1/4 of US Toddlers Under Vaccinated

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/29/AR2008042900743.html

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is publishing a new study in the June issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine that shows that up to 25% of children 19 - 35 months old were missing doses or were not given the doses according to schedule.

This study was based on doses kids received in 2003 and 2004, at which time a toddler up to 18 months old should have received about 14 shots related to several different vaccines. Today, there are even more shots recommended.

About 72% of children in the study were found to have gotten all of their doses in full and on time. That total is 9% points lower than if only missing doses were considered.

19% were found to be missing one or more doses, and 8% had received a dose too young or too close to the previous dose.

Scheduled Breastfeeding May Be Better Than Baby-Led

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/04/21/nmums221.xml

http://www.nhs.uk/news/2008/04April/Pages/Traditionalvsbabyledbreastfeeding.aspx

A new study reported in Archives of Disease in Childhood has found that traditional, scheduled breastfeedings benefit babies and their mothers more than the popular baby-led method. The study found that babies using the traditional method gained more weight than the others.

Fewer than half of the babies in the baby-led group were still breastfeeding after 12 weeks, compared with more than three-quarters of those whose mothers followed the traditional method.

Because it was a small study of only 63, the results are not as conclusive as a large, well-controlled study would be. A larger study is needed now to corroborate these conclusions.

New Calculator Helps Preemie Decisions

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5707725.html

A new calculator on the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and based on a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine aims to help anguished parents in trying to determine whether to push for aggressive care for their prematurely born babies. The calculator uses aggregate data to provide some estimation of the risks involved.

http://www.nichd.nih.gov/about/org/cdbpm/pp/prog_epbo/epbo_case.cfm

This takes into account a few other factors for making decisions other than the usual, which is just the number of weeks that the baby was in the womb.

"Until now, all we knew was survival data based on gestational age," said Dr. Eric Eichenwald, a Baylor College of Medicine pediatrician and the co-author of a commentary that accompanied the paper in the journal. "Even if many doctors already told parents that these other factors influence outcome, I think this shows they have a bigger effect than most would have thought."

Doctors and the NICHD insist that users of the calculator remember that the ultimate decision is a personal one and that the calculator isn't a predictor of the success or failure of any individual, and only the parents can make the final decision.

Texas Attorney General Brings Charges Against AHCO

http://www.oag.state.tx.us/oagNews/release.php?id=2413

The Texas Attorney General recently charged an Austin company, AHCO Direct, with selling fraudulent medical discount cards that targeted uninsured pregnant women. The cards were alleged to cover up to 60% of maternity related costs, but over 140 customers complained that the cards did absolutely nothing.

The company website, www.maternitycard.com, alleged that a large number of care providers would accept their cards, but upon trying to actually use the cards at the listed providers consumers found that they were not of any value. Customers who tried to cancel the membership cards were then faced with a $250 cancellation fee unless they agreed to stay on the plan for at least 12 months.

AHCO’s Web site also advertised a “Certificate of Guarantee,” which promised that consumers would save at least the cost of their yearly membership or AHCO would pay the difference plus $200. The OAG’s investigation found that the guarantee was a compelling factor in customers’ decisions to purchase the card. When the promised savings did not materialize, however, consumers who attempted to collect on the guarantee were denied a refund.

Alaska Governer Gives Birth to 5th Child

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gH_2Apl7Mbwo1XAJ44Pny3I5-gIwD904LU7G0

http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/newsreader/story/383350.html

Alaska's governor, Sarah Palin, has given birth to her 5th child. The baby was born about a month early, and is a boy named Trig Paxson Van Palin. Through early testing the family knew that the baby would have special needs, but both mother and baby were otherwise fine.

The governor went into labor Thursday while in Texas at an energy conference. Her contractions let up enough for her to fly home on Alaska Airlines to deliver her baby in Alaska, Leighow said.

The name Trig is a Norse word meaning "true" and "brave victory," Leighow said. Paxson is an area of Alaska that both Palin and her husband, Todd, feel is "one of the most beautiful spots in Alaska," she added.

Infant Santa Suits by Avon Recalled

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml08/08563.html

The following product safety recall was voluntarily conducted by the firm in cooperation with the CPSC. Consumers should stop using the product immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: Infant Santa Outfits

Units: About 17,000

Distributor: Avon Products Inc., of New York, N.Y.

Importer: MacSwed Inc., of New York, N.Y.

Hazard: The pom poms on the 2006 and 2007 outfit and the snaps on the 2007 outfit can detach, posing a choking hazard to young children.

Incidents/Injuries: None reported.

Description: This recall involves the 2006 and 2007 Santa Outfits with RN# 120273. The 2006 Santa Outfit includes a red hat decorated with a white pom pom and a red one-piece suit with white collar and cuffs, and stitched black belt and boots. The 2007 Santa Outfit includes a red hat decorated with a white pom pom, a red and white-striped bodysuit with a Santa Claus face on the chest, red overall pants with suspenders, and a red bib with Santa Claus face on top. Two snaps fasten the bodysuit at the shoulder and three snaps fasten the suit between the legs. The outfits were sold in sizes 3-18 months. “RN# 120273” is printed on the care label.



Sold through: Avon Independent Sales Representatives in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands from August 2006 through November 2007 for about $15 for the 2006 outfit and about $20 for the 2007 outfit.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should immediately take the 2007 outfit away from children and contact Avon for a refund. Consumers with the 2006 outfit should immediately remove the pom-pom from the hat.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Avon at (888) 993-9903 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.avon.com

Childrens Tables, Basketball and Flower, Recalled

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml08/08562.html

The following product safety recall was voluntarily conducted by the firm in cooperation with the CPSC. Consumers should stop using the product immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: Basketball and Flower Tables

Units: About 1,000

Distributor: Avon Products Inc., of New York, N.Y.

Importer: Sencillamaente Art Corp., of Dorado, Puerto Rico

Hazard: Surface paint on the tables contains excessive levels of lead, violating the federal lead paint standard.

Incidents/Injuries: None reported.

Description: The Basketball Table is about 16 inches tall with white legs and a 19-inch diameter top. The Flower Table is about 30 inches tall with a green petal stand and a 15-inch diameter purple and yellow top.



Sold through: Avon Independent Sales Representatives in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands from June 2007 through August 2007. The Basketball Table sold for about $32 and the Flower Table sold for about $37.

Manufactured in: Peru

Remedy: Consumers should take the tables away from children immediately and contact Avon for a full refund. Known purchasers are being directly notified of this recall.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Avon toll-free at (888) 993-9903 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit the firm’s Web site at www.avon.com

Butterfly Baby Carriers Recalled

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml08/08253.html

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: Beco Baby Butterfly Carriers

Units: About 2,000

Manufacturer: Beco Baby Carrier Inc., of Newport Beach, Calif.

Hazard: The buckles on the carrier shoulder straps can unexpectedly release tension, causing the strap to slip through, posing a fall hazard to the baby.

Incidents/Injuries: Beco has received eight reports of the carrier straps slipping through the shoulder buckles. No injuries have been reported.

Description: The recalled infant carriers were sold under brand name “Beco Baby Carrier Butterfly.” The carriers have a black label with a green “b” logo on the left side and a butterfly on the right side. The label is sewn on the outside of the carrier. The following carrier styles are included in the recall: Mia, Pony Express, Carnival, Addison, Ethan, Sophia, Cameron, Ava and Joshua.


Sold at: Specialty retail stores nationwide and internet sites from January 2008 through February 2008 for about $140.

Manufactured in: USA and Dominican Republic

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the carriers and contact Beco Baby Carrier to receive instructions for returning the carriers for repair.

Consumer Contact: Consumers should contact Beco Baby Carrier Inc. toll-free at (888) 943-8232/9-GET-BECO between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.becobabycarrier.com

Caesarian Births Have Few Younger Siblings

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/04/01/c-section-moms-less-likely-to-have-more-kids/

A new study in the Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology by the Nowegian Institute of Public Health and the University of Bergen has found that women who's first child is born via C-section are less likely to have other children than women who gave birth the traditional way.

