Robbing the Cradle? If Marketers Get Their Way, That Bundle of Joy Can Cost a Bundle

Robbing the Cradle? If Marketers Get Their Way, That Bundle of Joy Can Cost a Bundle

Story found on Wharton.UPenn

Just a decade ago, a company called Baby Einstein helped launch not only a new line of educational videos and toys but a new generation of kid-centric parents who believed that so-called “enrichment activities” could put their toddlers squarely in the fast lane to success.

The Baby Einstein Company was soon joined by others that promoted educational and entertainment products and services for babies and the under-three-year-old set, including The Baby Prodigy Company (”Dedicated to helping raise smarter, happier young children”) and Brainy Baby (”Learning for a lifetime”). The U.S. isn’t alone in this trend. The UK-based TV show “Teletubbies” shared the same premise. Continue reading »

Can hearing test predict susceptibility to SIDS?

Can hearing test predict susceptibility to SIDS?

Story found on BostonGlobe.com

For reasons shrouded in mystery, several thousand babies die each year in the United States with little warning, their demise a tragedy for parents and a source of frustration for physicians. Now, researchers who reviewed the medical records of five dozen Rhode Island babies are posing this intriguing question: Could a simple hearing test predict the newborns who are likely to succumb to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome? Continue reading »

A Baby-Proof Method Tracks Just Where Little Ones Look

A Baby-Proof Method Tracks Just Where Little Ones Look

Story found on NYTimes.com

Ah, the sweet gaze of a baby. So innocent. So full of wonder.

So infuriatingly difficult to track with any kind of speed or precision.

That used to be the complaint of developmental psychologists. For decades, they have tried to decipher the developing mind by looking at infants’ eye movements, but it has not been easy.

For one thing, researchers want their subjects to look at their experimental stimuli, not the buttons and lights on the recording equipment. For another, babies squirm. And if they are fitted with headgear to help track their movements, they tend to reach up and pull it off. Continue reading »

Brady Feeling Young as Fatherhood Looms

Brady Feeling Young as Fatherhood Looms

Story found on FoxNews.com

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Tom Brady is about to reach two milestones: the age of 30 and fatherhood. But the New England Patriots quarterback says he doesn’t feel like he’s entering a new phase of life.

“I still feel like I’m 22,” Brady said after a Patriots training camp practice Sunday. “I don’t know if that’s good or bad.”

Brady’s former girlfriend, Bridget Moynahan, 36, is expecting their child this summer. They split up late last year after a three-year relationship, and Brady has been dating Gisele Bundchen. Continue reading »

Jaime Pressly’s killer pregnancy

Jaime Pressly’s killer pregnancy

Story found on Monstersandcritics

‘My Name is Earl’ star Jaime Pressly claims her pregnancy was a “killer”.

The former model and her DJ boyfriend Eric Calvo welcomed their first child into the world two months ago and she is delighted not to be pregnant anymore because it “sucked”.

Jaime, 29, said: Pregnancy was the biggest killer for me. I hated it - I hated being fat. Continue reading »

When can I start putting bug repellent on my baby?

When can I start putting bug repellent on my baby?

Story found on Babycenter.com

2 months and older… According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, repellants made with DEET (officially known as N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide or N, N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide) seem to offer the most protection against mosquitoes and ticks. You need to worry most about those insects because they can carry serious diseases like West Nile virus and Lyme disease. Continue reading »

When Is a Child Too Old to Breast-Feed?

When Is a Child Too Old to Breast-Feed?

Story found on ABCNews

Many people see breast-feeding as a natural and loving part of motherhood. So, while there may be disagreements about the proper places to nurse, there is little disagreement about its benefits to infants.

Leighanne O’Connor, 42, a stay-at-home mother of three, has breast-fed all of her children.

“I breast-feed my kids until they’ve finished,” she said. Continue reading »

Dept. Of Health Recommends Meningitis Immunizations

Dept. Of Health Recommends Meningitis Immunizations

Story found on Yankton.net

PIERRE — Parents should add meningitis immunizations to their back-to-school preparations, a state health official said.

“The vaccine is routinely recommended for kids ages 11-12 but college freshmen living in dorms and unvaccinated high school freshmen are among those at highest risk for meningococcal disease and should be vaccinated,” said Bonnie Jameson, disease prevention administrator for the Department of Health. “This disease progresses rapidly and can be fatal. Immunization is the best protection against it.” Continue reading »

Stressed-out moms may keep infants awake

Stressed-out moms may keep infants awake

Story found on ScienceDaily

ROCHESTER, N.Y., July 27 (UPI) — Babies born to women who are anxious or depressed while pregnant may have trouble sleeping at night as infants and toddlers, a U.S. report suggests.

The study, published in the journal Early Human Development, assessed more than 14,000 women in Britain.

Babies born to mothers classified as anxious or depressed while pregnant were about 40 percent more likely to refuse to go to bed, to wake up early or to persistently crawl out of bed. Continue reading »

Single Dads Dodging Those Doctor Visits

Single Dads Dodging Those Doctor Visits

Story found on SeattlePI

Single dads apparently don’t take their kids to the doctor as often as other parents, a new study found.

If a kid lives with a single father he or she is 8 percent less likely to make a well-child visit compared with other families, Health Services Research reported citing a new study. These kids are 20 percent more likely to go without health insurance for 12 months, researchers found. Continue reading »