Kids won’t outgrow their personalities. Do you have a child that is timid and shy? Or perhaps your cutie-pie is a big “people person” and happy chatting to strangers. Well, chances are they won’t outgrow that as they get older. Not to worry, though, your child probably will not be eating glue as an adult. Everyone turns out basically OK in the end, but researchers have noted that major personality traits will remain as kids grow up.

The research is interesting. Based on observations of those who know them best, kids were classified in three groups: overcontrolled, undercontrolled or resilient.

The overcontrolled kids were generally the ones most of us would categorize as shy: quiet, self-conscious, uncomfortable around strangers. “Overcontrollers control their emotions too much,” explains Dennissen. “So they are less able to act ‘natural’ and ‘spontaneous.’ Because they are so slow to warm up, they are seen by others as shy.”

The resilient kids are the ones in the middle who are good at modulating their emotions, interacting with others and bouncing back from adversity.

Kids basically kept some degree of these roles, but in a more mature manner. Interestingly, kids that were resilient were generally the fastet to move into mature roles. The article is really quite an interesting read.

So, now I am curious. What do you think your children are? I think my youngest is resilient. But then again, my opinion just might be a bit biased.

Superfertalization - it is possible! A woman in England gave birth to two babies on the same day - but these could be considered a medical miracle because they are not twins. The mother conceived twins and at a seven week scan it appeared that one of the pregnancies was lost. At the next scan, it was revealed that the mother had somehow conceived another baby three weeks after the first pregnancy. Both pregnancies advanced, one three gestational weeks younger than the other, successfully until the birth.

Don’t stop taking that folic acid! Studies show that most women don’t get enough folic acid daily, so even if you aren’t planning on hearing the pitter-patter of little feet in the near future, keep on taking those vitamins for better overall health!

The smaller the baby the sadder the adult? Researchers in Britain and Canada have released studies that show that lower weight infants have a higher risk of depression as adults. It was found that “…even people who had just mild or moderate symptoms of depression or anxiety over their life course were smaller babies than those who had better mental health.”

“Being born small isn’t necessarily a problem. It is a problem if you were born small because of adverse conditions in the womb — and low birth weight is what we looked at in this study because it is considered a marker of stress in the womb.”

Low birth weight has also been linked to diabetes and heart disease later in life.

Could anorexia be genetic? Studies on twins appear to show that male twins with a female sibling are twice more likely to become anorexic, possibly because of the exposure to female hormones in the womb. Researchers are hopeful to understand more about this so that they can work towards preventing this in the future.

“The one thing we are certain of is that there is a genetic disposition to anorexia, but at the same time this is not enough,” said Procopio, pointing out that if the eating disorder was due to genes alone, an identical twin of an anorexia patient would also have the disease, but this isn’t the case.

A magical fertility chair? Childless couples from all over are travelling to Naples, Italy where there is a church that is claiming to have a “magical chair” that will help fertility. It is the shrine of Saint Anna Maria Rosa Nicoletta Gallo, the first woman saint born in Naples over 200 years ago.

No one can explain why she helps fertility. Writings indicate that she carried the “stigmata” or wounds of Jesus. Whips on display are grim reminders of her “voluntary penance.” Buy hey, there are surely those who are trying to conceive who think “what can it hurt to give it a try…”

Smoking and postpartum depression: The urge to push followed by the urge to light up? You might be depressed, researchers say. Smoking and depression often go hand-in-hand for new mothers. Studies found a major postpartum depressive episode was 46% higher among smokers, and the prevalence of smoking was 33% higher in those who had depression.

Retro toys are better: Temple University researchers say that old-fashioned simple toys such as building blocks and rubber balls are better than their new-fangled electronic counterparts. Unlike electronic toys which direct play, these toys allow children to use their imagination and problem solve.

A day of doubles: A LaCrosse, Wisconsin OBGYN delivered four sets of twins during a 24-hour call shift over the Thanksgiving weekend. Dr. Kenneth Merkitch said he doesn’t believe he’d even delivered two sets of twins on a single call shift prior to this event. Merkitch also delivered one singleton that day, making for a total of 9 deliveries in 24 hours.

Quaid Twins in Danger: The California Department of Public Health is investigating an accidental overdose that has put the lives of Dennis Quaid’s infant twins at risk. The babies, born November 8th to a surrogate, were given 1,000 times the intended dose of heparin, a blood thinner, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Mr. Quaid’s publicist released the following statement on behalf of the actor and his wife: “Dennis and Kimberly appreciate everyone’s thoughts and prayers and hope they can maintain their privacy during this difficult time.” (You may recall that a little over a year ago two premature infants died from a similar overdose incident.)

CPSC on Toy Safety: The Consumer Product Safety Commission released its ABC’s of Toy Safety: Awareness Benefits Consumers:

Awareness is not only knowing there is a CPSC and what the agency does to protect consumers but also being aware of what poses the greatest risks. The leading causes of toy-related fatalities include choking and aspiration of toy parts.

