Let Them Cry

Nearly half of mothers with babies over six months of age report problems with their baby's sleep. This common problem not only leads to sleepless nights for parents, but it also doubles the risk that moms will suffer from feelings of depression. 

Now, a new study released today in the journal Pediatrics suggests it is OK to let babies cry while trying to fall asleep -- a finding that may help settle a long-running debate among both parents and experts over whether allowing a baby to cry itself to sleep harms the child in the long run.

Australian researchers looked at 225 babies from seven months to 6 years of age to compare the difference between parents who were trained in sleep intervention techniques and those who were not. Specifically, researchers allowed parents in the sleep intervention group to choose one of two sleep training techniques to use with their baby. Parents who chose "controlled crying" responded to their infant's cry at increasing time intervals. Parents who chose "camping out," also called "adult fading," sat with their infant until they fell asleep, removing themselves earlier each night over three weeks.

Parents in the control group were not taught the sleep training techniques and instead provided their own routine care.

What the researchers found was that children and mothers in the sleep training group had improved sleep, and the mothers were less likely to experience depression and other emotional problems. These benefits lasted up to the time the babies turned 2.

Moreover, the study looked at various factors to determine whether harm was done to children in the sleep training group, including mental and behavioral health, sleep quality, stress, and relationship with their parents. They found no differences between children in the two groups, leading researchers to conclude that these sleep training techniques are safe to use.

"Parents can feel confident using, and health professionals can feel confident offering, behavioral techniques such as controlled comforting and camping out for managing infant sleep," the researchers write in the study.

Experts not involved with the study said the findings make sense.

"It's kind of like having the ability to get a rental car at the airport, but why would you get one if a limo shows up?" said Dr. Ari Brown, an Austin, Texas-based pediatrician and author of Baby 411. "The parent is the limo."

"While stressful for the infant, it almost certainly falls under the 'positive stress' heading," said Rahil D. Briggs, director of the Healthy Steps program at Montefiore Medical Center in New York. "Positive stress creates growth in the child, in the form of coping skills and frustration tolerance that serve to be critically important throughout the life span."

But for parents, the message may be even more important.

"This study empowers parents to be active in shaping their infant's behavior to be consistent with appropriate developmental milestones," said Dr. John Walkup, director of child and adolescent psychiatry at NY-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

 

 

Hector Picard Triathalon

Cardiovascular Exercise Benefits & Hazards

Cardiovascular (CV) exercise is important. It has a boatload of benefits and rewards. Also, like any other reward, there are risks. Below is a list of the benefits and hazards of CV activity.

 

CV Benefits     

1. Strengthen heart                                                                     

2. Lower blood pressure

3. Reduce risk of heart disease

4. Improve circulation

5. Increase energy

6. Improve CV health

7. Improve recovery

8. Decrease body fat

9. Change body composition

10. Increase endurance

 

CV Hazards

1. Repetitious (lacking variety)

2. Veering from center of treadmill

3. Losing focus and falling

4. Poor running form

5. Improper footwear

6. Missing step on stepmill

7. Running heavy on feet

8. Running loaded

9. Loose form on rower (using lower back)

10. Improper biomechanical alignment (bike, elliptical, etc)

 

CV activity is an important component of wellness. I prefer to do cardio training (intervals, circuits, boxing, etc.) over cardio equipment (treadmill, bike, etc). Regardless of the mode and type, we all must improve our health with a stronger heart.

 

 

Marc D. Thompson, owner of VirtuFit^TM, is a prominent fitness trainer and personal coach with a background in medicine and exercise physiology. He has pioneered virtual training and teaches via Skype one-on-one and group classes. Approaching fitness holistically, Marc believes the fusion of creativity and practicality is essential in moving each individual toward their fitness goals. Along with over 25 years of experience, he draws from thousands of exercises, fitness disciplines, sports psychology techniques and nutritional principals to empower each individual client.

Brain Differences Seen in Kids

The brains of children with conduct problems don‘t react in a normal way when they see images of other people in pain, a new study finds. 

Conduct problems include antisocial behaviors such as cruelty to others, physical aggression and a lack of empathy (callousness).

 

In this study, U.K. researchers used functional MRI to scan the brains of children with conduct problems and a control group of normally behaved children as they viewed images of other people in pain.

