Growing up WEIRD Podcast

If you like to listen - hit play. If you prefer to read, click the transcript button top right on the web version.In this episode, Greg Dickens and I discuss recent news on how starting nursery influences a baby’s microbiomes and how giving cash gifts to parents affects a child’s biological aging. We then discuss how sugar rationing in childhood affects adulthood anxiety and taste preferences, and how coordinated smartphone ownership delay in primary schools affects children’s mental health needs and psychiatric referrals. We then talk about why babies shouldn’t be frustrated, and what we can do in our baby-frustrating Western cultures to protect them. Finally, we talk about pacifier use in older babies - why it’s a bad idea and how we can wean ourselves and our babies off them.For more information on how to reduce baby frustration, see this article: https://guenbradbury.substack.com/p/making-children-unfrustratable-part-df0For more information on how to optimise child frustration, see this article:https://guenbradbury.substack.com/p/making-children-unfrustratable-part-df0For more information on why pacifier/dummy use increases the risk of crooked teeth, see this article: https://guenbradbury.substack.com/p/biting-off-less-than-we-can-chewMy veterinary degree taught me about mammalian body systems.My career in health research taught me about Western health and Western bodies.Spending 18 months living with my three children in remote African and South American communities taught me about human health and human bodies in other cultural environments.I share what I’ve learned about child physical health and development in bi-weekly articles and podcast episodes.Everything is free, but if you find my work useful and would like to show your support, you can now upgrade – completely optional, always appreciated.Topics covered* Why is baby-to-baby transmission of microbiome species important, and what can we learn from studying babies in daycare?* How does giving cash gifts to parents influence how fast their toddlers age (biologically, that is)?* How does early-life sugar restriction affect a child’s risk of anxiety, and their later preferences for sweet foods?* How does the Smartphone Free Childhood’s Parent Pact influence children’s mental health needs?* How can we avoid frustrating babies, and why is this important?* How can we wean babies off pacifiers?Recent episodesNotes“Baby-to-baby strain transmission shapes the developing gut microbiome” https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09983-z“Effects of a randomized controlled trial of unconditional cash transfers on epigenetic measures of ageing and cognition in children and mothers” https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-026-02568-4“Dietary sugar exposure in early life and risk of adult mental health disorders: UK Biobank cohort study” https://www.nature.com/articles/s41398-026-04376-w_reference.pdf“Using a matched difference-in-differences design, I compare changes in children’s mental-health needs in English schools where a large share of parents signed with changes in similar schools where very few did. Where at least one fifth of families signed, school-recorded social, emotional and mental health need falls by around 8 percent of the counterfactual. At the same time, child psychiatric disability claims, determined independently by the Department for Work and Pensions, also fall by about 6 percent in the same communities.” https://ifs.org.uk/publications/smartphones-and-childrens-mental-health Get full access to Growing up WEIRD at guenbradbury.substack.com/subscribe

If you like to listen - hit play. If you prefer to read, click the transcript button top right on the web version.In this episode, Greg Dickens and I discuss recent news on how a child’s microbiome is associated with their risk of type 1 diabetes, how different types of risk factors predict the later risk of cardiovascular disease, and how a person’s birth order affects their risk of different diseases. We then talk about how independent mobility might influence a child’s wellbeing, and how different types of light affect the risk of short-sightedness in tree shrews. We then talk about frustration tolerance, why children need it, and how we can help them learn this skill. Finally, we talk about our children’s school’s new sliced-grape policy, and the risks it poses to children’s health.For more information on how to reduce parental frustration, see this article: https://guenbradbury.substack.com/p/making-children-unfrustratable-part-df0For more information on allergy development, see this podcast episode:https://guenbradbury.substack.com/p/avoiding-allergiesMy veterinary degree taught me about mammalian body systems.My career in health research taught me about Western health and Western bodies.Spending 18 months living with my three children in remote African and South American communities taught me about human health and human bodies in other cultural environments.I share what I’ve learned about child physical health and development in bi-weekly articles and podcast episodes.Everything is free, but if you find my work useful and would like to show your support, you can now upgrade – completely optional, always appreciated.Topics covered* How is a child’s microbiome associated with their risk of type 1 diabetes?* How do different frameworks for assessing cardiovascular risk compare, and what do they tell us about the health of young adults in the US?