©iStockphoto.com/nicolesy

When we were kids, many of us learned spelling from Cookie Monster, counting from Count Von Count, and cheerful tenacity from Big Bird. Today’s children are learning much more than that. The folks behind Sesame Street—the show that’s been educating children since 1969—are reaching out to a new generation in a new way, teaching kids the ABCs of healthy eating and healthy living.

Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational group that developed Sesame Street, has partnered with AmeriChoice (the UnitedHealth Group company that provides health benefits for public and state programs) to develop a bilingual education outreach program that helps families make…

read more

©iStockphoto.com/chuwy

I’ve heard it from my own husband and other fathers: when it comes to discussions of parenthood, dads are routinely left out, even though they are experiencing many of the same things as moms.

In the early days, dads are just as confused, intimidated, elated, anxious, and sleep-deprived. They have that same moment of clarity of realizing that parenting is little more than winging it. They understand that brand-new and fierce instinct to protect and nurture at all costs.

Here, dads from around the world share their views on birth, surprises, and lessons from their smallest teachers.

Making introductions
“My son was born…

read more

©iStockphoto.com/Anpet2000

For all those breastfeeding moms who risk being told by well-meaning health care providers to “pump and dump” for 2 to 24 hours following a CT (computerized tomography) scan—help has arrived under the title, “Manual on Contrast Media v7.”

Written by the American College of Radiology (ACR) and now available online, the Manual on Contrast Media v7 states that less than one percent of iodine-based contrast medium (substances that increase picture quality during imaging tests such as CT scans and MRIs) used in imaging studies is excreted into breast milk and less than one percent is absorbed from the baby’s gastrointestinal tract.…

read more

©iStockphoto.com/loooby

What was once a pill-a-day regimen has turned into two-a-day. And despite the increase, my level of vitamin D is still below what experts consider normal—a level that is about to change, again. With increased awareness and knowledge of the benefits of vitamin D (a Google search of “vitamin D studies” yields nearly 8 million results) comes a need to reassess how much each individual needs. But knowing how much vitamin D to take each day is like trying to hit a moving target. While the current RDA (recommended dietary allowance) for vitamin D is 400 IU, evidence now suggests that…

read more

©iStockphoto.com/JoeBiafore

Parents already have plenty of reasons to choose organic foods for their babies, given the potential health risks–including cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and mental illness that have been linked to the pesticides found in non-organic foods. While many of the health risks related to pesticides are unproven, some experts believe pesticides pose the greatest risks to infants and children.

A recent study linking pesticide levels in children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, better known as ADHD, gives parents one more reason to choose organic.

Research
The purpose of the study, conducted by researchers from Harvard University and the University of Montreal and published in the May…

read more

©iStockphoto.com/CobaltMoon

Commonly called “brain food,” fish is in the news again, and this time experts are advocating for more not less. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) recommendations regarding fish intake during pregnancy and while breastfeeding have prompted two experts on brain health to write an open letter to the FDA asking that the advice be updated—sooner rather than later.

In the letter, professors Thomas Brenna of Cornell University and Michael Crawford of London Metropolitan University describe the agency’s current recommendations (dating back to 2004) as not only out of date but potentially harmful. They note that the recommendation that women who are…

read more

©iStockphoto.com/PicturePartners

Some babies love vegetables. Unfortunately, my son is not one of them. When I visit him at daycare during snack time, I’ll often notice an untouched pile of green beans and carrots on his plate while the other kids’ plates are clean.

It seems like no big deal; my son doesn’t like vegetables. He’ll learn to, just like I did. Then again, his flat-out refusal to eat any of the healthy stuff on his plate is enough to make me question what I’m doing wrong as a parent. Is he getting enough nutrients from other foods? Is there any way to…

read more