Minnesota’s Healthy Start Act gives new moms in prison the chance to spend that critical time connecting with their infants. The bipartisan legislation allows incarcerated moms who have just given birth to serve part of their sentence in a community setting with their newborn. What Is the Healthy Start Act? Passed in May, the Healthy Start Act permits the Commissioner of Corrections to place incarcerated women who are pregnant or who have just delivered in community alternatives such as addiction treatment facilities or halfway houses....

As all parents of tiny tots know, the amount of baby gear needed to get by on a day-to-day basis is mind-blowing. Not only that, but when planning a trip, many families realize there’s a whole other list of travel products they need. Traveling with a baby or toddler can be overwhelming––especially when it comes to lugging around a travel crib and all the other necessary gear and luggage. That’s where travel strollers come in....

The issue inspired a research team at Université de Montréal (UdeM) to develop a unique observational tool, named the REACTIONS inventory, for assessing kids up to age 5 who have had a concussion. Details of the work are published in the Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation. “Children below the age of 6 are either preverbal, meaning that they have not yet learned to speak, or if they do speak, they have limited vocabulary and understanding of abstract concepts,” explains the study’s principal author, UdeM neuropsychology professor Miriam Beauchamp, PhD, who conducts research at the UdeM-affiliated CHU Sainte-Justine children’s hospital....

The study consisted of 624 teens aged 10 to 18 during the period of social distancing required due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The results revealed a much smaller decline in reported overall well-being for teens who participated in outdoor activities compared to those who did not. This is far from the first study confirming the benefits nature has on well-being, but critically demonstrates that this pattern remains when dealing with stressors from the COVID-19 pandemic....

So what is a Montessori education really like, and how can you figure out if it would be the best match for your child? Let’s take a look. History and Background of Montessori Schools Maria Montessori, MD, an Italian teacher, doctor, and scientist, founded the first Montessori school in 1906, in a poor, struggling district in Rome, Italy. Many of Montessori’s students had never been to school before and were thought to be difficult to teach....

Test It Out To test the fencing reflex, place your baby on their back and turn their head to the right. The reflex occurs whereby the right arm extends straight, and the left arm (opposite side) will flex alongside the head, and vice-versa when the head is turned in the other direction. This reflex should be present at birth. It’s thought that this reflex helps prevent a baby from rolling over onto his stomach before his brain and body are ready....

Hormonal changes and birth-related discomfort can both impact your sexual experience postpartum. If you’re not enjoying sex after delivery, you’re certainly not alone, but you’ll be happy to hear solutions exist that can improve the situation. Let’s explore some common postpartum sexual issues and learn about the steps you can take to help you get back to enjoying intimacy. When Can You Have Sex Postpartum? Regardless of whether you delivered your baby vaginally or via C-section, most healthcare providers suggest waiting four to six weeks after having your baby to resume intercourse....

When I first learned I was pregnant, one thing I realized very quickly is that babies are expensive. They need a place to sleep (and for me that meant upgrading to a larger apartment —oof), clothes, furniture, childcare, and yes, diapers. I spent a lot of time researching diaper brands ahead of my daughter’s birth, and was shocked by how expensive some diaper brands and models were. Many hours later (and one week before my due date), I pulled the trigger and bought Pampers Swaddlers, a relatively inexpensive model of Pampers that seemed like it would get the job done....

In clinical trials of 2,260 12- to 15-year-olds, Pfizer reports that the vaccine was “well tolerated” by the recipients and 100% effective in preventing COVID-19 infection. There were no major side effects other than those already experienced by adults. Official distribution details have yet to be disclosed, but Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officials will meet on Wednesday to discuss plans for rollout. The goal is to get kids vaccinated before starting school in the fall....

Power pumping is essentially meant to give your supply a nudge. It simulates cluster feeding, which is when your baby nurses very frequently. This cues your body to start producing more milk. Essentially, power pumping jumpstarts the milk supply chain to enable you to create a stockpile of milk for your baby. This strategy works best if you are bottle-feeding part or all of the time. If your baby is nursing frequently, it will be challenging for your body to make enough extra milk between feedings....

While it may sometimes seem like not much is going on (and quite the contrary at other times), each week brings changes big and small that help your baby develop and your body prepare for labor, delivery, and beyond. Pregnancy is marked by three trimesters. The week by week articles that follow in this guide provide a glimpse into all you can anticipate in these distinct and important phases of your pregnancy, including:...

Essentially, water birth involved sitting in a warm tub during at least a portion of the labor process; in some cases, it is possible to actually give birth in the water. Why Women Choose a Water Birth Many women have sought out childbirth in the water for a variety of reasons, including: Less Pain Water birth has been shown to be very effective at reducing pain. Some studies say that water birth is second to only the epidural in pain relief....

So how do you know if your kid is devoting too much time to his sport? The right amount of practice will vary from child to child and sport to sport. However, studies of youth athletes who specialize in just one sport have given doctors some insight into what constitutes an unsafe amount of sports practice. For example, if your child is 14 years old, anything over 13 hours a week devoted to one sport is too much....

Same-sex twins are often more likely to share a bedroom than fraternal multiples of different genders. Multiples born into a family with older siblings may share a space with an older brother or sister as well. Deciding how or when to put twins in separate bedrooms is an issue that most parents of twins face at some point. A home’s space limitations may determine the final answer, or the children themselves may indicate a preference that prompts a change....

Myths About the Flu Vaccine There have long been myths and misconceptions about the flu shot, especially when it comes to young children and toddlers. One of the most common is that it causes the flu, an impossibility since the vaccine is not made with a live virus. Even when the vaccine is delivered with the FluMist nasal spray (which is a live vaccine), it is created from a weakened form of the virus which is unable to cause the flu....