Posted On: June 1, 2010 by Patrick A. Malone Popcorn and hot dogs can pose a deadly choking hazard for children under four, and the risk isn't lowered by parents monitoring their kids' eating of these foods, says the official group representing American pediatricians. So experts are saying the best thing is to avoid risky foods before age four. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics’ policy statement on the prevention of choking among children, choking is a leading cause of death in children and is most frequently caused by food, coins and toys. However, unlike with toys, there are not yet requirements for warning labels on foods that present choking hazards. The Academy’s new policy statement urges the Food and Drug Administration to impose safety requirements on foods that are known to be choking hazards, Laurie Tarkan reports in a New York Times article. In addition to putting warning labels on food packaging, the Academy also suggests that manufacturers redesign the foods to reduce dangers of children choking on them. Toddlers, especially those under 4 whose throat at its narrowest has the diameter of a straw, easily choke on small pieces of foods, among which popcorn and hot dogs are considered high-risk foods. The risk is not reduced by parents being present and watching when children ingest these foods. “The only way” to prevent kids choking on small objects and food is to keep the items out of their mouth, according to Chrissy Cianflone, director of programs for Safe Kids USA, an advocacy group. Currently, only two-thirds of hot dogs have warning labels on the packages, says the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council. And even on the packages that do carry warning messages, the labels are not always obvious to consumers. The FDA in a statement indicates that “it was reviewing the pediatrics academy’s new policy and was considering steps to prevent further deaths,” according to the NY Times story. Dr. Gary Smith, director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Ohio, suggests that parents wait till children turn 4 or 5 years of age to allow them to eat high-risk foods such as popcorn, hot dogs, and grapes.
jueves, 30 de septiembre de 2010
Sugar and Spice – Dressing Up Little Girls
I admit it – I’m a total sucker for sugar and spice baby girl clothing.
Give me lace and roses, hand-crocheted pinafores, add hand-smocked
bodices and I’m in heaven. I’ve raised two little girls and had a hand in
half a dozen nieces, and I’m here to warn you, ladies. If you love
dressing up your little girl in ribbons and lace, indulge yourself as much
as you can when she’s a baby – because it won’t be long before she’s
choosing her own clothes. And honestly, the frilly styles I love just
don’t suit the average active toddler. So — get it out of your system when
she’s a baby – and take lots and lots of pictures.
Just for mothers like me, here are five classic looks for smartly
dressed baby girls that will ensure that your little angel will never be
mistaken for a boy – till she starts dressing herself, at least.
Hand-Smocked Polly Flinders Dresses
There is nothing in this world that says ‘little girl’ quite like a
hand-smocked Polly Flinders dress. I was lucky enough when my youngest was
an infant to find an entire box full of vintage 1950s Polly Flinders
dresses, and buy them for a dollar apiece. If you’re not familiar with
hand-smocked clothing or Polly Flinders, let me give you an idea of what
a bargain this is: a search for Polly Flinders dresses this morning
turned up a few dozen dresses, including several vintage dresses from the
50s and 60s. The prices ranged from $45 to $175.
The Sailor Suit
What do you get when you cross red satin ribbons, navy blue pin-dots
and a white embroidered collar? Add a pint-size sailor’s cap embellished
with a satin ribbon and you have one of the most popular little girl
baby dresses ever made – a very feminine twist on a little boy’s sailor
suit. It was one of the classic styles of the 1940s, and never goes out
of style.
Ruffled Pinafores
It’s a classic Alice in Wonderland little girl pretty – a gingham
checked dress with puffed shoulders and a ruffled hem peeking out from
beneath a starched pinafore. Pinafores started out as ‘aprons’ to help save
the fancy dress beneath, but soon took on a style of their own. They
slip on from the front, and button or tie at the back, and are meant to
be worn over an under dress. Ruffled hems and shoulders and dainty
embroidery are just a few of the things that make this classic baby clothing
style special.
