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Pregnant and lactating people were excluded from the early clinical trials of the COVID-19 vaccines. However, subsequent studies and vaccination data collected from these populations in the past year have shown that the vaccine is both safe and effective during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Update, September 10, 2022 COVID-19 vaccine trials and studies in people who are pregnant show that the vaccines are safe and effective and do not increase the risk of pregnancy complications....

Dropping off a new preschooler can be an ordeal—for both your child and you. While some kids skip into their very first classroom and hardly look back, others cry, scream, or beg you not to leave them. These children might be experiencing separation anxiety: a common phase in which the absence or looming departure of a parent causes distress. The good news is that there are things you can do to prepare your 3- or 4-year-old for the first day of school and help them develop coping tools for when they feel anxious at drop-off time....

If you’re noticing signs of maturity in your tween, like better reasoning skills, you can thank myelination. This process takes place when a substance called myelin, which is made up of fatty lipids and proteins, accumulates around nerve cells, or neurons, in the brain. Myelin plays an essential role in the health and function of nerve cells, the brain, and the nervous system. Here is what you need to know about the myelination process....

During a personal crisis, it can be difficult to know what to do. Stressful situations can cloud our judgment and provoke decisions or actions that may not be helpful, and not everybody has a support system they can turn to. Fortunately, if you feel overwhelmed by mental health issues of any kind, there are several helplines available to you. Often staffed by trained counselors, these organizations can provide direct and confidential assistance, crisis center referrals, and useful information for whatever you may be coping with....

The medication oxazepam (brand name Serax, among others) is used for short-term relief of anxiety, tension, agitation, and irritability. It’s also used to treat anxiety associated with depression and alcohol withdrawal and cocaine withdrawal. Oxazepam is an older medication, having first been marketed in 1965. Since it’s been around so long, it’s available almost exclusively as a generic drug—brand name versions like Serax are difficult or impossible to find. However, the generic versions of the medication should work as well as prescription versions....

A new study conducted by the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) has shown that an existing handheld device may provide objective measures to diagnose concussion in adolescents. Currently accepted diagnostic protocols are often subjective, and can be influenced by pre-existing medical conditions and personal bias. Key Takeaways New findings may lead to an objective measurable test to diagnose a concussion.Children and adolescents should not play through any symptoms of concussion, no matter how mild....

Texting is the primary method of communication for tweens. If your child has a cell phone, text messaging is just part of the deal. But texting can have a dark side, and tweens need to understand that there is never a reason for their messages and behavior to turn crass, rude, mean or risqué.​ Below are a few guidelines your child should know about texting, cell phone etiquette, and communicating with others ​without sacrificing their good character....

Subscribe Now: Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Google Podcasts Every Monday on The Verywell Mind Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Amy Morin, LCSW, interviews authors, experts, entrepreneurs, athletes, musicians, and other inspirational people about the strategies that help them think, feel, and do their best in life. Meet Nora McInerny Nora McInerny is an author from Minneapolis who freely shares her story of grief and loss. In 2014, she experienced a miscarriage and lost both her husband and her father all within a few weeks....

When it comes to safety in schools today, many schools are not only implementing fire drills but lockdown drills as well. Lockdown drills are a set of procedures designed to have the occupants in a building familiarize themselves with ways to protect themselves against a threat, such as an armed intruder. There is no one set of uniform regulations or mandates on lockdown drills, and requirements for what school districts should implement vary from state to state....

If you’re shopping for a runner, you may be stumped for ideas, especially if he already has an extensive collection of running gear. As a running coach, I’ve researched and used lots of running-related items, so I can help make your gift shopping a little easier. These picks will help make running or recovery more comfortable and enjoyable, and improve their performance too. When looking for running gifts for men, consider the type of running or training the recipient does....

