Finally, a cause for SIDS

If you are a parent you surely remember those nights where you laid in bed looking at your newborn just to make sure he/she was still breathing. We hear a lot about babies dying in those first few months from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome or SIDS. It's a scary thought because most of the time doctors don't know why it happened. This new research could hold some clues, but it doesn't tell us what we can do to prevent it besides put the baby to sleep on his back and don't smoke.

From ABC:

Could a common bacterial infection be the cause of some unexplained sudden infant deaths? New research from Australia finds that perhaps 1 in 10 cases of SIDS - otherwise known as "crib death" - is actually due to harmful bacteria in the baby's system.

Around 2,500 infants in the U.S. die without warning each year and their deaths remain largely unexplained - classified as sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS. Doctors in Australia compared autopsy results from babies who died of SIDS and those who died of other causes. Not surprisingly, they discovered that many infants who died of infection had evidence of bacteria in their systems - but they also found that 1 in 10 SIDS babies tested positive for bacteria.

Researchers theorize that infants may be particularly vulnerable to bacterial infection between 8 and 10 weeks -- a peak risk period for SIDS -- because of their immature immune systems. Experts say widespread antibiotic treatment for babies is not the answer - More research is needed to find the best way to prevent these infections.

Parents should focus on proven ways to reduce SIDS - always put babies to sleep on their backs, in a crib with no loose pillows or blankets, and keep the home smoke free.

Do any of you remember checking on your baby constantly to make sure your little one was still breathing?

-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.

Preschooler left on a bus

My little one is supposed to take the bus next year and I am petrified! I am so worried he will get on the wrong bus or get left on the bus or get off at the wrong stop... it scares me! I know a lot of people let their kids take the bus and I probably will too, but this story HOI 19 ran today is making me lean towards carpooling!

Two school district employees in Bloomington-Normal, Illinois have been suspended after a pre-schooler was left on a bus for thirty minutes yesterday.

Unit 5 Superintendent Gary Neihaus says an employee discovered the child yesterday in the bus barn during a routine inspection. A bus driver and bus monitor are both out of work until a unit five investigation is finished.

In a press release, Neihaus says the employees did not follow procedure and search the bus at the end of their route. He says the child was sent home and the district apologized to his family.
Neihaus says the district is taking steps to prevent this from happening again.

Do you or will you let your kids ride the bus?

-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.

Puberty at 8 years old

Girls are hitting puberty earlier than ever, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Some kids are as young as eight years old! I cannot imagine this! I remember 6th grade being early to start when I was that age!

Here's the story from CNN:

They're still learning how to read and write and add and subtract, but health professionals say girls as young as eight years old are starting to show signs of early puberty. I think body weight probably has a lot to do with why we're seeing girls have periods earlier and see girls mature earlier. Researchers report girls are now getting their periods around the age of 12, down from the average age of almost 15 in the late 18-hundreds.

Doctors point to environmental toxins and weight gain. We know that the more fat cells a girl has, the more likely they are to have excess estrogen. That excess estrogen could raise concerns later on in a woman's life.

The more estrogen you have exposed to your body, perhaps it increases the risk of breast cancer, possibly uterine cancer. And that's not the only worry. their bodies may be maturing where their mind may not be and I think that can cause some social pressures leading to social and psychological implications that a young girl may not be ready to deal with.

What is the answer to this problem? This article says girls who grow up without fathers and those exposed to chemicals are most at risk. It sounds like another case of no one really knows why, so many hypothesis are being tested.

Have you see this new trend with your kids or their friends?

-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.

Is School Lunch Bad?

How often do your kids eat hot lunch at school? I don't know what I am going to do when my little ones get in school. I can't imagine packing a lunch everyday, but my mom did it. So, I feel like I can too. I would hope the lunches served at schools now aren't as bad for kids as when I was in school, but this story from CNN makes me think otherwise.

CNN: As schools start across the country, a debate is underway regarding what your kids eat for lunch. Processed meats - specifically those cured by nitrites - like most hot dogs and ham - are the center of the debate.

They've been a staple of school lunches for decades, hot dogs, pepperoni pizza, ham, but now there are increasing calls for schools to drop processed meats from your child's menu. The reason? Not the obesity epidemic, it's nitrites that some studies have linked to cancer. Dr. Walter Willett is Chair of the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health. "If you care about the health of your child, you don't want your child eating processed meats for lunch at home or at school. The American Cancer Society says "eating processed meats increases exposure to potential cancer causing agents and should be reduced as much as possible."

The American Institute for Cancer Research says simply: "Avoid processed meat." But not everyone agrees. Randy Huffman is President of the American Meat Institute Foundation, an industry-sponsored advocacy group. He's taken his case right to today's version of the public square: YouTube. "If you like cured meats that contain sodium nitrite, you should eat them with confidence." Huffman, points out: "There are studies showing a link between cancer and processed meat, but there are also studies that do not show a link. The science is not certain on this issue. There's still a lot of questions."

