Putting babies to sleep on their backs is an important safety measure that can decrease the risk of SIDS, or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. However, a new report in the journal Pediatrics states that parents are still not doing this crucial step well enough.
Parents & Kids
As ACSH's Ana Dolaskie approaches the final weeks of pregnancy, she is making sure all her vaccinations are up-to-date. This includes the TDAP vaccine (Tetanus-Diphtheria-Pertussis) and influenza shot. And she also wants to makes sure dads, partners, and others who are spending time with baby understand why getting vaccinated is key in protecting a newborn baby against potentially life-threatening illnesses, like pertussis (whooping cough).
In preparation for motherhood, ACSH's Ana Dolaskie says she's grateful to have her mother by her side. But does mom always know best? Well, most of the time. But sometimes daughter knows best, and perhaps when it matters most.
Avoiding cows' milk in favor of plant-based substitutes (e.g. rice, soy or almond "milks") has been part of the vegan lifestyle for years. And now, the popularity of such substitutes has been increasing. According to a recent study, it might mean less growth in kids fed these "milks".
TCSPI wants to ban food coloring. Seeing Red, is a slick marketing of ideas blending health studies with some misdirection promoting an agenda to “revoke approval for all food dyes.”
Here I am, 30 weeks into my pregnancy and feeling mighty darn good about my bump. After all, just last week a stranger — who also happens to be an OB — had validated my confidence by guessing exactly how far along I was just by looking at me. Well, thanks lady! It made my day that she thought I looked exactly like what I needed to look like at 29 weeks along.
New mothers learn how to protect their new arrivals from sudden infant death syndrome. But when it actually comes to implementing those safety practices while in a sleepy stupor, that's when dangers arise. So researchers developed a "mobile health program" delivering safety reminders – when they needed to be seen – which helped moms keep their newborns safer.
Athletes classified as "moderately specialized" were found to be at a 50 percent greater risk, while those "who had a high specialization classification had an 85% higher incidence" of lower extremity injuries.
The Glucose Screening Test is performed between weeks 26 and 28. Pregnant women are tested to see how their body is able to absorb high levels of glucose. The catch? Drinking 10 ounces of a nasty juice before the blood is drawn — find out if Ana Dolaskie passed!
Although some observational studies have suggested that vitamin D can help prevent upper respiratory ailments in adults, no such data substantiates that claim for children. A new study that compared low- and high-dose vitamin D with respect to such problems in kids found no effect at either level. Sorry, parents!
Although his reports on the spurious connections between vaccines and autism have been roundly refuted and his "research" report retracted, Andrew Wakefield's poison continues to harm children. In Minnesota, the continuing outbreak of measles in a Somali community is the latest case in point.
Of all the fads to cling to, let's not jump on this bandwagon. And especially when scientific bodies, and a government agency like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, warn you not to.