Growing up WEIRD Podcast

Guen Bradbury and Greg Dickens
  • 5.0 (1)
  • KIDS & FAMILY
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

WEIRD cultures are Western, Educated, Industrialised, Rich, and Democratic. Us WEIRD adults get allergy, diabetes, arthritis, etc – and these are shaped by how we’re raised. Traditional cultures show us how to give children better adult health. guenbradbury.substack.com

  1. First hundred hours of life

    FEB 10

    First hundred hours of life

    In this episode, Greg Dickens and I discuss recent news on how young chimpanzees take risks, on how certain types of dishwasher detergents may affect the gut, and on how gaming affects university students. We then talk about the first hundred hours of life - why it’s more important than the second, what baby bodies expect, and how we can set ourselves and others up for a better postnatal period. Finally, we talk about giving fruit as gifts. For more information on the early postnatal period, see this article: https://guenbradbury.substack.com/p/getting-the-first-hundred-hours-right Topics covered * How does risk taking in young chimpanzees vary with age? * How worried should we be about dishwasher detergents? * What’s the effect of video gaming on university students? * Should teens sleep in on the weekends? * How does your gut microbiome affect your risk of cancer and your response to anticancer drugs? * How does your weight in childhood affect your likelihood of disease in adulthood, and how does this alter if your weight changes in adulthood? * What’s important in the early postnatal period, and what can we do to set things up for success? * If everyone gave fruit as gifts, would it lose its appeal? These other podcasts cover related topics: Some of my subscribers have been urging me for a while to turn on the paid option to increase my Substack visibility. I’ve quietly turned on the paid option for this newsletter. Everything stays free, but you’d like to support my work, you can now upgrade – completely optional, always appreciated. Notes “We found that physical risk-taking correlated with age, peaking in infancy and decreasing gradually thereafter through juvenility and adolescence. We hypothesize that a similar pattern would be exhibited in humans if oversight were relaxed earlier in childhood, as it is among chimpanzees.”https://www.cell.com/iscience/fulltext/S2589-0042(25)02713-0 “The expression of genes involved in cell survival, epithelial barrier, cytokine signaling, and metabolism was altered by rinse aid in concentrations used in professional dishwashers.” (NB - professional, not home dishwashers)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36464527/ “High-frequency gamers (>10 h/wk) demonstrated significantly poorer diet quality, higher body mass index, and impaired sleep quality compared to low-frequency gamers.”https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0899900725003685 “Weekend catch-up sleep reduced daily depression risk by 41 % in late adolescents and young adults.”https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165032725020555 “The gut microbiome is a central determinant of immunotherapy efficacy, particularly in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitor drugs.”https://www.nature.com/articles/s41422-025-01212-6 “Both plumper and thinner body sizes during childhood are associated with an increased risk of developing NCDs later in life. However, adherence to a healthier lifestyle in adulthood may partially mitigate these long-term health risks, especially for individuals with larger childhood body size.”https://www.nature.com/articles/s43856-025-01129-6 Get full access to Growing up WEIRD at guenbradbury.substack.com/subscribe

    29 min
  2. Tummy time

    JAN 27

    Tummy time

    In this episode, Greg Dickens and I discuss recent news on how overstimulating babies with lots of toys can affect their learning, and on how vegetarian and vegan diets affect children’s health. We then talk about tummy time - what it is, why it was developed, why it’s problematic, and how babies can get similar benefits in other ways. We finish by talking about why different women have different levels of risk when birthing at home or in hospital, and why you might want to weigh up risks beyond mortality. For more information on tummy time, see this article: https://guenbradbury.substack.com/p/is-tummy-time-necessary Topics covered * How do Christmas presents affect children? * Do vegetarian and vegan diets affect children’s health and growth? * What is tummy time? * Why is tummy time problematic, and what else can we do? * Why are the risks of maternal mortality in home vs hospital birth equivalent in the UK? These other podcasts cover related topics: Some of my subscribers have been urging me for a while to turn on the paid option to increase my Substack visibility. I’ve quietly turned on the paid option for this newsletter with a January special offer. Everything stays free, but you’d like to support my work, you can now upgrade – completely optional, always appreciated. Notes “Repetition is key to early learning as parents are warned not to stimulate babies with too much information.” https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/01/02/the-secret-to-making-your-child-clever/ “In conclusion, this systematic review and meta-analysis suggests that lacto-ovo-vegetarian and vegan diets in childhood can be nutrient-rich and support healthy growth when carefully planned. These diets may confer health benefits, including greater consumption of plant foods and improved cardiovascular risk profiles, while also aligning with ethical and environmental values. However, they pose a higher risk of specific nutrient deficiencies if key nutrients are not supplied through fortified foods or supplements.” https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/10408398.2025.2572983? “The evidence for the global agreement on the association between the prevalence of stunting and chronic undernutrition in modern and historic populations is weak. We find overwhelming evidence to support the vision that stunting is the natural condition of human height also in the affluent and well-nourished social strata of feudal rural and urban societies.” https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ajhb.23693 References on home and hospital birth in this article: Hello! My name’s Guen. I’m a veterinarian by background and I’ve worked in health innovation for a decade. I spent eighteen months living in traditional villages across Africa and South America, learning from communities that raise children in very different ways. My passion is helping parents, doctors, and teachers identify small things they can do to set children up for better long-term physical health. If you’re interested in this area, drop your email below and I’ll send you bi-weekly articles and podcast episodes with stories from other cultures and deep scientific dives on different aspects of child development and health. It’s free, easy, and you can unsubscribe at any time. Get full access to Growing up WEIRD at guenbradbury.substack.com/subscribe

