Growth Curve

The inexact science of raising kids

  1. Health & Medicine

    Seeing one picture at a time helps kids learn words from books

    A small study found that children were better able to pick up vocabulary from books that show only one picture at a time.

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  2. Health & Medicine

    Protect little ones’ eyes from the sun during the eclipse

    Pay attention to eye safety for kids during the solar eclipse.

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  3. Health & Medicine

    When kids imitate others, they’re just being human

    In imitation tests, kids readily performed nonsensical actions, but bonobos didn’t. The results hint that excessive imitation may be a uniquely human trait.

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  4. Health & Medicine

    Newborn baby’s infection offers a cautionary tale about placenta pills

    A newborn came down with a dangerous bacterial infection. The culprit, scientists suspect, was contaminated placenta pills eaten by the mother.

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  5. Health & Medicine

    Baby-led weaning won’t necessarily ward off extra weight

    Babies allowed to feed themselves gained similar amounts of weight as babies spoon-fed by caretakers.

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  6. Health & Medicine

    Here’s how a child sees a Van Gogh painting

    Children’s eyes are drawn to vivid, bright and bold parts of Van Gogh paintings. But they can shift their viewing strategies with a little prompting, a new study suggests.

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  7. Health & Medicine

    When should babies sleep in their own rooms?

    A new study offers support to sleep-starved parents by suggesting that babies age 6 months and older sleep longer when in their own bedroom.

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  8. Health & Medicine

    It’s best if babies don’t drink their fruit as juice

    New guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend no fruit juice for babies younger than 1 year old.

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  9. Health & Medicine

    Babies categorize colors the same way adults do

    Babies divide hues into five categories, much like adults, a result that suggests color categorization is built into the brain.

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  10. Health & Medicine

    Drugs for reflux disease in infants may come with unintended consequences

    Infants prescribed proton-pump inhibitors for reflux disease may be at higher risk for broken bones later on.

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  11. Health & Medicine

    Toddlers’ screen time linked to speech delays and lost sleep, but questions remain

    Two new studies link handheld screen time for young children to less sleep and greater risk of expressive language delays. But the results are preliminary.

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  12. Health & Medicine

    Long naps lead to less night sleep for toddlers

    Daytime naps can steal sleep from the night, a small study of toddlers suggests.

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