Pregnant Moms Asked To Skip The Hairspray To Prevent Birth Defects

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Pregnant women are being asked to go ‘au natural’ amid fears that some cosmetics could lead to birth defects.

The move follows the publication of a study which found that women exposed to high levels of hairspray during pregnancy were twice as likely to have babies born with hypospadias, a condition in which the urinary tract grows on the underside of the penis.

These findings have led to calls for a new EU-wide cosmetics labelling system.

High levels of phthalates, also used to soften plastics such as PVC, have been found to affect hormone levels, while parabens have been the subject of concern since 2004, when a study claimed to have detected parabens from deodorants in cancerous breast tissue.

The French government announced last week that the country’s health authorities were considering a labelling system for cosmetics that would indicate whether or not products were safe for pregnant women.

But the UK government said that the EU should address the issue as a whole, adding it to a range of changes currently being made to the European Cosmetics Directive.

North American officials haven’t discussed whether or not they have plans to follow suit with special labelling.

Related Articles:

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• Baby Hiccups In Utero
• Study: Pregnant Women Who Do Aquarobics Have Easier Deliveries

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Texas Toddler Survives Three Story Fall

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In an amazing event, a toddler who tumbled from a third-floor window at an apartment complex in Austin escaped serious injury.

Lt. Doug Dukes said told a local news outlet the 23-month-old fell through a screened window while playing with other children Friday afternoon.

The fall is believed to be an accident and the tot was taken to an area hospital for observation.

It was not clear whether the child landed on something that cushioned the fall.

Related Articles:

• Disposable Diaper Breaks Baby’s Fall And Saves His Life
• Mail Carrier Catches Falling Baby
• Arizona Toddler Survives Rattlesnake Bite

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If You Meet A Pregnant Woman – Say Something Nice!

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As I enter into my last month of pregnancy, I must say that I will be glad to have the baby in my arms soon.

This is not because I don’t like being pregnant, but because I would like all of the pregnancy horror stories to end.

Even though I already have a son, I didn’t get to do the whole pregnancy thing – getting ripped off 16 weeks early. This makes me a target for those who have delivered full term babies to tell me their horror stories of 48 hour labors and ripping from one end to the other.

In the last few weeks I have heard about:

• someone losing their baby at 36 weeks (that’s where I am)
• someone who had a botched c-section
• someone who’s hubby cheated 4 days before baby #2 arrived

This on top of multiple inquiries about if I am going to bust soon…For all of you who have had nightmare deliveries, crummy pregnancies or unfortunate things happen after, it may be nice to keep them private until others have their babies safely in their arms.

I have no control over what my little monkey is doing inside right now, how incompetent the doctor is going to be or how my body is going to react to childbirth. But I do deserve the right to enter into this with faith, which is hard when you hear negative stories.

So…if you see a pregnant woman today, resist the urge to tell her about all the bad things you have heard and say something nice!

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Gwen Adds Another Stroller To Her Collection

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The queen of strollers Gwen Stefani has added another stroller to her collection.

The new mom was seen out shopping in Culver City pushing a Brio Go, a stroller that is predominantly available overseas.

I guess recycling the strollers that she used for Kingston is out of the question…

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Gwen Stefani with Zuma at in LA

Gwen, Gavin and Zuma went shopping at Surfas in Culver City. Pictured: Gwen Stefani, Gavin Rossdale and baby Zuma Picture by: TOM / Splash News

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Record The Heartbeats Of Your Unborn Child With ‘Beforme’

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When you are pregnant, nothing is nicer than hearing your growing baby’s heartbeat.Puffi Santel Intergalactico has teamed up with Robert Majkut Design to come up with a stethoscope with MP3 player that records and plays the heartbeats of an unborn child.

Called the ‘Beforme,’ the unique medical device is basically a combination of an MP3 player and a stethoscope, which can be used to listen to the heart beats of the mother as well as the infant. Apart from playing the heart rhythm on the headphones, the embryo-shaped device presents the heartbeats as a graph, on the display, as well.

Moms-to-be can record the heartbeat with just a touch of a button and send it to the doctor for charting and comparing the data. Moreover, the user can transmit the recorded data via USB cable or Bluetooth to the computer.

I don’t normally support doppler-like devices because of how hard it is for non-medical professionals to get a proper heart beat. But this product looks interesting. I’d be interested to see how well it works…

VIA MEDLAUNCHES/YATZER

Nicole and Harlow’s Playdate

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Nicole Richie and daughter Harlow leave a playdate yesterday in West Hollywood.

The little cutie, who chews on Sophie The Giraffe, wears one of our favorite kids designers: Amber Hagen.

Nicole recently got the parenting thumbs up from fellow celeb mommy Christina Aguillera. She was recently quoted saying,

“I really appreciate people that exude a lot of talent and hard work. Because our little ones were born one day apart, I have had the opportunity of getting to know her. I was blown away by how great of a mom Nicole is. I really am. She is a great woman and I think that having a child has made her grow so much, as it made me grow as well.”

FLYNET

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How Does A Baby Get Stolen WITH A Vehicle?

