A study presented by the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine’s (SMFM) says that sutures are the better method for closing the cesarean wound. Women who had undergone a cesarean section were studied to see which method, staple or suture, was better for closing the c-section wound. 219 of the patients had sutures, while 197 had staples. Those that had staples had an increased chance of would separation. Staples had a shorter operating time of about 8 minutes.

Based on my own experience, I would use the sutures over the staples. I have had both the staples and the sutures and in each case I did had some wound separation. For my last c-section, staples were used. The removal of the staples was extremely painful.

A daycare in Ohio has recently fired two staff workers after allegations that children in their care were given a sleep aid during naptime. According to an article on Cincinnati.com, children were given the over the counter medication Melatonin at the daycare center at Covenant Apostolic Church. One family of a child that attended the daycare center has filed a lawsuit.

Although, no one was convicted the pastor of the Covenant Apostolic Church was quoted as saying:

“To my knowledge this is a sleep-aid supplement that can be purchased at any local stores, but this should not have occurred,” he said. “We have fully cooperated with police. Our program remains open and operational and the police are satisfied that our day care has been run safely.”

Children, especially those at such a young age, are innocent and left dependent on the adults taking care of them. It is sad and crazy that they could have been given any drug. I know that parents have to be upset that something like this could have happened to their children. The trust of the children and the parents were violated.

Babynames.com has released the list of top baby names based on their popularity among visitors to their web site. This may not actually be the names that people named their children, but names that parents may have been most curious about. I know that when I was pregnant there were several names that I searched for and wanted to know the meaning behind each name. Also, when I hear a unique name I sometimes search for the name without actually wanting to name a child that name.

Here is the List from BabyNames.com

Claywell Elementary School is sponsoring Ava’s Heart Benefit 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Wednesday, December 9, to raise funds for a teacher’s 9-week-old daughter’s heart transplant.

Fifth grade teacher Nicole Snyder gave birth to Ava Snyder on August 12. Ava was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, a disease in which the heart doesn’t adequately pump blood into the body, and needs a new heart.

Ava’s Heart Benefit will be held at Beef O’Brady’s of Citrus Park, 8568 Gunn Hwy., Odessa. Tickets are $15 each for a complete meal and a beverage, with $10 from each ticket going to Ava’s Heart Benefit. Prizes will be raffled at the event, as well.

Tickets must be purchased in advance at Claywell, 4500 Northdale Blvd., Tampa 33624. Purchases can be made weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Checks should be made out to Ava Snyder. Anyone who cannot attend the benefit but would like to donate to Ava’s Heart Benefit can send checks to the school in care of Claudia Smith.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission is recalling the “My Baby Soother” pacifier because the nipple can become unattached from the pacifier base and then cause a choking hazard. Most of these pacifiers were sold for a $1 in New from 2007 to July 2009. If you do happen to have one of these pacifiers you should throw it away immediately. Store should no longer be selling these pacifiers. More information about these recalled pacifiers.

Images of Recalled Pacifiers

Maclaren is recalling strollers because of the hazards it poses to children. 12 children have had their fingertips amputated by the hinges of the strollers when the strollers were being opened. The strollers were sold at many stores including Babies “R” Us, and Target from 1999 to November 2009. The original price tag for these strollers range from $100 to $360. Consumers are urged to discontinue use of the strollers and contact the company for a repair kit.

This recall involves all Maclaren single and double umbrella strollers. The word “Maclaren” is printed on the stroller. The affected models included Volo, Triumph, Quest Sport, Quest Mod, Techno XT, TechnoXLR, Twin Triumph, Twin Techno and Easy Traveller. For additional information, contact Maclaren USA toll-free at (877) 688-2326 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit the firm’s Web site at www.maclaren.us/recall

Images of Some Maclaren Recalled Strollers

Report if you have had a hazardous incident with these strollers

The Consumer Product Safety Commission would like to know if you have had an incident with any of the recalled Maclaren stroller. You can report any hazards you have had with this product or any other products at:
https://www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/incident.aspx

The younger the gestational age of an infant, the more likely it is for the baby to suffer health complications. In the United States one-third of infant deaths have been linked to prematurity. Births that occur when a baby is born at 37 weeks gestation or less are considered premature births.

