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Gestational age helps to estimate a possible due date, inform obstetrical care and testing, and evaluate the baby’s health at birth. It serves as a guideline to determine if the baby is growing as expected and when to perform certain prenatal screenings. Babies born smaller or bigger than expected for their gestational age may need to be monitored more closely. Determining Gestational Age Parents do not always know when conception occurred....

Daily Vegetable Servings for Kids You may be familiar with the general rule of aiming for three to five servings of vegetables each day, but the Choose My Plate guidelines from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) offer much more specific recommendations based on children’s ages. However, it’s important to keep in mind that a child isn’t likely to go from eating a few spoonfuls of veggies (or less) to eating a cup or more overnight....

Here are some tips to keep in mind when your friends or relatives say something that bothers you. Be Prepared When people have no personal experience with pregnancy loss, they may have no idea what to say. While it’s certainly not incumbent upon the woman who has experienced the loss to educate people about the right thing to say, it’s not a bad idea to be prepared in case someone says something upsetting....

The first day of preschool has arrived, and it’s time for your child to begin an educational journey that will last nearly two decades. How can you make this monumental first day a great one? Get Ready to Say Goodbye on the First Day of Preschool Saying goodbye to mom and dad, particularly if it’s the first time out of the house alone, can be difficult for many preschoolers. For some it’s old hat—they’ve been in daycare for years or just have an incredibly easy-going, go-with-the-flow personality....

For one thing, simply trying to overeat or eat whatever you want to gain weight isn’t necessarily going to be healthy. Plus, kids who have problems gaining weight usually don’t have a very good appetite, so they may not eat much, to begin with. Gaining Weight Healthily Although many parents think that their kids don’t eat as well as they would like, unless they are actually not gaining weight well, it may not really be an issue....

Today, children are using digital devices more than ever, both for educational and entertainment purposes; they often have to use the internet to do research for schoolwork, stream TV shows and movies, and constantly connect with friends social media sites. For years, many advertisers have been selling junk food targeted at kids by airing commercials during children’s TV shows. What to Know About Marketing and Children To address this growing problem, the World Health Organization (WHO) published a report in 2016 titled, “Tackling Food Marketing to Children in a Digital World: Trans-Disciplinary Perspectives....

Teaching Your Child About the Body The majority of young children enjoy running around the house with no clothing on. So if their parents do the same, it’s likely they don’t even notice. And if they do, it’s to point out differences — “Mommy, why don’t you have a penis (or whatever word your child uses to describe his private parts)?” As kids get older, say 6 or 7, they may become more aware of nakedness, particularly as they interact with peers and are exposed to more on television....

Systematic observations: The observer gathers data on one or more precisely defined behaviors.Non-systematic observations: The observer watches the child at school in a setting of concern and takes notes on the behaviors, characteristics, and personal interactions that seem significant.Standardized observations: The observer uses professionally published systems. In special education, observations are important resources because they not only help you understand your child’s school day, but they also are usually accompanied by recommendations as to how the learning environment can be improved or changed to suit your child’s individual needs....

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), most children begin talking between 1 and 2 years of age. By age 2, most kids have a vast foundation of words to work with (think “ball,” “dog,” “Mama” or “Dada,” “cup,” “eat”) and are often putting words together into two-word questions and sentences. If your child doesn’t seem to be falling within the range of normal for speech, it may not be a sign of a speech or language delay, but it also may be appropriate to begin engaging in some simple speech exercises with your child at home....

Most of these people have good intentions, but that doesn’t change the fact that these kinds of encounters can feel invasive. You and your baby have a right to personal space and privacy when in public—especially in the first few months after birth, when you’re understandably anxious about taking your baby along on errands and appointments, exposing them to the world at large. You want to enforce some simple boundaries with the people you meet, but you also don’t want to be rude....

As a result, some students are questioning whether it makes sense to stay close to home, take a gap year, or take classes online or at a small community college where they can get their general requirements out of the way for a lower price. Others are holding out for the on-campus experience they’ve been dreaming about since high school. As your child narrows down their college choices, you may be wondering if you should consider any specific factors related to COVID-19....

At first, you may not notice your little one’s feeding cues, but as you get to know your baby in the days and weeks after she is born, you will begin to recognize the subtle little hints that will tell you when she’s hungry and ready for some breast milk. Common Signs That Your Baby Is Hungry Here are nine common signs to look for to let you know that your baby is hungry:...

Improperly prepared formula could cause malnutrition and illness in infants, making the preparation stage a very important component of feeding your baby. It can be easy to misread or assume that all formulas are alike, this is why it is good to read the instructions with every new can to ensure that you are mixing the formula and water in the right amounts for a proper nutritional experience for your baby....

“Although it seems like a rare occurrence, depending on which studies you read, suicide is the second or third major cause of death in people ages 10 to 24,” says Naomi Angoff Chedd, LMHC, BCBA, LBA, the director of counselor support services at Counslr. “So it is an issue that needs to be addressed urgently and in multiple ways, by both professionals and parents.” One of the best ways to prevent suicide is to talk about it....

What Is Head Banging? Head banging is usually thought to be a parasomnia (also known as a sleep disorder), like sleepwalking or night terrors. Head banging is also sometimes classified as a rhythmic movement disorder, a neurological disorder that involves moving large muscle groups repetitively and involuntarily just before and in the middle of sleep. Children who have this condition may bang their heads into pillows, mattresses, the sides of a crib, or even the floor as they fall asleep or when they wake up in the middle of the night....

They will do this by measuring the fundal height—or the distance in centimeters from the top of the pubic bone to the top of the uterus. Measuring the fundal height gives the practitioner a better idea of how your baby is growing and whether its size is on track as your pregnancy progresses. While it is common for a fundal height measurement to be off by a couple of centimeters, a greater discrepancy may warrant a closer look to determine if the fetus is growing normally for its gestational age....

Overview Believe it or not, toddlers are the latest group of individuals to join in the coffee craze. According to a 2015 study by the Boston Medical Center, 15% of toddlers consume up to 4 ounces of coffee every single day. That’s half a cup, which is not an insignificant amount for a child of that age and size. The study found that 2.5% of 1-year-olds were drinking coffee and that number increased by the age of 2....

No Evidence of Babies Choking in Their Sleep It can be tempting to put a baby on their stomach while sleeping, especially if they seem to sleep better that way or if they spit up a lot and you worry about choking. Family members and friends can also be a source of pressure in this area. Since parenting is such an open-ended experience with many different paths, it can be easy to brush off lots of what experts say....

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), an agency of the U.S. government, is charged with protecting the public from dangers associated with more than 15,000 types of consumer products, including cribs. The agency helps protect people from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical or mechanical hazard or products that can harm children. Why Old Cribs Are Dangerous CPSC’s website called old cribs one of their “Most Wanted” dangerous products, and for good reason....

Typically, when a child has problems learning to read, write, perform math skills, understanding spoken language, or expressing himself, a learning disability may be a possible cause. In most cases, a parent’s first encounter with special education happens when a child is not progressing and a learning disability is suspected. Usually, parents notice early signs of a learning disability and contact the school for assistance. How Schools Kickstart the Process As part of the requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, schools are required to implement a system of interventions before evaluating a child for a disability....