The idea of bathing a newborn may be daunting to new parents. For starters, don’t worry about giving your baby an official bath right away. Except for sponge baths, bathing shouldn’t start until the stump of your baby’s umbilical cord falls off (between one and three weeks post-delivery). After that, you can give your baby a bath every day if you find it necessary, although two to three times a week is better because daily bathing can dry out a baby’s tender skin. In addition to the tub, you’ll need a soft towel (preferably hooded to cradle your baby’s head), a baby washcloth, and an unscented, hypoallergenic baby body wash that doubles as shampoo. (See more about giving baby a bath.) There are a variety of baby bathtubs on the market. Keep in mind that just about any tub you buy will be awkward to use at first, mainly because bathing a wiggly baby—who may dislike temperature changes and being put in water—is awkward and daunting for even the most experienced parent. In other words, at first you’ll just want to get the job done—and fast. Expect your baby to protest the first couple of times. After that, she will probably grow to enjoy bath time—and so will you. But remember, when your baby is in the bath, you should always have a hand on her. (See what not to buy: a baby bath seat.)
Scientists believe they may have found a preventative therapy for Type 1 diabetes, by making the body’s killer immune cells tolerate the insulin-producing cells they would normally attack and destroy, prior to disease onset. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition, where the body attacks its own insulin producing cells. It is very serious, with a sudden and dramatic onset, usually in youth.
A growing body of basic animal research and studies of abused and neglected children provide a strong basis of support for the hypothesis that individuals with particular genotypes are at greater risk for depression, anxiety disorders, and problems with the abuse of alcohol and other substances. These gene-by-environment interactions are so powerful that some might assume that these genotypes identify people who are predestined to negative life outcomes.
School-based drug education programs for adolescents can have a long-term positive impact on sexual behavior in addition to curbing substance abuse, according to a new RAND Corporation study. Researchers found that young adults who had been exposed to a popular drug abuse prevention program as adolescents were less likely to engage in risky sexual behavior five to seven years later, according to the findings published online by the Journal of Adolescent Health.
The AMA congratulated Family Services Minister Jenny Macklin and Professor Fiona Stanley, Chair of the Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth, on the launch today of a major report that will enhance the delivery of child protection services throughout Australia. Launched in Melbourne, the report Inverting the Pyramid, aims to both recognise the pressures on current child protection services and focus on the changes that are needed to improve those services.
For infants and children under age three, one dose of nasal influenza vaccine reduces the risk of getting sick with the flu, but two doses offer better protection, reports a study in the May issue of The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal.
Many women have heard of the benefits of breastfeeding and pacifier use in reducing the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) as well as other advantages. But many may question the effects of pacifiers on breastfeeding success. Mothers need not worry about that according to Fern Hauck, M.D., researcher and associate professor of family medicine and public health sciences at the University of Virginia School of Medicine.
UroToday.com - Testicular tumors are far more common in adults than in children, often resulting in basing the management of the pediatric disease on the adult experience. The entities are similar in the fact they both typically present with a mass, are treated with surgery, and are sensitive to platinum based chemotherapy. Nonetheless, differences exist between testis tumors occurring in children and those in adults.
A three-year study of African American youths’ perceptions of racial discrimination has found that many Black teens consider themselves victims of racial discrimination, and these perceptions are linked to how they feel about being Black, particularly their views of how the broader society sees African Americans.
Young children think about gender in the same way they think about species of animals. They believe, for example, that a boy’s preference for football is innate, as is a girl’s preference for dolls, just as cats’ behavior is innately different from dogs’. That’s the finding of a new study from researchers at Pacific Lutheran University and the University of Michigan. The study appears in the March/April 2009 issue of the journal Child Development.
