Parents often put parental controls for their kids and keep an eye on their media consumption at all times but often neglect their own usage by a mile. When you are telling kids to not do certain things and then proceed to do it yourself, you send a hypocritical message to kids. They start believing that you are making up rules and they are not that important, because if they were you yourself would’ve been following it! While you may not think that your media usage should be your kid’s business, a new study shows that it has a direct effect on your kids. Not just their mentality, but also what your screen hours show them that the internet is a safe place where they can explore whatever content they want. It is very easy for kids to override the age rule and get access to mature content, which lead to them consuming these videos and media from an early age! A new study looked at how parents' phone use might affect whether their kids see inappropriate content. Researchers found that when parents spend a lot of time on their phones and don't have clear rules about media use at home, their kids are more likely to watch R-rated movies or play video games meant for adults. The study talked to over 10,000 kids aged 12 and 13.

What Did The Study Reveal?

A recent study published in the journal BMC Pediatrics has revealed a potential link between parents' phone habits and their children's consumption of inappropriate content. The researchers wanted to learn more about how parents can help their young teens with media use. They explained that while there's advice for younger kids and older teens, there's not much for this age group. These young teens are in a tricky stage, they're not little kids anymore, but they're not quite teenagers either. The study wanted to see how what parents do and the rules they make affect what kind of content young teens are exposed to.

Parents answered questions about their own phone use, like how often they try to limit their screen time around their kids. The kids also answered questions about how often they watch R-rated movies or play mature video games. The study found that the more time parents spent on their phones, the more likely their kids were to consume mature content. Things like using phones during meals or in bedrooms seemed to be especially linked to kids seeing this type of content.

Why Should Parent’s Mobile Usage Be A Concern?

Experts say it's important for parents to be aware of their own phone habits, because kids often copy what they see. They suggest that parents should "practice what they preach", if they make a rule about no phones at the dinner table, they should follow it too. Experts also recommend that families create a media plan together with clear rules, like limiting screen time during meals and before bed, talking about what they see online, not using screen time as punishment, and using it as a reward for good habits. Basically, the study shows that what parents do with their phones can really influence what their kids are doing online.

How You Can Reduce Your Screen Time?

First, see how much you're using them and set small goals to cut back. Make some areas and times in your house phone-free, like during meals and before sleep, this is a great chance to connect with your family. Turn off notifications you don't need and find fun things to do instead of being on your phone, maybe even things your family can do together. Put your phone away so it's not always tempting and think about why you're picking it up. Tell your family you're trying to use your phone less, and maybe they'll join you! If it's tough, think about taking a break from all screens for a bit. It takes time, so be patient with yourself and enjoy the extra time you have with your family. This not only benefits you but also sets a positive example for your children.

In a study led by researchers at Mass General Brigham, pregnant individuals who stopped taking popular GLP-1 weight loss medications either before or early in their pregnancy were found to gain more weight and face higher risks of diabetes and hypertensive disorders during pregnancy.

They were also more likely to deliver preterm compared with people who had never taken GLP-1 drugs. The study, published in JAMA, shows that women who had used these drugs may face increased risks of preterm birth, diabetes, and pregnancy-related high blood pressure conditions such as preeclampsia compared with those who had not taken them.

Is It Safe To Consume GLP-1 Drugs In Pregnancy?

GLP-1 medications include brands like Ozempic, Zepbound, Victoza, Trulicity, and Wegovy. They were originally developed to manage diabetes and control blood sugar but have become widely used for weight management and obesity treatment. These medicines may also help with conditions such as sleep apnea, improve heart and kidney health, and lower the risk of strokes.

Drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy belong to a class called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, which promote weight loss by mimicking a hormone that reduces appetite.

Many people regain weight after stopping these drugs, but pregnant women are generally advised against taking them. This has raised questions about how to safely help women wean off these medications around conception without increasing other health risks linked to obesity or diabetes.

Weight Loss Drugs Before Pregnancy Linked To Greater Weight Gain

The research team, led by Dr. Jacqueline Maya, looked at health records for nearly 1,800 pregnancies between 2016 and 2025, mostly among women with obesity. They found that women who stopped GLP-1 medications before or early in pregnancy gained an average of 7.2 pounds (3.27 kilograms) more than those who had never taken these drugs.

“The popularity of weight loss drugs has grown dramatically, but guidelines recommend stopping them before pregnancy because there isn’t enough safety data for unborn babies,” said Dr. Maya, a pediatric endocrinologist at Mass General Brigham for Children, as reported by Science Direct.

Women in the GLP-1 group also had a 32% higher risk of exceeding recommended pregnancy weight gain, a 30% higher risk of developing diabetes, a 29% higher risk of hypertensive disorders, and a 34% higher chance of preterm birth. Interestingly, there were no differences in C-section rates or babies’ birth weight and length.