 

The children with conduct problems showed reduced responses to others‘ pain, specifically in regions of the brain that play a role in empathy. Among the children with conduct problems, those who were the most callous had the lowest levels of activation in these brain areas, according to the study. It was published May 2 in the journalCurrent Biology.

 

This pattern of reduced brain activity in children with conduct problems may be a risk factor for becoming psychopaths when they‘re adults, said Essi Viding, of University College London, and colleagues. Psychopathy includes traits such as callousness, manipulation, sensation-seeking and antisocial behaviors.

 

The researchers noted, however, that not all children with conduct problems are the same, and many do not continue their antisocial behavior as they get older.

 

"Our findings indicate that children with conduct problems have an atypical brain response to seeing other people in pain," Viding said in a journal news release. "It is important to view these findings as an indicator of early vulnerability, rather than biological destiny. We know that children can be very responsive to interventions, and the challenge is to make those interventions even better, so that we can really help the children, their families and their wider social environment."

 

More information

The U.S. National Library of Medicine has more about conduct disorder in children.

Health News Copyright © 2013 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

 

 

 

School Sports may cut rates of violence

Playing school sports is known to have many benefits for teens, but researchers have found a new reason to encourage kids to take up a sport: It may reduce teen girls‘ likelihood of being involved in violence and some teen boys‘ risk of being bullied. 

In the study, researchers examined data from about 1,800 high school students, aged 14 to 18, who took part in the 2011 North Carolina Youth Risk Behavior Survey, and found that 25 percent played team sports, 9 percent took part in an individual sport, and 17 percent played both team and individual sports.

 

Girls involved in individual or team sports were less likely to have been in a fight in the past year than girls who didn‘t play sports (14 percent versus 22 percent, respectively). Girls who played sports were also less likely than nonathletes to have carried a weapon in the past 30 days (6 percent versus 11 percent, respectively).

 

However, boys who played individual or team sports were no less likely than boys who did not play sports to fight or carry a weapon. About 32 percent of boys in the study reported fighting and 36 percent reported carrying weapons in the past 30 days, according to the study presented Sunday at the Pediatric Academic Societies‘ annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

 

"Athletic participation may prevent involvement in violence-related activities among girls but not among boys because aggression and violence generally might be more accepted in boys‘ high school sports," senior author Dr. Tamera Coyne-Beasley, a professor of pediatrics and internal medicine at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, said in an American Academy of Pediatrics news release.

 

The researchers did find that boys who played team sports were less likely to be bullied than boys who played individual sports.

 

"Though we don‘t know if boys who play team sports are less likely to be the perpetrators of bullying, we know that they are less likely to be bullied," Coyne-Beasley noted. "Perhaps creating team-like environments among students such that they may feel part of a group or community could lead to less bullying."

 

The data and conclusions of research presented at medical meetings should be viewed as preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

 

More information

The Nemours Foundation explains how parents can teach kids not to bully.

Health News Copyright © 2013 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

 

 

 

Pets a Boon for the Human Heart

 

That four-legged friend of yours may be more than a companion -- he also may be boosting your heart health, experts say.

An official statement released Thursday by the American Heart Association says there is evidence that having a pet, particularly a dog, may lower your risk of heart disease.

Cardiology specialists weren‘t all that surprised.

"Pets really might be man‘s best friend," said Barbara George, director of the Center for Cardiovascular Lifestyle Medicine at Winthrop-University Hospital in Mineola, N.Y.

"Studies have shown people who own pets, particularly dogs, have lower blood pressure, increased mood-related brain chemicals, better cholesterol numbers, lower weight and improved stress response," George said.

Members of the American Heart Association (AHA) committee that wrote the statement reviewed data from an array of relevant studies. They found that pet ownership appears to be associated with a reduction in heart disease risk factors such as high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol levels and obesity -- and improved survival among people with heart disease.

Dog ownership in particular may help reduce heart risk, the statement said. People with dogs may get more exercise because they take their dogs for walks. A study of more than 5,200 adults found that dog owners did more walking and physical activity than those who didn‘t own dogs, and that dog owners were 54 percent more likely to get the recommended level of physical activity.

"Walking your dog is a healthy chore; it is a great way to exercise without thinking about it," said Dr. Nieca Goldberg, clinical associate professor in the department of medicine at the Tisch Center for Women‘s Health at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City. "Pet owners increase their physical activity simply by walking their dogs."

