Amid a global surge in measles cases, new research suggests that undernutrition may be exacerbating outbreaks in areas suffering from food insecurity.

A study involving over 600 fully vaccinated children in South Africa found those who were undernourished had substantially lower levels of antibodies against measles.

Young nearsighted kids who wear bifocal contact lenses that slow uncoordinated eye growth do not lose the benefits of the treatment once they stop wearing the lenses, new research shows.

In a study of more than 5,000 mothers and their children, exposure to air pollution during the three months before pregnancy predicted higher child body mass index (BMI) and related obesity risk factors up to two years of age. In one of the largest studies to date of preconception environmental exposures, researchers from the Keck School of Medicine of USC, Duke University and Fudan University in Shanghai, China studied 5,834 mother-child pairs recruited from maternity clinics in Shanghai. They found that greater exposure to PM_2.5, PM₁₀ and NO₂ before pregnancy was linked to increases in BMI or BMIZ, a standardized score that shows how a child’s BMI compares to others of the same age and sex. The findings imply that the three months before conception are important, and that people who plan to bear children should consider taking measures to lower their air pollution exposure to reduce their children’s risk for obesity.