TV Slows Babies' Learning: Study

Drop-side design linked to 32 infant deaths since 2000

(NEWSER) - If you grew up in the US, chances are you spent some time in a drop-side crib, which allows adults to lower one side so they have easy access to the occupant. T the government is about to ban the popular crib design, which has been linked to 32 infant deaths since 2000, the Washington Post reports. Whether because of poor design or incorrect assembly, the "drop" side can fall on the infant, causing strangulation. More»

Having TV on reduces quantity and quality of parent-child interactions

(NEWSER) - Having a television on reduces parent-child interaction and may hold back the development of young children—even if nobody's watching it, according to a new study. Researchers studied children ages 1 to 3 playing with their parents with and without an adult's show like Jeopardy playing in the background and discovered that parents spoke to their children 20% less when the TV was on, and became markedly less attentive and responsive, the Los Angeles Times reports. More»

Bilingual kids may talk later but excel at 'executive functions'

(NEWSER) - Some teachers complain that children raised in bilingual households tend to lag behind their peers in school, but a new study suggests multilingual kids' brains may be better organized, the Economist reports. Polyglot babies have stronger "executive function": processes in the brain that help humans plan, prioritize, and switch attention among various tasks and stimuli. More»

On expert advice, he tries everything from Baroque to 12-tone

(NEWSER) - A father brings home his newborn and ponders the CD rack: How best to develop the baby's brain? Mozart? Bach? Toddler tunes? With the stakes so high, Jeremy Eichler takes his dilemma to the experts, he writes in the Boston Globe. One tells him that infants benefit from tricky rhythms, so Eichler tosses on Bulgarian wedding music at home. The boy's face lights up. Is he onto something? More»

Babble : The world is changing for the better, so procreate. Now.

(NEWSER) - If you're planning on having a kid at some point then now's the perfect time, advises Babble, which lists 45 reasons to produce a curtain-climber without delay. Here are the top 5:

1. Halvies: Unlike the old days, fathers are expected to do half the dirty work like changing diapers

2. Your inner kid: Having a baby is a great excuse to throw on classic kids' shows on DVD, like Sesame Street and Schoolhouse Rock