Far from being a quiet time, a child’s middle years - between ages eight and 12 – can be transformative. But according to Dr Lisa Mundy we need to better understand those changes. I’ve always been fascinated by what happens during childhood. I’m really interested...
Empathy is vital for social functioning. However, new research demonstrates that children who are particularly empathic are also more anxious, report Kate Bray and Associate Professor Sarah Whittle Empathy is our ability to share and understand the emotions of other people. Most experts agree that there are...
Do you want more kids but your partner doesn't? You're not alone....
In the war of wills with her children, Gemma Rolleman has learnt to pick her battles. Last night, my seven-year-old daughter regurgitated a spoonful of my carefully prepared risotto back onto her plate. “Yuck,” she spluttered, her nose wrinkled, “that’s disgusting.” I half expected the reaction....
When I first became a mother in 2013, Carla Pascoe Leahy reports, I realised my experiences of motherhood did not match the kinds of messages circulating around me. As a society we talk about motherhood either in cheesy sentimentalities – think of gift catalogues for Mother’s...
Prader Willi, Angelman and Dup15q syndromes leave a devastating effect on families. Early diagnosis for these disorders can now be tested through screening at birth. Research at a Glance: A Melbourne-led study has found a new test designed to simultaneously screen newborns for three rare genetic...
At age 35, one in four Australian women and one in three men were hoping to have a child or more children in the future, writes Karin Hammarberg. But by age 49, about half report they haven’t yet had the number of children they hoped...
Public bottle-feeding feels like public stoning to Megan Howe. I admit it. I’m embarrassed to feed my baby in public. I try to time outings so I don’t need to feed while I’m out shopping or at the doctors’ surgery or at the park. But it’s...
The latest Australian data indicates that the number of human egg-freezing cycles performed each year has increased more than 1000% from 2010 to 2019, reports Molly Johnston Despite this, egg freezing remains prohibitively expensive, with a single cycle costing up to $10,000. Due to these costs,...
Children whose parents smoke have lower test scores and more behavioural issues than kids of non-smokers, reports researcher Preety Pratima Srivastava Children whose parents smoke have lower academic test scores and more behavioural issues than children of non-smokers. These are the findings of our research published in...
