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Breastfeeding moms who get the COVID-19 vaccine have antibodies in their milk, which may help protect their babies from a severe illness from the virus. And now we have an idea of which vaccines offer the most protection, thanks to a team led by Rebecca Powell, PhD, a human milk immunologist at New York’s Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Key Takeaways Vaccinated breastfeeding women can pass protective antibodies to their babies through their breast milk....

Many have struggled to concentrate during the pandemic, especially children with ADHD. A study published in JAMA may help as it found that alpha-2-adrenergic agonists (A2As) had fewer side effects than stimulants with children. Key Takeaways Alpha-2-adrenergic agonists (A2As) can reduce attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in children. Kids reported fewer side effects with A2As than stimulants.Daytime sleepiness was the only side effect more associated with A2As than stimulants. Although students did their best to adapt to online learning due to COVID-19, it still had a substantial impact on children’s achievement....

Personal construct theory suggests that people develop personal constructs about how the world works. People then use these constructs to make sense of their observations and experiences. The world we live in is the same for all of us, but the way we experience it is different for each individual. For example, imagine that you and your friend are going for a walk in the park and you spot a large brown dog....

Medication is one of the most popular and effective treatment options for panic disorder, panic attacks, and agoraphobia. Your doctor may prescribe medication to reduce the intensity of panic attacks, decrease overall feelings of anxiety, and potentially treat co-occurring conditions, such as depression. Medications for panic disorder are typically from one of two categories: antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs. This article discusses how medications are used to treat panic disorder and which medications are most often prescribed....

Some people with severe depression also experience psychosis in addition to the usual symptoms of depression, such as depressed mood, appetite changes, and loss of interest in activities previously enjoyed. Psychosis is a condition in which a person begins to see and/or hear things that aren’t really there (hallucinations) or experience false ideas about reality (delusions). There may also be disorganized or disordered thinking. When psychosis occurs alongside depression, it is called psychotic depression....

Winter weather doesn’t mean putting all your outdoor activities on hold for a season. With the right pair of shoes, you can walk on ice and snow with little worry about slipping and falling. “Wearing proper footwear is important whenever you’re outside,” Gaby Pilson, a mountain guide and outdoor educator at Outdoors Generations, says. “But doing so is particularly vital when walking in icy conditions because there’s an increased risk for slips and falls in ice-covered terrain....

The popularity of classes that encourage developmental skills in toddlers is exploding, which means that as a parent, you have lots of options, including art classes. Karin Machusic, Director of Public Relations at Abrakadoodle, a business that offers art classes for children of all ages around the U.S., and in China, Singapore, and Japan, talks about the benefits of art for toddlers and how to get started with this great activity for young children....

No matter how hard you may try, at some point during the school year, your child will no doubt have to miss a day or two of school, either due to illness, a vacation, or some other event. Missing school during the middle school years is a little more complicated than in elementary school. For starters, middle school teachers assume that preteens are capable of keeping up, and they may put the burden of catching up on homework assignments and projects on your child....

Habituation is a decrease in response to a stimulus after repeated presentations. Or, as the American Psychological Association defines it, habituation involves “growing accustomed to a situation or stimulus,” thereby diminishing its effectiveness. For example, a new sound in your environment, such as a new ringtone, may initially draw your attention or even be distracting. Over time, as you become accustomed to this sound, you pay less attention to it and your response will diminish....

A nasal cannula is a thin, plastic tube that delivers oxygen directly into the nose through two small prongs. It’s used in adult and pediatric patients alike as a type of respiratory support. Difficulty breathing is one of the most common challenges premature babies face. There are multiple interventions a neonatal care team can use to assist babies in breathing, including a nasal cannula, ventilator-assisted breathing, and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)....

