Grieving Parents Find Baby Alive in Morgue

Argentina: Grieving Parents Find Baby Alive in Morgue Five doctors at Perrando Hospital in northern Argentina have been suspended for declaring a baby stillborn, nailing her inside a coffin and placing her in a refrigerated room at the hospital morgue for 12 hours, Argentine media reported.

The child, who was named Luz Milagros, or "Light Miracle," was found inside a coffin at the hospital in Chaco, a half day after her April 3 birth.

"We were told that the baby had hypothermia and that this may have weakened her heartbeat, which would have been accentuated because [her] heart rate was already low before birth," the baby's father, Fabian Veron, 31, told newspaper Clarín.

A baby born three months premature and declared stillborn was found alive in her coffin by her grieving parents in Argentina.

The baby's mother, Analia Bouter, 29, who has four boys, said she never had a chance to say goodbye to her first daughter, since she'd been sedated during the birth, which came three months premature.

The grieving mother and father visited the hospital morgue 12 hours later. The couple was led into a refrigerated room and shown a tiny coffin that was nailed shut.

"[My husband] used a lever and opened the coffin," Bouter told the local newspaper, Diario, in Chaco.

The mother, expecting to find closure, instead came face-to-face with her daughter, who was wrapped in a white blanket and looked as though she was just waking up, said the mother. The baby stretched and let out a cry.

The mother of five said she fell to her knees.

"This is a message ... a miracle," she told Diario.

Rafael Sabatinelli, the undersecretary of health for Argentina's Chaco province, told the news site Chaco Día Por Día that his office had opened an investigation into the matter.

"Every member of the team that was involved has some responsibility, so they will have to answer for this," he said. ( abcnews.go.com )

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Dangerous abortions 'on the rise'

Dangerous abortions 'on the rise', says WHO - A rising proportion of abortions worldwide are putting women's health at risk, researchers say.

The World Health Organization study suggests global abortion rates are steady, at 28 per 1,000 women a year.

However, the proportion of the total carried out without trained clinical help rose from 44% in 1995 to 49% in 2008.

The Lancet, which carried the report, said the figures were "deeply disturbing".

Unsafe abortion is one of the main contributors to maternal death worldwide, and refers to procedures outside hospitals, clinics and surgeries, or without qualified medical supervision.

Women are more vulnerable to dangerous infection or bleeding in these environments.

Maternal mortality

The Guttmacher Institute's Gilda Sedgh on the WHO study into abortion

In developing countries, particularly those with more restrictive abortion laws, most abortions are unsafe, with 97% of abortions in Africa described this way.

In comparison, 95% of abortions in Latin America were deemed unsafe, falling to 40% in Asia, 15% in Oceania and 9% in Europe.

Case study: Akech Ayimba in Kenya

I went through an unsafe [and illegal] abortion when I was about 20 years old. I was afraid to go and tell my mother that I was pregnant. I was about to tell her when a close family friend said, "You're going to break her heart." He said there was another option. I was very scared because I didn't know anything about abortion but he told me it was going to be OK and safe. He looked for the money, because I didn't have any at that time, and paid a nurse who took me to a gynaecologist in Kisumu. I was four months pregnant.

I was not put under any anaesthetic and on the abortion bed it was such a very painful experience - though it took place in a clinic. After that I was given an injection and I slept for a while and then got up and went home. My life went back to normal but every once in a while I would have sudden pains in my stomach - for more than a year.

The pains kept coming - and with low self-esteem looking for love and acceptance I got into another relationship and got pregnant again - I was very naive and did not know much about protection. I thought another abortion would be the easier option. I was able to do my college exams - I didn't want my pregnancy to stop my career. But after a few months of relief, I then went through a lot of psychological trauma - and I hated myself and twice attempted suicide.

Kenya now permits abortion if a woman is considered at risk - and I counsel women who have had abortions and suffer psychological and physical problems. I am now pro-life.

To compile the figures - often a difficult task in countries where abortion is illegal - the researchers used surveys, official statistics and hospital records.

They concluded that while the abortion rate had fallen since 1995, that drop had now levelled off, and overall, the rise in world population meant that there were 2.2 million more abortions in 2008 compared with 2003.

In the developed world, the proportion of pregnancies ending in abortion fell from 36% in 1995 to 26% in 2008.

Countries with restrictive abortion laws did not have a corresponding decrease in abortion rate - in some cases, the reverse was true.

Professor Beverly Winikoff, from Gynuity, a New York organisation which pushes for access to safer abortion, wrote in the Lancet: "Unsafe abortion is one of the five major contributors to maternal mortality, causing one in every seven or eight maternal deaths in 2008.

"Yet, when abortion is provided with proper medical techniques and care, the risk of death is negligible and nearly 14 times lower than that of childbirth.

"The data continue to confirm what we have known for decades - that women who wish to terminate unwanted pregnancies will seek abortion at any cost, even if it is illegal or involves risk to their own lives."

Dr Richard Horton, the Lancet's editor, said: "These latest figures are deeply disturbing. The progress made in the 1990s is now in reverse.

"Condemning, stigmatising and criminalising abortion are cruel and failed strategies."

Kate Hawkins, from the Sexuality and Development Programme at the Institute of Development Studies, said: "Whether it is legal or illegal, women will seek abortions and obtain abortions.

"This study showed that in 2008, 86% of abortions took place in developing countries and that nearly half of all abortions worldwide were unsafe in 2008.

"That women continue to die in significant numbers because of unsafe abortion is a scandal and is an issue that the development sector should take seriously."

The UK Department for International Development part-funded the study, and International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell MP said it was a "tragedy" that the number of "back-street" abortions was rising.

"Women should be able to decide for themselves whether, when and how many children to have - but for many this is not a reality as they have no access to family planning.

"Over the next four years, British aid will give 10 million women access to modern contraception, which will prevent millions of unintended pregnancies." ( bbc.co.uk )

READ MORE - Dangerous abortions 'on the rise'

Makena Pregnancy Drug Fight Rages On

Makena Pregnancy Drug Fight Rages On - In February 2011, A furor erupted across the nation as KV Pharmaceuticals, a company that had gained the Food and Drug Administration's approval to sell a commonly prescribed pregnancy drug, was going to raise the price of that drug from $20 to $1,500 per dose.

