How a pioneering study of child health has influenced a generation of parents
Prof Jean Golding has been tracking the ‘Children of the 90s’ for nearly 30 years, most recently finding a 50% increase in rates of prenatal depression
Caesarean babies have different gut bacteria, microbiome study finds
C-section babies pick up more hospital bacteria than those born vaginally, research shows
Repeat after me: vagina is not a dirty word
Our collective reluctance to say ‘vagina’ shrouds women’s bodies – and their sexuality – in shame
The rise of Arfid: the truth about the eating disorder that made a teenager go blind
People with avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder will eat only a very limited range of foods and may have significant phobias. It’s a long way from simply being a picky eater
Barely any UK teens meeting exercise and screen time guidelines
Canadian researchers developed guidelines relating to exercise, screen time and sleep
‘No food should be taboo’: how to tackle your child’s weight – without giving them a complex
A third of children are overweight or obese by the time they leave primary school. Here’s how parents can help them forge good habits and avoid creating lifelong insecurities
From ball pits to water slides: the designer who changed children’s playgrounds for ever
The long read: Eric McMillan revolutionised playground design in the 1970s. Why has the spirit of experimental play that he championed been lost? By Nicholas Hune-Brown
Lessons in love from my new teenage foster daughter
As well as joys, challenges and unusual pets she brought fresh insights to our home. By Jill Dawson
Foreskin reclaimers: the ‘intactivists’ fighting infant male circumcision
Emboldened by the body-positive movement and a sense of rage, a growing chorus is pushing back against a common custom
HPV vaccine to be given to boys in effort to slash cancer rates
Move by NHS could prevent more than 100,000 cancers across UK by 2058
Majority of parents don’t know how much exercise children need
Survey shows that 68% of adults are unaware of recommended exercise time
UK among least family-friendly countries in OECD, survey finds
League table compiled based on parental leave and childcare levels puts UK in bottom third
‘A mother is scared to hold her baby in case he dies in her arms’: my job as a health visitor
When I visit mothers living with postnatal depression and families struggling to buy food, it reminds me how hard parenthood is
I know what drives young people to self-harm – I did it for years
Self-harm can feel like the only way to get a handle on a world that seems out of control, says journalist and mental health activist, Harriet Williamson
Why parents are addicted to Calpol
The long read: It is the one medicine we reach for whenever our babies are feverish or in pain. What’s the secret of its success?