Matt Bellamy Explains Baby Bing's Name [CelebrityBabyScoop]
Food Makers Push Back on Ads for Children [NYTimes]
Spock at 65: Five Ideas That Changed American Parenting [Time]
Friday, July 15, 2011
Friday Wrap-up: Parenting and Pregnancy News
Matt Bellamy Explains Baby Bing's Name [CelebrityBabyScoop]
Toddlers Learn to Learn Between 8-16 Months
If it seems like your 8-month-old child should be learning
from past experience that stoves are hot or that usually a blue object goes in the blue
hole, you might be expecting too much too soon. A recent study found that
toddlers don't apply information from past experiences to new situations until
they are closer to16-months-old.
Researchers at Ohio State University compared the learning
abilities of nine-month-olds to 16-month-olds and found that only the 16-month-olds
could apply knowledge from past experience to a new circumstance. “Sometime
between 8 and 16 months, infants begin learning how to learn,” said psychology
professor Julie Hupp. The researchers showed a sequence of images to the
toddlers and subsequently introduced changes in the beginning and the end to
see if the toddlers took notice. All of the children noticed the changes in the
visual sequences, but only the 16-month-olds immediately knew to look for
changes in an auditory sequence they were later introduced to.
The researchers did not learn exactly when toddlers are able
to actually apply old knowledge to new experiences, except noting the eight month window where this development appears to be happening. If the
findings are correct, it could change the way many people view early potty
training and discipline.
Does your child show
evidence of learning from past experiences yet?
How toddlers only learn from experience when they turn 16
months old [Daily
Mail]
Thursday, July 14, 2011
New Postpartum Contraception Guidelines
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have
released new guidelines for women using contraception in the six weeks after
giving birth. Women over the age of 34 are now advised to avoid estrogen-based
birth control pills because they can increase the risks of blood clots.
The CDC encourages the use of contraception postpartum and
they advise women to wait at least one full year before trying to conceive
again after they’ve given birth to ensure optimal outcomes for the mother and
baby. However, for women who rely on the pill for contraception, they are
suggesting alternate forms of contraception six weeks after giving birth, when
the risk of blood clots is higher than normal. Intra-uterine devices (IUD), implants
or progestin injections are among the suggested forms of birth control. Condoms
can also be used as an effective form of birth control, although the CDC did
not cite their use as an alternative to the pill.
What kind of
contraception will you use after giving birth?
New contraceptive
guidelines for some new moms [ACSH]
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Best of the Web: Parenting and Pregnancy News
Looking cool and sexy when you're pregnant [Today]
15 Things That Are Only Acceptable at the End of Pregnancy [Babble]
Watermelon a Wonder for Male Fertility [babyzone]
A New Study Details the Effects of Smoking in Pregnancy [Time]
What You Need to Know About Sunscreen In One Infographic [LifeHacker]
Couple Beats Odds to Have Two Sets of Identical Twin Girls [Fox]
Why States Should Think Twice About 'Caylee's Law' [Time]
Jewel and Ty Murray Welcome a Son!
Singer Jewel and her bull rider husband Ty Murray have
welcomed their first child, People reports. Kase Townes arrived at 7pm CST weighing 7 lbs. 6
oz.
Jewel said of her newest addition: “Ty and I are so pleased
to welcome our new baby boy into the world. We are overcome with happiness – it
really is as great as everyone told us it would be – better even!”
Jewel said in interviews that she had trouble conceiving and
experienced a scare when she was in a car accident at five months pregnant.
The couple currently resides in Texas, where the new mom has been
working on an album of lullabies called The
Merry Goes ‘Round, which is due to be released in August.
Congratulations to the happy couple!
What do you think of the name Kase?
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Victoria and David Beckham Welcome a Baby Girl
Harper is an old English name that Victoria has always been fond of according to People. The number seven is a lucky spiritual number and was David's jersey number for Manchester United and the English national team. Since Harper was born in the seventh hour, of the seventh day of the week and in the seventh month - the number seemed like a natural fit for the new addition.
Victoria and David are already parents to 12-year-old Brooklyn, 8-year-old Romeo, and 6-year-old Cruz. This baby is the first girl for the couple.
Congratulations to the happy couple!
Victoria and David Beckham Welcome a Daughter [People]
How Harper Seven Beckham Got Her Name [People]
Monday, July 11, 2011
Are Damaged Embryos Capable of Healing?
It might sound too good to be true, but after two decades of
speculating, scientists have found evidence of embryos correcting genetic
abnormalities. A research team at the Shady Grove Center for Preimplantation
Genetics in Rockville, Maryland used embryos found to be abnormal by fertility
specialists. The embryos were donated by couples undergoing IVF at clinics.
Currently, it is common practice for fertility doctors to observe the genetic
development of an embryo for three days before implanting into the woman’s
uterus. The study authors took advantage of this practice and looked at the growing
embryos after they did not pass the three-day scrutiny. Only two days after the
embryos would’ve been discarded, a few of the embryos began to appear normal,
suggesting to scientists that the embryos actually fixed the abnormalities.
The findings are understandably controversial. Some
scientists are calling for fertility specialists to stop the three-day study of
embryos altogether, since it has not been found to increase viable pregnancy
rates. Other researchers are very skeptical of the results of the study, citing
the fact that there was no control to the experiment. Many pregnant women can
attest to the fact that their developing babies failed genetic testing, only to
come out as perfectly normal children. If the findings are correct, it could
change the way fertility clinics operate and bring an entirely new understanding
of the way embryos develop.
Have you experienced any negative genetic test results?
Depression Peak during Pregnancy Found
Mood swings and heightened emotions are common during
pregnancy, but some women experience lingering depression too. Approximately 15
out of every 100 pregnant women will experience prenatal depression and a new
study has pinpointed when it's most likely to peak.
Many women find pregnancy to be a rollercoaster of emotions,
but for some mothers the emotions can be more severe than others. Mental
instability is commonly heightened during pregnancy and changing medications can
compound emotional issues. There are some factors that put certain women at a
higher risk of experiencing mental health problems during pregnancy: a history
of mental health illness, taking medication, stressful events, being unhappy
about pregnancy and resurfacing memories.
A recent study of depressed pregnant women found that their
symptoms peaked at 32 weeks. For women struggling with depression during pregnancy,
it can be helpful to know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. If
you’re feeling depressed for a long period of time or struggling with mental
illness it would be
worthwhile to talk to your doctor about possible treatments.
Have you experienced depression during your pregnancy?
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