Parenting Solved

Webkinz and Social Networking

Times have changed. In the early 70’s my network was limited to about an acre of grass and trees with a couple of neighborhood kids on either side. Things are different for my son the tween. While he has plenty of room to run around and companions with whom to run, his social network of choice involves a virtual world of fuzzy avatars, online pseudo-gambling, and unlimited virtual wall décor. He’s a Webkinz junkie. It was evident during our spring break vacation when hogged my Powerbook as a means of feeding and keeping Luke the platypus alive.

Beyond the sheer innovation of linking stuffed animals with an online community, it’s remarkable to me that my son is thriving in a virtual world. For me online social networks are the new thing. For him it’s second nature. But as the moderators of his world we routinely pull him back to reality. And fortunately, scooters, wiffle ball and inspecting squished frogs on the street haven’t gone out of style yet.

Among the most valuable lessons learned: Divulge your password when hanging out with the neighborhood kids and your Webkinz earnings may very well be gone in the morning.

For more on Webkinz obsessive behavior read I've Become the Parent I Hate at Ty's Toy Box Blog.

California Considers Ban on Smoking in Cars with Children

A proposal to ban smoking in cars with children inside is scheduled to be heard Wednesday in the California state senate health committee. California is among 16 states considering such a measure. Exposure to second hand smoke in children has been associated with reactive airway disease, ear infections and (my favorite) acid reflux.

I assume that proper enforcement will require mandatory installation of smoke detectors by automobile manufacturers.

Via Strollerderby

Harvey Karp to Undergo Cardiac Bypass

Harvey Karp, author of Happiest Baby on the Block, is scheduled for cardiac bypass on Tuesday according to Happiest Baby educator Colleen Newman of My Baby and More. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Dr. Karp for a speedy recovery.

End Stage Colic

When I stumbled on this I was about in tears laughing. It seems a mother was told by her doctor that her daughter had stage 4 colic (Now I assume this is one step worse than stage 3 colic and two steps worse than stage 2 colic). The good Dr. Sears sets momma straight and puts the kibosh on one doctor’s smoke and mirror act. No word as to whether the doctor referred the baby to hospice.

Probiotic in a Straw

Now this is remarkable. Biogaia of Sweden has developed a juice box straw that contains a dose of reuteri probiotic. It seems they’ve got patented technology that keeps a mini bolus of Lactobacillus reuteri suspended in the middle of the straw. When junior takes his first suck, in go 100 million viable organisms. So what? As it turns out reuteri has been shown to play a role in the prevention of diarrhea as well as decreasing the duration of diarrhea episodes in daycare centers. While the straw can’t be used for an infant, it’s Biogaia’s reuteri that that created the stir with the colic study recently published in Pediatrics.

While probiotic delivery typically doesn’t represent a major challenge with toddlers, this is an innovative way to deliver a viable, clinically efficacious probiotic.

As far as I’m aware, this hasn’t been picked up by any of the major juice manufacturers. For better or for worse, I’m thinkin’ these guys are way ahead of the curve.

Sweaty Mothers

While I thought stroller aerobics went the way of Milli Vanilli, it would appear that there’s a company pitching franchise opportunities to young mothers. Strollerstrides is looking to capitalize on the post partum preoccupation with body habitus by getting moms fit with their strollers. If strollerstriding mothers everywhere are grinning just like those on the website, they should do fine. Oh, by the way, fat dads need not apply. It would appear that they’ve got gender requirements and not everyone’s happy.

Parenting Punditpallooza

At a recent Babies R Us Seminar I was asked by an expectant mother about my opinion on some current parenting books and philosophies. This seemed like a reasonable question to ask a captive pediatrician. After all, a stroll down the parenting and childcare aisle at Barnes & Noble shows there’s no shortage of contrary information. Parental punditry runs the gamut from the laissez-faire suggestions of Benjamin Spock to the classically rigid Babywise.

Now I don’t share the opinion of some of my colleagues who reflexively dismiss the any and all advice peddled in the parenting media. In fact, I believe that this attitude is a vestige of the days when the parent-pediatrician relationship was paternalistic and doctor-centered. This is the information age and parents know more now their child’s health than at any time in history. As a pediatrician you could say it was the best of times and it was the worst of times.

As a rule I encourage parents to read as widely as their level of fatigue will allow. An empowered, educated parent stands the best chance of advocating for their baby in a world of shrinking exam room time and impersonal healthcare delivery. And new moms and dads should understand that when it comes to raising a child they’ve got plenty of flexibility. There’s little in the way of absolute rights and wrongs and parents have a way of “finding” their parenting style pretty quick. If you’re stuck, there’s no shortage of books to help you realize what you want to believe.

Nestle's Probiotic Plunge

The buzz in the nursery is that Nestle is about to release the American market’s first FDA approved probiotic-supplemented infant formula, Good Start Supreme with Natural Cultures. Their pet bug is Bifidobacterium lactis which is the predominant organism found in the intestinal tract of breast-fed babies. It’s felt that much of the breast-fed baby’s wellness is tied to this population of colonic critters. B. lactis is known to help with the synthesis of vitamins B & K as well as improve the absorption of other minerals. Immune enhancing benefits including improved release of IgA in the intestinal tract and suppression of intestinal pathogens are among its attributes.

While most parents are open to probiotic use in children, their use in infancy is new territory. Safety shouldn’t be a concern in this case given its 15 year track record in 30 countries. Nestle will, however, have to prove to pediatricians and mothers that their brew offers tangible benefits to babies. And while probiotics may represent a natural option for intestinal health, most parents have little understanding of what probiotics do and their real benefits. Education of both new mothers and even pediatricians will be required before probiotic supplemented foods are recognized as having real value.

Despite the fact that some innovations in infant nutrition are market driven, probiotics represent the next frontier for pediatric neutraceuticals. In fact, Nestle may do for probiotics what Mead Johnson’s Lipil did for DHA & ARA.

Available only in powder form, this new formula is said to come into the market at about $1.50 more per can over regular Good Start. And by the way, don’t toast this one in the microwave. In fact don’t prepare it with water warmer than body temperature. Bugs can’t take the heat.

More on this one when it hits the market in April.

Mother Accused of Killing Her Baby with Cleaner Spray

A California mother is standing trial for first-degree murder in the case of her crying baby. The 19-year-old admitted to spraying her 4-month-old with aerosolized household cleaner when she wouldn’t feed and wouldn’t stop crying. The baby’s autopsy revealed lethal levels of para cresol, a chemical found in cleaners. The mother testified that her baby’s crying “ruined her life.”

This is a tragic story. While this mother is clearly impaired, it’s another example how a miserable baby can push a teen mom to the brink.

The reports suggests that Lysol was the product used in this baby’s demise but it seems this isn’t the case. The folks at Lysol are apparently working feverishly to avert a brand crisis.

Via the Jay Allen at Parents Behaving Badly.

Pediatricians at Kid-Friendly Resorts

I once had a pediatric mentor who suggested that pediatricians should never live in the same town where they practice. His point was that a life separate from a practice was an important key to one’s sanity. It seems better advice would have been not to vacation in the same state where one practices. During this week’s spring break retreat in central Texas I’ve run into two of my families while poolside.

These reunions aren’t a problem for me so long as the conversation doesn’t involve encopresis or worms and the patients don’t mind seeing their doctor in floral Tommy Bahama swim trunks with a five o’clock shadow. But truth be told, I think the kids get a kick out of it. My biggest preoccupation: remembering everyone’s name.

By the way, if you make it down around Austin, plan to bring your kids to the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa in Bastrop, Texas. It just opened and I strongly recommend it for a luxurious, kid-friendly vacation.