Germ phobia…

Flying with small children sparks anxiety in the most unflappable parent. Aside from having to prepare food and activities to fill the endless hours of travel, we need to worry about the spate of superbugs lurking on every interior surface. Take a page from high wattage germ-o-phobe playbook and learn develop a cootie arsenal a la Jennifer Lopez, Gwyneth, Katie Holmes, Jessica Alba and Matt Lauer. Best bets to keep you healthy at 32,000 feet?  Antiseptic spritzers, airline seat covers , portable air purifiers and a good old nasal spray.

via Katie Holmes part of THE NEW MILE HIGH CLUB | Hollywood Hot Moms.

If you are germ phobic you are not alone. Airplanes are loaded with bacteria and viruses but there are ways to thwart them.

We just traveled roundtrip to the East coast last week and two out of three of us got sick with viral infections that made our “vacation” miserable and carried over to our homecoming.

I, for one, am wondering if any of these suggestions would have helped stave off these ferocious viruses.

Just the thought of carrying any more “stuff” on board makes me crazy …never mind what those around me will be thinking when I begin wiping down my seat and covering it top to bottom with a barrier seat cover.

What do you think…would you be willing to do some “work” to clean the environs of your space on your next flight???

Do you think these suggestions would help prevent infection or do you think that you own immune system will take care of you?

Prenatal vitamins and autism risk…

FROM NEWS MOMS NEED:via The March of Dimes

Prenatal vitamins and autism risk

Use of prenatal vitamins before pregnancy and during the first month after conception may significantly reduce the risk of having a child with autism, according to a new study.

Researchers of the UC Davis MIND Institute interviewed approximately 700 families in California who have children aged 2-5 years who have been diagnosed with autism. They found that mothers who took the prenatal vitamins for three months before pregnancy or during the first month of pregnancy were only half as likely to have a child with autism as those who didn’t take them. For mothers who began taking them in the second month of pregnancy, there was no effect, however. This suggests that by the time most women learn they are pregnant, beginning to take the vitamins will provide little or no benefit in terms of autism. This underlines the importance of women taking prenatal vitamins when they’re just thinking about having a baby.

These findings appear to be especially relevant for genetically susceptible mothers and children. The study found an increased risk for women who had one of two particular gene mutations (MTHFR or COMT) who did not take prenatal vitamins early on (4.2 and 7.5 times greater risk, respectively)

This study, soon to be published in the July issue of the journal Epidemiology, is the first to report such findings. While the report is quite promising, further research is needed to confirm the results.

Tags: autism, COMT, MTHFR, prenatal vitamin

via News Moms Need » Blog Archive » Prenatal vitamins and autism risk.

Boy Or Girl? 4-Month-Old Being Raised Genderless

NOTEWORTHY WEDNESDAY!

I am not sure that I totally get the point that these parents are trying to make with their decision to keep their third child, Storm’s gender a “secret”. However, I agree that it is an interesting concept and only time will tell what the overall effects will actually be on “Storm”.

As far as I am concerned, I believe in going along with certain cultural norms.  I believe that there are enough issues to overcome in one’s life, answering questions about one’s gender need not be one of them.

That being said, I do agree with the concept of “free to be you”and that a child should be encouraged to play with whatever toys that they enjoy…girls certainly can play with “boy” toys and boys should feel free to play with “girl” toys. One’s expression of their gender should be entirely on their own terms, but not accepting a gender…I am not sure what that is about and how it adds to a child’s sense of self.

This concept reminds me of a time years ago when friends of mine decided not to raise their children in any particular religion. They felt that as their children got older they could make that choice for themselves. I know this is entirely different than the gender issue but ignoring religion did not make a whole lot of sense to me back then and still does not now. Children, in my opinion, can benefit from religion and also can make choices later in life.

I guess this piece concerning Storm’s gender makes me think more about how we socialize our children and make them feel comfortable in their own skin and genitalia, how we encourage them to be themselves whether they are boys wearing pink or girls wearing a hard hat. My own personal feeling is that we can do that within the norms of present day society.

My questions concerning this situation are…

  • Is it worth putting this gender neutral lifestyle on a young child?
  • Who will ultimately be there to deal with the “fallout” of this decision in the long run ?
  • Is this more of a burden than having a gender identity right from birth?

I so do not have a clue  as to the answers to these questions! I wish Storm a good life and look forward to hearing his/her perspective on his parent’s decision in a few years.

