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Happy Friday! Straight from the editors, here’s a roundup of the biggest parenting stories of the week. Have something to add? Share your favorite story from this week in the comments.

• Good news: Childhood obesity is dropping in some states, finds a new report. What’s more, you might be able to curb your kid’s appetite for sugar by cutting her salt intake.
• In case you missed it, we reported that Australian experts say swimming lessons can help little kids reach developmental milestones faster. But there are other ways to boost your child’s brainpower, too.
• How do kids develop empathy—and how can you encourage it? Psychologists answer.
• Moms-to-be, are you getting enough D? The vitamin level was linked to birth weight in a new University of Pittsburgh study.
• Flu season is off to its earliest start in a decade, and experts say it could be especially bad. Here’s what you need to know about getting vaccinated.