Study Finds Pesticides in Kids

For those of you who haven't fully embraced the organic foods movement, please read this article on the amounts of pesticides found in children who ate conventional foods.

A yearlong study on children in Washington state were found to have "biological markers of organophosphates, the family of pesticides spawned by the creation of nerve gas agents in World War II," according to a Seattle-Post Intelligencer article.

When the same group of kids ate organic produce and juices, traces of the pesticides were gone.

I know it's extremely expensive to go all organic, but joining an organic farming co-operative helps keep the cost down and lessens the amount of pesticides your family ingests.

I belong to the Roosevelt CSA Farm. For more information, call: Tara Keegan at (609) 477-0467 or email Farmer Dave at JerseyFarmhouse@aol.com

Here's the link to the newspaper article:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/printer2/index.asp?ploc=t&refer=http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/349263_pesticide30.html?source=mypi

Hendrick the Hound Dog

My son spotted the young woman with the long, dark hair the minute she walked in the door. He was sitting with my husband and me at a table in the back of the deli, but he saw no one but her.

Hendrick was listening to the radio, which was playing a little too loud, and gnawing on a buttered bagel when the pretty teenager -- fashionably dressed in blue jeans, a white sweater and furry boots -- walked over to the counter. She placed her order, then buried her face in a newspaper she had picked up from the rack near the cash register.

She had no idea she was being watched.

Hendrick put down his bagel, jumped off the bench and danced his way over to her without dropping his gaze. He moved slowly, confidently, as John Mayer's "Your Body is a Wonderland" played in the background.

"Our son is a lounge lizard," my husband declared. He was almost proud of Hendrick's determination to acquaint himself with this stranger.

I tried not to get jealous. I thought I would be the only woman my son could love at least until he was 15. Maybe 16. This was ridiculous.

The girl finally realized she had an admirer. She smiled, then her eyes quickly darted around the room to look for his parents. Yes, we're right here, I assured her. We preferred to witness this spectacle from a distance.

Hendrick has always been a flirt, and when he turns on the charm, the ladies melt. It works every time. But how long can he keep this up? That baby face is eventually going to grow whiskers.

There has to come a time when self-awareness sets in and his confidence level sinks to something a little more realistic.

I suppose my son is no different than most toddlers. Even so, my husband and I marvel at Hendrick's adventurous nature. He takes chances no matter how impossible they may seem. And when he gets rejected (the girl obviously left the store with just her sandwich) he brushes it off without a wince.

Faced with such rejection at age 15, I don't think he will handle it so casually. Who's going to need Momma's love then?

How to Care for a Cold Without OTC Meds

Now that the FDA has recommended against giving over-the-counter cold and cough medicine to children under 2 years old, what are you supposed to do when your baby gets sick?

USA Today asked that question to several pedatricians and wrote up a helpful article to give us moms some of the answers we need.

Here's the link:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-01-22-kids-colds_N.htm

Best Books for Babies and Toddlers

A Pittsburgh literacy group called Best Books for Babies chooses the 10 most suitable books for babies and toddlers each year.

An article about the group and this year's book list can be found here:
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08015/849177-42.stm

34-Year Low for Abortion Rates in Nation

Abortion rates have hit a 34-year low, and neither the pro-choice nor the pro-life lobby can explain why, according to a Newsweek article.

The Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive-health research organization, released a report last week showing that in 2005 the abortion rate dipped to 19.4 per 1,000 women, its lowest level since 1974.

The rate of abortions performed in the United States has been dropping steadily since 1981. But the report, using the most recent statistics available, is far more complicated than the statistics suggest. Has the trend continued because of increased access to birth control? Decreased access to abortion clinics? New medications to terminate pregnancy? Or are more women simply choosing to give birth?

Rachel Jones, an author of the report, said any of these factors could be at work. "We just aren't able to get at the reasons behind the decline," she said.

Here's the link:
http://www.newsweek.com/id/94822

Here's a related story that focuses on state restrictions to abortion:
http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=272870

FDA: No More OTC Cough Medicine for Babies

The N.J. Department of Health and Senior Services issued a public health alert today, noting that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has released recommendations regarding use of
over-the-counter cough and cold products for children under 2 years old.

Below is a copy of the alert:

Products should not be used in children under 2 years of age: evaluation continues in older populations The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today issued a Public Health Advisory for parents and caregivers, recommending that over-the-counter (OTC) cough and cold products should not be used to treat infants and children less than 2 years of age because serious and potentially life-threatening side effects can occur from such use. OTC cough and cold products include decongestants, expectorants, antihistamines, and antitussives (cough suppressants) for the treatment of colds.

There are a wide variety of rare, serious adverse events reported with cough and cold products. They include death, convulsions, rapid heart rates, and decreased levels of consciousness.

These medicines, which treat symptoms and not the underlying condition, have not been shown to be safe or effective in children under 2.

The agency plans to issue its recommendations on use of the products in children ages 2 to 11 years to the public as soon as review is complete.

Pending completion of the FDA's ongoing review, parents and caregivers that choose to use OTC cough and cold medicines to children ages 2 to 11 years should:
--Follow the dosing directions on the label of any OTC medication.
--Understand that these drugs will NOT cure or shorten the duration of the common cold.
--Check the "Drug Facts" label to learn what active ingredients are in the products because many OTC cough and cold products contain multiple active ingredients.
-- Only use measuring spoons or cups that come with the medicine or those made specially for measuring drugs.

The FDA recommends that anyone with questions contact a physician, pharmacist or other health care professional to discuss how to treat a child with a cough or cold.