November marks the 7th Annual Prematurity Awareness Month(R), a time when the March of Dimes focuses the nation’s attention on the growing problem of premature birth (birth before 37 weeks gestation). Later this month, the March of Dimes will issue its 2009 Premature Birth Report Card. The report grades the nation and the states on their preterm birth rates and assesses states’ progress toward improving access to health care coverage for women of childbearing age, helping women quit smoking during pregnancy, and to preventing medically unnecessary c-sections prior to 39 weeks of pregnancy – three criteria that can reduce preterm birth rates.

In the United States, more than 540,000 babies are born too soon each year. Preterm birth is a serious health problem that costs the United States more than $26 billion annually, according to the Institute of Medicine. It is a leading cause of infant death, and babies who survive an early birth often face the risk of lifetime health challenges, including breathing problems, cerebral palsy, mental retardation and others. A March of Dimes report released in October found that 13 million babies worldwide were born preterm, and more than one million die each year.

You can save $5 today and tomorrow if you spend at least $25. Here is the online coupon. The coupon is good for online or in-store purchases. And it is valid June 10, 2009 and June 11, 2009.

Diluted baby formula causing health problems became a local story that grabbed the attention of many Tampa Bay parents. The story was featured on the National level on the NBC’s Today Show.
The piece said that when there times of economic slowdown pediatricians are not surprised to see cases of parents diluting their baby’s formula. Diluting the formula saucing the baby too much water in his/her sister and that can be a fatal mistake.
Video of Diluted Formula discussed on NBC Today show

A Tampa mom trying to make her government provided baby formula stretch diluted the infant’s formula with extra water. The extra water was more than the infant could handle and that caused him to be hospitalized after having a seizure.

On Tuesday, 5-month-old La’Damian Barton had a seizure and stopped breathing as his mother wheeled him to a grocery store. Moss performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation, but the infant still wasn’t breathing when he arrived at University Community Hospital.

After two days on a ventilator, the baby is improving and is expected to be released in a day or two. He was diagnosed with water intoxication and malnourishment. He weighs 8 pounds, 6 ounces and should be nearly 12 pounds.

That really is a scary and hopefully others will learn not do the same to their baby’s formula. The mom in this story said she also did the same thing with her older child’s formula and he had showed outwardly ill effects. I am sure there are many parents who do the same thing not knowing the hefty toll that it places on an infant’s body.

“This is a very serious situation, especially in thin economic times,” said James Orlowski, chief of pediatric medicine at University Community Hospital.

He said infants on formula or breast milk should receive no additional water until they are about 10 months old.

Source: tbo.com

The New York Times reported last week that many moms that have had a cesarean sections are now being denied private coverage or are being charged higher insurance premium by some insurance companies. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, according to the article, is one insurance company that charges higher rates for private insurance if a woman has had a cesarean section in the past five years. This is an issue for many women because there has been an increase in women undergoing cesarean sections.

Adoptions from Vietnam to the United States is in danger of being temporarily suspended because of investigations that shown misuse of the system. Large numbers of Americans apply for adoption of Vietnamese children each year, and because of this the waiting list has become huge. Whenever there is a demand so high there also seems to always be corruption in the midst.

In one case a Vietnamese grandmother attempted to give her own grandchild up for adoption, but was unsuccessfully able to do so. Another case in this story told of a hospital that tried to give a baby up for adoption, citing that the mother had abandoned the child, but the mother was able to somehow recover her child.

Another area of concern is the number of citations of abandoned baby’s on adoption papers amounting to 85%. The U.S. officials believe that this huge number may be a sign of foul play and corruption.

