All articles tagged with #child development
A BuzzFeed Health piece gathers pediatricians’ insights on 15 common health myths parents should stop believing about kids, ranging from iron intake and vaccines to screen time and toilet training, and emphasizes evidence-based guidance, regular checkups, and early intervention when delays appear.
A study following more than 300 mother–child pairs found that prenatal inflammation raises ADHD symptoms in early childhood, but warm, responsive parenting in infancy can offset this risk by shaping brain development and suggesting potential interventions such as fatty acids or mindfulness.
A Space Daily article summarizes Judy Y. Chu’s ethnographic study of six boys from ages four to six, noting that children in this window are highly perceptive and openly expressive, but over the next two years they become more guarded as they learn to align with masculine norms that de-emphasize warmth. The piece connects these findings to similar patterns observed in girls and later adolescence, while stressing that the research is not a causal a priori and does not predict individual outcomes.
A Norwegian study of over 37,000 children found that exclusive breastfeeding for up to six months is associated with lower ADHD symptoms at ages 3, 5, and 8, with stronger effects in girls; any breastfeeding helps, but longer exclusive duration shows greater benefits, though the study is observational and cannot prove causation, prompting calls for further research.
A study from Inserm and the National University of Singapore, backed by the WHO and the American Academy of Pediatrics, reports that high screen time during infancy and school-entry age is associated with poorer later academic performance and weaker working memory, with effects most pronounced around age six; a separate UK study from iADDICT links under-two screen exposure to adverse health outcomes and calls for a baby screen-time risk assessment, underscoring that limiting early screen time and modeling healthy habits is important while acknowledging limited, supervised use in some contexts.
A study of over 8,000 mothers finds that poorer cardiovascular health is associated with higher rates of developmental delays in children by age 4 (8.8% delays for high‑cardiovascular-health moms vs 16.8% for low‑health moms), a 62% increased risk. Delays affected communication, motor, and social skills. Experts urge improving heart health before and during pregnancy through diet (Mediterranean), regular exercise, adequate sleep, and avoiding smoking to potentially improve lifelong outcomes for both mother and child.
A Penn State study of 129 mother–child pairs found that harsh parenting undermines the natural shift toward self-regulation in preschoolers by increasing external biological regulation and slowing stress recovery, as measured by respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA). Less-harsh parenting shows the mother’s physiological influence waning with age, while harsher parenting leads to greater RSA inertia and stronger reliance on caregiver regulation, highlighting intergenerational risk for regulatory problems and suggesting self-regulation as an intervention target.
New fMRI study of children aged 3–9 finds language and Theory of Mind rely on distinct, non-overlapping regions in the left and right superior temporal lobe, with stable connectivity patterns across childhood; in adults these networks increasingly interact, suggesting separate developmental origins that gradually integrate over time.
Analysis of Amud 7, a six‑month‑old Neanderthal infant from Israel, shows the baby’s body and brain were already the size of a modern one‑year‑old (about 880 cc), indicating Neanderthals grew up much faster in the first years of life. The rapid early growth was likely fueled by high caloric needs and early solid-food introduction around five–six months, helping Neanderthals reach physical independence in harsh Ice Age conditions. This pattern appears consistent across other Neanderthal infants, though by about age seven their developmental trajectory converges with Homo sapiens, suggesting differences in life-history timing rather than overall brain/body size. The findings point to regulatory differences in shared genes guiding development rather than a wholly separate genetic blueprint.
A Harvard-led longitudinal study of 3,107 children in Massachusetts (2018–2023) found that the COVID-19 pandemic significantly slowed the development of executive function in kids aged 3–11, with growth rates below typical norms across all income levels, suggesting a systemic ‘cognitive stall’ that may underlie ongoing academic and behavioral challenges and requiring targeted, systemic support to rebuild foundational skills.
A viral video of Punch the baby macaque clinging to a soft plush toy echoes Harry Harlow’s 1950s experiments, illustrating that emotional nourishment and caregiving shape attachment more than food alone; the piece ties this to modern attachment theory and reflects on the ethical considerations of early primate research.
A 17-year study by Ben-Gurion University suggests that the risk of ADHD is influenced by early environmental factors and individual sensitivity, especially in children with certain temperaments and parental ADHD symptoms, highlighting the importance of early intervention.
Research indicates that in utero exposure to COVID-19 may lead to brain changes, developmental delays, and increased risk of anxiety and depression in children, highlighting the need for ongoing monitoring and early intervention.
The article discusses how the US deportation policies under President Trump have threatened the livelihoods of immigrant teachers, many of whom work in early childhood education, and highlights the potential negative impacts on students' development and emotional well-being, as well as the efforts of schools to adapt and protect their staff and students.
The article reviews outdated parenting practices from the 1960s and 70s, explaining how modern neuroscience reveals their negative impacts on children's brain development, emotional health, and safety, and highlights the progress made in adopting healthier, evidence-based parenting approaches.