Mommy's little helper.
In the last two months alone, we've learned that firstborn children are more likely to suffer from food allergies, and those born in the Spring and Summer months are more likely to have celiac disease. So what happens if you are a firstborn and you were born in July? Are you predisposed to other health conditions as well? Interestingly enough, this isn't the first time we've heard of such Read more
Food allergies afflict more than three million children in the United States, with peanuts, shellfish, milk, and eggs topping the allergy list. A recent study was just released that studied the relationship between birth order and allergies. Researchers found that firstborn children were more likely to have hay fever and pink eye due to a food allergy. The results were as follows: the prevalence Read more
What's in your birth order? Many studies have shown that the family pecking order has a lot to do with how we turn out as adults and which career paths we choose. Whether it's because you've learned the ropes by the time the second baby comes around or for other reasons, have you seen certain quirks from your cuties that can be explained by their birth order? Take a look at the traits of each Read more
We know birth order affects personality, but what happens when birth orders mix. Your place in your family and your partner's can affect how you relax, communicate, and fight. The oldest and youngest are by far the most complementary pair, like Ed Westwick (the youngest of three) and Jessica Szohr (the eldest of five), but what of the others? Here's a breakdown of the best, worst, and so-so Read more
First-borns have a reputation for being just about perfect. They perform better on standardized tests and usually achieve a high degree of tangible success, being most likely to head the boardroom table. But they're also known for their loyal and nurturing natures, which is why I am surprised a study found they are less cooperative, trusting, and reciprocating than their younger siblings. How Read more
Most psychologists say there's no significant correlation between birth order and personality because it's impossible to control other variables, like a family's financial status, age differences, natural temperaments, marriage quality of parents, gender, and other endless factors. Still, they're as irresistible as horoscopes. We look to birth order not only because it's definite and measurable, Read more
Mothers can study birth control options, monitor their cycles and try to carefully map out family expansion, but surprise pregnancies still happen. Though most parents joke about it later, a new study in the journal of Child Development reveals that unexpected babies – both those that weren't planned at all and those that did not occur when their parents expected them – receive "fewer Read more
Studies show that first born children get more attention from their parents than subsequent siblings. Many new parents are eager to coach baby number one into Einstein territory. And when baby number two arrives, it seems the name of the game is "Survivor" — you do what you can to get by. While the wee ones may not have their parents' undivided attention around the clock, they are often more Read more
While many parents joke that you take a million pictures of your first child and are lucky if you manage to pick up the camera once baby number two debuts; is there something to the notion that the first child gets the most mom and dad time? A recent study suggests that firstborn children spend 3,000 more hours of quality time with their parents, than subsequent siblings. A WebMD article about Read more
Full disclosure: I laughed out loud many times during The Dictator, knowing full well that I should have been offended instead. But what you see is what you get when it comes to Sacha Baron Cohen, and after movies like Bruno and Borat, you already know whether you'll be able to find humor in film about a horrifyingly ignorant world leader who's as naive, racist, and prejudiced as they come. I Read more
