There are all sorts of medicines on the market today that help us to feel our best, prevent illness and treat disease. The vast majority of them come in pill form. But some people struggle — for a variety of reasons —to swallow pills. [Read more…]
A tough pill to swallow? The evidence on taking medicine
October 7, 2015 By Leave a Comment
What we know about kids and car seats
September 22, 2015 By Leave a Comment
Car seat technology has certainly come a long way in the past three decades. I have clear memories sitting in the front seat of my mom’s car (and playing with the radio buttons!) at age five — a practice that is now against the law in most states. [Read more…]
How to test for concussion in athletes
September 15, 2015 By Leave a Comment
Along with the start of school comes a busy season for youth recreational sports. Soccer leagues, small fry football and lacrosse are all popular fall sports. This year, my 7-year-old opted to play flag football through our local recreation department. [Read more…]
Parents can eliminate summer learning loss
July 22, 2015 By 1 Comment
Kids across the country are off school and enjoying summer vacation. This typically means more time spent at the park, swimming pool or beach, as it should! It often means more time in front of the TV too. And that almost always results in less time engaged in educational pursuits like reading, math and problem solving. [Read more…]
Poor health among kids harms education
July 16, 2015 By Leave a Comment
Social scientists have clearly documented the link between education and poor health: Essentially, people with lower levels of education are more likely to suffer from illness and injury, and ultimately an earlier death. (More on that next week.) [Read more…]
New evidence on bullying
June 30, 2015 By 3 Comments
The problem of bullying has received increased public attention in the U.S. and across the world over the past decade. In response to being bullied by their peers, adolescents have often taken drastic measures – including committing suicide. [Read more…]
Parental age and autism: What we know
June 18, 2015 By Leave a Comment
If you’re a regular reader, you likely saw our post earlier this month regarding the prevalence of mental health problems among youth in America.
Last week, another new study raised additional questions about the factors that lead to autism among youth. The study, published in the journal Molecular Psychology, is the largest of its kind examining the relationship between parental age and autism. It includes more than 5.7 million children in five countries born between 1985 and 2004. [Read more…]
The upside to educational television
June 16, 2015 By 1 Comment
Our modern world is filled with screens: televisions, tablets, computers and mobile devices. As a result, children spend more time than ever before with these devices. We’ve written before about the downside of screen-time for small children and for the importance of moderation when it comes to technology. [Read more…]
The science of avoiding jet lag, revisited
March 30, 2015 By Leave a Comment
This week, my family is headed to England to visit my in-laws. So once again, I find myself searching for the latest proven methods for coping with jet lag. [Read more…]
The evidence on children and napping
March 10, 2015 By Leave a Comment
For most stay-at-home moms, naptime is a much-welcomed break during a hectic day. Personally, having 2 hours to myself every afternoon allows me to catch up on messages, start preparing dinner, do some cleaning, and generally enjoy quiet that is elusive when my young children are awake. [Read more…]
How much sleep you need
February 19, 2015 By Leave a Comment
Sleep is one of the holy grails of feeling good each day. Get too much and you may feel groggy and sluggish. Get too little and you may feel irritable, depressed, anxious, unable to focus and plain old sleepy In fact, a growing body of evidence shows that sleep problems increase one’s risk for chronic conditions such as obesity, heart disease and diabetes. [Read more…]
New policy: Doctors should encourage early literacy
February 4, 2015 By Leave a Comment
Evidence established long ago that reading to young children – especially if you engage in a dialogue with them while you’re reading – helps them develop language skills and prepare for school.
Now the American Academy of Pediatrics has issued a new policy encouraging doctors to talk with parents about reading aloud to children, and providing books to low-income families at pediatric well visits. [Read more…]
