1+ hour, 44+ min ago  (821+ words) Researchers have found that the estrogen in a mother’s blood during the first weeks of pregnancy may predict how large her baby’s head will be at birth. The signal from prenatal estrogen showed up as early as six to eight…...

5+ day, 21+ hour ago  (1005+ words) Children whose mothers were born with a heart defect are more likely to fall behind in their first year of school, a large new study has found. About one in four of these children lagged in two or more areas…...

1+ week, 5+ day ago  (895+ words) A baby babbles, and her mother responds. These tiny exchanges happen hundreds of times a day and seem too ordinary to matter. But new research suggests they may reveal important clues about a child’s future mental health. The findings suggest…...

1+ week, 5+ day ago  (819+ words) For years, the question of whether dirty air causes asthma remained unresolved. Some studies pointed to a clear link between fine particulate matter and the disease. Others found very little. A new analysis has now moved that debate toward a…...

2+ week, 2+ day ago  (728+ words) A developing baby takes many of its cues from the world surrounding its mother. Whatever she breathes, eats, or touches during pregnancy can move through her body and reach the growing fetus. Synthetic chemicals are part of that world. They…...

3+ week, 3+ day ago  (813+ words) Spray it, let it dry, and most homeowners consider the job done. The assumption is that the weed killer stays in the yard – not in the body of someone who is pregnant in the same house. A team tested that…...

1+ mon, 22+ hour ago  (890+ words) Ask anyone what a father passes to his child and the answer usually begins and ends with DNA, half a genetic blueprint handed over at conception. After that, the traditional view holds that his biological contribution is largely complete, while…...

1+ mon, 4+ day ago  (908+ words) A father’s weight has traditionally been viewed as a matter of his own health. It may affect his risk of disease or how he feels day to day, but few people considered whether it could influence the health of his…...

1+ mon, 1+ week ago  (1069+ words) When people decide to try for a baby, the changes often begin in ordinary ways. Someone may buy prenatal vitamins, eat a little better, cut down on coffee, or start paying closer attention to sleep. A glass of wine at…...

1+ mon, 2+ week ago  (886+ words) Ask someone about their earliest memory, and they’ll usually land somewhere around age three or four. Everything before that is blank – and science has long had an explanation ready: the infant brain wasn’t developed enough to store memories of individual…...