Feature Channels: Family and Parenting

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High rates of suicide among military service members and veterans may be related to traumatic experiences they had before enlisting, making them more vulnerable to suicidal behavior when coping with combat and multiple deployments, according to the findings of several recent studies presented at the American Psychological Association’s 122nd Annual Convention.

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Learning to play a musical instrument or to sing can help disadvantaged children strengthen their reading and language skills, according to research presented at the American Psychological Association’s 122nd Annual Convention.

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Parents play a direct role in distracted teen driving, with more than half of teens talking on cellphones with their mother or father while driving, according to new research presented at the American Psychological Association’s 122nd Annual Convention.

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Physically fit sixth-graders – especially girls – are less likely to report feeling depressed when they reach seventh grade, according to a study presented at the American Psychological Association’s 122nd Annual Convention.

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Children and fetuses are the most at risk from neurological and biological damage that results from microwave radiation emitted by wireless devices, due to the higher rate of absorption of microwave radiation by children than by adults.

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Dental researchers at the University of Adelaide are warning parents of the dangers of soft drinks, fruit juice, sports drinks and other drinks high in acidity, which form part of a "triple-threat" of permanent damage to young people's teeth.

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As kids prepare to go back to school, UAB experts say planning ahead with these tips can help children reach academic and personal goals.

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In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers at Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital found lap infants may be at greater risk for death on a commercial airline flight.

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Harvard researchers find that a single bout of stress during pregnancy can affect allergy and asthma susceptibility in neonates. The article is published in AJP – Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology and was chosen one of this month’s APSselect articles which highlight the "best of the best" research published in APS Journals.

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Nearly 700 children have lost their lives over the last 20 years in the United States as a result of being left in or playing in a hot car. At last count, the total in the U.S. this year is 18. July 31 is National Heat Stroke Prevention Day.

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Researchers at UC San Francisco have found that children with sensory processing disorders have decreased structural brain connections in specific sensory regions different than those in autism, further establishing SPD as a clinically important neurodevelopmental disorder.

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Young adults who were breastfed for three months or more as babies have a significantly lower risk of chronic inflammation associated with cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, according to research from the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis.

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Parenting skills of adults with ADHD improve when their ADHD is treated with medication, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers. At least 25 percent of clinic-referred children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder have a parent with ADHD.

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Sexual dysfunction among couples is common, yet it often goes untreated, according to specialists at Loyola University Health System’s Sexual Wellness Clinic.

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Teens who have the option to privately and confidentially discuss health concerns with their doctor are more likely to talk about reproductive health, mental health, issues at school, and some self-care topics than they would be in discussions where a parent is present, finds a new study in the Journal of Adolescent Health.

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For the millions of adults and children in the U.S. who have to shun nuts to avoid an allergic reaction, help could be on the way. Scientists are now developing a way to process cashews — and potentially other nuts — that could make them safer for people who are allergic to them. They’re presenting their work at the 248th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society.

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In creating an adhesive patterned after glue produced by the lowly underwater sandcastle worm, researchers are reporting today that they may have solved the problem of premature births that sometimes result from fetal surgery. It also could open up numerous opportunities to safely perform more complex fetal surgeries in the future. Their report will be presented at the 248th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society.

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18-month-old “Karla” was playing on the slide at the park in her neighborhood, her mother sitting on a nearby bench chatting with her friend. A loud screech was followed by a crash and the sound of car alarms going off. In a flash, Karla was swept into her mother’s arms and both were shaking as they saw people running and heard sirens coming toward the scene of a car crash in the street next to the park.

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Food—not toys—is the most common culprit of choking accidents in kids under 5 years of age. A UCLA expert offers tips to prevent food choking accidents.

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A new Vanderbilt developmental music therapy class for babies ages 6 months to 24 months is serving as a valuable tool to help infants like Duke reach their full potential.

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Vulnerable populations such as children, the elderly, ethnic minorities, and low-income households are disproportionately affected by food security, despite the extensive private and public food safety net in the United States, according to a new report by RTI International.

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Friends play an extremely important role in a person’s life. From infancy on, we have a desire to connect and those early relationships help to mold and develop our adult character. Through interactions with one another, we learn to think beyond ourselves to understand the needs and desires of others.

