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Parenting
Is your tap water safe from lead contamination? The issue of lead-contaminated city water burst into the national conversation in April 2014, when Flint, Michigan, announced that its city water was contaminated with toxic lead. The problem began...
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Baby
When you prepare baby formula, you may wonder if using tap water is the safest option. While most tap water is safe, there are three main chemical concerns in using tap water for babies: the presence of fluoride, lead, and/or nitrates. Fluoride...
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Toddler
You’ve probably heard about how great water is and how we should all be drinking more of it. Unlike juice, soda, or sports drinks, water is free from calories and sugar, so it’s good for both the teeth and the waistline, and it helps remove...
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Blog
Not too long ago, we ran an article on the dangers of water births, after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified two cases of Legionnaires disease in babies delivered through a water birth. The infection was linked to...
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Blog
The medical community is well aware about the dangers of lead for children. Recently, Flint, Michigan has been in the national spotlight due to very high lead levels in the area’s drinking water. The lead and its harmful effects are being...
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Baby
There are three basic kinds of infant formula: ready-made, powdered, and concentrate. Ready-made formula is both the most expensive and the easiest; simply pour it into a baby bottle. But the two more economical varieties require a simple...
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Parenting
When summer’s warm temperatures take you and your family to the pool, no doubt you are on guard to ensure your child swims safely and every step is taken to reduce drowning risk. Unfortunately, the devastating effects of a drowning can occur long...
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Blog
In a recent study, school cafeteria lunches were found to be healthier than homemade lunches. One of the reasons school lunches fared better in the “healthy and nutritious” category was limits set around sweets and high-fat food in schools. The...
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Pregnancy
Mothers have many choices when it comes to creating a birth plan, and some of them are quite controversial among the medical community. Water births — also called immersion births — have long been viewed as problematic for a variety of reasons, but...
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Health
Fluoride is a mineral that is critical to preventing tooth decay, both in children and in adults. Most communities in the United States fluoridate their water. It’s an effective and inexpensive way to promote dental health in every economic...
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Baby
Nitrates are a broad class of chemicals and salts derived from nitric acid. They are easily dissolved in water; sodium nitrate is commonly used as a food preservative or to “cure” foods such as bacon and other preserved meats. Other...
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Parenting
We’ve all seen the movies: a drowning victim flailing in the ocean, bobbing up and down, and screaming loudly for help. But you may be surprised to know that this Hollywood version of drowning often misrepresents what drowning actually looks like....
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Pregnancy
A submersion birth is exactly what it sounds like: giving birth while partially submerged, usually in a bathtub or a special submersion birth tub found in some hospitals and birthing centers. Already popular overseas, submersion births have been...
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Toddler
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Toddler
Whether you’re buying store-brand baby food or making your own, it’s never too early to start teaching your baby to enjoy healthy foods. “Moms and dads need to make eating nutritious foods a regular part of life,” said Dian Griesel,...
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Baby
If you will not be breastfeeding your baby, formula can be given to babies beginning at birth. If you know for sure that your baby will not be breastfed, it is a good idea to have the basics of formula feeding down prior to delivery. For example,...
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Baby
It’s a fact of life: all babies have gas. For some babies, passing gas poses no problem and they hardly seem to experience any discomfort. For others, gas can cause discomfort and result in symptoms including fussiness, a hard belly, squirming, and...
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Parenting
You’ve done everything possible to babyproof your house: crawled around on the floor to look for dangers, plugged all the sockets, put cushions on sharp corners, and gated off dangerous areas. But when it comes to the bathroom—a room full of...
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Pregnancy
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Baby
Bathing your newborn can be a great time to bond and have fun with your newborn. While your newborn will not need a bath every day, make sure to wash your baby’s face, hands and neck, especially in the folds, with a washcloth daily and after...
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Baby
In 2012, Consumer Reports caused a stir when it released a report showing that many rice products, including food for infants and children, contained high levels of arsenic. Arsenic is a semi-metallic chemical found in water, soil, and some foods....
