Puzzles Boost Learning Math-Related Skills

"Psychologist Susan Levine, an expert on mathematics development in young children at the University of Chicago, found children who play with puzzles between ages 2 and 4 later develop better spatial skills."

Are Depressed Kids Bully Magnets?

"A new study, published this week in the journal Child Development, provides some of the strongest evidence to date for a third theory: Kids who cry easily, express negative emotions, and show other signs of depression ultimately suffer socially because they are shunned by their peers and attract the attention of bullies."

Study: Web Hinders Youth Social Skills

"Young girls who spend the most time multitasking between various digital devices, communicating online or watching video are the least likely to develop normal social tendencies, according to the survey of 3,461 American girls aged 8 to 12 who volunteered responses."

Risks Seen for Children of Illegal Immigrants

"Children whose parents are illegal immigrants or who lack legal status themselves face 'uniformly negative' effects on their social development throughout youth, a study says."

Not Your Imagination: Kids Today Really are Less Creative, Study Says

"In a 2010 study of about 300,000 creativity tests going back to the 1970s, Kyung Hee Kim, a creativity researcher at the College of William and Mary, found creativity has decreased among American children in recent years."

Cartoon Characters Prod Kids to Nag for Unhealthy Foods

". . .you may have wondered, what makes even preschoolers yearn so desperately for the character-shaped marshmallow cereal? Or the prepackaged frozen meal in the brightly colored box? New research suggests one culprit: those cutesy cartoon characters used to sell foods in TV ads."

Study Links Persistent Depression to Childhood Abuse

"Doctors treating people for depression should delve into the childhoods of their patients before prescribing, because a history of mistreatment has a significant impact on their illness and ability to recover, scientists said Monday."

More U.S. Kids in Hospital for Mental Illness

"American kids are increasingly likely to be admitted to the hospital for mental problems, although rates of non-psychiatric hospitalizations have remained flat, a new study shows."

Junk Food Still Stars in TV Ads Seen By Kids

"Children are seeing fewer sugary, fatty foods advertised on TV, but unhealthy fare still makes up the bulk of food commercials they see, a new study suggests."

Cellphones Don't Increase Cancer Risk in Kids, Study Says

"Using cellphones doesn't increase children's cancer risk, according to the latest in a series of studies that find no relationship between the phones and brain tumors."

Child Personalities Linked to Stress

"Children's personalities -- cautious and submissive or bold and assertive -- are linked to their chemical response to stress, U.S. researchers say."

Study Finds Kids Who Surf Internet Are Better Readers

"Parents might label it a waste of time but the hours spent surfing the internet, chatting online, and even on the dreaded Facebook appear to improve children's reading skills, The Australian reported Wednesday."

Report: Fight Fat Even in Toddlers, Preschoolers

"Children don't usually outgrow their baby fat — and a new report warns that it's time for steps to help prevent babies, toddlers and preschoolers from getting too pudgy too soon."

Many Children Not Getting Enough Exercise: Study

"Many American youngsters are not getting enough physical activity and parents are failing to make their children's health a priority, according to a new study."

Preschoolers Show Ethnic Preferences

"Canadian researchers say a study of preschoolers suggests young children may have a preference for interacting with kids of their own ethnic group."

Child Abuse May Change Brain

"Physical, sexual or emotional abuse in childhood increases the risk of depression in teens by altering a person's response to stress, Canadian researchers say."

Ostracized Overweight Kids Eat More

"When overweight children feel left out or ostracized, they tend to eat more and exercise less, new research shows."

Kids Can Rebound Quickly After Mom's Depression Lifts: Study

"Successful treatment of major depression in mothers also leads to improved mental health for their children, according to a new study."

Study: 80 Percent of Children Under 5 Use Internet Weekly

"Nearly 80% of children between the ages of 0 and 5 use the Internet on at least a weekly basis in the United States, according to a report released Monday from education non-profit organizations Joan Ganz Cooney Center and Sesame Workshop."