Results for search "Child Development".
01 Jun
A new study finds male infants make more vowel- and word-like sounds during the first year of life, but then lose that early advantage.
18 Nov
Researchers find little evidence that spending extensive time in day care causes behavioral issues from biting to bullying.
Most parents want to help their kids do well in school, and for dads the answer may be found in something simple and fun.
A new study from the United Kingdom finds that kids do better in elementary school when their fathers regularly spend time interacting with them through reading, playing, telling stories, drawing or singing.
Researchers at Leeds University Business School found t...
Having safer neighborhoods, where families feel less stress, can help prevent child abuse, according to new research that supports this long-suspected theory.
When parents feel higher levels of stress or hopelessness about their surroundings, they may have a harder time caring for their children,
Advisors to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will weigh the possibilities and parameters of experiments with artificial wombs for premature human babies.
Scientists have already had some success with the concept in animals.
Low-carb diets may be all the rage, but they're not for kids with diabetes, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
In a new report, the AAP says that low-carbohydrate diets cannot be recommended for children or teenagers with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes. That's because there's little evidence they're helpful, but there are concerns about restricting kids' diets to tha...
For parents worried about how Disney princesses might impact their child's self-image, a new study is saying, “Let it go.”
“In children's media, about 60% of the characters are men and boys, they're male. And Disney princesses are probably one of the more visible and more well-known examples of media, made for children specifically, that's focused on female characters and women's st...
Certain combinations of bacteria found in dust in children’s day care settings may have an impact on their young lungs.
Researchers are trying to understand whether attending day care can affect children’s lung health. Their aim is to lower the risk of asthma.
“We find mixtures of different bacteria and other microbes living everywhere — outside, inside our homes, on our sk...
So much for the powerful feminist messaging in the new Barbie movie.
Director Greta Gerwig’s feminist interpretation of Barbie depicted the fashion dolls as judges, surgeons, naval officers, astronauts and U.S. Presidents in Barbie World, and it resonated. The Barbie movie broke box office records this summer.
But new research shows most people are not living in this re-imagined B...
Just like adults, kids face daily stressors.
Luckily, a new study suggests that teaching them creative thinking can help them manage it all.
Researchers found that when school-age children learned some "narrative creativity" techniques -- such as shifting your perspective and imagining "what if" scenarios -- they quickly became better problem-solvers.
After a week-long creativ...
Just 1 in 4 children with autism is diagnosed before age 3, but a new eye-tracking technology may allow for earlier diagnosis and intervention, according to three clinical studies of more than 1,500 kids.
Autism is a disorder marked by difficulties with communication and social interaction. In the United States, it affects about 1 child in 36, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Con...
A stressful or traumatic childhood experience — anything from parents divorcing to a sibling's drug problem — may have long-term effects on a woman’s sexual health.
These adverse childhood experiences may be linked to sexual inactivity and dysfunction in women later in life, a
Phthalates are commonly used in plastics, and researchers have now tied them to developmental issues in toddler boys who were exposed to the chemical in the womb.
The new study links the chemicals to emotional and behavioral development issues in 2-year-old boys ...
Lots of children and adolescents have the condition known as ADHD, or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
What should parents know? A number of treatments exist to help with functioning, including medications approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Typically, ADHD begins between ages 3 and 6, according to the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health. It can continu...
FRIDAY, Sept. 1, 2023 (HealthDay News) – Along with having to deal with the social stigma of having a parent who is incarcerated, young adults in that situation may be more likely to develop signs of heart trouble, a new study finds.
The health impacts of having a parent who spent time in j...
Infants born three to six weeks early -- considered late preterm -- are at risk for learning problems, but they can be overcome, researchers say.
Preschool attendance and sensitive parenting can help them bridge the gap academically, a new study shows.
"Our findings highlight an opportunity for pediatric providers to offer prevention strategies to parents of late preterm infants to...
If your child is acting out and you’re looking for solutions, researchers at the University of Georgia’s Youth Development Institute suggest better sleep might be the answer.
Getting more hours of slumber could reduce impulsive behavior in kids, their new study showed.
“Stressful environments are shown to make adolescents seek immediate rewards rather than delayed rewards, but...
Young Black children living in racially segregated U.S. neighborhoods are at heightened risk of potentially brain-damaging lead exposure, a new study warns.
The study, of nearly 321,000 North Carolina children under the age of 7, found that those living in predominantly Black neighborhoods had higher blood levels of lead than those living in more integrated areas.
Experts said the f...
If you are a new mom struggling with postpartum depression, taking antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) may also bear benefits for your child's development.
