A leading English Newspaper of Australia 'Daily Telegraph' has reported that according to the latest survey, Australians derive true happiness by simply looking at their children's smile. According to Daily Telegraph, an exclusive survey has found that Australians are a happy bunch overall, thanks largely to their children, loving partners and good friends. The survey, in which around 2,000 persons participated, reveals that 56.8 percent respondents insisted that their children gave them the most joy while 50.3 percent said favoured to their partners. The survey, which was based on a scale from from "extremely happy" to "extremely unhappy" also revealed that three in five or 59.3 per cent, ranked spending time with friends highly. About 14 per cent said their jobs made them "extremely happy" while 7.7 per cent said that getting rid of their boss would improve their mood. '63.1 per cent respondents said more money might make them even happier while some said extra holidays and rest of them asserted to better health', the Daily Telegraph reported. Almost 70 per cent considered themselves happy people but opinions were evenly divided when it came to whether married or unmarried people were happier or which gender was more cheerful. 44 per cent asserted that money could buy happiness, 45 percent said it couldn't and 11.1 per cent were undecided. For 54.4 per cent of people those little bundles of joy are just that, while 45.6 per cent said childless people were happier. Baby boomers were believed to be the happiest age group. Source: Newstrack India
Children thrive when parents are warm and responsive to their needs, while also providing clear guidance and setting limits. This is known as authoritative parenting.
But most parents will tell you authoritative parenting is easier said than done, especially when children have frequent intense emotions, big behaviours, meltdowns and outright defiance.
These challenges can lead parents to wish they had a parenting coach helping them know what to do and say.
The parent and child play together in one room while the therapist observes in an adjacent room through a one-way mirror.
Using an ear-piece and microphone (or other communication device), the therapist acts as a coach to guide a parent’s responses to their child during play.
Coaching guides parents as they use positive attention skills to respond to their children’s behaviours and emotions as they occur. Within such a supportive environment, this reduces the child’s problematic behaviour and increases appropriate behaviours.
This guided, real-life practice gives parents the ability to use the techniques on their own, wherever they are, and enriches the parent-child connection.
Although the child can’t see the therapist through the mirror window, they are aware their parent can hear the therapist through the earpiece.
From the child’s perspective, the play environment is often enjoyable and they get to spend high quality one-on-one time with their parent, enhancing the relationship.
Parents learn the importance of their attention
Throughout the therapy, the parent directly experiences the importance of their own attention.
When children get their parent’s attention for disruptive or other challenging behaviour, such as yelling, this can escalate children’s disruptive behaviour over time because parental attention makes any behaviour more likely to occur.
Children will even seek this attention if it comes in the form of a parent yelling, correcting, or negotiating, especially if they get little connection or attention when behaving appropriately.
In parent-child interaction therapy, parents use attention to reinforce their child’s positive behaviour. They practise giving positive attention for appropriate behaviour, such as praising and showing enthusiasm for children’s patience, kindness, good listening, or sharing.
The therapy also encourages parents to limit attention to unwanted behaviour when it’s safe to do so. A parent may be coached to avoid acknowledging when a child uses inappropriate language or “toilet talk”, for example.
Practising these attention strategies can increase children’s positive behaviours and interrupt the cycle of worsening behaviour and negativity.
Parents practise authoritative parenting
During parent-child interaction therapy, parents practise real-time strategies for authoritative parenting that:
demonstrate warmth and responsiveness to their child’s needs
fairly and clearly state expectations for behaviour
are consistent in developmentally appropriate consequences, especially for aggressive behaviour.
Coaching focuses on responding kindly, while still setting clear boundaries and expectations for behaviour.
For example, by saying:
Thank you for following the rule of being gentle today. I really like when you do that at home with your brother, too.
Who is – and isn’t – it suitable for?
Research from Australia and abroad shows this type of therapy can be effective for behavioural and related emotion regulation problems.
Research shows additional benefits for parents. These include reduced stress, improved parenting skills and confidence and improvements in the ability to manage difficult emotions such as anger.
Parent-child interaction therapy is most often used for children with conduct disorder, oppositional defiance disorder, and trauma-related conditions, as well as conditions where behaviour concerns can be a symptom, such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder.
It’s not recommended when there are safety issues or unstable relationships in the family or home environment. In these instances, other interventions should be prioritised over treating children’s behaviour concerns.
The downsides
Parent-child interaction therapy is time consuming and resource intensive. Therapy typically lasts 14 to 16 weeks, with most sessions involving both parents and children. Research shows repeated practice can lead to more sustained improvements in children’s behaviour. So it can involve a big commitment from parents.
Parent-child interaction therapy is delivered by qualified mental health service providers such as registered psychologists and social workers. They require extensive training, ongoing professional development and program training from an approved provider, as well has months of supervised practice. They also require specialised rooms and equipment. This can limit access.
Currently in Australia, the program is offered at a few universities and in some school settings, with costs often offset by public funding. There are few private providers.
Behaviour problems are the most common reason parents seek support for children. Supporting them with evidence-based programs or therapies – whether that’s parent-child interaction therapy or others – can deliver wide-reaching benefits across their lifespan.
Laughter is the best medicine, according to an old adage. Now, new research suggests it also boosts child development.
Making children laugh can help make their brains more resilient and open to learning, according to scientists.
Laughter builds deep emotional connections and soothes youngsters’ nervous systems, making them more resilient—because laughter is not frivolous, but rather a complex biological phenomenon.
Dr. Jacqueline Harding conducted extensive studies into how laughter and play contribute to healthy brain growth, emotional well-being, and social bonding.
The early childhood expert at Middlesex University in northwest London, argues in her new book The Brain That Loves to Laugh says laughter can help children navigate life’s challenges and better handle stress.
“Hope and humor, it seems, are not just the seasoning of life, but foundational to a recipe for healthy development,” said Dr Harding.
