Baby sitting may sound like a simple task, but being in charge isn't always as fun or as easy as it sounds. To make the experience a little smoother, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital is offering a seminar titled "Baby-sitting Basics" on Saturday, May 5, from noon to 3 p.m.
Specially designed for teens and preteens ages 12 through 16, the course will cover topics such as interviewing for a baby-sitting job, choosing safe and age-appropriate toys and games, diapering and feeding techniques, handling bedtime issues and tips for having a safe experience. Participants will receive a certificate after completing the seminar.
Those interested in attending must have parental permission. There is a $20 fee per person. Space is limited and advance registration with payment is required and must be submitted by tomorrow.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Baby-sitting course
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Anti-obesity baby formula?
In the wake of research suggesting infant formula causes obesity, scientists have gone off the deep end.
British researchers are developing an “anti-obesity” baby formula that uses a hunger-suppressing hormone to keep babies from growing up fat, according to Chemistry & Industry Magazine.
The hormone, leptin, is found naturally in breast milk but not formula. Studies in rats have suggested exposure to leptin can program the brain to prevent overeating throughout life. So those who eat foods supplemented with leptin should remain permanently slim.
It’s a seductive pitch but in real life, it never works this way. Leptin, so far, hasn’t reduced hunger in adult, human volunteers. Who wants to be the first to test this functional food in the malleable, developing brains of infants?
Early nutrition is obviously important. That's why breast feeding, which builds immunity to disease, is the gold standard. But whether a baby’s first nutrients have “programming” effects on early development and later health is still being researched.
The anti-obesity effects of breast-feeding, in fact, also are under fire, according to a Harvard study published in the International Journal of Obesity.
“It would be remarkable to find a behavior that you engage in for one year of life and see detectable effects from it 40 years later,” Larry Grummer-Strawn of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told the Associated Press's Mike Stobbe.
Perhaps the anti-obesity effects are strong for children, but by adulthood, wouldn’t eating and exercise habits play a bigger role in obesity than whether you were breast-fed, or given an “anti-obesity” formula as an infant?
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Organic baby food a hit with green parents
Pauline Amell-Nash worried that the pesticides and additives used to grow and preserve food were bad for her 1-year-old daughter Sophia, not to mention the earth itself. That’s why the pureed carrots, sweet potatoes and fruits Sophia ate were purchased from makers of organic baby food.
“She is so small I just thought that the more pure, honest things she ate would be better for her,” the Claremont, Calif., mother said. “I also thought it benefits the environment. I want to raise my child with an idea of social responsibility.”
The environment has become a very hot topic these days, especially among parents who want to protect their children’s health and the world they’ll be inheriting. Parents like Amell-Nash are propelling a surge in organic baby food sales, and that has prompted more companies to either join or expand their offerings in the sector.
Organic food still accounts for a tiny portion of the overall baby food market, but it is definitely growing. Whole Foods Market Inc. said it has tripled the space allotted to organic baby products in the last five years. Last year, baby food institution Gerber Products Co. rebranded and broadened its organic line, while Abbott Laboratories introduced an organic version of its Similac baby formula.
The rules of the organic
The U.S. Department of Agriculture inspects food producers to ensure they meet its standards for organic products. They include banning the use of conventional pesticides, fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge for produce, and antibiotics or growth hormones for animals.
Organic baby food sales soared 21.6 percent to $116 million in the 52 weeks ended Feb. 24, after jumping 16.4 percent a year earlier, according to The Nielsen Company. Meanwhile, overall baby food sales rose 3.1 percent to $3.7 billion in the same period, after being essentially flat a year earlier. The data was gleaned from U.S. grocery, drug and mass market retailers, excluding Wal-Mart.
Gerber Products replaced its Tender Harvest brand last year with a line called Gerber Organics and added products such as cereals, juice and food for toddlers.
The change was meant to make it more evident that the food was organic, said Anna Mohl, vice president of marketing-infant nutrition at the baby food maker owned by Novartis AG and now being sold to Nestle SA.
“We needed to be more explicit,” Mohl said. While Tender Harvest, which was introduced in 1997, was selling well, its growth wasn’t matching the overall organic baby food category, she said.
Mohl said Gerber didn’t consider leaving the category because she believed moms wanted to purchase organic baby food from a brand they trusted. She declined to give the brand’s sales.
Big companies aren’t the only ones addressing the demand for organic baby products. Two years ago, Gigi Lee Chang started Plum Organics, a line of frozen baby foods, now a very hot area, according to Whole Foods officials.
Lee Chang got the idea to start the company when she heard friends talking about her son’s healthy appetite. She decided that the organic foods she had been preparing for him might be a good business opportunity. The products are sold nationally and an extension of the line is planned for later in the year.
Freezing in the freshness
Freezing the food instead of jarring it retained more freshness and nutrients, she said, adding, “By freezing, I’m trying to replicate the homemade aspect.”
Producers said adhering to the USDA regulations makes organic foods cost more but parents are willing to pay the difference.
