By Cate Nelson •
April 24, 2009
Here I am, 6 feet tall, and the only things I can reliably do with my height is bump my head and trip over my own feet. But now a new study shows that kids born to taller mamas may actually fare better. Who knew?
The US-run study was performed in India, where the average height for women is less than that of Westernized freaks like me women. Researchers found that across a sampling of households, including 50,000 children,
Children of mothers shorter than 4 foot 9 inches were 70 percent more likely to die by age 5 than those whose mothers were at least 5 foot 3 inches tall.
The average height for Indian women is 150 cm, or 4′11″. For women in the United States, the average height is 163.7 cm, or almost 5′4″. So, Indian women just below average height had children with a higher infant mortality rate than taller women.
For my friends who I used as armrests when we were growing up are a little less that average in the height department, never fear. This isn’t a warning to women worldwide, researchers say.
By Joe Mohr •
October 8, 2008
Kids are fatter than ever, watch more TV than ever before, and play and use their imagination increasingly less.
This does not bode well for them or our planet.
As Senegalese poet and naturalist Baba Dioum said,
We will protect only what we love, we will love only what we understand, we will understand only what we are taught.
If today’s children do not get outside to play in nature, with nature, they will have little reason or desire to protect the environment when they are adults.
Parents have the power to change this! Inspire play. Make active choices. Make TV the dessert of your child’s at home time, not the main dish.
Children will fight this (especially if they are use to spending the majority of the day in front of the TV).
Fight back!
Fight with patience. Fight with opportunity. Fight with love, knowing that what you are doing is for the good of your child and the planet.
TURN OFF THE TV!
A new report, One-third of schools built in air pollution danger zones, released this month found that one third of public schools are built within 400 meters of a major highway. Great- you might think – easy access right?
Well yes, easy access but not so great for your children’s health. Research studies have shown that environmental pollution, like exhaust particles, can leave school age children more susceptible to respiratory illnesses.
“This is a major public health concern that should be given serious consideration in future urban development, transportation planning and environmental policies,” says Sergey Grinshpun, PhD, principal investigator of the study and professor of environmental health at UC. To protect the health of young children with developing lungs, he says new schools should be built further from major highways.
This research examined 8000 schools serving 6 million school age children across the country, in Atlanta, Boston, Cincinnati, Denver, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Memphis, Minneapolis and San Antonio and indicates that the problem is far more widespread than was previously thought. Asthma is at epidemic levels in this country and part of the reason, especially for children is homes and schools built in increasing proximity to highways.
Close to 6.3 million children in the U.S. under 18 currently have asthma!
Generally not a fan of antibiotics, I recently found myself taking two courses over a 4 week period – the first time in 15 years. I was sick!
Of course, I helpfully passed it on to my son. After I stop by the pharmacy today to fill his prescription, I’ll pop into my local health market and pick up some probiotics for him as well.
Long used in the alternative health community, interest in probiotics by western medicine practitioners is growing. An American Academy of Pediatrics article states:
Probiotics, have shown particular promise in the treatment of acute infectious diarrhea and the prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhea.
Probiotics are microbes that can protect and prevent disease. The best known is Lactobacillus acidophilus, which is found in yogurt and acidophilus milk. As well as, supplements.
By Jason Phillip •
October 9, 2007
Last weekend, parents in Chicago had the opportunity to gather and learn firsthand about dozens of ways to raise healthy kids while protecting the planet those kids will one day inherit. As just one of hundreds of parents and grandparents who attended the Naturally Healthy Children’s Expo on Saturday, I was happy that I braved the throngs of tourists on Navy Pier on cloudless fall day to attend — and I was
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By Jennifer Lance •
June 20, 2007
My Body My HouseWith environmental issues on the forefront of many peoples minds these days, there has been an increase of children's literature on the subject. My Body My House is one such book that focuses on the choices we make in our home that affect our body's health. Written by Lisa Beres and illustrated by Juila Woolf, My Body My House addresses "sick building syndrome", suspected as
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Here I am, 6 feet tall, and the only things I can reliably do with my height is bump my head and trip over my own feet. But now a new study shows that kids born to taller mamas may actually fare better. Who knew?
