Welcome to “Weekly Highlights”, our weekly post that recaps important child health and safety news, research, and recalls from the previous week and other great reads we’ve come across in our internet travels.
In the News:
Toddler Flees First Day of Preschool, Walks Home - After just a few hours of his first day of preschool, 3 year old Alfie Aldridge ditched his teachers, scaled a 3 foot wall, crossed a busy street, and walked home. Fortunately for Alfie, his mother was home, and when she confronted the school’s teachers, they had no idea he’d been missing. I’d be outraged. This is certainly an opportunity to teach Alfie a lesson about not leaving the sight of an adult, but the school is definitely at fault. There should be precautions in place (i.e. ratios, headcounts) to ensure such things don’t happen.
Childbirth as Performance Art - A performance artist is planning to give birth to her first child in front of a live audience in a Brooklyn gallery. With her due date just a month away, she has begun creating the environment of a birthing room for her display. Her natural birth will be an exhibition for 15 invited guests, selected from visitors to the gallery who have shown interest. In addition to “The Birth of Baby X”, she has previously done exhibitions re-enacting other aspects of her life including the loss of her virginity. Wow. For me, childbirth is a very personal experience and not something I want to share outside of my family. I wonder what is more important to her – the experience or the performance? What do you think of this woman’s “exhibition”?
Controversial Hormone Therapy Given to Pre-Teen Transgender Child - An 11 year old boy who has expressed interest in being a girl is being given hormone blockers by his parents in order to delay puberty and give the child more time to decide. I wholeheartedly disagree with the parents in disrupting the body’s natural course and subjecting their child to this procedure. There are options available to this child when he reaches a mature enough age to make the decision for himself.
Woman Born Without a Womb Will Receive a Transplant from Her Mother – After being born without a womb, two failed surrogacies, and years waiting for an adoption, an Australian woman will receive a womb transplant from her mother after which she will attempt a pregnancy through IVF. Absolutely amazing. This seems incredibly risky for both, but I’m sure they are aware of the risks and sincerely hope that it goes well for them both.
New Research:
Study Links BPA Exposure in the Womb with Behavior Problems in Toddler Girls
After tracking 244 Cincinnati-area mothers and their 3 year olds, the study concluded that mothers with high levels of BPA in their urine were more likely to report hyperactive, aggressive children. The results were found in girls but not boys. The study’s author suspects that the chemical leads to more testosterone in girls, affecting how their organs develop and their later behavior. This report is the first to link a young girl’s emotional behavior with BPA exposure in the womb, and while it is consistent with other finds that imply BPA affects brain development in animal research the authors caution that the results could have been skewed by the eating habits of the mothers. Those who ate more packaged foods were likely to have higher BPA exposure and eat a less nutrient-rich diet in general.
Autism Diagnoses Growing by 10 to 17 Percent Per Year
The rate of occurrence of an autism spectrum disorder is now 1 in 110, based on the most recently published estimates of the CDC. Boys are 4 to 5 times more likely than girls to be diagnosed, and with a 10 to 17 percent increase each year, it is the country’s fastest growing developmental disability. Both genetics and the environment are suspected as factors, but isolating environmental causes is extremely difficult given the number of environmental toxins children are exposed to that were not a factor years ago. The main culprit in the increase, though, is suspected to be earlier and more diagnoses.
Good Reads:
You Really Need to Wash Your Food and Your Hands from The Huffington Post – How to properly wash your hands – Sing the ABCs twice and then wash a little more. My kids and I alternate ABCs and Happy Birthday – they like asking Mommy to sing while they wash their hands. P.S. We do the same while brushing our teeth.
Sibling and Family Halloween Costumes from The Huffington Post – Photos from around the web of theme-coordinated costumes for siblings and families. What will you and yours be doing for Halloween this year?
Nightmares Fear Factory’s Photostream from Flickr – This photostream from a haunted house in Canada captures the reactions of its guests during a seriously frightening moment providing pure entertainment for the rest of us. Here are some of my favorites: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 I think that last one must have burst an ear drum.
Recalls, October 19 – October 25:
CPSC Child Product Recalls
- Big Lots Recalls Glider Recliners with Ottomans Due to Entrapment and Finger Crushing Hazards
- Target Recall Children’s Frog Masks Due to Suffocation Hazard
- Guidecraft Recalls Twist ‘n Sort Toys Due to Choking Hazard
- LittleLife Baby Carriers Recalled by Lifemarque Due to Fall Hazard
- Additional Retail Sales Prompt CPSC and Meijer to Re-announce Roman Shades and Roll-Up Blinds Recall; Strangulation Hazard Posed
Child Safety Seat Recalls
No child safety seat recall announcements this week.
USDA/FDA Recalls
- NASSAU CANDY CONDUCTS NATIONWIDE RECALL ON SELECT BOXES OF NANCY ADAMS CLASSIC MINI S‘MORES FOR POSSIBLE UNDECLARED PEANUT ALLERGEN
- American Egg Products Recalls Frozen Egg Product Because Of Possible Health Risk
- Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market Voluntary Recalls One Date Code Of f&e™ Brand Washed Spinach Because Of Possible Health Risk
- Salmonella Illnesses Linked To Organic Eggs Consumers, Food Preparers Reminded to Cook Eggs Thoroughly
- Yamaya USA, Inc. Recalls Masago (Capelin Roe) Because Of Possible Health Risk
- Nike All-American Recalled by Landshire, Inc Because of Possible Health Risk
- Church Brothers, LLC Announces Voluntary Recall of Bagged Spinach
- Consumer Alert – Undeclared Sulfites In Dried Dates
- General Mills Issues Voluntary Class One Recall of One Day’s Production of Chocolate Flavor Fiber One 90-Calorie Chewy Bars
- Insight Pharmaceuticals Issues A Voluntary Nationwide Recall Of “Nostrilla Nasal Decongestant” Due To Bacterial Contamination
- Murray Biscuit Company, LLC Issues Allergy Alert And Voluntary Recall Of Small Quantity Of Murray Sugar Free Chocolate Chip Cookies Due To Undeclared Pecans
- Product Recall: Fair Oaks Dairy Issues Voluntary Recall For Fair Oak Royal Blue Cheese Because Of Possible Health Risk To Listeria Monocytogenes Contamination
- Taylor Farms Retail Inc. Initiates A Precautionary Recall Because Of Possible Health Risk
- Ohio Firm Recalls Turkey Breast Due to Misbranding and Undeclared Allergens
If there’s anything you see and think we should feature, please send it our way to jasmine@purebebe.com. We hope your week is off to a great start! XOXO, Jasmine & Heather
