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Should you or shouldn’t you start your youngster in kindergarten in the fall? Parents are increasingly mulling over the decision based on a child’s birthdate, social skills, or overall readiness. “Redshirting” a kid, as often describes the practice of holding a child back to develop stronger academic readiness, is utilized for kids with late birthdays and social immaturity. Its merits are debated, and parents need to ultimately decide what is best for their kid....

When you think of a person with ADHD, what comes to mind? Odds are you see a male child, distracted in class, moving around as much as he can. If this was your first thought, you’re far from alone. ADHD, formally known as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, has long been looked at as a young boy’s disease, all but removing women from the list of those who could be affected by it....

Your thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland in your neck. It is a part of your endocrine system and it helps regulate many hormones. It is fairly common to test for thyroid-related issues in most prenatal care settings. Your doctor or midwife may check your thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), this hormone tells us how hard your thyroid is working. When this number is over the expected range, or high, you are said to be hypothyroid....

While the reality of pregnancy may still be sinking in, your body and your baby are changing quickly. At week 6, more of your baby’s organs are starting to form, and you may be beginning to feel the full force of your pregnancy hormones. Your Baby’s Development at 6 Weeks At 6 weeks, your baby has a crown-rump length (CRL) of approximately 5 millimeters (almost a 1/4 inch). That’s about the size of a grain of rice....

A cesarean section or c-section is the surgical delivery of a baby by making incisions in the mother’s abdomen and uterus. It got its name from the story (probably untrue) that the procedure was performed when Julius Caesar was born. As with any surgery, there are risks associated with c-sections. The good news is that with a bit of planning you can reduce some of the associated risks. This is the case whether you wind up with a planned or unplanned c-section....

While it may sound counterintuitive, music can actually help people with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) focus. Although it can be tempting to write off listening to music as a frivolous pastime, studies show that engaging with music can actually promote general well-being. The activity can help with the management of emotions, facilitation of self-development, and providing respite from problems. Many people with ADHD gravitate to instrumental music because it generally has a very structured rhythm that helps people focus....

Al-Anon and Alateen are two programs that are part of a worldwide fellowship which offers support to families of alcoholics. Al-Anon is designed to help spouses, parents, siblings, and other family members, while Alateen is geared specifically toward younger people living with an alcoholic. Both groups are based on a spiritual, non-religious ethos from which members derive insight from being part of a collective (as opposed to engaging in one-on-one support)....

Antibiotics are widely used to treat a host of childhood illnesses quickly and effectively. But new research indicates that antibiotic use in the first two years of life could lead to other health conditions. Antibiotics are frequently prescribed for common childhood illnesses like sinus and ear infections.In some cases, like bacterial infections, antibiotics are critical in order for babies to get well again.However, a study shows using antibiotics too much during the first two years of life may be associated with an increased risk of certain chronic health conditions....

The simple act of being skin-to-skin with your baby after birth has many therapeutic effects for you and your baby. Because of these substantial health benefits, many hospitals have policies that not only permit but encourage you to be skin-to-skin with your baby after birth. Overview This skin-to-skin policy may be called something different depending on where you are, but basically, it is simply uninterrupted time for you to hold your baby close soon after birth....

Compassion involves the ability to feel empathy for others. This ability to understand the suffering of other people is an important component that motivates prosocial behaviors, or the desire to help. The ability to feel compassion for another person requires also having empathy and awareness. You need to be able to understand what another person is facing and understand what it might be like to be in their place. It is important to note that compassion involves more than just empathy....

There is a strong correlation between anxiety disorders and brain fog. Either one can cause the other. In other words, anxiety can lead to brain fog, and experiencing brain fog may lead to anxiety. Anxiety can increase brain fog because anxiety will often lead to fixating or worrying about a situation or thought. Rumination like this can overwhelm and exhaust the brain. Thus, any strain on the brain may impact mental clarity and “alter aspects of cognitive performance....

When discussing family planning with your doctor, they will probably ask whether you are taking a prenatal vitamin or if you would like a prescription for one. Prenatal vitamins are specially formulated supplements designed to help a pregnant person get the proper vitamins and minerals needed to support their body and their growing baby. In particular, pregnant people need extra folate (400 mcg to 800 mcg per day) to prevent certain birth defects, iron (27 mg) to protect against anemia, and calcium (1,000 mg) to preserve maternal bone density....

The Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale (FNE) is a 30-item, self-rated scale used to measure social anxiety. The FNE was developed by David Watson and Ronald Friend and described in an article published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology in 1969. The FNE is used widely still and has been translated and validated in other languages. Because experts recommend that all women and girls over aged 13 should be screened for anxiety disorders as part of routine health care, the FNE is one type of screening that you might encounter during a visit to your doctor....

Generosity in the form of intergenerational wealth transfers has a direct correlation with mortality rates, a new 2020 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America reveals. Key Takeaways Altruistic behaviors are proven to have benefits for the giver as well as the receiver.At a larger scale, societies that exhibit greater transfers of wealth show better health outcomes. Spanning six continents, the study incorporates a wide range of populations (including children, working-age adults, and retirees) from 34 countries, and the findings show that survival is higher in societies which provide more support and care to one another, regardless of the country’s global economic standing....

In the United States, 14.1 million adults had alcohol use disorder in 2019, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Key Takeaways A recent study shows alcohol use disorder can be predicted by an individual’s sensitivity to the pleasurable effects of alcohol.Researchers assessed participants over a span of 10 years.These findings may aid in the development of more effective alcohol addiction treatments. Alcohol use disorder encompasses the behaviors of both alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence, defined as “a chronic relapsing brain disease characterized by an impaired ability to stop or control alcohol use despite social, occupational, or health consequences....

Even as a newborn, your baby will love staring at faces. When your baby is 9 to 12 months old, you can harness that fascination to develop several skills: eye-hand coordination, language, and listening skills, and imitation. Once a baby’s vision begins to develop, they love to look at faces, even their own. You’ve probably already introduced your baby to mirrors, but a mirror toy is something they can explore on their own....

Anger, frustration, fear, and other “negative emotions” are all part of the human experience. They can all lead to stress and are often seen as emotions to be avoided, ignored, or otherwise disavowed, but they can actually be healthy to experience. A better approach is to manage them without denying them, and there are several reasons for this. Managing Negative Emotions The idea of “managing” negative emotions is a complex one....

Does your taste in music reveal information about your personality? Some researchers have found that people who prefer certain styles of music tend to exhibit specific personality traits. Other researchers have not. If you are looking for an interesting idea for a psychology experiment, exploring the connection between musical tastes and personality traits might be a fun and exciting choice. Before you begin any psychology experiment, you should always discuss your project with your instructor....

The school calls and the news isn’t good: Your child has been caught cheating. You have two options—you could freak out and dole out the threats and punishments, or you could use it as a teachable moment. Although your child shouldn’t be immune to discipline, it’s not always the best strategy. If they’re punished without truly understanding the problem with cheating, it’s less likely that they’ll stop cheating and more likely that they’ll just try harder not to get caught in the future....

Is there any aspect of your body that pregnancy doesn’t change? The process of growing a human can impact everything from the size of your foot to your preference for barbecue potato chips. Your skin goes through changes during this time, too. And while it may be sensitive to many topical products during pregnancy, your complexion might just benefit from one easy ritual: exfoliation. Consider exfoliating a preventative measure. Getting rid of the dead skin cells on the surface can help keep skin smoother, fresher-looking, and even clearer by way of dislodging pore congestion....