Parenting

Mindfulness-based art therapy reduced headaches and stress in a group of 8 teenage girls.

Exposure to higher levels of animal and pest allergens (cats, cockroaches, and mice) during the first three years of life was linked to a reduced risk of asthma at the age of seven.

The number of head impacts received playing American football in high school or college was related to an increased risk of apathy, depression, cognitive impairment, and behavioral issues later in life.

Journal of Neurotrauma

15-year-olds who had a moderate amount of daily screen time reported better mental well-being compared to those who had very little (less than 1-2 hours) or a lot (more than 5-6 hours) of screen time each day.

Newborns fed with their mother's milk had greater microbial "richness" (more variety of bacterial species) than those fed with formula.

PLOS ONE

Poor sleep makes it more difficult for mothers at 18 weeks postpartum to perceive and interpret their infant’s cues and respond appropriately.

Sleep Medicine

Middle schoolers with social disorders showed greater improvement in their social abilities when they were grouped with other children based on social skill level rather than type of disorder.

Toddlers with only four toys in their environment played longer and more creatively than toddlers with 16 toys in their environment, suggesting that having fewer accessible toys encourages more focused and creative play.

Parenting

The amount of cotinine (a molecular marker for nicotine) in children's saliva is a better measure of tobacco exposure and predictor of hospitalization rates for severe asthma than caregiver reports, suggesting that caregivers tend to underestimate children's environmental tobacco smoke exposure.

Archives of Disease in Childhood

Compared to children of non-smokers, high school children who had at least one parent who smoked had more favorable attitudes towards smoking, and were more likely to smoke if they viewed it favorably.

Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy