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