Judina Meus

By Toshani Kapoor According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about one in ten babies in the United States are born preterm. This means that in almost every classroom you could walk into, there may be a student who was born preterm. While the majority of these children grow up to be healthy, preterm birth, depending on how early it was, can affect how the brain develops, sometimes leading to disorders and learning challenges. The third trimester, which covers weeks...

By: Kaitlyn Freimuth Kangaroo care, or skin-to-skin bonding, has been shown to be an incredibly beneficial practice between newborns and their parents. Because infants born prematurely are at higher risk for many health concerns, kangaroo care can be even more beneficial for them. However, due to the nature of kangaroo care and the complexity that can come with premature births, skin-to-skin bonding can look a little different for premature babies in comparison to those born full-term....

By: Tyler Hu Introduction Stress is often viewed as a temporary emotional response, but during early childhood, it can become a powerful biological force with lifelong consequences. While brief, manageable stress can promote resilience, chronic or unbuffered stress during early development, known as toxic stress, can alter brain architecture, immune function, and metabolic regulation in lasting ways (Shonkoff et al., 2012). Early childhood adversity may take many forms, including household...