Infancy

Want a Less Fussy, Easier-to-Soothe, Kinder Child? Make Music!

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Learning to make music helps babies communicate better and amps up empathy in older kids.

The Hidden Dangers of Baby Bottles, Pacifiers and Sippy Cups

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Toddlers, don’t drink and run (or walk): most falls while sucking on a bottle occur around age 1, when children often tend to be taking their first steps.

Q&A with Breast-Feeding Mom Jamie Lynne Grumet

Martin Schoeller for TIME

A conversation with the woman on TIME’s May 21 cover

Kids’ Health Roundup: Child Obesity and TV Ads, Parents’ Bad Math, and the Effect of Mom’s Stress on Babies

The Pediatric Academic Societies convened in Boston for their annual meeting starting Saturday. Here’s a quick update of some of the useful research presented.

Never Wake a Sleeping Baby: Why Depressed Moms Don’t Follow that Advice

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Researchers at Penn State found that depressed and worried moms were far more likely than other moms to rouse their babies unnecessarily in the middle of the night. Are they seeking emotional comfort?

Some Assembly Required: Q&A with Anne Lamott on Grandparenting

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The author says being a grandparent is liberating in a way that parenthood can’t even approach. Think of it as a bonus round, a chance to really enjoy children.

When Do Babies Stop Being So Darned Cute? Age 4 1/2, Scientists Say

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The stage between preschool and kindergarten marks the point at which little kids are no longer considered unbearably adorable. Or at least that’s what the research shows

Moms Say It’s Too Hard to Breast-Feed for the Recommended Six Months

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A Scottish study finds that moms think the advice to breast-feed for six months is unrealistic. They call for scaling back expectations, but advocates say that’s the wrong approach.

‘Back to Sleep’: Why Are 2,500 U.S. Babies Still Dying of SIDS Each Year?

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Putting babies on their back to sleep has dramatically reduced the number of SIDS deaths, but thousands of babies still die each year. A look at the key risk factors.

For Moms with Postpartum Depression, the Nation’s First Inpatient Unit

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For moms battling depression, a first-of-its-kind psychiatric unit at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill offers intensive, inpatient care.