The study is based on nearly 600,000 births over 35 years and determined that it isn't a medical issue, but rather a changed attitude toward giving birth by the mothers that is responsible for the disparity.

Boy or Girl May Be Partly Dietary

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/04/23/boy-or-girl-the-answer-may-depend-on-moms-eating-habits/

A new study published in the Journal of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences has indicated that a woman's diet at the time of conception may have some bearing on whether a male embryo is sustained. It shows a statistical link between higher energy intake and regular meal consumption and the birth of boys.

The reason food intake may influence the development of one sex of infant rather than another isn’t fully understood. However, in vitro fertilization studies show that high levels of glucose encourage the growth of male embryos while inhibiting female embryos.

The article seems to include a lot of speculation as to the causes of the noted effect, but doesn't include any definite conclusion on what may be causing the correlation.

How Baby's Gender Impacts Postpartum Depression

http://health.msn.com/health-topics/depression/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100198969>1=31009

A somewhat incomplete new study in the Journal of Clinical Nursing examines the link between a newborn baby's gender and the link with the mother experiencing postpartum depression, a severe condition among approximately 10% of new mothers. The study found that women who had given birth to boys were more likely to experience the severe depression that characterizes postpartum.

The study is incompleted because it includes only a small sampling of affected women, a total of 17, 13 of whom had boys. The article continues on with a great deal of educated speculation and related information, however.

In cultures where boys are favored, women who give birth to girls are more prone to postpartum, while in western societies it is speculated that increasing promotion of the self leads women to want girls, and to be prone to postpartum if they deliver a boy.

Despite the nearly pointless speculation of the first page, the second page offers good information about postpartum depression, what symptoms to watch for, and how you can proceed with seeking treatment, even while breastfeeding.

How To Influence Birth Order Differences

http://health.msn.com/health-topics/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100169483>1=31009

Birth order can play a substantial role in the personality that your child develops, but those influences aren't written in stone - there are ways that you can curb some of those tendencies. One of the best things for parents is to do is to be aware of these differences, and learn to encourage their children without inciting competition between them.

Instead of praising the end results of a task, learn to show appreciation and encourage the method that the end product is a result of - imagination, attention to detail, use of color, etc. This helps each child to feel valued for the way in which they do things without feeling that another way is superior.

Exercising For Two May Improve Baby's Heart

http://www.webmd.com/baby/news/20080408/exercising-for-two-workout-helps-fetus

A preliminary study at Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences has concluded that pregnant women who exercise 30 minutes a day, 3 days a week have babies with lower resting heart rates.

Researchers say the study suggests that exercise during pregnancy can have a beneficial effect on fetal cardiac programming by reducing fetal heart rate and increasing heart rate variability, essentially training the developing heart to work more efficiently.

Western Rider Push Toys Recalled

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml08/08249.html

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: Western Rider Push Toys

Units: About 9,000

Importer: Santa’s Toy Corp., of Los Angeles, Calif.

Hazard: Surface paint on the glove, shirt, and pants of rider toy contains excessive levels of lead, violating the federal lead paint standard.

Incidents/Injuries: None reported.

Description and Models: The recall involves a push toy of a plastic horse with rider and a 20-inch long pole/handle. The horse and pole/handle together measures about 26 inches. The rider is wearing red pants and a green shirt. The horse comes in various colors.


Sold at: Retail dollar and discount stores nationwide February 2005 through February 2008 for between $2.50 and $3.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should immediately take the push toy away from children and return it to the store where purchased for a full refund.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Santa’s Toy Corp. toll-free at (888) 726-8208 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. PT Monday through Friday or e-mail the firm at info@santastoycorp.com

Cate Blanchett Has Third Son

http://apnews.excite.com/article/20080414/D901K8500.html

Academy Award-winning actress Cate Blanchett, who is 38 and will be appearing opposite Harrison Ford in the next Indiana Jones movie, has given birth to her third son in Sydney on Sunday: Ignatius Martin Upton is the baby's name.

