Best of the Web: Parenting and Pregnancy News

Coolest Parents Ever Recreate Beastie Boys "Sabotage" Video [theFrisky]

India offers 24-hour daycare service [MSNBC]

10 procedures to think twice about during your pregnancy [ConsumerReports]

Simon Helberg & Jocelyn Towne Welcome First Child: Adeline [CelebrityBabyScoop]

Introducing Your Child To Someone Special [parenting]

Alex Meraz & Wife Welcome Baby No. 2: Talus Alexander [CelebrityBabyScoop]

In Mensa or not, this tot proves she's still a tot [MSNBC]

Baby Instincts (Part 1)

While other animals are up walking around shortly after they are born, newborn babies can only coo and cry. Nevertheless, don't be fooled by their apparent helplessness, because a baby's cry can reach up to 97 decimals (equivalent to a pneumatic drill)! Scientists are finding that that's not the only skill your baby is naturally born with: babies can read emotions in faces and music and feel complex emotions of their own. They naturally dance to the beat and remember sounds from the womb. It makes you wonder what else we don’t know about babies or what babies might already know about us.

It’s possible that babies start learning to communicate in the womb. A study of pregnant women who read Dr. Seuss, found their babies preferred the same book after being born. The study had the newborns choose a non-nutritive sucking device that triggered a particular audio. They always chose the audio reading of the same Dr. Seuss story they were read in the womb. Another bi-product of hearing sounds in the womb is a preference for women's voices, particularly the mother’s. If a man and woman both talk at the same time out of view of a newborn, researchers have found that the newborn will always turn to look at the female.

Babies are born sensitive to the emotions of others through observing facial expressions. A study called the “visual cliff” put babies on a sheet of glass that was elevated on two tiers, creating a visual mirage of a cliff in the middle. The mothers were asked to coax the babies over the visual cliff towards a toy. When mothers exhibited fear, their infants wouldn’t crawl over the cliff and when mothers showed joy, they were able to coax their infants over the cliff about two-thirds of the time. Apparently, sometimes babies also instinctively sense a possible fall. Another study of babies interacting with their mothers, in which the mothers acted normal then suddenly became emotionless, eventually caused the babies to be distressed. The mother’s indifferent face caused some babies to try to get their mother’s attention and finally led to indifference in certain infants.

Babies react to emotions even in music. Babies at approximately three months of age don’t seem to be able to differentiate between sad and happy music but by five to seven months a study revealed that they prefer happy music over sad. The study had babies stare at a picture while they played music and when the baby looked away, the music would stop. They notably stared longer for the happy music. Babies also have a strong sense of rhythm. They are born able to keep track of complex rhythms, ones that as adults we may not be able to keep up with unless culturally exposed to them. In a study of babies listening to Balkan music, they were able to pick up errors that adults were not able to. By one year of age, however, they become less flexible with their sense of rhythm.

A baby’s complexity is not limited to a sense of rhythm - they also feel complex emotions like jealousy. By about three months of age, you might notice your baby striving to get your attention. A study found out what happens when researchers spoke with mothers while purposely excluding the baby. Some babies became agitated, kicking their legs and screaming if no attention was given. They also smiled less and turned away. When mothers showed love to another infant, most babies became very distressed. When mothers interacted with researchers three out of 24 babies became upset, but when it was with another baby, 13 out of 24 babies became upset.

It's incredible to realize how emotionally sensitive an infant really is, but we can use this understanding to better care for our babies. Perhaps the music you listened to while pregnant is just what the baby needs to feel calm, and maybe for a little Mozart in the making, you need to expose the child to complex rhythms earl on. Maybe the reason the baby is upset is because someone else is sad or because you are giving more attention to someone else. Whatever the case, these findings are bringing us closer and closer to finding out what we already knew: babies are amazing!


Were you surprised to see any of these traits in your baby?

The Baby Lab [TheNewAmericaFoundation]

Programme 1 - Born to Survive [BBC]

Babies can recognise emotion in faces [AskBaby]

Infants distinguish sad music [AskBaby]

Western Babies Got Rhythm, but They Unlearn It, Study Says [NationalGeographic]

Babies Use Rhythms to Adapt to Their Culture, Study Hints [NationalGeographic]

Babies 'show jealousy' by three months [AskBaby]

Development of Prosocial Behavior and Empathy In the Hand that Rocks the Cradle [WCF]

The Competence of Babies [theAtlantic]

Babies Who Learn Music Gain Important Skills

What's the best age to start learning music? 5 years-old? 10? 15? A new study reveals that the best age to start learning music is before a child even turns one. Obviously, a child is not going to become Mozart by the age of two, but a new study reveals that babies who learn to play music gain some invaluable benefits.

