News of Interest for Late-in-Life Moms December 10, 2008

News to know:

1 in 3 popular toys on sale for holidays contains toxic chemicals

A third of popular toys on sale this holiday season have significant levels of toxic chemicals, according to a new survey.
Researchers for the JustGreen Partnership — a coalition of children's safety, public health and environmental groups — tested more than 1,500 toys and found one in three contained medium or high levels of chemicals such as lead, cadmium and arsenic.
Children's jewelry was the most contaminated product category, with items marketed by Disney and Christmas Tree Shops topping the group's "worst toys" list.
A full list of the toys is available online here.



UN: New measures can save many young lives

The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that 830,000 children die each year of injuries from accidents. The biggest cause of death in children over 9 are accidents, with road accidents and drowning causing nearly half the deaths, followed by burns, falls and poisoning.
The World Report on Child Injury Prevention produced by WHO and the U.N. Children's Fund suggests 1,000 deaths a day could be relatively easily prevented through safety rules including:
obligatory lifejackets
smoke alarms
window guards
child-resistant packaging of medicines


Exercise helps heavy kids control their anger

Researchers report that sedentary overweight children who start exercising after school become more fit — and may also be less likely to slam doors, hit other children, and express their anger in other aggressive ways.
While there's no evidence that overweight kids are significantly more aggressive than their normal-weight peers, they are more likely to be bullied or to bully others.

Obese children risk thyroid damage

Research suggests obese children may be damaging their thyroids, creating a vicious cycle of metabolism and overweight.
Obesity may cause inflammation that damages the thyroid, which secretes hormones to regulate metabolism and other important functions, according to Italian researchers in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

Tough Times: More women turning to egg donation for cash

The going rate for a surrogate mother is about $25,000. Egg donors generally receive $3,000 to $8,000. In these tight economic times, some clinics are reporting a surge in the number of women applying to donate eggs or serve as surrogates for infertile couples.

News of Interest for Late-in-Life Moms August 11, 2008

News to know:

10 infant deaths tied to cold meds
At least 10 infant deaths in Arizona in 2006 were linked to over-the-counter cough and cold remedies, researchers said.
The findings, published in the journal Pediatrics, do not prove that the medications caused or contributed to the infants’ deaths, but they underscore a recent warning from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that parents not give cough and cold remedies to children younger than 2.


Pregorexic? Are some pregnant women putting their fetuses at risk?
Some mothers-to-be are embarking on dangerous diet and exercise programs to prevent too much weight gain during pregnancy.
FOXNews.com managing health editor Dr. Manny Alvarez said he's "absolutely" had to tell some of his pregnant patients to eat more. An article in the Daily Mail discussed the growing problem of "pregorexics" in England.
Gaining too little weight during pregnancy is associated with poor fetal growth, lower birth weight and the chance of a baby's being born prematurely, according to a recent study.

Study casts doubts on fertility treatments
A new study in the British Medical Journal questioned the use of two common infertility treatments for couples who have unexplained problems having children.
Researchers tested the effectiveness of a drug that stimulates ovulation and artificial insemination against doing nothing in 580 couples who had no obvious reasons for their inability to conceive. Among the three groups, researchers found little difference in the numbers of couples who had babies.

Dim economy drives women to donate eggs for profit
As the nation's economy is slumping, some fertility clinics say interest in donating has surged.
An egg donor is typically compensated between $5,000 and $10,000. Experts say that although most women donate out of desire to help infertile couples, the financial allure is real.