was coincident with the rise of cat sacrifice, whereby millions of free-ranging and specifically-reared cats were mummified as offerings to the goddess." With such brutal acts at the start of our relationship with felines, it seems fitting cats have kept their temperamental reputations. This research is awaiting peer review, and can be found here and here on bioRxiv. Giant Prehistoric Kangaroos in Australia Were Doomed, And Now We Know Why Wild Chimps Caught on Camera Sharing Alcoholic Fruit Earth's Rotation Is Slowing Down, And It Could Explain Why We Have Oxygen
