Infant
Starting Solids and the Risk of Diabetes
Kids who start eating cereal before 3 months old run a higher risk of diabetes, according to two studies appearing in the October 1, 2003 Journal of the American Medical Association. One study was com…
Milk Protein Spray for Preventing Infection
The FDA declared in August 2003 that it is safe to spray lactoferrin, a naturally occurring milk protein, onto raw beef to help prevent infections from disease-causing bacteria such as E. coli and sal…
Try This At Home
Medical Centers are equipped with oxygen outlets on the wall. When newborns are having trouble at birth, 100% oxygen is routinely used as part of the resuscitation efforts. But around the world, not a…
Ear Tubes and Development
We know that fluid behind the eardrum decreases hearing in children as long as it is present. We also know that the first 3 years of life are a very important time in a child's development. The questi…
Smoking Outside
What happens when parents go outside to smoke? If parents completely ban smoking within the home, the nicotine byproducts in their baby's urine are clearly reduced, according to a study in the August …
SIDS Prevention and Flat Heads
The same "Back to Sleep" campaign that has dramatically decreased the rate of SIDS has also resulted in an increasing number of babies with flat skull areas, usually on one side of the back of the hea…
Baby Aerobics?
This is the youngest exercise program I have ever seen ? and it had powerful results. The babies involved were tiny premies, averaging about 2 1/2 pounds in weight, and still 3 months before their due…
Chubby Babies
Almost every day I hear from parents or grandparents who are concerned because they feel that the babies they love just aren't getting enough to eat. They try to coax them to take just a few more ounc…
Sleeping with SIDS
Sudden infant death syndrome has dropped by well over 50 percent since the 1994 initiative to have babies sleep on their backs. Overall, SIDS strikes only 0.62 per 1000 babies in the United States. Th…
SARS Unmasked
On April 16, 2003 the World Health Organization announced that the final piece of evidence had fallen into place,* allowing them to declare confidently the identity of the virus that causes SARS. The …
Strong Prevention
Respiratory infections are the number one reason that young children in the United States are hospitalized. More than 1 in 20 babies are hospitalized for a respiratory infection before their first bir…
What Babies Learn From TV
If you've ever seen babies ?zoned out' in front of a screen, you might think that all they are interested in are the colors, sounds, and movements. Perhaps you suspect that they are entranced by human…
Reduced Crying: Another Benefit of Breastfeeding
A baby crying in pain tugs at our heartstrings. A study published in the January 4, 2003 issue of the British Medical Journal showed that breastfeeding is a powerful way to reduce pain. This was a stu…
Lactoferrin and Lysozyme Supplements
Before a baby is born, the normally pristine environment of the uterus is separated from the bacteria-rich environment of the vagina by a small mucus plug -- like a cork in the cervical opening. Resea…
Pediarix Combination Vaccine
Fewer needle sticks? the same protection! On Tuesday, December 16, 2002, the FDA approved a new five-vaccine combination for children. Pediarix contains vaccines for diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (wh…
Jaundice Helps Babies!
A startling study published in the November 25, 2002 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences tells how scientists at Johns Hopkins University proved that bilirubin, the pigment that turns jaun…
Important Link between Allergies and Reflux
Half of all babies with GE reflux also have an allergy to cow's milk protein, according to an important article in the November 2002 issue of Pediatrics. Not only do the two often go together, but the…
Formula Recall
If your baby drinks a store-brand formula, check the can. Many different store-brands are made by the same people. The FDA has issued a consumer alert that about 1.5 million cans of powdered infant fo…
Painful Lessons
Babies in the first 24 to 36 hours of life can learn to anticipate pain, according to a fascinating study published in the August 21, 2002 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. (mo…
A New Virus
The July 2002 issue of Infectious Diseases in Children tells the story of a new respiratory virus, first identified last year. Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) appears to be a significant cause of infecti…