Pets can also have a positive effect on the body‘s reactions to stress, according to the AHA. George agreed, saying pets can be "a tool for weight loss, socialization, calming our nerves and easing anxiety and depression."

The AHA stressed, however, that the studies they reviewed cannot prove that owning a pet directly reduces heart disease risk.

"It may be simply that healthier people are the ones that have pets, not that having a pet actually leads to or causes reduction in cardiovascular risk," statement committee chairman Dr. Glenn Levine, a professor at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, said in an AHA news release.

"There probably is an association between pet ownership and decreased cardiovascular risk," he said. "What‘s less clear is whether the act of adopting or acquiring a pet could lead to a reduction in cardiovascular risk in those with pre-existing disease. Further research, including better quality studies, is needed to more definitively answer this question."

In the meantime, George said, humans can benefit from the mental and physical rewards of furry companions. "Pets tug at our heartstrings," she said. "But they also improve our health -- both mental and physical -- helping us to live longer and happier lives."

The AHA statement was published online May 9 in the journal Circulation.

More information

The U.S. National Institutes of Health outlines what you can do to reduce heart risk.

Health News Copyright © 2013 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

 

 

Chicken Thai Pizza

Chicken, onion and carrots with peanut sauce make a spunky and robust phenomenal pizza.

 

Makes 8 (1 slice) servings

 

1 (12-inch) thin pizza crust

1/4 cup peanut sauce

1 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast

1/2 cup red onion slices

1/2 cup shredded carrots

1/4 cup chopped green onion

1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, optional

 

1. Preheat oven 450°F.

2. Spread pizza crust with peanut sauce. Top with chicken, red onion, carrots, green onion and cheese.

3. Place on oven rack and bake 8-10 minutes or until pizza is lightly browned. Top with cilantro, if desired.

 

NUTRIENTS

Calories 221

Calories from Fat 31%

Fat 7g

Saturated Fat 2g

Cholesterol 30mg

Sodium 356mg

Carbohydrates 21g

Dietary Fiber 1g

Total Sugars 2g

Protein 16g

Dietary Exchanges:

1 1/2 starch, 2 lean meat

Terrific Tip:  Buy pre-shredded carrots in bag. Purchase chopped green onions in produce department for extra ease. If Peanut Sauce is too spicy or if desired, substitute barbecue sauce.  Can also top with red pepper slices for vitamin C.

 

Holly Clegg

Healthy Cookbook Author/Media/ Spokesperson- trim&TERRIFIC® cookbook series, diabetic, cancer -1 million copies sold

 Find more of Holly Clegg's delicious healthy recipes at:

http://www.hollyclegg.com/

 

 

 

Is Early Potty Training Harmful?

Ryan McVay/(WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.) -- As soon as toddlers are able to walk and communicate their needs, many parents rush to get their kids potty trained.  But the hard and fast recommendation by many experts to get children out of diapers before age 3 is a myth and can even be dangerous for some children, according to one expert.
 

"Children under age 3 should not manage their own toileting habits any more than they should manage their college funds," wrote Dr. Steve Hodges, a pediatric urologist at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, in an article on the parenting website Babble.com.

Many mothers begin training because of a variety of life factors, including the need to have a child potty trained so they can go to day care programs or school.

But preschools and facilities that require children to be potty trained by age 3, "are harming kids," according to Hodges.

A child's bladder, which continues growing to its standard size until age 3, grows stronger and faster when it's filling and emptying uninhibited, said Hodges.

"When you train early, you're interrupting that process," he told ABC News.

Training a child too early can lead to toilet accidents because the bladder may not be strong enough.  It may also lead to constipation, kidney damage and even urinary tract infections, said Hodges.  Mainly children are holding in their bowel movements longer than they should, he said.

These conditions may also be signs of forced training, according to some experts.

To prevent medical complications, children should be allowed uninhibited elimination until they are ready, Hodges said.

Age doesn't matter when it comes to potty training, according to many experts.  Some children are ready earlier than others.

A child's social, cognitive, and physical skill sets should dictate whether a child is ready to train, said Dr. Stephanie Hines, pediatric developmental and behavioral specialist at Beaumont Hospital's Center for Human Development.

"At their age, they have control over sleep, eating, and going to the bathroom," said Hines. "So this is one of the few areas of their life they have control over."

