An overview of all stages of embryonic and fetal development, from fertilization to birth. Prenatal testing is also explored.

Although Dave (LeVar Burton) and his family are poor sharecroppers in the Deep South in the 1930s, this 15-year-old's problem is shared by teenagers in every era: he stands with one foot in adulthood and the other in childhood. "Almos' a man" yet still treated like a child, Dave struggles for an identity - and there's one thing, one symbol of manhood, he thinks, that could guarantee him instant respect: a gun. Dave finds a way to buy a pistol, and...

The number one predictor of obesity in children is an overweight parent-but genes are only part of the story. This program reports on the health and happiness of five toddlers who are part of a large-scale longitudinal study in child development. Highlighting the issue of childhood obesity, the program asks: Why are a rising number of children overweight and how does parenting make a difference? Could the way Lulu's father disciplines her be the key...

Dr. Angela Diaz works with inner city youth. In this film, she discusses valuing adolescents as a whole person and recognizing the positive qualities of youth who survive adversities. From The American Academy of Pediatrics publication "Reaching Teens: Strength-Based Communication Strategies to Build Resilience and Support Healthy Adolescent Development.

Children and adolescents should do at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity each day. These exercises should include cardio-respiratory (aerobic), muscle strengthening, and bone strengthening activities as well as flexibility exercises.

As parents aggressively manage sports teams and push children to struggle for status and glory, the old-time values of fun and fair play have been severely undermined. What is fueling this overriding emphasis on competition and excellence at all costs? This program scrutinizes the current state of organized youth sports, focusing on the lessons that kids are really being taught. Experts include Professor Sandra Hoffereth, coauthor of a landmark study...

What determines human behavior? In this video of his 2010 Falling Walls Conference lecture, Dalton Conley would say nature and nurture both play a role. This "academic superstar" (The Guardian) and the first sociologist recipient of the National Science Foundation's Alan T. Waterman Award is breaking down the traditional divide between these two concepts. Conley offers a unique and groundbreaking understanding of social and genetic contexts as determinants...

What does the onset of puberty and sexual awakening mean for a street child? Over 8 years we witness the world of two children growing up homeless on the streets of Durban. They live in the midst of a sophisticated society but they might as well be invisible. It's a world of violence, drugs, prostitution, and murder- while teenage love blossoms regardless.

The way a baby relates to its mother and father from the moment of birth will determine the nature of the relationships the child has for the rest of his or her life. Yet, because of the belief that motherhood will come naturally, very few pregnant women are shown how to relate to their babies. Sadly, they can't always relate properly to the child, who then becomes "insecurely attached." As a result, the child may have behavioral, developmental, and...

John Bowlby's Attachment Theory shows how relational patterns set early in life affect emotional bonds later in life. This program's focus is on attachment theory as it explains many aspects of personality development from childhood through adulthood, with a special emphasis on issues related to attachment in later life as people seek to establish new ties and cope with separations and losses. Therapeutic applications of the theory as developed by...