* How does a person’s birth order affect their risk of different diseases?* Why might independent mobility reduce a child’s wellbeing?* How do different types of light affect the risk of shortsightedness in tree shrews?* Why do children need to be frustrated?* What does ‘good frustration’ look like for children, and how can we provide it?* What are the unintended consequences of asking parents of school-age children to cut up grapes?Recent episodesNotesGut microbiome maturation in early childhood interacts with host genetics to predict type 1 diabetes risk https://www.nature.com/articles/s42255-026-01614-9“Among 1283 FF-CHAYA participants (mean [SD] age, 22.9 [0.7] years; 54.4% women), 20.7% of participants were classified as Stage 0 CKM (no risk factors), 40.2% as Stage 1 CKM (excess adiposity), 36.2% as Stage 2 CKM (metabolic risk factors), and 2.8% as Stage 3 CKM (subclinical cardiovascular disease or advanced kidney disease).” https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCOUTCOMES.125.013042 “First-borns carry excess risk for neurodevelopmental conditions (other/unspecified pervasive-developmental-disorder (PDD) code group odds ratio (OR) = 0.57, autism OR = 0.74, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder OR = 0.93) and immune-allergic diseases (food allergy OR = 0.80, allergic rhinitis OR = 0.91); second-borns for substance abuse (OR = 1.19) and gastrointestinal conditions (gastritis/duodenitis OR = 1.14).” https://www.nature.com/articles/s44360-026-00177-z“Greater independent mobility was associated with lower wellbeing in children” https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666558126001041“Prevention of myopia in a near-primate by supplemental indigo light suggests a hypothesis for the myopia boom” https://www.cell.com/cell-reports-medicine/fulltext/S2666-3791(26)00416-7“Should peanut be allowed in schools? Yes” https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5638466/“The present findings show that entitlement is the type of frustration intolerance belief that contributes the most to bullying involvement. Interventions targeting irrational entitlement beliefs and reinforcing rational ones could be considered when dealing with adolescent bullying.” https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10942-021-00402-6“Results indicated that maternal psychological control positively predicts frustration intolerance, and that in turn, frustration intolerance positively predicts school learned helplessness.” https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0143034318775140“Regarding unhealthy emotions, structural equation modeling (SEM) analyses (model A) indicated that discomfort intolerance and emotional intolerance had a significant relationship with state anxiety, trait anxiety, and depression. The discomfort intolerance and entitlement sub-scales had a significant relationship with state anger and trait anger, while entitlement directly predicted trait anger.” https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0143034318775140“Tonic irritability was independently associated with concurrent parent-reported temperamental negative affectivity and internalizing and externalizing disorders at age 6 and predicted higher rates of internalizing psychopathology, and suicidal ideation, in adolescence. Phasic irritability was independently associated with concurrent parent-reported temperamental negative affectivity, surgency, and low effortful control, maladaptive parenting styles and practices, and externalizing disorders at age 6, and predicted higher rates of externalizing psychopathology in adolescence” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36029221/Among youths, the prevalence of irritability ranges from 20–30% under a broad definition to 1–3% for severe chronic forms. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00787-024-02591-8“Many parents and schools try to implement a ‘ban’ certain foods (such as nuts) from school premises. However, we do not recommend a ‘no nut policy’ in schools, as it is not possible to guarantee and enforce a nut free zone, as staff cannot monitor all lunches and snacks brought in from home. A free from environment creates a false sense of security and does not safely prepare children for environments where nuts may be present.” https://www.allergyuk.org/schools/for-schools/ Get full access to Growing up WEIRD at guenbradbury.substack.com/subscribe

If you like to listen - hit play. If you prefer to read, click the transcript button top right on the web version.In this episode, Greg Dickens and I discuss recent news on how a child’s exposure to interparental violence is linked to their risk of cancer in adulthood. We talk about the effects of early life sleep deprivation and sugar restriction on the risk of dementia, and then review a paper on the skills required for children to stay home alone. We then talk about frustration tolerance - what it is, why it’s important, and why we might try avoiding modelling frustration behaviours for children. Finally, we talk about how we try to set children up to not want sugar.For more information on how to reduce parental frustration, see this article: https://guenbradbury.substack.com/p/making-children-unfrustratable-part For more information on helping children to not want sugar, see this article: https://guenbradbury.substack.com/p/raising-children-who-dont-want-sugarMy veterinary degree taught me about mammalian body systems.My career in health research taught me about Western health and Western bodies.Spending 18 months living with my three children in remote African and South American communities taught me about human health and human bodies in other cultural environments.I share what I’ve learned about child physical health and development in bi-weekly articles and podcast episodes.Everything is free, but if you find my work useful and would like to show your support, you can now upgrade – completely optional, always appreciated.Topics covered* How does exposure to interparental violence affects a child’s later cancer risk?* How does early-life sleep deprivation affect a mouse’s risk of dementia?* How does sugar restriction in infancy affect later brain health?* Why should we raise children who aren’t easily frustrated?* How can we reduce our own frustration?* How much sugar do our own children eat?Recent episodesNotes“Long-term impact of childhood exposure to interparental physical violence on cancer risk in adulthood: a prospective cohort study” https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/20008066.2026.2708407“Effects of early adulthood chronic sleep disruption on late life cognition, brain pathology, and microglial reactivity in the PS19 mouse model of tauopathy” https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-63866-5“Association of Sugar Restriction in Utero Through Age 2 Years on Dementia Risk Later in Life” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42525901/“Home alone: aligning childhood supervision guidelines with child neurodevelopment” Full article here: https://academic.oup.com/pch/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/pch/pxag059/8732036 and commentary from the author here: https://theconversation.com/when-can-your-child-stay-home-alone-neuroscience-suggests-were-asking-the-wrong-question-288575 Get full access to Growing up WEIRD at guenbradbury.substack.com/subscribe

If you like to listen - hit play. If you prefer to read, click the transcript button top right on the web version.In this episode, Greg Dickens and I discuss recent news on how outdoor play in preschoolers predicts their risk of mental health problems in later childhood. We talk about biological aging in different generations, and how that influences people’s risk of disease. We then talk about toddlers falling over - why it’s so vital for body and brain health and why toddlers don’t fall down as much as they should. We talk about how we can set toddlers up to fall more in early life so they fall less in adulthood. Finally we talk about tree climbing - why it’s important, and what simple rules support safe climbing.For more information on how toddlers learn from falling, see this article: https://guenbradbury.substack.com/p/dont-stop-your-child-falling-overFor more information on helping children develop upper body strength, see this article: https://guenbradbury.substack.com/p/why-hanging-by-the-arms-helps-childrenMy veterinary degree taught me about mammalian body systems.My career in health research taught me about Western health and Western bodies.Spending 18 months living with my three children in remote African and South American communities taught me about human health and human bodies in other cultural environments.I share what I’ve learned about child physical health and development in weekly articles and podcast episodes.Everything is free, but if you find my work useful and would like to show your support, you can now upgrade – completely optional, always appreciated.Topics covered* How outdoor play in early life affects children’s risk of mental health problems* Why different generations age at different speeds, and what affects this* Why falling over is so important for toddlers* Why toddlers don’t fall over enough* How to help toddlers fall over more* Whether children should climb treesRecent episodesNotesEarly outdoor play predicts trajectories of child mental health in a population-based cohort: https://acamh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jcpp.70175Biological aging and generational shifts in early-onset cancer risk: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-026-04448-w Get full access to Growing up WEIRD at guenbradbury.substack.com/subscribe

If you like to listen - hit play. If you prefer to read, click the transcript button top right on the web version.In this episode, Greg Dickens and I discuss recent news on how children’s willingness to take risks during play affects how they take risks when crossing the road. We talk about air pollution and about the recently renamed ‘PCOS’ (now Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome). We talk about how ultraprocessed food reprograms taste preferences, and how certain probiotics affect that. We then discuss our recent article on satiety - helping children to feel full. Finally, we discuss what to do if your toddler doesn’t want to consume anything other than milk.For more information on how to set children up to recognise when they are full, see this article: https://guenbradbury.substack.com/p/how-do-we-help-children-stop-eatingFor more information on picky eating, see this article: https://guenbradbury.substack.com/p/why-arent-all-children-picky-eatersMy veterinary degree taught me about mammalian body systems.My career in health research taught me about Western health and Western bodies.Spending 18 months living with my three children in remote African and South American communities taught me about human health and human bodies in other cultural environments.I share what I’ve learned about child physical health and development in weekly articles and podcast episodes.Everything is free, but if you find my work useful and would like to show your support, you can now upgrade – completely optional, always appreciated.Topics covered* How children’s risk willingness affects their ability to cross roads* When air pollution affects children most, and what we can do* Why PCOS has been renamed* How ultraprocessed food affects taste preferences in children, and what probiotics do to this* How children learn to feel full* How to help older babies satisfy their hunger with food rather than milkRecent episodesNotesThe developmental importance of risky play: A cross-national virtual reality study: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272494426001635 Prenatal and early life exposure to air pollution and lung function development aged 8-24 years: The ALSPAC study: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0013935126006080Polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, the new name for polycystic ovary syndrome: a multistep global consensus process: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)00717-8/fulltextEarly Exposure to High-Sucrose Diet Leads to Deteriorated Ovarian Health: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8092397/Bifidobacterium longum and prebiotic interventions restore early-life high-fat/high-sugar diet-induced alterations in feeding behavior in adult mice: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-68968-2 Get full access to Growing up WEIRD at guenbradbury.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Greg Dickens and I discuss recent news on how environmental exposures in early childhood affect adulthood health, and on the link between low socioeconomic status in childhood and worse physical health in adulthood. We talk about muscular strength and how it influences cognitive and psychological health. We then discuss last week’s article on laundry and health. Finally, we discuss the tradeoffs between washing harmful chemicals off the skin and damaging the skin barrier.For more information on how to do laundry in a way that reduces harms to health, see this article: https://guenbradbury.substack.com/p/weird-laundry-habits-can-increaseFor more information on how often to wash children, see this article: https://guenbradbury.substack.com/p/how-clean-should-children-beMy veterinary degree taught me about mammalian body systems.My career in health research taught me about Western health and Western bodies.Spending 18 months living with my three children in remote African and South American communities taught me about human health and human bodies in other cultural environments.I share what I’ve learned about child physical health and development in weekly articles and podcast episodes.Everything is free, but if you find my work useful and would like to show your support, you can now upgrade – completely optional, always appreciated.Topics covered* Why are environmental effects in early life so important to a child’s risk of future disease?* What mediates the link between low socioeconomic status in childhood and chronic disease in adulthood?* Why is muscular strength important for brain health in old age?* Why do we do laundry, what are the health effects, and how can we do it better?* How should we weigh up the risks of environmental toxins with the risks of washing clothes and skin?Recent episodesNotesUnderstanding environmental exposures in early life for lifelong health (Nature Comment paper): https://www.nature.com/articles/s44360-026-00130-0.epdfBreastfeeding may lessen socioeconomic disparities in child health through differences in the infant gut microbiome: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666379126001722Kicking Back Cognitive Ageing: Leg Power Predicts Cognitive Ageing after Ten Years in Older Female Twins https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4789972/The Association between Lower Extremity Muscular Strength and Cognitive Function in a National Sample of Older Adults https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6239135/Investigating the mediating effect of myokines on exercise-induced cognitive changes in older adults: A living systematic review and meta-analysis https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40998287/ Get full access to Growing up WEIRD at guenbradbury.substack.com/subscribe

If you like to listen - hit play. If you prefer to read, click the transcript button top right on the web version.In this episode, Greg Dickens and I discuss recent news on how hanging and swinging from the arms affects the length and strength of our upper body muscles. We discuss how SSRI antidepressants alter gut function, and how new drug targets may better help new mothers. We then talk about the links between sugar and metabolic syndrome, and how the scientific understanding is evolving. We then discuss children’s independent mobility and exploration - what it is, why it’s important, and why it’s hard to provide in our culture. We then talk about how we navigate this, and how we reassure other adults in our community. Finally, we talk about what movements are important for setting up abdominal muscles that are the right length and strength.* For more information on childhood exploration and independent mobility, see this article: https://guenbradbury.substack.com/p/children-love-to-get-lost-what-happens* For more information on how sucking in your belly affects your health, see this article: https://guenbradbury.substack.com/p/should-kids-suck-their-bellies-inMy veterinary degree taught me about mammalian body systems.My career in health research taught me about Western health and Western bodies.Spending 18 months living with my three children in remote African and South American communities taught me about human health and human bodies in other cultural environments.I share what I’ve learned about child physical health and development in weekly articles and podcast episodes.Everything is free, but if you find my work useful and would like to show your support, you can now upgrade – completely optional, always appreciated.Topics covered* How does hanging and swinging from the arms (or ‘brachiating’) affects the length and strength of our upper body muscles? * How do SSRI antidepressants affect gut function in babies, and how can we reduce the risk of depression in mothers?* What do we know about sugar and metabolic syndrome?* Why do children need to explore, and why is this hard to enable in our culture?* How do we reassure other adults in our community?* What movements are important for setting up abdominal muscles that are the right length and strength?Recent episodesNotes“This theoretical paper proposes that brachiation-based movements—particularly unilateral hanging with oscillatory perturbation—may offer a biomechanically optimal approach for addressing Upper Crossed Syndrome and related postural dysfunctions by restoring muscle activation patterns consistent with our evolutionary heritage.” https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1360859226000148“These findings provide fundamental insights into how the gastrointestinal tract modulates emotional behaviors, reveal a novel gut-targeted therapeutic approach for mood modulation, and suggest a new link in humans between in utero SSRI exposure and DGBI development.” https://www.gastrojournal.org/article/S0016-5085(24)05751-2/fulltextGuardian article on Barnardo’s and baby boxes to reduce stress on families: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/apr/09/four-in-10-uk-parents-struggle-to-afford-newborn-babies-essentials-study-barnardos“Under modern conditions of overnutrition, chronic excess fructose drives features of metabolic syndrome. Emerging evidence further links fructose to cancer and dementia.” https://www.nature.com/articles/s42255-026-01506-y Get full access to Growing up WEIRD at guenbradbury.substack.com/subscribe

If you like to listen - hit play. If you prefer to read, click the ‘transcript’ button top right. In this episode, Greg Dickens and I discuss recent news on risk factors for food allergies in babies and children and on the cost of raising children in the US. We then talk about bellies - what they are, how they shape our health, and why we need to avoid sucking them in. Finally, we talk about sunscreen - does sunscreen increase the risk of cancer more than sunlight does? And what other risks might we want to consider?* For more information on setting children up for better belly health, see this article: https://guenbradbury.substack.com/p/should-kids-suck-their-bellies-in* For more information on setting children’s guts up for better long-term health, see this article: https://guenbradbury.substack.com/p/gut-feelings* Interested in why children need enough sunlight? https://guenbradbury.substack.com/p/throwing-shadeMy veterinary degree taught me about mammalian body systems.My career in health research taught me about Western health and Western bodies.Spending 18 months living with my three children in remote African and South American communities taught me about human health and human bodies in other cultural environments.I share what I’ve learned about child physical health and development in weekly articles and podcast episodes.Everything is free, but if you find my work useful and would like to show your support, you can now upgrade – completely optional, always appreciated.Topics covered* What factors in a child’s early life increase their risk of food allergy?* How much does it cost to raise a child in the US, and at what point do parents spend that money?* What are bellies and why should we care about their size?* How can we set children up for better relationships with their bellies?* Does sunscreen increase the risk of skin cancer more than sunlight does?Recent episodesNotes“In this meta-analysis, the most credible risk factors associated with development of childhood food allergy are a combination of major and minor risk factors, including early allergic conditions (atopic march/diathesis), delayed allergen introduction, genetics, antibiotic exposure, demographic factors, and birth-related variables.” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41661638/ “Average per-child investments from birth to age 18 total $502,152 (2024 USD), with overall disparities by household income and race/ethnicity of 6% to 15%. Early childhood shows the largest gaps—often over 50%—driven mainly by housing and child care.” https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-70316-3Possible Explanations for Rising Melanoma Rates Despite Increased Sunscreen Use over the Past Several Decades: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/15/24/5868 Get full access to Growing up WEIRD at guenbradbury.substack.com/subscribe