“When we see children laugh, we witness the brilliance of the brain in action: learning, connecting, and growing.”
It precedes the neural development of speech, she explained. But it also engages a distributed network of brain regions, including motor areas and the prefrontal cortex.
Laughter also “influences heart rate, respiration and production of antibodies.”
“It decreases the stress hormones cortisol and epinephrine, and increases ‘happiness chemicals’ dopamine, serotonin and endorphins.
Credit: a4gpa (CC license)
“It can strengthen the immune system and improve memory.
“Neuroimaging studies suggest that laughter plays a significant role in brain activity, as humor is cognitively demanding and engages neuro-plasticity.
“It challenges the brain to predict and resolve tension between conflicting ideas, providing a mental workout that enhances creative thought and activates both the working memory and frontal lobes.
“On the other hand, prolonged stress negatively affects both physical and mental development. It can impair learning, increase adult stress risk, suppress immune function, and contribute to illness.”
“I believe that as we continue to wrestle with humor – this most intriguing human function – we must strive to shake off any dismissal of its frivolous nature and allow its serious contribution to human learning and life in general to shine.
“In parents and their children, laughter can boost the levels of happy chemical oxytocin and enhance neural synchrony during parent-child interactions – in other words, build emotional bonds.
“These bonds are beneficial to the child and even contribute to a reduction in parental burnout and stress.”
Credit: La Priz (CC license)
But parents don’t need to rattle off jokes
Instead of jokes, simple shared play and laughter between parents and children, with eye contact, smiles, and close proximity, can all foster connection.
“Creative, happy play does its most brilliant work at a molecular level, especially at a time when the human brain is at its most receptive,” explained Harding.
“Spontaneous joyful play is an antidote to stress, as it increases levels of endorphins released by the brain.”
As well as nurturing bonds, she suggests that “humor and hope” can improve a child’s resilience to stressful events.
“The link between co-regulation and self-regulation is now well established. Co-regulation means the way in which the baby is guided by a caring and supportive adult early in life, so that they have a working model to draw upon for their own self-regulation as they mature.”
“The immune system needs a store of positive experiences from which to draw.”
Her studies show that, in a child’s brain, the limbic system—which regulates functions such as emotion, behavior, and long-term memory—develops alongside the brain’s executive functions that help us plan, evaluate, and make decisions.
“Stated simply, the emotional state of young children directly influences how they navigate their way through the world.”
She says that carefully finding gentle ways to introduce joy and hope, and ease the burden on their nervous system, can even help youngsters who have already experienced extensive trauma.
Dr. Harding advocates integrating humor into educational settings to reduce the cognitive load, making complex information more digestible, and refresh the current educational paradigm.
A call about suspicious activity saw a California police officer race to save a newborn’s life.
A woman was sitting between two bushes near a business in the Rancho Cordova, and Deputy Foster Tracy described the situation as “routine,” before it became anything but.
“It was zero to a hundred really fast. It was one of those calls you go to, run-of-the-mill,” Deputy Foster Tracy said. “This was definitely not something that I was prepared for at any part of the day.”
“‘Excuse me?'” Tracy remembers saying, as it didn’t really register, “‘you’re having a baby?'”
Indeed, the woman had been begging for help for “hours,” CBS News reported.
Calling for medical backup, Tracy got down on his knees and went to work as he realized there wasn’t time to waste: the baby’s head was already out.
Tracy’s partner arrived moments later and they both saw the problem as the umbilical cord was wrapped around the baby’s neck. “I was concerned the baby was deceased because it was purple and blue.”
Yet their persistence was rewarded with a healthy baby and a relieved mother, who were both taken to the hospital to recover from the ordeal.The deputies have been credited with a life-saving intervention, and were praised by the mom, the police chief, and the surprised shop owners whose call had inadvertently saved a life. Police Deputy Praised After 'Run-of-the-Mill' Call Turns into Emergency Baby Delivery
Krista Richard with Younis and Aws, two children who received one of her free bikes – credit, supplied by Richard to GNN
For 14 years, a generous soul in Moncton has been collecting donated bicycles and children’s tricycles and holding regular giveaways for families who can’t afford to buy one.
“The reward of seeing kids smile and ride off on their bikes is priceless,” said Krista Richard, organizer of the Bikes and Trikes for Everyone program.
Richard collects the bikes all year round and fixes them, while holding the giveaways between April and October. Last year, some 400 children were on her waiting list—like Younis and Aws, who put on their best Friday clothes and got their hair done for the big day when they’d ride off with their first real bikes.
Richard told CBC News that she’s given away thousands of bikes and trikes over the years, and says the fresh air and time spent outdoors has more benefits than just the health of the child.
“With all these video games, there’s no social contact and people don’t know who their neighbors are anymore,” Richard said.
“But if you get a bunch of kids on their bike, then they get to know each other and then the families get to know each other, and I think the more time you spend outside the better.”
Giveaways always take place on Sunday, and there’s a small team of volunteers who mostly go to collect the donated bikes, but Krista does much of the rest herself. She even started keeping adult bikes as well, in case parents want to go riding with their kids.It’s reminiscent of a story GNN wrote last year. Working Bikes estimates it’s taken in, fixed up, and given away some 150,000 bicycles that would have been destined for landfills. Many are given away in Chicago, more still the US, but Working Bikes has collaborators in Mexico, Venezuela, Albania, Uganda, Angola, Egypt, Cuba, and many, many more countries besides where their bikes are shipped. Canadian Woman Gives Free Bikes and Trikes to Thousands of Kids in the Past 14 Years
Japanese diaper brands on a shelf – credit 維基小霸王- CC BY-SA 4.0.
In the 1990s, a pair of Japanese municipalities estimated that the landfill they shared was going to be full by 2004.
Unless they did something to start reducing the size of their waste streams, the towns would have to sacrifice more precious land, or truck their waste much farther afield to another site.