More on Adoption from Vietnam

CPSC received a report of a 10-month old boy who strangled on the changing table’s restraint strap that was hanging down into Kolcraft’s “Sesame Beginnings” Travel Play Yard where the child was located.

Twelve different Kolcraft play yards are included in this recall. All of the play yards have raised changing tables with a restraint strap that forms a loop beneath the changing table, posing a strangulation hazard to a child in the play yard.

In addition to the strangulation hazard with the changing table restraint strap, one play yard also has a raised cradle that rocks back and forth. A child can roll and get trapped against the side of the cradle in the Contours 3-in-1 Play Yard. If that happens, a child can suffocate. Kolcraft has received 45 reports of children rolling to the side of the rocking cradle attachment.

The Consumer Product Safety commission web site has more information about these recalled items.

Consumers should immediately stop using the changing tables and rocking cradle and contact the firm for instructions on receiving a free non-looped replacement strap for the changing table and a free repair kit to secure the base of the cradle. Consumers should immediately cut off and remove the existing changing table restraint strap. Consumers should always remove the raised changing table and cradle or bassinet before placing a child in a play yard.

A free repair kit for the rocking cradle will be sent to consumers separate from the replacement strap.

For additional information, call Kolcraft at (888) 655-8484 anytime, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.kolcraft.com

Some of these play yard were sold as far back as 2001. Check the Consumer Product Safety Commission web site to see if your baby’s web site is one of the recalled play yards. As a reminder, whenever you purchase a used product make sure to check the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s web site to see if the product that you purchased was part of past recall.

Several different cribs have been recalled because of the risk of suffocation. A gap can form that can lead to the baby becoming trapped and then suffocating. The deaths associated with this have been because the drop-down bar was installed upside down. There were some reported incidents when the cribs were installed properly. The Consumer Product Safety Commission and Simplicity has more information about the crib recalls and what you should do if your baby is sleeping in a recalled crib.

Some of the cribs are under the Graco label, so if you have a Graco crib please view the Consumer Product Safety Commission web site to see if you baby’s crib is included in the recalls.

Simplicity and Graco Recently Recalled cribs

With all the sadness of seeing babies left to die this story has a silver lining.  This week three women left an infant between 6 months and 8 monsths with Tampa firefighter Troy Jones.

Florida law does allow babies to be left at police, fire stations, and hospitals, but it is only for infants under the 3 days.

Officials are happy that the baby was turned over.  But they are looking for the parents.

Seeing the fate that so many unwanted babies have some to makes me happy that the mother did leave the child at the firestation.  An alive abandoned child is better than a dead or abused children.

Where the baby will go from here, has not been reported, but hopefully he will find a loving permanent home

More on the story, St. Petersburg Times 

Recent stories of abandoned babies found dead-(one in Lakeland and another in Tampa)- makes anyone feel sadness. The state of Florida makes it possible for anyone to drop off an unwanted newborn at a firehouse, and hospital with no questions asked.

Tampa bay’s 10 recently did a story about one 17 year-old that was abandoned as an infant and later found when a 10 year-old boy hear him crying. He is now a happy teenager with dreams of a bright future. This should let everyone know that these babies are precious and can have beautiful futures.

My advice to anyone mother who does not want her baby is to bring that baby to a firehouse or hospital. Do not have that sweet baby suffer; there is someone that is willing to care for and love him or her.

Okay. Maybe we haven’t known each other to speak so frankly about a subject like baby making. But we will. Seriously, I came acroos a newsweek article titled”
The Ancient Art of Making Babies: It’s just amazing what some people will try to get that boy or girl of their dreams.” It was interesting. Some little tidbits I have heard of in the past, others were new to me. Do they really work? Who knows? As long as it works for you it works.

One suggestion is that men avoid hot tubs and tight clothes if they would like to have a boy. Now, in the 80s and 70s, when me wore pants that looked painted on, did they have a reduction in the amount of boys being created. Well, if the fear of not having any sons keeps men from wearing tight pants, then that wives tale or theory is worth its weight in gold.