Parents Daily News Roundup

Monday, December 10th, 2012

Iron May Prevent Behavioral Issues in Small Babies
Iron supplements may help boost brain development and ward off behavioral problems in babies who are born a bit on the small side, a new study suggests. (via Reuters)

Could Kids’ Salt Intake Affect Their Weight?
Children who eat a lot of salty food also tend to down more sugary drinks — which, in turn, might be related to their risk of obesity, a new study suggests. (via US News and World Report)

School Lunches To Be Allowed Unlimited Meats, Grains, USDA Announces
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told members of Congress in a letter Friday that the department will do away with daily and weekly limits of meats and grains. Several lawmakers wrote the department after the new rules went into effect in September saying kids aren’t getting enough to eat. (via Huffington Post)

ADHD Linked to Oxygen Deprivation Before Birth
Children who had in-utero exposure to ischemic-hypoxic conditions, situations during which the brain is deprived of oxygen, were significantly more likely to develop attention deficit hyperactivity disorder later in life as compared to unexposed children, according to a recent study. The findings suggest that events in pregnancy may contribute to the occurrence of ADHD over and above well-known familial and genetic influences of the disorder. (via ScienceDaily)

Oxytocin Produces More Engaged Fathers and More Responsive Infants
A large body of research has focused on the ability of oxytocin to facilitate social bonding in both marital and parenting relationships in human females. A new laboratory study has found that oxytocin administration to fathers increases their parental engagement, with parallel effects observed in their infants. (via ScienceDaily)

Parents Daily News Roundup

Thursday, July 26th, 2012

Why a Nightlight Could Cause Mild Depression
Constant exposure to light at night can cause depression, a new study on animals suggests. The findings suggest exposure to artificial light at night may have contributed to the rising rates of depression over the last 50 years. (via NBC News)

Parents, Docs May Clash on Quality of Kids’ Lives
About one in four parents of children with a serious and often fatal genetic condition say they feel judged by doctors when they want life-sustaining treatment for newborns, in a new study. (via Fox News)

Consumer Safety Panel Sues Magnetic Toy Maker
The Consumer Product Safety Commission is suing the maker of popular high-powered magnet “desk toys” to get them to stop selling their products. The magnets can pierce holes in the intestines, and some children have needed multiple surgeries and length hospitalizations. (via CNN)

To Boost Memory, Shut Your Eyes and Relax
New research suggests taking a brief break, relaxing, and closing your eyes for 10 minutes can help boost memory. The researchers ask participants to recall as many details as possible from two stories they were told. Those with some quick shuteye recalled more than those who were distracted with a new task. (via TIME)

Babies Born in Autumn May Live Longer
In a recent study, researchers looked at data from more than 1,500 people who lived to be 100 or older. The majority of people who lived an extra-long life were born between September and November. (via Fox News)

Can You Control When You Go Into Labor?

Friday, October 28th, 2011

Unless you have a scheduled C-section or are induced, you have no say over when your new bundle makes its debut, right? Maybe not, suggests a new study at the Yale School of Public Health. After examining U.S. birth stats over an 11-year period, researchers found a 5.3% decrease in spontaneous births on Halloween and a 3.6% increase in spontaneous births on Valentine’s Day. The theory? Cultural connotations surrounding the holidays affect a woman’s desire to deliver and they’re able to will themselves to go—or not go—into labor if they’re due around those days. Now, before you read any further, it should be noted that I’m a person who believes in mind over matter. I’m convinced that I’ve successfully fended off a cold or the flu simply by repeating, “Now’s really not a good time for me.” Is this likely the reason I didn’t get sick? No. And even I’ll admit that I was skeptical when I heard about the study. But might I prefer to have my baby on a day associated with hearts and flowers or not have him on one characterized by witches and ghosts? Sure. And if you end up delivering or not delivering on those holidays, who does it hurt to believe you willed it to be so? In my experience of staving off sickness, it’s a bit of a confidence boost! So, in light of the fact that Halloween is on Monday, I’m willing to get swept up in the supernatural and say, “that’s some powerful thinking, expectant mamas! I’m impressed.”

