McMaster University researchers have identified small molecules in the blood that may impact early childhood development, showing how dietary exposures, early life experiences, and gut health can ...

Childhood adversities have distinct effects on mental health and cognitive development, necessitating a nuanced understanding beyond the traditional adverse childhood experiences framework. The study ...

Children who begin reading for pleasure early in life tend to perform better at cognitive tests and have better mental health when they enter adolescence, a study of more than 10,000 young adolescents ...

Executive function encompasses a suite of cognitive processes that enable individuals to regulate their behavior, thoughts and emotions. These skills are essential for tasks such as following ...

Sleep in early childhood is characterised by rapid changes in duration, architecture and timing that underpin key processes in brain maturation. Infants typically follow a biphasic pattern of daytime ...

The following essay is reprinted with permission from The Conversation, an online publication covering the latest research. Early childhood is a critical period for brain development, which is ...

Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development has been a central framework for understanding how children grow and learn. His model describes development through four sequential stages: sensorimotor, ...

A new study provides evidence that the relationship between using screens to soothe upset children and the development of ...

Learning begins from birth. While development occurs throughout a person’s life, the early years (up to age 8) are critical for establishing the foundation for a positive development trajectory. At ...

Research on infant thinking suggests that babies are more complex thinkers than was once believed. There is now evidence that, by the end of their first year, children are capable of logical reasoning ...

The first 1,000 days of a child’s life – pregnancy and the months leading to their second birthday – are a critical time. Expectant mothers need good antenatal care. The better their physical and ...