Researchers from Ontario's McMaster University recruited a group of one-year-olds and their parents to study music together for six months. They were split into two groups - one played with toys while listening to music and the other learned to play instruments and sing songs. Researchers found that babies who actually studied playing music developed more sophisticated reactions to music they listened to, which wasn't surprising. However, the interactive group also developed better communication skills, smiled more, were easier to soothe and remained more calm when faced with unfamiliar situations.

Studies have found similar benefits for adults who study instruments and playing music, however, this study is the first to look at babies learning to play music. Listening to music has calming benefits but actually playing music seems to provide many cognitive benefits for babies and adults.

Does your baby like to sing or play instruments?

Music benefits babies' brains [TorontoSun]

Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky Welcome a Girl!

Avengers star Chris Hemsworth and actress Elsa Pataky have welcomed their first child to the world! India Rose arrived on May 11th in London. The first-time dad says of the baby's name: "We love the country and love the name."

The couple were married in 2010.

Congratulations to the happy couple!

What do you think of the name India Rose?


Chris Hemsworth & Elsa Pataky Welcome First Child: India [CelebrityBabyScoop]

Featured Babies of the Week

Every week we feature the best baby photos sent to us through our Babies of the Week contest. We receive photos from parents from all over the world. Here are a few of our favorites:

Sean was born in May, 2011. Mom says, "He is special in so many ways but to name a few he is happy nearly all day long! He likes to read books with Mommy and loves to practice talking with Daddy. He is the happiest baby even in the middle of the night! He always smiles first thing in the morning and has already learned how to give kisses!"

Shelby Genevieve was born in February, 2011, weighing 5 lbs., 10 oz. Mom says, "My daughter is special because she is my angel. She is 7 months old now and is feeding herself (with a little help from mom). She loves talking and meeting new people. She loves the outdoors, it's her favorite place to be."

Shazia was born last July. Mom says she always smiles, even if she's in pain, she smiles as she cries. Mom also says: "I don’t know how express it but she is my butterfly."

Alexander is six weeks old in this picture. Mom says, "He is special because he was born at 34 weeks and spent 4 weeks in the NICU. I was hospitalized for 2 weeks before he was born. They induced me because he was not growing well inside of me. Alexander has mild IUGR. He is in the 25th percentile for his adjusted age and is doing very well. He was born 3 lbs 10 oz and is now 7 lbs 9 oz! He likes to eat! The really special part about his story is that I was told I had gestational diabetes. I questioned the results and was tested 2 more times both negative. My doctor told me to keep the apt for the growth sonogram just in case. It was this sonogram(would not have been done routinely) that found the issue with blood flow and my placenta that may have saved his life."

Londynn was born in October. Mom says, "What makes my daughter special to me and my family is that she was born on her great grandmother's birthday. She is the only person in the entire family to share a birthday with my grandmother. My grandfather passed away early this year and did not have the opportunity to meet my newest family addition. While pregnant I said that if she were born on my grandmother's birthday that meant my grandfather was watching over us. Well, she was, so I believe he is watching over us making her extra special."

 

Thanks to all the parents who sent us their pictures. You can see the rest of the featured photos on the front page of BabyWeekly. To enter your baby picture for the Baby of the Week contest, please click here. Due to the high volume of submissions we receive, it may take many months before your baby's photo is featured.

Friday Wrap-up: Parenting and Pregnancy News

Behind the Cover: Are You Mom Enough?[Time]

Christy Turlington Burns defends campaign to boycott Mother's Day [Today]

Bruce Willis Introduces Mabel Ray [People]

Simple blood test could show who's at risk for postnatal depression [DailyMail]

No more negotiating. I've learned to say NO to my children [DailyMail]

Whooping cough epidemic hits Washington State [NYDailyNews]

Pregnant And Puzzling Over How The 'Parts' Will Fit [NPR]

New Study Bolsters Importance of Choline during Pregnancy

When you're planning your meals, you're probably not thinking of your consumption of choline, an essential B-vitamin. Even though studies have shown that it's increasingly important for pregnant women - low choline has been linked to neural tube defects and is essential for organ development. A recent study supports these findings and suggests that increased choline intake during pregnancy could reduce the incidence of diabetes and high blood pressure in babies by lowering stress hormones in the body.

