Moms drink too much caffeine

I had to chuckle when I read this story today on the CNN feeds. This is so me! And I was just writing about how hard it is to get off caffeine in the "Energy Drinks at school" post. I have never been a big coffee drinker because my body reacts poorly when I drink it, but I love my Diet Coke.

I have been soda free for four days. I know, it's not a great accomplishment. But it is for me! I saw this cold can of Cherry Coke in the break room a moment ago and it looked so good! I feel like an addict.

Here's the CNN story on moms taking in too much caffeine:

Moms are consuming caffeine more now than ever. What effect does it have on their health?

A study shows caffeine consumption is on the rise, especially with busy mothers. How much caffeine is too much? One mom said, "I have about 4 energy drinks a day." Another said, "I'm drinking coffee every waking hour." These moms, who are also CNN I-reporters, are fairly typical caffeine consumers.

A National Sleep Foundation study found more than 65 percent of moms drink caffeinated beverages to get through their day. Stacy DeBroff , the CEO of MomCentral.com said, "We are facing the busiest generation of moms ever, we dash from place to place. We find ourselves always on the go and usually with a cup of coffee in hand." But here's the thing: research shows caffeine can trigger migraines, heart burn and put women at an increased risk of miscarriage.

Cardiologist Dr. Allen Dollar from Emory University said, "The jitteriness, the nervousness, the feeling that the heart may be racing a little bit, skipping a beat every now and again, those are the short term side effects of caffeine intake but again the good news is there is no serious health consequences to that of the long term."

So there are no serious long term health effects. Relying on caffeine for energy drains the body because it never gets a chance to properly recharge. DeBroff said, "Take advantage of small breaks in the action. Sometimes you only have 10 minutes as a mom and you have to think of 'What can I do to restore my energy so that I can then get ready to go forth on the next mom mission that awaits me.' The key is moderation." Experts agree, 200 milligrams of caffeine a day is safe. That's between one and four drinks--depending on the size of the beverage.

Here are some tips from readers about what they drink instead of caffeine:

Maria said, "Sometimes when I think I want a pop, I drink a Perrier instead. It's my guilty pleasure. Oh, and in Europe, I would mix some 100% juice and mix it with mineral (carbonated) water at a 20/80 mix of mostly water. It was so good..."

Septboy said, "When I get tired of the taste of tap water, I add a squirt or 2 of lemon or lime juice."

How much caffeine do you drink?

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Methodist Medical Center's new online healthcare program, MyMethodist eHealth, is a proud sponsor of this blog post. MyMethodist eHealth is the secure link to your doctor's office that lets you request appointments, order prescription refills, update your personal health record, and more. Sign up for MyMethodist eHealth here.

Why do lightning bugs light up?

Do you remember the first time your child asked you a question and you didn't know the answer? I don't know if this is the first time, but it was a doozy.

We were watching the lightning bugs outside and he, of course, was asking about their lights. Why to they do that? How do they do that?

I gave him a "those are good questions look" and said, "Mommy is not sure. Lets ask Mr. Google." So, when your kids are staring at these amazing little bugs at night, you can be all the wiser. Here are the answers:

Crystal Clear Creation says:

Neurobiologist Dr. Barry A. Trimmer was the lead author of a paper in the Journal Science in which he finally revealed the secret of what makes a firefly glow. The secret is nitric oxide. This is a dissolved gas that lets the firefly's nervous system switch on its flash of light. Most fireflies produce short, rhythmic flashes.

In a complex arrangement between nerve cells, light-producing cells, and an enzyme-assisted reaction, the firefly's lantern emits that greenish glow so common in the early summer twilight in some parts of the world. We must add of course, that even though scientists now know what makes the firefly glow, the whole complex arrangement shouts that only the Master Creator could create and put together such an amazing little insect in the first place.

Why Do Lightning Bugs Flash?

Flashing Lightning Bugs are trying to attract mates. Among most but not all species of North American Lightning Bugs, males fly about flashing while females perch on vegetation, usually near the ground. If the female sees a flasher and she's ready to mate she responds by flashing right after the male's last flash. A short flash dialogue takes place as the male flies closer and closer, and then, if all goes well, they mate.

So that a flasher doesn't attract a firefly of a different species, each Lightning Bug species has its own special flash pattern. Flash patterns range from continuous glows or single flashes, to series of multi-pulsed flashes.