Blanchett and husband Andrew Upton have two other sons: Dashiell, 6, and Roman, 3.

Dollar Store Toy Robots Recalled

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml08/08246.html

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: Interchange Robot Toys

Units: About 2,000

Importer/Retailer: OKK Trading Inc., of Commerce, Calif.

Hazard: Surface paints on the toys contain excessive levels of lead, violating the federal lead paint standard.

Incidents/Injuries: None reported.

Description: The recalled robot toys were sold as a four piece set with various colored robots each carrying a gun in one hand and a shield in the other. “Interchange Robot” is printed on the outside packaging of the product.


Sold at: Dollar stores nationwide from October 2007 through December 2007 for about $1.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should immediately take these robot toys away from children and return the toys to the store where purchased for a refund.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact OKK Trading toll-free at (877) 655-8697/OKK-TOYS between 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. PT Monday through Friday or visit the firm’s Web site at www.okktrading.com

Board Book Sets with Toys Recalled

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml08/08245.html

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: Little Builder Children’s Board Book Sets with Toys

Units: About 17,000

Importer: Dalmatian Press LLC, of Franklin, Tenn.

Hazard: The cylinder on the toy concrete mixer and the tailgate on the toy dump truck can detach, posing a choking hazard to young children.

Incidents/Injuries: None reported.

Description: This recall involves Little Builder Children’s Board Book sets with ISBN 1-49373-215-9. The sets include four concept board books (colors, tools, 123, shapes) and two toy trucks (dump truck and concrete mixer truck).


Sold at: Wal-Mart, Levy Home Entertainment, Lion Sales of NW Brunswick, Farris Wholesale Outlet, Crane Book Sales, Ingram Book Co., BPDI Corp., Books A Million and Christmas Tree Shop stores nationwide and on the Internet at Amazon.com and Barnes&Noble.com from August 2007 through February 2008 for about $9.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should immediately take the recalled toys from young children and return the entire book set to the retailer where purchased for a refund or exchange.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Dalmatian Press toll-free at (866) 418-2572 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. CT Monday through Friday or visit the firm’s Web site at www.Dalmatianpress.com

Magnetic Dart Boards from Family Dollar Recalled

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml08/08244.html

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: Fun ‘N Games Magnetic Dart Boards

Units: About 870,000

Importer: Henry Gordy International Inc., of Plainfield, N.J.

Hazard: Small magnets at the ends of the darts can detach. Magnets found by young children can be swallowed or aspirated. If more than one magnet is swallowed, the magnets can attract each other and cause intestinal perforations or blockages, which can be fatal.

Incidents/Injuries: None reported.

Description and Models: This recall involves magnetic dartboards with a black, green, blue, and white checkered design, and a red bulls eye. The magnetic dartboards measure about 5 ½ inches wide and were sold with two 2 ¾-inch long magnetic darts. The darts magnetically attract to the dart board.


Sold Exclusively at: Family Dollar stores nationwide from September 2002 through March 2008 for about $1.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should immediately take the recalled magnetic boards away from children and return them by first class mail to: Henry Gordy International Inc., 809A Market Street, Hermann, MO 65041 for a full refund including tax and shipping costs.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Henry Gordy International Inc., at (888) 790-2700 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. CT Monday through Friday.

Plush Insect Toys from Dollar Tree Recalled

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml08/08243.html

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: Cuddly Cousins Plush Insect Toys

Units: About 300,000

Retailer: Dollar Tree Stores Inc., of Chesapeake, Va.

Importer: Greenbrier International Inc., of Chesapeake, Va.

Hazard: The recalled plush insect toys contain small parts, posing a choking hazard to small children.

Incidents/Injuries: None reported.