Dr. Camille Powe, an endocrinologist and co-author of the study, noted that more research is needed to understand the benefits and risks of using GLP-1 drugs around pregnancy. “We need further studies to find ways to manage weight gain safely and reduce pregnancy risks when stopping GLP-1 medications,” Powe said, according to Science Direct.

Can You Take Ozempic Or Wegovy During Pregnancy?

Currently, there’s no safe role for GLP-1 use during pregnancy. No GLP-1 drugs are approved for expectant mothers.

Dr. Michael Snyder, MD, medical director of the Bariatric Surgery Center at Rose Medical Center and FuturHealth’s in-house obesity specialist, explains that human data on GLP-1s during pregnancy is very limited. Animal studies indicate potential risks including fetal growth restriction, pregnancy loss, and skeletal abnormalities at higher doses.

When someone takes a GLP-1 drug, their appetite changes, and it’s not yet clear how this could affect a pregnant person’s nutrition.

Parenting test that ensures that individuals are ready to take responsibility of a child sounds good, until its turns into a trauma of lifetime, where not scoring enough or failing that test leads to separation of the child from his parents. So is the case of many parents in Denmark, who have to undergo this parental scrutiny. Keira, being one of them, had just given birth to her daughter last November, but she knew that she only had two hours before her newborn would be taken into care.

She tells BBC, “Right when she came out, I started counting the minutes,” she recalls, adding that she couldn’t stop looking at the clock to see how long they had together. When the moment came, Keira says she sobbed uncontrollably, whispering “sorry” to her baby. “It felt like a part of my soul died”

She is a Greenlandic parent, among many, living in Denmark, who are now fighting to get their children back after they were removed by social services. In many of these cases, authorities have relied on the competency assessments, known as FKUs. This test determines where parents are fit to raise their children.

What Is the Danish Parenting Competency Test?

The FKU, or “parenting competency test,” was a psychometric assessment used by Danish child protection authorities to evaluate whether parents were fit to raise their children. In theory, the test aimed to protect children by identifying families in crisis or parents unable to provide adequate care. In practice, however, it became a tool of controversy—especially when applied to Greenlandic families.

The test assessed parents in a series of areas, such as their responses to imagined scenarios, self-concept, physical and mental well-being, outlook on life, and plans for the future. Most importantly, it was based on Western conception of good parenthood and delivered in Danish, with minimal attention to Greenlandic language, customs, or kinship systems. This incompatibility resulted in regular misinterpretations of the capacity of Greenlandic parents and sometimes led to children being taken from their parents.

Greenlandic children have traditionally been disproportionately represented in Denmark's child welfare system. Approximately 7% of Greenland-born children and 5% of children who have at least one Greenlandic parent are placed out-of-home. That's in sharp contrast to only 1% of the general Danish child population.

"Not Civilized Enough To Act Like A Human Being"

These assessments, which were banned for use on Greenlandic families in May after decades of criticism, remain legal for Danish families. They often take months and involve cognitive exercises, personality testing, interviews, memory challenges, and general knowledge questions.

According to Keira, some of the questions she faced felt irrelevant and culturally disconnected. “Who is Mother Teresa?” and “How long does it take for the sun’s rays to reach the Earth?” were among the things she was asked. She also recalls being made to play with a doll and criticized for not making enough eye contact. Keira alleges a psychologist even told her the test was meant to determine “if you are civilized enough, if you can act like a human being”.

While defenders of FKUs say they offer an objective framework, critics argue the tests cannot reliably predict parenting ability and are designed around Danish cultural norms. They are administered in Danish, not Kalaallisut, Greenland’s primary language, something many say leads to miscommunication and unfair evaluations.

A Disproportionate Impact

Greenlanders are Danish citizens, and thousands live on the mainland for work, education, and healthcare. Yet studies highlight stark disparities. Greenlandic parents in Denmark are 5.6 times more likely to have their children taken into care compared to Danish parents, according to the Danish Centre for Social Research.

The Danish government announced plans to review around 300 cases involving Greenlandic children, including those shaped by FKU results. But as of October, the BBC found only 10 cases involving the tests had been reviewed—and not a single child had been returned.

Keira’s own assessment concluded she lacked “sufficient parental competencies to care for the newborn independently”. Despite the ruling, she keeps cots in her home, along with baby clothes and framed photos of Zammi. She visits her daughter once a week, bringing flowers or traditional Greenlandic dishes—“just so a little part of her culture can be with her,” she says.

No Chance Of Reviewing The Test

Unlike Keira, some parents will never see their cases reconsidered. Johanne and Ulrik, whose son was adopted in 2020, have been told their case will not be reopened. Johanne had undergone an FKU in 2019 that labelled her “narcissistic” and described her as having “mental retardation,” based on criteria then used by the WHO claims she rejects.