Their response was to ramp up recycling of the clearest categories such as glass, paper, and metals, before moving on to more complicated streams, particularly a very stinky one: dirty diapers.
“Ultimately, our top priority is to reduce our trash and extend the life of the landfill,” Kenichi Matsunaga, an environment official for the city of Shibushi, told the Japan Times.
Billions of diapers—used by the very youngest and the oldest in society, are discarded every year in Japan. Made of layered, super-absorbing fibers and other materials, they aren’t readily recyclable.
Located in Kagoshima Prefecture, a new recycling initiative for diapers separates and shreds this core material in a way that prepares it for reuse while saving millions of tons of landfill-bound waste.
Shibushi, and the nearby town of Osaki, recycle 80% of household waste—some four-times the national avergae. Here, the company Unicharm aimed to pioneer its diaper recycling method where locals are already used to sorting their trash.
Residents’ diapers are collected, but only if their names are written on the bags to ensure accountability. Then, they’re washed and shredded until their component elements of plastic, pulp, and super-absorbent polymer (SAP) are separated.
Previously, GNN has reported that the company has used this material to make toilet paper, but now have advanced their method and machinery enough to reuse the pulp in diaper manufacturing.
The recycled diaper toilet paper – credit: Osaki Municipal Government’s SDGs Promotion Council
The process uses ozone, a sterilizing gas, to clean and deodorize the pulp to the point that it passes sanitary requirements. The company is currently working on ways to prepare the SAP for reuse, and expects progress by 2028.
The country is probably the only one in the world where more diapers are produced for incontinent elders than for babies. Larger and more robust, they take up more space in landfills.Japan wants to aim for 100 cities and towns to be recycling diapers by 2030, “or at least to start talking about it” reports Japan Times. Used Diapers Turned into New Ones Thanks to Super-Recycling Japanese Towns and New Innovation
When you have a baby, mealtimes can be messy and stressful.
If you’re a new parent you may be unsure what, when, and how to feed your little one. And you may also worry about choking, particularly when it’s time to start feeding your baby solid foods.
For babies starting solids at the recommended age of six months, it’s important to offer foods in a variety of different ways. Purees can be a helpful starting point, but they shouldn’t be the only texture a baby experiences.
Research suggests not waiting too long to introduce lumpy or textured foods. Infants who start eating lumps at 10 months or later were more likely to develop feeding difficulties and become selective eaters.
So if you’re a parent, where do you start? And what other foods are good to try?
Why texture matters
Mealtimes are crucial for a child’s development because they’re an opportunity to explore different textures and develop oral motor skills.
Imagine you’re eating a piece of toast. This involves performing a range of movements including holding, biting, chewing and swallowing. All of these actions require different muscles to work together, and only improve through practice. But that practice is only effective if it involves real food, as opposed to non-edible teething toys and isolated oral exercises like jaw opening and closing or cheek puffing.
When starting solid foods, many parents rely on purees and pouches as convenient ways to feed their babies. There’s nothing wrong with puree in itself. Many of our favourite foods resemble purees. Think of buttery mashed potato, yogurt, ricotta and applesauce.
The problem arises when purees and pouches become the only texture parents offer their babies, particularly early on. Babies who only eat pureed foods have less opportunity to develop the skills needed for eating and drinking. And research suggests children who frequently eat pouched foods are more likely to become fussy eaters.
So there’s nothing inherently bad about pureed foods. But feeding your baby varied foods gives them more opportunity to develop crucial oral motor skills.
Does it matter how I feed my baby?
There are various ways to start giving your baby solid foods.
One common approach is “baby-led weaning”. That’s where parents encourage their baby to feed themselves, rather than fully spoon-feeding them. This can encourage your baby to be more independent and explore food on their own. But it may also make mealtimes messier and more time-consuming for parents. And it can also feel daunting for parents who are concerned about choking.
However, one 2016 study found babies who feed themselves are no more likely to choke than babies who are spoon-fed. Foods which are suitable for baby-led weaning include strips of omelette, ripe avocado wedges or well-cooked corn on the cob. However, the researchers emphasised the importance of preparing foods appropriately and using risk minimisation strategies. These include avoiding high-risk foods such as popcorn, cutting round foods such as grapes and cherry tomatoes, and supervising babies whenever they eat.
An ‘in-between’ option for feeding is to offer your baby purees, while giving them a degree of independence. For example, you may pre-load a spoon for your baby to bring to their own mouth. You can also pair purees with larger foods, say a broccoli floret dipped in hummus. These combinations will help your baby develop eating skills while you become more confident with feeding your baby.
No matter what feeding approach you take, infant first aid training is a must for parents and carers. And if your child was born premature, has a developmental delay or has specific nutrition requirements, it’s best to speak to a paediatrician before giving them solid foods.
When you have a picky eater
Even if your baby transitions well to solid foods, toddlerhood can bring a new set of challenges.
Toddlers tend to be selective about what foods they do or don’t eat. They may also become more cautious around unfamiliar foods. These are both normal parts of a child’s development.
But problems can arise when parents pressure toddlers to eat food they don’t want to eat or when they aren’t hungry. Even small gestures, such as using a “spoon as aeroplane” or asking them to take “one more bite” in front of the TV or tablet, can put pressure on children. As a result your child may eat that next mouthful but, over time, they may develop a negative relationship with food and mealtimes.
As parents and carers, our role is to offer food at predictable times and in positive mealtime environments. Some ways to do that include:
trusting they’ll eat as much as they need
eating shared meals when possible
modelling enjoyment of different foods during shared meals
offering new foods alongside familiar favourites
giving children multiple opportunities to see and try new foods, even if they don’t eat them the first time.
Unfortunately, babies and toddlers won’t love every meal you make them. But in time they’ll come to learn about, and even enjoy, a world of different textures and tastes.
As parents, it is difficult to ensure that the children are having a balanced diet that they need. Instead of worrying much, just include the following foods in kid’s diet, and rest assured that the child is getting the much needed nutrients essential for his healthy growth. Also, take down some of these dietary tips to keep a check on their diet and health.
