Child Development

Free Play Won’t Make Your Child Smarter

It might seem odd to think of pre-kindergarten toddlers as students in need of teachers, but the latest research suggests that some form of instruction may help children to better prepare for school.

Timing of Birth Linked to Cerebral Palsy

There may be one more reason for expectant moms to think twice before scheduling an elective Cesarean delivery to minimize the time they are pregnant. Researchers report that early or late delivery can increase the chances that a newborn develops cerebral palsy.

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a movement disorder that doctors believe …

Sad Mothers Give Birth to Smaller Babies, Study Finds

Women who suffer from depression or anxiety may be more likely to have underweight babies — even when those babies are born at full term, after a normal-length pregnancy — a new study shows. This study adds to a body of research that gives conflicting evidence about the role of mental health in pregnancy.

Attention-deficit diagnosis depends on kids’ birthdays, study shows

Kids who are young for their grade level are unusually likely to be diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) — a worrying sign that, for many kids, plain old immaturity has been misdiagnosed as a clinical disorder.

In two separate studies — both appearing in a forthcoming issue of the Journal of Health

Drugging children: an under-recognized form of abuse?

The misuse of pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter medications and other types of drugs and alcohol on children should be considered a form of child abuse on par with neglect and physical, sexual and emotional abuse, concludes Dr. Shan Yin in a study published this week in the Journal of Pediatrics. Yin, of the University of Colorado and

Analyzing baby sounds to detect autism early?

A new technique that identifies early differences in vocal development between children with an autism spectrum disorder or language delay and those developing on a normal trajectory could give pediatricians and other caregivers a tool for earlier detection of autism, and as a result facilitate earlier intervention. To distinguish the

Study: teens benefit from later school start

New research published this week in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine finds that, starting the school day just a half hour later was associated with significant benefits for teens — from better sleep and enhanced alertness to improved mood and overall well being. The findings contribute to a growing body of research on

TV and Video Games Lead to Attention Problems

Numerous studies have documented the negative effects of television exposure at a young age; TV viewing has been linked to behavioral and attention problems later in life. Now researchers confirm the same effect of video games on attention problems in both younger children and teens.

Studying two groups of students — a group of 1323 …

How Parental Smoking Affects Kids

There’s plenty of data showing how harmful smoking can be, and that goes for both smokers and the people around them. Two studies published in Pediatrics point out how indirect the effects can be. A study of paternal smoking in Hong Kong finds that children whose fathers smoke are heavier at seven and 11 years old than their …

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