Among some species both males and females flash, but among others only the members of one sex do it. Some Lightning Bug species don't flash at all. All known firefly larvae, which are wingless and mostly live on the ground and under bark, produce light. If you see only a glow on the ground, it can be tricky deciding whether you're seeing a firefly larva, a glow-worm, or some other luminescent insect.

What was the first question your child asked you that made you say, "I am not sure?"

-NewsAnchormom Jen

Methodist Medical Center's new online healthcare program, MyMethodist eHealth, is a proud sponsor of this blog post. MyMethodist eHealth is the secure link to your doctor's office that lets you request appointments, order prescription refills, update your personal health record, and more. Sign up for MyMethodist eHealth here.

Energy Drinks at school?

I have no idea if local schools sell energy drinks, but I hope not. I just can't think of any reason for them to. I am struggling right now with caffeine headaches because I am trying to get off Diet Coke. I really don't want my kids, even when they're teenagers, to drink a bunch of caffeine. Now, I am sure they probably will at some point, but I am all for schools making it harder for kids to get energy drinks. However, a school in New Jersey is taking heat for doing this.


Here's the story from ABC:

Schools in New Jersey are beginning to debate over whether or not energy drinks should be allowed. The concern is that they are harmful to young bodies. It seems to be the first of its kind, as the principal in Hillsborough is taking the lead and paving the way for other schools and legislators.

But is the ban fair or does it cross a line? "I play in a band, and I've drank it before shows to just get my energy level up, just to jump around stuff," one student said. The 16-year-old says he reaches for energy drinks that guarantee a quick pick-me-up, sometimes providing a pop of instant energy.


But don't even think of bringing one to Hillsborough Middle School, where the beverages are now banned. The students are seventh and eighth graders entering their early teens. It is an age Trybulski feels is too young to be consuming so much caffeine and sugar. It's a multi-billion-dollar industry, with a range of products containing loads of caffeine. But insiders stressed that the products are designated for adults and are not marketed in schools.

But kids are still exposed to it. "It's not like Red Bull or any drinks are a necessity you need to have in school," student Erica Barveto said. In nearby Manville High School, the only beverage students are allowed to bring to school is water. Still, the principal recently noticed something unusual happening. More students needed more visits to the health office. "Instead of breakfast, they were stopping at the convenience store and consuming one to four of those energy drinks," Manville principal Mary McLoughlin.


Trybulski says that since the ban has been put in place, there has not been a single instance of students breaking the rules.

Does your child's school sell energy drinks? Are you for or against this idea?

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Methodist Medical Center's new online healthcare program, MyMethodist eHealth, is a proud sponsor of this blog post. MyMethodist eHealth is the secure link to your doctor's office that lets you request appointments, order prescription refills, update your personal health record, and more. Sign up for MyMethodist eHealth here.

Lead in Artificial Turf

Another product that kids use has a ton of lead in it. I am not surprised at this point. At least this time, it looks like something will be done to stop manufacturers from using lead in their products.

Here's the story:

An environmental watchdog group says it has found excessive amounts of lead in several brands of artificial turf. It's warning some of the biggest manufacturers and sellers that it will sue unless they recall or reformulate their products.

The report from the Center for Environmental Health comes after New Jersey officials found unacceptably high lead levels in some synthetic surfaces and federal authorities recommended lead testing on fraying sports fields. The group says it had tests performed on about 50 products, and at least 15 were found to have high lead levels. The center says it tested and found excessive lead in indoor/outdoor carpeting, artificial lawns and playground grass.

We used to have indoor/outdoor carpeting on our deck. Thankfully, we removed it before the baby started crawling. That would be a bad combination!

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Methodist Medical Center's new online healthcare program, MyMethodist eHealth, is a proud sponsor of this blog post. MyMethodist eHealth is the secure link to your doctor's office that lets you request appointments, order prescription refills, update your personal health record, and more. Sign up for MyMethodist eHealth here.

7 Teenagers make pregnancy pact?

I just had to share this story. I am sure many of you have heard about the seven teenage girls who supposedly made a pact to all get pregnant. One of the girls reportedly slept with a homeless man to get the deed done. It is obviously very disturbing to parents. The mayor is now refuting the story from Time Magazine.