For more information and the full list of the FDA's recommendations, visit:
http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/advisory/cough_cold_2008.htm

Questions and Answers for Consumers: http://www.fda.gov/consumer/updates/coughcold011708.html

Free Night at the Museum

If you are looking for a fun activity to help chase those winter blues away, visit the Children's Museum of Manhattan. It's free on the first Friday of every month from 5 to 8 p.m.

The Playworks exhibit is geared for kids who are infants to 4 years old. The museum Web site described the exhibit this way:

"Feed alphabet letters to a talking baby dragon, drive a New York City fire truck, paint on a six-foot art wall, make your way through a crawling challenge course, and connect an air tube puzzle. PlayWorks is an immersive, child-sized environment that helps parents and caregivers see the extraordinary in the ordinary — strengthening the family as the center of first learning by encouraging your child’s natural and robust capacity to learn. PlayWorks helps build the skills, attitudes and behaviors your children will need for kindergarten and throughout life."

Sounds like fun to me. I'm sure I can convince my husband to get out of work early one day, dine in a family friendly restaurant in NYC. (Is there such a thing in the big city???) Then, hopefully with our stomachs full, we will head off to an adventure our boy is sure to love.

The museum is located in The Tisch Building, 212 W. 83rd St., between Broadway and Amsterdam on Manhattan's Upper West Side.

For more details, call the museum at (212) 721-1223 or visit http://www.cmom.org/

Three families for one little girl

What happened when a young single mother from Iowa dropped her 3-month-old daughter at a safe haven? Everyone involved got their hearts broken.

This is a tragic but not uncommon story. The mother, who had little help from the baby's young father, couldn't handle her daughter's colic and sunk into depression. After the mother left the girl at a hospital, the state took over and foster families fell in love. Relatives who were already in love with the baby laid claim to her and a battle for custody began. Then, months later, the father said he was ready to be a dad and the court had little choice but to grant him his wish.

The girl spent the first 16 months of her life in five different homes. She is now transitioning to live with her father.

Perhaps we should show this article to teenage girls and boys (or any irresponsible adult who is engaging in risky behavior) so they can see how complicated sex can be. And, moreover, the kind of heartache that can result when we're not ready to accept all the challenges associated with parenthood.

Here's the link:
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008801110387

It's Potty Time!

Just when I thought I couldn't stand the sight -- or smell -- of another dirty diaper, Hendrick used the potty.

It was a momentous occasion in my house. We cheered. We sang. We embraced. We told Daddy the minute he walked in the door.

I fully realize that just because Hendrick peed in his little blue potty doesn't mean I can toss out his changing table. But I have something I didn't have before -- hope!

I had been talking up the potty for months. I kept telling my son how great life would be if he didn't have to wear those silly diapers. After all, they are for babies and he's a big boy now. So big that we had to buy him a bed. No more crib. No more diapers. That's the way it works, I explained.

"Just sit there for a minute," I would plead. But he wasn't interested. "That's OK, Mommy," he would reply, then run off to play with his trains.

My friend Ronna, who raised three boys, said that I shouldn't fret about Hendrick's lack of interest in toilet training. "Nobody ever went to high school in diapers," she said.

I was starting to wonder if my child would be the first.

Toilet training is a delicate matter, something that cannot be rushed. Children, particularly boys, will let you know when they are ready, and we cannot let our own anxiety over exactly where they poop to become a -- ahem -- load on their minds.

So until they tell you it's time to go, you'll just have to cross your legs and hold it in.

Breathe In, Breathe Out

Yoga instructors must always know when their students are distracted by their own thoughts. They stumble around their mats, making the elegant tree pose look like a bunch of branches blowing around in a hurricane.

That's what I looked like on Monday. I couldn't find my balance.

It didn't help that I was 15 minutes late for class. Despite the relaxing music and dimmed lights, I just couldn't stop my mind from racing. Not even the instructor's gentle reminders to focus on our breathing kept me in the moment. I was a million miles away.

Was Hendrick behaving in the gym's child care center? I asked myself. What would we have for lunch? Geez, I gotta go food shopping after this. What if he doesn't take a nap later? Will I still have time to write my blog before deadline?

"You must concentrate," the instructor told the class. "If you don't, you can't focus. You can't find your balance."

If other words, I needed to quiet my mind if my tree was to stand rooted and tall.

Shortly after Thanksgiving I joined the health center because I was beginning to experience frequent chest pains. Not the kind you get when you're having a heart attack. But rather the kind of constricting feeling you get when you have too much responsibility and not enough resources to handle it all. For me, that responsibility included a part-time job, a house, a husband, a toddler and a father who is in the early stage of dementia.

The cost of the gym was steep, but I told my husband I needed to start taking better care of myself. He didn't argue.

I try to hit the gym at least twice a week, taking a yoga or tai chi class. When time permits, I go for a swim then let the tension melt away in the hot tub. (No cycling or kick boxing classes for me, thank you.)

After about 30 minutes into Monday's yoga class, I finally started to forget about the outside world and concentrate on my breathing. My thoughts turned inward, where they were supposed to be.

"You deserve to be happy," the instructor said during the mediation. "You deserve to be healthy. You deserve to be whole."

Flight attendants always remind their passengers before the plane ascends into the sky that, in the event of an accident, you must put your air mask on before trying to help others.

There's good reason for that. If we don't take care of ourselves first, then we are no good to anybody else. Including our babies.

Now when I feel myself getting overwhelmed, I remember to breathe in and breathe out and take a few moments for myself. It is then that I regain my confidence and go on with my day.