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Categories: Infant and Preschool Learning
Published Why reading nursery rhymes and singing to babies may help them to learn language
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Phonetic information -- the smallest sound elements of speech -- may not be the basis of language learning in babies as previously thought. Babies don't begin to process phonetic information reliably until seven months old -- which researchers say is too late to form the foundation of language. Instead, babies learn from rhythmic information -- the changing emphasis of syllables in speech -- which unlike phonetic information, can be heard in the womb.
Published How pre- and postnatal B-12 vitamins improve breast milk vitamin B-12 levels, which supports infant brain development
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source According to a new study B-12 vitamins increase the presence of the micronutrient in mothers' breast milk, which is especially helpful in countries where it can be difficult to eat what is needed for the body to produce B-12 naturally.
Published Despite pressures facing young families, parents take precious moments to play with their babies
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Four in five primary caregivers of nine-month-old babies reported cuddling, talking and playing with their little one several times a day, in the first national long-term study of babies in over two decades.
Published Early body contact develops premature babies' social skills
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Skin-to-skin contact between parent and infant during the first hours after a very premature birth helps develop the child's social skills. The study also shows that fathers may play a more important role than previous research has shown.
Published Genes influence whether infants prefer to look at faces or non-social objects
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Whether infants at five months of age look mostly at faces or non-social objects such as cars or mobile phones is largely determined by genes. The findings suggest that there is a biological basis for how infants create their unique visual experiences and which things they learn most about.
Published New study on experience of adopted people as they become parents
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new piece of research looks at the challenges faced by adopted people when they become parents. The study investigated the lived experiences of adopted people in the UK as they become parents. Until now research in this area has been very limited and hasn't tended to included the experiences of adopted men as fathers.
Published When dads are feeling a bit depressed or anxious, how do kids fare?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A team of researchers has found that slightly higher, but mild anxious or depressive symptoms in fathers were associated with fewer behavioral difficulties in the first years of elementary school and better scores on a standardized IQ test in their children.
Published Stunting in infancy linked to differences in cognitive and brain function
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New research shows that children who are too short for their age can suffer reduced cognitive ability from as early as six months old. Researchers compared the 'visual working memory' in children who had stunted growth with those having typical growth. They found that the visual working memory of infants with poor physical growth was disrupted, making them more easily distracted and setting the stage for poorer cognitive ability one year later.
Published Imprinted genes in the 'parenting hub' of the brain determine if mice are good parents
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Whether a mouse is a good or bad parent can be traced back to imprinted genes in key neurons in the 'parenting hub' in the brain, according to a new study.
Published New study reveals similarities between chimpanzee and human language development
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists examining the evolutionary roots of language say they've discovered chimp vocal development is not far off from humans.
Published Fresh light shed on mystery of infant consciousness
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source There is evidence that some form of conscious experience is present by birth, and perhaps even in late pregnancy, an international team of researchers has found.
Published Grandparent childcare may not help the wellbeing of mums or reduce mother-child conflict, study suggests
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Grandparent childcare for toddlers doesn’t have an impact on the wellbeing of their mothers, a new study suggests.
Published Origin of cultural learning: Babies imitate because they are imitated
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study shows that babies learn to imitate others because they themselves are imitated by caregivers.
Published Eureka baby! Groundbreaking study uncovers origin of 'conscious awareness'
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Fundamental questions of agency -- acting with purpose -- have perplexed some of the greatest minds in history including Sir Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin. Now, human babies provide groundbreaking insight into the origins of agency. Since goal-directed action appears in the first months of human life, researchers used young infants as a test field to understand how spontaneous movement transforms into purposeful action. The 'birth' of agency can be quantified as a 'eureka-like,' pattern-changing phase transition within a dynamical system that spans the baby, the brain, and the environment.
Published Intellectual disability more common in families with substance use disorder
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Children of a parent with alcohol or drug use disorder have a greater risk of intellectual disability, even if the problem only lies with the father, researchers report. According to the study, preventive measures should be directed at both parents.
Published Toddlers learn to reason logically before they learn to speak, study finds
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Nineteen-month-old toddlers already use natural logical thinking, even before they learn to speak, to deal with uncertainties about the world. This natural logic contributes to their learning process, both in terms of language and in other fields of knowledge, according to a new study.
Published Adding complex component of milk to infant formula confers long-term cognitive benefits for bottle-fed babies
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New research has shown how a complex component of milk that can be added to infant formula has been shown to confer long-term cognitive benefits, including measures of intelligence and executive function in children.
Published Why parental pressures are taking the fun out of children's play
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Modern day parenting pressures and expectations are leading to the death knell for children enjoying spontaneous play, according to a new study.
Published Research hints at links between babies' microbiome and brain development
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source In a small, exploratory study, levels of certain types of microbes in babies' guts were shown to be associated with performance in tests of early cognitive development.
Published Newly identified lipid in breast milk might reduce cerebral palsy in infants
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source In experiments using neonatal mice, researchers have identified a fatty molecule in breast milk that triggers a process in which stem cells in the brain produce cells that create new white matter, reversing brain injury.