Kristina Cappetta

Table of contents
The COVID-19 pandemic has been linked to many health issues and now researchers are looking into whether it’s responsible for early puberty in more girls. Pediatricians in the U.S., Italy, India, and around the world, have all reported increased cases of early puberty since the pandemic started.
Early onset puberty, also known as precocious puberty, occurs when children begin experiencing the changes seen in puberty earlier than age 8 in girls and age 9 in boys, which are co...

What could possibly be worse than a notice from your child’s principal about naughty behavior or less-than-stellar grades? A letter informing you that your child has lice, of course. Unfortunately, it’s quite a common problem. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), head lice are especially prevalent in day cares, preschools and elementary schools: An estimated 6 to 12 million infestations occur every year in the US among children ages 3 to 11. Your best bet for ban...

Preschool is your child’s first taste of “big kid” school, and if it’s your first child, it’s likely to be your first experience as well. Because of this, you may have plenty of questions when it comes to preschool age and programs. When searching for a preschool program, you may notice some call themselves “pre-K” while others use the term “preschool.” Many parents often ask if there’s even a difference.
Essentially, preschool and pre-K are the same thing: education prior to kindergarten. De...

Your little one asks for a sippy cup. You give them a sippy cup. And suddenly, all hell breaks loose. What’s going on? It could have been the wrong color cup, or maybe you put it down on the table instead of putting it into their hands—who knows. The one thing that’s abundantly clear is that you’re witnessing a tantrum. Read on to learn why kids throw temper tantrums and how to deal with—and better yet, avoid—those emotional breakdowns.
The best way to define “tantrum” is an uncontrolled outb...

Lice. The word alone makes parents squirm. But while they’re definitely something we all want to avoid, the good news is that lice aren’t a serious health threat—just an uncomfortable nuisance that you’ll want to get rid of as soon as possible. And to do that, knowing what those pesky little bugs look like and how to check for lice is key.
Lice are tiny bugs about the size of a sesame seed. “They have six tiny legs and little claws that help them grab the hair,” says Ruben Espinoza, MD, a ped...

“Don’t worry, honey. It will get easier.” It’s something new moms hear all the time from well-meaning relatives. We can’t say it’s true for all things baby, but when it comes to finally getting more sleep, you can bet that there’s light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. That’s because at some point, baby’s cries will be less likely to jolt you awake just as you’re settling into a dream. She’ll sleep for hours—yes, that’s hours with an “s”!—on end, and you’ll be able to, once again, indulge...

For nine months you prep and plan for baby’s arrival. You read books, watch videos and maybe even take a birthing class or two. But while movies and TV shows have led many of us to believe both labor and delivery happen while lying on your back with your legs spread wide, anyone who’s been through the experience will tell you it doesn’t have to play out that way.
There are actually a variety of labor positions you can assume during the first phases of childbirth and a whole other set that mak...

Students at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) are taking virtual trips to China to help them learn Mandarin Chinese. The Troy, New York university is working together with IBM to bring students to the streets of China as they immerse themselves in the virtual culture to learn the language. It’s all part of a new course being offered this summer.
Instead of sitting in a classroom 24/7, students spend half of their course time in a 360-degree virtual environment where they can practice Man...

*In honor of Mother’s Day, Parentology is sharing stories from people who have women that hold a special place in their lives. Someone other than their mother. Someone they cherish and hold dear. Other Mothers.
When I think about childhood memories, there aren’t many that don’t include my grandmother. She was one of those people everyone loved. She was fun, smart and a killer cook. Most of all, she enjoyed life, no matter what was thrown at her.
My grandmother didn’t worry about anything. If ...

While some teens may be busy playing video games and texting their friends, one teen from Ireland is trying to free the ocean from unwanted plastic. Eighteen-year-old Fionn Ferreira recently won $50,000 in the Google Science Fair in Mountain View, California for his invention to remove microplastics from the water.
“I love being immersed in nature…because of this, I have become passionate about the wellbeing of our lovely environment,” Ferreira tells Parentology. “This has made me interested ...

A new study shows a child’s mental health may suffer in a big way if they’re allowed to access social media from the age of two. The study done by UK-based charity group Barnado raises concerns about how social media exposure at a young age can affect kids and their communication skills.
Rebecca Berry, PhD, Clinical Professor in the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at NYU Langone Health, tells Parentology research finds social media usage is associated with lowered self-esteem du...