    40 min
  3. Better treats for children

    JAN 13

    Better treats for children

    In this episode, Greg Dickens and I discuss how a baby’s experience of labour shapes their stress responses in childhood, and why that matters. We talk about how a few minutes of movement affect how children perform in school. We then talk about treats - what they are, what they could be, and how we can set them up differently. Finally, we answer a listener question about how we respond to research that suggests that we or our children might be at higher risk of health problems in the future. To read more about creating better treats, see here: https://guenbradbury.substack.com/p/how-to-get-kids-to-crave-healthy Topics covered * Does a child’s experience of labour affect their later response to stress? * How does a few minutes of movement affect children’s school performance? * What makes a treat? * Why might we want to think differently about treats? * How might we respond to research that suggests that we are at higher risk of health problems? These other podcast episodes cover related topics: Notes Evolved birth physiology meets modern birth practice: Sustained effects of planned cesarean delivery on child hair cortisol in Brazil https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.2519365122 The behavioural, cognitive, and neural corollaries of blunted cardiovascular and cortisol reactions to acute psychological stresshttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0149763416304614 Acute 3.5-minute light-intensity exercise enhances executive function and psychological mood in children: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-27358-2 Hello! My name’s Guen. I’m a veterinarian by background and I’ve worked in health innovation for a decade. I spent eighteen months living in traditional villages across Africa and South America, learning from communities that raise children in very different ways. My passion is helping parents, doctors, and teachers identify small things they can do to set children up for better long-term physical health. If you’re interested in this area, drop your email below and I’ll send you bi-weekly articles and podcast episodes with stories from other cultures and deep scientific dives on different aspects of child development and health. It’s free, easy, and you can unsubscribe at any time. Get full access to Growing up WEIRD at guenbradbury.substack.com/subscribe

    45 min
  4. Moving women in labour

    JAN 1

    Moving women in labour

    In this episode, Greg Dickens and I discuss a set of recent papers summarising the evidence on ultra-processed food. We talk about the effect of childhood stress in rats, and how their gut microbes influence this. We then explore the problems that arise when women are transported during labour, and how this disrupts the normal hormonal processes of birth. We finish by talking about why drinking a smoothie has very different effects on the body from eating the same fruit whole, and why just focusing on the individual nutrients isn’t enough to understand the complexity of the system. For more information on why moving labouring women disrupts their hormones, see this article: https://guenbradbury.substack.com/p/donkeys-cars-or-boats-why-transporting For more information on how birth should work in humans, try this talk: https://guenbradbury.substack.com/p/veterinary-perspectives-on-childbirth Topics covered * What do we know now about ultra-processed foods, and what should society do? * How do probiotics help stressed rats? * What is physiological birth and why should we care about it? * What can we do to enable physiological birth? * Why is whole fruit better than smoothies? These other podcasts cover related topics: Notes “The rise of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) in human diets is damaging public health, fuelling chronic diseases worldwide, and deepening health inequalities. Addressing this challenge requires a unified global response that confronts corporate power and transforms food systems to promote healthier, more sustainable diets, according to a new Lancet Series on UPFs and human health, published on Nov 19.” https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)02322-0/fulltext Mild environmental stress inoculation promotes resilience to anxiety in female rats: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-24717-x Processing Apples to Puree or Juice Speeds Gastric Emptying and Reduces Postprandial Intestinal Volumes and Satiety in Healthy Adults: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022316622023586 Hello! My name’s Guen. I’m a veterinarian by background and I’ve worked in health innovation for a decade. I spent eighteen months living in traditional villages across Africa and South America, learning from communities that raise children in very different ways. My passion is helping parents, doctors, and teachers identify small things they can do to set children up for better long-term physical health. If you’re interested in this area, drop your email below and I’ll send you bi-weekly articles and podcast episodes with stories from other cultures and deep scientific dives on different aspects of child development and health. It’s free, easy, and you can unsubscribe at any time. Get full access to Growing up WEIRD at guenbradbury.substack.com/subscribe