Hufman says many foods, like spinach, or pomegranates naturally contain nitrites. A liter of pomegranate juice contributes about 100 times more nitrite than a hot dog. We put that to Dr. Willett: "In my book that's just plain baloney." Willett, and many other experts, say nitrites are fine in fruits and vegetables and are only a problem when combined with protein like in meat.

The meat industry disagrees. "This is, what you're referring to is an old theory. We showed that Youtube video to several experts and they said they found it misleading. I don't know who your experts were but you're not talking to the right ones."

So while the experts debate processed meats won't be disappearing from school lunch menus any time soon. So what about processed meats in school lunches? We spoke with officials from the School Nutrition Association, which represents school dietitians around the country. It says the science behind the calls to eliminate processed meats from schools is far from conclusive.

What kind of lunch does your child's school provide? How often to pack a sack lunch?

Copy and paste this link so you can email the story to friends! NewsAnchorMom on School Lunch

Click here to take our HOI 19 Poll: Do your kids eat hot lunch at school?

-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.

Are you Faithful in Marriage?

Have you every dated someone or are you married to someone who has been unfaithful? Do you think they were born to cheat or is it something they learned from a friend or family member? At least one group of researchers say they have found the answer.

From CNN:

What causes men to be unfaithful to their spouse? Nature vs. Nurture? A new study suggests that biology could play a role in a man's inability to commit. Swedish researchers studied more than 500-twins, their genetic makeup, and their romantic relationships.

They found a certain gene determines how strongly men bond with their partners. The scientists admit there's more to relationship than just genes. They say other environmental factors have a significant impact on behavior. "This work focuses on men, but it may apply to women. We don't know."

"Males with a single or double copy of this gene, you are less likely to form a committed relationship. From an evolutionary perspective, that may be an advantage if you were more likely to have several women, you would spread your genes more widely."

What's your take on this? I tend to agree that it's a little bit of both. However, I can usually spot a cheater from a mile away.

-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.

Is tagless baby clothing really best?

You have to see this picture. This little girl's mom says she got this horrible rash from wearing tagless baby clothing by a popular brand. It looks like a bad allergic reaction. How common is this? Z Recommends posted about this and 31 moms responded. The problem seems to be a chemical in the Carters tagless clothing.

I do have many Carter's tagless onesies and have never had this problem. One website says it's only in 2007 clothing. That's what I have. I wonder if it's a certain shipment or something because my son does have sensitive skin.

One mom talks about an issue that happened with her daughter on this blog. It is very graphic. I am shocked to see the extent of this reaction.

And Nature Mom also posted about this.

Here's what one mom said: "When I changed him the next morning, I attempted to remove his pajamas and pretty much freaked because as I took off his pajamas, the skin on his upper back came off with it. It was weeping a brown fluid and as I examined the garment, it was evident that the wound fluid had VERY specific demarcations - it was only on the "tagless" carters' 9-month transparent label."

I will certainly be looking into this issue. Have any of you had this problem? Has anyone seen a news report about this or is it just circling the blogs?

-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.

Sex Education Book

What did you learn about sex education at school? Sado-masochism? Oral Sex? Do 13-year-olds need to know about these things?

From CNN:

A school textbook has some Mexican residents in an uproar. Education officials say it's intended to teach kids the facts of life. But some parents say it's teaching them more than they need to know and they're firing back.

What is sado-masochism? How is oral sex safely practiced? Where can I get a morning after pill, or get treatment for an S.T.D.? Questions answered in the latest official sex education textbook for 13-18 year olds in the Mexico City school system. Questions government officials say students need answered, and that the National Union of Parents says are, well, an abomination.

"This book promotes death," said the leader of the parent's organization. The union countered the official textbook with its own pamphlet aimed at students, which states homosexuality is not natural and can be cured with proper psychiatric help. So what do the students say? "We need to know more about our bodies and sex. So many taboos here have not allowed us to access information. I think it's a smart thing to do," said one student.

"It is our responsibility to give them truthful information that is not based on religious beliefs. These kids know sexuality is a part of the human condition and we have to answer their questions in a responsible and truthful fashion," said an administrators. Sociologists agree, saying the information in the text is of use not only to teenagers. It's the facts of life and this book could be beneficial to adults as well. there are many adults in Mexico who don't know much and have an unhealthy sex life out of ignorance.

The problem is that some parents and church groups have a different view of where the truth lies when it comes to young people and their sex lives.

How much will you tell your kids about sex? Just the basics or the kinky things some people do? Yikes! I will probably stick with the basics.

-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.