Description: The recalled plush insect toys come in six designs: Lady Bug, Bumble Bee, Caterpillar, Snail and two Butterflies. The toys measure nine inches to 10 ½ inches in length. The lady bug is black with six legs, a red back with four black dots and orange eyelids. The bumble bee is black and yellow with six legs, sheer white wings and red eyelids. The caterpillar has four sections that are yellow, pink, green and orange with seven legs connected on each side and purple eyelids. The snail is yellow with dark pink eyelids and a two tone brown shell. One butterfly is blue and yellow with sheer purple wings with four orange dots and light pink eyelids. The second butterfly is a two tone pink with blue eyelids and sheer green wings with four yellow dots. The product number is 903995 and UPC is 6 39277 03995 8 with a date code of 71.


Sold at: Dollar Tree, Dollar Bill$, Dollar Express, Greenbacks, Only One $1, and Deal$ stores nationwide from March 2007 through December 2007 for about $1.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should immediately take the recalled plush insect toys from children and return them to the store where purchased for a full refund.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Dollar Tree Stores Inc. at (800) 876-8077 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.dollartree.com

Baby Born With 2 Faces

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24012024/wid/11915773?GT1=31037

A baby in northern India who was born with craniofacial duplication, a rare condition where a single head has two faces, is doing well according to doctors.

Except for her ears, all of Lali's facial features are duplicated — she has two noses, two pairs of lips and two pairs of eyes.

Some of the family's neighbors believe that the girl is a reincarnation of the Hindu goddess of valor, Durga, who is traditionally depicted with three eyes and many arms.

The village chief plans to build a new temple to Durga and is petitioning the state government for money to build it, and for the family to care for their daughter.

What Is Learned By Motherhood

http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/family/04/08/par.mom.brain/index.html

If you've ever felt like your first days of motherhood were spent by having your baby take over your life to the exclusion of everything else, you're certainly not alone. But even though you're probably missing the news and not reading any deep literature, you're still gaining a lot of learning and wisdom.

Story Highlights

Even if a new mom isn't pondering current events, she's still using her intellect

Parenthood a crash course in human development and social interaction

Life lessons from children at least as valuable as other intellectual pursuits

Medical Mistakes Affect Hospitalized Children

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23982564

A new study in the April issue of the journal Pediatrics is based on a study analyzing a new monitoring method to catch possible medication related harm. The study showed that 7.3% of hospitalized children experienced at least one drug treatment mistake.

The new monitoring system involves a checklist of 15 triggers for care providers to review in order to check for possible drug-related harm. Relying on conventional review by hospital staffers found less than 4% of the problems detected in the new study. Most mistakes involved adverse reactions to powerful painkillers, and while 22% were considered preventable, most were relatively mild reactions.

The study gathered data in 2002, and the author says that the results indicate a necessary review of whether efforts to reduce medical errors in the years since have resulted in fewer mistakes.

Sleepless Babies Are Prone to Obesity

http://www.efluxmedia.com/news_Lack_of_Sleep_May_Expose_Infants_to_Obesity_16084.html

Making sure that your baby is getting enough uninterrupted sleep just gained even more importance. A new study published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine has shown that babies who sleep for less than 12 hours a day are twice as likely to be overweight in childhood, even as early as age 3.

Those who slept less than 12 hours per day and watched 2 hours or more of TV per day were 6 times more likely to be overweight.

The research was conducted at Harvard Medical School recording the sleep habits of 915 children from ages 6 months to 2 years using questionnaires and in-person interviews.

Wear a Seatbelt to Protect Unborn Baby

http://health.usnews.com/usnews/health/healthday/080402/seat-belt-use-by-pregnant-women-could-save-200-fetuses-a-year.htm

Contrary to some old folk wisdom, a pregnant woman should absolutely wear a seatbelt when riding in a car. A new study published in the April issue of American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology finds that about 200 unborn babies a year could be saved if mothers wore seatbelts. That's nearly half of the yearly unborn fatalities.

The best type of seatbelt is the 3 point restraint, or shoulder-strap seatbelt, which has become standard in almost every seat of every vehicle. An unborn baby was more than 4.5 times as likely to survive if the mother was wearing a seatbelt during an accident.

Proper use of a seatbelt for a pregnant woman is to make sure that the lap belt is snug over the pelvis, below the belly, and that the strap reaches up between the breasts and over the shoulder.

Imaginarium Activity Toys Recall

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml08/08242.html

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: Imaginarium Multi-Sided Activity Centers and Jungle Activity Centers

Units: About 16,400

Importer/Retailer: Toys "R" Us Inc., of Wayne, N.J.

Manufacturer: Taizhou Orient Toys Company Ltd. (Multi-Sided Activity Centers), and Shanghai Cosmos Gift Industry Company Ltd. (Jungle Activity Centers), of Shanghai, China.

Hazard: Small parts on the toys can detach, posing a choking hazard to young children.

Incidents/Injuries: Toys “R” Us has received 12 reports of small parts detaching from activity centers. No injuries have been reported.

Description and Models: This recall involves the Imaginarium Multi-Sided and Jungle activity centers. The multi-sided activity center has moveable block letters, clock face, sliding shapes and gears. The jungle activity centers have peg jumping monkeys, sliding fish, abacus beads, bead mazes and other animal-themed activities. “Imaginarium” and the name of the activity center are printed on the packaging. Item numbers 69042 (multi-sided) and 69083 (jungle) are printed on the back of the box, near the bar code.



Sold exclusively at: Toys “R” Us stores nationwide and www.toysrus.com from August 2007 through February 2008 for between $20 and $50.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should immediately take the activity centers from children and return the toys to the nearest Toys “R” Us for a refund or store credit. Consumers can go to http://www.toysrus.com/safety/safetyFAQ.cfm for more information.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Toys “R” Us at (800) 869-7787 between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. ET Monday through Saturday and between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.toysrus.com

Childrens Sunglasses Recalled Due to Lead in Paint

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml08/08239.html

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: Children’s Sunglasses

Units: About 144,000

Importer/Distributor: StyleMark Inc., of Ormond Beach, Fla.

Hazard: Surface paint in the orange lettering on the temples of the sunglasses contains excessive levels of lead, violating the federal lead paint standard.

Incidents/Injuries: None reported.

Description: The recalled children’s sunglasses have Main Street Drag characters on the bottom of one lens. The sunglass frames have dark metallic blue or dark metallic red fronts and gray checkered sides. “Main Street Drag” is printed in orange at the temples. Style number DI25K7116 is printed on the left temple. No other styles are included in this recall.




Sold at: Payless, Walgreen’s, Academy Sports, and CVS stores nationwide from October 2007 through March 2008 for between $6 and $9.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should immediately take the recalled sunglasses away from children and contact StyleMark for instructions on returning the sunglasses for a free replacement pair.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact StyleMark toll-free at (866) 928-1913 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.stylemark.net

Abuse & Neglect Increase Pain Sensitivity

http://www.abcnews.go.com/Health/PainManagement/story?id=4584659&page=1

A recent study by UCLA & the University of North Carolina has found that children and adults with a history of abuse reported feeling more intense pain than their counterparts. Not only did they report this greater intensity, but the experience was documented using fMRI brain imaging.

In addition to this greater sensitivity, the regions of the brain that typically dampen negative experiences were inhibited. About 1 of 50 infants in the US will experience abuse or neglect.

Preemies May Have Greater Autism Risk

http://cbs4.com/national/premature.babies.autism.2.690244.html

A preliminary study among preemies indicates that those very early born may be at greater risk of autism later in life. The research is still inconclusive, since full autism testing has not been completed on the babies in the study.

Experts believe autism results from a combination of genes and outside influences.

The study is published in the April issue of the journal Pediatrics, and included lead author Catherine Limperopoulos, a researcher at McGill University in Montreal and Children's Hospital in Boston.

America's Most Beautiful Baby Contest

http://z100.elvisduran.com/pages/contest/babybattle/

New York City's z100 & Miami's y100 share a morning show called Elvis Duran & the zMorning Zoo. The Zoo is running a contest for America's Most Beautiful Baby, where the winner will receive $5,000.

There will be 4 weeks of submissions and semi-finalists, with 1 baby ultimately being crowned the winner! Children must be 24 months old or younger in order to be considered, and a parental consent form will need to be submitted as well.