A child’s future risk of depression and anxiety might be tied to their gut health. Young children whose gut microbiomes contained certain bacteria were more likely to develop a mood disorder as tweens, researchers reported Oct. 30 in the journal Nature Communications. Researchers discovered that the kids’ gut bacteria were tied to differences in connectivity between emotion-related brain networks – and that those differences, in turn, were linked to anxiety and depression later in childhood. The results suggest that gut bacteria could play a role in programming a child’s brain circuits, particularly those related to emotion, researchers said. “By linking early-life microbiome patterns with brain connectivity and later symptoms of anxiety and depression, our study provides early evidence that gut microbes could help shape mental health during the critical school-age years,” senior researcher Bridget Callaghan, chair of developmental psychology at UCLA, said in a news release. For the new study, researchers analyzed data from 55 children in Singapore participating in a long-term health study. The children provided stool samples at age 2 and MRI brain scans at age 6, and caregivers filled out surveys about the kids’ behavioral problems at 7-1/2. The team found that children whose gut microbiomes with higher levels of Clostridiales and Lachnospiraceae bacteria were at higher risk of symptoms of depression and anxiety. These two bacterial groups have been linked to…  read on >  read on >

A child’s future risk of depression and anxiety might be tied to their gut health. Young children whose gut microbiomes contained certain bacteria were more likely to develop a mood disorder as tweens, researchers reported Oct. 30 in the journal Nature Communications. Researchers discovered that the kids’ gut bacteria were tied to differences in connectivity between emotion-related brain networks – and that those differences, in turn, were linked to anxiety and depression later in childhood. The results suggest that gut bacteria could play a role in programming a child’s brain circuits, particularly those related to emotion, researchers said. “By linking early-life microbiome patterns with brain connectivity and later symptoms of anxiety and depression, our study provides early evidence that gut microbes could help shape mental health during the critical school-age years,” senior researcher Bridget Callaghan, chair of developmental psychology at UCLA, said in a news release. For the new study, researchers analyzed data from 55 children in Singapore participating in a long-term health study. The children provided stool samples at age 2 and MRI brain scans at age 6, and caregivers filled out surveys about the kids’ behavioral problems at 7-1/2. The team found that children whose gut microbiomes with higher levels of Clostridiales and Lachnospiraceae bacteria were at higher risk of symptoms of depression and anxiety. These two bacterial groups have been linked to…  read on >  read on >

Germany has agreed to provide more than $1 billion in new funding to support Holocaust survivors worldwide, helping many continue to live independently in their own homes. The deal, negotiated with Germany’s Finance Ministry, makes it the largest home care budget in the organization’s history, totaling $1.076 billion (923.9 million euros) for 2025.  The funds will go toward essential daily care for elderly survivors, many of whom are now in their late 80s and 90s. “This historic increase to home care funding reflects the complex and growing needs of Holocaust survivors worldwide,” said Gideon Taylor, president of the New York-based Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, which is also known as the Claims Conference. “While we are losing survivors at a rapid pace each year, those who remain are older, frailer and in greater need than ever before,” Taylor added. “This budget is critical in providing each of them the opportunity to age in place, a dignity that was stolen from them in their youth.” The average age of Holocaust survivors receiving home care rose from 86 in 2018 to 88.5 in 2024, according to the Claims Conference. As they age, survivors are facing more complex health issues.  The number who now qualify for full-time assistance due to extreme disabilities such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and dementia has nearly doubled in the last…  read on >  read on >

Germany has agreed to provide more than $1 billion in new funding to support Holocaust survivors worldwide, helping many continue to live independently in their own homes. The deal, negotiated with Germany’s Finance Ministry, makes it the largest home care budget in the organization’s history, totaling $1.076 billion (923.9 million euros) for 2025.  The funds will go toward essential daily care for elderly survivors, many of whom are now in their late 80s and 90s. “This historic increase to home care funding reflects the complex and growing needs of Holocaust survivors worldwide,” said Gideon Taylor, president of the New York-based Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, which is also known as the Claims Conference. “While we are losing survivors at a rapid pace each year, those who remain are older, frailer and in greater need than ever before,” Taylor added. “This budget is critical in providing each of them the opportunity to age in place, a dignity that was stolen from them in their youth.” The average age of Holocaust survivors receiving home care rose from 86 in 2018 to 88.5 in 2024, according to the Claims Conference. As they age, survivors are facing more complex health issues.  The number who now qualify for full-time assistance due to extreme disabilities such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and dementia has nearly doubled in the last…  read on >  read on >