For example, a 25.7-ounce container of organic Similac formula retails for about $27.50, while the traditional brand would cost $23.50, according to Scott White, vice president-pediatrics-U.S. at Abbott Nutrition. Gerber said its organic products cost about 30 percent more than its traditional baby foods.
Camille Fremed, mom to 20-month-old twin sons, said the additional cost isn’t a huge burden and believes organic is worth the expense. “I’ll scrimp on other things,” said Fremed, a tech project manager who lives in Ridgefield, Conn. She favored the Earth’s Best brand because it offers lots of variety.
White said Abbott entered the organic formula market because there was an interest from moms.
Monday, April 9, 2007
Launches Second Annual Best Decorated Baby Shower Contest
The unique gift website, RoxiesShop.com (http://www.RoxiesShop.com/), is proud to announce its second annual Best Decorated Baby Shower Contest. Roxie's Shop is known for its tiered baby shower “cakes,” constructed of disposable diapers and embellished with essential baby items, that make the perfect baby shower gift.
Entrants to Roxie's Shop contest need to be “diaper cake” recipients. To enter the contest, they need to submit pictures of their baby shower which shows the expectant mom, dad, or both in the photo, plus the room decorated for the baby shower. It should also include the Baby Diaper Cake provided by Roxie’s Shop, Inc., along with a written testimonial that describes the impact of the Diaper Cake on the guests and recipient of the baby shower. The entries will be posted on RoxiesShop.com and visitors to the site will vote for the picture and testimonial they like the most.
"We hope this contest makes having a baby shower even more fun and exciting," said Ricardo John, owner of Roxie’s Shop, Inc. "The first prize is a $500 American Express gift card that can be used anywhere. Second prize is a $175 gift certificate for RoxiesShop.com. The third prize is a personalized Beach Buddy fashion tote bag and Kaz e Kup cup holder from RoxiesShop.com."
Roxie’s Shop has been selling diaper cakes since 2004 to more than 20 states nationwide. Each handcrafted diaper cake is made by Emily Grossman, Roxie’s Shop Senior Designer, who has been making diaper cakes for over 20 years, first designing and crafting them for her own family. The diaper cakes come in five different sizes, starting at three tiers with 165 disposable diapers and going up to seven tiers with 385 disposable diapers, lasting new parents 8 to 10 weeks. Each layer is customized with newborn essentials like baby bottles, spoon & fork sets, pacifiers, rattles, teething rings, squeeze toys, wash clothes, bibs, baby power, hair comb & brush set, receiving blankets, and lots more. And, in addition to being individually handcrafted, each diaper cake is customized to the customer's specifications.
RoxiesShop.com also offers personalized photo albums, puppy dog cakes, other baby shower gifts and an all-in-one fashion tote bag called the “Beach Buddy”. All the gifts can be personalized and custom designed to meet the needs of each customer.
"The photo albums are also popular to give at baby showers. You can work with our designers to custom create an exclusive photo album to match your occasion's invitation, theme, pictures, or to spice up your room's decor. We make photo albums for showers, weddings, birthdays, holidays, and any occasion," said Ricardo John.
To see all of Roxie’s Shop unique items, please visit http:// http://www.RoxiesShop.com.
New Easter Baby Gift Brings Smiles to Everyone
Giftscrolls4u.com, provider of personalized gifts, unveiled its new line of Easter gifts. They feature a name scroll with the baby name and its origin and history. Included are great historical, literary or musical figures, as well as celebrities with the same name. This is set against a painted background.
"Today, when everything we buy is mass produced, people are searching for a baby gift that is personal with special meaning," says Benedict Manovill, company founder. "What can be more personal than your name? My customers tell me they frame their name scroll and hang it on the wall like a painting."
Here are a few reasons people like this baby gift:
• A golden crown, crests, seals, and an elaborate border make the scroll a brilliant and colorful painting - ready for framing.
* With every order, you get an extra-special free gift.
* The painting on the scroll is a scene from nature with an animal, or a colorful crest.
* No two scrolls are the same. A scroll is created specially for each person.
* Giving the scroll as a gift shows how much you care about the person.
Manovill believes your name is a source of hope that's always there for you. He cites this example: "John Beltzer and other stars are recording personal songs for sick and dying children. The children drift off to sleep listening to the songs with their names. Sometimes, it is the last comfort they have."
Benedict Manovill is a name historian and calligrapher. His works are in collections around the world. He learned his art at a monastery where he was inspired to study names by the Abbot who related to him the history of his own name - Benedict. To meet him and learn more, visit http://www.giftscrolls4u.com
About Giftscrolls4u.com
Giftscrolls4u.com is a provider of personalized gifts headquartered in Las Vegas, NV. They make a name scroll featuring names and their meanings on a painted background. They are the only company with such gifts. Benedict Manovill personally creates each scroll. This baby gift and others are available only at http://www.giftscrolls4u.com
Contact:
Benedict Manovill, Director, Giftscrolls4u.com
212.591.0384
http://www.giftscrolls4u.com