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A new study published in the Journal of Child Development looked at infant exuberant object play at home. “Researchers have long considered play to be a primary context of infant learning,” study author Catherine Tamis-LeMonda told us. “However, studies of play are confined to laboratory tasks. Our study is about how infants interact with objects spontaneously at home. We wanted to know how much infants interacted with objects outside from the laboratory confines, with the objects that they typically have access to in their everyday environments." [More]

Every industrialized country in the world has a maternity leave policy of 12 weeks or more, except the United States. Currently, women make up 47 per cent of the U.S. labor force. Despite that, only 16 per cent of employed Americans have access to paid parental leave. A new study published in the Harvard Review of Psychiatry looked at the impact of paid maternity leave on the mental and physical health of mothers and children. [More]

Why would it matter if infants displayed empathy? “Empathy is defined as the ability to understand the emotion of others, and share in those emotions, while maintaining a self-other distinction,” Florina Uzefovsky, of the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, told us. “As can be understood from the definition, empathy is basic and central in all social communication. This ability allows us to interact with others, to better understand their motives and actions, and to engage in meaningful social relationships.” [More]

Making the decision to reenter the workforce after having a baby is often a difficult challenge faced by many new parents. Returning to work can create emotional conflicts for new mothers, as they are torn between being the primary caretaker, and resuming their employment. However, with effective planning, the end of maternity leave does not have to be met with dread or despair. [More]