Pregnancy and Parenting
From conception to cradle, the Pregnancy and Parenting Channel guides you on the journey to parenthood. Learn what to expect when you're expecting.
What Is an Ectopic Pregnancy?
The Shocking Story of Lina Medina, Who Gave Birth at Age 5
How Unregulated Sperm Donation Leads to 'Fertility Fraud'
What Did People Do Before Infant Formula Was Invented?
Baby Won't Sleep? 5 Tips From a Baby Sleep Coach
Sometimes Babies Are Born With Teeth
Spanking Has Declined Sharply in the U.S. in Last 25 Years, Study Finds
American Academy of Pediatrics Says Spanking Is Ineffective
You Can't Name Your Baby That!
Despite What You Think, Today's Teens Are Better Adjusted Than Gen X Teens
Certain Adolescent Brains Can't Stop Gaming. That's Good and Bad — Here's Why
Does your teen have too much responsibility?
What can you do at home to help childhood depression?
What are some fun activities for blind children?
What are some fun things to do with kids who have cancer?
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A fertilized egg travels through the fallopian tube, implants in the uterus and nine months later, a bouncing baby is born. But what happens if the egg implants and begins to grow somewhere other than the uterus?
The world's youngest mother, Lina Medina, gave birth to a healthy baby boy at age 5 in 1939. But how could that happen?
By Dave Roos
In most of the world, infant formula is taken for granted. But during a shortage, you start to wonder how mothers got along before it was widespread.
By Alia Hoyt
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Many families felt duped and deceived by the sperm banks they used after their children were born with heritable illnesses. So they sued. Are strict regulations next?
By Naomi Cahn
Parents in the U.S. are spanking their kids much less often than they did in the past. A study looked at the decline between 1993 and 2017.
HowStuffWorks contributor Cherise Threewitt was due to deliver her baby in late March. She never knew that would mean she'd be having her child in the midst of a global pandemic.
For new parents, one of the biggest challenges is getting their newborn to sleep. We talked to an expert to find out the biggest mistakes people make and how to avoid them.
By Wendy Bowman
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An Austrian woman who had just given birth began producing milk in breast tissue located in her vulva.
We mostly associate postpartum depression with new moms. But studies show that new dads experience it, as well.
By John Donovan
What harm could it do, right? Turns out, quite a bit.
The dark line that runs down a pregnant woman's belly is completely normal, and it even has a fancy Latin name.
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Last time the American Academy of Pediatrics weighed in on corporal punishment, it was to say we shouldn't spank children in schools. Now it says we shouldn't spank children at home, either.
Believe it or not, about one in every 2,500 babies is born with a tooth or three.
And you thought you felt old because you had three kids? While that may be true, they're not the only thing to blame.
Having a baby? You can name your little bundle of joy anything you want to, right? Well, not so fast — there are some rules.
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Animals of all stripes lick their babies clean after birth. Why is it that human women don't?
Doulas don't have any medical training but many mothers depend on them to be in the delivery room to offer support. What do mothers like about doulas and how do you become one?
By Alia Hoyt
C-sections are life-saving interventions for many women. Could they also be messing with natural selection?
More women are choosing to ingest their encapsulated placentas because of the supposed benefits they get after childbirth. But what does science have to say?
By Alia Hoyt
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You've tried to conceive and can't, so you adopt. Then boom, you get pregnant. What gives?
By Alia Hoyt
A new study confirms that sperm counts of men in Western countries are plummeting.
By Sarah Gleim
Very little is known about what or how fetuses see. This study shows their vision capabilities are more advanced than previously thought.
By Alia Hoyt
Many latchkey kids remember their time fondly, even though they wouldn't leave their own kids alone.
By Dave Roos
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Sometimes, their old-school methods are benign. But other times, they're seriously risky, according to a new study.
The registry would be used to track donor well-being and learn more about breast cancer and other health risks. But for some, it raises privacy concerns.
By Chris Opfer