Cholestasis is a liver condition that generally occurs near the final stages of pregnancy. It causes intense itching — generally on feet and hands — which gets worse over time. If you experience this kind of itching, don’t immediately assume it’s cholestasis, which is rare; instead, talk to your doctor. Hispanic women and women with certain medical conditions have higher

Giving children ample opportunity to play is recognized globally as critical for their emotional health, as well as the development of self-confidence, resilience, and social skills. According to Boston College psychology professor Peter Gray, Ph.D., kids need unstructured time to play with other children without the guidance or influence of adults. Children need to figure out through play what things

There are some common pitfalls you can avoid in order to help your kid start the school year off strong. For example, try to gradually shift your kids’ bed and wake times back towards an earlier schedule to avoid a jet lag-like effect when school starts. Don’t let them procrastinate too much on summer reading and homework assignments. Don’t forget

Even if people have heard of the postpartum blues, it may not prepare some for what one mom referred to as the abyss. In her case, it was particularly insidious, because her pregnancy had somehow side-stepped every woogum and irk she had thought she might encounter, leaving her a tad smug. Then she got the baby and held it and felt

Bumps and bruises are endemic to childhood and odds are you have your home emergency kit ready and handy. But, kids, even those as young as 2 and 3 can have other problems, the sort that don’t alert the vigilant with a purple protrusion. Even quite young children can have mental problems, such as depression. Data from 2005-20012 has shown

Being told you’re pregnant with not just one baby, but two is often an enormous and exciting surprise. But are there signs in the pregnancy that can tell you this before the trip to the doctor? One way to tell is to listen for multiple heartbeats, early on in the pregnancy, or look for abnormal AFP levels. Other hormonal factors

If you’re experiencing the nausea and vomiting of morning sickness, you can thank the hormone known as human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG), although generic factors, fatigue and nutrition can also exacerbate morning sickness. Morning sickness typically starts in the first trimester and ends within a few weeks, although it can sometimes last much longer. Eating small meals throughout the day, including

Due to the hormonal changes that happen in the brain during pregnancy, this changes how the brain processes and prioritizes incoming information. Because pregnant women are subconsciously more in tune to their environment (primal survival instinct) pregnant women tend to have more realistic, and memorable dreams. Also there is a change in the sleep cycle, as sleep is more often

Teaching empathy is a complex but important parenting task that can help make your kid grow up to be a truly good person. Empathy, defined as being able to relate to, understand and few connection with other people’s emotions, is a complex and multi-factor skill, according to extensive 2014 University of Chicago research. Recognition of nonverbal cues can be taught,

Maintaining a consistent sleep schedule is one of the most imperative steps in transitioning from infancy to the life of a toddler, and parents can often find themselves frustrated when it comes to finding the balance between a realistic yet structured sleep schedule. It is important that once you develop a new routine, you stick to it as diligently as