Previously, hydroxyprogesterone capoate, a synthetic hormone referred to as 17P, could only be obtained from compounding pharmacists, which sometimes led to irregularities in the consistency of quality. Makena promised this consistency, as well as the ability to preserve the drug, which had not been possible before.

Every year 17P is administered to approximately 300,000 pregnant women in America on a weekly basis for an average of 20 weeks, as an effective means of preventing per-term births that could lead to serious complications. Makena's initial list price raised the cost of saving a single baby from $400 to $30,000.

Lawmakers, medical professionals, and the public responded angrily, calling KV's move unthinkable. KV pharmaceuticals proceeded to send threatening letters to pharmacists across the nation, demanding that they stop making 17P, promising an FDA crackdown on those who continued to do so.

On March 30, the FDA responded with a statement which said that no such crackdown was coming and that pharmacists were allowed to continue compounding the drug. Effectively, generic forms of the drug were still legal and would remain available.

On April 1, KV responded by slashing its list price from $1,500 to $690 per dose, a price which many claimed was still too high. Charity giant, March of Dimes, reacted by cutting all ties with Makena, and KV Pharmaceuticals.

The makers of Makena are quick to point out that they have a patient assistance program, through which patients may obtain the drug for as little as $20 per dose, or in some extreme cases, completely free of charge. Unfortunately, the assistance program involves a complicated sliding scale that will still drive up the cost of medical coverage. For those on Medicaid the news is even worse. KV only offers a 23.1 percent rebate to Medicaid, which means the government will still have to pay $530.61 for a drug that is has never paid for in the past. ( yahoo.com )

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In a Brazilian Town, a Rogue Gene and a Boom in Twins

In a Brazilian Town, a Rogue Gene and a Boom in Twins - For years, so many twins have been born in the small southern Brazilian town of Cândido Godói that residents wonder whether something mysterious lurks in the water, or even if Josef Mengele, the Nazi physician known as the Angel of Death, conducted experiments on the women there.

But a group of scientists now says it can rule out such long-rumored possibilities. Ursula Matte, a geneticist in Porto Alegre, Brazil, said a series of DNA tests conducted on about 30 families since 2009 found that a specific gene in the population of Cândido Godói appears more frequently in mothers of twins than in those without. The phenomenon is compounded by a high level of inbreeding among the population, which is composed almost entirely of German-speaking immigrants, she said.

Tânia Moelmann, in 2009, with her 3-month-old twins, Kiara, left, and Yasmin, in the Brazilian village of São Pedro in Cândido Godói.

“We analyzed six genes and found one gene that confirms, in this population, a predisposition to the birth of twins,” Dr. Matte said.

She was the first scientist to document, in a study published in the 1990s, that the rate of twin births in the town was unusually high. It was especially high in São Pedro, a village of about 350 residents that is part of Cândido Godói. Dr. Matte found that from 1990 to 1994, 10 percent of the births in São Pedro were twins, compared with less than 1 percent for Brazil as a whole.

The high concentration of twins has stirred outlandish theories. Residents say Mengele moved around southern Brazil in the 1960s, posing as a veterinarian, at about the time the twin births were thought to have really taken off. An Argentine journalist suggested in a 2008 book that Mengele conducted experiments on women in Cândido Godói that resulted in a baby boom of twins, many of whom have blond hair and light-colored eyes.

Mengele, who died in Brazil in 1979, was notorious for his often-deadly experiments on twins at Auschwitz, ostensibly in an effort to produce a master Aryan race for Hitler.

But the study led by Dr. Matte analyzed 6,615 baptism certificates dating back 80 years in the predominantly Roman Catholic town and found that the twins phenomenon existed in the 1930s, “long before Mengele’s period,” she said.

“In the initial stages of our research we immediately disproved any involvement with Mengele,” Dr. Matte said.

Her team of 20 researchers also analyzed the town’s water supply — residents believe a mysterious mineral may be responsible for the high rate of twin births — and uncovered no abnormalities.

While studying the baptism certificates, the scientists confirmed that the highest concentration of twins has been in São Pedro, with 33 pairs out of 436 births from 1959 to 2008, all living in a one-and-a-half-square-mile area.

In São Pedro, they concluded their research by analyzing last names and conducting genetic tests on women. “With a small population of about 80 families, it was a challenge to find women that did not have twins within a first-degree relation,” Dr. Matte said.

The scientists believe that a small number of immigrant families living in São Pedro may have brought the variant gene to the region. “This does not mean that it is a universal gene,” Dr. Matte said. “If I take twins from New Zealand and test them, it will probably generate a different result.”

Dr. Matte has yet to publish the results of her findings but was set to present them in Cândido Godói on Friday.

“The entire city supports this study, and they have great hopes of finding out why they have so many twins, and to better understand what is behind their story,” said Daniela Junzvier, the culture coordinator at the mayor’s office. ( nytimes.com )

READ MORE - In a Brazilian Town, a Rogue Gene and a Boom in Twins

Breastfeeding may not be best after four months

Breastfeeding may not be best after four months - Breastfeeding exclusively for the first six months is not necessarily best for a baby's health, British researchers said Friday, calling into question advice given to new mothers.

The team led by a paediatrician from University College London said babies fed only breast milk could suffer iron deficiency and may be more prone to allergies.

The study says babies could start to be weaned on to solids as early as four months, although other experts advised sticking to the existing guidelines.

channelnewsasia.com

Ten years ago, the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended that infants should be exclusively breastfed for six months.

"Many Western countries, including 65 percent of European member states and the United States, elected not to follow this recommendation fully, or at all," the authors said, although Britain did.

The WHO recommendation "rested largely" on a review of 16 studies, including seven from developing countries.

It concluded that babies given only breast milk for six months had fewer infections and experienced no growth problems.

But another review of 33 studies found "no compelling evidence" not to introduce solids at four to six months, the experts said.

Some studies have also shown that breastfeeding for six months fails to give babies all the nutrition they need.