Whole grain cereals like cornflakes, brown bread, brown rice, popcorn, etc are nutritionally high in dietary fiber, antioxidants, protein, dietary minerals and vitamins. Starting your child’s day with whole grain products will keep him full and active for a long time. A variety of Vegetables should be included in the diet as these are a good source of dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals. These can be consumed raw, boiled, steamed or stir fried in little oil. Avoid French fries or any other deep fried vegetables.
Daily intake of Fruits is known to reduce risk factors of some serious diseases in the long term. Providing with adequate amount of fruits is the best thing you can do to ensure your child’s good health. Fruits are best eaten fresh, do not cut and store them in refrigerator for long! Also, sodas and other soft drinks can be replaced with fruit juice at home.
Milk is one of the most nutritious foods rich in vitamins A, B12, D, protein, phosphorous, riboflavin, potassium, calcium and niacin. Milk and milk products should be a significant part of your kid’s daily diet. Eggs are a rich source of proteins, vitamin A, calcium and iron. Including eggs into your child’s daily intake in several preparations would add variety to the daily meals.
HealthTips for Kids!
The diet of a child should be balanced and must meet his nutritional requirements. It should includes variety of nutritious foods offering plenty of proteins, vitamins and minerals and less of fat, sugar, cholesterol, sodium and calories. Make sure that diet of the child is light and easily digestible.
It’s good to bake, roast or poach foods instead of cooking spicy, oily and fried foods for kids.
Serve fruit and vegetable juices, vegetable soups and low fat milk instead of cold drinks, sweetened sodas and fruit-flavored drinks.
Ice-cream and other desserts can be substituted with yogurt smoothies.
For snacks in between meals, salads can be served with different delicious salad dressings.
Drinking plenty of water keeps the body hydrated and healthy.
Involve the child in activities like dancing, gardening and other sports of his interest.
Help the child to give up mental tension, anxiety, anger and fear so that they remain mentally as well as physically active. The Kitchen Clinic: Health Tips for Kids!
A fussy five-year-old girl has overcome her phobia of vegetables and now loves Brussels sprouts–just in time for her mother’s Christmas dinner.
Emie Williams would scream and cry if her mom, Hayley, tried to give her anything except crackers, french fries, or other beige-colored foods.
It meant family meals were fraught with conflict—Emie wanting different food and refusing to even taste hot dinners.
“She’d just refuse to eat any vegetable or any meat. We took her for check ups and health visits for advice but they just said give her what she wants because it’s probably a phase.”
But Hayley suspected that she may have ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder), believing she had “all the signs”.
Emie’s energy levels dipped, and she would get really tired at the end of the day.
“I explained (to doctors) that if I don’t give her what she wanted then she wouldn’t eat.”
Last month, Emie had a routine health check-up and a blood test revealed she had erratic sugar levels, so Hayley and her husband took their daughter to the hospital where doctors warned them Emie was in danger of developing diabetes unless she changed her diet.
In desperation, Hayley decided to take drastic action and contacted David Kilmurry, who specializes in obsessive eating conditions.
“We were pretty desperate when we contacted David but the results have been amazing,” the mother-of-3 from Coventry, England, told the SWNS news agency.
After a series of two-hour sessions, Emie now counts 30 foods that she willingly eats. Her favorite is Brussel sprouts, which she even enjoys raw.
Emie Williams eating her new favorite food, Brussel sprouts – SWNS
Due to her age, Emie was not hypnotized, but David, a cognitive behavioral hypnotherapist, sat with the youngster and gradually encouraged her to try different foods.
Hayley attended all the sessions and just watched Kilmurry at work.
“He’d do magic tricks and talk to Emie to gain her trust, and then brought out different foods.
“Slowly, she tried more and more until she was really enjoying apples and oranges.
“She’s really taken with Brussel sprouts, especially eating them raw. I can’t wait to see her enjoying her first ever Christmas dinner with all the trimmings.”
Anyone who has spent time with a baby knows how unpredictable the first year can feel. One week a baby suddenly seems to “get” something new. The next week, that same response may disappear.
Parents often describe this as progress coming in bursts rather than in a straight line. These changes can be exciting to watch, but they can also raise questions. Did my baby forget? Did something go wrong?
Our new research, published in Language Learning and Development, suggests early language learning unfolds in much the same way. We found babies can pick up how speech sounds are made as early as four months old.
But this early ability does not simply grow stronger month by month. Instead, as babies move through the first year, the way they show what they know can change, even while learning continues quietly in the background.
Learning about speech
In earlier research, we showed babies as young as four months can learn patterns about how speech sounds are made.
After a short game involving two made-up “mini-languages”, four-month-olds could link what they had heard with what they later saw, even when the test was completely silent.
This told us babies were not just remembering individual sounds. They were picking up something more general about speech, such as whether sounds were made with the lips or with the tongue tip.
For many researchers, and for parents following this work, that raised a natural question: if babies can do this so early, what happens next?
Watching learning change over time
To find out, we followed the same babies over time and tested them again at seven and ten months. We also tested a separate group of ten-month-olds who had never seen the task before.
This allowed us to watch how learning changed within the same children, while also seeing how babies at the same age responded when everything was new.
The task itself was designed to be simple and engaging. Babies first learned links between made-up words and cartoon animals. For example, a word like “buviwa”, made using the lips, might always appear with a kangaroo, while a word like “dazolu”, made using the tongue tip, appeared with a kookaburra. Each “language” followed a clear pattern based on how its sounds were made.
Later, babies watched silent videos of a person speaking new words and then saw an animal image. Because the videos were silent, babies had to rely on what they had learned earlier, rather than matching sound and sight in the moment.
At four months, babies showed a clear response, paying closer attention when the talking face matched the animal they had learned. At seven months, this clear response was no longer there, which at first surprised us.
But at ten months, a different pattern emerged. Babies paid more attention when something did not match what they had learned. This response was especially clear in babies who were seeing the task for the first time, and became stronger when results from both ten-month-old groups were considered together.
Reorganising language systems
When we look at these findings together, the pattern starts to make sense.
Younger babies often prefer what feels familiar, while older babies tend to focus more on what is new or unexpected. Seven months appears to be a transitional period. Learning is still happening, but it is not expressed as a clear preference in either direction. Rather than signalling a loss of ability, the shift we see reflects a change in how babies respond as they mature.
This period of change fits with what is happening more broadly in babies’ lives. Between about seven and ten months, babies are becoming increasingly tuned to the sounds of the language they hear every day. They are also beginning to recognise common words and link sounds to meaning.
During this time, their language system is not just growing, it is reorganising. When that happens, learning can look uneven from the outside.
Many parents notice similar moments at home. A baby who once turned immediately toward a familiar voice may suddenly seem less responsive, only to show new signs of understanding weeks later.
These moments can be worrying, especially when progress is expected to be steady. Our findings suggest some of these changes may reflect learning in motion rather than learning lost.
Behaviour doesn’t always tell the full story
For parents, this work is a reminder that behaviour does not always tell the full story. If a baby doesn’t show a clear response at a particular age, it does not necessarily mean they have stopped learning or missed an important step.
For researchers and clinicians, the findings highlight the limits of relying on single tests at single ages. Early language learning is flexible and changing. To understand it properly, we need to look at how babies develop over time, not just how they perform at one moment.
Importantly, the results show babies don’t learn in a straight line, and quiet moments are not empty ones. Even when progress is hard to see, learning may still be unfolding, preparing the ground for what comes next.
New Delhi, (IANS) An international team of scientists has found compelling evidence that early-infancy infection with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) significantly increases the risk of developing childhood asthma.
The risk is especially higher in children with a family history of allergy or asthma.
The study, published in the Science Immunology journal, suggests that protecting newborns against RSV could substantially reduce asthma cases later in life.
"Childhood asthma is a complex disease with many contributing factors," said Prof. Bart Lambrecht from VIB (the Flanders Institute for Biotechnology) and Ghent University in Belgium.
"We found that early-life RSV infection and genetic allergy risk interact in a very specific way that pushes the immune system toward asthma. The encouraging news is that this process can be prevented," Lambrecht added.
The team, including researchers from Denmark, combined population-wide health registry data from all Danish children and their parents with controlled laboratory experiments. They found that early viral infection and inherited allergy risk amplify one another.
Infants who experience severe RSV infections in the first months of life show an increased likelihood of immune cells overreacting to common allergens, such as house dust mites.
This effect is dramatically intensified when asthma or allergy runs in the family, as allergen-specific antibodies passed from parents to the newborn further heighten sensitivity.
Importantly, the team found that when newborns were protected from RSV in experimental models, these harmful immune shifts did not occur -- and asthma development was prevented.
"With RSV prevention now becoming widely accessible, we have an opportunity to improve long-term respiratory health, not just prevent RSV hospitalisations," said Prof. Hamida Hammad (VIB-UGent).
"This is not just a laboratory insight. It's a message that should help parents choose RSV prevention with confidence," Hammad added.
Maternal vaccination during the third trimester of pregnancy and passive immunisation of newborns with long-acting antibodies are being introduced in many countries. Yet despite their strong ability to prevent RSV hospitalisations, uptake remains inconsistent."This is a moment where policy, science, and paediatricians can come together," Lambrecht said. “If preventing RSV infection also reduces asthma risk, the benefits for families and health systems could be enormous.” RSV infections in babies may raise asthma risk later, vaccine offers hope: Study | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com
You may be surprised that fully 85% of parents whose kids previously moved out are delighted their birds have came back to the nest, according to a new poll.
A survey of 2,000 parents whose kids in their 20s live at home aimed to figure out what this experience of housing their 20-somethings has been like—and it uncovered some interesting trends.
42% had kids who initially moved out, while 58% said their chicks had never flown the coop.
For those who spread their wings and left their parent’s house, the top reasons included: to experience living on their own (41%), go to college (29%) or to live with a partner (26%).
Of these respondents, seven in ten said they recall the moment their child asked to move back in (69%). 42% agreed the reason for moving back was not begin able to afford living on their own, and 33% simply wanted to save money (perhaps for a down payment on their own mortgage).
Conducted by Talker Research for BOK Financial, the survey found that convenience also played a factor in why these adult kids returned home (32%).
Most interestingly, one-quarter of the homebound youth wanted to be closer to their family (25%)—and nearly half of parents (45%) said it actually improved their relationship when the child moved back.
A quarter of those surveyed admitted they weren’t financially prepared to have their child live with them later in life (27%), but just 19% said the situation had a negative impact on their own financial planning or retirement plans.
“If you have adult kids living at home—which isn’t uncommon nowadays!—it’s an opportunity to model good financial practices while encouraging them to save diligently,” said Leasa Melton, manager of product strategy for BOK Financial.
29% reported their child rarely (or never) contributes to the household financially, but Melton encourages patience.
“They’re often living at home to save up for their next step of independence and having them in your house gives you a chance to cheer them on in a safe environment.”
“Like everything else in parenting, it’s a balance between letting them learn and helping guide them.
On average, parents estimate that their kids will remain under their roof for another 16 months, while a third of respondents aren’t sure about their children’s tenure (32%). Indeed, 56% have doubts about their kids being financially prepared now to leave home at this time.
For their children to gain financial independence, 28% of parents wish there were more resources for financial education or planning. However, a whopping 90% agreed that it was important for them to teach their children financial lessons before they exit high school.
Teaching Good Financial Habits
Just 20% would grade their child’s understanding of financial matters with an A—although 27% gave the same grade to themselves.
