Adults who were born pre-term (under 37 weeks gestation) are less likely to have a romantic relationship, a sexual partner and experience parenthood than those born full term. The meta-analysis by researchers at the University of Warwick with data from up to 4.4 million adult participants showed that those born preterm are 28% less likely to ever be in a romantic relationship.

Sibling bullying does have an effect on mental health later in life for both the victims and the bullies, it needs to be taken more seriously by parents and healthcare professionals. There are families where sibling bullying is more likely and can be prevented – says researchers in the Department of Psychology at the University of Warwick.

A systematic review of the literature into the effects of caffeine on breastfed infants has concluded that there is no robust evidence for positive or negative effects of maternal caffeine consumption during breastfeeding on a breastfed child - according to Dr Yen-Fu Chen and graduate-entry medical student Aimee McCreedy of the Warwick Medical School.

For the first time in England a study has been conducted of official investigations of unexpected infant deaths.

The University of Warwick, Mencap, Cerebra, and the Challenging Behaviour Foundation have teamed up with parents of children with learning disabilities to produce a new Parents Guide, launched today in Belfast. The new guide presents hints and tips, backed up by research, for parents to use in their family lives to promote the well-being of their children and to develop positive family relationships.

Many national recommendations on whether to screen newborn babies for rare conditions do not assess the evidence on the key benefits and harms of screening. The warning is made by University of Warwick researchers in a study, Association between use of systematic reviews and national policy recommendations on screening newborn babies for rare diseases: systematic review and meta-analysis published by The BMJ.

Children who get less than the recommended amount of sleep for their age are at a higher risk of developing obesity. Research at the University of Warwick has found that children and adolescents who regularly sleep less than others of the same age gain more weight when they grow older and are more likely to become overweight or obese.

Premature babies make fewer friends, feel less accepted by peers and spend less time socialising in early childhood – but this improves when they get to school – according to new research by an international research collaboration, including the University of Warwick, UK.

For the first time the functions of natural killer cells in the womb have been identified. Researchers at the University of Warwick and University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) NHS Trust have discovered the role that they play in preparing the womb for pregnancy.

Research from the University of Warwick indicates that most people are in favour of newborn screening for the potentially deadly condition spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).

SMA is an inherited neuromuscular disorder with a wide spectrum of severities and is a leading genetic cause of infant death worldwide. However, there is no routine screening programme for SMA in the UK.