The Parenting Science Blog
The Parenting Science blog alerts you to new postings on the Parenting Science website. It may also feature the occasional commentary about recent events or discoveries in anthropology, evolutionary biology, psychology, and the popular culture. If you’d like to subscribe to the Parenting Science blog, RIGHT-click on the orange RSS button (on the lower left) and paste the URL into your RSS reader. Alternatively--if you have a personalized homepage with Yahoo, MSN, or Google--you can click on the “My Yahoo," "My MSN," or "Add to Google” buttons. Do you have an account with Wikio? Then you can subscribe by clicking on this button:
Jul 26, 2010, Swimming pools, asthma, and DNA damage: A guide for the science-mindedWhat germs and health risks are lurking in swimming pools? We need to disinfect the water. But the disinfectants may pose their own dangers. Read about the risks--and how to minimize them. Jul 14, 2010, What can capuchin monkeys teach us about kids?Big brains, daycare, busy hands, and social learning? Perhaps the capuchin monkey can teach us about the evolution of tool use, culture, and tolerance towards kids. And there's some good news, too. Last year, when I first wrote about the capuchins of Lomas Barbudal, they were in trouble. Poachers and deforestation were threatening to derail the Lomas Barbudal Capuchin Monkey Project, one of the longest-running primate field studies in world. But the fortunes of Lomas Barbudal have changed--for the better. Researcher Susan Perry writes "I am happy to say that after many letter-writing campaigns, petitions and meetings, the Costa Rican government and various private organizations have declared their support for the research project and for the preservation of dry forest areas used by the monkeys." Next week, officials in Costa Rica will sign an agreement promising to protect the monkeys' habitat. So it seems that public pressure really can work. If you participated by writing letters or donating funds, your help has made a difference. Thanks to all, and congratulations to Susan Perry, Joe Manson, Julie Gros-Louis, and everyone else involved with the Lomas Barbudal Monkey Project! Permalink -- click for full blog post "What can capuchin monkeys teach us about kids?" Jul 10, 2010, Praise from the Biological ANthropology Developing Investigators TroopI want to express my sincere thanks to University of Illinois professor Julienne Rutherford for her enthusiastic support for Parenting Science. Dr. Rutherford is a biological anthropologist who studies pregnancy and the development of the fetus. For those of you in pursuit of an academic career in anthropology, she is also founder of the extremely useful BANDITS community, otherwise known as the Biological ANthropology Developing Investigators Troop. Thank you, Dr. Rutherford! Jul 6, 2010, Vitamin A supplements: Is your kid getting too much A?Some kids need vitamin A supplements -- particularly those who are malnourished and living in poverty. But most healthy, well-nourished kids don't. And many are getting too much A. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Vitamin A supplements: Is your kid getting too much A?" Jun 29, 2010, Do shorter hunter-gatherer lifespans refute the argument for a Paleolithic diet? No.A few readers have pointed out that hunter-gatherers didn't live long enough to die of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and other chronic, degenerative "diseases of affluence." This is a popular objection to the Paleolithic diet. But fear not. The anthropologists who study hunter-gatherers are well aware of the hardships that foragers face! S. Boyd Eaton and his colleagues aren't trying to compare the health status of a 30-year old hunter-gatherer to that of a 60-year-old American. Rather, they are looking for signs in younger people that they will likely develop chronic diseases--biomarkers like increased platelet aggregatability, clinical hypertension, high cholesterol, and insulin resistance. When you compare people in the same age groups, hunter-gatherers have much healthier-looking profiles. Eaton and colleagues are also referencing the health status of those hunter-gatherers who live to the age 60 and beyond. About 20% hunter-gatherers live that long, and while they might suffer from other problems, they aren't notably afflicted with the "diseases of affluence." I've added these clarifications to my original article. Click here to check them out. Jun 28, 2010, Healthful diets for kids: Why some “natural” diets can harm childrenRaw food, veganism, low-carb, low-fat, macrobiotic, Paleolithic...which of these diets is truly "natural?" And are any of these safe diets for kids? Jun 28, 2010, Paleolithic nutrition for kidsWhy hunter-gatherer diets may reduce your child's risks of obesity, diabetes, and other diseases. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Paleolithic nutrition for kids" Jun 22, 2010, Fighting summer learning lossAs kids begin their summer vacations, parents may worry about summer learning loss--the tendency for kids to forget some of the skills they've learned over the school year. What's going on? That seems pretty obvious. If you don't practice new skills, they tend to fade. This explanation is consistent with everyday experience. It also fits with evidence that summer learning loss disproportionately affects kids of lower socio-economic status--the kids who are least likely to spend the summer reading books, pursuing special science projects, or visiting museums (Alexander et al 2007). But perhaps the first step to preventing summer learning loss is having the right attitude about learning. Some people believe that intelligence is a fixed trait, and many kids seem to feel this way even if their parents don't. When kids think of their abilities as gifts--that you either have smarts or you don't--they don't try as hard. They shrink from challenges. They don't learn as well. And there is compelling experimental evidence that kids can make substantial academic improvements if they change the way their attitude about intelligence. Read more about it in this article about the "entity theory of intelligence." Reference: Alexander KL, Entwisle DR, and Olson LS. 2007. Summer learning and its implications: insights from the Beginning School Study. New Dir Youth Dev. 114:11-32. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Fighting summer learning loss" Jun 16, 2010, The evolution of fatherhoodMale bats that lactate? Monkey dads that carry infants all day long? Read about the evolution of fatherhood and the factors that predict paternal care in humans. Permalink -- click for full blog post "The evolution of fatherhood" Jun 11, 2010, Parenting and child anxiety: How do you respond to signs of anxiety?Have a child between the ages of 5 and 18? Caitlin Burditt, a graduate student in clinical psychology at the University of Rhode Island, wants to know about your emotional and behavioral responses during times when your child seems anxious. If you'd like to participate, check out the link here. Jun 4, 2010, Playing helper and hero: The effects of video games on altruistic behaviorDoes playing helpful, even heroic characters make kids more prosocial? Research on the effects of video games suggests that it might. May 29, 2010, Mercury in fish: The trouble with tuna and other seafoodDon't panic and don't throw out the fish. Fish makes kids smarter. But mercury in fish--even canned tuna--may pose a risk to fetuses and young children. Check out the latest research. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Mercury in fish: The trouble with tuna and other seafood" May 22, 2010, Digital cameras for kids: Cool tools and windows into your child's mindDigital cameras for kids are cool tools for learning about science and language. They also offer us a window into the minds of our children. Check out these research-based tips and activities. May 16, 2010, Cognitive development before kindergarten: Are kids smarter than they seem?Sure, little kids seem irrational. But is this because they lack the ability to grasp key concepts? Because we ask them stupid questions? Or ...? Check out these studies of cognitive development. May 14, 2010, Coping with deviant behavior in kids: What are the appropriate treatments?Psychologist James W. Diller of Eastern Connecticut State University wants to know what you think are appropriate ways to deal with problem behavior in children. If you'd like to help, consider participating in his new study. May 10, 2010, Neuroimaging and your child's brain: A guide for the science-mindedNeuroimaging promises to teach us a lot about the brain. But it's not the last word--or the most scientific approach--to learning about your child's mind. May 2, 2010, Bedwetting in scientific perspective: Destructive myths and misconceptionsForget Freud and the urban legends. Bedwetting isn't a sign of psychopathy, and kids who wet the bed don't need counseling. Parenting Science busts the myths. Apr 30, 2010, Potty training: Are there health penalties for starting too late?Have researchers "pinpointed" the best time to start toilet training? I'm not sure. But a recent study suggests that kids who begin potty training late--after 32 months--are more likely to develop bladder problems. The study, conducted by Joseph Barone and his colleagues, focused on school-aged kids who had been diagnosed with urge incontinence. The researchers compared these kids with their symptom-free peers, and discovered a pattern in their toilet training histories. The kids with bladder trouble were more likely to have begun potty training after 32 months of age.
Does this mean that late training causes bladder problems? Not necessarily. But previous research hints that toilet training may teach kids good habits--habits that help them avoid urinary tract infections. In the absence of other information, it seems wise to get started before 32 months. For more information, check out my article, "What the scientific evidence reveals about the timing of toilet training." Apr 26, 2010, Bed wetting in children: A guide for the science-minded parentBed wetting is a surprisingly common problem. Are there effective therapies? Apr 18, 2010, Breast pumps and baby formula: Does the time of day matter?Breast pumps can be used any time. But the composition of breast milk changes throughout the day. Understanding these changes might help us improve infant sleep. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Breast pumps and baby formula: Does the time of day matter?" Apr 13, 2010, Another new study about spankingIf you read last month's review of the research on spanking, you might remember that recent studies suggest that toddlers who get spanked are more likely to develop aggressive behavior problems over time. Yesterday a new study was published online--one that adds more weight to the argument that spanking plays a causal role in the development of aggression. The study is notable because researcher Catherine Taylor and her colleagues have attempted to rule out some important confounding factors. Perhaps toddlers who get spanked are more likely to be psychologically maltreated, physically abused, or neglected. Maybe they are more likely to witness domestic violence. Or maybe their mothers are more likely to be depressed or stressed out. These factors do indeed seem to cause behavior problems in children. But when Taylor and her colleagues controlled for them, she found that spanking was still linked with a pattern of increased aggression. For my overview of the research on spanking, click the link below. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Another new study about spanking" Apr 9, 2010, Adolescence doesn’t end until you’re 28? Not likely!Have researchers "discovered" that adolescence doesn't end until the late twenties? I think not. How the media got it wrong--again. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Adolescence doesn’t end until you’re 28? Not likely!" Apr 3, 2010, The Easter Bunny and Santa Claus: Some thoughts for the science-mindedMany kids believe in the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus. Or do they? What research suggests about these irrational (but charming) beliefs. Mar 29, 2010, Experiment in progress: Do teens benefit from a late start in the morning?High school students beginning the day at 10am? An experimental study in the U.K. is testing the idea that teens will adjust better to school--and learn more--if they get to sleep later in the morning. The study is still in progress, but preliminary results suggest at least some benefits: Fewer students are missing school. Perhaps in another year (when researchers publish their results), we'll have a better idea if changing school schedules is good public policy. Mar 27, 2010, Parenting styles: A guide for the science-mindedWhat does research tell us about the four basic parenting styles? Identify your style, review the evidence, and consider the role of culture, peers, and child temperament. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Parenting styles: A guide for the science-minded" Mar 20, 2010, Working memory in children: What parents need to knowWorking memory is a better predictor of school achievement than IQ, and it can be improved by training. Does your kid have attention problems? Read this. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Working memory in children: What parents need to know" Mar 13, 2010, The authoritative parenting style: A guide for the science-minded parentWhat is the authoritative parenting style, and why does it work? Check out the criteria that researchers use to rate parents, and the evidence in favor of authoritative parenting. Mar 7, 2010, Spanking children: A guide for the science-mindedSpanking children is rare among hunter-gatherers. It's frowned upon in the United States, and illegal in Sweden. Should parents spank their kids? Permalink -- click for full blog post "Spanking children: A guide for the science-minded"
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