It’s not a great breakthrough discovery that kids who were very active during the day fall asleep faster and get a sounder sleep, but now it has been proved scientifically. A recent study published in the Archives of Disease in Childhood shows that children whose day is engaged in sedentary activities mostly need considerably more time to fall asleep when they go to bed. Full story

Arkansas woman got pregnant while pregnant, according to MSNBC. The expectant mom Julia Grovenburg from Fort Smith had the appointment for scheduled ultrascan. While doing the test, obstetrician observed the heartbeat of a second fetus, at earlier stage of development. According to specialist, a boy fetus was conceived two weeks later than his "older sister". Both fetuses attached inside the womb and began growing normally. Full story

American toddlers watch TV two hours a day at average. Many TV programs are advertised as educational. Yet, the children under 3 years of age learn less from these programs than it might seem, unless there is an adult present to reinforce the learning. Researchers from the University of Delaware and the Temple University studied children aged from 40 to 42 months to find out whether they could learn verbs from watching TV programs. Full story

Pregnant women can safely travel by air at any point during their pregnancy if it is uncomplicated, according to Committee Opinion issued by non-commercial organization American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. The revised guidelines will be published in the October issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology. William Barth, MD, of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston claims that a series of studies conducted since 2001 showed that air travel was safe for women with uncomplicated pregnancies. Full story

One of the leading causes of death are cardiovascular diseases and thus it is very important that those diseases are identified at early stages. It is known that women with gestational diabetes tend to have higher risk of having problems with heart and blood vessels than those who did not have this condition during pregnancy. Canadian scientists have recently discovered that if a pregnant woman has even the smallest glucose intolerance, it can be automatically associated with cardiovascular problems. Full story

Scientists found spanking one year-olds may make them aggressive by the time they reach three years of age. Although the negative effect of spanking is rather innocent, a new study adds to pile of evidence that spanking may be detrimental to kids. According to Lisa Berlin, the study's lead author and research scientist at the Center for Child and Family Policy at Duke University, at the age of one year old, children assess parental care and develop a bond. Spanking at that period may affect the processes in negative way and increase aggressiveness of children by the time they reach two years of age. Full story

There exist many studies dealing with the use of antidepressants in pregnancy. Some of them lay stress on the dangers imposed on the unborn babies, for some antidepressants have been discovered to make women more vulnerable to the risk of preterm delivery or miscarriage, and baby having low birth weight. The baby may develop certain heart defects under the influence of antidepressants. Full story

35-year-old British woman, Rachel Denton, managed to get pregnant naturally after losing weight in order to have in vitro fertilization (IVF). She spent years trying to get pregnant, but had no success because of her weight. Doctors claimed, she was too fat for IVF. She used to weigh 264 lb (120 kg). Full story

Today I was talking to my mom in Skype sitting on a sofa with the laptop on my knees, when I suddenly felt some baby movements in the belly! It’s my 16th-17th week of pregnancy. And they say, you normally feel first fetal movements in your 20th week if it’s your first pregnancy, and in the 16th-18th if it’s your second/third etc. baby. And it’s my absolutely first pregnancy! This is why I wasn’t absolutely sure, that what I had was fetal movement, but I really wanted to think so. After all, what else could it be if not the baby? Full story

Hereditary obesity can be impeded if the would-be mother undergoes obesity surgery before she becomes pregnant, an article in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism points out. According to previous research, the likeliness of overweight moms giving birth to overweight children runs pretty high, which may lead to health problems for both. Genetic factor and home environment aside, scientists concluded that a slimming surgery starts off metabolic and hormonal changes in the mother’s womb that lessen the risk of the baby having excessive weight. Full story

A recent study in Sleep reveals the interrelations between the size of a child’s body and his or her sleep efficiency. It appears that the smaller the child, the greater the risk of sleep disorders developing in future. Birth size, the study says, is in direct dependence on the development of the nervous system. A smaller child was discovered to be more prone to having breath difficulties during sleep which will lead to disturbed sleep and maybe nightmares in later life. Full story

Breastfeeding being regarded as highly beneficial for the health of both mother and baby, it is recommended by scientists and doctors to breastfeed for six months in the least. Ways are sought to induce more mothers to nurse their children accordingly. But it was discovered that the use of some prescribed medications can influence the ability to breastfeed adversely. They include some painkillers and medicines that are intended to preclude postpartum bleeding. Full story

Notwithstanding the fact that man’s body is not equipped for bearing a child, his mind can be quite amenable to the idea. So don’t be surprised if, when you are pregnant, your husband will begin to evince pregnancy symptoms out of the blue. It is a well-known phenomenon called sympathetic pregnancy, and although it is a purely psychosomatic condition, your husband will be experiencing very real sensations. Full story

Pregnant women often get suspicious about having their hair treated lest perms or coloring might somehow interfere with their condition. Actually – provided that certain caution is exercised – there’s no need to restrain yourself, and you can rely on a spot of calculated hair regimen indulgence for a better appearance and a better mood! Full story