‘Social mothers’: the women who helped a Brazilian city halve its child death rate

Sobral had one of Brazil’s highest infant mortality rates, but a groundbreaking health scheme has drastically reduced its number of child deaths

‘Anyone popular at school has muscles’: the rise of the ripped teen

Charlie, 13, starts his morning with 40 press-ups; William, 15, spends an hour a day working out. But when does a healthy interest become a dangerous obsession?

How pets are helping us through the coronavirus crisis

Animals are proving a lifesaver for many, providing companionship and consistency in uncertain times

Will maternity leave make me invisible?

Taking time out of the office to have a baby makes you think hard about your work and life, says Eva Wiseman

‘Pause, reflect and stay home’: how to look after yourself and others in self-isolation

Seven days? Fourteen days? Can you go for a walk? What about your children? Here is a guide to staying safe and cheerful if you can’t leave the house

Sharp rise in hospital admissions for children with sleep disorders

Exclusive: Cases for conditions such as insomnia almost double in England in seven years

‘He finds it hard to calm down’: one parent’s fight to get her child to sleep

Despite restricting iPad and phone use, Clair Lyons’s son has long had trouble getting to sleep

Climate nightmares: how to reassure a child who is anxious about the planet

One in five children aged eight to 16 have nightmares about the state of the world. Here’s how adults can help

Girls beginning puberty almost a year earlier than in 1970s

Onset of glandular breast tissue development has shifted by three months per decade

Hooked on precut fruit: I must be infected by Goop

Mangoes, melons: ounce for ounce, they’re probably more expensive than heroin, says Guardian columnist Emma Brockes