Letter to my daughter: what is it like to be a girl in 2016?

Psychotherapist and anti-FGM campaigner shares her hopes and fears for all girls around the globe this year in a letter to her 13-year-old daughter

Breastfeeding could prevent 800,000 child deaths, Lancet says

Breastfeeding at risk from poor government policies, lack of support for mothers and aggressive formula milk industry, research finds

The chicken shop mile and how Britain got fat

With cheap and fattening food everywhere, there has been a shape shift that means people do not recognise obesity when they see it in the mirror

Cancer patient mother says she would have kept her baby ‘in my tummy’

Heidi Loughlin says she would not have chosen to deliver baby 12 weeks early to undergo chemotherapy had she known daughter would not survive

Is sharing residency better for children’s mental health?

Divorce and separation can have a hugely detrimental impact on children. But Swedish studies show that having them live with each parent half the time is the best way to help them cope

FGM court orders: a quiet revolution in child protection

School holidays can leave girls particularly vulnerable to female genital mutilation, but a recent measure avoiding criminal law can help

Call to review baby death rates at more than 20 NHS trusts and boards

Inquiry urges those with higher than average stillbirth and newborn death rates to examine their maternity care to see if mistakes were made

Generation meds: the US children who grow up on prescription drugs

Millions of US children are on medication for behavioural problems and depression – but what are the long-term effects? Photographer Baptiste Lignel followed six boys and girls to find out

Better care could save hundreds of babies from stillbirth, says report

There are more than 1,000 stillbirths each year and out of a sample of 85, researchers found failures in the pregnancy care of half of them

Will having a pet make your child healthier?

New research suggests that having a dog may reduce the risk of asthma, and other studies have shown that children with pets have fewer colds. But there are downsides