babygooroo » Infant and Child Health

Home Alone Safety for Your Teen

July 2, 2008 by Pauline Lupercio | No questions or comments

When I was a tween, the word didn’t even exist. Neither did many of the concerns today’s parents have when it comes to leaving their 11 to 13 –year-olds home alone on summer days. It wasn’t that long ago, but times were just different, and ... (read more)

Breastfeeding, The Original “Environmentally Safe” Resource

July 2, 2008 by Karen Gromada | No questions or comments

What could be “greener” than mother’s own milk flowing directly into baby from the product distribution centers, usually referred to as breasts? The entire process is self-contained in each mother—factory, packaging, warehouse, transportation, and delivery system. Only 500 kcal per day are needed to ... (read more)

Keeping Your Baby’s Hot Seat Cool

July 2, 2008 by Pauline Lupercio | 1 question or comment

When it comes to fire and burn prevention safety, I’m sure you are already practicing many child-proofing techniques to ensure your little ones stay safe. Just plug “child burn prevention” into your Internet search bar and you’ll come across plenty of sites offering tips like ... (read more)

Vitamin D: Got it?

June 30, 2008 by Mary Jessica Hammes | No questions or comments

It shouldn’t be too difficult to get enough vitamin D—after all, unless you have specific liver or kidney problems that interfere with the process, your body makes it all by itself just by being in the sun. However, new research is suggesting that ... (read more)

Bottoms Up!

June 25, 2008 by Amy Spangler | No questions or comments

A television commercial aired a number of years ago, in which a toddler, upon seeing a newborn baby, says to the young mother, "Too bad you had to get a bald-headed one." If a similar commercial aired today, the toddler would likely say, ... (read more)

Low-Tech Disaster Planning

June 23, 2008 by Heidi Green | No questions or comments

We’ve all seen footage of earthquake-damaged China, hurricane-ravaged Louisiana, and the heavily-flooded U.S. Midwest. Seeing such images, it’s only natural to think about the people who are affected. In response to such disasters, my thoughts turn immediately to the children—especially the ... (read more)

From Bronchitis to Teen Pregnancy: New Dataset Paints a Picture of Hospital Stays for Children

June 22, 2008 by Mary Jessica Hammes | No questions or comments

No one likes to think about his or her child being in the hospital. And yet, it’s strangely fascinating to get deep in the numbers that paint a picture of healthcare for children in the U.S.—especially if you’re a layperson with access to statistics ... (read more)

Sun, Sand, and … Sickness?!

June 21, 2008 by Heidi Green | No questions or comments

Yay, summer is here! Time for longer days and sunshine. Time for playing in the sand. Time for getting sick. Yup, you read that right. Time for getting sick. We tend to think of sickness with winter, but one type of sickness—foodborne illness (a.k.a. ... (read more)

Safety Sometimes Means Going Against the Grain

June 20, 2008 by Pauline Lupercio | No questions or comments

I’ve never been a trendsetter. Instead, I’m usually the one following the crowd, doing my best to blend. A few examples include the years I tried in vain to straighten my kinky curls to look more like my high school friends. Or the time I ... (read more)

Dry-drowning Death Highlights Little Known Danger

June 19, 2008 by Pauline Lupercio | 2 questions or comments

A ten-year-old boy went swimming at a nearby pool with his mother and drowned more than an hour later. It is a shocking and heart-breaking story that has brought a little-known phenomenon referred to as “dry drowning” to light. It is an occurrence, albeit ... (read more)

Sweet Beverages Linked to Overweight and Obesity?

June 18, 2008 by Amy Spangler | 4 questions or comments

Two recent studies found that drinking sweet beverages does not cause overweight or obese children. One study suggests that if the beverage is 100 percent juice, it may actually improve a child’s nutrient intake. The first ... (read more)

Michigan “Boosts” Child Safety Requirements

June 11, 2008 by Pauline Lupercio | 1 question or comment

Maybe it’s because my child is so young that I failed to pick up on the new Michigan law that will require children between the ages of four and eight and less than 4 feet nine inches tall to use an approved ... (read more)