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Articles on Child development

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Hands up who wants to breastfeed at work? Christian Lutz/AP

Women at work should be able to breastfeed and succeed

Days after Pope Francis told mothers to “not think twice” about breastfeeding at church and in public, Sally Davies, the UK’s chief medical officer, called for women to be allowed to breastfeed at work…
Orphan bonobos at a Congo sanctuary don’t understand how to comfort others or themselves as well as those reared by their mums. Flickr/Princess Stand in the Rain

For primates, having a mother helps them learn social skills

Wild bonobos, like all Great Apes, spend long childhoods with their mothers, learning the skills they need to function as socially and emotionally stable members of their community. But orphaned bonobos…
This little tyke is already hard at work studying. petitshoo

Language learning begins in the womb

Human foetuses begin to hear sounds outside the womb at about 27 weeks. But whether foetuses can learn from these sounds in ways that shape speech perception and development during infancy has remained…
Children are the most vulnerable and dependent members of our society but it’s still legal to hit them in Australia. bixentro/Flickr

Let’s talk about making smacking children illegal

The Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) is today launching a call for law reform regarding the use of physical punishment to discipline children. Noting the harms of smacking children, it’s…
Pregnant and breast-feeding women have iodine needs that are 50% higher than the general population. Teza Harinaivo Ramiandrisoa

Lack of dietary iodine threatens brain development in children

Iodine is naturally present in a range of food, especially seaweed and fish. So it may seem odd that the people of an island nation (most of whom live along its vast coastline) are not getting enough of…
Research has shown benefits to mothers and babies when fathers are involved. Pixabay

Some pregnant women missing benefits from involved dads

We all have different expectations about how involved dads should be during pregnancy and childbirth. In the UK, it’s generally seen as a good thing and research is now beginning to show that it matters…
When humans are challenged, even as very young babies, we really can rise above and excel. Drew Bennett

Deprivation, autism and disability shine a light on development

What do newborn babies, children who have been severely deprived of human contact, people with autism, and blind mothers have in common? On the surface, not much. But they provide a common theme for understanding…

Moving tougher on poor children

Children who move frequently while young are more likely to have behavioural problems - but only if they’re from low income…
We often preface words like slap and smack with “just a little” to make it sound more socially acceptable. paulscott

Time for an end to parental tough love

Picture this: you’re standing in a long, slow-moving queue. People around you are disgruntled and complaining. You turn to talk with the person behind you and someone else jumps the queue in front of you…
Whether children imitate a bear or a pirate, their imagination could contribute to human advancement. Juhansonin

Imitation and imagination: child’s play is central to human success

We all know the scene: a child, wrapped in his or her own imaginary world, fights off aliens while flying through space on a rocket fashioned from an empty box. But could such flights of fancy be critical…
Praising kids all the time might lead to inflated self-esteem and low regard for others. Flickr/ymc_photos

Can excessive parental praise turn good kids into bullies?

When most people picture the typical school bully, they think of a kid who is likely to have been bullied themselves. A child with low self-esteem who is trying to make themselves feel better by picking…
Limiting children’s access to now widespread “pornified” media will require serious political will. lamont_cranston/Flickr

Girls on film: could new regulations stop the sexualisation of children?

Soft porn music videos on television. Girls mini-mags featuring fashion and celebrity gossip at the supermarket checkout. Porn at eye-level in the petrol station. Billboards on the trips in between. As…
Cover of the latest US edition of Time magazine.

Time #1: what’s wrong with this picture?

Breastfeeding generally falls under the jurisdiction of mothers, so I decided to ask a group of mothers I see regularly on Saturday morning what they thought of the recent Time magazine cover portraying…
Children with Specific Language Impairment have difficulties learning language for no discernible reason. runintherain/ Flickr

Autism’s hidden older brother – Specific Language Impairment

Language development is a truly remarkable phenomenon. But for a small number of kids, the words don’t come so easily. Most children acquire their first words around 12 months of age, start to string words…
Children aren’t suited to adult-style fitness programs using exercise bikes, treadmills and rowers. Axel Bu hrmann

Kids should get active but adult-style gyms aren’t the answer

With one in five Australian preschool-age children now overweight or obese, it’s no wonder kids’ weight is so often in the media spotlight. While the causes of obesity are complex and multifactorial, it’s…

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