In the wake of the recent FDA warning to avoid homeopathic teething gels and tablets – as well as the ongoing investigation of 10 infant deaths – Hyland's, the homeopathic company, announced it will stop producing these products. Chalk up a win for science, at least this time.
Parents & Kids
In an effort to understand how cow's milk allergies (CMA) form, an interdisciplinary team of scientists investigated if there's a link between certain kinds of sugars found in a mother's breast milk and the presence of CMA in her infant.
Here are a few takeaways from an article focusing on the 100 most popular cereals of all time: (1) cereal's heyday was roughly 40 years ago; (2) older brands, some ancient, sit atop the list, and (3) present-day concerns about nutrition and convenience are driving the young away from making cereal their preferred breakfast choice.
People often tell new parents to avoid sing-song baby talk with their new addition, because it will slow the child’s language development. But evidence shows it does the opposite; baby talk plays an important role in development -- and their precious bundle of joy prefers it to other types of speech.
Dental sealants provide an effective means of preventing tooth decay — but they're underutilized. Perhaps one reason is the fear promoted by scaremongers of the plastic component BPA. But like most of the scares perpetrated by activist groups, this one is absurd.
Some terrifying aspects of AFM, which surfaced in the summer of 2014, are that the cause is unknown, anyone can get it and it affects the nervous system. Even worse, most of the cases are in children. The only silver lining is that it's rare. In the first eight months of this year, 50 cases have been confirmed in 24 states.
A new non-profit group, The Fed Is Best Foundation, supports feeding newborns with formula in their first few days of life, primarily to reduce the possibility of jaundice and hypoglycemia. Although its message of respecting parents' choices -- no matter what feeding method is used -- is a good one, the proposed link between delayed feeding and autism takes the matter away from science and into the world of speculation.
A teething baby tests the sanity of even the calmest parent, causing some to look anywhere for help. However, the FDA cautions that homeopathic teething tablets and gels may be harmful to babies and warns against using them.
My niece, Jordan, said “I want to write an article with you on role models.” Since she's my life coach and I, Dr. Jamie Wells, cut her cord when she was born, the mere suggestion was heartwarming. Passionate about psychology and understanding behavior and its origin, her theory was the advice itself and point-of-view from a non-parental adult is different from what a parent can offer.
Because most kids will forgo eating and sleeping in order to play video games, it is up to parents to regulate the time they spend on them. But, how much is too much? A new study shows that one hour a week is the sweet spot that allows some of the beneficial effects of gaming without causing harm.
Parents across the country are celebrating the first week of school. But back to school also means back to germs — eek! Here's a few tips from Dr. Jamie Wells on how to avoid spreading the germs this school year.
Organic farming produces 20% fewer crops. An inefficient food production system is, by definition, not sustainable. The authors also underscore this point by noting that “if all US wheat production were grown organically, an additional 12.4 million hectares (30.6 million acres) would be needed to match 2014 production levels.” Extrapolate that out to the rest of the globe, and one can easily see how organic farming cannot feed the world.