One US study from 2007 found that babies exclusively breastfed for six months were more likely to develop anaemia than those introduced to solids at four to six months.

On the issue of allergies, the British study said researchers in Sweden found that the incidence of early onset coeliac disease increased after a recommendation to delay introduction of gluten until age six months, "and it fell to previous levels after the recommendation reverted to four months".

The authors said however that exclusively breastfeeding for six months remains the best recommendation for developing countries, which have higher death rates from infection.

But in developed countries, it could lead to adverse health outcomes and may "reduce the window for introducing new tastes".

"Bitter tastes, in particular, may be important in the later acceptance of green leafy vegetables, which may potentially affect later food preferences with influence on health outcomes such as obesity."

The researchers said the European Food Safety Authority's panel on dietetic products, nutrition and allergies has concluded that for infants across the EU, complementary foods may be introduced safely between four to six months.

Experts in Britain challenged the findings of the new study.

Janet Fyle, professional policy adviser at the Royal College of Midwives, said: "I really must challenge the suggestion from the review that the UK should reconsider its current advice on exclusive breastfeeding for six months.

"I believe that this is a retrograde step and plays into the hands of the baby food industry which has failed to support the six-month exclusive breastfeeding policy in the UK." ( channelnewsasia.com )

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Study links cellphones to child misbehavior

Study links cellphones to child misbehavior – Researchers studying the health effects of cellphones say they have found evidence that when pregnant women use them regularly, their children are more likely to have behavioral problems.

The study, sure to renew controversy over the safety of mobile telephones, does not demonstrate that cellphone use causes the behavioral problems and does not suggest a possible way that they could.

But the researchers say their findings are worth checking out.

"It is hard to understand how such low exposures could be influential," Dr. Leeka Kheifets, an epidemiologist at the University of California Los Angeles who led the study, said in a telephone interview.

"It is just something that needs to be pursued."

Reuters – Marko Calasan attends class at his elementary school in Skopje February 8, 2010. REUTERS/Ognen Teofilovski

Kheifets and her team looked at data from 28,000 7-year-olds and their mothers who took part in a large Danish study that has been tracking 100,000 women who were pregnant between 1996 and 2002.

The mothers of about 3 percent of the children said they had borderline behavioral problems, and 3 percent showed abnormal behavior, such as obedience or emotional issues.

The children whose mothers used cellphones while pregnant and who also used the phones themselves were 50 percent more likely to have behavioral problems, the researchers reported in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

Children whose mothers used the phones but who did not themselves use mobile phones were 40 percent more likely to have behavioral problems, they found. They found the children were no more likely to have epilepsy or delays in development.

About 5 billion mobile phones are in use worldwide. The World Health Organization, the American Cancer Society and the National Institutes of Health have found no evidence that cellphone use can damage health.

INCONCLUSIVE STUDIES

Last May, experts who studied 13,000 cellphone users over 10 years hoping to find out whether they cause brain tumors found no clear answer.

International researchers launched the biggest study to date into mobile phones and health in April. [nLDE63L1UO]

Kheifets tried to account for other possible causes, such as whether women who used cellphones were different from women who did not, especially during the time of their pregnancies when cellphone use was less common than it is now.

"We looked at social status, we looked at the sex of the child, we looked at the mother's history of behavioral problems, we looked at the mother's age and stress during pregnancy and whether the child was breastfed or not," she said.

"One thought was that it was it not cellphone use but mothers' inattention that led to behavior problems. While it was important, it didn't explain the association that we found."

Nonetheless, some experts questioned the findings.

"I am skeptical of these results, even though they will get a lot of publicity," said David Spiegelhalter, a professor of Biostatistics at Britain's University of Cambridge.

"The authors suggest that precautionary measures may be warranted because they have 'virtually no cost', but they ignore the cost of giving intrusive health advice based on inadequate science."

Experts at the U.S. National Institutes of Health had no immediate comment.

John Walls of the mobile telephone industry group CTIA noted that other studies have failed to show a health risk from cellphones. "We just don't comment on any specific studies because we don't have any expertise, frankly," Walls said in a telephone interview. ( Reuters )

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Women will evolve into having children at older age

Women will evolve into having children at older age - The fashion for having children later in life could lead to women becoming more fertile in their 40s and beyond, scientists have suggested.

As many women wait until they are older to give birth, only those with longer lasting fertility genes will be successful.

That means the average length of fertility will grow as their genes will be passed on to their children.

The study from the University of Sheffield shows that previously women would marry early and if widowed were too old to remarry thus favouring early childbirth in women.

But today's reluctance to settle down and reproduce until later in life could lead to fertility beginning to favour older women.

The researchers studied marriage patterns to trace the survival and marriage histories of 1,591 women.

Using 18th and 19th century Finnish records – a time when almost everyone got married and divorce was strictly forbidden.

They found that women aged 30 to 35 were the most likely to be married. Those that wed wealthy husbands were married at a younger age but to relatively older men, meaning family sizes were bigger but with an increased risk of widowhood.

The researchers say that this high chance of widowhood, coupled with low remarriage prospects for older widows with children, limited the percentage of women in the population with the opportunity to reproduce at older ages.

Duncan Gillespie, from the university's Department of Animal and Plant Sciences said that in today's society however, women do not start childbearing until an older age as marriage is often delayed.

He said: "As a result of this, the natural selection maintaining young-age fertility might weaken and the relative strength of natural selection on old-age fertility could increase, something that could potentially lead to improvements in old-age fertility over many generations.

"Now family-building appears to be increasingly postponed to older ages, when relatively few women in our evolutionary past would have had the opportunity to reproduce.

"As a result, this could lead to future evolutionary improvements in old-age female fertility."

He added: "Childbearing within a relationship is still the norm in modern society, but at ages where fewer women have the chance to reproduce, we should expect the evolution of lower fertility." ( telegraph.co.uk )

READ MORE - Women will evolve into having children at older age

Is Your Marriage Good Enough?

Is Your Marriage Good Enough?.Are you expecting too much? Are you just "settling"? Author Ginger Tobias asks 10 pointed questions about the state of your union.

