Circumcision Rate Drops

I have been hearing more and more from parents who are deciding not circumcise their boys. I do wonder what has changed. Are more parents informed about the risks/benefits, does it have to do with the cost, or is it a combination of the two?

FROM NBC: Parents expecting a baby boy face a decision at birth on whether to have him circumcised... in the last decade there's been a change in the trend. The Centers for Disease Control released new information about the incidence of in hospital male circumcision.

When Chanel Pender learned she was expected a little boy. Chanell Pender, Mother:"Right away I knew I was going to get him circumcised. Me and his dad agreed let's get him circumcised." Danel was born August 30th at Memorial Hospital Miramar. He already had his procedure and is going home with mom today.

Chanell Pender, Mother:"Because of what I've read on it, it's better to get the baby circumcised -- less infections, it's easier as they get older so that's really why." The incidence of in hospital newborn male circumcision has actually been declining... according to a new trend report from the CDC.

In 1999 the circumcision rate was 63.5 to 56.3 per cent in 2008 according to a nationwide inpatient sample. Rarely is there a health reason for a child to undergo circumcision at birth says obstetrician Simon Weiss. Dr. Simon Weiss, Obstetrician: "We advise patients that if they want to have a circumcision they should look at it either for religious reasons for practical reasons or cosmetic reasons."

No reason was good enough for Kevin Calle's parents. Esther calle, mother: "We decided not to do it because from what I understand it's just basically an aesthetic decision that parents take sometimes. It's easier to clean." And there are cultural considerations. Among Hispanics like the Calles it's not common practice.

Esther Calle, Mother: "Me growing up I never heard about circumcision -- family friends never heard anything about it." Religious tradition is also a huge factor. Dr. Simon Weiss, Obstetrician: "I'm sure if you did this survey in Aventure which has a high percentage of Jewish population you'll find the percentage is much higher than the trend will estimate." The CDC numbers don't take into account Jewish circumcisions not performed in the hospital. Another factor that influences circumcision rates, whether Medicaid will pay for it. it is not covered in 15 states.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Skin Dimensions, SB products are manufactured with Pharmaceutical-Grade ingredients. Products are not just "Feel Good Products," as they contain unique and innovative ingredients in concentrations that can assist you in the achievement of your own personal skincare objectives. Our products contain higher percentages of Glycolic, Vitamin A, C, E, Co-Q10, green tea than what you can usually purchase over the counter.

When is your child too sick for school?

It's not always an easy decision to make. When should you call in sick to work and stay home with your child and when should you send them to school and see how it goes? I always wait until the morning to decide what to do. It is not uncommon for my kids to feel or act sick the night before and be perfectly fine the next day. If I stayed home every time one of my three kids felt a little under the weather, I would only work six months a year! Seriously! Who can do that? That doesn't mean I send them to school to infect everyone else. I just only keep them home when they are truly ill and will not be asking me all day if they can go to a friend's house or play baseball. I have made that mistake before! I have had a child who has a fever in the morning and by the afternoon they are begging me to let them go play with a friend (of course, I say no.)

How do you decide what to do?

Here's an article from Parenting.com that may help you decide.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Autism Brain Scan

We've been talking about it for year-a brain scan that detects autism. Now it may become reality.

FROM NBC: Researchers have found a way to spot the signs of autism using MRI scans. The new study out of Stanford University looked at MRI data from twenty-four autistic children, and compared it to that of typically developing children. Researchers found the gray matter in an area of the brain that handles social communication was different in the brains of autistic children. They hope to use this information to confirm a diagnosis of autism, or predict whether children at high-risk for the disorder will develop autism themselves. The researchers were able to diagnose autism using MRI scans with 92% accuracy. Children with the most severe forms of autism had the biggest brain differences.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Skin Dimensions, SB products are manufactured with Pharmaceutical-Grade ingredients. Products are not just "Feel Good Products," as they contain unique and innovative ingredients in concentrations that can assist you in the achievement of your own personal skincare objectives. Our products contain higher percentages of Glycolic, Vitamin A, C, E, Co-Q10, green tea than what you can usually purchase over the counter.

The Babysitter Bill

If you have a regular babysitter, listen up. This could set a precedence. It would certainly have a big impact on people who babysit and people who can barely afford their babysitter. What do you think about this proposal?

FROM NBC: The California Legislature is considering a bill that could mean drastic changes for nannies. The bill could make them eligible for lunch breaks, minimum wage, worker's compensation, paid vacation, and overtime pay. With four kids of her own, Melinda Bombaro knows the concerns many parents have about childcare, especially when it comes to hiring a nanny.

Melinda Bombaro/Parent: "Families are obviously entrusting you to take care of their children in their home, so it's a wonderful responsibility to really have a lot of input into these kids' lives." But having previously been a nanny herself, she doesn't exactly equate it to a full time job. Melinda Bombaro/Parent: "I think childcare naturally has breaks. Children nap, you fix the child lunch, you sit down and eat your own lunch."

But according to some state legislators, that's not enough. and caregivers could soon be compensated. Assembly bill 889, otherwise known as the "baby sitting bill" would require household employers to pay minimum wage, except minors or family members. caregivers would also be entitled to rest breaks every two hours and a lunch break.

That means an additional babysitter would need to be hired to relieve the nanny. they would also get overtime pay. and if they didn't get it, they could sue their employer.

Melinda Bombaro/Parent: "It may discourage families, that would be my visceral reaction." Still, it depends who you ask. Jan Huckins is also a mother and former nanny.

Jan Huckins/Former Nanny: "My experience was positive, but I can see how someone could really be abused as a nanny and almost be like a nanny/caretaker, and kind of like the help too." While the opinions are mixed, former nanny or not, to some it's just not feasible. Melinda Bombaro/Parent: "It may be tricky to try and find someone to come in for an hour a day. Who's gonna want to come for an hour?"

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Skin Dimensions, SB products are manufactured with Pharmaceutical-Grade ingredients. Products are not just "Feel Good Products," as they contain unique and innovative ingredients in concentrations that can assist you in the achievement of your own personal skincare objectives. Our products contain higher percentages of Glycolic, Vitamin A, C, E, Co-Q10, green tea than what you can usually purchase over the counter.