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At least once every couple of weeks, I read a story about a baby that has gone missing after a vehicle has been stolen.It is the most preventable crime EVER!

If the baby wasn’t left in the vehicle unattended, than they wouldn’t be stolen along with the vehicle…The most recent occurrence of this was in Chicago yesterday when an Amber Alert was issued for a 7 month old Osiel Hernandez that was missing when his mother’s minivan was stolen.

His mom, Nuri Salgado, left him in the back seat of the running van, which was stolen about 4:30am. Apparently she brought him to work because she was breastfeeding, but didn’t think to bring him in…She left the van running, in Chicago at 4:30 am!!!! Is this a joke? Why didn’t she just leave some gas money on the dash at the same time?

The baby, who appeared to be unharmed, was taken to a hospital for evaluation.

He was missing for 12 hours!!!

SOURCE
PHOTOCREDIT:Phil Velasquez

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New Test Could Reduce The Chance Of Delivering Prematurely

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Australia’s state government says that a breakthrough in fetal medicine at Sydney’s Royal North Shore Hospital may reduce the risk of premature and still births.

Scientists from the hospital’s newly-opened Kolling Institute of Medical Research have discovered a protein in the blood of expectant mothers which could identify babies at risk of being born malnourished, says NSW Health Minister John Della Bosca.

One Percent of mothers with low levels of the angiopoietin-2 protein will experience problems with poor nourishment by the placenta during pregnancy.

Malnourished babies are restricted in their growth and are at risk of pre-term birth, still birth, learning difficulties and heart disease later in life.

Previously, the only effective treatment has been to deliver the baby early.

Now, doctors will be able to measure the levels of the protein in the mother’s blood as early as 10 weeks into the pregnancy and treat the mom-to-be accordingly.

The good news is that this research will be able to benefit moms, not only in Australia, but internationally.

Related Articles:

• Study: Pregnant Women Consuming Flaxseed Oil Quadruple Premature Birth Risk
• One-Pound Baby Amazes Doctors
• Controversy Over ‘Preemie In The Pocket’ Picture
• 24 Week Baby Kept Alive With Bubble Wrap

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Kids Share Economic Fears With Santa

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Parents aren’t the only ones worried about finances this Christmas. According to Santa, kids are too.

Some of the kids crawling onto Santa’s lap this year have more than stuffed animals and video games on their most-wanted lists. Several times already this season, Joe Jackson, a seasoned South Carolinian Santa, has been asked to get Daddy a job or Mommy money to buy the house back.

“You see things behind the beard that nobody else will ever see or hear. I’ve had children just literally tear my heart out,” said Jackson, who is pulling on his red suit for a 19th season of playing Santa at private parties and festivals in the northern part of the state.

The slumping economy has families across the nation facing one of their toughest Christmases in years. That means Santa Claus, the jolly confidante for so many under 10, is hearing more simple requests than for a new Nintendo Wii or Elmo Live.

Timothy Connaghan, of Riverside, Calif says that, “Children are very trusting of Santa. They are very open with him. They tell him things they normally wouldn’t discuss with other people. And they usually ask Santa to fix things. They know he is someone who can grant wishes.” He has played Santa for 40 years and trained more than 1,500 other Santas across the country through his “School 4 Santas.”

He coaches aspiring Kris Kringles to remember that a good Santa can’t promise a new job or money to make everyone’s Christmas dreams come true, “but he can tell them things are always going to get better,” Connaghan said.

Kids writing letters to Santa aren’t any more optimistic that the ones sitting on his lap. Denise Griffitts of Lafayette, La., who volunteers for Operation Santa Claus, answering about 250 letters a year from children in her area says that kids aren’t asking extravagant gifts, “they’re asking for personal care items, they’re asking for school supplies, they’re asking for warm clothing.”

Maybe this year’s economic issues will be a good thing for the holidays. It’s never too late to teach kids that the holidays are about being with family and enjoying everyone’s company. The expensive presents are just an added bonus. Simple isn’t always a bad thing.

SOURCE

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Sprig Offers Toys With All The Bells and Whistles Powered By You!

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Every parent dreads purchasing the supply of batteries that will be needed to power Christmas morning.

This is where Sprig comes to the rescue. The eco-friendly toy company has created a line of toys that are complete with all the bells and whistles, with one catch – they are powered by your child!

Sprig’s Adventure Series trucks (priced between $20 – $50) harnesses the natural kinetic energy of push- and pump-action play to generate lights and sounds – all without batteries.

Although every Sprig toy is built for a happy planet, tough terrain is no match for their sturdy, earth-moving Eco-Trucks. Playing in sand and dirt is good, clean fun with the Eco-Trucks Excavator($14), Loader($14) and Dump Truck($14).

*Eco-Bonus* Designed for the active preschool child, all vehicles and character bodies are molded using SprigwoodTM – a durable, child-safe, bio-composite material made from recycled wood and reclaimed plastic.

More great Sprig features:

• Realistic Mechanical Action
• Indoor / Outdoor Vehicles
• Sand Box Friendly
• Paint Free!
• Real Pine infused into plastic
• Made in Prague

Reasonably priced at enviroproductsworld.com

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