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news bulletins  december
2007 |
- Mama, Take Five for Self Care
- Watching Violent TV at Pre-School Age Linked to Aggression in Young Boys
- Stay in Step this Season
Article continues below
Moms always look for the products that are best for their babies, but what about themselves? Lily Morgan, founder of Lily Organics fresh skincare and author of Beauty, Health and Happiness - a Way of Life, offers these at-home, all-natural remedies to give moms some much-earned nurturing:
1. PAPAYA EXFOLIANT MASK: Simply take one papaya and put in the blender. Apply to dry face and leave on for 20 plus minutes, before rinsing off. You may also add ground herbs, other fruits or vegetables, including cucumber.
2. HONEY LAVENDER ROSE MASK: Grind up into a powder, one ounce each of dried lavender and of rose. Mix with honey into a paste, in a consistency that can easily be applied to the skin. Relax for 20 minutes or more and rinse off.
3. FACIAL SALT SCRUB: The salt scrub can be used for all skin types. Instead of an enzyme or acidic action to remove dead cells, the salt scrub uses a mechanical action. The salt scrub is the easiest and best way to have a scrub available at all times. All you have to do is simply add sea salt to your cleanser or soap. It is very important you do not add salt to the product in the bottle or jar. You must only add it at the time of cleansing or you will change the chemical constituency of the product! You can also do the exact same thing with sugar.
4. VINEGAR PEEL: For all skin types, except sensitive—vinegar is very acidic and can disturb sensitive skin. Vinegar removes dead cells so it is perfect for dry flaky skin or oily skin. Mix one-fourth to one-half cup certified organic (with the ?Mother? in it, the floating sediment that is imperative to quality vinegar) vinegar into one cup pure water. Take a washcloth and cut out holes for the eyes and nose, so you can see and breathe. Soak this washcloth in the water/vinegar mix and apply to your face while lying down. Leave on for up to 25 minutes before rinsing face.
5. BODY SALT SCRUB: This can be used for all skin types periodically as needed to remove dead skin. Put 2/3 cup olive or almond oil in a small bowl. Add approximately the same amount of sea salt or sugar. Add enough to make a nice consistency to be able to grab and rub all over your body. Add several drops of your favorite essential oil and begin rubbing all over your body in the tub—while seated. Be very careful in the bathtub because the oil can cause you to slip and fall. Rub the scrub all over your body to remove dead cells. When you are done, shower off. Your whole body will feel fabulous. Be sure to clean any oil residue from the tub, lest anyone slip.
For more than two decades Lily Organics has been making 100% organic, synthetic-free skin care products fresh every week. Lily Organics Dew Fresh is certified as an Organic Grower by the state of Colorado, the only skin care company in the state to earn that credential.
For more information, visit Lily Organics at www.lilyorganics.com.
Watching Violent TV at Pre-School Age Linked to Aggression in Young Boys
Watching violent television programs between the ages of two and five years of age is clearly linked to aggressive and anti-social behaviors in boys when they reach age seven to nine, according to a new study published in the November 2007 issue of Pediatrics. Investigators Dimitri A. Christakis, MD, MPH, and Frederick Zimmerman, PhD, both of Seattle Children's Hospital Research Institute and the University of Washington School of Medicine, add these findings to their growing body of research on the effects of television and media on children and their ability to learn, socialize and develop.The journal article titled "Violent Television Viewing During Preschool is Associated with Anti-social Behavior During School Age" reviews data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, which is a 40-year study of 8,000 US families. The project looked at the types of programming watched by 184 boys and 146 girls between ages two and five, and anti-social behaviors between ages seven and ten. A clear link was found between pre-school age boys who watched violent programs and their later development of anti-social and aggressive behaviors at ages seven to nine. There was no such correlation found for girls.
"This new study provides further evidence of how important and powerful television and media are as young children develop," said Christakis. "However, the news here is not all bad. While we found that shows like violent cartoons or football can make children more aggressive, we found no such effect for other programs such as educational ones. This points out that parents must be informed and very selective when making media choices for their children."
The anti-social and aggressive behaviors noted in this study's data included observations about cheating, being mean to others, feeling no regret, being destructive, disobedience at school and having trouble with teachers.
In the study, television programming such as football, many cartoons and titles like Power Rangers, Star Wars, Space Jam and Spider Man were all classed as violent entertainment because characters fight or flee from violent situations, laugh or cheer as they rejoice in violent acts, and show more violence than would be expected in the everyday life of a child. Even G-rated films intended for children can be filled with violence and classed as violent entertainment, according to this definition. By contrast, shows considered non-violent included programs like Toy Story, Flintstones and Rugrats. A third category of educational programming was also reviewed, such as Barney, Sesame Street, Magic School Bus and Winnie-the-Pooh. Significantly, the correlation to later aggressive and anti-social behaviors in boys only appeared with those shows and programming rated as violent.
It has long been suspected that television, media and entertainment have a great impact on the development of children. "We now recognize that content is key," said Christakis. "Given the media saturated world that young children now inhabit, we need further research and policies to ensure that media exerts a positive influence on children."
In a related companion journal article appearing in the same issue of Pediatrics called "Association Between Content Types of Early Media Exposure and Subsequent Attentional Problems," the same researchers found that for children under age three, each hour per day spent watching violent television was associated with approximately twice the risk of attention problems five years later. There was also significant risk of increased attention problems associated with watching nonviolent television for the same age group, but no risk was associated with viewing educational programming. Older children ages four and five showed no increased risk five years later for attention problems from watching violent or non-violent programs. This second study was based on data collected from parents of 933 children and shows that the effect of violent television content on attention problems is much higher than previously estimated when program content was not identified.
"It would appear both of these studies rule out educational TV as a contributor to either aggression or attention problems among young children," said Zimmerman. "Parents can take some comfort in that, especially since there is some high-quality educational programming available on TV and DVD. Together these studies suggest that by changing the channel, parents may be able to change their children's behavior."
Christakis' and Zimmerman's other recent studies have shown that playing with blocks can improve language acquisition, and that baby DVDs and videos that purport to enhance language development may in fact actually hinder it. Together they are authors of the book The Elephant in the Living Room: Make TV Work for Your Kids, a guide for parents.
New Investigation: BPA Levels in Canned Infant Formula Poses Higher Risk Than Baby Bottles
Many new parents are aware that the toxic chemical Bisphenol-A (BPA) leaches from plastic baby bottles found on the shelves of stores across America. But a new investigation by Environmental Working Group (EWG) reveals that BPA is also used to line nearly all infant formula cans. BPA levels found in liquid formula are likely to be far higher than those that leach from bottles under normal use.
EWG contacted company officials at Nestlé, Ross-Abbot (Similac), MeadJohnson (Enfamil), Hain-Celestial (Earth's Best), and PBM (sold under various names at Walmart, Kroger, Target and other stores). Each company's policy was documented a minimum of three times; twice through detailed phone interviews, and once by an e-mail questionnaire. The results reveal that all manufacturers use BPA to line the metal portions of all infant formula containers, including powdered varieties.
"Many parents have switched to BPA-free bottles for their infants. They certainly should have access to BPA-free formula as well," said Sonya Lunder, a senior analyst with EWG. "US manufacturers of infant formula and baby bottles can and should do the right thing and remove this harmful chemical from their products."
"There is mounting scientific evidence that BPA is toxic, especially to children," said Aaron Freeman, Policy Director with Environmental Defence. "Governments should be acting quickly, starting with a ban on BPA in food and beverage containers."
Previous formula testing by EWG and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has shown that BPA leaches from the plastic lining of metal cans into liquid formula, exposing formula-fed babies to potentially harmful concentrations that are higher than levels leaching from the bottles. BPA levels in powdered formula sold in the United States haven't been tested, but this formula is diluted with water before being fed to babies, and thus poses less risk to babies.
In light of these findings, EWG has created an online guide for parents to
help them make the most informed decisions about how they feed their babies.
http://www.ewg.org/babysafe
Should Parents Be Concerned About BPA?
Two separate panels sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
have both detailing concerns within the last year about infant exposure to
BPA. One of the NIH panels consisting of 38 BPA experts from around the
world expressed grave concerns that human exposures are at or above the
levels that cause harm in animal studies.
The other panel within NIH—The Center for the Evaluation of Risks to Human Reproduction (CERHR)—concluded that there was "some concern" that infant exposure could harm brain development and adversely affect behavior. The chairman of the CERHR panel indicted that parents would be wise to avoid infant exposure to the chemical until serious outstanding questions about BPA's potential harm are sorted out.
EWG's previous estimates found that BPA exposures from liquid formula add up, particularly for the smallest and hungriest babies. EWG has found that one out of every 16 infants fed ready-to-eat liquid formula are exposed to BPA at doses exceeding those that caused increased aggression and significant changes in testosterone levels in laboratory animals.
President and Founder of Stepfamily Foundation, Inc. Jeannette Lofas, has been working with stepfamilies for three decades. A step child and step mother, Dr. Lofas has written four books on stepparenting as well as one on gender differences. In 1995 she received a presidential award for her work.
Here are ten steps Dr. Lofas outlines to help the holidays go smoothly:
1. The three little words: Plan, Plan, and Plan. The couple needs to plan even the smallest of holiday gatherings. The larger the number of holiday participants, the more planning. Start planning Christmas and Hanukkah now. As a couple discuss the plan in detail. Map out procedures for arrivals, expected behaviors, dress, manners, chores, seating at dinner and departure times. Go over plans with other biological parent (ex spouse), step parent and grandparents, as needed.
2. Partner: build couple strength. Remember, the couple comes first. The couples in the house are the "pillars" which holds up the family. If the couple is weak so is the family structure. No commitment is made to any family member before the couple has agreed. Discussion, compromise and respect are crucial. Good partnering skills and couple strength equal well functioning holiday events.
3. Honor each other's differences. Often couples have different customs and religions. Talk with the child about your different religious and/or cultural history. It is important that parents explain the meaning and significance of each person's point of view and or way of doing things.
4. Movement between homes is just part of the divorce and step situation. For families of divorce and step, there just is more movement and less peace. Let your child know that the good news about the holiday is that they get more people in their life! The bad news is that they get less time to spend with the core family.
5. Set precedents. Good precedent setting now predicts a smooth future. Plan the holiday as if you were the director of a movie. Apply the five W's: who, what, where, why and when. Think about all contingencies, "the what-ifs."
6. Ex's be civil! There are ex spouses, but no ex parents. Holidays are times for forgiveness and new beginnings. Ex spouses, mind your manners, speak and act respectfully to each other for the well being of the children.
7. Time, Energy, and Money are clearly defined by the couple. The amount spent on gifts can become a bone of contention for step. Expected energy and time contributions can become confusing for the stepparent and child a like. For example, Grandparents (and parents), may want to spend more on their blood grandchildren. No, it hurts the stepchildren.
8. "Ritual Arrivals" make things smoother. We urge parents to create a ritual around the arrival of the children, such as milk and cookies after the children have put their bags away. Talk to the kids about activities planned for your time together. "Ritual Arrival" time diminishes the uncertainty of not having been with each other for a while and creates a procedure for visitation.
9. Get close - Create an Atmosphere. Bake pies and cookies, or have eggnog and popcorn by the fire. Do NOT let the TV be the only warm glow in the room!
10. Keep Your Sense of Humor and your vision of the spirit of the holiday. Remember, we can create what we envision!
The Stepfamily Foundation, Inc. is not for profit founded in 1975 by Jeannette Lofas. The Stepfamily Foundation Inc. provides counseling via telephone, in person, and house call. Visit www.stepfamily.org for enriching articles and information on how to successfully live in step.