Ruffled Panties
Very little in this life is more adorable than rows of ruffled lace
peeking out from beneath the hem of a smocked baby dress. Ruffle-bottomed
diaper covers and fancy little embroidered bottoms that are meant to
peek out beneath a dress are another of those classic baby girl looks
that never age.
Velvet and Taffeta Roses
What’s the well-dressed baby girl wear on Christmas? Taffeta and
velvet, with lace and roses at the waist of course. Be traditional with a red
velvet bodice and ruffled plaid taffeta skirt, complete with a tiny
satin rose at the lace-trimmed collar – or let your bolder side out and
dress your little darling in black velvet and pink satin. My own favorite
of all time was a pearl gray velvet dress with a white taffeta skirt
accented with a full-blown satin bow in baby-soft pink.
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No tags for this post.miércoles, 29 de septiembre de 2010
Staying Alone With The Baby For The First Time
Two things to remember: this story is true and yes I am embarrassed to tell it.
I am a man brought up with four older brothers, no sisters and no babies. I never really ever even held a baby until my wife delivered our first child back in October 1998. So you can understand my nervousness when the baby was born. Suddenly I had to hold, feed, clothe, and carry him without doing irreparable harm to his physical well being.
Truth be told, I did very little of the actual work. My wife was so excited at having her first child that she rarely let me near him. This did little to reinforce my faith in myself that I can handle the baby duties.
Then one day she dropped a bomb on me; she had to go to a meeting and I would be staying alone with the baby for the first time! Several thoughts flashed through my mind. Did my mom have time to get here? Should I call a baby sitter? Should I fake a case of appendicitis?
Unfortunately, I had no option but to stay and face the music. My wife pulled out of the driveway while I exhibited my manliness by holding our baby and smiling. Luckily she didn't see me shaking.
After she pulled off, I put my plan into action. I would get him to sleep and keep him that way until she returned in three hours. If he began to cry, all bets were off.
I loaded him in his stroller and proceeded to walk him around the back yard in a circle. I used the back yard because it was bigger and because I really didn't want anyone to see me.
He loved riding in his stroller and would usually go right to sleep. However, this time he stayed awake but luckily didn't seem unhappy. I was on pins and needles the entire time praying he wouldn't start crying. After an hour of walking circles, my legs were hurting and he still wasn't asleep. I looked at my watch and realized that two hours remained until the cavalry arrived.
Suddenly it happened. He began to wail loudly. I immediately went to plan B and ran for the bottle. He took that and immediately the crying stopped. I returned to my aerobic workout while he drank and miracle of miracle, he went to sleep.
Although he was asleep, I was still too scared to stop walking. Hey, if it works, why stop right? So I kept walking and pushing that stroller until I heard a car pulling up out front. And yes! My wife had arrived and my ordeal was over.
I never told my wife that I spent the entire three hours pushing a stroller around the backyard or that I was terrified to be alone with our son. But I have a strange feeling that she knew, because it was a long time before she left me home alone again.
Indoor Tanning Beds: Addictive and Dangerous for Teens and Young Adults
Posted On: September 7, 2010 by Patrick A. Malone
Having seen one client die a hideous death from skin cancer that spread to his brain, I'm not a fan of anything that increases the odds of people getting skin cancer. Now a report in the New England Journal of Medicine lays out the compelling case that using indoor tanning beds causes skin cancer and death, and most vulnerable are the teenagers and young adults who get addicted to regular use of tanning beds.
The key facts from this prestigious medical journal's report:
* Tanning bed use nearly doubles the risk of deadly melanoma -- cancer of the pigment-producing cells in the skin -- in frequent users.* The risk of other types of skin cancer, like squamous cell, more than doubles with ANY history of tanning bed use. And although squamous skin cancer is more curable than melanoma, a small fraction of cases spread beyond the skin and cause death.
* Tanning beds are very likely addictive. They make people feel good -- physically and mentally -- because they stimulate production of beta-endorphin, an opium-like substance in the brain.
