Parents Daily News Roundup

Thursday, February 28th, 2013

6-Year-Old Transgender Girl, Not Allowed To Use School Bathroom
At first, Jeremy and Kathryn Mathis didn’t think much of their son’s behavior. Coy took his sister’s pink blanket, and shunned the car they gave him for Christmas. (via Huffington Post)

Is One of the Most Common Drugs Prescribed During Pregnancy Safe for Your Baby?
Many expectant mothers are wary of taking drugs during the early weeks of pregnancy, as this time period can be crucial for the development of their baby. However, sometimes it’s hard to know for sure just what kind of effects medications can have on an unborn child. (via Fox News)

Texas Ten Commandments Resolution Calls For Prayer, Religious Displays In Schools
Texas state Rep. Phil Stephenson (R) filed a resolution on Monday calling for more “acknowledgement” of Christianity in public schools, encouraging Ten Commandments displays, prayer, and use of the word “God.” (via Huffington Post)

Children With Autism Show Increased Positive Social Behaviors When Animals Are Present
The presence of an animal can significantly increase positive social behaviors in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), according to research published February 20 in the open access journal PLOS ONE by Marguerite E O’Haire and colleagues from the University of Queensland, Australia. (via Science Daily)

School Safety Addressed At House Education Committee Hearing; Arne Duncan’s Sequestration Hype
On Wednesday, members of the House Education & Workforce Committee mulled over ways to keep schools safe in light of the horrific Newtown, Conn. elementary school shooting, reports Politics K-12. (via Huffington Post)

First Lady Announces Effort to Help Kids Exercise
Imagine students learning their ABCs while dancing, or memorizing multiplication tables while doing jumping jacks? Some schools are using both methods of instruction and Michelle Obama would like to see more of them use other creative ways to help students get the recommended hour of daily exercise. (via Yahoo!)

Parents Daily News Roundup

Tuesday, August 7th, 2012

Some Schools Add Days to Academic Year to Increase Learning Time
According to the National Center on Time and Learning, a nonprofit research group in Boston, about 170 schools — more than 140 of them charter schools — across the country have extended their calendars in recent years to 190 days or longer. (via NY Times)

Teens Who Don’t Have Sex Still at Risk for HPV
A new study conducted in Cincinnati, which involved teen girls and young women, found that 11.6 percent of those who had never had sexual intercourse were infected with at least one strain of HPV. (via NBC News)

Honey May Ease Nighttime Coughing in Kids
A spoonful of honey before bed may help little kids with a cough – and their parents – sleep through the night, a new study suggests. Parents also reported that after giving honey to kids, their coughing was less frequent and less severe. (via Reuters)

Hospital Brings 3,000 Cats to Cancer Patient
When 16-year-old cancer patient, Maga Barzallo said the thing she missed most was her cat Merry, Seattle Children’s asked Facebook fans to send in pictures of their favorite pets – and received 3,000 photos in response. The hospital staff then combined the cat photos with purring sounds to create a slideshow for the teenager. (via CNN)

Urine Test May Predict Women’s Bone Risk
Researchers report that levels of a substance called cross-linked N-telopeptide of Type 1 collagen, or NTX, which is released into the urine when bones weaken, can predict the risk for future fracture in premenopausal, asymptomatic women. (via NY Times)

Can Telling the Truth Make You Healthier?
Telling a few white lies may seem harmless, but a new study suggests that you might improve your mental and physical health if you cut down on the fibs you tell. (via TIME)

Parents Daily News Roundup

Friday, August 3rd, 2012

Breast Cancer Charity Overstated Screening Benefits, Researchers Say
Researchers say Susan G. Komen for the Cure overstated the benefit mammograms have on survival rates of women with breast cancer. Komen’s messages stated 98 percent of women who get the screening tests survive at least five years, while 23 percent who do not get mammograms survive that long — a difference of 75 percentage points. (via NBC News)

New Pets May Help Autistic Kids Socially
Getting a pet may help children with autism to develop their social skills, if the furry friend is brought into the home when the child is about 5 years old, according to a new French study. The researchers discovered the children showed improvement in their abilities to share with others and to offer comfort. (via Fox News)

Hidden Dangers in Vitamins & Supplements?
According to a new report in Consumer Reports, vitamins and supplements could do more harm than good in some cases. Between 2007 and mid-April 2012, the FDA received more than 6,300 reports of serious adverse events linked to dietary supplements, including vitamins and herbs. (via CNN)

Disharmony in the Land of Nod
A new study suggests that even moderate levels of household conflict can alter basic brain function in infants, leaving them hypersensitive to negative emotions. Researchers found chronic family conflict made infants more likely to have abnormal brain responses to angry speech. (via Huffington Post)

Chile Bans Marketing of Toys in Children’s Food
A new law in Chile aims to take some fun out of fast-food by forcing McDonald’s, Burger King, KFC, and other restaurants to stop including toys and other goodies with children’s meals. The complaint also targets makers of cereal, popsicles, and other products that attract children with toys, crayons, or stickers. (via Associated Press)

Speaking Multiple Languages Can Influence Children’s Emotional Development
Researchers are investigating how using different languages to discuss and express emotions in a multilingual family might play an important role in children’s emotional development. They propose the particular language used when discussing and expressing emotion can have significant impacts on children’s emotional understanding, experience, and regulation. (via Science Daily)

