Remineralization of early enamel lesions is a crucial component of contemporary caries management in pediatric dentistry.Biomimetic approaches aim to support enamel repair by reproducing some features of natural mineralization.This narrative review presents the biological basis, mechanisms of action, and current literature on calcium-phosphate systems, nano-hydroxyapatite (nHAp), self-assembling peptide P11-4, and bioactive glasses (BG), with particular emphasis on pediatric dentistry.Although these approaches share the goal of restoring mineral to demineralized enamel, their mechanisms differ and sometimes overlap.Calcium-phosphate systems provide a reservoir of bioavailable calcium and phosphate ions at the tooth surface, mimicking the mineral-supplying function of oral fluids.nHAp resembles enamel apatite crystals in composition and nanoscale dimensions and acts as a mineral template for nucleation and further crystal growth.P11-4 self-assembles within the enamel lesion into a fibrillar scaffold that mimics the mineralization-guiding function of enamel matrix proteins and provides sites for mineral nucleation.Ion exchange, occurring when BG contacts oral fluids, creates a physicochemical environment at the enamel surface that promotes calcium-phosphate precipitation and subsequent apatite formation.Experimental and clinical studies support the remineralizing potential of these approaches.However, pediatric clinical evidence is more limited for some materials than for others, and differences in formulations, study designs, outcome measures, and follow-up periods complicate interpretation of the available literature.Comparisons with conventional fluoride therapy have not consistently demonstrated superior outcomes.Further welldesigned pediatric studies are needed to establish clinical effectiveness and determine whether these approaches offer additional benefits in practice.Other emerging biomimetic approaches remain largely experimental.Biomimetic remineralization may therefore offer additional options for the management of early enamel caries in children, while complementing rather than replacing established fluoride-based preventive measures.
Abstract Background Levels of physical activity (PA), sedentary behavior (SB), and sleep, as important determinants of children’s health and weight status, may have been significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-sectional study aimed to determine factors associated with parental perception of COVID-19 negative impact in PA, SB, and sleep during the COVID-19 period, and whether the parental perception of COVID-19 negative impact was associated with actual post-lockdown behavioral levels among 2nd and 3rd grade elementary school students in Croatia. Method Data was gathered on a nationally representative sample of Croatian children participating in the CroCOSI 2021/2022 study. The final sample consisted of 5438 children (male = 51.4%, female = 48.6%) aged 7 to 10 years ( M = 9.03, SD = 0.61). Risk and protective factors included children’s weight status, demographics, and socioeconomic status (SES) variables. Parents completed the paper surveys on children’s actual post-lockdown behavioral levels in PA, SB and sleep, and the perceived COVID-19 negative impact on these behaviors. Results Multinomial logistic regression models showed that the parental perception of negative COVID-19 impact on active play, screen time, and learning time was associated with various SES indicators, child-related variables, and degree of urbanization. Parents with high education levels were more likely to perceive a negative impact across all behaviors. Children of parents with high education compared to low had a higher likelihood of parental perception of COVID-19 negative impact on screen time (weekdays: OR = 0.48; CI = 0.40, 0.56; weekend: OR = 0.59; CI = 0.50, 0.70), learning time ( OR = 0.49; CI = 0.41, 0.58), and active play (weekdays: OR = 0.57; CI = 0.48, 0.68; weekend: OR = 0.71; CI = 0.59, 0.86), but also to a higher likelihood of parents perceiving positive changes in active play. On the other hand, lower perceived family wealth increased the odds of parental perception of COVID-19 negative impact on active play (weekdays: OR = 1.40; CI = 1.08, 1.81; weekends: OR = 1.42; CI = 1.10, 1.82) and screen time (weekdays: OR = 1.36; CI = 1.07, 1.74; weekends: OR = 1.51; CI = 1.19, 1.91), while on weekends it was also linked to perceived positive changes in screen time ( OR = 2.07; CI = 1.11, 3.83). Regarding the second study aim, complex samples of general linear models showed that the parental perception of negative COVID-19 impact was significantly associated with actual post-lockdown active play and screen time levels. A parental perception of COVID-19 negative impact on active play corresponded to about 12 min less active play per weekday and weekend day post-lockdown, while a parental perception of increased screen time was associated with about 12 min more screen time per weekday and 28 min more screen time per weekend day post-lockdown. Conclusion The study results suggest that the parental perception of COVID-19 impact on children’s movement behaviors varied according to sociodemographic factors of the children and their families, and was also associated with certain post-lockdown movement behavior in children. These findings highlight the need for targeted public health strategies that provide safe and accessible opportunities for play and physical activity while reducing excessive screen time. Continuous multisectoral efforts are important for promoting healthy lifestyles and preventing childhood obesity.
