Maude Julien: ‘How I escaped from my father’s cult’

Maude Julien’s father tried to turn her into a ‘superhuman’ through a series of cruel experiments. Now aged 60, she recalls how she survived

Wales bans intimate piercings for under-18s over health fears

Law forbids practitioners from working on areas including tongue, breast and genitals

‘I knew I was in labour’ – why are women being turned away from hospital during childbirth?

As a number of women recount how they were mistakenly told to go home and wait, before giving birth on the pavement or in a lift, experts warn that more investment in early-labour care is needed

Dentists warn of child tooth decay crisis as extractions hit new high

NHS surgeons removed multiple teeth from under-18s in England a record 42,911 times in 2016-17, figures show

Tech bosses limit their kids’ time on smartphones: why shouldn’t we?

Parents focus on harmful content, but limiting the time teenagers spend on mobile phones is imperative, writes author and academic Jean Twenge

Living in a big, noisy household is fun and healthy. Why are we selling up?

Our plans for downsizing, forcing our kidult children to move out and rent, seem increasingly unattractive

India bans condom adverts during primetime TV

Move is aimed at protecting children but campaigner warns it could undo decades of progress on sexual health

What makes a child psychopathic?

Damage to the amygdala, not bad parenting, is to blame for psychopathic children, believes Abigail Marsh

What you should say to somebody who has miscarried – and what you shouldn’t

Don’t offer explanations or try to ‘fix’ things, says journalist and fundraiser for miscarriage awareness Janet Murray

UK retailers halt sale of baby sleep positioners after US warning

American regulator has linked products to at least 12 baby deaths in the country, prompting action by firms including Tesco

Poor body image makes girls less assertive and risks health, study finds

Majority of those dissatisfied with their figure will skip meals and avoid friends, the doctor and clubs, says global beauty report

Racism label should not deter British police from FGM fight, says officer

Safeguarding girls from genital mutilation and avoiding complacency must remain priority, says Operation Limelight leader

Poor diet is a factor in one in five deaths, global disease study reveals

Study compiling data from every country finds people are living longer but millions are eating wrong foods for their health

‘It’s like being reborn’: inside the care home opening its doors to toddlers

With benefits for older people’s physical and mental health, a new care home-based nursery in London is the first intergenerational care facility in the UK

Young at heart: why children who exercise become healthier adults

New research suggests childhood exercise has a protective effect on health in later years, as well as improving brain power