Here’s some food for thought: your baby needs more fat in her diet than you. 

A baby’s dietary needs are different from those of adults, and while low-fat and high-fiber keep you trim, it puts your baby at risk. Some facts:

• Fat is needed in children below age 2 because of their rapid growth and ongoing brain development.  Aside from iron, fat is the most important nutrient for brain development in the first three years of life.
• Fat in the diet is needed to digest fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, K and to keep baby’s temperature consistent. 
• Until they reach their first birthday, babies’ diets should be composed of 50% fat. Breast milk is the best source of fat for newborns. If an infant is weaned before the age of 1, infant formula is preferred. 
• After their first birthday, children’s diets should be be 35% fat. The AAP recommends full-fat milk and milk foods such as yogurt and cheese, until your child is aged 2. 
• Butter, meat, and  avocado are other good sources of fat. Well-cooked fatty fish such as sardines, salmon and fresh (not canned) tuna are also good sources but may have to wait if baby is allergy-prone. 
• If you have a child who seems chubby before she has started to crawl, remember that she will burn much of her fat once she becomes more active.
• Fat deprivation in the first three years of life actually puts children at risk for malnourishment and specific deficiency syndromes like underdeveloped speech and motor skills.

THESE AMOUNTS OF FOOD WILL GIVE YOU 10 GRAMS OF FAT

Santa Clara County officials vote to ban toys and other promotions that come with high-calorie children’s meals.

After a contentious meeting between parents and restaurant owners, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors voted in favor of banning the Happy Meal in Silicon Valley restaurants.

The five-member board in Silicon Valley voted 3 to 2 in favor of prohibiting fast food restaurants from offering prizes and toys if they contained more than 485 calories, 600 mg of sodium or high amounts of sugar and fat.  The decision is meant to pressure small fast food restaurants to big chains like McDonald’s to offer more nutritious menu items for kids. Happy Meals are one of the longest-running and most successful marketing campaigns for McDonald’s.

“This ordinance prevents restaurants from preying on children’s’ love of toys” to sell high-calorie, unhealthful food, said Supervisor Ken Yeager, who sponsored the measure. “This ordinance breaks the link between unhealthy food and prizes.”  It is said that that one quarter of kids in the area are overweight.

In favor of the item were public health administrators, parents and doctors; opposed were fast-food franchisees, other parents, and fans of fast-food toys who argued that the promotions are often used to provide Christmas presents for less fortunate children.

Once the ordinance gets final approval at a meeting in May, the fast-food industry will have 90 days to come up with a voluntary program for improving the nutritional value of children’s meals.

It would be interesting to learn whether such a ban indeed affects sales or pushes fast-food chains to offer grilled chicken sandwiches (instead of a burger or chicken nuggets) Unless the toy ban catches, the vote affects only about a dozen fast food chains under the Board of Supervisors’ jurisdiction.

Get your child ready for that first movie theater experience.

Is your little one ready for the big screen? You may remember your first time in a dark, cavernous theater as a thrilling experience, but for a preschooler, it might be overwhelming, even traumatic.  Much of this first foray into the movie theatre will also depend on your child’s temperament, interests and quirks.

Some 3-year-old children can focus on a movie for an hour or so.  Others may be bothered or fearful of odd-looking cartoon characters. Some may be fascinated by all the strangeness.

If your child can watch a full-length children’s film at home, that’s a good indication that he’s probably ready for the cinema. Before you get tickets, here are a few practicalities:

• Tell your little one what to expect before getting to the theatre – it will be dark, and there will be lots of other people watching with us. With preschoolers, it always helps to set the stage for a new environment.
• Practice at home.  Pop in a favorite film, and turn all the lights off.
• Pick a film with familiar characters.  A film a child can relate to or in which he actually knows the characters helps make the whole movie experience less intimidating.
• A matinee screening is a good choice as it fits in with your child’s post-nap, happy-and-alert time of the day.  Matinee audiences are likely to have kids in tow like you and will be more forgiving if you often have to whisper to your inquisitive child.
• Have their favorite snacks on hand. Popcorn and drinks from the food stand are good choices, but take along his sippy cup and a favorite snack from home just in case.
• Go to the bathroom before the show.  This will help avoid frequent pee breaks, which have the uncanny ability of occurring during the best parts.

