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 December 23rd, 2011 
Sweet potatoes and bananas make great first foods for babies but processed foods such as crackers, cereal or bread might be setting up babies to develop unhealthy preferences. A new study found that babies who move onto these salty food items are developing an early taste for the seasoning that could last a lifetime.
Researchers at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia monitored the eating habits of 61 infants and found that those who ate foods containing salt were more likely to develop a preference for it later on. The infants were tested at two months and six months of age. They were given three different bottles for two minutes each – one contained only water, another had a slightly salty solution (about the equivalent of commercial chicken noodle soup), and the third contained a 2% salty solution – salty even for adults. In general, the two-month-old babies were indifferent to the slightly salty solution and often rejected the 2% salty solution. However, the same babies reacted differently when they were tested again at six months of age. When offered the differing solutions again, the babies who had been exposed to processed foods containing salt had developed a preference for the salty solutions.
The study reveals that an infant’s diet can determine their preferences in the future and stresses the importance of feeding babies a balanced diet with few preservatives. The lead author of the study, Leslie J. Stein, said of the findings: “More and more evidence is showing us that the first months of life constitute a sensitive period for shaping flavor preferences.”
Does your baby eat any foods with salt?
Babies may develop taste for salt via food [UPI]
December 21st, 2011
Despite some of the scandals and terrible economic news that rocked the country over the course of 2011, the year was still filled with lots of good news for parents. We’re always curious to see what blog posts really grabbed your attention and the consensus was clear: baby names, baby names, and more baby names. However, when you weren’t reading our reports on baby naming trends, you were gathering tips on a variety of subjects. Here were the top ten most read posts of 2011:
10. Creative Ways to Document Your Pregnancy - The age of the internet has ensured that the best ideas are seen all over the world. Our many pregnant readers were happy to find creative ways to celebrate one of the most important times of their lives.
9. Babies Need More ‘Tummy Time’ - The Back to Sleep Campaign saved many babies from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome but it led to less babies spending time on their tummy, an important practice for developing muscles necessary for mobility and coordination.
8. Getting Pregnant after Giving Birth - There are many misconceptions about whether or not a woman can become pregnant directly after giving birth. A report released in 2011 provided important information about safe and effective contraception after giving birth.
7. Vitamin B12 in the Womb Reduces Risk of Colic - Anyone with a colicky child was excited to hear that there might be some simple way of reducing the risk during future pregnancies. Vitamin B12 is an essential nutrient during pregnancy, but apparently has some added benefits.
6. Top Baby Names of 2011 - BabyCenter released an informal rank of the most popular baby names of the year.
5. Baby Names Differ by Region of US - An interesting study found baby name trends that changed depending on where people lived. Newer states saw more unique baby names, while the oldest states had the most babies with common names.
4. USDA Reveals New Food Plans for Pregnant and Breastfeeding Women - In 2011, we said good bye to the food pyramid and hello to the food plate. The advice for pregnant and breastfeeding women didn’t change very much, but there were a few differences to take note of.
3. 12 Baby Name Trends of 2012 - An interesting report was released at the end of 2011 that looked forward to baby name trends of the future. It should be interesting to see which ones prove to be true. Will we see more babies named after their parent’s heroes? More names that start with the letter “M”?
2. 7 Ways for Stay-at-Home Parents to Make Money - One of the most common questions asked by readers is how to make money and still be able to stay at home with their kids. We did the research and detailed many real ways that parents can make some extra cash during nap time.
1. Top Baby Names of 2010 Released - Not surprisingly, we were most fascinated to learn which baby names were the most popular when the Social Security Administration released their annual report at the beginning of this year. The Twilight books and movie series might have something to do with the top contenders on the list.
What parenting news was most memorable for you over the course of the year?
December 19th, 2011
A few weeks ago, we asked readers to send in their best
travel tips for the holiday season for a chance to win a Juju Band Gift Set. We
received a stockpile of wonderful tips and one tip that really stood out as the
winner. Here are your holiday travel tips from mothers all over the world:
- Bring a hat o keep sun off baby, or on cold days
to keep his head warm.
- Prepare a first-aid kit so you’ll have the supplies you need
for dealing with minor medical problems.
