If you thought that you got a lot of parenting advice from people BEFORE the baby was born, just wait and see how many “well wishers” make contact with you after the little one arrives in order to give you the benefit of their extensive experience.
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Parenting advice, it comes from everywhere. If you listened to everyone and tried to follow everything you could well be institutionalized within the week.
Relatives are hard to ignore – but may be misinformed or out of date; so-called “free” samples aren’t really free if they come with self-serving advice; and, (more…)
The most recent research into children’s growth and development these days has given rise to changes in the way we think of nutrition.
Frankly, for those of us with… ahem, a bit of experience, our better tools to measure outcomes have produced findings that are a bit startling; especially as it relates to breastfeeding.
Pediatricians, at least all that I know, have always considered “Breast Is Best” but infant formulas were acceptable alternatives. Then, formulas got even better and better as our understanding of nutrition improved. Then, advances in mass data sharing and long term follow-up studies came into being.
Now, we understand better (in the long term) what some of the benefits are. Bottom line, the topic deserves a series of its own, and begins with reporting the results of an extensive study into the benefits of breastfeeding.
4 Posts in "Breastfeeding" Series
- Breastfeeding Series: Intro/Index – 20 Feb 2014
A collection of posts about breastfeeding: latest research, advantages, methods and practical tips.
- OBGYN Guidelines about breastfeeding – 26 Feb 2014
Making an informed choice about whether or not to breastfeed… is it still a choice?
- Research findings – 16 Mar 2015
Breastfeeding vs. Bottlefeeding - latest research, advantages and disadvantages. Suggestions and tips.
- Recommendations and standards – 24 Mar 2015
Continuing from the previous article we’ll conclude today with a fairly comprehensive listing of new recommendations. Apparently, more benefits than previously realized; and, frankly, a bit startling.
Look, it’s getting so even I’m getting tired talking about immunization schedule, but every time I think about throwing up my hands I remember very clearly (as if it was yesterday) being sent down to the lower hospital ward to retrieve a piece of equipment and needing to push an Iron Lung out of the way in order to get to it.
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The term “Innocent Heart Murmur” sounds anything BUT innocent to most parents; but, it’s not an uncommon “diagnosis” for a pediatrician who is actually doing a thorough exam of a youngster.
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Immunization schedule that can be printed out. From the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
[https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/hcp/imz/child-adolescent.html]
Obesity, it’s the “genes” you want to believe; but, really I’ve never known a “gene” to force-feed anyone, and the calories have got to come from somewhere.
And there’s that pesky research that showed a high link between obesity and the number of fast-food establishments around your house and on the way to work.
And how about twins living apart who are not both obese? And… and… and….
Is it really all genes, leaving us no hope; or is it environment and advertising? Let’s find out:
12 Posts in "Obesity" Series
- Obesity Series: Intro/Index – 9 Oct 2013
Obesity and how to avoid it, explaining "genes," tips for kids, fun videos and a great new skill to learn.
- Obesity in Toddlers and Sugar-Sweetened Drinks – 10 Oct 2013
There have been many and to spare studies which show that adults, teens and even pre-teens who drink sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) in their diet are statistically more obese. Now, finally, we've got relevant data for 9 month to 5 year olds too.
- Gastric Band Last Resort for Teen Obesity – 17 Aug 2015
How physicians around the world are trying to help their patients deal with obesity, a malady which has seemed to attack the U.S. populace as if by some nefarious design. Gastric Banding last resort for teen obesity.
- Type 2 Diabetes - Some Odd Possible Correlations – 6 Nov 2015
Three quasi-scientific articles about Type 2 Diabetes and correlation with odd issues.
- Video: How to make our day harder to expend more energy – 1 Dec 2015
Here is Dr. Mike Evans again with another one of his takes on life as we know it. I think he's got our house bugged with all the insight he has into how we do things. He talks about work and the obesity epidemic.
- Fast Food – 16 Jan 2016
Believe it or not, the more fast food outlets there are on your way to work the fatter you will be—genes or not!
