When I met my friend Aishwarya's daughter, Aanya, on a Sunday afternoon, she was building an entire world in her backyard using only sticks, leaves, and her imagination. In her eyes, a stick became a magic wand, leaves turned into currency for her "shop," and an old cardboard box was her fortress. Aishwarya admitted that this was Aanya’s “free play” time—a period without gadgets, instructions, or adult guidance, which made me curious.

To put this to rest, we had a word with Dr Kushal Agrawal, Neonatologist and Head of the Department of Neonatology and Paediatrics at KVR Hospital Kashipur, "Unstructured play is much more than just frivolous fun. It is an integral part of child development. Today, children do not have much scope for free play. With the academic system, straddled by extracurricular activities and digital entertainment, the scope for unstructured play is getting smaller and smaller.". On the contrary, research reveals that unstructured plays hold a lot of benefits for children that structured activities may not have in store.

What are the Physical Benefits of Unstructured Play?

According to Dr Agrawal, "free time plays" are a great way for kids to get involved in physical activities meant for their growth. "When children are left to play freely, their movements become more varied and spontaneous," he says. Science behind this practice does support this because free play increases the levels of physical activity, which is moderately vigorous in children; this is essential in preventing childhood obesity and promoting health in general.

Other than these, the outdoor environments provide opportunities and challenges for natural development outside. While children run, jump, climb, and look around the outdoors, they can become able to develop strength, coordination, and endurance for a healthy and active lifestyle by exercising. Otherwise, structured activities often restrict children to specific movements or instructions.

How Play helps in Social and Emotional Growth of Kids?

Except for physical fitness, disorganized play lays the foundation for basic social and emotional capabilities. During unorganized play, children invent their games, negotiate roles, settle disputes, and collaborate to attain some common objectives. According to Dr. Agrawal, "such interactions build empathy, cooperation, and communication skills as children learn to express themselves, listen to others and adapt to group dynamics.".

Research indicates that children learn emotional resilience through unstructured play, navigating minor setbacks in a low-stakes environment. If the game goes sour, kids learn to solve the problem on the spot; this builds up their self-confidence as well as independence. This is a kind of play that gives children the freedom to learn by themselves and try new things without having the fear of being prohibited by others or the fear of failure.

How Parents can Encourage Creativity and Problem-Solving in Children

Freedom in play helps unlock a child's creativity and the problem-solving aspects. Most structured activities have predetermined tasks or instructions that do not develop creative thought. According to Dr Agrawal, "When children are allowed to be free, they can explore and create their own scenarios, which are meant for developing unique solutions based on critical thinking.".

Unstructured play provides children with a number of materials for play—blocks, sand, or leaves, for example—without script, so that they invent games, build imaginary worlds, and, in a very real sense, answer their natural curiosity. It has been proven that this type of play helps children to make decisions, adaptability, and innovations, qualities useful throughout life.

Is Play Holistic Approach to Child Development?

Dr Agrawal believes that unstructured play is a very important factor of all-rounded child development. "Nowadays, children's lives are very scheduled, so it's very important for the parents to remember how necessary play is", he further adds. Being freely playful would be a great support to their healthy physical development as well as social, emotional, and cognitive development.

As parents, we can encourage free play by creating an environment that encourages exploration and curiosity. What can be very impactful is giving the child a safe outdoor space and setting aside gadgets to allow for uninterrupted time to play. As these spaces tend to be counterintuitive to everything that can be seen as a hallmark of productivity and measurable progress, unstructured play allows the children to build resilience, independence, and joy.

Giving Children the Freedom to Play

More than just being childhood, unstructured play confers a wide range of benefits since children learn to manage social dynamics, solve problems independently, and bring their creativity into life which puts them better prepared for the challenges of adulthood. In this natural form of play, people lay down a foundation for lifelong skills to achieve balanced wellbeing and success.

The next time you catch your child playing carefree—maybe using a stick as a wand or a rock as a pet—take the time to be thankful for the developmental steps.

Model and entrepreneur Hailey Bieber recently opened up about her postpartum journey, shifting focus on one of the least-discussed aspects of women’s health: premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).

Hailey said that she experienced PMDD after the birth of her son, Jack Blues Bieber. It is a menstrual health condition that can cause intense emotional and physical symptoms.

In an interview with Women's Wear Daily, Bieber spoke about how motherhood drew her towards women's health, especially considering the challenges she faced after childbirth.