When outfitting a strength-training set-up from scratch, you may discover that you need a set of weight plates—or a few sets of weight plates. Weight plates are the small but heavy discs that rest on the ends of a barbell, giving it the weight it needs to give you a good workout. When buying weight plates, consider your workout needs. If you need a variety of weights, opt for weight plates that come in a range of sizes and weights....

The terms “soft drugs” and “hard drugs” are arbitrary terms with little to no clear criteria or scientific basis. Typically, the term “hard drug” has been used to categorize drugs that are addictive and injectable, notably, heroin, cocaine, and crystal methamphetamine. Marijuana is usually the only drug included within the category of “soft” drugs, although some people include nicotine and alcohol in this category because of their legal status for use by adults, and their relative social acceptability compared to illegal drugs....

Self-reporting is commonly used in psychological studies because it can yield valuable and diagnostic information to a researcher or a clinician. What is a Self-Report? In psychology, a self-report is any test, measure, or survey that relies on an individual’s own report of their symptoms, behaviors, beliefs, or attitudes. Self-report data is gathered typically in paper-and-pencil or electronic format or sometimes through an interview. This article explores examples of how self-report data is used in psychology....

Most people with borderline personality disorder (BPD) have triggers—particular events or situations that exacerbate or intensify their symptoms. BPD triggers can vary from person to person, but there are some types of triggers that are very common in BPD. Defining a Trigger You may have heard the term “trigger” but are not sure what it means. Usually, a trigger refers to some event that brings on a major exacerbation of BPD symptoms....

Iatrophobia, or fear of doctors, is surprisingly common today. Most of us do not particularly enjoy going to the doctor. From the often long waits to the cold, sterile environment to the possibility of a painful procedure, doctor visits can cause anxiety in nearly anyone. For some people, however, normal anxiety gives way to outright panic. Is It Iatrophobia or Normal Anxiety? Since it is normal to be nervous before a doctor visit, it can be difficult to tell whether your symptoms constitute a full-blown phobia....

If you’ve received a report of your child’s Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) results, you may wonder what aptitudes are being tested. Here is a guide to what each may say about your child’s abilities. Information The Information subtest reflects two factors in the child’s development of language and knowledge. The richness of the child’s verbal environment during his development is reflected in the fund of knowledge. The ability to store that knowledge in long-term memory, recall it, and verbally express it is an individual ability that is measured by the Information subtest....

A hangover is a collection of unpleasant physical and mental symptoms that occur after a session of heavy alcohol consumption. The severity of hangover symptoms can depend on many factors, such as how much alcohol was consumed and the type of alcohol. But hangovers are caused by only one thing—drinking too much alcohol. How much is too much? Some people report hangover symptoms after consuming only two or three drinks, while some heavy drinkers never experience hangover symptoms at all....

In the U.S., one out of every 10 babies is born prematurely, or before 37 weeks of pregnancy. Infants who are born prematurely are at higher risk of facing serious health consequences and developmental issues after birth. If a baby born prematurely needs extra medical care and attention, they will most likely be admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit, or NICU. Stays in the NICU will vary depending on the baby’s condition and health needs, but one thing is for certain: Babies in the NICU need all the help and medical care they can get....

All parents of newborns should know the definition of the grasp or grasping reflex. It’s perhaps one of the sweetest involuntary movements that babies exhibit. The grasping reflex allows newborns to grab your finger and hold tight. Learn more about why babies have this reflex. What Is the Grasping Reflex? Stroke your baby’s palm with your pointer finger and you’ll likely have to pry away his sweet, fragile fingers to release the grip....

As a parent, you have a responsibility for encouraging your child to develop his intelligence. This means, of course, academic intelligence—but that’s not the only type of intelligence that matters. Emotional intelligence (EQ) is defined as a person’s ability to express and manage feelings appropriately while respecting the feelings of others. It’s a set of skills that children can begin learning at any age. Benefits of Emotional Intelligence Over the past several decades, studies have found emotional intelligence provides a variety of benefits that will serve your child well throughout her entire life....