- Get removable shade
screens for the car’s side windows, available at baby supply and discount
stores, to shield your baby’s eyes from the sun and keep him from getting too
hot. Peel-and-stick shades are more secure, and therefore safer, than those
that attach with suction cups.
- Fill out an emergency sheet containing contact names and
numbers and your child’s health information, including the names of any
medications he takes.
- Parents should always have a portable DVD player that
plays music as well as movies to keep the children busy!
- When traveling by
airplane be sure to have a pacifier or bottle ready for when the plane is
taking off and landing. The sucking helps to pop the ears.
- Travel at a time when baby is most likely to sleep.
- If you breastfeed, make sure to pump enough to last the
full travel time plus some. If you use formula, try to have a few bottles made and ready to pop out when needed.
- Bring small colorful toys, and toys that make noise to help
distract baby when awake.
- Be prepared for the fact that you
can never be prepared for everything! Take it all in stride and don’t stress
out! Stay calm and baby will feel your calm and follow it.
- Put the baby jars inside of the outfits so they will not
break in travel.
- Attach the toys to the car seat, and hang the diaper bag
with a cliffhanger clip.
- For teething babies, pack an ice chest with frozen popsicles.
- I have found that the best thing I could bring to almost
guarantee a good flight is a full size pillow from home.
With my niece we always used her pillow from home so it would smell familiar.
Just lay the pillow across your lap for each flight. Plus, when they are awake,
they have a comfortable seat rather than your bony lap. It’s also much more
comfortable for the parent than having the child directly on your lap.
- For an infant, I recommend taking a “travel bed”,
which is very small/light weight and packs up into a shoulder bag, no
bigger than a regular size laptop bag. This is much easier than toting a
large/heavy pack-n-play or portable crib. Also, if your baby can support
his/her head, an umbrella stroller is great and you can take it right to the
gate at the airport and the attendant will check it for you there. These
items are much lighter than the traditional bed/stroller…will definitely save
your back a lot of strain!
- Have someone sit in the back with baby to read/play/sing. Also, have mellow, sing-along
music.
- Down South in Kerala (India), the normal drinking water
served in roadside hotels is a boiled mild tea of Ajwain (caraway seeds).
This is an excellent digestive and antiseptic spice. Keep stacked a cargo of
about 3-4 litres of water boiled with this spice (to a milder extent) and mix
it with the baby food. This is much better than giving unreliable “mineral”
water that we get in all sorts of places! The water stays on for 3-4
days.
- I find one of the things to make baby traveling easier is a
portable baby wrap carrier. Baby stays more calm and quiet when mom is carrying
them in one of these.
- Ensure baby is well rested and fed.
- Have clean
cloths and diapers close at hand, and a bag for soiled items!
- Keep the the
makings of a bottle (if you aren’t breastfeeding) in a convenient spot, or some snacks and a
sippy cup for older children.
- Comfort items
are a MUST, paci’s, lovey’s, blanket etc.
- Be prepared for anything (over-pack) and try traveling while
baby sleeps. If you have older children, make sure they are comfy and occupied
as well. It’s much easier focusing on a fussy or insecure baby if the other kiddos
are occupied!
The winning tip is from Angela:
“I have made
several trips with babies (I’m pregnant with our 4th child) and the best advice
I could give to any parent is: don’t expect to keep them quiet, just try to
keep them happy. Parents who are focused on trying to keep their children quiet
inevitably end up becoming agitated with the challenge and that stress passes
on to the child, which gears up the parent, and a downward spiral ensues.
Often, all that is needed to calm a cranky baby is a goofy face or a good toy
and a parent who is more focused on “happy” than “quiet” is
more likely to be relaxed enough to remember what makes their child laugh.
Also, a parent focused on having fun with their child isn’t trying to distract
themself with reading or checking Facebook (or anything else we do to entertain
ourselves) and has more energy to devote to keeping the little one happy.
The sound of a baby’s laugh is infectious and anyone around you who might be
‘disturbed’ by your child’s squeals and laughter will end up enjoying your
child too.”
Congratulations Angela and thank you all
for your helpful tips!
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