This post is part 2 in a series. Read Part 1 here. Vaginal birth initiates profound physiological, neurological, and behavioral changes in both mothers and infants. In addition to preparing the ...

In the shadow of America’s shameful maternal death rate lies another pervasive health crisis: nearly one-third of U.S. births are by Cesarean section. This means that over a million new Americans ...

Newborns' brains may look relatively smaller than those of other primate babies, but it's not because they're "underdeveloped" by comparison. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn ...

Human babies are born remarkably helpless, a deliberate evolutionary advantage. This early dependence allows for extended ...

Human fingers and toes do not grow outward; instead, they form from within a larger foundational bud, as intervening cells recede to reveal the digits beneath. This is among many processes captured ...

Before age 5, a baby's brain grows rapidly, undergoing a uniquely important moment in development. Yet, many don't understand just how critical it is for setting a person's foundation for thriving.

How do the lungs develop after taking their first breaths outside the womb? What cellular events and changes early in life give rise to lung malfunction and disease? To help answer these questions, ...

The collarbones of a human fetus grow more slowly just before birth, with growth then speeding up again during early childhood – probably an evolutionary compromise that allows humans’ relatively wide ...

The human gut microbiota is transmitted from mother to infant through vaginal birth and breastfeeding. Bifidobacterium, a genus that dominates the infants’ gut, is adapted to breast milk in its ...