Parents Daily News Roundup

Monday, July 9th, 2012

Drawstring Deaths in Kids Down After Regulations
The number of child deaths caused by clothing getting caught on vehicles or playground equipment has dropped dramatically thanks to voluntary measures adopted by manufacturers, according to U.S. researchers. (via Reuters)

Cambodian Children’s Deaths Linked to Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease
The mysterious illness that has killed dozens of Cambodian children may be a deadly strain of hand, foot and mouth disease, a common childhood illness, according to health officials. (via TIME)

For Healthier Kids, Get a Cat or Dog, Study Suggests
Kids who grow up with cats or dogs tend to get fewer respiratory infections during their first year of life, according to a new study from Finland. (via msnbc.com)

Should Movies with Smoking Be Rated R?
If cigarette smoking were banned from teen-friendly movies, would kids be less likely to pick up the habit? Researchers at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College think so. (via TIME)

Parents Daily News Roundup

Thursday, June 21st, 2012

Paternity Blood Tests That Work Early in a Pregnancy
Now blood tests are becoming available that can determine paternity as early as the eighth or ninth week of pregnancy, without an invasive procedure that could cause a miscarriage. The testing requires a blood sample from at least one of the possible fathers. (via NY Times)

Chemicals in Baby Shampoos Lead to False Marijuana Positives
Commonly used baby soaps and shampoos, including products from Johnson & Johnson, Aveeno and CVS, can trigger a positive result on newborns’ marijuana screening tests, according to a recent study. Just 0.1 milliliters or less of the cleansing products were found to cause a positive result. (via TIME)

Health Groups Criticize Allergy Drug Promotion
Public health advocates on Wednesday accused the drug company Merck of improperly marketing an over-the-counter allergy medicine directly to children using animated characters from the movie “Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted.” (via NY Times)

Dogs Can Help Prevent Childhood Asthma
The microbes living on your pet dog may help to strengthen your immune system and prevent childhood asthma, according to a new study. (via msnbc.com)

Watching Violence Makes for Angry Kids, Study Shows
Children exposed to violence in video games and on TV display similar reactions to those who witness war and acts of violence in real life, according to an Australian study. (via Fox News)

Children’s Books About Pets for Responsible Pet Owners Month

Friday, February 10th, 2012

February is Responsible Pet Owners Month, so if your kid is begging for a pet or has shirked his responsibilities of caring for one, these picture books are great reminders about the joy of owning pets and having four-legged friends.

Prudence Wants a Pet by Cathleen Daly – Prudence imagines having a pet, but her parents object to the expense and noise.  Laugh along as she decides to adopt unusual objects as her best friends — until her dream for a real pet finally comes true!

Melvin and the Boy by Lauren Castillo - Living in a city, a boy yearns for pet.  One day, he discovers a turtle with a yellow spot in the park, brings him home, and names him Melvin. But slowly the boy discovers some animals need to stay in their natural habitats.

Not Inside This House! by Kevin Lewis – Told in fun rhymes, this story follows a little boy with a big name, Livingstone Columbus Magellan Crouse, who loves to explore like his famous namesakes.  Along the way, he brings home some unexpected animals as house pets, to his mother’s exasperation.

Children Make Terrible Pets by Peter Brown – When a female bear finds a little boy in the woods, she immediately becomes his caretaker and discovers kids don’t make very obedient pets.  Brown, known for his hilarious and colorful books, gives a unique twist to a popular theme.

The Lost and Found Pony by Tracy Dockray – Fans of “Warhouse” will be touched by this story of how a little girl and her pony are reunited after years of separation.

A Cat Like That by Wendy Wahman – “What does a cat want in a best friend?” Find out the answers and discover if you would make the perfect cat owner!

More about family pets on Parents.com

• The Best Pet for Your Child
• How to Pick the Perfect Family Pet
• Quiz: Are You Ready for a Dog?

Parents Daily News Roundup

Wednesday, August 10th, 2011

New York City Will Mandate Sex Education
For the first time in nearly two decades, students in New York City’s public middle and high schools will be required to take sex-education classes beginning this school year, using a curriculum that includes lessons on how to use a condom and the appropriate age for sexual activity.

Test Can Tell Fetal Sex at 7 Weeks, Study Says
A simple blood test that can determine a baby’s sex as early as seven weeks into pregnancy is highly accurate if used correctly, a finding that experts say is likely to lead to more widespread use by parents concerned about gender-linked diseases, those who are merely curious and people considering the more ethically controversial step of selecting the sex of their children.

Lying is part of child’s development, study confirms
A Canadian study says children who lie are really just developing their intelligence.

New baby, fat pet? Why pets get pudgy after baby arrives
A new — albeit unscientific — study from pet supplement company Flexcin International shows that pet obesity grows in households with a new baby.

Nation of adults who will write like children?
Most states don’t require children to learn cursive writing anymore. Some 46 states have adopted the Common Core Standards, a set of educational guidelines that do not require cursive writing as part of a school’s curriculum.

10-Year-Old Model’s Mom Defends Racy Vogue Pictures of Daughter
The mother of a 10-year-old fashion model whose racy photo shoot in French Vogue reignited the debate about the sexualization of young girls has apparently defended her daughter’s work.

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]