Tamara Balja, Helena Križan, Slaven Krtalić et al.
The number of preschools has significantly enhanced in recent years, even though numerous preschools are housed in facilities that are not initially intended for such use. Space and indoor Air Quality (IAQ), specifically Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is regarded as a crucial element influencing the physical growth of children. Therefore, it is crucial to assess the indoor environments of the preschool located in premises that have been renovated and modified from their initial use. Elevated carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations in indoor environments may adversely affect children's health and cognitive function. Preschool environments, characterised by high occupancy rates and limited ventilation, are particularly susceptible to poor air quality, which can consequently lead to respiratory issues and diminished learning performance. This study investigates the impact of spaces and ventilation strategies on CO₂ concentration levels in preschool classrooms by examining the occupants activities towards IAQ. The results demonstrated that the CO2 concentration in the classroom exceeded the recommended 1000 ppm threshold during lesson and group activities but the levels decreased during low-occupancy periods, such as breaks and outdoor activities. Factors such as room size, and occupancy density influenced the increase of CO2 concentrations. The implementation of exemplary design practices, implementation of hybrid ventilation systems, coupled with thoughtful renovation and ongoing maintenance of preschool facilities, is essential for fostering a high-quality indoor environment within classroom space.
Naziah Muhamad Salleh, Anisah Ahmad Nahar, Mohd Rodzi Ismail et al.
Refugees and forced migrants coming to the 'Global North' experience high rates of stress and isolation. Migrant communities are concerned about their young peoples' long-term health, educational and social outcomes; there are reports of their children being referred at higher rates with early developmental difficulties and subsequently learning difficulties and conditions such as autism. We argue that these distressing experiences are interconnected and understandable in context, and we would like to engage with these accounts as indicating a need for more understanding, debate, negotiation, opportunities, connections and resources. Parents from cultures where 'it takes a village to raise a child' may find it particularly challenging to bring up children in individualistic western societies when they also experience stress, trauma, isolation and environmental disadvantage. In a linked paper, we describe an Ecocultural model that seeks to explain challenges to parental wellbeing and early child development for Somali refugee families in its local and international context, and the development of a flexible approach to targeted, preventive peer support intervention we have called Find Your Village, which has the potential to meet these challenges. In this debate paper, we advocate for the development of culturally coordinated understanding and action, describing three 'pillars' to build a 'village' for migrant children and families in the Global North, and suggest resources and approaches that have the potential to stop cycles of disadvantage, provide multiple benefits, and save costs to society through co-production, inequality reduction and integration.
This study assessed whether associations between suicidality, victimization, and hopelessness varied across heterosexual, bisexual, homosexual, and unsure-orientation youth. Data comprised 20,367 complete cases drawn from the 2015-2023 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System. Overlap propensity score weights balanced more than 40 suicidality-related covariates (e.g., gender, age, race/ethnicity, health behaviors, substance use, and risk-seeking behaviors) across groups. Weighted logistic regressions estimated group differences and tested sexual orientation by stressor interactions. After weighting, bisexual, homosexual, and unsure-orientation youth exhibited significantly higher odds of suicidal ideation and planning compared to heterosexual peers (ORs = 2.06-4.19), though adjusted differences in suicide attempts were varied (ORs = 0.89-1.46). While victimization and hopelessness were robustly associated with ideation and planning across all groups (ORs = 1.73-3.32), their associations with suicide attempts were inconsistent (ORs = 0.32-1.45). Interaction analyses between sexual orientation and these stressors showed inconsistent results (ORs = 0.54-1.69), suggesting that, the impact of victimization and hopelessness may not vary uniformly by orientation. Supplementary analyses of 2023 data indicated that among transgender youth, victimization had a weaker association with suicide outcomes (ORs = 0.56-0.99), whereas hopelessness was more strongly correlated with ideation and planning (ORs = 1.46-5.73). These transgender-specific estimates should be interpreted with caution due to small subgroup size and limited covariate overlap. Together, these findings highlight heterogeneity in suicidality across sexual-orientation groups and emphasize the need for longitudinal research with richer contextual and biological measures to clarify mechanisms and subgroup-specific risk and protective factors.
INTRODUCTION: Extensive evidence demonstrates that early life adversity (ELA) has enduring contributions to psychological and physical problems, yet little research has examined how ELA may potentially influence positive adaptation. In this longitudinal, multi-method study, we explored prospective relations from childhood ELA subtypes (i.e., relational, environmental, biological) to adolescents' observed prosocial behavior (i.e., resource allocation to benefit others) via parent reports of childhood cognitive and affective empathy. METHODS: Participants were 250 youth (50% assigned female at birth; 46% Latine, 18% Black, 11.2% White, 0.4% Asian, and 24.4% multiracial) and parents who completed laboratory assessments at ages 4, 8, or 17. ELA across the first 4 years of life and childhood empathy (age 8) were assessed via parent reports, whereas prosocial behavior was measured using teacher reports (age 8) and a computer-based behavioral assessment (age 17). RESULTS: Controlling for youth's assigned sex, ethnicity-race, and prior prosocial behavior, path analyses revealed distinct pathways across ELA subtypes. A significant path from relational ELA to decreased prosocial behavior was mediated by lower affective empathy, aligning with deficit-based frameworks of adversity. However, consistent with strength-based perspectives, a significant path from biological ELA to increased prosocial behavior was mediated by higher affective empathy. Neither environmental ELA nor cognitive empathy was associated with prosocial behavior. CONCLUSIONS: Future research should explore socialization factors and interventions that enhance affective empathy among adolescents with biological and relational ELA, while considering multiple forms of prosocial behavior (e.g., helping vs. comforting) and additional mechanisms that may underlie these observed pathways (e.g., sensitive parenting, motivation).
Duyen T. Trang, Stacey N. Doan, Brianne R. Coulombe et al.
Our discussion so far has concerned itself mainly with the way in which the young child comes to use language for ‘talking.’ Children differ in the way in which they learn to speak, in the ability they show in using language, in the rate at which they learn to talk, and in the success they have with articulating sounds. Some differences are important for the teacher to note because they indicate the kind of help that she should try to offer to particular children. When the teacher is listening to what the children are saying to her, or to other children, or to adults in the nursery, or to their mothers, it is possible for her to glean a great deal of information about the stage the child has reached in the development of language.