Most important, expect the unexpected and take your sense of humor along. You are taking your preschooler for the first time into a movie theatre. To a 3-year-old who has never been there before, the whole experience may be about what it feels like looking at an oversized screen in a dark place filled with strangers. And that could be more interesting than the movie itself!

Get your your little ones on their feet and moving wherever you are.

Getting kids physically active is more important than most  parents realize. Even if your couch potato isn’t tipping the scales, getting him to use his muscles, pump his heart and flex his joints is essential for growth. Sports scientists say active kids become taller adults. They are also happier, more sociable and better-behaved. They even tend to do better in school.

There is also the issue of childhood obesity. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, obese children are likely to become obese adults. This comes with a higher risk of future health problems including heart disease, diabetes, stroke, cancer and osteoarthritis.

The US CDC advises just an hour or two a day of active movement is good enough for most children.

Starting them young is the best way to create a life-long habit of being active. Keeping an active toddler busy can be a challenge for any parent, especially since most toddlers have more energy than most adults. Have on hand or in mind a few games and activities for those active toddlers. You don’t have to look far:

• If you’re a yogi, show your little one how to do the downward dog or tree pose. If you’re a runner, take them to a track, and let them run alongside you for a warm-up.
• Playing with balls and balloons can help to improve your toddler’s muscle strength and her coordination.
• Hide-and-Seek or Tag are games that toddlers will love, as well. For the active toddler, seeking will probably be a lot more fun than hiding, as it can be difficult to sit still long enough to be found.
• Your toddler might also enjoy sweeping with the broom. While the floor won’t be entirely clean when he is done, he could enjoy the process. 
• If you have a playground in the neighborhood, use it. After dinner, hit the street instead of the remote control. Or make housework a habit for your kids throughout the day – cleaning their room, watering plants, feeding pets, setting the table, tidying up. Add this all up, and you’ll have a child that is routinely, habitually, physically active.
• Sneak in exercise into regular errands like grocery shopping. Let them push their own mini cart. Put them in charge of loading items and placing them on the counter. With all that heavy lifting and walking up and down aisles, they’ve clocked in enough exercise for a day without realizing it.

Encourage your little ones to make physical activities part of their day, and you’ll be creating a healthy pattern that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.

Study explores possibility of Viagra for women. 

New research might be bringing science a bit closer to a female version of Viagra.

In a study that explored the underlying processes of female sexual arousal, British-based researchers say they have learned more about how new treatments might be developed to help women with sexual arousal disorder.

In tests on female lab animals, a team from the drug maker Pfizer found that electrical stimulation of the pelvic nerve increases blood flow to the genitalia. This effect was enhanced if the animals were given an experimental drug called UK-414,495, which is believed to block the breakdown of a chemical messenger that plays a crucial role in increasing blood flow during sexual arousal.

Research suggests that 9 percent to 26 percent of women in the United States suffer from low sex drive, with the numbers varying depending on age and whether they’ve reached menopause.

If ever, the drug would not help all types of FSAD [female sexual arousal disorder], however, as blood flow is only one of many reasons that women experience sexual dysfunction. ”This is the closest thing out there to Viagra for women,” says Sheryl Kingsberg, chief of the division of behavioral medicine at University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland, “but the problem is that a Viagra-like effect will not solve the majority of sexual dysfunction cases in women.

“In contrast to men in whom erections have played a major role, for women arousal is not the key problem, desire is,” she said.

“Before this work, we knew surprisingly little about the processes that control all of these changes,” lead researcher Chris Wayman said in the news release. “Now [that] we are beginning to establish the pathways involved in sexual arousal, scientists may be able to find ways of helping women who would like to overcome FSAD.”

Women with FSAD find arousal difficult and their genital organs don’t respond to sexual stimulation. The condition affects up to 40 percent of women of all ages, the study authors said.

“While the particular chemical compound studied in this research did not prove appropriate for further development, the implications of the research could lead to the development of a product in future,” Wayman said in the news release.

The study findings were published in the April 13 online edition of the British Journal of Pharmacology.

Are you pregnant and craving non-food items? Find out more about the syndrome that causes your bizarre cravings.

If you crave nonfood items such as clay, cornstarch, laundry starch, or coffee grounds, your doctor needs to know immediately. This is a condition called pica, and it can cause serious health complications for both you and your baby.

The word pica is Latin for magpie which is a bird notorious for eating almost anything.  The most common substances craved during pregnancy are dirt, clay, and laundry starch. Other pica cravings include: burnt matches, stones, charcoal, mothballs, ice, cornstarch, toothpaste, soap, sand, plaster, coffee grounds, baking soda, and cigarette ashes.

Complications of Pica

• Lead Poisoning: Eating substances that contain lead, such as soil, clay, or paint, could lead to lead poisoning, which can seriously harm both you and your baby, and can even result in death.
• Bowel Obstruction: Eating non-food items, especially rocks, hair, and dirt, can cause your bowel to become obstructed. This can lead to severe constipation, bowel inflammation, and infection.
• Parasite Infection: Items from the earth, including clay, soil, and grass, can be home to parasites. When you ingest these items, parasites can then infect your gastrointestinal tract causing pain, weight loss, and other side effects.
• Dental Injury: Your teeth were not made to process non-food items. Hard substances like rocks, clay, and ice can cause serious damage to your teeth, and you may experience broken and fractured teeth.

Effects of Pica on Your Baby

Unfortunately, pica cravings can cause serious harm to your baby. Eating non-food items can actually prevent your body from absorbing the proper minerals and nutrients. This could mean that your baby is not receiving the proper nutrition, increasing his risk for a variety of complications, including low birth weight, preterm labor, and stillbirth.

Get help

Don’t panic; it happens and is not abnormal. The most important thing is to inform your health care provider to make sure you have a complete understanding of the specific risks associated with your cravings. Here are some suggestions to help you deal with pica cravings:

• Inform your health care provider and review your prenatal health records.
• Monitor your iron status along with other vitamin and mineral intake.
• Consider potential substitutes for the cravings such as chewing sugarless gum.
• Inform a friend of your craving who can help you avoid non-food items.

Treatment for pica usually includes:

• nutritional supplements
• medications to control cravings, stress, or depression
• psychological counseling
• behavior therapy

Don’t wing it when when flying with your toddler.

Here is a list of “Flying with Little Kids” necessities.  Remember that what works for one child may not have the same mileage for the other, so come armed with options.

1. A personal roll-away suitcase:  Children love it when you entrust them with their own luggage. Small roll-aways provide the most amusement in a check-in line or departure lounge and are great for releasing pent-up energy.
2. Bulkhead seats:  Booking the roomiest cabin seats not only gives you easier bathroom access, it also makes your toddler feel less confined.  It also means you don’t get dagger stares or a rude lecture from the passenger whose chair your child will innocently thrash with endless kicks.  The only minus is that bulkhead seats don’t have movable arm rests, which means your child won’t have the option of lying on your lap.
3. Ear pressure know-how:  Little children aren’t the happiest people with pressure changes, so don’t forget to teach them how to “pop” their ears.  Sucking on pacifiers, milk bottles, and lollipops are all good for popping ears.  If they are mature enough to understand, instruct them to yawn or laugh.  
4. A huge packet of wipes:  Use these for cleaning your child and wiping down germy surfaces in the cabin bathroom. A small bottle of rubbing alcohol is also helpful for nuking toilet seats and gucky sinks.
5. Snacks:  Getting kids to sample airplane cuisine is a long shot.  Bring your child’s favorite biscuits, fruit, cheese, and pretzels instead.  Avoid the sugar unless you want to be chasing your child up and down darkened aisles while the rest of the passengers sleep.  Also, buy water and juice boxes after you get through security (if permitted), to avoid over-dependence on the busy crew.
6. Games and activities:  Parents usually have their own weapons of choice. Some parents love Crayola wonder packs with invisible ink, while others swear by electronic devices. Ipods, your laptop, a compact DVD Player will be your new best friends when facing the hell of delayed flights or an 18-hour trip.  
7. An in-flight ally: Ask for help if you need it. The one beauty about flying with little kids is that flight attendants are usually more eager to help you than the fastidious old man who wants more peanuts.  If your child can only eat the bread, ask for another bread roll.  If your child still bottle-feeds, ask them to heat the bottle.

Children who engage in creative and active play may grow up to be healthier adults.

The finding comes from a British study that asked 505 young adults to describe their health and their childhood play experiences.

Playing is one of the cornerstones of a young child’s world. Play builds imagination, promotes social skills, advances physical development, and allows a child to work through emotions.

Four types of play were found to be associated in different ways with adult health, said the researchers from The University of Ulster .

Higher levels of creative play in childhood predicted good adult health habits, such as eating a nutritionally balanced diet and getting regular exercise. More active play in childhood was associated with better overall health and more activeness in adulthood.

Adults who had restrictions on play — such as less time to play — were more likely to be overweight and have less healthy lifestyles.

“Having the freedom and opportunity to play is important for all aspects of child development and is a right that is often overlooked,” study author Tony Cassidy said in a news release from the British Psychological Society. “It is something that most children want to do, and do naturally, but its importance is not always recognized by adults, particularly policymakers.”

“For all sorts of reasons, our society has restricted child play,” he added. “To remove restrictions and reverse a potentially damaging trend requires a change in attitudes across adult society.”

The study was to be presented April 14 at the society’s annual conference.

Even 9-month-olds pick gender-specific toys

Genetics may influence how children differentiate  girl toys from boy toys.  A new study suggests certain stereotypical gender preferences take root before kids can even walk.

“The boys always preferred the toys that go or move (car, digger, soccer ball), and the girls preferred toys that promote nurturing and facial features (doll, teddy bear, cooking set),” said study author Sara Amalie O’Toole Thommessen, an undergraduate at City University in London.

Nature or nurture?

What is unclear to scientists is whether innate preferences or socialization is responsible for this finding. “It’s too soon to rule either out,” said Walter Gilliam, director of the Edward Zigler Center in Child Development and Social Policy at Yale University.  ”One of the things we’ve learned about babies over the many years we’ve been studying them is that they are amazing sponges and learn an awful lot in those nine months,” Gilliam said.

Gender-specific preferences became even more pronounced by about age 27 months to 36 months.  Girls spent about 50 percent of their time playing with the doll and seemed to had outgrown the teddy bear.  The boys spent 87 percent of their time with the car and digger, ignoring even the ball.

In the study, researchers found no association between parents’ reported views on gender-appropriate toys for children, or parental roles at home, and the toys children chose. In other words, dads who did their share of housework and moms who held high-level jobs outside the home were just as likely to have girls who picked dolls and boys who picked cars and trucks.

 

Learn the 5 surefire signs that you’re in labor.

Moms can’t always tell when labor is starting. Without tangible proof, the signs of labor are easily misinterpreted:  Is that liquid from my water bag, or is it pregnancy incontinence?  Is that gas, or am I really contracting?

To help you figure out when you really need to get to the hospital, check out these cues.

Your water breaks

Look out! Delivery could be right around the corner.  Although it doesn’t always happen, in some cases, this is the first sign that   labor is about to start. Whether it comes out in a gush or a trickle, notify your doctor or midwife. Eighty percent of women spontaneously go into labor within 12 hours after their water breaks. And those who don’t are likely to be induced because the risk of infection increases once the amniotic sac has ruptured. 

Contractions are strong and regular

Many women are fooled by Braxton Hicks contractions in the last few weeks of pregnancy. Unlike these “practice contractions,”  real labor pains do not abate until delivery.  Typically, they get more intense and and have shorter intervals in between as time  passes. That crampy feeling you started out with will progress from ten to eight to five to three minutes apart. 

You pass your mucus plug or notice “bloody show.”

You may pass your mucus plug — the small amount of thickened mucus that has sealed your cervical canal during pregnancy and  protected your baby from infection— as your cervix dilates and you progress towards labor.  The plug may come out in a lump or  as increased vaginal discharge for several days. The mucus may be tinged with brown, pink, or red blood, which is why it’s  referred to as “bloody show.” But sex or a vaginal exam can cause the bloody show, too, even when labor is still days away.

Loose Bowels

During the early part of labor, your body begins to release prostaglandins, a group of hormonelike substances that cause the  uterus to contract and help soften and dilate the cervix. But prostaglandins can also hyperstimulate the bowels, causing frequent  stools or even diarrhea.

Back Pains

These are not the usual back pains experienced by all pregnant women.  The day the pain becomes extremely harsh, this can be a  sign that you’re experiencing “back labor.” ”Most of the time, you’ll feel those contractions as a tight band that starts in your  back and radiates across the front of your belly,” says Kay Johnson, a certified nurse-midwife in Atlanta.