Episode summary

In this episode, Greg Dickens and I discuss recent news around constipation and paternity leave and then dive into a bit more detail about why WEIRD children’s jaws don’t grow enough. We talk about what we learned about changing patterns of jaw deformity in the Amerindian communities in South America, and about what parents can do to set their kids up for straight teeth throughout life.

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Topics discussed in this episode

- Why is childhood constipation on the rise, and what’s a surprise contributor? [01:34 ]

- How does paternity leave affect a mother’s behaviour [05:51 ]

- Why are our teeth actually scales? [11:24 ]

- Why is this starting to affect traditional communities? [14:08 ]

- What can parents do to improve their children’s jaw size? [18:12 ]

Have you seen any recent articles we should discuss on this podcast? Or any topics you’d love us to cover?

Resources mentioned in this episode

- Childhood constipation increasing: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/feb/18/primary-age-child-constipation-rates-up-60-in-england-and-wales

- Elimination communication reduces bladder and bowel dysfunction https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-91704-3

- Paternity leave and maternal gatekeeping behaviour: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/02/250220122623.htm

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