Mom with ALS finds way through long goodbye

cnn.com's health section has a story about a mother of three young children struggling to deal with the onset and progression of ALS. The candour with which the parents have tackled this horrible situation is heartbreaking.



As parents we want more than anything to shield our kids from painful situations. Sometimes these things are inevitable, and must be dealt with.



How do you deal with tough subjects in your house?

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ParentHacked Again!!!

Thanks to Asha over at ParentHacks.com for posting my hack about using Quik to get kids to drink hypoallergenic formula.



There are very few resources for families dealing with Bovine Protein Intolerance, and a lot of misconceptions. For example, it is NOT an allergy, and having it does not mean that your child has a greater chance of having allergies.



Although our son has grown out of his intolerance (as the vast majority of kids do), I am still busily compiling lists of things that breastfeeding moms and kids with BPI can eat.



Stay tuned.







Technorati Tags: bovine protein intolerance, parenthacks.com

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Wow! 23 hits today!

This might be a new record. I'm sure it has nothing at all to do with getting mentioned at parenthacks.com. Obviously. If you read this site, you might know that I'm a huge fan of John Gottman. When Asha reviewed the book "Babyproofing Your Marriage" I mentioned his new book "And Baby Makes Three".



Anyhow, thanks for the nod Asha, and keep up the good work.









Technorati Tags: parenthacks.com. Gottmann, parenting

I guess this is preaching to the converted...

Although I have mixed feelings about Dr. Sears, it is nice to see an article about daddy-baby bonding.



I figure that anyone reading this blog is already putting effort into being a connected parent, but in case you're looking for hints at how to be a more active participant in your kid's life.. here you go.



Dr. William Sears

The daddy-baby connection: everyday ways to help them bond

Technorati Tags: William Sears, fatherhood, bonding, parenting

Hydrogen-powered Lawnmowers? Sign me up

I know, I know. There are still a lot of problems generating hydrogen in a clean, efficient and sustainable manner. But fuel-cell lawnmowers and chainsaws.... A green dad's dream!!

In a breakthrough that could make fuel cells practical for such small machines as lawnmowers and chainsaws, researchers have developed a new mechanism to efficiently control hydrogen fuel cell power.

Many standard fuel cell designs use electronics to control power output, but such designs require complex systems to manage humidity and fuel recovery and recycling systems to achieve acceptable efficiency.

The new process controls the hydrogen feed to match the required power output, just as one controls the feed of gasoline into an internal combustion engine. The system functions as a closed system that uses the waste water to regulate the size of the reaction chamber, the site where the gasses combine to form water, heat and electricity.

From Science Daily









Technorati Tags: fuel cells, lawn mowers

Good news for coffee-addict moms-to-be..

A new study of 1,027 pregnant women in Denmark has shown that moderate caffeine consumption does not affect length of pregnancy or birth weight.

There is no evidence that moderate levels of caffeine consumption during pregnancy lead to a greater risk of premature births and underweight babies despite warnings from some public health officials, finds a new study in the online edition of the British Medical Journal.



Previous research has puzzled public health authorities. While some studies have suggested that a high caffeine intake can lead to lower average birth weights of as much as 100 -- 200g and an increased chance of preterm babies, others have found no connection between caffeine and problems with foetal development.

From Science Daily









Technorati Tags: caffeine, pregnancy

FDA Advisers endorse 5-in-1 Vaccine

Knowing how much kids hate vaccines, and as a consequence come to hate going to see the doctor, I hope this passes and makes its way up here...



From cnn.com

The vaccine is meant to prevent diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough,
polio and bacterial infection caused by Haemophilus influenzae type b,
or Hib. Hib disease can cause meningitis, pneumonia and arthritis.

[...]If
approved, the vaccine could eliminate seven of the 23 federally
recommended injections children now must endure through age 18 months,
according to Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines business of Paris-based
Sanofi-Aventis. The vaccine would be given in four doses, at 2 months,
4 months and 6 months and finally at 15 months to 18 months.

READ MORE



There still some questions to be resolved about the efficacy of one of the vaccine's components though....









Technorati Tags: vaccine, immunization