You don't need NFL training to hurl a pizza across a New York City apartment. I found this out as I ducked to avoid my husband's dinner (he didn't fling it at me, he claims). "They folded the slices," he bellowed. "Ruined." I bit my tongue hard — but not, unfortunately, before "Did you lose your nappies?" slipped out (nappies being what they call diapers in England, which is where he's from and where, at this point, I was wishing he had stayed). Big mistake. He went off like a car alarm, the honk-honk-beeeep-honk of his tirade so familiar, I'd long since learned to tune it out by doing guided imagery: Single Me with full custody of remote control. Single Me released from his rancid pessimism. Single Me without tomato and extra cheese dripping down my newly painted white (of course) wall.

Is Your Marriage Good Enough?

Airborne pizza has a way of speed-dialing every doubt you've had about your marriage. And I expected such moments when I signed up. What has thrown me, however, is the drag of compromise, the extra weight of two lives trying to trundle forward together but instead holding each other back. After five years of gradually easing off good behavior, we're left with a nearly constant scrape of differences.

Freedom beckons intoxicatingly, but then I wonder if my expectations aren't unrealistic — whether I've got the makings of a good marriage but am foolishly holding out for perfect. Paul Amato, Ph.D., professor of sociology, demography, and family studies at Penn State, conducted a 20-year study on 2,000 subjects who started off married, and says 55 to 60 percent of divorcing couples discard unions with real potential.

Most of these people say they continue to love their betrothed but are bored with the relationship or feel it hasn't lived up to their expectations. "It's important to recognize that many of these marriages would improve over time," Amato says, "and most of them could be strengthened through marital counseling and enrichment programs."

So how do you know if you have one of those fixable marriages? A place to start is with the work of British psychoanalyst D.W. Winnicott, who lets women obsessed with being a perfect mother off the hook. According to him, the "good-enough mother" loves and cares for her child but, being imperfect, doesn't satisfy every need perfectly. While the baby may wish for better service, it's the ordinary mother's failures that prepare her child for life — motivating her to get what she needs for herself while teaching her to tolerate frustration.

Similarly, the idea of the good-enough marriage relieves couples of the pressure to have a perfect union, and the inherent disappointments and difficulties may spur them to evolve as individuals. Michele Weiner Davis, author of The Divorce Remedy (Simon & Schuster), offers herself as an example. "In the early years of my marriage, I envisioned our lives as being joined at the hip. He didn't," she says. "At first I was miserable, but then I started going places by myself and I became much more independent. I never, ever would have done that had it not been for his stubbornness."

But what is a good-enough marriage? Or, as Tina Tessina, Ph.D., author of The Ten Smartest Decisions a Woman Can Make After 40 (Renaissance), would have me ask: "Can I make my marriage good enough?" After interviewing several experts**, I've uncovered ten questions you can ask yourself to help clarify whether or not your relationship, albeit imperfect, is worth a good go:

1. Are you exaggerating the negatives? For the next two months mark the good and bad days on your calendar to get a reality check.

2. Have you already left the marriage by emotionally withdrawing? Or by giving up all attempts to make the relationship better? If so, can you find a way to reengage?

3. Do you get so angry that you hit each other or throw things at least once a month? If the answer is yes, are you hanging on to a terrible relationship because you're afraid of being alone? Or because you're convinced it's the best you can do?

4. If you're frustrated because your husband won't change (you'd like him to be more forceful or manly, for example), is it really necessary that he does? Is there anything in your family history that may be driving your need to transform him? (For example, perhaps your father never stood up for you when you needed him to do so.)

5. Have you been teaching your husband the wrong lessons by not challenging his hurtful behavior? (You don't say anything when he criticizes you in public. He never washes the dishes, so you just do them, resentfully.)

6. Do you have fun together? Even when things are tough, do you make jokes about it? (A good sign.) If not, can you make time in your marriage for more play?

7. Are there conflicts that you've avoided in the relationship? What do you fear would happen if you confronted them?

8. Do you simply need more time alone? A weekend on your own every so often to make the heart grow fonder?

9. Has something occurred — a death, a big birthday, a job loss — that's throwing off your relationship and needs to be addressed?

10. Have you done everything you possibly can to make this marriage work? Are you certain he has heard your complaints? Have you tried a marriage-education class or couples therapy? If he won't go to counseling, have you gone yourself to see how you might save the relationship?

While pondering these questions, I remembered — from somewhere deep — many of the delightful aspects of my marriage. (Did I mention that he surprises me with candlelit lavender baths and singing Chanukah mugs?) And we do talk and make up well.

For me the most clarity has come from thinking of marriage not as a noun, or a state of being, but as a verb, as in what "I do" (you say those two words for a reason), and therefore something I can do better. So rather than hang my marriage on the clearance rack, as I fear I've done, I vow to try to understand — even appreciate — his faults, er, growth opportunities. You know, I always wanted a red apartment, and just think: pizza-proof. ( msn.com )

READ MORE - Is Your Marriage Good Enough?

Does Your Child “Really” Have Attention Deficient Disorder?

Does Your Child “Really” Have Attention Deficient Disorder?. Who do you trust and depend on for your health needs? Let’s take a look at just one issue in the field of health and find out. Where do you stand concerning you and your child’s health?

Did you know that closed mindedness could be detrimental to your family’s health?

For an example: if a teacher told you that your son had Attention Deficient Disorder would you take their word for it? Would you rush your child to a doctor so he can be put on medications for this syndrome, or do you wonder if maybe all the sugar and processed foods might have something to do with his short attention span and hyperactivity?

Don’t get me wrong, we NEED doctors for certain physical conditions, but we do not NEED to act as if doctors are responsible for our total health. If you think like that, then why not call your doctor and ask him if it is ok every time you want to eat a candy bar or some ice cream?

Most people don’t realize how easily they can be made to believe a certain way because they have heard the same dogma about Attention Deficient Disorder over and over in the media. Pretty soon they begin to believe like the masses in that this syndrome called ADDS is a disease that cannot be cured and can only be suppressed with medications. This is incorrect information.

What is the correct information? The correct information is not usually what you would watch on the news or read in some magazines. Some of its true but it’s not the whole picture, and a lot of it is media hype. All you really have to do to discover the truth for yourself is to wipe your mind clean of what it has been conditioned into believing in for years and do your own research.