“The couple has been experimenting with gender identity for years and their 4-year-old, Jazz, is already well-acquainted with the ridicule of those who don’t understand why he has long hair and likes the color pink. Jazz and Kio pick out their own clothes and decide whether or not to cut their hair.  Just this week Jazz picked out a pink dress which he says he loves because it “really poofs out at the bottom. It feels so nice.”  Jazz also keeps his long hair in three braids, two in the front and one in the back.  He loves to paint his fingernails.  He also wears a sparkly pink stud in one ear. His choice, his parents don’t even wear jewelry or nail polish. Society has conditioned us to think this is feminine behavior that probably means the little boy is “gay”.  But stop and think about it.  Why is pink a feminine color?  Why is nail polish girly?  Because society tells us it is.  Yet, when you give a child freedom to choose what they want to be, what really is wrong with a boy liking sparkles? They’re sparkly!

Jazz’ younger brother Kio keeps his curly blond hair long too and loves the color purple. “As a result, Jazz and now Kio are almost exclusively assumed to be girls,” says Stocker, adding he and Witterick don’t out them. It’s up to the boys to correct assumptions about their gender.

That may be why the third time around, the Stocker and Witterick figured they could really give their child a blank slate by not sharing his or her gender.  “We thought that if we delayed sharing that information, in this case hopefully, we might knock off a couple million of those messages by the time that Storm decides Storm would like to share,” says Witterick.

via Boy Or Girl? 4-Month-Old Being Raised Genderless | Babys First Year Blog.

Don’t give SimplyThick to premature babies….

Urgent message from MARCH OF DIMES!

“Don’t give SimplyThick to premature babies

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is urging parents not to give premature babies (babies born before 37 weeks of pregnancy) the thickening product called SimplyThick. The product may cause a life-threatening health problem called necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). With NEC, tissue in the intestines gets inflamed and dies.

Some premature babies have trouble swallowing. SimplyThick is a product that’s added to breastmilk or formula to make it thicker. Health providers recommended SimplyThick because it helped premature babies swallow their food and keep it down, without spitting it up. SimplyThick was available from distributors and local pharmacies.

The FDA learned that some babies got sick with NEC after they were sent home on an eating plan that included SimplyThick. Sadly, some of these babies died. NEC most often happens early in a premature baby’s life while she is still in the hospital, not after she’s sent home. NEC is very dangerous to a baby’s health.

At this time, the FDA isn’t sure what about SimplyThick is making babies sick. The organization is actively looking into the link between SimplyThick and these illnesses and deaths.

In the meantime, the FDA urges parents to parents to stop using the product immediately, even if their babies don’t appear to be sick.

Call your baby’s health care provider if she shows any of these signs:

• bloated stomach

• greenish-tinged vomiting

• bloody stools

For more information on SimplyThick and the risk to premature babies, visit the FDA website.

via News Moms Need » Blog Archive » Don’t give SimplyThick to premature babies.”

Recall of table-top chairs…

Recall of table-top chairs

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is urging consumers to stop using clip-on table-top chairs manufactured by phil&teds USA Inc. due to risk of serious injury due to multiple safety hazards.  This caught my attention because we use one of these chairs for our grandchildren.

The “metoo” infant/toddler chair has a nylon fabric seat and a metal frame that clamps onto tables using two metal vise clamps.  The upper part of each clamp rests on the table top and has either a rubber clamp pad on its underside or a rubber boot covering.  Chairs affected by this warning do not have plastic spacers between the table clamps and the front horizontal metal bar.  Chairs with plastic spacers between the table clamps and the front horizontal metal bar are under evaluation.  The “metoo” chairs have been sold since May 2006 through phil&teds.com, Amazon.com, Buy Buy Baby, Target, ToysRUs and other retailers.

According to CPSC, the affected “metoo” chairs pose serious fall and amputation hazards to children.  Children can suffer impact and head injuries when the chair  detaches from the table and falls with them in it, and CPSC staff are aware of numerous incidents involving the chairs.  Phil&teds has refused to agree to a national recall of their product that is acceptable to CPSC, and has offered a repair kit consisting of rubber boots to place on the upper clamp grips of the chairs.  CPSC has not approved a repair kit for this product.  For more information about the recall, click on this link.

Tags: child safety, clip-on chairs, high chairs, infant safety, metoo infant/toddler chair, table-top chairs

This entry was posted on Friday, May 20th, 2011 at 8:17 am and is filed under Baby, Hot Topics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

via News Moms Need » Blog Archive » Recall of table-top chairs.”

Breastfeeding… News of the Week!

Strange and Disturbing Breastfeeding News of the Week.

This has been a week for breastfeeding news. Again, I am referring my readers to “Phd in Parenting” s blog. She is such a wonderful advocate for moms and babies.

California Protective Services visited Mariah Carey in the hospital, because she was drinking beer to help produce a better milk flow…she is breastfeeding her twins. Good for her…breastfeeding twins is a challenge and  according to current scientific findings beer  in moderation will not hurt or her babies.

Now, on to the legislation in Georgia which seeks to restrict where a mother can breast feed a toddler….

Please check out the link above for a great discussion.