"After I had my son, I struggled with [PMDD] a bit, and there's just not a lot of conversation or research around it," she said.

Bieber, who welcomed her son with husband Justin Bieber in August 2024, had previously discussed her diagnosis during an appearance on the SHE MD podcast in March 2026. She said she was diagnosed approximately six months after giving birth.

Although she had experienced premenstrual syndrome (PMS) before pregnancy, she noticed that the emotional symptoms leading up to her period had become much more intense.

"I was like, 'This just feels way more intense than before,' like, the lead-up to getting your period," she said.

She said she experienced overwhelming emotions, adding, “Why does it feel like my whole entire life is gonna end? Like, I don't understand.”

Bieber said her symptoms gradually improved over time. She also highlighted how speaking about her experience helped her feel less isolated. "Conversation, for me personally, makes me feel less alone," she said.

What Is Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD)?

Also read: 8 Signs Of 'Pregnancy' That Are Likely PMS

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder is a severe form of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) that causes intense emotional, mental and physical symptoms during the days leading up to menstruation.

By Dr Sushma K, Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine, Apollo Hospitals, Seshadripuram, Bangalore told HealthandMe, "It is a chronic medical condition related to the menstrual cycle. It affects approximately around 3 to 8 percent of the women who are menstruating. So it not only causes physical symptoms, like premenstrual syndrome, it also causes emotional and psychological symptoms. It typically occurs one or two weeks before menstruation starts."

Unlike premenstrual syndrome, PMDD can significantly interfere with a person's ability to work, relationships, social life and other daily activities. When it comes to symptoms, patients can have sudden onset of sadness, increased sensitivity, or tearfulness, sudden spells of crying, severe irritability, anger, depressed mood and anxiety.

Dr Sushma said, "These emotional symptoms can also have physical manifestations. For example, decreased interest in going to school, office, and difficulty concentrating. Some may resort to overeating. Some may have excessive sleepiness or some may face insomnia. Some also experience restlessness, discomfort, joint swelling, muscle pain, and abdominal bloating.”

PMDD Vs PMS

Also read: The Menstrual Cycle and Nutrition: Does Your Body Really Need Different Foods at Different Times?

PMS and PMDD are both caused due to hormonal changes in the menstrual cycle. However, the intensity of symptoms and their effects on daily life distinguish the two conditions.

Dr Sushma said, "PMS is a mild to moderate condition and it can be easily managed. It comes with physical symptoms like bloating, breast pain, tiredness, and mood changes. It also does not interfere with people’s daily routine and relationships. It occurs in almost around 75% of the people who are menstruating."

PMDD symptoms can be more severe, especially depression, anxiety, irritability and emotional distress. These symptoms can disrupt work, relationships and everyday functioning.

She added, "But PMDD is more severe. It will impair daily life. It also causes more intense psychological and emotional symptoms than physical symptoms."

So PMDD is not just an extreme version of a bad premenstrual week. It is a recognised health condition that may require medical treatment.

Why Does PMDD Happen?

Experts say that the exact cause of PMDD is not fully understood yet. But they believe it may be due to an increased sensitivity to normal hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle.

After ovulation, levels of hormones like oestrogen and progesterone fluctuate. In some individuals, the brain may respond differently to these hormonal changes, affecting mood regulation and other bodily functions. Serotonin, a neurotransmitter involved in regulating mood, sleep and appetite, may also play a role.

Dr Sushma explained, "PMDD is a very severe depressive disorder. Patients may have panic attacks, depression, and thoughts of self-harming. So these are the key main important differences. PMDD may happen because of disrupted dysfunctions in the central nervous system during the menstrual cycle. That is because of how the central nervous system reacts to the normal estrogen and progesterone levels during the menstrual cycle.”

PMDD In New Mothers

Hailey Bieber's experience has sparked conversation about PMDD risk after childbirth. Pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period involve significant hormonal and physical changes.

However, PMDD is linked to the menstrual cycle and its recurring hormonal fluctuations. The return of menstrual cycles after childbirth may make premenstrual symptoms intense. However, there is limited evidence establishing that childbirth directly causes PMDD.

Dr Sushma said, "New mothers may not face premenstrual dysphoric disorder because there is no ovulation. The lady is not menstruating because she is lactating. But once the ovulation starts, the symptoms of PMDD will return. These symptoms can worsen because the mother is sleep deprived or she faces a lot of hormonal changes. There is also a newborn. So the baby’s care-giving also adds to the stress. So PMDD may get aggravated in new mothers."