Participate in a Survey About Autism and Pregnancy

Tuesday, April 26th, 2011

In an ongoing effort to understand autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the Interactive Autism Network is launching another online survey (the Pregnancy and Birth Questionnaire) about the pregnancy and birth experiences of mothers raising children with autism.  Researchers will analyze any “potential links between prenatal, pereinatal, or neonatal factors” and autism, such as specific medications, foods, fertility treatments, ultrasounds, pregnancy and birth complications (including illness or infection),  and induced labor.

IAN is looking for mothers  in the U.S. with children (between ages 0 to 17) who do and don’t have autism to participate in the survey.  Mothers who do have kids with autism must have given birth directly to the child. Register for the online survey on the Interactive Autism Network’s website.

Daily News Roundup

Friday, March 11th, 2011

Under Pressure, Firm Shutters Line That Made Tainted Wipes
A Wisconsin medical supplier that made millions of recalled alcohol prep products now blamed for serious infections and at least one death is shutting down the line that produces the wipes — at least for now. But the parents of two children harmed by infections blamed on contaminated Triad products said the move is too little, too late, and raises more questions about why government regulators haven’t taken stronger action against the firm. [MSNBC]

Coffee May Reduce Stroke Risk
Women in the study who drank more than a cup of coffee a day had a 22% to 25% lower risk of stroke than those who drank less, according to findings reported Thursday in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association. Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the USA, behind heart disease and cancer. The findings add to the growing body of research showing coffee appears to have hidden health perks. A study done by Larsson in 2008 on men who drank coffee or tea had similar results. One of the most popular drinks in the world, coffee contains large amounts of antioxidants that improve health. Other research has suggested coffee can help prevent cognitive decline and can boost vision and heart health. It is also associated with a reduced risk of liver cancer. [USA Today]

Dog Kisses: Is  It Safe to Smooch with a Pet?
According to an article in WebMd, not even doctors and veterinarians agree about kissing a dog on the lips or vice versa. Thinking that dog’s tongue is clean is off base, says veterinarian William Craig, but don’t stop there. “Dog spit isn’t chemically cleansing. It turns out that it’s the dog’s rough tongue that helps to physically remove contaminants from an open wound” and likely the reason why many wounds do not get infected,” he told Pawnation. Craig adds “people tend to brush their teeth regularly and rinse with mouthwash. Dogs tend to lick themselves and eat things off the ground.” “Humans and dogs have different bacteria in their mouths,” explains Nelle Wyatt, a veterinary technician at the University of Tennessee Veterinary Medical Center. “Not all of the bacteria are capable of causing disease in the other species.” [USA Today]

Boy Toddlers Need Extra Help Dealing With Negative Emotions, Experts Urge
The way you react to your two-year-old’s temper tantrums or clinginess may lead to anxiety, withdrawal and behavior problems down the road, and the effect is more pronounced if the child is a boy who often displays such negative emotions as anger and social fearfulness, reports a new University of Illinois study. [Science Daily]

Passive Smoking Increases Risk of Stillbirth and Birth Defects, Study Suggests
Pregnant non-smokers who breathe in the second-hand smoke of other people are at an increased risk of delivering stillborn babies or babies with defects, a study led by researchers at The University of Nottingham has found. [Science Daily]

Teacher Who Twice Threw a Chair at 7th-Grader Tries to Clear Her Name
A longtime teacher at a Joliet junior high who last year “snapped” and twice threw a chair at a seventh-grade boy, striking him once in the head, is trying to clear her record so she can teach again. After Filak tried to get the boy to do his work, he instead told her to “leave me alone, fool,” witnesses said, according to a judge’s ruling that found the chair-throwing incident was child abuse. [Chicago Tribune]

1/1/11: Our New Year’s Baby

Friday, February 11th, 2011

Couples may be actively trying for an 11/11/11 due date, but the truth is that the coolest birth date of them all was taken, by none other than my own sweet new daughter Yael, born on New Year’s Day, 1/1/11.