There’s always time to learn, though. Parents have taught their children all sorts of lessons in adulthood, primarily finance-related (66%), domestic-related (59%) and lifestyle-related (52%).
A third of parents also recall being late bloomers, sharing that all of the financial advice they taught their child was learned in adulthood (32%).
While their adult children have been living with them, parents reported having emphasized lessons on how to save money (77%) and budget (71%), above all. Parents also stress the importance of paying down debt (53%) and investing (46%).“Children might not always pick up on financial lessons when they are young,” said Melton. “But as they gain independence, living at home provides another opportunity to help them establish good financial habits—a win for both parents and their adult children.” Parents Reveal the Pros (and Cons) of Having Adult Kids Still Living at Home
Scientists in Australia, which endures the highest rates of breast cancer in the world, have presented multiple lines of evidence to suggest that breastfeeding and childbearing reduces a woman’s risk for developing breast cancer.
The scientists started by first pointing out that as far back as 300 years ago, people noted that women who didn’t have children—nuns, in this case—suffered from the highest rates of breast cancer in society.
More modern research confirmed these early observations, but the mechanism behind why that might be remained hidden. While previously hypothesized to be the work of hormonal shifts, the answer now seems clear: breastfeeding works on the human immune system.
“Pregnancy and breastfeeding leave behind long-lived protective immune cells in the breast and the body, and these cells help to reduce risk and improve defense against breast cancer, particularly triple-negative breast cancer,” Professor Sherene Loi, a medical oncologist and lead author on the research, told ABC News Au.
Triple-negative breast cancer, one of several forms of the disease, is characterized by an absence of the three receptors commonly found on breast cancer cells. It’s common in younger women but is one of the less-common forms of the cancer, as well as the most lethal.
Cancer risk is determined by many factors, but Loi felt confidant is ascribing the decision by many modern women around the world to delay pregnancy and shorten, or even abandon breastfeeding, as contributing to cancer risk.
A study published last week in Nature found that women who had children and breastfed had more T cells in their breast tissue, which “act like local guards, ready to attack abnormal cells that might turn into cancer,” Loi said.
T cells are those which are activated to fight cancer in the Nobel Prize-winning treatment known as CAR-T cell therapy, and these were found to be more plentiful in the breast tissue of women who breastfed or had children, and that these elevated T cell counts were conserved for years and years after the mother had stopped breastfeeding.
To provide additional controls, Professor Loi and her co-authors performed a test with mice, implanting cancerous cells in the mammary fat of animals that had never reared offspring, that were rearing them, or who had had and finished rearing them.
Group 2 showed smaller tumor growth with a higher T cell count, while group 3—those who had reared and weened pups—showed the smallest tumors. To continue their tests, the scientists removed the T cells from the mammary tissue, and the cancer began to grow and spread unabated.
Lastly, the study presented an analysis on 2 papers totaling 1,000 women with triple-negative breast cancer to see if the effect in mice was replicated in humans.
“What we found is that women who had breastfed did better than those who had not breastfed, and their tumors actually had more immune cells … suggesting there was ongoing immune activation and regulation from the body against their breast cancer,” Professor Loi told ABC.
Though quantifying this protective effect is very nuanced, it seems that every child a woman has reduces her risk for breast cancer by 7%, and each 5 months of breastfeeding reduces it by an additional 2%.These are substantial differences when the average rate of breast cancer incidence is about 1 in 8 women Childbirth and Breastfeeding Can Reduce Breast Cancer Risk Shows New Study
Families with young children are yet again reeling after this week’s Four Corners investigation into abuse in the early childhood sector.
The program identified almost 150 childcare workers who had been convicted, charged, or accused of sexual abuse and inappropriate conduct.
System-wide changes are needed to improve standards and safety in the early childhood sector. But parents may also be wondering what they can do in the home to teach their kids about body safety.
There is increasing awareness of how to talk to children about body safety. This includes teaching kids that adults should not ask them to keep secrets and to tell a trusted adult if something feels wrong.
But what about babies and younger children who have not yet learned to talk?
According to Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget, children under two can understand language and even communicate before they develop speech. It is never too early to teach them about body autonomy, normalise safety, and model trustworthiness in relationships.
How can parents and caregivers do this?
1. Use the correct words
When you’re talking to a child about their body, you may want to use “baby talk”.
But it is important to use the correct anatomical words for their genitals, the same way that we teach them about other parts of the body.
This reduces shame and normalises body boundaries. It also ensures children grow up being able to describe any experiences clearly if there is a problem.
2. Narrate what you are doing
We teach older children that people should not touch their penis, vagina, or bottom.
But obviously for younger children, parents and carers need to touch their genital areas at nappy changes.
When changing a nappy, you can talk to little children in straightforward language and narrate what you’re doing in simple and easy steps. This is so they understand what a “normal” nappy change looks like.
For example,
I’m going to pick you up now. We need to change your nappy. We change your nappy when it’s dirty. First, I’m going to get a new nappy out of the drawer. Now I’m going to take off your pants. Remember, we only touch your bottom when we need to clean it.
3. Would you like to go to Tickletown?
You can normalise consent around touching from the beginning.
For example, teach consent around tickling. Practice using language that invites them to respond: “Would you like to go to Tickletown? Would you like me to tickle you?”
Then teach and demonstrate “yes/no” or “happy/sad” with a smile/frown, or thumbs up/thumbs down.
As they get older this can develop into having a safe word or modelling safe touch and unsafe touch.
4. Respect ‘push-away’ body language
Even very young children can send clear messages when they don’t want to be touched or held.
Where possible, respect their “push-away” body language such as pushing back, turning away, wriggling to get down, or arching their back. This teaches them they have autonomy of their bodies.
You can say things like: “Do you want to be put down? Your body belongs to you”.
5. Don’t force affection
Family and friends may be eager to hug or kiss your child, especially if they don’t see them often.
