If there is one thing I have learned since becoming a mother, it is that there is always going to be something I want to protect my daughter from.

This little lesson in parenting was only reinforced when I received a recent email from MomsRising, explaining how many strollers, car seats and infant carriers have dangerous levels of toxic fire retardant chemicals.

That’s right. Even I had to read that twice before it sank it. I could very possibly be sitting my baby in a chemical-laden seat. The irony of it is that once she is securely strapped in, I’m supposed to…

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Results of a new study suggest that giving extra iron to infants who don’t need it, might cause developmental delays. These findings fuel the debate over how much iron infants need and could have huge implications for the baby formula and food industry.

The findings were reported 12 May 2008 at the Joint Meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies and Asian Society for Pediatric Research in Honolulu, Hawaii. Researchers from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor found that healthy, well-nourished children fed iron-fortified formula as infants scored an average of 11 points lower on IQ tests and 12 points lower in visual-motor…

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My daughter Kate has been interested in makeup for a while now. After Grandma visited, she was excited about lipstick. After I painted my nails, she was eager to have hers painted, too. Inside, I quaked. I pay attention to the health news—I’d read about lead in lipstick. And Kate sometimes bites her nails. No way did I want whatever-the-heck is in polish to make its way into her toddler body.

So far, I’ve been able to put her off with gentle distractions. But I know that won’t work forever. Some parents may prefer to skip makeup play altogether, and I…

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Any woman who, when pregnant or breastfeeding, has had to talk to a doctor about medication (almost certainly asking “Will this hurt my baby?”) will be glad to hear this news. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is planning to overhaul its rules for prescription labeling. The proposed guidelines would ensure that labels provide physicians with clearer, more complete information about drug risks during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

The problem
Current labeling can be confusing. For almost thirty years, the FDA has used a pregnancy category system for prescription drugs. Since 1978, medications have been classified into five categories—A, B, C, D, and X—according to…

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An Indiana law, scheduled to take effect July 1, 2008, will require employers to “make reasonable efforts to provide accommodations for women to collect and store breastmilk during the workday”. This includes providing a private space, “other than a toilet stall”, for employees to pump breastmilk, as well as access to a cold place to store the milk such as a refrigerator or cooler. Indiana is one of a number of states that have adopted legislation related to worksite breastfeeding support.

The Indiana law applies to all government agencies as well as businesses that employ 25 people or more.

Breastfeeding advocates, including…

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Signe Franks, a Swedish stamp collector, recently shared a portion of her collection with the Dutch BFHI (Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative) foundation. The stamps, 15 to 18 in all, feature images of breastfeeding women and children from around the world.

Each poster measures 42 x 59.4 cm. Poster #1 features 18 stamps superimposed on a solid orange background. It contains the Dutch slogan, “Borstvoeding kent geen grenzen” which translated into English reads, “Breastfeeding across borders” or “Breastfeeding—no limits”. If you order 100 or more, you can customize the poster with your choice of slogan and language.

Poster #2 features 15 stamps on…

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There’s something very liberating about acknowledging that you don’t have all the answers. Knowing what you don’t know isn’t the least bit concerning, as long as you know where to find the answers.

I count my blessings in that I have acquired, over the years, an amazing group of friends, with an enormous amount of knowledge and experience. So when I am asked a breastfeeding question that I can’t answer, or face a breastfeeding situation that I can’t manage, I simply acknowledge my shortcomings and seek out a “friendly” expert.

Which brings me to the reason for this post. I am thrilled…

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To Grandmother’s house we go! And you’ll be in the car for five whole hours — how can you make the trip enjoyable with a baby along?

Learn about it
There’s no question: Marathon car trips with a baby on board take a good amount of planning and organization. But it can be done — and yes, it can even be fun!

Planning the trip
In the hustle that precedes a trip, it can be easy to let things happen, instead of make things happen. Be proactive in making your trip decisions. Contemplating these questions, and coming up with the right answers, can help make your…

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Water is good for you. It’s pure. It’s natural. It’s harmless. Or is it?

Pediatricians at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center say it may not be the best choice for babies. In fact, drinking water can be harmful for babies younger than six months of age, and can possibly lead to water intoxication and even seizures.

Signs and symptom
Apparently, water can dilute sodium in the infant’s blood and flush it out of the baby’s system. This causes brain activity to change, which can cause a seizure. Because babies younger than 1 year of age often do not have many sodium-containing foods in their…

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On Wednesday, May 21, the Health Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee held a hearing on HR 536—Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act. This hearing is an important first step toward passage of a bill that would affect more than 200,000 women a year. Given the incidence of breast cancer, nearly everyone’s life is touched by this disease.

HR 536 was first introduced in 1996 by Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT). The proposed legislation was prompted by a meeting DeLauro had with a Connecticut surgeon who stated that she was constantly battling with insurance companies to keep her breast cancer patients…

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We all know it already, but let’s just put it out there one more time: Smoking is B-A-D.

And if Mommy or Daddy does it, there’s a good chance that your kids are not only getting the message from school, the media, and disapproving family members that your behavior is a major “no-no,” but that they also are to stay away from your cigarettes and lighters.

Sounds easy enough, right? Well, if you’ve got one of those popular novelty lighters in your purse or pocket, the issue sailed right past “easy” and became downright dangerous for your kids.

And what about parents who…

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If you are a breastfeeding mother who has experienced sore nipples and treated them (or sought to prevent them) by using a nipple cream, you may want to listen up. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning about one such popular topical agent: Mommy’s Bliss Nipple Cream. According to the FDA’s statement, two ingredients in the cream can cause “respiratory distress or vomiting and diarrhea in infants.”

The ingredients, chlorphenesin and phenoxyethanol, are cosmetic preservatives. According to the FDA, the former “relaxes skeletal muscle and can depress the central nervous system and cause respiratory distress in infants.”…

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