Step back and take a look into the world and tell me what you see. We see a world overloaded with sugar-laced foods everywhere you turn! Public schools have vending machines with all kinds of junk food to satisfy the taste buds. Kids and adults, alike are addicted to caffeine-laden beverages and other sugary soda pops.

And then parents wonder why their children cannot focus on their studies or why they have emotional outbursts, or why they are hyperactive and doing things without thinking. This dilemma is not just the cause of sugar but white flour, processed dairy products, hormones, chemicals, and the deficiency of nutrients in the body.

I certainly will not blame a deficient disorder on just sugar, but sugar has a lot to do with it. This syndrome should be Labeled NDD (Nutrient Deficient Disorder). Or better yet, SOD (Sugar Overload Disorder.)

Most children are deficient in the same minerals and vitamins because they are difficult to obtain from the foods we eat, such as zinc, magnesium, and iron. Did you know that a tablespoon of black strap molasses would supply your child with the daily iron and calcium his or her body needs? It must be “black strap”. Did you know that soda pops depletes the body of calcium and magnesium?

And then there is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. What’s that? Well it is the same thing we have been talking about except throw in a bit more hyperactivity into the mix. Our bodies just cannot take the constant punishment we put into them. After awhile our body and mind is going to tell us there is something wrong with our way of eating. These are our bodies warning signals telling us to beware of what we are eating on a consistent basis.

I know these things first hand because I have hyperglycemia (low blood sugar). I know when I overload myself with sugary treats, white breads and floury processed foods for just two or three days in a row because I get overly emotional, cranky, headachy, and unable to focus my thoughts properly – I just want to go lay down and sleep. Should I go see a doctor because I am deficient in attention or because I am hyperactive?

No, I’m not going to go see a doctor. I can listen to my bodies warning signals, which tell me there is something wrong so I can change it. I don’t need a doctor to tell me I have a syndrome and then put me on medication – that would be wrong. I think I’d rather take responsibility for my health, and as a parent, I’d rather take responsibility for my children’s health too.

About 85 percent of the population has some form of blood sugar problem and do not know it. Instead they are running to the doctor not knowing what is wrong with them. They are told they are depressed, hypertensive, anxiety ridden, alcoholic, deficient in attention, too hyper, restless in the legs, impotent, insomniac, diabetic, overweight, bi-polar, and mentally insufficient, etc. “Here Take This Drug.”

Does your child really have Attention Deficient Disorder or could it be the foods he or she is eating on a daily basis? You certainly do not have to take my word for it, do your own research on the effects of sugar on the body using these keywords together: depression and sugar and attention deficient disorder and diet and symptoms of hypoglycemia.

Become knowledgeable about your health and your children’s health by opening your mind to other possibilities. Take responsibility and be healthy! ( heavenministries.com )

READ MORE - Does Your Child “Really” Have Attention Deficient Disorder?

Returning to work after maternity leave

Returning to work after maternity leave. Whew. I did it. I have successfully returned to work after my maternity leave. Baby is in daycare; my 5 year old is in preschool; and I am back in the office feeling like I now work three jobs: .

1) The hectic mornings:

Involves getting baby and 5 year old dressed, fed, redressed (for the baby who inevitably dirties her outfit before I’m out the door), packing lunches/bottles, putting baby down for a cat nap (to help ward off complete exhaustion at daycare), and, lastly, getting dressed for work in an outfit that a) fits, b) doesn’t have spit-up on it, and c) can handle the wear-and-tear of juggling baby and preschooler.

2) At the office:

I’ve always been organized and efficient. Having my son took me to another level. The birth of my daughter makes me feel like an air traffic controller on steroids. Not a minute of my time is wasted.

3) The busy evenings:

Feed the baby, get dinner ready for the rest of the family (unfortunately, lots of takeout these last two weeks), bathe the kids, get them ready for bed. Then comes “me” time, which involves relaxing while I’m sterilizing bottles, washing dishes and prepping for the next morning. I’m also responding to e-mails and putting out fires for my job that truly is 24-7.

So how did I survive the transition?

I could probably come up with an endless list of tips for returning to work after maternity leave. Here are the ones at the top of my list:

Ask for help and map out responsibilities:

Thanks to those organizational skills mentioned above, I worked out with my husband all of our responsibilities, and we divided them up. Who drops off and picks up? At what time? Who does the laundry, the dishes, the grocery shopping? Without a clear understanding of who needs to do what and when, mass chaos would quickly breakout at home.

Do a trial run:

Once you’ve lined up daycare/babysitting for your little one, try it on for size – before you have to battle with rush hour traffic to make it to work. It also really helps your baby adjust to a new setting. Build in a few days before you return to the office and introduce your baby to her new caregivers. I took it a step further and also timed how long it’d take me to do everything I have to do before heading into the office. Think of yourself as a runner who’s trying to improve her time in a marathon – a really, really long marathon that lasts well into the teen years.

Embrace the unexpected:

One of the unexpected gifts of motherhood has been that I no longer sweat the small stuff. It’s even more so after Baby No. 2. The other morning, my little one threw up on me just as I was ready to head out. My son, hearing the commotion, got up from the breakfast table, at which time my dog helped himself to my son’s breakfast. By the time we made it to preschool/daycare, I hardly even flinched when my son accidentally emptied his entire thermos of water on the back seat of my car. ( blogs.trb.com )

Life is good.

READ MORE - Returning to work after maternity leave

Pregnancy and Medicines

Pregnancy and Medicines. Recent comments from the Royal College of GP's head of prescribing, state that drug companies are using too much caution when advising pregnant women against using medicines that could be useful to them.

The industry has been reticent to advocate use of their products in such circumstances since the thalidomide tragedy of the late 1950's and 1960's. Thalidomide was a drug prescribed to combat morning sickness that resulted in the unforeseen serious birth defects of 12 to 15,000 children.