PMDD should also not be confused with postpartum depression. Postpartum depression can occur after childbirth and is not restricted to the days before menstruation.

The doctor explained, "Postpartum depression is not cyclical. Whereas PMDD will come in a cyclical manner, mostly 10-12 days before periods, which is usually in the luteal phase. Also, it may resolve after the bleeding starts.

Whereas postpartum depression is not related to the menstrual cycle."

Men are beginning to discuss fertility preservation, but the concept of freezing sperm before the age of 35 should not be promoted as something that all young men should undergo. There is no consensus on when men should freeze their sperm; rather, it will depend on their 'personal choice for future childbearing, medical risk, the quality of their sperm and whether, and when, they would be willing to pursue medical assistance or face new circumstances that may limit their options'.

Age still plays a role because male fertility is not entirely age-independent either. Although spermatogenesis persists with age, a prolongation of paternal age is associated with a gradual deterioration in semen parameters and sperm DNA.

How Age Affects Sperm Quality And DNA

A recent 2024 study of 200 turgescent samples from normozoospermic males aged 35 years or less demonstrated DNA fragmentation of 15.

4% in patients of 35 years or less versus 21.7% in patients of 42 years or more. In the older group, host freezing was linked with an increased DNA fragmentation index to 26.7%. This is the reason why sperm freezing upon retrieval at a younger age may have biological benefits.

But the biggest reason for sperm banking is still fertility preservation related medical issues. Men who are diagnosed with testicular cancer, lymphoma, leukaemia or other cancers should ideally freeze sperm before the commencement of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or possibly fertility-damaging operations and surgery. The 2025 ASCO guideline explicitly urges that fertility preservation be taken into consideration and sperm banking made accessible before cancer therapy.

Also read: Experimental Male Contraceptive Pill May Immobilise Sperm, Work Within 30 Minutes & Give Protection For 8 Hours

Medical Conditions And Treatments That Can Affect Male Fertility

Men diagnosed with health conditions, receiving medical treatment, or taking drugs that could affect sperm production could also be eligible. Autoimmune diseases, certain systemic diseases, and certain medicines have been reported to interfere with normal sperm production. If testosterone treatment is on a man's agenda, then he should also talk about sperm preservation as a possible option since externally applied testosterone therapy can suppress the body's naturally occurring testosterone levels and, because of this, impair the production of sperm.

Sperm freezing may also be particularly relevant for men with persistently low sperm count or poor sperm motility, especially when these findings are accompanied by elevated follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels. High FSH can indicate impaired testicular function and reduced sperm-producing capacity.

In some men, sperm production may decline further over time, and in severe cases, sperm may become very few or even difficult to retrieve from the ejaculate. Banking sperm when viable sperm are available can therefore provide an additional option for future fertility treatment. The decision should be individualised based on semen parameters, FSH levels, the underlying cause and the advice of a reproductive urologist or fertility specialist.

Also read: The Fertility Side of Metabolic Health: Why Your Waistline May Not Tell the Whole Story

Elective Sperm Freezing For Men Delaying Parenthood

Men who expect to delay parenthood are also showing interest in so-called "elective" or "social" sperm freezing, which is done when it's not related to any medical condition or infertility. It would be the right choice mostly for those men who would not be able or are not sure to get married or to have kids soon, who are exposed to occupational factors endangering fertility, or who want to have a medical treatment that might negatively affect their fertility.

A major 2025 registry analyzing 7,044 men undergoing sperm bank over 30 years indicated an average age at cryopreservation of around 33.1 years, whereas those between 3540 were among the ones most often coming back to take their samples from the freezer.

Importantly, freezing sperm is not the same as guaranteeing a future baby. A 2023 study of 7,969 donor-oocyte cycles found broadly comparable outcomes using fresh and cryopreserved sperm, although fertilisation was marginally lower with frozen sperm after adjustment, 73.66% versus 74.65%.

So, before 35, sperm freezing is best viewed as an option for selected men, not a compulsory fertility insurance policy. Anyone considering it should first undergo a semen analysis and counselling with a reproductive urologist or fertility specialist, particularly if there is a medical, genetic or reproductive risk.

With infertility affecting an estimated one in six couples, experts at the Times Network India Health Summit 2026 spoke about the importance of seeking timely reproductive health advice and acquiring awareness about treatment options.