- 10 Ways To Ditch Obesity – 24 Jan 2016
Have you taught your kids that all of us 2/3rds of US adults who are overweight or obese came from people JUST LIKE THEM! How can kids ditch obesity, I'll tell you.
- Teens - Treadmill Dance – 1 Feb 2016
Ok, in this series we've talked about the Obesity epidemic from various viewpoints. First, there was a great new research article describing a "smoking gun" of obesity: fast food. Then there was a great list for teens who'd like to kick obesity. Now a great way of loosing weight, if only some of us still had the ability.
- Where does the fat go? – 9 Feb 2016
In his TEDx talk, Ruben Meerman answers the question: When you lose weight… where does it go? Does fat evaporate, come out in urine or other body waste or get burned up? You'll know after watching this short and highly entertaining (there be vapors and smoke and test tubes) talk.
- BIG SODA, advertising conflict of interest – 2 Nov 2016
I have to tell you I'm still pretty ticked-off finding out about this huge conflict of interest: Big Soda acting like Big Tobacco and the health-care industry falling for it!
- Obesity now more common in world than being underweight – 18 Apr 2018
Obesity is now more common in the world than being underweight! How crazy is that?
- Five Diseases Reduced by Excersize – 7 Apr 2019
Five of the world's top diseases are reduced by simple physical activity!
Is NOT sleeping or TO MUCH sleeping better; or NOT better? It’s that “best of times… worst of times” issue. They’re both bad… and good; depending on the circumstances, time and age.
That’s why I’ve begun curating the several posts I’ve written over the years explaining the many and varied aspects of the issue. And, with the benefits of the computer programming, whenever I write a new post this index post is automatically updated so is always the most up-to-date.
So… here’s all about sleep in children, teens and young adults:
7 Posts in "Children's Sleep" Series
- Children's Sleep series: Intro/Index – 13 Aug 2013
I've noticed the large number of questions from parents which have "sleep" as the core issue. This series is all about sleep, how it works, how much is needed; and… "what's the matter with this kid?"
- Bedtimes and Children's Thinking Ability – 14 Aug 2013
It seems that we now have evidence that irregular bedtimes in early childhood may actually impair children's cognitive development and even have damaging long-term health effects throughout life.
- How much sleep – 20 Jan 2016
No really! How does sleep work? You think you know… until things change, and you realize you don't know anymore. You've got babies who wake you up at all hours and you've got teens who don't seem to ever get out of bed? What gives?
- Sleep In Teenagers – 28 Jan 2016
Right from birth it seems that tired children can crash to sleep anywhere, anytime they are tired. That's all over in "teenhood" however, partly because all of the nervous system changes occurring with puberty.
- Sleep Expectations and Training, Infants – 6 Mar 2016
Frankly, the topic of infant sleep is probably the most frequently asked group of questions from new parents and in the “top 3” for all parents; but still…. there's a lot of "wives tails" lurking about in the topic.
- More sleep training and tips, Infants - Part 2 – 11 Mar 2016
NOT sleeping through the night is no accident; sleeping THROUGH the night is no accident either; and, good sleep begins with deciding and defining. Infant sleep habits are varied but there are some tips.
- Sleep in Toddlers, Older Children – 28 Feb 2023
A good synopsis of this post might be "sleep through the ages." It does change you know, based on the growth of the child AND his/her environment that YOU provide based on family and house "rules." That means: here's what might be making (enabling) the problem that your child might be having and what you can do about it.
Quite a bunch, no? All inform about just a little bit different aspect.
Being one of the roughest of all children’s sports, it’s a rare parent who hasn’t had a boy who has been conked on the noggin hard enough to see stars, become dazed or actually go unconscious playing the game. YOU CAN’T DO THAT SO CHEAPLY ANY MORE!
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The time that children spend in front of a screen of all kinds has exploded to the point of danger in both physical development and disease. Average children’s TV screen time has been shown to be nearly THREE TIMES (300%) greater than the level shown to cause morbidity – and it’s pretty much world-wide.
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It’s not just for girls any more: worrying about body image and looks. The steady bombardment of advertising and other media images is taking its toll on boys as well – there is a tremendous pressure to look “lean and chisled.”
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