Babies seek to understand the world around them and learn many new things every day. Unexpected events — for example when a ball falls through a table — provide researchers with the unique opportunity to understand infants' learning processes. What happens in their brains as they learn and integrate new information?
Read moreMothers are often their own toughest critics, but new research shows they judge other mothers just as harshly. According to the results — which build upon previous work identifying seven stereotypes of mothers — ideal and lazy mothers drew the most contempt from both working and stay-at-home mothers. The overworked stay-at-home mom also was near the top of the list.
Read moreIncreased equality has a positive effect on mothers and fathers. Thanks to greater freedom to strike an individual balance between caring for children and working in paid employment, mothers and fathers today are happier with their lives than parents were 20 or 30 years ago, a study by sociologists has shown.
Read moreEthiopian parents try to level out the life chances least-advantaged children affected by early life shocks such as famine and low rainfall levels by investing more in their education.
Read moreA researcher's prototype smartphone app — designed to help parents detect early signs of various eye diseases in their children such as retinoblastoma, an aggressive pediatric eye cancer — has passed its first big test.
Read moreSevere and persistent infant sleep problems in the first year are linked to poor maternal mental and physical health during pregnancy, a new study has found.
Read more'If you don't behave, I'll call the police,' is a lie that parents might use to get their young children to behave. Parents' lies elicit compliance in the short term, but a new psychology study suggests that they are associated with detrimental effects when the child becomes an adult.
Read moreTwo professors have found a strong relationship between students' grades and how much sleep they're getting. What time students go to bed and the consistency of their sleep habits also make a big difference. And no, getting a good night's sleep just before a big test is not good enough — it takes several nights in a row of good sleep to make a difference.
Read moreScientists have identified the chemical makeup of the odors produced by newborn babies' heads. The results shed more light on the olfactory importance of newborns' heads in mother-baby and kin recognition. They also developed a non-invasive and stress-free method of sampling these odors directory from heads of the babies. Research into these odors can hopefully be utilized in the prevention of issues such as infant neglect and attachment disorders.
Read more