50 Reasons for Breastfeeding Anytime!

NOTEWORTHY WEDNESDAY!

By now if  you read this blog at all you know that I am a fan of  “Phd in Parenting” and her blog. She is an ardent supporter of breastfeeding as am I.

To be truthful…I did not breastfeed due to medications that I was taking which were excreted in my breast milk. This was a few years back since I am now a grandmother. I missed the opportunity to breast feed way back then. But I did not miss being discriminated against.

Once when I asked to be seated in a restaurant in a large West Palm Beach department store, the hostess asked me if I intended to breast feed as it was not allowed in the dining room because it was offensive to the other patrons, who were mostly elderly. She then suggested I use the ladies room for privacy. What a relief came over her when I told her I was not intending to breast feed.

I never forgot this incident and it seems that not much has changed over the last  25 + years. How sad is that?

I share this post below “50 Reasons for Breastfeeding Anytime”…I could not say it better.

Once again, there has been an incident where someone went up to a breastfeeding mother and told her she had to cover up or leave. Once again, the media feels to need to create a breeding ground for ignorance by asking questions like “should there be any restrictions on breastfeeding in public?” The answer to that stupid question and yes…there are stupid questions, is simply NO. There should not be any restrictions. There is a myriad of reasons why women should and are able to breastfeed anytime, anywhere.Human Rights1. It is illegal to discriminate against or harass a woman because of her sex, including pregnancy and breastfeeding. or if it isn’t where you live, it should be!

via 50 Reasons for Breastfeeding Anytime, Anywhere | PhD in Parenting.

Freshology | Fresh Mommy

This is such a “fresh” idea and I am neither pre- nor post-natal. I think it is worth a look…or a try!

FRESH

FreshMommy is a fresh meal delivery program for pre- and post-natal women emphasizing nutrition and (post-natal) weight loss.

GOURMET

Proper nutrition is an essential part of a healthy pregnancy and post-natal life. Nothing is more important than the health of your baby, which is why the entire FreshMommy menu is designed with nutrient-rich ingredients essential for a growing family. After your new baby’s arrival, the FreshMommy menu shifts to encourage weight loss while…….

via Freshology | Fresh Mommy – Healthy Pregnancy Diet – Healthy Diet Food Delivery.

Are you too invested in parenting highs?

Are you too invested in parenting highs?.

Can we forgive our mothers for not being omnipotent? Can we see imperfect children (including ourselves) and not blame the mother? If we could forgive our mothers for not being perfect would that make it easier to forgive ourselves? Can we forgive our children for coming into our lives at the wrong time? For being too needy? For not being needy enough? Can we forgive them for remembering things differently than we do (especially if that paints us in a bad light)? Can we forgive our children for having a better life than we did and not appreciating it? Can we forgive our children for not being all the things we wanted to be but weren’t or can we forgive them for being the things we wanted to be when we couldn’t. Can we forgive ourselves for all of our imperfections, poor choices, failures and inadequacies.

But there is one question she asked that I left out of that list because I wanted to write a separate post about it and start a discussion on it with my readers. She asked:

Are you too invested in mothering highs (supermom moments)? Does that set you up for disappointment in other moments?

What do you think? In your quest to be the best parent that you can be while also being realistic about the fact that you are not a perfect parent, do you calmly swim with the ebb and flow and good and not so good parenting moments? Or do you seek out those supermom moments everyday and beat yourself up for being a bad mom when you cannot live up to that? If it is the latter, what do you think you can do to turn it in the former?

Please click the following link to join this discussion…from a wonderful “mommy” blogger from Canada. I think you will love her posts and discussions. You may not always agree with her insights but you will certainly be stimulated by her thoughts.

http://networkedblogs.com/hPFPt

Can a Little Cough Ease the Pain of a Shot?

Parents…to reduce pain,check this out before your child goes for vaccinations !

“A study that was published in an issue of Pediatrics caught my eye . The title “Cough trick may reduce pain of routine immunizations” seemed relevant to my practice so I decided to preview the study a little early.

The study was performed at The University of Nebraska and involved 68 children (small sample size) and they were all receiving vaccines at either the pre-kindergarten visit (age four to five years) or at the 11 to12-year-old visit when routine immunizations are again given.

In this study the children were all instructed to COUGH while getting their vaccines and then the children as well as their parents and nurses were surveyed to see how painful the procedure seemed. For the kids they used visual scales (pictures of painful faces) to demonstrate degree of pain.

…. the time and cost was NONE as the children were taught to give one BIG cough prior to the injection and then coughed again at the time of injection. What a wonderful discovery! Easy, efficient and no training necessary for staff. In this study it wasn’t clear that it helped all children, and interestingly it seemed to be more effective in certain racial groups than others?

via Can a Little Cough Ease the Pain of a Shot? | The Kid’s Doctor: Your Partner in Parenting.