Parents Daily News Roundup

Wednesday, January 2nd, 2013

Language Learning Begins in Utero, Study Finds; Newborn Memories of Oohs and Ahs Heard in the Womb
Research led by Christine Moon, a professor of psychology at Pacific Lutheran University, shows that infants, only hours old showed marked interest for the vowels of a language that was not their mother tongue. (via ScienceDaily)

Circumcision On The Decline? What Parents Need to Know About The Procedure
Having your newborn baby boy circumcised used to be a common practice in the United States, but in recent years, more parents are opting out. According to Charge Data Master, newborn circumcision rates declined from 58.4 percent in 2001 to 54.7 percent in 2010. Yet these numbers don’t take into account circumcisions performed outside of the hospital – such as those for religious reasons. (via Fox News)

Ultrasound Parties: New Frontier in Pregnancy Oversharing
Thanks to improved ultrasound technology, parents-to-be can now invite friends and family to share in an intimate viewing of baby in utero. (via Today Moms)

Philadelphia School District Plans to Close Dozens of Schools
Now, facing deep financial problems, the Philadelphia School District has proposed an unprecedented downsizing that would close 37 campuses by June — roughly one out of six public schools. If the sweeping plan is approved, the district says it will improve academic standards by diverting money used for maintaining crumbling buildings to hire teachers and improve classroom equipment. (via New York Times)

More Food for Hungry Students: USDA Tweaks School Meals
Schools across the country continue to struggle with implementing the first new nutritional guidelines in 15 years governing meals served to nearly 32 million U.S. students every day. Some schools are finding it a challenge to meet the new requirements of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National School Lunch Program, put in place in January 2012. Amid pressure from government officials, the USDA recently loosened up on some of its requirements on meat and grains. (via TIME)

Daily News Roundup

Wednesday, March 9th, 2011

Here, Tweeting Is a Class Requirement
Big consumer-products companies are going back to school. (Wall Street Journal)

Dad, I Prefer the Shiraz
Parents teach their children how to swim, how to ride a bicycle and how to drive. Should they also teach their teenagers how to drink responsibly? (Wall Street Journal)

Making Kids Work on Goals (And Not Just In Soccer)
Thirteen-year-old Jackson Sikes has been struggling for years to raise his test scores in math. When he got a 33% last year on fractions, Jackson says, “I didn’t know how I was ever going to learn them.” Battling his homework just made him frustrated, says his mother Linda, of Gilmer, Texas. (Wall Street Journal)

Cancer During Pregnancy on the Rise
Lisa Peterson Bender is coping with two conflicting but very real truths: She’s eight months pregnant. And she has breast cancer. (Aol Health)

21 Priests Suspended in Philadelphia
The Archdiocese of Philadelphia announced Tuesday that it had suspended 21 priests from active ministry in connection with accusations that involved sexual abuse or otherwise inappropriate behavior with minors. (New York Times)

Snoring: Nuisance Or Serious Health Problem?
Whether it’s a loud sawing or one of those grating, breathy affairs, snoring can be irritating for both snorer and significant other alike. So irritating, in fact, that recent Department of Health advertisements promoting marital health highlighted snoring as a potential source of tension. (Huffington Post)