Latest Childhood Stories

ROCKPORT, Maine, Oct. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Falling leaves, chilly temperatures, and shorter days signal the arrival of fall and the beginning of the Indoor Play Season. It's the time of year when toddlers increasingly spend more time each day indoors. But, just because children are inside more doesn't mean they need less active play time. In fact, growing children need physical activities to support their development every day of the year. (Photo:...

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., Oct. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A new global television message from Celine Dion calls on families to use social media to connect with each other and ask governments to take action to prevent premature births and save babies' lives. The campaign is a joint effort of the March of Dimes, the Partnership for Maternal Newborn and Child Health, Save the Children and the World Health Organization. "I share the fears and concerns of all parents knowing that more...

WAYNE, N.J., Oct. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- As children begin to write their letters to Santa with care and parents start to devise their holiday shopping strategies, Toys"R"Us(®) today announced four emerging trends it expects to impact toy-buying decisions this holiday season. Representative of these top trends are toys based on tiny tots' favorite characters, kid-friendly tablets, "rad" playthings from the '80s that are making a comeback and items that offer fun light-up...

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., Oct. 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Amerigroup Foundation presented Rep. John Zerwas of Richmond, Texas, with its "Champion for Children" award and contributed $2,500 to the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Fort Bend, Texas. "I'm honored to be recognized by the Amerigroup Foundation," said Rep. Zerwas. "I'd like to thank the folks at CASA, especially the volunteers who stand up for the most vulnerable children in Fort Bend County and work to provide...

DETROIT, Oct. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Nurses, doctors, lactation consultants, hospital administrators and physician leaders representing scores of birthing centers in hospitals across Michigan gathered today at the Michigan MotherBaby Summit to promote hospital policies that encourage breastfeeding. "You can't overstate the impact hospitals have," said pediatrician and Michigan summit organizer Dr. Paula Schreck. She also serves as breastfeeding coordinator at St. John...

WAYNE, N.J., Oct. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Toys"R"Us, Inc. today announced that it has launched Toys"R"Us Movies((TM)), a brand-new digital entertainment service that provides families instant access to the movies and TV shows kids love. Available at ToysrusMovies.com, the service features more than 4,000 titles, specially selected to supply hours of entertainment and fun for parents and children. In addition, the service is equipped with easy-to-use, customizable parental controls...

CHICAGO, Oct. 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Get ready to discover the Woohoo! factor! The American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) announced today the launch of YourNeighborhoodToyStore.org, a new website designed to celebrate the thrill, excitement and fun of finding and playing with today's best toys. Packed with expert advice on toys and play for children of all ages, the new website encourages parents to embrace the "woohoo!" factor of shopping and playing locally....

Lawrence LeBlond for redOrbit.com - Your Universe Online A recent national study has found that serious cases of child abuse have increased slightly over the last decade or longer, and has also suggested that downward trends found in previous studies have reflected more on reporting changes rather than real improvement in abuse cases. The Yale School of Medicine study, published in the November issue of Pediatrics (online Oct. 1), showed that between 1997 and 2009, cases of serious...

EMERYVILLE, Calif., Sept. 28, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE: LF), the leader in educational entertainment, today announced LeapPad2 and LeapsterGS were honored by the Time to Play team as "Most Wanted" holiday toys. The esteemed "Most Wanted" list predicts the most in-demand toys for the 2012 holiday season. Toys are selected based on their value, longevity and entertainment features. The Time to Play team of experts and toy industry veterans...

Connie K. Ho for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online In this day and age, branding has become the solution for many businesses. With social media websites like Facebook and Twitter, people can even become their own brands. However, there is a dark side to all this branding. Researchers from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and the University of Kansas Medical Center recently discovered that fast food logos may be “imprinted” on the brains of young children, causing them to...