Though she wasn’t due until 1/11/11, an awesome due date in and of itself, Stephanie had been having contractions on and off for a few days in late December. During a quiet New Year’s Eve dinner at home with our 4-year-old Adira and next-door-neighbor Claudia, Stephanie announced that this was It, the real thing, labor. As luck would have it, Claudia had previously agreed to stay with Adira when the time came, so we got our stuff together and headed out.

I’ll say this for a New Year’s Eve labor: the Labor & Delivery floor was quiet, and the nurses were in a festive mood (and wearing goofy New Year’s hats). They confirmed that Stephanie was, indeed, in labor. And things picked up for a while there. Contractions came quicker and were more intense. We were on our way.

Until it seemed like we weren’t. By morning on New Year’s Day, the contractions had all but stopped and we began to think we’d be having a Jan. 2 baby. By evening, we were dejected, exhausted, and wondering who would stay with Adira for that second night. Stephanie’s OB recommended a sedative so she could sleep for a few hours and regain her energy. He even suggested I go home to get some rest myself and sort out the childcare situation. “You have at least two hours, probably three or more,” he assured me. (more…)

The Nervous, Exciting Wait for Baby #2

Thursday, December 23rd, 2010

I remember the sense of excitement mixed with terror that I felt leading up to the birth of my daughter. Would I be a good dad? Would our baby be well taken care of, happy, healthy, would we make the right choices for her? Would I be a good coach and helper to my wife through the birth, would I be able to handle the sleepless nights ahead, would I be able to protect her from harm? And how do you diaper a baby anyway? Yes, I am a worrier.

This time around, I am happy to report, the excitement-to-terror ratio has tipped much more to the former. My daughter is a happy, intelligent, sweet 4-year-old, who is eager beyond words to become a big sister and has been practicing regularly with her dolls. As the new year dawns, we feel blessed to be imminently welcoming a new little one to our family, more confident in our abilities, and more accepting of the countless unknowns that accompany parenthood. Many of the questions that so preoccupied me last time have been answered, to the extent that they can ever be, and we are more laid back about the small stuff. Or maybe we’re just better at triaging the many responsibilities we’re juggling. Crib? Who needs it? The baby won’t sleep in it for months. Let’s get diapers, a bassinet, and oh yeah, the car seat is in storage somewhere.

But now that the essential details are taken care of, the car seat not just found but installed, the bassinet sitting expectantly, the diaper box waiting to be opened, some of that familiar dread is returning. What if Stephanie goes into labor in the middle of a blizzard? What if my daughter, so incredibly excited to be a big sister, actually has an extended and intense melt-down when it actually comes to be?  And it gets darker, much darker, from there. I will spare you the details.

Still, anticipation and excitement beats back, or maybe just masks, the anxiety and dread. Watching my daughter hug and kiss my wife’s bulging belly, organizing the logistics of childcare for when we’re in the hospital, packing the bag… we’re nearly done with what we planned to do before the birth. And, uncharacteristically, it’s still a few weeks before the due date. And now we wait, hope, fear, anticipate, imagine, and hope some more.

Spankin’ New Headlines

Friday, March 12th, 2010

Should kids get a three-day weekend? Some school districts are shifting to a four-day school week to deal with budget challenges. Wall Street Journal

Vaccinating kids—and only kids—against the flu can protect an entire community, finds a new study. New York Times

Ways to keep your child from becoming obese—even before she’s born. Los Angeles Times

Women who’ve previously delivered via c-section should be allowed to attempt vaginal birth, rules a new government report. Yahoo! News

Scary fact: Preventable pregnancy-related deaths appear to be on the rise in the U.S., according to new research. USA Today

Original photo via