SAFETY OF MEDICINES IN PREGNANCY

The problem with determining the safety of medicines for use during pregnancy is that clinical drug trials are rarely carried out on pregnant women. Whilst evidence may come to light of drugs that do cause harm, most fall into the not proven category. This goes some way to explaining the policy of drug companies. Medicines can affect the unborn baby because they can enter the baby's bloodstream, along with nutrients, via the placenta.

The trimesters of pregnancy are also factors in determining safety.

• In the first trimester, vital organs are just developing. Any medicines taken at this time could, therefore, cause birth defects or miscarriage.
• The second trimester is generally regarded as the safest in which medicines can be taken. They could, however, affect the baby's growth and nervous system, leading to low birth weight.
• Medicines taken during the third trimester could stay in the baby's system. This could cause such things as post birth breathing difficulties.
• The properties of the womb environment could also be affected by some medicines. These changes could affect blood supply to the baby, or prolong or delay labour.
• Without the aid of clinical trials to determine safety, the only other evidence that a medicine is not harmful comes from;
• it being in use over time with no recorded adverse effects,
• accidental exposure to it,
• any information that can be gathered from animal testing.

SPECIFIC CONDITIONS

Whilst taking any medicine for minor illnesses, especially during the first trimester, is probably best avoided, consulting your doctor or pharmacist will enable them to weigh up the pros and cons of the situation. It may be decided that treating the complaint is the safer option.

Some information on ailments and the safety, or problems with the common remedies (This information is intended as a guide only, and not a substitute for a proper medical consultation);

COUGHS

The safest cough medicines are cough linctuses or lozenges with honey or glycerol in them.

It is best to be aware of all active ingredients. Some cough and cold treatments use a combination of ingredients such as antihistamines, painkillers and decongestants.

Guaifenesin expectorant is probably safe to use in the second and third trimesters, though little different from drinking a lot of water or steam inhalation. Animal studies showed some harm to fetuses and, although no reliable studies have been done on humans, there are concerns about possible links to inguinal hernia (related to the groin area) if used in the first trimester.

Dextromethorphan is relatively safe for a short time in small doses after the first trimester.

Avoid cough medicines with codeine especially in the third trimester.

Some cough medicines contain iodine, which can affect the baby's thyroid gland, and are best avoided. Whilst iodine deficiency is a recognized problem, there are concerns that too much iodine is also harmful, so levels must be kept in check.

COLDS AND FLU

As with cough medicines, cold and flu remedies may contain multiple active ingredients. The ones that just use paracetamol are safest. See your doctor, especially if the cold or flu symptoms persist for a long time, in case of secondary infection.

CONSTIPATION

Eat plenty of fibre and drink plenty of fluids. If you need to take laxatives, senna and cascara are generally regarded as safe. Bran, meythylcellulose,sterculia and ispaghula (Fybogel) are also regarded as safe.

DIARRHOEA

Dehydration can occur if diarrhoea lasts for more than a few days. Dioralyte or similar rehydration salts are said to be safe to use to combat dehydration. Stool bulk can be increased by using kaolin mixture. Prolonged use of kaolin could result in low birth weight, premature births so check with a doctor before taking it.

There is not enough information on whether Loperamide (Imodium, Arret etc) is safe or not, so this may be best avoided. There was no apparent harm to fetuses when tested on animals, but there are some concerns about possible cardiovascular problems if taken during the first trimester.

INSOMNIA

All sleeping tablets and herbal cures for insomnia are best avoided. Some herbal teas are made specifically for use during pregnancy, although caution should be used as herbs are also drugs, and the claims of safety may not be thoroughly researched. If in any doubt ask a health care professional.

Try drinking warm milk, or taking a warm bath before bed.

HAY FEVER/ALLERGIES

If limiting your exposure to the hay fever triggering allergens is not possible, sodium cromoglicate (Optrex allergy, Clarityn and Pollenase for instance) is deemed safe for use in all three trimesters. Corticosteroid nasal sprays like beclometasone (e.g. Pollenase, Beconase) are relatively safe in the short term only. Discuss the use of this with your doctor.

If these measures are not effective, Chlorphenamine (e.g. Piriton, Pollenase) is regarded as relatively safe for all three trimesters. As always though, consult with your doctor.

Try steam inhalation rather than nasal decongestants (e.g. oxymetazoline, phenylephrine, pseudoephedrine, xylometazoline ), as there is not enough safety evidence about these.

There is not enough information about the safety of medications containing antihistamines (e.g. brompheniramine, cetirizine, cyclizine, diphenhydramine, doxylamine, loratadine and meclozine ), so these should be avoided. This includes any eye drops or nasal sprays that contain antihistamines.

PAIN (HEADACHE,BACKACHE ETC)

Paracetamol is regarded by experts as the safest treatment available for general pain treatment. It can be used as a short term measure in all three trimesters.

Aspirin and ibuprofen (and other Non Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs, NSAID'S, like Diclofenac) are advised against, as they can affect labour and cause other complications if taken during the third trimester. In the first trimester they could induce miscarriage or lead to serious birth defects. Aspirin could lead to bleeding in both mother and child if taken during the third trimester.

Codeine and dihydrocodeine can be used, if approved by a doctor, in the first and second trimesters of pregnancy. It is not recommended for use in the final stage of pregnancy, as it can cause, among other things, breathing difficulties for the child. Some non prescription, "over the counter" medicines contain codeine or dihydrocodeine.

VAGINAL THRUSH

It is important to consult with your doctor when considering treatment for vaginal thrush as not enough is known about the safety of such treatments as flucanazole (Diflucan One) and clotrimazole (Canesten). If these preparations are considered acceptable, care must be taken with the use of vaginal applicators if they can not be dispensed with altogether.

SKIN CONDITIONS, ECZEMA PSORIASIS ETC

Calamine lotion and other similar soothing products can be used safely, as can moisturisers.

Hydrocortisone and other steroid creams should be avoided unless a doctor recommends otherwise. If advised to use it, avoid applying it to large areas of skin, under airtight dressings or for long time periods. This should stop too much of it getting into the blood stream. Hydrocortisone may also appear in breast milk, but no conclusive research exists.