    38 min
  5. High-movement homes

    12/19/2025

    High-movement homes

    In this episode, Greg Dickens and I are joined by biomedical scientist and international touch rugby player Anna Wilson. We discuss recent papers on early induction of labour, on artificial sweeteners and early puberty, on learning and hearing loss in rats, on dog ownership and teen microbiomes, and on repurposing drugs for previously fatal conditions. We then talk about the effects of early movement on child musculoskeletal development, and how simple tweaks to your home can set up both you and your children to move more. Finally, we answer a listener question on giving sugar to children when they are ill. To see photos of our home, try this article: https://guenbradbury.substack.com/p/come-look-around-our-high-movement Topics covered * Does induction of labour at term reduce the number of Caesarean sections in the real world? * Might some artificial sweeteners affect early puberty? * How does deafening rats at different ages affect their learning ability? * Is living with a dog good for teens? * Can we repurpose existing drugs for a fatal skin disease? * How do we create a home that makes us move? * Should we give foods containing sugar to sick children? These other podcast episodes cover related topics: Notes Induction of Labor at 40 Weeks of Gestation after Dissemination of the ARRIVE Trial: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41106401/ Deafening rats at different ages: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-26704-8 Early puberty and artificial sweeteners: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40618-025-02677-3 Effects of dog ownership on teen microbiomes: https://www.cell.com/iscience/fulltext/S2589-0042(25)02209-6 Can we repurpose existing drugs for a fatal skin disease?https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-08061-0 JNK pathway signalling and fructose : https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3523093/ Hello! My name’s Guen. I’m a veterinarian by background and I’ve worked in health innovation for a decade. I spent eighteen months living in traditional villages across Africa and South America, learning from communities that raise children in very different ways. My passion is helping parents, doctors, and teachers identify small things they can do to set children up for better long-term physical health. If you’re interested in this area, drop your email below and I’ll send you bi-weekly articles and podcast episodes with stories from other cultures and deep scientific dives on different aspects of child development and health. It’s free, easy, and you can unsubscribe at any time. Get full access to Growing up WEIRD at guenbradbury.substack.com/subscribe

    46 min
  6. Child health win #3 – Sunshine

    11/25/2025

    Child health win #3 – Sunshine

    In this episode, Greg Dickens and I discuss recent papers on high blood pressure in children. We talk about recent evidence untangling the strength of the link between acetaminophen exposure in pregnancy and autism and ADHD. We talk about how disposable diapers affect how a child behaves when urinating. We then talk about why getting children outside is a really efficient way of giving their bodies what they need for physical and mental development. Finally, we answer a listener question on salt recommendations for young children. For more information on the health benefits of being outside, try this article: https://guenbradbury.substack.com/p/how-to-get-children-outside Topics covered * What’s happening to children’s blood pressure and why? * What’s the evidence for maternal paracetamol/acetaminophen intake during pregnancy and autism or ADHD? * How do diapers affect the urination behaviour of children who are not potty trained? * Why is being outside so good for children? * Should we avoid all salt in foods for toddlers? These other podcasts cover related topics: Notes Global prevalence of hypertension among children and adolescents aged 19 years or younger: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis (Lancet paper) https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanchi/article/PIIS2352-4642(25)00281-0/abstract Hypertension in children and adolescents: emerging global evidence and clinical implications (Nature paper) https://www.nature.com/articles/s41440-025-02459-7#Sec6 Maternal paracetamol (acetaminophen) use during pregnancy and risk of autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder in offspring: umbrella review of systematic reviews (BMJ) https://www.bmj.com/content/391/bmj-2025-088141 Do disposable diapers reduce urination elimination signals in non-toilet-trained children? https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00431-025-06542-6 Dietary Intake of Sodium during Infancy and the Cardiovascular Consequences Later in Life: A Scoping Review https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32259824/ Contribution of inappropriate complementary foods to the salt intake of 8-month old infants: https://www.nature.com/articles/ejcn2011137 Hello! My name’s Guen. I’m a veterinarian by background and I’ve worked in health innovation for a decade. I spent eighteen months living in traditional villages across Africa and South America, learning from communities that raise children in very different ways. My passion is helping parents, doctors, and teachers identify small things they can do to set children up for better long-term physical health. If you’re interested in this area, drop your email below and I’ll send you bi-weekly articles and podcast episodes with stories from other cultures and deep scientific dives on different aspects of child development and health. It’s free, easy, and you can unsubscribe at any time. My agent is currently approaching publishers with my book, so if you like, comment, share, or subscribe, you’ll help publishers to see that people are interested in helping children grow healthier adult bodies and minds. Thank you! Get full access to Growing up WEIRD at guenbradbury.substack.com/subscribe