The increased scrutiny of toys and the CPSC has led to B, or benefits, to consumers. CPSC has increased the agency’s inspections of toys and is taking the action needed to remove violative products from the marketplace. More companies are testing their products and reporting possible safety problems.

The Chinese government has signed new agreements to conduct pre-export inspections to prevent lead painted toys and other unsafe toys from being exported to the U.S.

“CPSC recalled 61 toys involving more than 25 million product units in 2007, underscoring CPSC’s daily commitment to keeping consumers safe 365 days a year,” said Acting CPSC Chairman Nancy Nord. “Toys today are undergoing more inspection and more intense scrutiny than ever before.”

Finally C, consumers should stay informed and be aware of recalls by signing up to receive direct e-mail notification of recalls at www.cpsc.gov. CPSC has launched a “Drive to 1 Million” to sign up at least 1 million consumers to receive this direct notification.

Consumers can also be more aware by shopping with CPSC’s Top Safe Shopping Tips for this year:

• Ride-on Toys – Riding toys, skateboards and in-line skates go fast and falls could be deadly. Helmets and safety gear should be sized to fit.
• Small Parts – For children younger than age three, avoid toys with small parts, which can cause choking.
• Magnets – For children under age six, avoid building sets with small magnets. If magnets or pieces with magnets are swallowed, serious injuries and/or death can occur.
• Projectile Toys – Projectile toys such as air rockets, darts and sling shots are for older children. Improper use of these toys can result in serious eye injuries.
• Chargers and Adapters – Charging batteries should be supervised by adults. Chargers and adapters can pose thermal burn hazards to children.

To choose appropriate toys for children:

• Be a label reader. Look for toy labels that give age and safety recommendations and use that information as a guide.
• Select toys to suit the age, abilities, skills and interest level of the intended child. Look for sturdy construction, such as tightly-secured eyes, noses and other potential small parts.
• For all children under 8, avoid toys that have sharp edges and points.

Once the gifts are open:

• Immediately discard plastic wrappings on toys before they become dangerous play things.
• Keep toys appropriate for older children away from younger siblings or neighbors.
• Pay attention to instructions and warnings on battery chargers. Some chargers lack any device to prevent overcharging.

Time to Quit: It’s the Great American Smokeout!

Ambitious Autism Study: Enrollment is beginning on the largest study undertaken to look at environmental and genetic risk factors for autism. The five-year study will involve 2,700 children and their families from around the US. “We hope this study will help us learn more about the factors that may lead to autism and other developmental disabilities, and how genes and the environment may affect child development,” said Lisa A. Croen, PhD, the study’s local principal investigator and an epidemiologist with Kaiser Permanente’s Division of Research in Oakland, Calif. “The results may also contribute to better services and treatments for affected children and to prevention strategies.”

Conjoined Twins Doing Well: Yurelia and Fiorella Rocha-Arias, 27-month-old twin girls from Costa Rica, survived a nine-hour surgery and are now separated. The riskiest part of the surgery on the formerly conjoined twins was clamping their hearts after separation, as they had been connected there. Their surgeon announced that, baring any complications, he expects the girls to live normal lives. The two are the ninth and tenth children in their family.

Health Scare for Nancy Grace: CNN anchor Nancy Grace, who gave birth prematurely earlier this month, is back in the hospital because developed pulmonary edema. Her husband reports that the new mother is now on medication and under observation, and is doing well. The new babies, John David and Lucy Elizabeth, are also continuing to do well and are, according to their dad, “out of the critical area”.

Antidepressants and Pregnancy: A study out of Canada finds women are increasingly likely to drop their antidepressants or decrease their dosages when they first learn they are pregnant. “The risks of untreated depression during pregnancy are significant,” [Dr. Anick] Berard, from the CHU Sainte-Justine Hospital in Montreal, said. “Given the safety of most antidepressants during pregnancy, a careful evaluation of the risk/benefit ratio should be done before deciding to discontinue their use. Although physicians and women think they are protecting their unborn child, they might be doing just the contrary.”

Child Actors in Danger? Paramount, which produced the film version of Khaled Hosseini’s bestselling book The Kite Runner, has stalled the movie’s release because of fears that the inclusion of a rape scene could endanger the movie’s young stars and their families. Ishaq Shahryar, who served as Afghanistan’s ambassador to the US after the fall of the Taliban, explains, “To be raped or to be gay over there—it’s unfortunately absolutely unacceptable.” Even fictional portrayals could have deadly consequences. Paramount admits that when their then 12-year-old star balked at removing his pants for the scene, the director filled the details in later with a body double.

In case you missed it: A wardrobe malfunction during an on-stage dance revealed that Jennifer Lopez is, indeed, pregnant. Furthermore, OK magazine is reporting that Ms. Lopez and husband Marc Anthony are expecting twins.

