The Fight For Isaiah May

Isaiah May was born to Rebecka and Isaac May, in Rocky Mountain House, Alberta on October 24th and from that day, his future has been uncertain.

Isaiah’s umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck at birth, depriving him of oxygen leaving him with severe and irreversible brain damage. He was air-lifted to Stollery Children’s Hospital in Edmonton, where he was put on life support.

After three months on life support, neonatal specialists told the family that it was no longer ethical or responsible to prolong the baby’s life because they believed that Isaiah had no reasonable hope of recovery.

His parent’s hired a lawyer and recently obtained a court injunction preventing his ventilator from being removed for 90 days.

According to Dr. Bill Pope, the registrar of the Manitoba College of Physicians and Surgeons, it is rare to have disputes over withholding or withdrawing life-sustaining treatment, but when they occur, they are always very emotional. Doctors do their utmost to save lives, but they have also taken an oath that they will not cause their patients to suffer. “That’s why it’s never, ever an easy decision.”

In the extra time Isaiah has had, however, his parent’s say they have noticed improvements.

“Every time I hold him, he’s non-stop moving, and he moves his head,” he said. “He opens his eyes, his eyelids, a little bit and I mean, every little thing is an improvement, right?” said his father Isaac.

“He’s come a very long way,” according to his grandmother Cheryl Andrews. She added that he no longer needs as many drugs to control bodily functions. “He’s starting to respond to pain. He’s starting to respond to his parents’ voices. That shows on the heart monitor when they talk to him.”

The judge has ordered that the case be held over until February 19th, which will provide time for the baby to be assessed by Dr. Richard Taylor, a neo-natalogist from Victoria General Hospital. He will conduct his assessment and give his opinion as to whether the infant should or should not be removed from life-support.

Regardless of the outcome, the Mays do not have an easy road in front of them. It is a difficult position for both parents and doctors to be in. It is hoped that the February assessment will shed more light on little Isaiah’s prognosis so that his family and his doctors can come together and make the best decision possible for him. – Jen R Staff Writer

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Amanda Peet and Daughter Frances Enjoy a Park Playdate

Mom-to-be Amanda Peet was spotted enjoying a relaxing afternoon with daughter Frances Penn at popular celeb hotspot Coldwater Canyon park in Beverly Hills.

The pair met up with friends, including Jason Bateman’s wife Amanda and daughter Francesca.

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{WENN, INFPHOTO.COM, FAME}

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Toys R Us and Babies R Us Accepting Trade-Ins On Baby items

Toys R Us and Babies R Us are once again holding their “Great Trade-In“, this time from January 29 to February 20.

The two huge toy and infant supply stores are offering discounts on select items that parents frequently need. The participating brands are joining with Toys R Us and Babies R Us to help offer parents a way to obtain brand new car seats, strollers, and more that parents might not otherwise be able to afford new. They hope this will help parents who may be tempted to use recalled or slightly damaged baby products due to being unable to afford newer ones. Toys R Us and Babies R Us also hopes that parents who have not yet heard about recalls in products they may have will learn about these problems and have an opportunity to replace those items now.

The brands that are joining in the “Great Trade-In” include Babi Italia, Baby Cache, Baby Trend, Bergamo, Bertini, Britax, Carter’s, Chicco, Contours by Kolcraft, Cosco, Delta, Eddie Bauer, Evenflo, Graco, Jeep, Little Tikes, Safety 1st, Sorelle and Step2.

The most commonly traded-in items are usually car seats, however cribs are also frequently taken in for a discount off of a new model. Other safety devices and infant products such as bounce seats and highchairs can also be traded in during this time.

Safety experts say parents should not use handed down or used infant items. Items can break down over time with use, and safety standards are frequently updated to keep current infant products as safe as possible. – Summer, Staff Writer

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Indiana’s Surrogacy Laws Prevent Bio Parents From Being Listed on Birth Certificate

Indiana’s outdated laws have hit a tricky snag and as a result the maternity of an 11-month-old boy is open to debate.

Infant R, as he has come to be known by the court, was conceived by in vitro fertilization. The egg and sperm were donated by a married couple and the sister of the biological mother acted as the surrogate.

Upon the baby’s birth, his biological parents, known as T.G. and V.G, petitioned Porter County Circuit Court to have his genetic mother’s name appear on his birth certificate. The petition was supported by an affidavit filed by the surrogate.
In spite of this, the judge ruled that “Indiana law does not permit a non-birth mother to establish maternity. Indiana law holds the birth mother is the legal maternal mother.”

The family has acquired the services of attorney Steven Litz, who has asked the Court of Appeals to intervene. They are challenging Indiana’s paternity law which allows men to establish parenthood but does not extend the same right to women. According to Litz, the law, which was passed more than 50 years ago, has not kept pace with reproductive technology.

Several states are making moves to improve outdated legislation and address the issues of parentage arising from changes in fertility technology, particularly surrogacy.
At this point, in Indiana, surrogacy contracts are not enforceable and surrogates are not legally required to give the baby up.

There is no indication when the three judge panel will rule on Infant R’s case but according to Chief Judge John G. Bader, “It seems to me that everyone’s singing the same song. We just want to make sure we’re in tune.”

If the judges rule in favour of the family, it will be ordered that V.G. be recognized as the baby’s mother. As far as Litz is concerned, as long as V.G. is found to be the infant’s mother, he’ll be happy. – Jen R Staff Writer

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Study: Sleep Deprived New Moms are Distracted Drivers

It is the first few weeks after the baby is born and it seems your time and attention is constantly divided between the baby and the number of chores piling up. It is this post-partum phase of fatigue and sleeplessness that may lead to new mom drivers driving in a haze just like drunk drivers, says a recent study.

In a research conducted at Queensland University of Technology by Dr.Kelly Armstrong on 24 new mums aged between 22 and 39, it was found that sleep deprivation experienced by them in the weeks after their baby’s birth drove them to distraction behind the wheels.

This was due to a combination of lot many things. Lifestyle changes, interrupted sleep, high level of unpredictability, disturbed routine all leading to fatigue and alarmingly resulting in most moms saying they have had ‘recent misses’ on the road.

“Mothers had reported living in a mental haze and moving through the day like you’re on autopilot. Clearly this raises concerns for driving tasks, which for an experienced driver is largely an automatic process.” Said Dr. Armstong.

What she also found out was that contrary to the 6 week fatigue period reported previously, mothers actually felt drained even after 12 weeks of baby birth. It was also noted that the mothers’ awareness of their body fatigue and need for rest had decreased.

Overworked moms were like drunk drivers on road according to Dr. Armstrong. A mom awake for 17 hours was like a person with a blood alcohol level of 0.05 per cent while driving and this became 0.1 per cent, or two times the legal driving limit if they did not sleep for 24 hours.

“When you have such precious cargo on board, mothers represent an at-risk group which requires an intervention specifically targeting their needs,” he added.

The research is to be used to develop a mom-focused information booklet to raise awareness on post-partum fatigue.

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Britax Advocate CS Car Seat GIVEAWAY!

On January 16th celebrity parents descended on the Century Plaza in LA for the annual Boom Boom Room Gifting suite.

For the event, Britax was on hand to introduce them to their newest convertible car seat, the Britax Advocate CS Car Seat, which many, including Tiffani-Amber Thiessen, Chad Lowe and Ali Landry, took home.

Unveiled last Spring, the Britax Advocate CS is a high weight capacity convertible car seat which introduces the revolutionary energy-managing Side Impact Cushion Technology, reducing incoming side impact crash energy by 50 percent by diverting crash forces away from the child.

The seat features the Britax tangle-free, five-point harness, a rear- and forward-facing recline, and accommodates children rear facing from 5 to 35 pounds and forward facing from at least one year old and 20 pounds up to 65 pounds. It is also equipped with Britax True Side Impact Protection, Versa-Tether®, HUGS™, premium LATCH connectors, and the Click & Safe® Snug Harness Indicator, which provides extra assurance when the harness is within range of appropriate snugness.

This technology is the first and only to:

• Absorb side impact crash forces before reaching the child, resulting in fewer head injuries.
• Feature robust air chambers that require up to 10 times more force to compress than competing technologies. This results in the transfer of significantly more crash force energy away from the child.
• Provide an energy-absorbing surface area along the full length of the seat, protecting the child’s head, neck and torso.
• Offer a soft, protective surface for the adjacent passenger in a side impact crash.

WIN IT!!We are excited that we have one of these fabulous Car Seats to giveaway! Britax is offering one (1) Growing Your Baby Reader the opportunity to win a Britax Advocate CS Car Seat.

