Growth Curve

Health & Medicine

Autism spike may reflect better diagnoses, and that’s a good thing

As doctors get better at spotting autism spectrum disorders, kids may get help earlier — and the numbers of diagnoses will increase.

Health & Medicine

Telling kids lies may teach them to lie

In a new study, kids who were told a lie were more likely to later tell a fib themselves. The results should encourage parents not to lie to their kids.

Health & Medicine

Sugar doesn’t make kids hyper, and other parenting myths

There’s no shortage of advice out there for parents, but some pearls of wisdom simply aren’t true.

Health & Medicine

Overheard, baby edition: Making sense of new words

Eavesdropping babies learn new words when they understand familiar ones.

Health & Medicine

Should you hush that white noise?

Some sleep machines can pump out a dangerous amount of noise, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be used safely.

Health & Medicine

Brush kids’ teeth with just a little fluoride toothpaste

The American Dental Association has released new brushing guidelines for infants.

Health & Medicine

Does breast milk come in pink and blue?

A new analysis of cows shows that mamas make more milk for daughters. Other studies have hinted that human moms produce different milk for sons than for daughters, so perhaps lactating women also boost production for daughters.

Health & Medicine

Should your kid eat organic? The answer is complicated

The science behind kids’ pesticide exposure is complicated and patchy.

Health & Medicine

Your baby knows who your real friends are

Infants are surprisingly good judges of who ought to be friendly to each other.

Health & Medicine

How to read a book to your baby

To help your baby get the most out of story time, turn the story into a conversation, not a monologue.

Health & Medicine

Baby-cam captures an infant’s world

What do babies see all day? Faces. Lots of faces.

Health & Medicine

Babies tune in to happy sounds

High pitched, cutesy voices prove irresistible to infants.