Learning to read does not begin when a child puzzles over the words in a book for the first time. In the early weeks of their lives and even before birth, babies are skilfully processing important information about the sounds they hear. They are attuning to tones, patterns of language and distinguishing their own familiar […]
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Imagine you’re strolling through a park and you overhear a middle-aged couple cooing over each other, doting over their “wittle sugar pwum” and “baby doll.” “Ewwww,” you might reflexively think. Baby talk is cute when grown-ups dote on babies. But when adults converse with each other? Not so much. Yet in my work as a […]
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I remember a decade ago sitting in front of my 9-month-old daughter, who was in her high chair, and trying to spoon-feed her a pureed green vegetable. It didn’t matter if it was peas, green beans or something else, because the outcome was the same: I spooned it into her mouth, and it came right […]
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The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work. The big idea During the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, more than a third of Massachusetts households with a child under 5 didn’t have enough diapers to change their child as often as needed, according to our survey. A baby without enough diapers […]
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Many possibilities for gifts come to mind to acknowledge Mother’s Day for new mothers — family and friends think about flowers or brunch. But because inadequate rest is often a key source of distress for mothers, we need to consider giving mothers the gift of sleep. When infants are consistently unable to go back to […]
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A baby formula shortage has added to the woes of American parents already confronted with the pressures of raising an infant during a pandemic in a country ranked low for family-friendly policies. Media reports have highlighted the plight of mothers, fathers and caregivers across the U.S. who have scrambled to find scarce supplies, or driven […]
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Parents are understandably worried about what would happen if their infant caught COVID-19. Babies may be considered vulnerable due to immature immune systems, and are also not eligible for most of the treatments and vaccinations available for older children and adults. The good news is, most babies experience mild illness. Here’s what to expect if […]
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As we head into winter, you may have a sniffly child under two years old at home. Is it just a cold? Or could it be COVID? You may be tempted to reach into the cupboard for a rapid antigen test to find out. But some manufacturers say their COVID tests aren’t suitable for children […]
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Industry and federal efforts to alleviate a baby formula shortage in the U.S. are ramping up, with the import of foreign brands supplementing increased domestic production. It follows a crisis in which mothers, fathers and caregivers across the U.S. have had to scramble to find scarce supplies or drive long distances to buy formula. But […]
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Whenever I teach about memory in my child development class at Rutgers University, I open by asking my students to recall their very first memories. Some students talk about their first day of pre-K; others talk about a time when they got hurt or upset; some cite the day their younger sibling was born. Despite […]
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