R&D Briefs

Milk of Life

Babies who are breastfed are 60 to 70 percent less likely to die of sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS, according to a new analysis of past studies led by Dr. Fern Hauck, a UVA professor. According to the National Institutes of Health, SIDS kills about 2,500 infants in the U.S. each year.

In a Rich Man’s World

As the gap between rich and poor grows, the poor grow less happy and believe less in fairness and trustworthiness, according to a study led by UVA psychologist Shigehiro Oishi. Analyzing data from 48,000 people who responded to the General Social Survey between 1972 and 2008, his team found that self-reported happiness was fairly stable until the ‘90s, then began to drop as income inequality grew.

More Rules, More Money?

Banks and investment firms have historically resisted regulation. But that may be misguided. UVA Law School Dean Paul G. Mahoney has been studying the effects of the “blue sky laws” enacted in the early 20th century to prevent securities fraud. Bank profits grew in the five years after the adoption of the laws and the big national banks also grew in size, with average total individual deposits increasing more than 25 percent from 1914 to 1916.