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Parenting
Your home is full of exciting and tempting sights, sounds, and smells. A colorful fire in the fireplace, a flickering candle, or the smell of cookies in the oven can be hard for little hands to resist. Yet all of these are burn hazards. Even a pot...
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Parenting
Drowning is one of the leading causes of death in young children. However, there are a number of strategies that you can use to prevent such a tragedy. By following basic safety precautions, you can help ensure that your child is safe around the...
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Blog
Summer is almost here (and for some of us in the south, it is already upon us). While summer might mean ice cream and barbecues, this season can feel like something entirely different to a pregnant woman: swollen ankles, relentless heat, and...
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Health
Baby’s skin is incredibly soft, but it’s also delicate and can be easily irritated. Fortunately, baby skin care tends toward the simple: less is often more. Follow some easy tips to keep your baby’s skin healthy. First, bathe your...
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Health
It’s common for new parents to worry if their baby is breathing normally. This is partly because many newborns sound stuffed up or make strange sounds when breathing, including a slight nasal whistle, seemingly labored breathing, or raspy noises....
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Toddler
You’ve probably heard that toddlers and children shouldn’t drink soda, but what about fruit juice? It sounds like a healthy and natural alternative, but despite the pictures of fruits and vegetables on the label, fruit juice is not necessarily a...
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Health
Spending time out of doors is just one of the many benefits of summer. Keeping kids safe from outdoor pests is sometimes a chore, especially in the age of the Zika and chikungunya viruses. Both viruses are transmitted by the bite of infected...
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Health
Escherichia coli (E. coli) is a species of bacteria normally found in the intestines of people and animals. Most strains of E. coli are harmless, but others can make you very ill. One specific strain called O157:H7 causes severe diarrhea and can...
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Toddler
What you choose to offer your toddler to drink plays an important role in his or her overall health. After all, beverages provide nutrition and hydration, both of which help keep your toddler healthy and nourished. Beverages, especially water, are...
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Toddler
Fiber is an essential part of a healthy diet for all of us, including children. Yet the fiber intakes of most American children are lower than what’s recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The recommended daily fiber intake for...
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Health
Outbreaks of diarrhea are extremely common among kids who spend time in childcare settings, but many parents don’t realize that these outbreaks are often caused by a parasite. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Giardia...
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Baby
Now that your baby has more experience with solid foods, you might wonder which foods are “good” to introduce at this age and when it’s OK to introduce treats and snacks. First, it’s important to offer an increasing variety of soft table and finger...
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Health
Reducing your child’s risk of lead exposure is important—and should begin before your baby even comes home from the hospital. This is especially true if you live in a home that was built before 1978, when the manufacture of lead-based paint was...
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Pregnancy
Welcome to the end of your pregnancy! Hopefully you’re feeling calm and ready and prepared. But even if you are worried that so many things feel undone—Is the nursery decorated? Do we have enough frozen meals? Do I have all my breastfeeding...
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Baby
Now that your baby has more experience with solid foods, you might wonder which foods are “good” to introduce at this age and when it’s OK to introduce treats and snacks. First, it’s important to offer an increasing variety of soft table and finger...
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Health
Burns in children are one of the most common household accidents. In 2010, more than 60,000 children ages 4 years and under were treated in emergency rooms for burns. It’s no wonder burn injuries are so common: burn hazards exist in just...
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Pregnancy
With up to one-third of pregnant women delivering by Cesarean section in the United States, it’s important to know what to expect when it comes to your recovery after a Cesarean delivery. Being sent home with an incision on your belly can add to...
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Health
Many parents are surprised to learn that children are at risk of infection from a parasitic disease. However, these parasites are not just found in developing countries, but are present right in your child’s playground, daycare or preschool, or...
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Parenting
Swimmer’s ear (otitis externa) occurs when the outer part of the ear and the canal leading to the eardrum becomes inflamed and painful. Swimmer’s ear is different from the more common ear infections that occur in the middle ear, or otitis media...