Most moms know to quarantine a tot with a fever. But what about a lingering cough or a runny nose? There are a lot of conflicting opinions out there about what’s contagious when, where germs live—and for how long. With cold and flu season settling in, we asked Dr. JJ Levenstein, co-founder of MD Moms, to set the record straight on the cooties.

We asked our trusted Scouts to share the one can’t-parent-without-it book they’d want with them if they were stuck on a deserted island (with their kids, of course).

A newborn will snooze just about anywhere, but at some point you’ll probably want her sleeping in a crib. For this second entry in our “Product Evolution” series, we got some expert advice on how and when to change your baby’s sleeping environment—plus product picks for each stage.

Layette lists and registry guides give new parents a decent sense of a newborn’s needs. But what happens when the little nuggets phase out of that first round of purchases? Our new “Product Evolution” newsletter series addresses the various gear stages for the baby-through-toddler years—starting today, with car seats. Gear expert Jamie Grayson (The Baby Guy NYC) gave us the lowdown: