Author Archives: Katie Ranftle

News Roundup: September 20

By Katie Ranftle | Published: September 20, 2012

Safety Alert: The FDA has issued an update to a 2011 warning regarding the link between infant digestive aid “Simply Thick” and the inflammatory intestinal disorder, necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in premature infants. While the previous warning related only to infants born before 37 weeks gestation, the FDA now recommends no use of the product with […]

News Roundup: September 12

By Katie Ranftle | Published: September 12, 2012

Prenatal Care Finding high-quality prenatal care is often challenging, particularly if it’s not just physical care that’s required. In Slate’s recent three-part series, Not Just the Pregnancy Blues, Jessica Grose explores some of the complex issues surrounding mental health care during pregnancy—from her own and other women’s stories of struggling with depression and finding the […]

Posted in News, Paid Family Leave, Prenatal Care | Comments closed

Champions in the Field: Dr. T. Berry Brazelton

By Katie Ranftle | Published: September 7, 2012

Our knowledge about what’s going on in babies’ brains in their earliest days, weeks, and months has grown by leaps and bounds in the last 65 years, and Dr. T. Berry Brazelton has seen it happen. But more than just watching, Dr. Brazelton has been an instrumental force for change in how we understand and […]

Posted in Brain Research, Champions | Comments closed

Paid Leave Policies: Google Steps Up

By Katie Ranftle | Published: August 29, 2012

For more than a decade, Google has been where millions of people go daily in the quest for answers. But according to an article published by the New York Times on August 22, the company recently had to do some digging for answers of their own. In particular, they found themselves asking what, exactly, they […]

Posted in News, Paid Family Leave | Comments closed

What Does It Mean to Be a Dad Now? Looking at “The New Dad” Reports

By Katie Ranftle | Published: June 17, 2012

It’s a mother’s job to nurture; a good father just needs to be a good provider. Sound familiar? It’s one of the most common myths of the American family, and in the past it may even have been a mostly true description of how some families functioned. But the world as we were shown it […]

Posted in Economics of Babies, Fatherhood, Quality Infant/Toddler Care | Comments closed

News Roundup: June 14

By Katie Ranftle | Published: June 14, 2012

We’ve got a lot of wide-ranging news to share with you this week, from an interview with a business owner turned stay-at-home dad to research on how preschool teachers are (or are not) prepared for dealing with young children’s emotional development. But before that, just a reminder to all the dads out there that we’d […]

Posted in News, Paid Family Leave, Quality Infant/Toddler Care, Screening & Follow-Up Services | Comments closed

How Do Babies Learn? Exploring the Work of Dr. Alison Gopnik

By Katie Ranftle | Published: June 11, 2012

It’s almost universally recognizable, the wide-eyed, curious gaze of a baby experiencing things for the first time. For babies, everything is new and holding almost infinite possibility, which is one of the things that makes their process of learning how to interact with the world so fascinating. With a background in Psychology and Philosophy, Dr. […]

Posted in Brain Research | Comments closed

News Roundup: June 7

By Katie Ranftle | Published: June 7, 2012

Rhode Island Kids Count knows how important a strong start is for giving children the best chance is in life. In a recent presentation on on the economic, health, educational, and developmental trends for children in Pawtucket, representatives for the organization discussed the positive impact that timely prenatal care, high-quality childcare, and in-home support programs […]

Posted in Economics of Babies, News, Prenatal Care, Screening & Follow-Up Services, Well Baby Care | Comments closed

Calling All Dads! It’s Time to Share Your Stories

By Katie Ranftle | Published: June 6, 2012

With Father’s Day just around the corner, we’ll be spending some time next week looking at dads’ experiences in their children’s early years. You can help us explore the challenges and triumphs of fatherhood by sharing your stories. What kinds of stories? For starters, we’d love to hear about: How you’ve balanced job and family […]

Posted in Paid Family Leave, Prenatal Care, Quality Infant/Toddler Care, Screening & Follow-Up Services, Talking About For Our Babies, Well Baby Care | Comments closed

News Roundup: May 24

By Katie Ranftle | Published: May 24, 2012

For Our Babies @ The Huffington Post In his most recent blog for the Huffington Post, Ron Lally discusses how the lack of paid family leave in the United States does great disservice to families, increasing the risks of physical, emotional, and financial strain. It’s not just the lack of paid leave, though, that leaves […]