Archive for January, 2010

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For Babies’ Sake, Pregnancy Spacing Matters: MedlinePlus

Thursday, January 28th, 2010

TUESDAY, Dec. 15 (HealthDay News) — If that little bundle of joy has had such a profound impact on your life that you just can’t wait to have another, take a breath. A new study suggests that you might want to wait at least six months before getting pregnant again, and that more than 11 months could be even better.

The study found that when the interval between pregnancies was less than six months, the chances of the baby dying, being born prematurely, having birth defects or having a low birth weight were significantly higher than among those who waited more than 11 months between pregnancies.

via MedlinePlus.

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Posted in Parenting, Pregnancy, Research | No Comments »

Breast feeding for over six months could aid mental health: MedlinePlus

Thursday, January 28th, 2010

SYDNEY (Reuters Life!) – Children who are breastfed for longer than six months could be at lower risk of mental health problems later in life, according to Australian research.

via MedlinePlus.

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Posted in Breastfeeding, Nutrition, Research | No Comments »

Play, Then Eat: Shift May Bring Gains at School – Well Blog – NYTimes.com

Thursday, January 28th, 2010

Can something as simple as the timing of recess make a difference in a child’s health and behavior?

Some experts think it can, and now some schools are rescheduling recess — sending students out to play before they sit down for lunch. The switch appears to have led to some surprising changes in both cafeteria and classroom.

Schools that have tried it report that when children play before lunch, there is less food waste and higher consumption of milk, fruit and vegetables. And some teachers say there are fewer behavior problems.

via NYTimes.com.

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Posted in Nutrition, School | No Comments »

Anemia During Pregnancy

Thursday, January 28th, 2010

Anemia is a condition where the oxygen-carrying capacity of your blood is diminished. Oxygen is carried to every cell in your body by a component of the blood called hemoglobin. Your blood will expand to almost twice the normal volume by the 28th week of pregnancy to ensure that enough oxygen is being carried to your baby. Your body’s need for oxygen-rich blood during this time is extraordinary. Hemoglobin takes longer to develop then other components of your blood. Making sure that an adequate amount of hemoglobin is developed can ensure a healthy pregnancy and a quick recovery postpartum.

via Health News.

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Posted in Nutrition, Pregnancy | No Comments »

Preparing Your Body for Pregnancy

Thursday, January 28th, 2010

One of the best ways to ensure a healthy pregnancy is to start planning up to a year before the actual conception. When we prepare our bodies for the demands of pregnancy and labor prior to the actual conception, we are giving ourselves and our babies the best chances of having good health throughout life. What we eat and what we are exposed to during pregnancy also directly impacts baby’s development.

via Health News.

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Posted in Nutrition, Parenting | No Comments »

Mastitis in Nursing Mothers

Thursday, January 28th, 2010

Breast infections, also known as mastitis, are usually not a serious health risk, but they can make you feel miserable. They usually start with a sore, red spot or lump that appears on your breast. They’re often accompanied by flu-like symptoms such as fever, body aches, headaches and chills. Usually, they’re caused by a milk duct not being thoroughly emptied when the baby nurses or by an ill-fitting bra that’s putting too much pressure on an area of your breast. The duct then becomes clogged and the milk backs up, causing swelling and pain.

via Health News.

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Posted in Breastfeeding | No Comments »

Urgent Appeals

Monday, January 25th, 2010

New site updates:
please see our Urgent Appeals page.

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Relief tents, Haiti, and temporary shelter

Monday, January 25th, 2010

Crisiscamp London co-founder Vinay Gupta discusses his “hexayurt” project — as seen in the Worldchanging book — in light of the humanitarian crisis in Haiti, and how relief tents are a “bandaid on a gunshot wound”:

via Boing Boing.

I’ve linked to the Boing Boing post rather than directly to Vinay’s excellent article, because there is also discussion of the pros and cons, and other suggestions for low-tech rebuilding.

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Posted in Disaster relief, News | 1 Comment »

Infants born to child brides have higher risk of malnutrition than children born to older mothers

Sunday, January 24th, 2010

Infants born to child brides in India (married before the age of 18) have a higher risk of malnutrition than children born to older mothers, according to research published on bmj.com today.

via news-medical.net.

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Newcastle University experts want Vitamin D put in food

Sunday, January 24th, 2010

Vitamin D should be added to milk and other food products to halt a rise in cases of rickets in children, say experts at Newcastle University.

A lack of the vitamin within the traditional UK diet is thought to be a factor – it can be found in oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines and herring.

via BBC News.

Posted in News | No Comments »

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