Postpartum stress: A guide for the science-minded parent
A parent’s guide to the physical and psychological triggers of postpartum stress. Includes sleep deprivation, fussy babies, stress hormones and tips for coping.
Babies
How to support language development in babies
Babies possess amazing learning abilities. But to master language, they need our help. Studies suggest we can support language development by engaging babies in conversation, and by providing them with a variety of special cues and communicative experiences.
Can musical training help babies learn language?
Research suggests that playful, age-appropriate musical training can help babies learn language-related skills.
When do babies say their first word?
Babies make lots of communicative noises, but coos, gurgles, and cries aren’t true speech. When do babies say their first words? Most babies can say at least one or two words by the end of their first year, but the timing may vary considerably from individual to individual.
Prenatal learning: Do “pregnancy foods” affect babies’ eating habits?
Babies learn about flavors even before they are born. Can prenatal learning give rise to food preferences? Can it make some individuals more prone to consume alcohol?
Can babies tell when parents are fighting?
Research suggests that babies can tell when parents are fighting, and chronic conflict may affect the brain. What can we do about it?
Can babies sense stress in others? Yes they can!
Stressed-out parents often wonder: Can babies sense tension and anger? Can babies sense stress in their caregivers? Experimental research confirms that stress is contagious.
Flavors in breast milk: Can babies taste what their lactating mothers ate for lunch?
Flavors in breast milk? From the food that mothers ingest? Yes, it really happens, and babies can taste the difference. Read what studies tell us about how early exposure to flavors — in breast milk and baby formula — can influence a baby’s willingness to eat solid foods.
Potty training problems and solutions: An evidence-based guide
An evidence-based guide to common potty training problems, including child anxieties, resistance, refusals to defecate, accidents, and more.
Sensitive, responsive parenting: How does it benefit your child’s health?
Research suggests that sensitive, responsive parenting can protect children from chronic disease and toxic stress.
The science of toilet training: What research tells us about timing
What scientific studies reveal about the timing of toilet training. Safe, early training may lower the risk of bladder and bowel dysfunction.
How do babies respond to music in the womb?
In the last trimester, fetuses can hear music in the womb. And if they hear the same tune many times, they may learn to recognize it.