They discussed how advancements in fertility treatment have improved the chances of conception, but in vitro fertilisation (IVF) cannot guarantee a pregnancy.

During a panel discussion titled “The Fertility Revolution: Reimagining Parenthood in Modern India,” experts also examined how technology is shaping fertility care, while focusing on the limits of treatment, the cost of repeated IVF cycles and the dire need to address stigma around infertility.

IVF Is A Ray Of Hope For Many Couples But Not A Guarantee

Dr. Hrishikesh Pai, Founder and Managing Director of Bloom IVF India, spoke about the improvement in IVF outcomes over the past three decades. “When I started my own area in 1990, the success rate was 5%. Now it has gone to 30%,” he said.

Pai also spoke about the expansion of India's fertility treatment sector, saying the country had moved from an emerging field to one with centres capable of matching international units in performance.

Technology is also fueling more possibilities in reproductive treatment. Pai discussed the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to assist with embryo selection, egg assessment and sperm identification, alongside emerging techniques like robotic-assisted microinjection.

However, Dr. Abha Majumdar, Emeritus Consultant in IVF and Human Reproduction at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, cautioned against allowing these advances and spoke about the importance of maintaining unrealistic expectations.

“IVF is not a miracle,” she said, emphasising that patients should receive accurate information about likely outcomes and the limitations of treatment.

Majumdar also raised concerns about AI-generated advertisements promising successful IVF cycles. She stressed that technological progress does not remove the responsibility to communicate treatment outcomes honestly and compassionately.

Age And Fertility Preservation

Also read: Unspoken Side Of Breast Cancer: Experts Discuss Recurrence Risk, Emotional Toll & Societal Impact At Times Health Summit 2026

For couples considering parenthood later in life, understanding age-related fertility decline is important. Dr. Ranjana Sharma, Senior Consultant in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, explained that women are born with a finite supply of eggs, which declines over time.

She highlighted the need for greater awareness of reproductive timing and the options available to people who plan to delay pregnancy.

Majumdar also discussed reproductive autonomy, noting that women increasingly have the freedom to decide when, or whether, to have children. However, she cautioned against viewing egg freezing as a guarantee of future pregnancy, describing it instead as a form of insurance.

Fertility preservation may also be relevant for people facing medical treatments that could affect their reproductive potential. Pai highlighted egg freezing before chemotherapy or radiation therapy as an option for some women who wish to preserve the possibility of having children later.

Sperm freezing can similarly help some men preserve fertility before cancer treatment or in circumstances where future fertility may be a concern.

Financial Burden Of IVF

Also read: Excessive Screen Time & Mental Health: Expert Urges Parents To Limit Children's Screen Time At Times Health Summit 2026

Even when treatment is available, its cost can be anobstacle. Some patients require more than one IVF cycle, making the overall expense staggering.

Majumdar warned that repeated treatment can become expensive for some families. Although access to fertility services and insurance coverage have improved, affordability remains an important concern.

She also emphasised that patients need realistic information before beginning treatment, including an understanding that one cycle may not result in pregnancy.

Dr. Vimal Grover, who spoke about rising infertility and changing reproductive patterns, identified delayed marriage and childbearing, along with work-related stress, among the factors she had observed. She also pointed to AI's potential role in transforming fertility care.

“One in six couples is infertile,” Grover said. The figure highlights the scale of the infertility crisis in the country.

Male Infertility Remains Overlooked

The panel also addressed the tendency to blame women when couples experience difficulty conceiving. Sharma said women are often held responsible for infertility, even though reproductive difficulties can involve either partner. She also said that fertility specialists increasingly make a point of consulting both partners to encourage shared responsibility for getting tested and treated.

Pai similarly emphasised the importance of evaluating male fertility. Alongside sperm freezing before chemotherapy or radiation therapy, he highlighted its relevance for men with low sperm counts and some patients who may need fertility treatment in the future.

The experts urged couples experiencing difficulties conceiving to seek medical advice rather than feel ashamed or assume that infertility is solely a woman's concern.

The panel was part of the Times Network India Health Summit 2026, held in New Delhi under the theme “The Blueprint for a Future-Ready Healthcare Ecosystem – Innovation. Access. Self-Reliance.” The summit brought together healthcare leaders, clinicians, researchers, policymakers and industry stakeholders to discuss the future of India's healthcare system.