Category Archives: Economics of Babies

News Roundup April 30th

By Julie Weatherston | Published: April 30, 2013

More Benefits of Maternity Leave Two studies out of the University of California, Berkeley, suggest that maternity leave makes economic sense in addition to improving health outcomes for mothers and babies. The findings were part of the “Juggling Work and Life During Pregnancy” study, funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau of the U.S. […]

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News Roundup December 3

By Julie Weatherston | Published: December 3, 2012

Proven Interventions Decrease Preterm Births: While preterm births are declining, it is important to focus on prevention to ensure this decline continues. According to an article in The Lancet, there are five proven interventions that can decrease the rate of preterm births. Examples of these interventions include eliminating early caesarian deliveries that are not medically […]

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The Bottom Line

By Julie Weatherston | Published: November 12, 2012

Pediatrician T.Berry Brazelton, in a recent Huffington Post blog The Bottom Line, reminds us that children must be a priority in post-election spending decisions. Unless Congress acts to come up with an alternate way to achieve the needed $1.2 trillion in savings, across-the-board budget cuts will take effect on Jan. 2, 2013. Dr. Brazelton argues […]

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New Report: How Paid Leave Strengthens Families in the 21st Century

By Julie Weatherston | Published: October 5, 2012

 The National Center for Children and Poverty (NCCP) just released a report titled “Building a Competitive Future Right from the Start: How Paid Leave Strengthens Families in the 21st Century” authored by Susan Ochshorn and Curtis Skinner.  The paper includes “a brief history of paid family leave policy, in the United States and abroad; synthesizes […]

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Committee on Economic Development Reports Investment in Child Care and Early Education is Critical to Business and America’s Future

By Julie Weatherston | Published: July 26, 2012

    On June 26, 2012, the Committee on Economic Development (CED), a non-partisan business-led public policy organization, released a report “Unfinished Business: Continued Investment in Child Care and Early Education is Critical to Business and America’s Future”. The report outlines the business case for investing in young children, calls for a national strategy to […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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In the News: Research, Medicine, and Community Support for Our Babies

By Katie Ranftle | Published: May 3, 2012

Giving babies the best chance for healthy, happy, and productive lives requires a lot of hard work and attention, not all of it from parents. So, who is working for our babies? Doctors Good health care can make all the difference for mother and baby, and it’s important to start as soon as possible. While […]

Also posted in Brain Research, News, Prenatal Care | Comments closed

How Would You Improve the Country’s Public Schools?

By Julie Weatherston | Published: March 14, 2012

When Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) asked a panel of education experts at a recent Senate Committee hearing how they’d improve the country’s public schools, they failed to mention early learning. Instead the experts offered ideas on improved assessments, better teacher evaluations and different high school exams. I find this both surprising and perplexing. Research clearly […]

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Research Supports Healthy Returns from Investing In Healthy Babies

By Ron Lally | Published: February 1, 2012

This New Republic article shows new research establishing a causal relationship between trouble in very early childhood and later in life and why it makes economic sense to address this trouble earlier rather than later. The research says childhood adversity causes damage to the brain’s developing architecture and after age two this damage is difficult […]

Also posted in Brain Research | Comments closed