you do have choices, even if not control, and these choices are important.

For these reasons, many doctors are reasonably lax about children’s germ exposure after infancy. But virtually all doctors will suggest you try to avoid exposure to illness in the baby’s first couple of months. One reason for this is simply that the smaller the child, the more vulnerable they are to serious complications. But a second reason is

The Bottom Line There are some broad guidelines for a sleep schedule. Longer nighttime sleep develops around two months. Move to three regular naps around four months. Move to two regular naps around nine months. Move to one regular nap around fifteen to eighteen months. Drop napping around age three. There is tremendous variability across

Notably, there does not seem to be any elevated risk from co-sleeping after three months if both parents are not drinking or smoking.

Many cultures have a tradition of women basically doing nothing for a month or so after birth, while older women in their family take care of them. This isn’t common in the US, but it does give a sense of what this time is like. Just because some fit-pregnancy blogger is back to CrossFit ten days after giving birth does not mean her recovery is

The Bottom Line “Cry it out” methods are effective at encouraging nighttime sleep. There is evidence that using these methods improves outcomes for parents, including less depression and better general mental health. There is no evidence of long- or short-term harm to infants; if anything, there may be some evidence of short-term benefits. There is

The Bottom Line There is good evidence that infants who sleep on their back are at lower risk for SIDS. There is moderate evidence that bed sharing is risky. These risks are much higher if you or your partner smokes or drinks alcohol. There is some less-good evidence that room sharing is beneficial. The benefits to room sharing die out in the first

The Bottom Line Swaddling has been shown to reduce crying and improve sleep. It is important to swaddle in a way that allows the baby to move its legs and hips. Colic is defined as excessive crying. It is self-limiting, meaning it will stop eventually. Changing formula or maternal diet, treatment with a probiotic, or both have shown some positive

We can say, for example, that one year of parental leave versus two years doesn’t influence a child’s high school test scores or earnings in early adulthood.