In this microbiome-heavy episode, recorded on the bike, Greg Dickens and I discuss recent news on how fathers shape children’s long-term health, on how early-life stress affects the development of the gut-brain axis, and on how fecal microbiome transplants affect Autism Spectrum Disorders in children. We then talk about microbes - why they are important, why children need to look after them, and why they are like Santa Claus. Finally, we talk about how we understand repetitive behaviours in animals and children.For more information on how to help children care for their microbiomes, see this article: For more information on setting children’s guts up for better long-term health, see this article: https://guenbradbury.substack.com/p/gut-feelingsTopics covered* How young men’s experiences shape their own and their partners’ health behaviours during pregnancy and beyond* How early-life stress affects IBD, GERD, and other disorders of the gut-brain axis* How fecal microbiome transplants affect symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder* Why microbiomes are important* How to help children care for their microbiomes* How we understand repetitive disorders in children and animalsRecent episodesSome of my subscribers have been urging me for a while to turn on the paid option to increase my Substack visibility. I’ve quietly turned on the paid option for this newsletter. Everything stays free, but you’d like to support my work, you can now upgrade – completely optional, always appreciated.Notes“Across biological and behavioural research, young men's early life course experiences have been shown to shape their own and their partner's preconception physical, emotional, and behavioural health.” https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)00148-0/abstract“In humans, significant associations between maternal mental health problems and pediatric disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI) were observed in both cohorts, mirroring preclinical findings.” https://www.gastrojournal.org/article/S0016-5085(26)00205-2/abstract“This novel hydrogen nanobubble water–based FMT method was safe and effective, reducing both core and peripheral symptoms of ASD and suggesting broad benefits via the gut microbiota–brain axis.” https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pediatrics/articles/10.3389/fped.2026.1767346/full“While most often described in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual disability (ID), stereotypies can also present without developmental delay and persist into adulthood.” https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5370241/ Get full access to Growing up WEIRD at guenbradbury.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Greg Dickens and I discuss recent news on how melatonin supplements affect children’s sleep and development, and why putting all drugs in gummies is a bad idea. We talk about early childhood caries, why it’s linked to prolonged breastfeeding, and why this may have a more negative effect in today’s society. We then talk mattresses - what they are, why they are used, and why we might want to consider other alternatives. Finally, we talk about co-sleeping bed attachments - what they aim to do, and why they may influence child and mother sleep in different ways to closer co-sleeping practices..For more information on how mattresses affect child health, see this article:Topics covered* How do melatonin supplements affect a child’s development?* Why does breastfeeding older children at night increase their risk of dental disease?* What’s the deal with mattresses and health?* Do co-sleepers give the same sleep-synchronising benefits of co-sleeping?You may be interested in these other episodes:Some of my subscribers have been urging me for a while to turn on the paid option to increase my Substack visibility. I’ve quietly turned on the paid option for this newsletter. Everything stays free, but if you find these episodes useful, you can now upgrade – completely optional, always appreciated.Notes“Exclusive breastfeeding for up to six months is associated with reduced ECC risk, while prolonged and nocturnal feeding after eruption of primary teeth elevates risk.” https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/13/1/102“Our data suggest that the consumption of an HFCS-sweetened beverage increased breast milk fructose concentrations, which remained elevated up to five hours post-consumption.” https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/10/6/669https://www.colorado.edu/today/2023/11/13/melatonin-use-soars-among-children-unknown-risks“Due to a number of concerns regarding inappropriate use, lack of efficacy and safety data across pediatric populations and variability in actual content, melatonin should be used with caution in children and only under medical supervision.” https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12519-025-00896-5“These findings suggest a global rise in prescriptions without efficacy data on use in children with typical development, underscoring the need to identify strategies to prevent and reduce melatonin use in young children, as well as to improve adherence by pediatricians to evidence-based practice standards.” https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2843284 Get full access to Growing up WEIRD at guenbradbury.substack.com/subscribe