This study evaluated the effect of Behavioural Classroom Management (BCM) on the Mathematics academic engagement and performance of upper primary pupils with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in Obio-Akpor Local Government Area, Rivers State, Nigeria. Three research questions and three null hypotheses guided the study, tested at a 0.05 level of significance. The study adopted a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest non-equivalent control group design. The target population comprised approximately 27,500 upper primary school pupils across 55 public primary schools in Obio-Akpor LGA. A multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select 12 schools, yielding a sample size of 216 upper primary pupils identified with ADHD behaviors across three intact group conditions: Experimental Group 1 (Class Rules, 𝑛=60), Experimental Group 2 (Structured Routines, 𝑛=49), and Control Group (Conventional Instruction, 𝑛=107). Data were collected using a researcher-developed instrument titled "Behavioural Classroom Management on Mathematics Academic Engagement" (BCMMAE), which was validated by three experts in Educational Measurement and Evaluation and Primary Education/Curriculum Studies. The instrument yielded an internal consistency coefficient of 0.82 via Kuder-Richardson Formula 20 (KR-20). Mean (𝑋̅) and Standard Deviation (𝑆𝐷) were used to answer the research questions, while Paired-Samples t-Test and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) were used to test the null hypotheses. Results revealed that both explicit class rules (Mean Gain=22.17,𝑡=28.79,𝑝<0.05) and structured daily routines (Mean Gain= 25.70,𝑡=40.13,𝑝<0.05) produced statistically significant gains in posttest Mathematics performance among pupils with ADHD. ANCOVA results confirmed a significant main effect of intervention type across groups (𝐹2,212=377.54,𝑝<0.05), with structured daily routines demonstrating the highest efficacy, while conventional instruction yielded minimal improvement (Mean Gain=4.25). It was concluded that proactive BCM strategies serve as effective external cognitive scaffolds for neurodivergent learners. It is recommended, among others, that primary school Mathematics teachers systematically integrate structured daily routines and co-created, positively stated class rules into daily classroom instruction, while the Rivers State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) should provide targeted professional development on proactive behavioral interventions.
Background The existing research on children’s art education still has shortcomings in the field of artificial intelligence creation support and lacks an exclusive generation model and systematic evaluation framework that takes into account the characteristics of children’s cognitive development and physical and mental health needs, which limits the practical application of digital aesthetic education in children’s health promotion. Based on the development law of children’s aesthetic cognition and the needs of mental health promotion, this study constructs an artificial intelligence (AI) generation model for children’s artistic creation. By integrating children’s figurative thinking characteristics, creativity development laws and emotional expression needs, it realises accurate support for children’s artistic creation process. At the same time, a multi-dimensional evaluation system covering creativity, aesthetic literacy, mental health, visual health and social development is established to systematically evaluate the impact of AI-assisted aesthetic education on children’s comprehensive health development so as to provide a theoretical basis and practical reference for children’s health-orientated digital aesthetic education model. Methods From July 2025 to December 2025, 120 children aged 6–14 (divided into three developmental levels: 6–8, 9–11, and 12–14) were selected for a 12-week controlled intervention experiment, and the experimental group (AI man–machine collaborative aesthetic education, using the optimised children-specific improved WGAN-GP creative synthesis model) was set up. In this study, a quasi-experimental design was adopted, and the intervention effect was inferred by the correlation between groups and the changes within groups, without strict causal attribution. In the statistical analysis, age is taken as a covariate into the ANCOVA model, and hierarchical subgroup analysis is carried out according to age levels to test the potential influence of age on the main results. Multidimensional statistical methods such as the independent sample t -test, paired sample t -test, two-factor repeated measurement variance analysis, one-way covariance analysis (ANCOVA) with age as a covariate, Pearson correlation analysis, intra-group correlation coefficient (ICC), standardised mean difference (SMD), and determination coefficient (r) were used. Through the Torrance Creative Thinking Test (TTCT), the self-made Children’s Artistic Aesthetic Literacy Rating Scale, which has been systematically developed and verified by reliability and validity, the generated image quality evaluation system, the Children’s Depression and Anxiety Scale (SCARED), the Children’s Perceived