How does sleep affect children’s intelligence and academic performance? Research on sleep duration, napping, and cognitive development — plus evidence-based bedtime strategies.
Emotional Regulation in Children: How Self-Control Shapes Cognitive Development
How does emotional regulation affect children’s cognitive development? Research on self-control, executive function, and practical strategies for helping children manage emotions and learn effectively.
Video Games and Cognitive Development: What Parents Need to Know
Do video games help or hurt children’s cognitive development? A balanced review of research on gaming and attention, problem-solving, and academic performance.
Premature Birth and IQ: What Research Says About Long-Term Cognitive Outcomes
Approximately 10% of babies worldwide are born prematurely — before 37 weeks of gestation. For parents of preterm infants, particularly those born very early, a pressing question is: how will prematurity affect my child’s cognitive development? Research spanning decades and tens of thousands of preterm-born individuals now provides a clear, …
Does Birth Order Affect Intelligence? What Large-Scale Studies Reveal
The belief that firstborn children are smarter than their younger siblings is one of the most persistent ideas in folk psychology. Parents joke about it, media repeats it, and surprisingly, the research largely supports it — though the effect is far smaller than most people assume and the reasons behind …
How Your Diet During Pregnancy Affects Your Baby’s Brain Development
The nine months of pregnancy represent the most rapid and consequential period of brain development in human life. By birth, a baby’s brain contains roughly 100 billion neurons, nearly all of which were produced during gestation. The nutritional environment during this window has lasting effects on the architecture, connectivity, and …
Does Breastfeeding Make Kids Smarter? A Critical Look at the Evidence
The claim that breastfeeding boosts intelligence is one of the most frequently cited benefits of nursing. Parenting guides, health organizations, and pediatricians routinely include “higher IQ” among the advantages of breast milk. But how strong is the evidence, and how much of the observed association reflects the milk itself versus …
Screen Time and Children’s Intelligence: What the Research Actually Shows
Few topics provoke more parental anxiety than screen time. As smartphones, tablets, and streaming services become embedded in children’s daily lives, a persistent worry has taken hold: is all this screen exposure damaging their cognitive development? The research paints a more nuanced picture than either the alarmists or the dismissives …
Sensorimotor Variability and Early Cognition
A recent study by Denisova and Wolpert (2024) investigates how early sensorimotor features relate to cognitive differences in toddlers diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). By examining over 1,000 children with varying IQ levels, the researchers reveal how sensorimotor variability impacts behaviors linked to autism, providing valuable insights for individualized …
The Role of Maternal Milk Feeding in Neurodevelopmental Outcomes
The study by Belfort et al. (2022) investigates the impact of maternal milk feeding on neurodevelopmental outcomes in preterm infants at 7 years of age. Conducted across multiple Australian perinatal centers, this research provides valuable insights into how early nutrition may influence long-term cognitive and academic performance in children born …