Best of the Web: Parenting and Pregnancy Links

How To Make A Baby [YouTube]

Erykah Badu is a doula, working to become a midwife [TorontoSun]

Sperm Bank Baby Booms May Be Putting Children At Risk For Incest [IBTimes]

It May Be Time To Wean My Three Year Old [Kveller]

Incredible Pictures of Animals in the Womb [TheSuiteWorld]

"Baby Wrist" Afflicts Many New Moms [EmpowHer]

New data on phthalates risk and children [WashPo]

Weight difference increases risks for twin babies [Independent.ie]

OTC Pain-Relieving Drugs Double Risk of Miscarriage [Google]

Parental Leave Grants Aussie Dads Quality Time with Newborns [IBTimes]

Baby's Birth Month Could Influence Future Occupation

Some eyebrow-raising information was released this week that claims a child's birth month can be an indicator of what occupation they will find themselves taking up in the future. Apparently, if you want your child to become a dentist, the likelihood is greater if he's born in December.

The United Kingdom's Center for National Statistics compiled occupational data based on a person's birth month and discovered some interesting trends. January babies were more likely to become debt collectors and less likely to work with sheet metal. February saw a significant portion of babies turn out to be artists, but less likely to become physicists. There are a number of March babies who become pilots or musicians. April and May babies seemed to have more flexible occupational outcomes. People born in the summer months were unlikely to become doctors or dentists. September babies were more likely to become professional athletes or physicists and less likely to become hairdressers or bricklayers. Many people born in December have become dentists.   

The information is being met with skepticism across the web, but research has previously found a person’s birth month to have a significant effect on their future, particularly in regard to developing certain diseases. It seems that science might be gradually replacing astrology as a way to predict a person’s fate based on their time of birth.

Do you know anyone who matches these occupational statistics?

Give birth in March for a pilot, June for chief exec or December for a dentist... [DailyMail]

Toddlers Use Grammar to Decipher Word Meaning

Your toddler may comprehend more of your conversation that you think, according to a new study. Researchers discovered that before toddlers could understand many words, they were able to use general grammatical rules to make guesses about meanings of words. The findings highlight the importance of speaking in full sentences to children in order to help them learn language better.

Two-year-olds were tested by researchers at the University of Liverpool’s Child Language Study Center to see how well they understood grammatical structure. The toddlers were shown pictures such as an image of a rabbit lifting the leg of a duck and then an image of the same characters acting independently. The researchers then made up verbs to describe the interactions between the characters in the images, for example:  “the rabbit is gorping the duck.” They then broadcast the statements over a loudspeaker as the toddlers were viewing the images, who were asked to point to the correct picture. The researchers were surprised to find how often the toddlers were correct in their choices.

Caroline Rowland, lead author of the study, said of the findings: “The beginnings of grammar acquisition start much earlier than previously thought, but more importantly, it demonstrates that children can use grammar to help them work out the meaning of new words, particularly those that don't correspond to concrete objects such as 'know' and 'love.’”

Do you speak to your toddler in full sentences?

Toddlers Understand Complex Grammar, Study Shows [LiveScience]

Breastfeeding Mothers Show More Aggression and Lower Blood Pressure

Scientists are calling it the "mama bear effect," a term for the newly discovered aggression found in breastfeeding mothers. Apparently, when breastfeeding mothers are confronted with competitive situations, they react with increased aggression but their blood pressure remains low, which could enable them to more effectively face situations where their baby is in danger.

The researchers at UCLA’s department of psychology must have had some fun when breastfeeding mothers, formula feeding mothers and women without children were asked to compete in computer games against an overly rude assistant. The participants were given a button to push that enabled them to send the competitor a loud noise if they won. Upon winning, the breastfeeding mothers consistently blasted the opponent with the noise louder and longer than either of the other groups. However, even though the breastfeeding mothers acted more aggressively, their systolic blood pressure remained 10-12 points below the women in the other two groups.

The findings correlate with animal studies that have revealed a reduction in the body’s fear response in lactating mammals. This new study demonstrates that the same effects are present in humans, possibly enabling mothers to respond more effectively to dangerous situations.

Like mama bears, nursing mothers defend babies with a vengeance [Eurekalert]

Friday Wrap-up: Parenting and Pregnancy News

Taiwanese Animator's Take on Beyonce Baby Buzz [YouTube]

Melanie Brown Welcomes a Girl [People]

Where, Exactly, Is It Okay To Take Your Kid? [Jezebel]

Science Gives Birth to Odd Maternity Lawsuit [Courthouse News]

US Newborn Mortality Rate Higher Than 40 Countries [ABCNews]

Clinical trial uses cord blood to ease cerebral palsy symptoms [The Augusta Chron.]

World's Heaviest Mother Finally Goes on a Diet [The Stir]

Power Laboring Positions [FitPregnancy]

Beyonce's Pregnancy And The Debate Over Black Women [Jezebel]

MRSA: Protect your kid from a superbug [CNN]

The Dirt on Bacteria [FitPregnancy]

Attachment to Mother Guides Toddler Social Skills

A recent study lends credence to the philosophy of attachment parents. Researchers found that infants who developed a secure attachment to their mothers fared better socially as toddlers.

Scientists followed 84 infants from birth to the age of two and focused on the irritability of the infants. They measured irritability by studying the baby's reactions to a series of tests such as a bell ringing or being undressed. One third were rated as highly irritable and the rest were labeled as moderately irritable. At 12 months, the level of attachment to the mother was evaluated. Securely attached infants would turn towards their mother when distressed and insecurely attached babies would not. At 18-24 months of age, the sociability of the toddlers was studied. Researchers evaluated how the toddlers interacted with strangers and unfamiliar toys. In the highly irritable group, the toddlers who were securely attached to their mothers were better able to interact with unfamiliar factors, while the insecurely attached toddlers were the least likely to explore. The moderately irritable group experienced no difference in their sociability whether they were securely or insecurely attached to their mothers.

The study highlights the importance for parents to cultivate a secure attachment with their babies, particularly if they are highly irritable. Attachment parenting is based on the idea that secure attachment to the parent through baby-wearing, co-sleeping and other close bonding experiences will result in a confident, outgoing child. This study seems to bolster this theory.

Do you practice any attachment parenting techniques?

Mother's Love Can Help Babies With Difficult Temperaments [USNews]

Alyssa Milano Gave Birth!

Actress Alyssa Milano (38) has welcomed her son to the world. She and husband David Bugliari (32) named their newest addition Milo Thomas. Milo was born on August 31st at 9:27am, weighing 7 lbs. and measuring 19 inches long.

Milano and Hollywood agent Bugliari were married in 2009. This is the first child for the couple.

Milo was making his mommy laugh in May. She said to People: "Every time I get an ultrasound, he's doing really funny things like sucking his thumb or elbowing me."

Congratulations to the happy couple!

Alyssa Milano Welcomes a Son [People]