Stress Scale (CPSS), the visual fatigue score, the children’s social expression health scale, the naked eye vision difference and the resting heart rate, the multi-dimensional indicators, the observed image quality evaluation system was generated. All health scales are marked with the applicable age range, and the standardised testing procedures of picture-assisted and item-by-item reading are adopted for children aged 6–8, and the boundaries of adult assistance are defined. Results Compared with the control group, the Fréchet dIStance (FID) of the experimental group is 21.15 ± 1.31, the inception score (IS) is 2.87 ± 0.16, and the anti-loss convergence rate is increased by 29.7%, so the model has excellent stability. The results of interpersonal intervention showed that the creativity fluency (79.68 ± 5.82), flexibility (77.35 ± 5.41), and uniqueness (75.46 ± 5.73) of the experimental group were significantly better than those of the control group (67.52 ± 5.13, 65.94 ± 4.87, and 63.15 ± 5.23). After controlling the age covariate, the difference between groups remained significant ( f value ranged from 87.32 to 156.48, all p < 0.001), and the main effect of age was significant in some indexes but did not change the intervention direction. The scores of aesthetic perception, color matching, and composition creativity in the experimental group (84.36 ± 3.81) were significantly higher than those in the control group (66.28 ± 4.53), in which the scores of works with AI assistance and works without AI were reported separately to distinguish the quality of AI-assisted output from children’s independent aesthetic ability. The scores of anxiety (12.35 ± 2.11), perceived stress (9.62 ± 1.87), and visual fatigue (2.14 ± 0.63) in the experimental group were significantly lower than those in the control group (21.76 ± 3.42, 17.53 ± 2.69, and 4.89 ± 0.92). The fluctuation difference of naked-eye vision after class was 0.12/0.05 in the experimental group and 0.25/0.08 in the control group ( p < 0.01). 5 mins after class, the resting heart rate was 77.93 ± 5.26 beats/min in the experimental group and 86.71 ± 6.22 beats/min in the control group ( p < 0.01). The score of social health expression (87.41 3.65) was significantly higher than that of the control group (64.33 4.17), and the difference of all health indicators among groups was p < 0.001. The score consistency within the group was ICC = 0.84 ( p < 0.001), and the intervention effect amount SMD = 0.68, which was a large-effect positive intervention. Pearson correlation analysis shows that children’s participation in AI creation is highly positively correlated with the quality of creative output ( r = 0.812, p < 0.001), which is a cross-sectional correlation and does not constitute causal inference. Tool familiarity, personal preference, and exploration behavior may be potential confounding factors. Stratified subgroups showed that children with high anxiety and stress at baseline had the greatest improvement. Conclusion This study shows that the optimized creative synthesis model of the generation confrontation network can adapt to children’s artistic creation thinking, and the improvement of creative thinking and aesthetic quality is observed in both AI-assisted creation and children’s independent creation, accompanied by the reduction of anxiety, psychological pressure, and visual fatigue and the improvement of social expression level. In view of the quasi-experimental design and limited sample size of this study, the above results should be understood as intervention correlation rather than strict causal effect, and the performance of works under AI-assisted conditions should not be directly equivalent to children’s independent aesthetic ability. This study provides a preliminary empirical basis for the scientific and standardized development of digital children’s health aesthetic education.
As part of a recent national policy review, young Australian children were consulted through creative listening methods to share their perspectives on changes they would like to see in the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF). Curriculum embedded in policy has been historically adult-driven, positioning adults as the primary decision-makers in matters affecting children&s;s lives. This 14-month, three-phase national project was underpinned by a commitment to child rights and to children&s;s participation where participatory spaces were created that foregrounded listening to children&s;s voices. Listening was conceptualised as an active and dynamic practice, extending beyond verbal communication to include the co-construction of meaning through social interaction. Listening to children in research contexts raises complex ethical considerations, requiring ongoing reflexivity and informed decision-making by researchers and educators. Dialogic drawing, listening circles and photo elicitation were used to support children&s;s expression of their ideas and experiences. This chapter demonstrates the importance of meaningfully involving children in policy development and highlights ways for authentically listening to children in ways that respect their rights and capacities.
Lennie Barblett, Susan Lee Irvine, Fay Hadley et al.
