Tuesday, November 3, 2015

A better way to predict the baby's due date.

To read the article, click here.

Take care of needs, sing, then talk to crying infants.

Click here to read the article.

I added the part about taking care of the needs.  That's just common sense.  When a baby is crying, you first consider basic physical needs.

A good marriage helps recovery from surgery

To read the article, click here.


To learn about beating a food addiction, click here.

Monday, November 2, 2015

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Note the importance of iodine in pregnancy to boost brain development: Yahoo Health

Pregnancy is a very delicate phenomenon most women experience at least once in their lifetime. It entails bearing a fetus inside the womb and nourishing it with the needed nutrients for survival and growth. One of the most important nutrients needed is iodine. According to a study published in the journal The Lancet, iodine supplementation is needed among pregnant women to boost the baby's brain development.
See the rest of the article here.

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

APA: Playing Violent Video Games Can Lead To Increased Aggression

A new report states that playing violent video games can lead to an increase in aggression.

For the rest of the story, click here.

Friday, August 7, 2015

Giving babies healthy foods early may shape childhood tastes | Fox News

Giving babies healthy foods early may shape childhood tastes | Fox News: Young toddlers who eat a range of fruits and vegetables may learn to enjoy healthy eating as they grow older, an Australian study suggests.

Researchers found that 14-month-old babies who regularly ate fruits and vegetables were more likely to eat them and less likely to be fussy eaters when they were nearly four years old.

Wednesday, August 5, 2015

Keep kids active, physically fit - The Daily Iberian: Editorials

Keep kids active, physically fit - The Daily Iberian: Editorials: The physical shape of many children here and around the world isn’t too good, according to a study by the Pennington Biomedical Research Center at LSU. Research results, which appear in the journal Obesity, point to a lack of physical activity as the biggest predicator of childhood obesity across the globe.

Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Helicopter parenting is increasingly correlated with college-age depression and anxiety.

Helicopter parenting is increasingly correlated with college-age depression and anxiety.: Academically overbearing parents are doing great harm. So says Bill Deresiewicz in his groundbreaking 2014 manifesto Excellent Sheep: The Miseducation of the American Elite and the Way to a Meaningful Life. “[For students] haunted their whole lives by a fear of failure—often, in the first instance, by their parents’ fear of failure,” writes Deresiewicz, “the cost of falling short, even temporarily, becomes not merely practical, but existential.”

Thursday, July 2, 2015

Parenting course adapted for dads benefits the whole family

Parenting course adapted for dads benefits the whole family: Participation in parenting programs has traditionally been more likely to involve women, but new research suggests adapting The University of Queensland's Triple P – Positive Parenting Program can increase fathers' engagement and benefit the whole family.

Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Restorative parenting: Children thrive off proactive dialogue | Living | CentreDaily.com

Restorative parenting: Children thrive off proactive dialogue | Living | CentreDaily.com: Parenting within a restorative framework is a proactive approach, rather than reactive. Examples of interactions that fit this style include:

• Spending time together: Ten minutes, twice each day with each child makes a difference. Be fully present and focused on what interests the child. One dad, upon arrival home from work, chose to trade jokes with his kids rather than immediately sitting down with the newspaper.

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Strength-based parenting can help children deal with stress, study says - HeraldTimesOnline: Living

Strength-based parenting can help children deal with stress, study says - HeraldTimesOnline: Living: Strength-based parenting could be one of the keys to helping children better cope with stress and become more resilient, according to a recent study published in the journal Psychology.

The study, out of the University of Melbourne, looked at how strength-based parenting can help children learn to deal with the stress of trying to face and overcome weaknesses.

Saturday, June 20, 2015

'Father is the noblest title': 18 quotes from LDS leaders about why dads matter | Deseret News

'Father is the noblest title': 18 quotes from LDS leaders about why dads matter | Deseret News: With Father's Day on the horizon, neckties are flying off department store shelves.

As important as it may be to update Dad's wardrobe with a bit of paisley or plaid, this weekend is also an opportunity to reflect on fathers' indispensable roles.

In honor of dads, we've gathered 18 quotes from leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints about the many ways fathers bless our lives.

Click through to read them all.

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Greenery promotes mental development in primary-aged children, study suggests | Horticulture Week

Greenery promotes mental development in primary-aged children, study suggests | Horticulture Week: The research was reported in the USA journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. It found "an improvement in cognitive development associated with surrounding greenness, particularly with greenness at schools".