What Is Sports Psychology? Sports psychology is the study of how psychological factors influence sports, athletic performance, exercise, and physical activity. Sports psychologists investigate how participating in sports can improve health and well-being. They also help athletes utilize psychology to improve their athletic performance and mental wellness. A sports psychologist doesn’t just work with elite and professional athletes either. This type of professional also helps non-athletes and everyday exercisers learn how to enjoy sports and stick to an exercise program....

Pregnancy is a special and exciting time, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t come without discomforts, especially for the person who is pregnant! Most expectant parents experience their fair share of discomforts—nausea, morning sickness, back pain, constipation, heartburn, round ligament pain, sciatica… and the list goes on. But there is one pregnancy ailment you may have never heard of, and yet is actually more common than most of us realize: symphysis pubis dysfunction, otherwise known as pelvic girdle pain....

Ovarian reserve testing is a basic part of fertility testing and an essential step before IVF treatment. Some ovarian reserve testing is relatively simple to do and may occur early in your fertility testing and treatment. Other tests are more complex or invasive, and may not be done until you’re at a fertility clinic and considering IVF treatment. What do we mean by ovarian reserves? What happens if your results don’t look so good, or if your results are too good?...

After having a baby, your body goes through many postpartum changes as it adjusts back to pre-pregnancy levels. Post-pregnancy recovery can come with a variety of symptoms, all dependant on you and your experience. Generally, you can expect fatigue, mood changes, hair loss, and more—including hot flashes—as your hormones change and fluctuate. Many people associate hot flashes with menopause, but they can also occur during other times of hormonal fluctuations, such as pregnancy or postpartum....

At this point, most of us have heard of psychedelics. From counter-culture scenes that glorified the use of psychedelics for artistic expression to the current rise of psychedelic-assisted therapy, this class of drugs is gaining steam. There is increasing evidence that using psychedelics can benefit one’s overall mental health, which is beginning to destigmatize the use of these substances. Despite these advances, psychedelics are not a fit for everyone. First, if you’re considering using psychedelics therapeutically, please seek out the support of a professional....

Whether it was your teen’s first true love or a summer fling, the end of a relationship can be emotionally wrenching for a teenager just learning about heartbreak. One minute, they’re flying high on the wings of love, and the next, they’ve crashed into a sea of heartache. Fortunately, you can use a breakup as an opportunity to teach your teen how to deal with pain, rejection, disappointment, and other emotions that often accompany the end of a relationship....

You have reached your second trimester! You’re now one-third of the way through your pregnancy. At 14 weeks pregnant, you might be feeling better as early pregnancy symptoms such as nausea and fatigue begin to fade. Many expectant parents consider this in-the-middle trimester to be the easiest and most comfortable. Your Baby’s Development at 14 Weeks At 14 weeks, a baby is typically 3 1/2 inches long (9 centimeters). They weigh a little over 3 ounces (90 grams)....

It should come as no surprise that the pressure to be available 24/7 on social media is a very real challenge for today’s teenagers. Aside from the fact that their grasp of and dependence on social media far exceeds that of many adults, they also are using social media at much greater rates too. In fact, a report by Common Sense Media found that 75% of American teenagers have social media profiles....

There’s no need to face your phobia alone; a support person can help you better manage your condition and get the help you need. After all, combating a phobia, which the American Psychiatric Association defines as an irrational and excessive fear of an object or situation, can be exhausting and time-consuming! So what exactly is a support person? Although the term can refer to your therapist or other members of your treatment team, it’s most often used to describe a close friend or relative who plays the roles of advocate, confidant, and cheerleader....

Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) is the most common comorbid condition in children with ADHD. As much as 60% of patients with ADHD have also been diagnosed with ODD. That high frequency of comorbidity brings up two questions: What is oppositional defiant disorder and how do you tell the difference between ADHD and ODD? What Is Oppositional Defiant Disorder? Oppositional defiant disorder is defined as “a recurrent pattern of negativistic, defiant, disobedient, and hostile behavior towards authority figures that is more pronounced than what is usually seen in children of similar age and lasts for at least 6 months....