Hines said the control should stay with the child.  If the child is resisting potty training, parents shouldn't force it, she said.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

 

 

Mother‘s Day breakfast

One of life‘s greatest pleasures is cooking delicious food for the people you love, and then watching their delight. Food has a special power to convey to those around us just how much we care about them.

That‘s why, apart from the flowers and the presents and the fun activities we‘ll all share, I most look forward to joining my young sons, Oliver and Alexander, this Mother‘s Day morning in preparing breakfast for their mother, Gelila.

There‘s a special art to working in the kitchen with children. First of all, you need to make a recipe that they‘re sure to enjoy eating -- even if the main goal is to cook it for their mother. (Of course, the dish should be something she‘ll like, too!) Next, it shouldn‘t be something too complicated to prep or involve tools that call for handling with extra caution. Measuring and stirring are far wiser choices than chopping and slicing!

Finally, the cooking method should be straightforward and deliver results quickly, while also avoiding potentially hazardous contact with hot objects. I wouldn‘t deep-fry anything, or even simmer or boil anything for too long, on Mother‘s Day morning. Child participation should be fairly simple, with tools that are easy and safe to handle, and paternal supervision is mandatory to make sure that little ones stay safely clear of hot objects.

That may sound like a lot of rules, but I can boil them down to just a few brief words: Keep it simple. Keep it safe. Keep it delicious.

And I have a perfect, favorite recipe I‘d like to share for this coming Mother‘s Day morning that follows those rules: my Sour Cream Pancakes with Fresh Berry Syrup.

Almost everybody I know loves pancakes. They‘re easy to make: Just stir up a batter, let it rest awhile so the flavors and textures develop, and then scoop it onto a hot griddle or pan, and cook until golden brown on both sides. The payoff comes quickly -- just a few minutes of cooking per side, and they‘re ready to eat.

I‘ve added a few easy touches that mike this recipe extra-special. Some sour cream gives the batter a hint of tanginess, and its acidity results in extra-tender cakes. And warming some fresh berries in pure maple syrup yields a topping that‘s as simple as it is impressive.

And the kids can play a role at every stage: measuring ingredients, stirring the batter, and then carefully pouring it onto the griddle and flipping the pancakes. (Be sure to supervise them carefully to keep hands and clothing safely clear of hot surfaces.)

That‘s it: A wonderful breakfast-in-bed treat for Mom. I‘ll leave the rest of the Mother‘s Day planning to you!

SOUR CREAM PANCAKES WITH FRESH BERRY SYRUP
Makes 12 pancakes, 4 to 6 servings

SOUR CREAM PANCAKES: 
2 large cage-free eggs, separated
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup nonfat milk
4 ounces unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for cooking
1/2 cup pastry flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

FRESH BERRY SYRUP:
1-1/2 cups pure maple syrup
1/2 cup mixed fresh berries, plus extra for garnish

For the pancakes, put the egg yolks on a small mixing bowl, reserving the whites in a separate clean bowl. To the yolks, add the sour cream, milk, and melted butter. Whisk until thoroughly combined.

In a larger mixing bowl, sift together the pastry and all-purpose flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and, pour in the egg yolk mixture. Whisk just long enough to blend the wet and dry ingredients, but do not overmix.

With the clean beaters of a hand-held electric mixer at medium speed, beat the egg whites until they‘re stiff enough to hold firm peaks when the beaters are lifted out, but are still shiny and moist-looking.
Stir a dollop of the egg whites into the bowl of batter. Then, with a rubber spatula, fold in the remaining whites until just a few streaks of white remain.
Preheat the oven to its lowest setting while you leave the batter to rest for about 15 minutes.
Heat a nonstick griddle or a large nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Brush the surface lightly with butter.
Using a 1/4-cup measure to scoop up the batter, pour individual pancakes on the griddle. When each pancake is golden brown on one side and its surface is covered with small bubbles, after 1 to 2 minutes, use a wide spatula to turn it over; cook the other side until golden brown. As the pancakes are done, transfer them to a tray lined with a clean kitchen towel and keep them warm in the oven.
While the last batch of pancakes is cooking, prepare the Fresh Berry Syrup. Put the maple syrup and the berries in a small saucepan. Warm them together over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the syrup is warm and the berries have just begun to soften and give up a little of their juices.
To serve, arrange the pancakes stacked or overlapping on individual warmed serving plates. Pass the syrup-berry mixture in a serving bowl, or spoon it over the pancakes before serving. Garnish with extra berries.