* The ultraviolet rays from tanning beds cause DNA damage in the skin cells, which triggers production of melanin, the pigment that turns the skin a nice toasty brown. The problem of course is that when those melanin-producing cells go haywire, you have melanoma, and that can easily become incurable before you notice it.
People use tanning beds an estimated one million times every day in the U.S; many of them start in their teens and continue into young adulthood.
The tanning bed industry says one in ten Americans use its products -- 30 million people. That means that many skin cancers every year can be laid at the feet of this industry, with just as strong a scientific case as the one against the tobacco industry.
The defenders of tanning beds say it's a good way to get your skin to make Vitamin D. But that depends on a lot of variables, and a better option, without the risk of cancer, might be to just swallow a Vitamin D supplement pill.
martes, 28 de septiembre de 2010
The First Pair Of Baby Shoes
NEVER JUDGE A BABY UNTIL YOU`VE WOBBLED A MILE IN HER WEEBOK`S
Any parent will tell you that there is nothing quite like watching as your child takes her first steps. When little Tom or Katie start to teeter around upright for the first time there are a few messages that should flash through your mind in order of importance. Somewhere after “please don`t fall, oh please don`t fall
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No tags for this post.Liquid Vitamin D: Too Much of a Good Thing for Babies
Posted On: June 22, 2010 by Patrick A. Malone
In a recent news release, FDA warns parents and caregivers of the risk of overdosing infants with liquid vitamin D. The liquid supplement is administered with droppers that are sold with the supplement itself. However, some of the droppers hold more vitamin D than is appropriate for babies.
Vitamin D supplements are recommended for some children to promote growth of healthy and strong bones. However, if fed with excessive amount of vitamin D, infants experience a myriad of symptoms ranging from nausea to muscle weakness, and sometimes even kidney damage.
Here are the FDA’s recommendations for parents whose children receive vitamin D supplements:
* Ensure that your infant does not receive more than 400 international units (IUs) of vitamin D a day, which is the daily dose of vitamin D supplement that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends for breast-fed and partially breast-fed infants.
* Keep the vitamin D supplement product with its original package so that you and other caregivers can follow the instructions. Follow these instructions carefully so that you use the dropper correctly and give the right dose.
* Use only the dropper that comes with the product; it is manufactured specifically for that product. Do not use a dropper from another product.
* Ensure the dropper is marked so that the units of measure are clear and easy to understand. Also make sure that the units of measure correspond to those mentioned in the instructions.
* If you cannot clearly determine the dose of vitamin D delivered by the dropper, talk to a health care professional before giving the supplement to the infant.
* If your infant is being fully or partially fed with infant formula, check with your pediatrician or other health care professional before giving the child vitamin D supplements.
Study supports mandatory booster seats in cars for children age 4-6
Many parents who want to ensure their young child’s safety in a car put them in booster seats. A recent study conducted by the Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics now confirms what these parents already suspected – namely, that using child safety seats can reduce injuries and deaths in an automobile crash. It also supports the introduction of upgraded child restraint laws for children older than 3.
The study is the first to look at injury rates before and after a state law on booster seats went into effect. In March 2005, the state of New York upgraded its child restraint law to apply to children age 4 to 6. Since the state already had a law mandating child restraints in cars for children age 3 and under, the study compared the percentage of new restraint users in the 4 to 6 group with those in the 3 and under group.
The study found that after the child restraint law was upgraded, the use of boosters increased from 29% to 50%, resulting in an 18% decrease in injuries to children age 4 to 6. Meanwhile, the rates of booster use and injuries in the group age 3 and under remained unchanged.
Child seat laws vary from state to state, though all states mandate restraints for children until they are 3. Child safety experts recommend that, regardless of state law, children under 57 inches (4’9”) should ride in an appropriate restraint until the car’s own seat belts fit safely and comfortably. They also recommend that children under 13 should always ride in the rear of the vehicle.
Source: Consumer Reports Safety Blog
You can view the original study here.
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