To enter please visit Britax’s site and tell us which feature you most excited about!

Extra Entrants:

• Blog about our giveaway! Tell your readers about our giveaway and then send us the link in a separate comment for an additional entrant to the giveaway.
• Follow us on Twitter twitter.com/growingyourbaby or ‘Tweet’ about our giveaway
• Regardless of outcome – ALL bloggers who blog about our giveaway will be linked back in our winners post.

*All comments are moderated and may not appear immediately*

Giveaway Rules

Giveaway Closes Friday February 5th, 2010

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Britax Advocate CS, Britax Advocate, convertible car seat, Car seats, Britax Car Seat, Child Safety,

Matthew and Camila Introduce Us To Vida!

>Here she is! Proud parents Matthew McConaughey and Camila Alves shared a personal photo of their newest addition – baby Vida – on Matthew’s website yesterday.

Along with the photo, the couple posted the following message:

“Here’s a pic of our latest family member Vida Alves McConaughey. Thanks for all your well wishes our way, the furture’s lookin bright, just keep livin, Matthew and Camila.”

Not pictured is the couple’s 2-year-old son Levi.

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Three-year-old Dials 911 After His Grandmother Collapses

Three-year-old Jaden Bolli, is being hailed as a hero for his quick thinking last Friday when his grandmother passed out during a visit. Knowing something was wrong, the New Jersery tot did what his mother told him to do just days before – he called 911.

When asked what the emergency was, Jaden responded, “Mom-Mom’s sick.”

He then told the dispatcher the emergency was his grandmother’s blood sugar, but as it turns out, she’d had a stroke. Luckily, paramedics arrived just in time.

Jaden’s mom, Candace Robbins, told “The Early Show” she had taught her son just four days before his grandmother’s emergency, “‘If you don’t hear my heartbeat or somebody falls or anything, you have to dial 911, hit the green button and just tell them you need help.’ He said, ‘OK.'”

Since her collapse, Jaden has seen his grandmother in the hospital. Candace said she calls him “her angel.”

So true!

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Australian Mothers Told Not To Drink When Pregnant or Breastfeeding

Food Standards Australia New Zealand are telling women who are pregnant or breastfeeding not to drink alcohol. Experts suggest that infants could be harmed by as little as one or two drinks.

Paul Brent, a scientist with FSANZ, has expressed concern over pregnant women who drink even rarely. Some studies have shown that harm can come from even minimal drinking habits. He says it is safer for women to abstain from drinking alcohol completely while they are pregnant or breastfeeding. Brent says, “when you’re looking at trying to have the best baby you can, it’s much safer not to drink at all.”

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is one risk that comes from drinking while pregnant. An infant with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome may suffer from physical, mental, and developmental impairments due to an excess of alcohol during pregnancy. Symptoms of FAS can include:

• small birth weight
• small head size
• facial abnormalities
• failure to thrive
• poor coordination
• poor fine motor skills

Currently there is little to no information on exactly how much alcohol is required to cause these birth defects. Because each woman processes alcohol differently, the amount is different for each woman. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is typically related to binge drinking, however lesser known Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAE) and alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND) can come from occasional or moderate drinking. Children suffering from these latter conditions may only suffer the mental or emotional problems with few or none of the physical symptoms. – Summer, Staff Writer

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PHOTOCREDIT:Bobby Earle – Fotolia.com

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Gisele Bündchen Reveals She Had A Water Birth!

Just 7 weeks after welcoming her first child, Benjamin, Gisele Bundchen is back to work and talking birth details!

On Monday, the supermodel shot a campaign for Brazilian fashion label Colicci in Boston, where she was visited by a reporter from Brazilian magazine Fantástico, who reported the new mom looked radiant, beautiful and as “in shape as always, six weeks after the birth of her baby.”

The new mom was not shy about discussing baby Benjamin, her son with husband Tom Brady. In the interview, Gisele ‘dispels reports that she went into labor and was taken to a Boston-area hospital. Instead, she says, “I gave birth in the bathtub,” at the couple’s Beacon Hill penthouse’.

“Gisele gives off simplicity, spirituality, shows that she has concern with living well, being happy and, now, with being an excellent mom,” the reporter recounts in a preview of Fantástico’s interview. “From what I saw in the interview, I’d say she’s right on track.”

Photos from the shoot will be posted on the model’s site in the coming weeks.

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