Resist the temptation to force your child to hug or kiss adults (“go on, give Grandad a kiss”) – even if it is a special occasion or visit. This teaches children about body boundaries and lets them know they can make decisions about their own bodies
6. What if a child doesn’t want a nappy change?
The “my body, my rules” message can be complicated when a child does not want a bath or when they don’t feel like having their nappy changed.
If you meet resistance during these times, calmly explain and narrate what you are doing and why. It will help form a foundation for them to understand healthy and necessary touching and recognise if someone is touching them inappropriately.
For example,
we need to have a bath to wash off all the dirt from the park. Let’s put some soap on your feet where they went in the sandpit.
7. Recognise nonverbal signs of distress
Preverbal children communicate through gestures and behaviour. Parents can learn to recognise nonverbal cues that might indicate signs of general distress.
In preverbal children such signs might include increased meltdowns or tantrums, withdrawal, unexplained genital pain or redness, changes in appetite, regression in toileting or sleeping, sudden fear or dislike of people or places, and even sudden mood changes or changes in personality.
Learning these signs can improve parent-child interactions and make it easier to recognise early signs of abuse.
If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, you can call 1800 Respect on 1800 737 732, Lifeline on 131 114, Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800, or Bravehearts (counselling and support for survivors of child sexual abuse) on 1800 272.
Feeding blueberries to babies may reduce allergy symptoms and improve their gut health, according to new research.
The ground-breaking clinical trial shows consuming the fruit early in life can improve immunity and support long-term health.
Feeding blueberries to babies as one of their first solid foods may help strengthen their immune systems, reduce allergy symptoms and support healthy gut development, says scientists at the University of Colorado.
To safely introduce the “superfood” to younger infants, the research team recommend pureeing them.
For older babies and toddlers, they say blueberries should be mashed or cut into small pieces to eliminate choking hazards.
The study, published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition, is the first of its kind to rigorously test the effects of a specific food on infant health using a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial.
“For parents beginning to wean their infants, it’s incredibly difficult to find solid, research-backed advice on what foods to introduce,” said the study’s senior author Professor Minghua Tang, from the University of Colorado in Anschutz.
“This study is a critical first step in filling that gap by offering real data on how a specific food like blueberries can improve your infant’s health.”
The researchers followed 61 babies in the Denver area from five to 12 months of age.
Each day, participants consumed either freeze-dried blueberry powder, or a placebo powder with no blueberries.
Parents were free to feed their children as they normally would, simply adding the powder to their daily routine.
The research team collected stool and blood samples every two months to monitor changes in the infants’ gut bacteria, immune system biomarkers and allergy-related outcomes. They also tracked growth and dietary habits.
Key findings included improved allergy symptoms in babies who consumed blueberry powder, reduced inflammation and signs of a stronger immune response, and “positive” shifts in gut microbiota—with changes considered beneficial for immune health.
“This research supports the idea that blueberries are not only safe for infants but also offer meaningful health benefits,” added Professor Tang.
“Just a few blueberries a day could make a difference in supporting long-term health.”
“We view infancy as a critical window of opportunity and what we introduce during this time can have lasting effects as children grow.”The research team is continuing to explore what other early foods might help support healthy gut bacteria and a strong immune system as babies grow to ensure there’s better guidance in place for parents. Feeding Blueberries to Babies May Reduce Allergy Symptoms and Improve Gut Health
14-year-old Kuzo Kezo (L) with Rev. Dr. Kevekhalo Lasuh, Senior Pastor of Chakhesang Baptist Church Kohima (R) during the launch of 'The Drug Factory' and 'The Trio, Tuition Disaster' at The Heritage Kohima on August 9. (Photo by Jabu Krocha)
14-year-old, Kuzo Kezo currently a student of Class-9 at St. Mary's Cathedral Higher Secondary School Kohima today became the author of 3 books following the formal release of "The Drug Factory" and "The Trio- Tuition Disaster" at The Heritage Kohima on August 9.
The two books mark the 108th and 109th publications of PenThrill Publication House, and were formally released by Rev. Dr. Kevekhalo Lasuh, Senior Pastor of Chakhesang Baptist Church Kohima with a dedicatory prayer.
Speaking at the launch, the author Kuzo Kezo thanked God for the gift of writing and highlighted that 'The Drug Factory' is the sequel to his first book, 'The School of Bullies'. "I wrote the sequel because I wanted to finish the plot from the first book. It is about friendship, betrayal and adventure", he said during the launch.
Expressing that the other book, "The Trio, Tuition Disaster" is also about friendship and adventure, along with bravery and courage, he said that, "these books were written because I enjoy reading, writing, exploring new ways of writing books and characters and entertaining myself and others as well." He further expressed desire to help raise funds for missionaries through the books.
Citing the growing literary landscape in the state that is clearly seen through frequent book launches, Publisher of PenThrill, Vishü Rita Krocha said that, "this is a positive indication of the growth of writing that is evolving in the state."
She said that it was encouraging to see young children like Kuzo are continuing to write despite having to juggle with their studies. "The kind of commitment that he is showing in writing is an encouragement to the entire writing community of Nagaland", he said.
Further highlighting the need for narratives that are rooted in the Naga way of life, she also encouraged Kuzo to keep exploring such stories in his journey of writing.
Dr. Rukulu Puro, Assistant Professor of Capital College Kohima & Chief Instructor, CUE Academy, Center of Writing Skills, gave comments on "The Drug Factory, a sequel to The School of Bullies". She said the book is an energetic, suspenseful, and thoughtful sequel that proves the young author is not just telling stories but also reflecting on the world around hím.
Fast-paced, and layered with meaning, she also remarked that "The Drug Factory is more than just a schoolyard adventure, and is a story about friendship, betrayal, and reconciliation, but also about the hidden dangers lurking in everyday environments." "Through the lens of a young boy's courage and perspective, Kuzo Kezo raises questions we can't afford to ignore-about trust, appearances, and the silent battles happening in schools today", she added.