Got Blocks? Block play may be associated with enhanced language development in toddlers from middle- and low-income families. Seattle researchers mailed sets of blocks to one group of children and asked parents to keep diaries of their children’s activities over two 24-hour periods during the study. Other children received no blocks, and parents were asked to keep the activity diaries. Parents completed two questionnaires, one at the beginning of the study, and one six months after. “In this pilot study, we found that distributing blocks was associated with significantly higher language scores in a sample of middle- and low-income children,” the authors write. On average, children who received blocks score 15 percent higher on their language assessment than those who did not. The results suggest that a program that distributes blocks may be effective in promoting development. There was no difference found in attention scores between the two study groups. (Not to worry: The kids in the control group got a set of blocks when the study was completed.)

Low Cholesterol and Premature Birth: Researchers out of the National Human Genome Research Institute report that for pregnant women, very low cholesterol may be associated with premature delivery. “Based on our initial findings, it appears that too little cholesterol may be as bad as too much cholesterol during pregnancy, but it is too early to extrapolate these results to the general population. More research is needed to replicate this outcome and to extend it to other groups,” said Dr. Muenke, the study’s senior author and chief of the Medical Genetics Branch in NHGRI’s Division of Intramural Research. “For now, the best advice for pregnant women is to follow the guidance of their health care providers when it comes to diet and exercise.”

IVF Research: Researchers out of Stanford announced that for women over 35 undergoing IVF, who do not want a multiple pregnancy, single blastocyst transfer has a good rate of success. In this particular study, over 62% of the women undergoing the procedure became pregnant, and over 50% went beyond the first trimester. Given that the national success rate of IVF for women over 35 is 25%, the researchers are encouraged. The study’s senior author noted, “This offers reassurance that a woman can still expect a good pregnancy rate without gambling with twins.”

Thanks, Baby! Fetal microchimerism, or the presence of fetal cells in a woman’s bloodstream long after the baby is out and about, may protect a woman against breast cancer, according to a study published in the current issue of the journal Cancer Research. Previous research has suggested that fetal microchimerism may also promote a mother’s immunity and cell repair mechanisms. However, the news is not all good: the cells can also be harbingers of certain autoimmune diseases.

Rare Quad Birth: A Canadian couple welcomed identical quadruplets at a Montana hospital. Autumn, Brooke, Calissa and Dahlia were delivered two months early and are reportedly in good condition. The couple had to travel out of country to have the babies because there was no room in the neonatal units in Canadian hospitals. All four weighed in at more than two pounds, and none of the babies required respirators. It is expected that the babies will spend four to six weeks in the hospital. The quads were conceived naturally. The chances of giving birth to identical quads is said to be 1 in 13 million (though we suppose it depends on whom you ask, since we recently were told the odds of having identical triples is 1 in 200 million…). Congratulations to the proud parents, Karen and JP Jepp, and two-year-old big brother Simon!

A Baby for Baby:  Emma Bunton, aka Baby Spice, and her boyfriend welcomed a baby boy, whom they named Beau. Ms. Bunton is reportedly to reunite with her co-Spice Girls for a reunion tour later this year.

What’s in a name?  You may recall the New Zealand parents who ran against governmental roadblocks when they wanted to name their baby 4real. Well, they lost on appeal, so they’ve decided to name their child Superman. But they’re going to call him 4real anyway.

Triple Play:  A UK mom gave birth to naturally conceived identical triplets, an event so rare doctors put the odds at one in 200 million. Amy, Kim and Zoe were born in mom’s 32nd week of pregnancy, and each weighed in a 3.3 pounds. Identical triplets occur when a fertilized egg splits, and one of the resulting cells splits again. Far more common are triplets consisting of identical twins and a third baby.

NICU Deaths and Race: A University of Alberta study finds a correlation between race and mortality rates in NICUs, with infants of East Asian origin dying at three times the rate of Caucasian babies. Aboriginal males and East Asian females were found to have much greater odds of survival. Data out of the US shows that sepsis (infection) is the strongest predictor of neonatal deaths among African American infants. Reducing infection could be means of improving outcomes for these preemies.

Sad News: Of the sextuplets born to a Minneapolis couple last month, only one still survives. Children’s Hospitals and Clinics announced that a fifth baby of the six died on Sunday. The babies were born 4 and 1/2 months early. Three of the babies died within the first week, and a fourth died shortly thereafter. The remaining son, named Sylas, is still in critical condition. The 24-year-old parents tried to get pregnant naturally for a year before trying fertility drugs conceiving the sextuplets. They released a statement thanking family and friends for their support.

And now, for something completely different: Perhaps you are largely pregnant and feeling a bit awkward. Perhaps you are sleep deprived from new motherhood and walking into walls. Or perhaps, like some of us, you are two years postpartum and still tripping over your feet. Whatever is causing your clumsiness, perhaps this will make you feel better. (Hat tip, Mitchell.)