While green space is already known to improve mental and physical health, there has until now been little research into the impact of green space on children’s learning.

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Motherhood Matters: The only real solution to parenting problems | Deseret News

Motherhood Matters: The only real solution to parenting problems | Deseret News: I’ve been slowly working my way through “Anne of Green Gables” a few nights each week with my two youngest daughters. As many of you know, it’s a classic full of gems worth quoting. My most recent favorite comes from Rachel Lynde, mother of 10:

Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Motherhood Matters: 6 ways to help your shy child | Deseret News

Motherhood Matters: 6 ways to help your shy child | Deseret News: So a shy kid will be nervous to go to school, but a kid with social anxiety disorder will get short of breath, start to shake, sweat and literally be unable to calm down. She will know that she is overreacting but can’t stop herself. So helping my children feel in control of their anxiety seems to be the key. So how can I help them control these fears?

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

The Challenges of Keeping Kids Alcohol and Drug Free

Overview: Raising children is one of the most challenging roles that any man, woman or couple can ever experience in life. Much joy as well as significant heartache can come from being a parent. Being a parent requires patience, nurturing, discipline, support and, most important, love and support. As our children go through their developmental stages from infants, to toddlers, to teenagers, to young adults and adulthood, the challenges and rewards change.

Sunday, May 10, 2015

Want to fight underage drinking? It starts with dad | Deseret News

Want to fight underage drinking? It starts with dad | Deseret News: Once again, it seems that you can’t put a price tag on the important role of a father.

According to a recent study done in Taiwan, fathers have a stronger influence on a child’s drinking habits than mothers do.

Hsing-Yi Chang, who coauthored the study, used data from previous research that asked nearly 4,000 Taiwanese students about their drinking habits. The students were then asked to describe how often their parents drank and how they perceived a parent's attitude towards alcohol.

Friday, May 8, 2015

What your baby's cry is trying to tell you | Deseret News

What your baby's cry is trying to tell you | Deseret News: Have you ever held a crying baby and felt utterly helpless? Even after burping, rocking or singing to the little one, you can’t figure out why the cries just won’t stop? If you’ve found yourself wishing that your infant could talk and tell you what’s wrong, maybe your wish is about to be fulfilled.

According to the National Taiwan Normal University, researchers claim to have developed a listening device that can translate your baby’s cries into words, telling parents exactly what is causing unhappiness in your child.

Monday, March 16, 2015

Too Much Parenting, Not Enough Exercise - WSJ

Too Much Parenting, Not Enough Exercise - WSJ: Hyper-parenting may increase the risk of physical inactivity in children, a study in the April issue of Preventive Medicine suggests.

Children with parents who tended to be overly involved in their academic, athletic and social lives—a child-rearing style known as hyper-parenting—spent less time outdoors, played fewer after-school sports and were less likely to bike or walk to school, friends’ homes, parks and playgrounds than children with less-involved parents.

Hyperparenting, although it’s intended to benefit children by giving them extra time and attention, could have adverse consequences for their health, the researchers said.

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Sound of mother's voice and heartbeat boost premature baby's development, study finds | Daily Mail Online

Sound of mother's voice and heartbeat boost premature baby's development, study finds | Daily Mail Online: Researchers at Harvard University played recordings to 20 premature babies in incubators of their mothers' heartbeat, singing and as they read
The sounds were altered to mimic the noises experienced in the womb
The infants' auditory cortexes - a part of the brain that processes sound - grew larger than in 20 other babies who were exposed to background noise
It suggests mothers could play a greater role in the care of preterm babies

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Brain Benefits: How Learning Music is Instrumental in Children's Brain Development - hypebot

Brain Benefits: How Learning Music is Instrumental in Children's Brain Development - hypebot: Music provides many benefits to your overall well-being. It can give you that extra boost in the morning to get the day started. It can relax you at the end of a long day. It can set the mood for your next party or help you get through your next breakup. But how does music impact children? Dixie Somers explains in this article how learning music as a child can be a vital part of their brain development.

Monday, February 16, 2015

Family, religion help lower youth suicide risk, study says | Deseret News

Family, religion help lower youth suicide risk, study says | Deseret News: Religious and family involvement may be key to lowering the risk of suicide for those between the ages of 10 and 19, according to a new report by the Utah Department of Health.

Youths who reported attending religious services or activities at least once a week, 60.4 percent, were half as likely to have considered suicide than those who did not. Those who had shown symptoms of depression were less likely to consider suicide when deeply involved in their families and religion, the report says.