That's according to new research that found the medications were associated with improvements in a child’s behavior up to five years after birth.
Researchers from the Institute of Psychiatry...
Tears may flow when parents drop their teen off at college. Watching kids leave the nest can tug at the heart and make parents a little anxious about what's to come.
That makes sense, but it’s natural that young adults will become more independent and develop autonomy from their parents and grandparents. So, how can parents rise to the occasion?
An expert from Virginia Tech offers...
Children need to get up off the sofa and move more, according to a new study that linked childhood sitting time with heart damage in young adulthood.
That was true even when the adult's blood pressure and weight were healthy, according to researchers.
“All those hours of screen time in young people add up to a heavier heart, which we know from studies in adults raises the likelih...
Eye tests are an important way to catch potential eye-related issues in children, but more than two-thirds of kids in the United States are not receiving them at their checkups.
Those with Medicaid and other public health insurance were far less likely to receive these vision checks in the past year at their primary care doctor’s office, according to researchers at University of Michiga...
Too much screen time can lead to developmental delays in babies, researchers say.
When 1-year-olds viewed screens for more than four hours a day, they had delays in communication and problem-solving skills when assessed at ages 2 and 4, according to a new study published Aug. 21 in
When U.S. parents express their concerns about their school-aged children, social media use and the internet are at the top of the list.
Mental health issues are another top worry, according to the University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health.
“Parents still view problem...
Helping a child who struggles with reading can be a rewarding experience.
A nationally known expert offers some tips for parents who are trying to help their child work through these difficulties.
Patricia Edwards, professor of language and literacy at Michigan State University's College of Education, s...
Childhood obesity is concerning for many reasons, among them that the severity of the sleep disorder known as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) grows with obesity levels and age.
A new study looked at the role of obesity in children's OSA. It adds to a growing awareness of the part ob...
Buying back-to-school shoes should be more about the right fit than the right look — but with luck you can combine the two.
Shoes play a big part in how kids' feet function and should be selected with care, say orthopedists at the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York.
“When parents bring their children in with foot pain or an injury, the first thing I do is ask about ...
In the midst of a childhood obesity epidemic, a new study is pointing to a way to help school kids maintain a healthier weight: clean, accessible drinking water.
The decidedly low-tech solution emerged in a study of 18 California elementary schools that serve largely low-income minority families. Researchers found that when they kicked off a "Water First" program -- which included putting...
The trauma and unhappy family dynamics of childhood may follow kids into old age, affecting both their mind and body, according to new research.
“We looked at self-reported disability, as well as objectively measured physical and cognitive impairment, and learned that early-life stressful experiences can have ramifications all the way into older age,” said senior author
Being exposed to lead while in the womb or during early childhood may increase a person's chance of engaging in criminal behavior as an adult, a new review claims.
To arrive at this conclusion, the review authors evaluated 17 previous studies that used varying methods to test for lead exposure, including blood, bones and teeth. They also addressed the effects of exposure at different ages...
Children who have a chronic immune system disease that can prevent them from eating may eventually have a new treatment, decades after the condition was first identified.
“Parents and doctors may not be aware of this, but this is a very prominent and serious disease in the pediatric population, and it is increasing in number because it is directly related to food allergens, which are al...
Too little fiber in Mom's diet during pregnancy may slow a baby's mental development, Japanese research suggests.
Animal studies have found that a low-fiber diet during pregnancy slows brain nerve function in offspring. The new study, published July 27 in the journal
More kids in the United States are getting a developmental disability diagnosis, with prevalence close to 9% in 2021, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.
Among 3- to 17-year-olds, 8.56% have ever been diagnosed with a developmental disability, compared to 7.4% in 2019, according to the agency's National Health Interview Survey.
The diagnoses are far more com...
Marijuana use during pregnancy may impact the baby's brain development and long-term health, according to new research with monkeys.
THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) -- the main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis -- altered the placental and fetal epigenome in monkeys who were given THC edibles, researchers say. These modifications can cause changes that aff...
Family game night can be more than just a fun time: New research suggests it may even help build some early math skills in young children.
While past research has pointed to games as a way to enhance reading development and literacy, a new comprehensive review finds that number games like Monopoly, Othello, and Chutes and Ladders may help children with math.
“Board games enhance ...
Pediatric endocrinologist Dr. Erin Okawa works in a wealthy Los Angeles neighborhood and sees many parents worried about their kids' height.
“I have a clinic in Manhattan Beach, which was apparently settled by ex-volleyball players and ex-soccer players,” she said. “So there are a lot of very tall parents ...