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After weeks of the kids being out of school, some parents have had enough of their behavior and are counting the days until they go back. Some may also be wondering how much of the defiant behavior is normal and when it’s time to seek help.

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Leaving the television on can be detrimental to children's learning and development, according to a new study from the University of Iowa. Researchers found that background television can divert a child’s attention from play and learning. Results appear in the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics.

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Child psychologist Gerald Koocher led a recent poll of 139 experts to discredit “quack” treatments and assessments for children. Published in the Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, the study identifies and rates pseudoscientific and potentially harmful practices.

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A University of California, San Diego School of Medicine-led study suggests that parents of obese children often do not recognize the potentially serious health consequences of childhood weight gain or the importance of daily physical activity in helping their child reach a healthy weight.

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Peer-led interventions that target parental well-being can significantly reduce stress, depression and anxiety in mothers of children with disabilities, according to new findings released today in the journal Pediatrics.

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Most parents expect healthcare providers to answer their questions about circumcision, but they don’t want a specific recommendation on the procedure, according to a new University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health.

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One year after Chicago Public Schools closed 50 schools, parents still prefer their children’s old schools, which the city treated as “portfolio liabilities” rather than as stabilizing institutions, according to a new report by an educational policy researcher at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

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Discussing end-of-life choices with family members in a way that pays attention to how they perceive themselves and maintains your relationship with them may be more important than actually reaching decisions, according to a study recently published in Communication Monographs, a journal of the National Communication Association.

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SLU Researchers find higher expectations and lack of empathy toward children trigger abuse and neglect.

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A new study in the July issue of Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology examined 305 caregivers of children allergic to milk, egg, peanut or tree nut. The researchers were surprised to discover that milk and eggs, not peanuts, were the largest source of anxiety and worry.

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Guidelines released today by Canadian pediatric emergency medicine researchers are in line with the work that has been taking place over the past several years at CHOP to help improve pediatric concussion diagnosis and treatment and standardize youth concussion care.

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A Johns Hopkins-led research team has found that motivational interviewing, along with standard education and awareness programs, significantly reduced secondhand smoke exposure among children living in those households.

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A modest increase in the number of skilled midwives in the world’s poorest nations could save the lives of a substantial number of women and their babies, according to new analyses by researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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Research published in JAMA Pediatrics and the Journal of Adolescent Health found that TeenDrivingPlan, a web-based intervention designed by researchers at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia to help parents more effectively supervise driving practice, improved the driving performance of pre-licensed teenagers.

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Child care rules about illness create socioeconomic emergency for many working parents, especially African Americans, single/divorced parents

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Parents who have a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are about one third less likely to have more children than families without an affected child, according to a study led by a UC San Francisco researcher.

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Nearly half of parents say any qualified health care provider – not just a child’s usual provider – can do a sports physical, according to a new University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health.

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A new study, among the first in humans, is underway to investigate whether phthalate (plastics) levels in expectant fathers have an effect on the couples’ reproductive success, via epigenetic modifications of sperm DNA. Phthalates are detectable in nearly 100 percent of the U.S. population

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Marty Visscher, Ph.D., Director, Skin Sciences Program at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, explains that some parents do not understand the dangers of prolonged sun exposure on their child’s skin.

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To evaluate fatherhood programs and learn how to best serve low-income fathers, Temple University and the Center for Policy Research has launched the Fatherhood Research and Practice Network.

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In a book published this month, a Rutgers law professor examines what makes a good parent and how marriage equality improves the welfare of children of same-sex couples

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Refrigerators and pantries across the country are bracing for the seasonal assault from teenagers who are now done with school and will eat most of their meals at home for the summer months.

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Adolescence can be a wild ride. But a new book called The Owner’s Manual for Driving your Adolescent Brain uses science and storytelling to explain to children how to think about and sometimes manage the chaos. The book is a collaboration of neuroscientist Terrence Deak, associate professor of psychology at Binghamton University, and his aunt, JoAnn Deak, a longtime educator with a doctorate in educational psychology and author of several books, including Your Fantastic Elastic Brain, written for children ages 5 to 9.

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An expectant mother who chooses to find out her child’s sex before birth may be giving subtle clues about her views on proper gender roles, new research suggests.