Commenting on "The Trio, Tuition Disaster", Pfokreni Dominic, Teacher at St. Mary's Cathedral Higher Secondary School Kohima said the book is an exciting and imaginative adventure story that showcases the power of courage, friendship, and teamwork — all through the eyes of a young and talented writer.
Stating that what makes this story special is not just the suspense and action, but the strong bond between the trio and their courage despite being so young, he remarked that, "the themes of not giving up, standing up for what’s right, and working together are portrayed in a way that’s inspiring for children and young teens."
He further stated that the book is a fantastic effort by a young writer, full of spirit, adventure, and heart while noting that, "it reads like a fun mix of detective and mystery stories and reminds us how even kids can become heroes when they choose to do the right thing."
Message on 35-year-old toilet paper roll –Charlotte England-Black / SWNS
A couple renovating their new home discovered hidden inside their loft a heartwarming message written by a little girl 35 years ago—on the side of an empty toilet paper roll.
Charlotte England-Black found the touching note, which was concealed in the attic of their property in Nottingham, England, in 1989 when the little girl was moving out.
The 30-year-old moved into the house with her husband five months ago, but only found the hidden time capsule last Friday.
The note was penned by Emma—who was seven years old at the time—as a secret message for the home’s future owners.
Written in red marker, it reads: “I hope you enjoy staying here. Lots of love, from a friend.’
It began, “My name is Emma Waddingham. My birthday is February the 4th. I was born in 1982. I’m seven years old and nearly eight.
Charlotte immediately wondered where Emma was now—so she reached out on a Facebook community page in a bid to track her down. Amazingly, she was found within the hour.
“It’d been up there years,” Charlotte told SWNS news agency. “It was discovered along with an old sink, a vintage cap and some used overalls.
“It was really cute. She’d obviously written it hoping someone would find it one day. It really is quite touching.
Message on toilet paper roll left by girl 35 years ago –Charlotte England-Black / SWNS
“We posted it on a community page on Facebook. Within ten minutes someone had tagged her in it and others had commented saying they’d remembered her from the street, which was great.
“I thought, I bet she could easily be found and it’d be nice for her. It’s just a connection with the past.”
Today, Emma’s last name is Smith, and she still lives in Nottingham. Now 43-years-old, Emma doesn’t remember penning the note, but says she had fond memories of living there.
“I don’t remember doing it and why I chose the toilet roll,” she said. “We’ll forever be wondering.
“It was a lovely place to spend those years. I had amazing wallpaper in my bedroom of Tom and Jerry.”
In the future, when Charlotte moves out, she plans to leave the cardboard tube in the attic for the next homeowners, so they can also discover the time capsule.
Many parents know that babies love to be sung to, but there’s been limited research into the longer-term effects of mothers and fathers singing to infants.
The new research shows that parents should sing to their babies more often because it really does have a positive impact on a child’s mood—and it also can benefit the health and well-being of moms and dads too.
Published in the journal Child Development, the study from an international team of scientists from New Zealand, Canada, the US and Netherlands, looked at the results of using a music enrichment intervention program that encouraged caregivers to sing more frequently to their babies.
The study was conducted with 110 parents and their babies, who averaged around four months old—with most of the caregivers participating from the US and New Zealand being white, educated, and above the poverty line. Study participants were randomly assigned to the intervention or a control group for the main portion of the study which lasted six weeks.
Parents in the intervention group completed a brief, smartphone-based music enrichment program designed to help them sing more often to their babies. They were given access to six instructional videos of simple songs presented in karaoke style, with lyrics synchronized to a bouncing ball and sourced from vintage songbooks, specially made for caregivers with limited music training.
Additionally, participants received a child-friendly songbook that featured infant-pressable buttons which activated song playback, accompanied by illustrations and lyrics for parents to sing along.
Weekly email newsletters also introduced ideas of how to incorporate singing into daily caregiving routines and presented research findings relevant to the benefits of musical parenting.
Throughout the study, the participants completed smartphone surveys up to three times daily, reporting on both baby and parent mood, stress, sleep quality, and music use.
The findings reveal positive causal effects from simple, low-cost interventions—such as increasing baby-directed singing. The interventions improved health outcomes for both babies and their parents during the four-week intervention.
“Our main finding was that the intervention successfully increased the frequency of infant-directed singing, especially in soothing contexts, and led to measurable improvements in infants’ general mood as reported by caregivers,” said Dr. Samuel Mehr, of Auckland University, New Zealand.
“One interesting finding was how intuitively caregivers incorporated singing into soothing routines for their infants, even though the intervention did not explicitly instruct them to use singing for this purpose.”
“Encouraging parents and caregivers to sing more frequently to their infants can have a positive, causal impact on infant mood. Because infant mood is closely linked to parenting stress, caregiver-infant bonding, and later social-emotional development, such a simple intervention could have meaningful downstream benefits.”
“For pediatricians and professionals working with families, recommending increased infant-directed singing is a practical, accessible strategy to support infant well-being. It’s easy to do, requires no special equipment or training, and is accessible to everyone.”
“Singing is a universal practice—parents from almost every culture and throughout history have intuitively used singing to soothe and connect with their infants.
Dr. Mehr says that, despite the intervention lasting only four weeks, the team observed “clear benefits” for infant mood.
“Such positive effects may be even more pronounced with longer-term, higher-intensity interventions—and may also extend to additional aspects of infant health beyond mood.”The research team is now working on longer follow-up studies comparing the effects of singing, listening to music, and reading on the mood of babies. Parents Should Sing More to Their Babies For the Positive Impact on Infant’s Mood–And Their Own
SWNS via Kristine Koroleva
Rancho Cordova police deputies deliver baby (Released)
Krista Richard with Younis and Aws, two children who received one of her free bikes – credit, supplied by Richard to GNN
– credit Leighann Blackwood
Blueberries on the shrub – SWNS
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