Researchers from Cornell University discovered that providing pregnant women with 930 milligrams of choline a day significantly lowered their baby's stress levels. Women who took part in the study were in their third trimester. There were two groups - one that were assigned 930 milligrams of choline daily and another assigned to take 450 milligrams a day. The babies of mothers who took the higher concentrations each day experienced a 33 percent decline in levels of cortisol - the stress hormone. Marie Caudill, associate professor of nutritional sciences, says of the findings:

"The study findings raise the exciting possibility that a higher maternal choline intake may counter some of the adverse effects of prenatal stress on behavioral, neuroendocrine and metabolic development in the offspring...A dampening of the baby's response to stress as a result of mom consuming extra choline during pregnancy would be expected to reduce the risk of stress-related diseases such as hypertension and type 2 diabetes throughout the life of the child."

Choline is an essential nutrient for proper cell function in the body. Women are urged to consume 425 milligrams a day even when they're not pregnant. The nutrient is most abundantly found in calf liver, beef, eggs, chicken, turkey, soy beans and some dark leafy greens.

Do you get enough choline in your diet?

Choline Consumption During Pregnancy May Lower Babies' Risk Of Diabetes: Study [HuffPo]

choline [WHFoods]

Anna Faris and Chris Pratt are Expecting!

Anna Faris (35) and Chris Pratt (32) are expecting their first child together! A rep for the actors announced the news to People. The couple were married in 2009 and have been open about their desires to start a family.

Faris can be seen in Sasha Baren Cohen's new film, The Dictator, and Pratt is a regular on the show Parks and Recreation.

Congratulations to the happy couple!

Anna Faris and Chris Pratt Expecting First Child [People]

Best of the Web: Parenting and Pregnancy News

Robert Downey Jr. Shows Off Baby Photos On 'The Tonight Show' [NBC]

Science Discovers That Sperm Aren't Swimmers, They're Crawlers [Jezebel]

7 Ways to Incorporate Kids Into a Wedding [lilsugar]

Infertile Woman Gives Birth 5 Hours After She's Declared Pregnant [theStir]

The Dos and Don'ts of What to Say to a Friend Who's Had a Miscarriage [lilsugar]

42 of the Best Baby Shower Themes [lilsugar]

30 Ultra-Flattering Maternity Swimsuits [iVillage]

Toxins in the Home - Pregnancy Precautions

Pregnancy is a confusing time for many women because there are so many precautions that are advised. It’s unfortunate that we are faced with an increasing list of chemicals to avoid that have infiltrated every part of our existence. A study in November 2009 found toxic chemicals from common household items in the bodies of women in their second trimester of pregnancy. Included were phthalates, Bisphenol A (BPA) and so-called “Teflon chemicals.” BPA has been linked to breast cancer, birth defects and reversed gender behaviors in toddlers. Many states in the United States have already banned its use in baby products.

 It would be so much easier if the companies responsible for creating these chemicals were required to test substances before putting them on the market, but the laws on chemicals are severely outdated. Here are some precautions you can take to avoid hazardous chemicals during your pregnancy:

On your person:

• Eat all organic foods (eggs should be priority if you can’t afford it).
• Avoid nail polish, fake nails, hair dye, and hair spray.
• Take fish oil instead of eating more fish and only eat wild caught fish.
• Avoid processed foods.
• Find natural alternatives to your toiletries (shampoo, soap, deodorants, make-up), ones that don’t contain phthalates. Avoid anti-bacterial soaps that contain triclosan. (Use cosmeticsdatabase.com to check your products).
• Avoid synthetic scents from perfumes, lotions, and body sprays.
• Don’t get silver (mercury) fillings at the dentist.
• Avoid microwave popcorn.
• Avoid canned food or drinks that have plastic lining inside.
• Avoid plastics #3 and #7.
• Avoid bug spray with DEET.
• Avoid tobacco smoke.
• Eat lots of calcium and iron, which protect the body from lead.

In the home:

• Keep the home well-ventilated.
• Test for Radon.
• If living in an older home, contact the local EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) to test for the presence of lead in the water. Run for 30 seconds before using for anything and use the cold water pipe, not the hot.
• Filter drinking water in your home and if possible filter the shower/bath water as well. (Chlorine can react to other chemicals in the water, making it hazardous on the skin.)
• Drink and cook with tap water rather than bottled water.
• Avoid storing, heating or cooling foods in plastic containers and don’t put plastic in the dishwasher.
• Do not sand or paint during your pregnancy.
• Have someone dust your home with a damp rag on a regular basis.
• Use a Hepa-filter vacuum often.
• Throw away vinyl blinds of unknown origin.
• If your house was built before 1978, avoid gardening near its foundation.
• Wet mop floors.
• Avoid new carpeting, vinyl and furniture that can emit fumes.
• Don’t use pesticides in your home or garden.
• Use natural cleaning products (vinegar and baking soda work for almost everything).
• Only use non-toxic dry cleaners.
• Don’t cook with non-stick pans made with Teflon.
• Don’t use stain repellents.
• Find out which manufacturers are against using hazardous chemicals before purchasing new items (Sony, Samsung, Nokia, IKEA, Apple, LG, Phillips, Microsoft, Sharp and Toshiba are some good ones).
• Some scented candles contain lead in the wicks that is released when lit – only use natural ones
• Stick with watercolors and acrylics during pregnancy if you like to paint.
• If there is anyone living in your home that works as a mechanic, painter, construction worker, smelter, welder, with ceramics or manufacturing batteries – they should arrange to wash up their body and clothes at work. At the very least, have them wash their clothes separately from the rest of the family’s wash.
• Use the vents in your house to keep air indoors circulating, particularly while cooking or showering
• Lead can accumulate in soil near roads, so wipe your shoes before entering your house. Removing shoes before entering the home is a good way to keep from tracking things in.
• If you re-use plastic bags, keep the lettering on the outside.
• Open flues when fireplaces are in use. 

In your car:

• Don’t pump your own gas.
• Keep your car well-ventilated and clean.

At work:

• Investigate your workplace: make sure ventilation systems are working properly, restroom air fresheners are non-toxic, and keep an eye out for water damage.
• Stay away from the workplace if new carpet is being installed, building construction or painting is going on, vents are being cleaned, or pesticides are being sprayed.
• Make sure tobacco smoke or exhaust in certain places is not being channeled into your home or workplace

Resources you can use:

http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/splash.php?URI=%2Findex.php

http://householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov/

http://www.healthystuff.org/

Do you make an effort to avoid hazardous chemicals?

Environmental risks and pregnancy [MarchofDimes]
Four Common but Toxic Chemicals to Avoid During Pregnancy, Pre-Pregnancy and Breastfeeding [SixWise]

The Inside Story: A Guide to Indoor Air Quality [EPA]

Pacifiers May Not Adversely Effect Breastfeeding

The conventional wisdom among breastfeeding mothers has been to keep pacifiers away from newborns still learning how to breastfeed. Called "nipple confusion," many mothers will attest to the fact that providing their newborn with a bottle or pacifier in their first weeks of life has caused problems achieving a successful latch. Despite a long fight against hospital policy that enables a baby to be given a bottle or pacifier right after birth, a new study suggests something different - that pacifiers could actually help babies learn how to latch properly.

Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University discovered that breastfeeding rates actually fell when they stopped giving newborns pacifiers. Dr. Carrie Phillipi, a pediatrician at the hospital says, "Our observations suggest routinely removing pacifiers may negatively impact exclusive breastfeeding rates during the birth hospitalization." Data was collected from over 2,200 infants delivered at the hospital between 2010 and 2011. During that period, a policy was instituted that prevented the use of pacifiers with newborns. The percentage of babies who were exclusively breastfed during that period dropped from 80 percent to 68 percent.

Kim Novak-Jones, a registered nurse at the University of North Carolina's Women's and Children's Hospital was surprised by the findings because instituting Baby-Friendly policies, which includes halting the use of pacifiers, seemed to cause an increase in breastfeeding rates at UNC.

Phillipi explains that the effect of pacifier use early in life isn't well studied, "Taken together, the 10 steps [required to become a Baby-Friendly hospital] have been shown to improve breastfeeding rates. However, the individual contribution of removing pacifiers as one of the 10 steps hasn’t been as well studied."

Did you discover that giving your newborn a pacifier changed the breastfeeding relationship in any way?

Pacifiers And Breastfeeding: New Study Challenges Conventional Wisdom [HuffPo]

Carson Daly Expecting Second Child

The Voice host, Carson Daly (38), and his partner Siri Pinter (30) are expecting their second child together! Pinter revealed the news on her blog: "5 and a half months already! I am beyond thrilled and blessed. I have been eating a lot of cookies."

The newest addition will join three-year-old Jackson.

Daly recently opened up about his experiences as a father: "Any parent can probably understand it when I say, ‘I get it now.’ I sort of get life’s purpose now. It’s something you don’t really understand until you’ve created something with your life partner or someone that you love. So I look at my time with my son and it really put things in perspective. I thought I had things in perspective. With me, it’s my faith and my family and everything else falls somewhere in categories underneath all that. But when you have your child, it’s a game changer."

Congratulations to the happy couple!

Carson Daly & Siri Pinter Expecting Baby No. 2 [CelebrityBabyScoop]

Featured Babies of the Week

Every week we feature the best baby photos sent to us through our Babies of the Week contest. We receive photos from parents from all over the world. Here are a few of our favorites:

Conrad Miller was born in December, 2010. He is eight months old in this picture. He has two older sisters and mom says he is always happy. She also reveals that he just learned to crawl.

 Kegan is right around 12 months old in this picture.

Abbigail's grandfather sent us this adorable picture. She was born in February, 2011. Grandpa says, "She is special because she was born to my son and the daughter of my best friend in chiropractic school (31 years ago) and we have remained friends throughout all this time. Our children met and married while going to the same school, Life University in Georgia. This makes Abbi the third generation of chiropractors and hopefully, someday, she too will do the same as her parents."

Ella McKindley was born in September, 2011. Mom says, "This is my sweet baby girl who has been the best thing that ever happened to me. She brings joy to who ever meets her & the nurses kept telling me they had never seen a newborn baby smile as much as this little one did. She never cried at the Hospital and still today smiles more than ever."

Sydney Reese is 11-months-old here, she was born in December, 2010. Mom says, "Sydney is an energetic, polite and happy baby. Sydney always has a smile on her face. She loves her three furry friends (rescue cats) so much. She loves books, iPhones and our remote control. She brings such joy to our lives and we are so blessed to have her. She most recently learned to clap and is on the verge of walking."

Thanks to all the parents who sent us their pictures. You can see the rest of the featured photos on the front page of BabyWeekly. To enter your baby picture for the Baby of the Week contest, please click here. Due to the high volume of submissions we receive, it may take many months before your baby's photo is featured.

Friday Wrap-up: Parenting and Pregnancy News

Lion at the Portland zoo goes crazy trying to eat zebra kid [YouTube]

Chris Bosh & Wife Welcome Baby No. 1: Jackson Anthony [CelebrityBabyScoop]

U.S. Ranks 131st in Preterm Births [WebMD]

The Cheating Dads of Brooklyn [Jezebel]

Fourth Child on the Way for Donald Trump, Jr. [People]

When Parents Should Get Involved in Kids' Issues [RealSimple]

Transgender father describes system that enables him to breastfeed [DailyMail]

Pop-Up Baby T-Shirts [lilsugar]

Food Allergy Risk Up for Children Born in the Fall [DoctorsLounge]

Breast-Feeding May Help Develop Healthy Mix of Gut Bacteria [MyHealthNewsDaily]

Shannon Miller on Parenting with Cancer

Olympic gold medalist and world champion gymnast Shannon Miller is a 35-year-old cancer survivor and mother of one. She opened up about her battle against ovarian cancer and how it effected her two-year-old son Rocco. Her story reveals her awe-inspiring strength.

On her diagnosis: "I was diagnosed with a malignant germ cell tumor (a form of ovarian cancer) in January of 2011. After surgery and chemotherapy, I am now very excited to say that I am cancer free! My cancer was caught at a very early stage. I hope that by being very open and public about my diagnosis I can remind others that early detection is key. My company is dedicated to helping women make their health a priority. When I found out I had cancer it brought my passion for the topic to a new level. Whether it’s cancer, diabetes, heart disease or just trying to stay fit we must make our health a priority."

On struggling to parent: "My son was 15-months-old when I was diagnosed. After surgery I wasn’t allowed to lift him for eight weeks. Any mom out there understands how hard that is emotionally as well as logistically with three naps a day getting him into and out of the crib.
My chemotherapy regimen was very intense. I called it the 'hit’ em hard hit’ em fast' regimen. I was extremely sick for the better part of 10 weeks and the fatigue was incredible. I was blessed to have so much help from family and friends. I would try to rest a lot during my tough weeks and on better days I would get work done. My son was a wonderful inspiration. Seeing him smile and play made everything better."

On becoming a bald: "I was very concerned….well terrified…. about how my son would react to bald mommy. I was so scared he would be frightened. I voiced my concern to a friend who had taken care of Rocco while I went to get my head shaved. A mother herself, she was amazing. She told me that I had to be comfortable with my new look first, or he certainly wouldn’t be. I wore hats for the next couple of days around him and took the time to get used to my new look, feel my head, look in a mirror. When I finally introduced it to him (nonchalantly while playing the 'wear the hat' game) he didn’t even flinch. Apparently it was just another hair style for mommy!"

On having more children: "In July, I’ll find out the status of having another child. After surgery and chemo I was still given an 85% chance of having children. John (my husband) and I have done our best to leave it in God’s hands and remain very thankful to have such a wonderful little boy."

Do you know any young parents faced with cancer?


Shannon Miller: "I Was Terrified How My Son Would React To Bald Mommy" [CelebrityBabyScoop]