Young children may be fascinated by electronic devices, but a new study suggests that old-fashioned reading may help them grow into better adjusted middle schoolers.
The study, of more than 10,000 U.S. "tweens," found that those who'd begun reading for fun early in childhood tended to be faring better in several ways: They scored higher on tests of skills like memory and speech developmen...
Growing up in poverty may harm the structural wiring of a child's brain, a new study claims.
Researchers from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found a link between both neighborhood and household poverty and the brain's white matter tracts. These let the brain communicate between its regions and are important for processing information.
“White matter integrity...
Vaginal "seeding" may be a safe way to transfer mom's beneficial bacteria to C-section babies -- and it might help them hit some early milestones a bit sooner, a small clinical trial suggests.
Experts stressed that the findings are early, and it remains to be seen how vaginal seeding -- swabbing newborns with moms' vaginal fluids -- might ultimately affect child development.
And for...
Could high-quality child care for young children translate into better grades in math and science?
Yes, says new research that found children with caregivers who provided both warmth and mental stimulation go on to do better in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) in high school.
“Our results suggest that caregiving quality in early childhood can build a strong foundat...
Understanding different parenting styles can help you pick the right one as you navigate the challenges of child-rearing.
Here, experts explain what an authoritarian parenting style is, examples of authoritarian parenting techniques, and what authoritarian discipline looks like. You'll also discover how this style compares to authoritative parenting.
What is authoritarian pa...
Kids with poor impulse control — a common characteristic of ADHD — may be at higher risk for health, social and criminal problems as adults, a new study indicates.
Researchers found that having attention and behavior problems in childhood was linked to less money, lower educational achievement and poorer health in adulthood when compared to those who could regulate their behavior as ...
Could breastfeeding lay the groundwork for good grades in high school?
That's what the findings of a new British study suggest, although the differences were small between those who were breastfed and those who weren't when it came to standardized test scores and grades.
"Breastfeeding promotes the development of the brain, which may account for better school performance," said lead...
Summer vacation has begun for some families and screen use may already feel like too much.
A psychiatrist from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston offers some tips for making sure smartphones and tablets are put to good use and not used to excess.
Dr. Laurel Williams, a professor in the dep...
There is no cure for nearsightedness, but medicated eye drops can slow down its progression in children, a new trial finds.
The study tested the effects of eye drops containing a very low dose of the drug atropine — the same medication used to dilate the pupils during an eye exam.
Researchers found that when children with nearsightedness used the drops every day for three years, t...
Girls have long been thought to have a language advantage over boys as infants. But new research finds that boys make more vocalization sounds than girls do in the early months of life.
These squeals, growls and short word-like sounds such as “ba” or “aga” are precursors to speech, scientists say.
And baby boys do more of this “talking” than baby girls in the first year,...
From their first smile to their first step to the first day of school, children go through a remarkable transformation on their way to adulthood.
Here, experts explore the five developmental stages, from infancy to adulthood, and take a deeper look at the developmental milestones acquired along the way. Understanding each stage's developmental milestones can help create an environment tha...
Children's personalities and moods can be as diverse as the cosmos, so figuring out the best parenting style can be challenging.
To help, experts here take a deep dive into authoritative parenting, including what it's like, examples of authoritative parenting style, its disciplinary strategies and how it compares to authoritarian parenting.
What is authoritative parenting?
Teens need their sleep, and a new study sheds light on one way to help them get it: Keep cellphones and screens out of the bedroom.
“Getting enough sleep is crucial for teenagers because it helps their body and mind grow and develop properly,” said lead author Dr. Jason Nagata, an assistant professor of pediatrics at...
Attachment theory sounds like a complicated concept, but when you're a parent it can sometimes boil down to a crying, clinging child who does not want to be separated from you.
Put simply, attachment theory explores the lasting psychological and emotional bonds between individuals.
Developed by British psychologist John Bowlby and then expanded by scientist Mary Ainsworth, think of ...
There's a lot of buzz about "gentle parenting" right now, but what exactly is this style of child-rearing?
Here, the creator of the concept breaks down gentle parenting, including what it is, the mindset that underpins it, some gentle parenting examples and what gentle parenting discipline looks like.
What is gentle parenting?
Psychologist and parenting expert...
The problem of "food deserts" in many parts of the United States has gained attention in recent years. Now, researchers are highlighting a similar issue: play deserts.
In a recent study, investigators at the University of Georgia found that in many areas of the country -- particularly the South -- families have few safe, free parks and playgrounds for their kids to enjoy.
That's a p...