News from Science

News from Science is a joint publication of Alliance Enfance and the SSECR, created to make knowledge from Swiss early childhood research clear, accessible, and relevant for a broad audience. Published twice a year in three national languages (German, French, and Italian), each edition presents key findings from current Swiss research focused on a specific theme.

Screen Use in Early Childhood (1/2026) 

 

This edition brings together three contributions that examine how screen use—both by parents and by children themselves—affects early child development, and present the latest findings on young children’s use of digital media in Switzerland.
 
 

 

 
Challenges Around Birth (2/2025)
 
This issue of News from Science features three articles dedicated to the theme “Challenges Around Birth”. The contributions explore:
 
  • the illusion of choice surrounding childbirth
  • preterm birth as a risk factor for language development
  • the relationship between sleep patterns, chronotype, and the mental health of women with gestational diabetes
Herausforderungen rund um die Geburt

 

Play in Early Childhood (1/2025)
 
This edition is dedicated to the topic of play in early childhood and features three engaging articles.The contributions explore:
  • the effects of toy-free kindergartens,
  • the developmental pathways of children’s playfulness in early childhood, and
  • how pretend play in kindergarten can support early mathematical learning.
 
 
Emotional Development in Early Childhood (2/2024)
The contributions in this edition delve into the influence of social understanding on peer relationships, the relationship between screen time and negative emotions, and the effects of adverse events during pregnancy on the mental health of both mother and child.
 
Language Development in Early Childhood (1/2024)
This edition of News from Science focuses on the topic of language development with three contributions. They explore the benefits of bilingualism, multilingual practices in playgroups, and the impact of parental screen use on communication between parents and children.