Psoriasis sufferers should also consult their doctor about their own individual needs. Methotrexate should not be taken by the pregnant, those planning on becoming pregnant or even their partners. As well as being a treatment for severe psoriasis, methotrexate is sometimes used for, among other things, terminating ectopic pregnancies. Calcipotriol (e.g. Dovonex) has not been properly tested on pregnant women. Animal testing has shown adverse affects on fetuses.

ACNE

Acne sufferers who use the drug isotretinoin (e.g.Roaccutane) should stop taking it immediately when even trying to conceive a child. It is known to cause birth defects ranging from heart problems and brain abnormalities, to facial disfigurements. Women who continue with this treatment into early pregnancy are more than a third more likely to have birth defects develop in their child. It could also result in miscarriage. Doctors advise caution with other vitamin A related drugs, (retinoids) such as tretinoin (Retin-A,Retin-A MICRO, Retisol-A and Renova) both oral and topical treatments. It is also wise to limit the use of vitamin A supplements, though naturally occurring vitamin A in fruits and vegetables need not be limited at all, as the body processes them in an entirely different way. See a doctor if you take any treatment for acne and are pregnant or planning to have a baby.

As well as doctors and pharmacists, it is wise to inform anyone else who is responsible for medical treatment that you are pregnant. Dentists need to be told so that they can appraise the situation with regard to any drugs, treatments or x-ray procedures they administer. As previously stated, care must be taken with herbal remedies and the like. Check with your doctor that they are safe to take.

Folic acid is one medicine that is generally considered important to take. It should be taken when trying to conceive, and in early pregnancy (the first twelve weeks). Folic acid helps with the baby's nervous system, and spinal cord development. It also helps guard against spina bifida and birth defects like cleft palate. Doctors will be likely to recommend 400 Mg of folic acid per day in most circumstances.

With the area of medicines safety during pregnancy being such a grey one, and all parties concerned being so cautious in their advice, it is important to look after yourself, eat healthily and not overwork yourself while pregnant. ( articlealley.com )

READ MORE - Pregnancy and Medicines

The Newlywed Fight Club

The Newlywed Fight Club. Came back from your honeymoon and found out that -- surprise! -- the honeymoon really is over? Here are some common fightin’ words and how to make nice again.

Photo by Veer

"You never nuke the burrito long enough!"

Yeah, you're probably right. But are soggy beans really worth bitching over? Or how they drive, hog the remote, or fold the towels? When you feel like blurting something out, take a deep breath and count to twenty or chill out in another room. Chances are your annoyance will fade (or you'll just realize that it's better to pick your battles). If you attack everything your spouse does, they may just tune you out when you have something that's actually worth discussing.

“I didn’t know you were going out tonight…”

You share an address, a bed, and maybe even a last name. That’s reason enough to give each other space once in a while. After getting married, years of ingrained behavior isn’t going to suddenly stop, and trying to give up independence ain’t gonna work. If one of you wants to take off with friends on a Friday night, give your spouse an early heads up and come home when you say you’re going to come home.

“That’s going in the basement.”

Whether you lived together or not before you got hitched, merging your stuff can be a total buzzkill. You want your grandmother’s candle set on the table; he wants to hang his Raging Bull poster in the living room. The common denominator? Neither of you wants to lose who you are. So compromise. Instead of immediately vetoing each other's stuff, both agree to keep half of your fave items in question, and donate the rejects charity (hey, it's a tax write-off!).

“What the hell is this charge on your AMEX?”

You’re used to spending whatever you want, whenever you want (even if you didn’t have it). Not anymore. What one person may see as a necessity, another may see as a waste. That’s why it’s key to agree on how to spend and save. How much do you want to sock away for retirement? How much do you want to spend together, be it on a couch or a vacay to Hawaii? And finally, how much do you each get as "fun money"? Get started with our handy budgeter.

“It’s your mom again; I’m not answering.”

Hate to break it to you, but when you tied the knot, you also married each other’s families. The key is to tell each other what you expect from your in-laws and figure out what you can tolerate. Then raise your tolerance level 10 degrees. Once boundaries are established, you’ll be able to put your foot down without starting an argument. ( thenest.com )

READ MORE - The Newlywed Fight Club

No Time for Good Sex?

No Time for Good Sex?. Now you may be wondering: Why the heck am I reading this? After all, aren’t newlyweds supposed to have scorching sex all the time? Truth is, even at this amazing stage, you can have an unexpected sex stall. Here are some common culprits:

Your libidos are out of sync.

You’re supposed to be soul mates…so why is it that you want it slow and sensual at night but he wants it fast and furious in the morning? Well, guys wake up with high levels of testosterone and energy and crave sex first thing in the a.m. But at night, testosterone levels dip right when you’re revved up.

Sexy solution: If he’s never in the mood after dinner, grab him before you open the take-out. If you dislike a.m. sex, join him in his morning shower.

Long workweeks leave you both sapped.

His afternoon meeting ran late and he’s exhausted; your boss yelled at you (again). By the time you make it through the front door, your sex drives are MIA.

Sexy solution: Studies show that lovemaking boosts levels of brain chemicals that trigger desire. So the more you push past your tiredness and get busy, the more you’ll want to do it. You can start by trading five-minute massages (no, you aren’t too tired). Conjure up an erotic scenario—research shows women who fantasize often have more frequent and satisfying sex.

The honeymoon is over.

Why can’t sex be as hot as it was during those 10 days in Anguilla? Was it the plush mattress? The sound of the ocean at night? Now sex feels like a letdown.

Sexy solution: Start turning things around when you’re not in the sack. Devote the weekends to reconnecting. Unplug from the world and fantasize about that sexy anniversary trip you’ll be booking in the Bahamas. Anticipation in itself can be a surprising aphrodisiac.

You’re trying to get pregnant.

When you’re in baby-making mode, sex can start to feel methodical, even frustrating—especially if you’ve been trying for a while.

Sexy solution: Make the rest of the month (i.e., your nonpeak-fertility days) all about pleasure. For starters, zip your lips on the baby topic so your minds are clear and sex can be more fun. Your next steamy step? Try a new position or grab your partner for a quickie before you head out to a party—everyone will wonder what that smirk is on your faces. ( thenest.com )

READ MORE - No Time for Good Sex?

