It’s never too soon to teach kids to be culturally competent — to learn about, respect and accept people whose culture is different from their own. Children as young as 2 start to become aware of differences among people — starting with gender — and to be sensitive to attitudes held by those around them.…  read on >

Video games provide unlimited entertainment, and interactive ones can even help you burn off calories. But you may not know that playing games — either in person or through shared online networks — can unite family members from many generations in meaningful ways. Researchers at Concordia University in Montreal found that playing social network games,…  read on >

THURSDAY, March 21, 2019A woman’s age and previous pregnancy complications influence her odds of miscarriage, a new study says. The findings suggest that miscarriage and other pregnancy complications share underlying causes that require further investigation, according to the researchers. “More focused studies of these associations might lead to new insights,” they wrote in the March…  read on >

Difficulty reading and writing is common for children and does not always indicate a learning disability. But children with learning disabilities usually show several signs that don’t get better over time, the U.S. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development says. Common signs of a learning disability include ongoing: Problems with reading, writing or…  read on >

Postpartum depression is a common and often devastating condition for new mothers, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday approved the first drug to help combat it. The drug, Zulesso (brexanolone), is delivered via intravenous infusion. “Postpartum depression is a serious condition that, when severe, can be life-threatening,” noted the FDA’s Dr. Tiffany…  read on >

After-school activities help develop social skills and talent, but a new report finds that many kids are priced out of participating. In fact, for 1 in 6 middle and high school students, costs are the prime reason for not taking part in these activities. And the poorest students are two times less likely to participate,…  read on >

Thinking about a TV for your young child? Based on new evidence, you might want to reconsider that. Preschoolers who had a TV in their bedroom were at increased risk for poor eating habits, overweight/obesity and social/emotional struggles in their teens, Canadian researchers say. “The early years are a critical period in a child’s development,”…  read on >

Sperm DNA from the testicles of infertile men is often as good as that of ejaculated sperm from fertile men, according to European researchers — a finding that could lead to new treatments for male infertility. The study shows that on its path from the testicles to ejaculation, sperm DNA can suffer major damage. Researchers…  read on >

New parents worry about a lot of things, but the American Academy of Pediatrics says one thing they can cross off that list is concern about giving high-allergy foods too early in life. In fact, the pediatric group says it’s likely better to introduce foods like peanut butter when kids are around 6 months of…  read on >