Here's part of the original story:
As summer vacation begins, 17 girls at Gloucester High School are expecting babies—more than four times the number of pregnancies the 1,200-student school had last year. Some adults dismissed the statistic as a blip. Others blamed hit movies like Juno and Knocked Up for glamorizing young unwed mothers. But principal Joseph Sullivan knows at least part of the reason there's been such a spike in teen pregnancies in this Massachusetts fishing town.

School officials started looking into the matter as early as October after an unusual number of girls began filing into the school clinic to find out if they were pregnant. By May, several students had returned multiple times to get pregnancy tests, and on hearing the results, "some girls seemed more upset when they weren't pregnant than when they were," Sullivan says. All it took was a few simple questions before nearly half the expecting students, none older than 16, confessed to making a pact to get pregnant and raise their babies together.


Here's the latest from CNN:

The mayor of Gloucester, Massachusetts says there is no evidence a group of girls at the city's high school made a pact to become pregnant. After a closed-door meeting with city, school and health leaders, Mayor Carolyn Kirk, said there was no independent confirmation of any plan among the teens to get pregnant and raise their babies together.


The principal who first told Time magazine of such a pact was not invited to the meeting. Kirk says Joseph Sullivan is now "foggy in his memory" as to how he first heard the information.
This year, 17 girls have become pregnant, four times the typical number of Gloucester High students who become pregnant.

But the superintendent of schools pointed out that Time magazine failed to distinguish between a pact to get pregnant together, and a pact to deal with pregnancy together. Kirk said the spike in pregnancies in their town is similar to spikes in other cities. The mayor made her comments after she and other leaders in the community held a closed meeting to discuss the issue. The principal was not present.

Kirk said:
"We'll start with the alleged pact. We have not been able to confirm the existence of a pact. We are seeking to understand whether it's based in rumor or in fact. The privacy of our students and families is our number one concern.

There will be no comments about particular students in our schools. Regarding the contraceptive policy of the Gloucester Public Schools-- policy decisions regarding the distribution of contraceptives to students rests solely with the Gloucester School Committee. Current school policy does not permit the distribution of contraceptives in our schools. Regarding health education, budget cuts over the last six years have forced the elimination of almost one hundred teachers and staff in our school department, resulting in cuts to programs and services to Gloucester children, including health education."


"The information from the principal has not been verified by any other source. We are talking to the folks who work with children one on one, and there's been no independent confirmation of the alleged pact."


Good Morning America is doing this story tomorrow!

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Methodist Medical Center's new online healthcare program, MyMethodist eHealth, is a proud sponsor of this blog post. MyMethodist eHealth is the secure link to your doctor's office that lets you request appointments, order prescription refills, update your personal health record, and more. Sign up for MyMethodist eHealth here.

Home Safety Month

June is home safety month. So I figured I should post something before the month is over. I can't believe the kids will be back in school in less than eight weeks. It doesn't seem possible!

The Home Safety Council is dedicated to preventing injuries at home. The organization just started a new website My Safe Home.org that looks at things like how to prepare for moving with kids, what to keep in mind as you bring a new baby home, and how to child proof your home. I feel like a do a pretty good job with this, but I am sure I am missing some things. I don't know that I can prevent all injuries with my little one. He runs up to people and tries to clobber them all the time. He's a little bruit! He rarely has a week where there isn't a bruise on his face. You probably remember this stage, no fear!

Christine Goss sent me this information about the website:

According to Home Safety Council research, on average more than 2,000 children under age 15 die as a result of unintentional injuries at home each year. Nearly seventy five percent of these fatalities are children under the age of five. Fires and burns, choking and suffocation and drowning are the leading causes of unintentional home injury death among children.

Children less than one year old have the highest rate of home injury death when compared to all other childhood age groups – an average of 468 children younger than the age of one die each year in the United States as a result of home injury. Children between the ages of one and four have the second highest rate of home injury death per year.

MySafeHome.org is Web site which invites visitors into a virtual home where state-of-the-art digital animation identifies major risk areas, room-by-room, indoors and out, and presents the key safety devices and preparedness plans that are important for every safe home.

I encourage you to visit the site’s “Bedroom-Nursery” and “Pool & Spa” areas.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Methodist Medical Center's new online healthcare program, MyMethodist eHealth, is a proud sponsor of this blog post. MyMethodist eHealth is the secure link to your doctor's office that lets you request appointments, order prescription refills, update your personal health record, and more. Sign up for MyMethodist eHealth here.