Their baby was also meant to be taken immediately after birth, but because he arrived prematurely on Boxing Day while social workers were on holiday, the couple spent 17 days with him. “It was the happiest time of my life as a father,” Ulrik says, describing those days of feeding, changing nappies, and helping Johanne pump milk.

When authorities eventually arrived, two social workers and two police officers, the couple begged them not to take their son. Johanne asked to breastfeed him one last time. Ulrik remembers dressing his child before handing him to foster parents: “I felt the most horrific heartbreak”.

The couple no longer have access to their son but hope to take their case to the European Court of Human Rights. Denmark’s social affairs minister told the BBC the government will not revisit adoption cases because each child is now with a “loving and caring family.”

Experts disagree sharply on the validity of FKUs. Former test administrator Isak Nellemann says the assessments “are very important, about the most important thing,” claiming that when results are poor, “in about 90% [of cases] they will lose their children”. He also argues that some components lack scientific validity.

However, Turi Frederiksen, a senior psychologist, told BBC that while imperfect, the tests remain “valuable, extensive psychological tools” and denies they are biased against Greenlanders.

Rare Union That Is The Only Ray Of Hope Of Childless Parents

Among the few who have successfully regained custody is Pilinguaq, whose daughter was returned more than four years after being placed into care. The mother still struggles to rebuild trust; even briefly leaving the room can cause her daughter to panic. “If I go to the bathroom and close the door, she will have a panic attack,” she told BBC.

Her two older children are expected to return home soon as well, decisions made by local authorities, not the national review.

Keira continues to prepare for Zammi’s first birthday by building a traditional Greenlandic sleigh decorated with a polar bear. Earlier this month she was informed that her daughter will not be coming home yet—but she refuses to give up.

“I will not stop fighting for my children,” she says. “If I don’t finish this fight, it will be my children’s fight in the future”.

Upasana Konnidela, during her visit to IIT Hyderabad, as the Vice Chairperson of Corporate Social Responsibility at Apollo Hospitals, she told students: “The biggest insurance for women is to save your eggs. Because then you can choose when to get married, when you want to have kids on your own terms, when you are financially independent. Today, I stand on my own two feet, I earn a living for myself.” However, egg freezing is becoming popular now and has many benefits. It brings emotional comfort to the women planning their future. This procedure has become a growing source of confidence and reassurance for today’s women. In this article, the expert explains what is egg freezing, who is advised it, the benefits. It is time to clear all the misconceptions regarding egg freezing and help women to preserve their eggs for the future use.

Egg freezing, or oocyte cryopreservation has become popular over the years among women who wish to preserve their fertility. So, egg freezing is a process where a woman’s mature eggs are collected, frozen at very low temperatures, and stored for future use. This allows women to use their younger, healthier eggs later in life when they decide the time is right for pregnancy. This procedure is widely chosen by the women now. The process is initiated with hormone injections that help the ovaries produce multiple mature eggs instead of just one. After that, the woman will be regularly monitored with the help of ultrasound scans and blood tests. Once the eggs are ready, they are retrieved and frozen. When the woman chooses to conceive, the eggs can be thawed, fertilized, and used for IVF.

Who should opt for egg freezing: Those women who wish to postpone their pregnancy because of career aspirations, education. Ones detected with endometriosis, autoimmune diseases, or low ovarian reserve. Women with cancer who may have to undergo chemotherapy or radiation. So, it is necessary to consult an expert who will explain to you about this procedure.

The benefits: It tends to offer emotional security to women and give them enough time and freedom to plan pregnancies without the pressure of a biological clock. It improves the chances of having a healthy pregnancy later, using eggs preserved at a younger age.

Facts related to this procedure: Egg freezing helps women preserve their fertility by storing healthy eggs at a younger age, giving them more control over future family planning. Women shouldn’t worry as this procedure is extremely safe, and widely chosen by women and is supported by modern technology that keeps egg quality intact for years. Egg freezing is indeed a boon for women. So, women shouldn’t hesitate and come forward to freeze their eggs.

Here, the expert also debunks myths linked to egg freezing

Myth: Egg freezing is extremely expensive

This is one of the most common misconceptions. Currently, many hospitals offer affordable pricing, EMI options, and flexible packages for women and thus, it has brought a sense of relief for them. As awareness increases, many women are finding that egg freezing is far more accessible than they believed.

Myth: Only rich or celebrity women opt for egg freezing

Many working professionals, teachers, healthcare workers, IT employees, and women from all backgrounds are opting for this procedure.

Myth: The procedure is painful and unsafe

Egg retrieval is quick, done under sedation, and most women return home the same day. Don’t fret as the procedure is extremely safe when done under the skilled expert.

Avoid believing on any false information or rumors related to egg freezing. If planned early and guided by a qualified specialist, it can help women fulfil their dram of motherhood later in life when they are fully ready.