    39 min
  7. Child health win #2 - Sugar

    11/11/2025

    Child health win #2 - Sugar

    In this episode, Greg Dickens and I discuss a recent paper on the effects of recent guidelines about early introduction of food allergy. We discuss how much activity is needed to set children up for longer telomeres and better health. We then talk about sugar - how it affects metabolic health and how we can set children up for healthier lives. Greg talks about his experience with sugar addiction. Finally, we talk about the Pikler approach - what we agree with, and where we think the evidence doesn’t fully support this approach. For more information on sugar’s effects on child health, try this article: https://guenbradbury.substack.com/p/helping-children-avoid-sugar For more information on why sugar affects every part of health, try this article: https://guenbradbury.substack.com/p/the-biggest-return-on-investment For more information on raising children who don’t want sugar, try this article: https://guenbradbury.substack.com/p/raising-children-who-dont-want-sugar Topics covered * How have recent guidelines on food allergen introduction affected rates of food allergy? [01:54] * How much activity sets children up with longer telomeres? [07:10] * How does sugar affect a child’s long-term health? [12:19] * Why do we recommend avoiding sugar in early childhood? [29:40] * What does it feel like to quit sugar as an adult on a high-sugar diet? [33:24] * What does the Pikler approach say about helping children move, and what’s our perspective? [40:24] Hello, I’m so glad you’re here! I need a hand… I’m trying to find a publisher for my book at the moment, and they use ‘number of subscribers’ as a proxy for value of writing. I want to keep my writing on Substack free so it’s available for all parents, but Substack’s algorithm seems to now hide a lot of unpaywalled writing. I’m struggling to get much reach. If you find my writing or podcasts useful, please would you consider forwarding this email or podcast to someone you know who might be interested? Or liking, sharing, or commenting if you read it on the Substack app? My agent is approaching publishers in the next month or two, so your help would be SO appreciated. 😊 Thank you so much! These other podcasts cover related topics: Notes “We detected decreased rates of peanut or any IgE-FA in the period following the publication of early introduction guidelines and addendum guidelines. Our results are supportive of the intended effect of these landmark public health recommendations.” https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/156/5/e2024070516/204636/Guidelines-for-Early-Food-Introduction-and Telomeres and extracurricular physical activity: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41390-025-04445-8 Get full access to Growing up WEIRD at guenbradbury.substack.com/subscribe

    48 min
  8. Child health win #1 - Shoes

    10/28/2025

    Child health win #1 - Shoes

    In this episode, Greg Dickens and I discuss a recent paper on the effects of different parenting practises on a child’s brain volume… when they are seventy. We discuss a study investigating whether induction of labour reduces the risk of stillbirth in migrant women. We then discuss shoes - why we should care about the shoes that we put our children in, and what we can do with their shoes to set them up for healthy feet and bodies throughout life. Finally, we discuss what parents of older children can do to help their jaws grow enough to make space for their teeth. For more information on selecting shoes for children, try this article: For more information on why children should go barefoot, try this article: https://guenbradbury.substack.com/p/why-barefoot-running-isnt-possible For more information on helping children avoid having crooked teeth, try this article: https://guenbradbury.substack.com/p/biting-off-less-than-we-can-chew Topics covered * How does brain volume at seventy correlate with a person’s relationship with their mother? [01:14] * How does induction of labour affect the risk of stillbirth in migrant women? [05:02] * How do shoes affect a child’s long-term health? [13:30] * What should a child wear on their feet? [20:35] * What can parents do to help older children grow jaws that fit their teeth? [26:22] Hello, I’m so glad you’re here! I need a hand… I’m trying to find a publisher for my book at the moment, and they use ‘number of subscribers’ as a proxy for value of writing. I want to keep my writing on Substack free so it’s available for all parents, but Substack’s algorithm seems to now hide a lot of unpaywalled writing. I’m struggling to get much reach. If you find my writing or podcasts useful, please would you consider forwarding this email to someone you know who might be interested? Or liking, sharing, or commenting if you read it on the Substack app? My agent is approaching publishers in the next month or two, so your help would be SO appreciated. 😊 Thank you so much! These other podcast episodes cover related topics: Notes “Associations between perceived excessive maternal control in childhood, well-being, and dorsal striatum volume in older adults” https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-20526-4 “There was no improvement in the perinatal mortality rate with IOL at any gestation for non-Australian region of birth groups.” https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/birt.70003 Get full access to Growing up WEIRD at guenbradbury.substack.com/subscribe

    32 min
See All (29)

About

WEIRD cultures are Western, Educated, Industrialised, Rich, and Democratic. Us WEIRD adults get allergy, diabetes, arthritis, etc – and these are shaped by how we’re raised. Traditional cultures show us how to give children better adult health. guenbradbury.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    Guen Bradbury and Greg Dickens
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    29
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Guen Bradbury
  • Show Website
    Growing up WEIRD Podcast

You Might Also Like