"If that family has good, strong relationships, if they have good communication skills, if the children feel valued and they’re part of the decision-making process with their family … that protects them from other risk factors they may have," said Jenny Johnson, spokeswoman for the Utah Department of Health.

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Parent-Led Intervention May Lower Kids' Autism Risk - Disability Scoop

Parent-Led Intervention May Lower Kids' Autism Risk - Disability Scoop: Training parents to enhance social interactions with their infant children may reduce the likelihood that kids at risk for autism will ultimately develop the disorder, researchers say.
Families who participated in a video-based therapy program were able to improve engagement, attention and social behavior in their babies, according to findings published Wednesday in The Lancet Psychiatry.
“Our findings indicate that using video feedback-based therapy to help parents understand and respond to their infant’s individual communication style during the first year of life may be able to modify the emergence of autism-related behaviors and symptoms,” said Jonathan Green, a professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at the University of Manchester in England who led the study.

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Childhood Neglect May Affect Brain Development, Study Says

Childhood Neglect May Affect Brain Development, Study Says: Childhood neglect is associated with changes in the brain's white matter, a small study shows.

"Our findings have important implications for public health related to early prevention and intervention for children reared in conditions of severe neglect or adverse contexts more generally," the researchers wrote.

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

The Economist explains: How marriage makes people healthier | The Economist

The Economist explains: How marriage makes people healthier | The Economist

Sleep training for babies: Why it doesn't work, and what does - Parents - TODAY.com

Sleep training for babies: Why it doesn't work, and what does - Parents - TODAY.com: What I’ve learned through research, clinical practice, and with my own little ones is that babies want to sleep, but we, as parents (unknowingly and with great intentions) can interfere with their ability to do so.

My co-author Julie Wright and I want a revolution in how we all talk about sleep. Sleep “training” is an old term that conjures up ideas of babies being forced into something that doesn’t come naturally. Let’s talk about sleep as the lovely, natural aspect of life that it is. It’s a polarizing topic, but it doesn’t have to be. When you clear up some basic misunderstandings about how baby brains work, the whole business of good sleep gets a lot easier.

Sunday, January 18, 2015

Lillian Grace's story: The case for removing half of a baby's brain | CMV

Lillian Grace's story: The case for removing half of a baby's brain | Fox News: CMV refers to cytomegalovirus, which is a common viral infection that can affect almost anyone without symptoms, according to the Mayo Clinic. It can spread from person-to-person through contact with bodily fluids, and can be dangerous as an active infection in pregnant women and those with compromised immune systems.

“CMV is the most common virus most people have never heard of,” Dr. Gail Demmler, an infectious disease specialist and CMV researcher at Texas Children’s Hospital told FoxNews.com. “Most of the time, when their babies are diagnosed with CMV, mothers haven’t heard of it – but it’s also a virus that every woman should know about.”

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Marijuana dangerous to the developing brain - Journal Advocate

Marijuana dangerous to the developing brain - Journal Advocate: The younger you are, the more harm marijuana use can do to your brain. That was the message Jade Woodard, executive director of the Colorado Alliance for Drug Endangered Children, shared during a free educational program on marijuana last week at Sterling Middle School.

Part of her presentation included information about the effects of marijuana on the brain. She explained that there are cannabinoid receptors in all of the significant portions of the brain and using marijuana throws off the function of all of those parts of the brain.

Paternal Involvement and Attention Sharing in Interactions of Premature and Full-Term Infants with Fathers: A Brief Report : Psychology of Language and Communication

Paternal Involvement and Attention Sharing in Interactions of Premature and Full-Term Infants with Fathers: A Brief Report : Psychology of Language and Communication: The aim of this study was to analyze possible links between paternal involvement and children’s competence in coordinated joint attention (CJA) in preterm versus full-term 12-month-old babies. Paternal involvement was measured through the amount of time fathers allocated to different activities with their infants, whereas children’s capacity for CJA was inferred on the basis of episodes of joint attention (EJA), empirically derived from father-infant interactions. Fifty-nine father-infant dyads participated in the study. Fatherinfant interactions in free-play situations, diaries of infant activities, and semi-structured family interviews were analyzed. Episodes of joint attention were more frequent in interactions of fathers with full-term babies in comparison to extremely premature babies, and in the case of preterm infants, in dyads with highly involved fathers as compared to those with a relatively low level of involvement.