Category Archives: Uncategorized

News Roundup January 15th

By Julie Weatherston | Published: January 15, 2015

Head Start Participation Has Positive Impact on Childhood Obesity A University of Michigan study looked at body mass index associated with Head Start participation. The findings show that kids who participate in Head Start tend to have a healthier weight by kindergarten than similarly aged kids not in the program. In their first year in […]

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News Roundup November 19

By Julie Weatherston | Published: November 19, 2014

The First Solid Foods for American Babies Depends Very Much on The Mother’s Socioeconomic Background This recent study, “Sociodemographic differences and infant dietary patterns,” was published last month in Pediatrics. Scientists at the University of Buffalo studied the first solid foods eaten by American babies in their first year to find insight into whether or […]

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News Roundup July 24th

By Julie Weatherston | Published: July 24, 2014

Study Shows How Early Maternal Attachment Behavior Hardwires the Infant Brain New research out of New York University Langone is the first to show – in real-time electrical readings from rat pups’ brains- how early maternal attachment behaviors such as nursing, protecting, and grooming of pups, influence key stages of postnatal brain development. The mother’s […]

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A Call to Action on Behalf of Babies

By Julie Weatherston | Published: June 5, 2014

The United States is the only industrialized nation in the world without a paid-leave policy for parents at or around the birth of a child. Prenatal care in the United States remains expensive, while virtually all other industrialized countries provide free or affordable prenatal care. And, while families in the U.S. pay about 80 percent […]

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Free Download: Recommended Supports and Services for Babies and Their Families

By Julie Weatherston | Published: June 4, 2014

Chapter 7 of J. Ronald Lally’s book For Our Babies: Ending the Invisible Neglect of America’s Infants is now available on-line for free! This chapter, titled Recommended Supports and Services for Babies and Their Families,  presents 20 recommendations for the direct and indirect supports that families need to help with the care of their babies. […]

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The Human Brain’s Need For a “Social Womb” During Infancy

By Julie Weatherston | Published: April 15, 2014

In this article “The Human Brains Need for a Social WombFINALApril2014” J. Ronald Lally tells us why the young brain needs a protected and nurtured experience equivalent to the protection a fetus receives in the womb. Because of the lasting impact of early brain structuring, Lally argues that whether a baby is cared for at […]

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Paid Family Leave In California: Need for Outreach

By Julie Weatherston | Published: April 14, 2014

Most American workers have very few options when it comes to taking time off to bond with a new born, adopted or foster child. National legislation, the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), only ensures 12 weeks of unpaid leave to those who are covered by the law.  Due to restrictions in who is covered, 40% of […]

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New Findings: Early Childhood Investments Substantially Boost Adult Health!

By Julie Weatherston | Published: March 27, 2014

Economist James Heckman and colleagues conducted a new analysis of the Abecedarian Project, one of the oldest and most cited U.S. early childhood (infancy through age 5) intervention programs. Their research report, published on March 27th, 2014 in Science, shows positive effects on adult heath. The researchers collected recent data to find that children who […]

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News Roundup November 8th

By Julie Weatherston | Published: November 8, 2013

Earliest Marker for Autism Found in Young Infants Autism isn’t usually diagnosed until after age 2. This study, funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), part of the National Institutes of Health, was published this month in the journal Nature. It reveals the earliest sign of developing autism ever observed — a steady […]

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CDC’s 2013 Breastfeeding Report Card

By Julie Weatherston | Published: October 15, 2013

Improving the health of mothers and their babies is a primary goal of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity.  It makes sense that protecting, promoting, and supporting breastfeeding are some of their key strategies to meet this goal. Breastfeeding has many proven health benefits to both […]

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