Drinkers 'underestimate alcohol consumption by a bottle a week'

Drinkers 'underestimate alcohol consumption by a bottle a week' . Britons underestimate how much they drink by an average of a bottle of wine a week, experts have warned.

In total the equivalent of 44 million more bottles of wine are sold in pubs, supermarkets and off licenses than drinkers will admit to consuming, researchers at Liverpool John Moores University found.

The team compared the amount that adults and teenagers believe they drink with official figures on alcohol sales.

People often forget special occasions like weddings, birthdays and Christmas parties when asked how much they have recently drunk, they warn.

The more alcohol consumed the harder it is to accurately estimate, they add.

The report also calculates that to stay within the Government’s recommended safe drinking levels overall consumption has to be cut by one third.

The research casts doubt on the reliability of official surveys of alcohol consumption that are used to inform everything from public health campaigns to licensing laws.

Official figures show that alcohol-related hospital admissions are approaching a million a year, a rise of 47 per cent in the last five years.

Experts have blamed the rise on 24-hour drinking, stronger alcohol and larger glass sizes.

The average British drinker consumes the equivalent of 26 units a week, the latest research estimates.

Ministers recommend limiting intake to just 14 units a week for women and 21 for men.

The study looked at findings from the General Household Survey, carried out by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), but Prof Mark Bellis, who led the research, said that all health surveys which asked about alcohol tended to come out with similar figures.

He added: “It is easy to see how so much alcohol can be consumed without actually registering in surveys.

“When asked to think about their drinking, people often ignore occasional heavier drinking sessions, holidays, weddings and other celebrations like Christmas parties.

“Even when people try to remember such occasions, generally the more they have drunk, the more they are likely to forget.

“As a result, the difference between what people say they drink and sales data on how much is actually bought for consumption is huge.”

Don Shenker, chief executive of Alcohol Concern, said: “If we underestimate our drinking levels, then we’re underestimating the amount of harm we can expect to happen to our families, communities and wider society – as well as how much further we need to go to curb our excessive consumption.

“Poor survey intelligence can result in misinformed policy.

“Any future government must get to grips with measuring the true scale and nature of this problem if it is to make a difference to reduce alcohol harms.”

A spokesman for the Department of Health said: "We welcome Alcohol Concern's report as many people do not realise how much alcohol they drink and they may understate their drinking on self-reported surveys.

"That's why the Government also uses data on alcohol sales to measure the true level of alcohol consumption, which informs our policies.” ( telegraph.co.uk )

READ MORE - Drinkers 'underestimate alcohol consumption by a bottle a week'

Parents 'should not give children small amounts of alcohol to breed responsible drinking'

Parents 'should not give children small amounts of alcohol to breed responsible drinking' . Parents should not give children alcohol in the hope that it will breed a responsible attitude to drinking, Sir Liam Donaldson, the Chief Medical Officer, has warned.

Exposure to alcohol at a young age is actually more likely to make them heavy or binge drinkers, he said.

Parents with a "laissez-faire" attitude to their teenager’s drinking are also putting their offspring at risk, he warned, as he called for a culture shift from the image of the drinker as a hero.

Sir Liam made his comments as he launched new guidelines on children’s drinking for parents, in which he called for youngsters to have an alcohol-free childhood.

Children under the age of 15 should not drink any alcohol at all, the report advises.

Older teenagers between 15 and 17 should be supervised by their parents if they are drinking, and should limit alcohol intake to one day a week.

Parents can set an good example by drink any alcohol at home only in a “positive" setting, such as a family meal, according to the guidelines.

Sir Liam said that the notion that introducing children to small amounts of alcohol at a young age would teach them to drink responsibly had become a “middle class obsession” in recent years.

“(That) if you somehow wean children on to alcohol at an early age they won't have any problems in later life, (that) they will be sensible – is not supported by evidence," he said.

"It's a bit of a middle-class obsession – the idea of taking out the wine bottle and diluting it.

"There's not a great problem to that as such but to extrapolate from that sort of situation that alcohol in general is a good thing just does not work.”

He added: "Alcohol has a ruinous effect on the foundations of adult life.

“We see the tyranny of alcohol on our towns and city centres.

“Too often childhood is robbed of its clear-eyed innocence and replaced with the befuddled futility that comes with the consumption of dirt cheap alcohol."

Evidence shows that children who are introduced to alcohol at a young age are more likely to binge drink as teenagers and to develop alcohol-related problems in later life.

Official figures show that half a million 11 to 15 year olds in England admit they have been drunk in the last month.

And every year around 7,600 11 to 17-year-olds are admitted to hospital because of alcohol.

Sir Liam warned that there was evidence that alcohol harmed children's’ developing brains.

Drinking can lead to depression, subtle brain damage, long-term memory problems, difficulty remembering words and mental health problems, he said.

Physical problems include damage to the liver, reduced levels of growth hormones and a lower bone density in boys.

In recent years doctors have warned that a binge-drinking culture is leading to young women in their twenties being diagnosed with alcohol-related conditions such as cirrhosis of the liver, unheard of a decade ago.

Sir Liam insisted that his report was merely advice and that there were no plans to change the law.

At the moment parents are legally allowed to give children alcohol in their own home from the age of five.

Sir Liam also reiterated his calls for a minimum price for a unit of alcohol as he said that to there was no doubt that Britain had a “drink problem”.

However, he admitted that there was not one single measure alone that could turn the tide on Britain's growing alcohol problem.

In January, the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCFS) will launch a campaign warning of the dangers of drinking among children and young people.

Don Shenker, the chief executive of Alcohol Concern, said: "Drinking among young people is a major concern for parents, many of whom have previously had no clear guidance on how to approach what can be a sensitive issue.

"The guidelines will especially help parents who want to establish clear boundaries with their children and clarify that drinking above these guidelines carries increased health risks.

"However, there are many more factors that influence young people's drinking than just what their parents say.

"The easy availability of alcohol at pocket money prices is far more important, and the government should consider getting tough on cheap sales to help tackle underage drinking". ( telegraph.co.uk )

READ MORE - Parents 'should not give children small amounts of alcohol to breed responsible drinking'