Infant Low Birth Weight Findings Show Need for Parenting Classes

There is good news coming from a study published in the journal Pediatrics about very low birth weight infants. From 2000-2009, 1.9 percent fewer v ery low birth weight infants (weighing less than 1,500 grams at birth) died. However, there was another very depressing statistic. Though VLBW infants account for only 1.5 percent of the newborn population, they represent 50 percent of infant deaths in the U.S. Read more at
 Infant Low Birth Weight Findings Show Need for Parenting Classes 

Dead Baby Pills Logical Result of Abortion Mentality

Maybe I'm fed up with the pro-abortion rhetoric. Maybe I'm sick of the euphemisms for death by abortion. Maybe I've had it with the claptrap about a woman's reproductive rights superseding her child's right to live. Whatever it is, when I read the Associated Press article about South Korean officials discovering capsules from northeastern China filled with the powdered flesh of dead babies, I felt no surprise. This kind of sick behavior is exactly what happens when we take the abortion mentality to its logical conclusion. Read more at  Dead Baby Pills Logical Result of Abortion Mentality 

Pregnant Women Should Heed Listeria Recalls, Warnings

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has announced that Alfa Sprouts Inc. (Springwater Sprouts) is recalling alfalfa sprouts and clover sprouts because they may be contaminated with listeria monocytogenes. Sprouts were packaged in 4-ounce plastic "clamshell" containers with an April 28 sell-by date and sold in New York State. Some were sold in bulk, too. The FDA warns that listeria is particularly dangerous for a developing fetus. I urge pregnant women to heed any listeria warnings and product recalls.  Pregnant Women Should Heed Listeria Recalls, Warnings 

Long-Term Use of Melatonin as Sleep Aid May Create Increased Tolerance and Dependency

Melatonin, or N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine, is a naturally occurring hormone, that is used by an increasing number of people as a sleep aid. From personal experience and talking to others who've used it, I found that taking melatonin nightly to aid sleep can have adverse effects. These include increased tolerance, dependency, failure to address underlying sleep problems and altered sleep patterns. Many people take melatonin by itself or in combination with other ingredients in such sleep aids as Alteril. Melatonin is used for a variety of sleeping problems: to help people get to sleep, stay asleep and sleep better. Melatonin is available over the counter in the US, but in other countries by prescription only. Read more Long-Term Use of Melatonin as Sleep Aid Creates Increased Tolerance and Dependency

Key Components of Successful Dieting and Weight Loss Programs

 "Diet tips" and "Weight Loss" have been hot keywords for several decades. There are many diet and weight loss plans available, but the successful diet plans contain several key ingredients: portion control, choice, behavioral change and self-management. Let's look at how these key components work in successful weight loss.

 Portion Control: I know quite a bit about health and nutrition, but when I started dieting, I was surprised when I did the math on the portion sizes I was eating. I was consuming many more calories than I could eat to maintain a healthy weight. I was not binging. I was just not aware of how many calories were in the portion sizes that I was consuming. When I began to read nutrition labels for suggested portion size, losing weight became much easier. I could see where I needed to cut back to lose weight.  Key Components of Successful Dieting and Weight Loss Programs 

Parent Safety Tips--How to Monitor Kids' Cellphone Use

It never ceases to amaze me how prevalent cellphone use is among kids, even young ones. Unlimited texting and call plans mean kids can use their cellphones almost carte blanche, 24-7. I don't think this is healthy physically, emotionally or socially. Kids lack inner limit switches. That's why we parents have to help them set boundaries. It's easier said than done, I know. I've raised four kids to teen and adulthood and I've found that cellphones present a challenging learning curve. Here are some strategies I've used with success. Read more here. 

Tips to help kids manage weight problems, stay fit, and be healthy

The Center for Disease Control says three times as many kids are overweight than they were in 1980. Weight problems in childhood can lead to diabetes, cholesterol, and heart problems. That should give us cause for concern, but it's important to keep the issue in perspective, too. In some families, kids go though a chubby phase in puberty that they outgrow around age 12-14. I was a chubby child until age 12. Then I slimmed down and was actually slightly underweight in college and early adulthood. Three of my children went through a similar growth pattern. How do you know if a child is going to outgrow being overweight? Family obesity problems are one cue. Here's how I helped my kids avoid weight problems later in life. Tips to help kids manage weight problems, stay fit, and be healthy 

Qnexa Anti-Obesity Drug a Poor Substitute for Diet, Exercise

The Food and Drug Administration has approved the anti-obesity drug Qnexa for weight loss. Qnexa, an anticonvulsant plus appetite suppressant cocktail, has risks, says the LA Times. The FDA says being fat is a bigger threat to health than those issues, though. I disagree, but not just because of the potential for birth defect and heart problems. Qnexa or any other diet pill is a placebo, an enabler. It doesn't address the real problems with obesity which are eating too much and doing too little.Read more at Qnexa Anti-Obesity Drug a Poor Substitute for Diet, Exercise

7-Year-Old Girl Fights Off Kidnapper, Child Safety Tips

Brittney Baxter, 7, was filmed on store surveillance cameras fighting off an alleged kidnapper at a Walmart in Bremen, Ga. She followed instructions learned in a "stranger danger" class, CNN reports. Her actions have prompted discussion about public safety. According to an interview on HLN TV, Baxter was shopping with her mother, Georgann Baxter. The mother says she allowed the child to remain in the toy aisle while she went to get something in the grocery aisle. The camera shows a man, identified as Thomas Woods, a parolee, reaching for the child and trying to carry her away.Read more at Girl Fights Off Alleged Kidnapper, Prompts Child Safety Discussion

Kids' Sunburn, Teen Tanning Habits Increase Skin Cancer Risk

Kids' Sunburn, Teen Tanning, Skipping Sunscreen Increase Skin Cancer Risk A study from the American Academy of Pediatrics found children's sunburn and tanning behavior increased the risk of skin cancer. Moderate amounts of sun help provide needed vitamin D, but sunburns and even excessive tanning is dangerous. Here are tips to balance the health benefits of the sun with precautions for skin cancer prevention, including tanning, indoor tanning beds and sunscreen use for children, teens and parents. Read on...