Dr. Harvey Karp has been a pediatrician and child development specialist for over 30 years. He is on the faculty of USC School of Medicine and a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. The popularity of Dr. Karp’s ideas has made him America’s most read baby doctor and his work is translated into over 20 languages. Praising his innovative concepts, the New York Times proclaimed, “Roll over Dr. Spock!”

Dr. Karp’s book/DVD, The Happiest Baby on the Block teaches simple techniques to quickly reduce crying (even most cases of colic) and boost an infant’s sleep. His book/DVD The Happiest Toddler on the Block presents novel and rapidly effective ways to build cooperation and patience and stop many tantrums in seconds. Over a million parents, from working moms to superstars like Madonna, Michelle Pfeiffer and Pierce Brosnan, have used Dr. Karp’s techniques for making their children happy.

Thousands of specially trained Happiest Baby educators lead classes teaching pregnant couples his baby calming/sleep promoting ideas in hospitals, military bases, clinics and teen parenting programs throughout the US and many other countries to help parents feel more confident and to prevent the terrible consequences of persistent infant crying and parental exhaustion (e.g. postpartum depression, breastfeeding failure, marital stress, child abuse, SIDS, etc). 

Dr. Karp is an advisor to Parents, Ser Padres and American Baby magazines.  He’s part of Barnes and Nobles’ Expert Circle and he’s a parenting coach for AOL. He has appeared numerous times on Good Morning America, The View, Larry King Live, Dr. Phil, etc.  And his work has been featured by the Associated Press, The New York Times, Time, Newsweek, People Magazine, and more.

In addition to his passion for teaching about the normal needs of young families, Dr. Karp is an outspoken advocate in the fight to stop environmental threats to children. Over the past 20 years, he has been a spokesman on environmental issues for the NRDC, PSR, EWG, AAP and the State of California.  He helped launch two of the nation’s premiere watchdog organizations on children’s environmental health. He is also an advisor to National Geographic’s “Green Guide” and editor and contributor to the critically acclaimed green-living guide, Healthy Child/Healthy World (Plume, 2009). Last year Dr. Karp’s work inspired the passage of a new federal law banning a toxic plastic — phthlates — from the toys of young children.

Dr. Karp and his wife reside in Los Angeles and his daughter is a student in New York City.

A recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences tracked a socioeconomically diverse group of children in New Zealand from birth to age 32.  Results found that children who scored higher on assessments of self-control as toddlers were more likely to be successful as adults, in terms of indicators such as health and financial security. 

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704279704576102164041456434.html

 A recent study conducted by the Internet Security Company AVG found that 52% of children ages two to five years old are able to operate a smart phone or tablet computer, while only 20% could swim and only 11% could tie their own shoes.  The article briefly summarizes the series of studies that examine how young children’s interaction with technology is evolving.

http://www.seattlepi.com/lifestyle/434010_kids24.html

For a paper in Psychological Science, researchers at the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Virginia looked at 750 pairs of American twins who were given a test of mental ability at the age of 10 months and then again at the age of 2.  The studies found that generally, in measuring many traits from intelligence to self-control, factors such as genes and peer groups are far more influential than the home environment. 

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703954004576090020541379588.html

A new study conducted by researchers at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health examines the impact of intensive early education programs on the health and health behaviors of low-income children.  

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110114155340.htm

Early childhood experts such as Roberta Golinkoff, Kathy Hirsh Pasek, and Joan Almon discuss the importance of play in childhood, and the potential harm less time for play may have on healthy development.  The article includes way that parents and the society at large can help foster free play and playful experiences.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/06/garden/06play.html?_r=2