DIY Paternity tests. But is it a good thing? Now, in 30 states across the US, you can walk into the drugstore, plunk down thirty bucks*, and walk away with a DIY paternity test that would answer this important question.

For those who had a situation where they are unsure, living with the uncertainty can be hard. But before running out and buying a kit - try to understand the impact to knowing the results. Many relationships can be broken. Other concerns include that fact that this is uncontrolled - so samples can be taken without the person’s knowledge (I am thinking potential lawsuit here…), and as well a child could be tested without one of the parents knowledge.

I personally have not in this situation, so I can’t begin to imagine what I would do. But I do know that in any case, this is not something to be taken lightly, and I fear that having these tests available at a cheap cost in an uncontrolled environment seems like a recipe for disaster.

Now the question burning in everyone’s minds - will this put Jerry, Montel and Maury out of business?

* there is a $120 lab processing fee, bringing the total cost to about $150.

BEWARE OF THE NIPPLE CREAM!!! If you have Mommy’s Bliss Nipple Cream, marketed by MOM Enterprises Inc., please immediately stop using the product as it appears to have some harmful chemicles that can cause respiratory distress in infants.

Disney recalls some toys. Disney is recalling a Tinkerbell wand and a Pirates of the Caribbean sleeping bag because of excessive lead paint. If you have these articles, please return them.

Toys ‘R’ Us toy recall. Toys ‘R’ Us are recalling two of their Imaginarium toys because the pieces may fall off. If you have either of these toys, please return the item to your nearest store.

More mumps vaccines? When there was a big mumps outbreak amongst college aged students in 2006, doctors were surprised. The 6,600 cases reported was by far the biggest outbreak since they required two doses in 1990. The concern is that the virus is outgrowing the vaccine, and now doctors are considering a third dose or changing the vaccine.

Mumps is commonly spread by saliva and respiratory secretions (which is probably why it spreads so quickly amongst college students). Why is the vaccine important? pre-vaccine, patients suffered from complications such as deafness, viral meningitis and testicle inflammation, which can cause sterility. And there were over 2 million cases reported per year, compared to current rates of only a few thousand per annum.

Another toy recall. Over 2.4 million Mega Brands magnetic toys are being recalled. The characters have a magnet inside which can come loose. Children swallowing more than one of the magnets can end up with blocked intestines and other problems. Being recalled are 1.3 million MagnaMan action figures (pictured) as well as 1.1 million Magtastik’s. This is not the first time Mega Brands has had problems. In March 2006, they recalled 3.8 million Magnetix magnetic building sets, and in April 2007 it was 4 million more Mega Brands magnetic toys. Seeing a disturbing trend here? This is a time when I wish governments could step in and slap down these repeat offenders.

If you own and of these magnetic toys, call 800-779-7122. Information is also available at megabrands.com or cpsc.gov.

Childhood allergies are rough on kids. Many areas of the US are just getting over big snowstorms, so it seems a bit early to talk about allergy season, but it is just around the corner, and many kids have a rough time. Studies show that children suffering from allergies are not only impacted at day, but many have sleep issues as well. If your child suffers from allergies, please make sure they are regularly seen by their doctor. And if you think that their medicines are not effective enough to keep your child comfortable, please see your doctor again and discuss it with her.

At least you didn’t name your kid THAT… Emma Royds, Ivana Tinkle, Gamble Moore. (I am giggling at some of these here!) Believe it or not, all of these names actually exist - they are all official names in the registry of www.ancestry.com.

Say this 10 times fast… Nahla Ariela Aubry. The name of Halle Berry’s new baby girl! (Just in case you are wondering, it is pronounced: GNAW-lah ARE-ee-EL-uh)

Suffering from menstrual pain? Try acupuncture. A study shows that of women undergoing acupuncture treatments, 65 showed a 33% improvement in their pain levels. A few Midol tablets may cure most women’s cramps, but there are some who suffer from severe pain. I myself suffered miserably during my teen years, and going in the mini-pill seemed to finally provide some relief. If I had known about this back then I would definitely have given it a try.

Call your senator!… and tell him to vote for the new legislation that will nearly double the budget for the Consumer Product Safety Commission, with the intention of increasing programs on child toy safety.

It also would ban lead from children’s products and establish a publicly available database of information collected from consumers, hospitals and other sources about injuries, illnesses and deaths from consumer products.

Concerned parents unite and demand the safety of your children’s toys!

A little off topic… but since some of the gals on the board love hunting eggs and steering their wagons down the Oregon trail, I found it interesting today to read that Mark Zuckerberg, the person who created Facebook 4 years ago, is Forbes youngest billionaire. He is currently worth $1.5 billion. Impressive!

What a year it has been!

We had some sad times - including the Utah mine disaster, the California fires, and the Virginia Tech shootings.

We also said goodbye to Harry Potter and the Sopranos.

It was not all bad though… 2007 did bring us the iPhone!

We were informed again and again that obesity is ever increasing and it is a serious threat to our future health and our medical system.

And we learned that many toys aren’t safe and it is perhaps time to make a stand to ensure the safety of our children.

Women’s health has made many advances this past year, and I wish all of us wonderful women good health!

On the entertainment side, we bid a sad farewell to Anna Nicole Smith, and we watched with our boxes of popcorn in hand how Lindsay Lohan is seemingly crawling out of her dependency hole, while Britney Spears is diving deeper down.

For sports, we saw Tom Brady pull a nice one out of somewhere to lead the Patriots to a perfect season (that’s for you Supa!), and college football was a rollercoaster ride that has sparked many passionate debates about the BCS system. But many of our favorite athletes fell to scandals - Michael Vick, Floyd Landis, Marion Jones, and a whole lotta baseball players… leaving a lot of wide-eyed kids disappointed by their heroes.

We also watched our politicians gear up for the presidential race that has us wondering if we will see the first female President next year. (BTW - this is not an endorsement!)

Over on the boards, we celebrated the births of many future squawkers, we watched our precious ones grow a year older, we supported each other through the sleepless nights, potty training, magic marker mishaps and terrible two’s. And we marvel at the strength of our guy, Mikey. We shared the good times and the bad, laughed and cried and we can’t wait to do more in 2008!

Love to you all and all the best for 2008!

Posted by Meganlux

Ever wondered what makes certain toys so appealing to little kids, while others just gather dust? With Christmas a week away, most of you who celebrate the winter holiday have already finished your shopping - but for those like me, who procrastinated until the last possible moment, here are some toy-buying tips to ensure that your gift to little Johnny isn’t tossed aside at first glance:

Posted by Sunshine.

A new prince is born. Prince Edward and his wife Sophie, officially known as the Earl and Countess of Wessex, have announced the birth of their son. The baby, yet to be named, has been described by his parents as “small, cute, and cuddly”. In following typical monarchial (I am hoping that is a real word) tradition, the baby will probably have a bajillion names. His sister is named Lady Louise Alice Elizabeth Mary Mountbatten-Windsor. Repeat that ten times fast.

The importance of iodized salt. Last week, the United Nations announced that their 20 year effort in getting iodized salt to all households is paying off and currently 70% of all people worldwide have access to this. Their goal is to have this available 100% worldwide. Why is this important? Iodine Deficiency Disorders can cause brain damage and and IQ loss in newborns. Interestingly:

“To avoid suffering IDD, a human requires in a life time a total just one teaspoon of iodine - this can be added to salt at a cost of about 10 cents worth per year. But it is necessary to ingest micro amounts of iodine on a regular basis. Consumption of iodized salt is the best form of IDD prevention and Universal Salt Iodization (USI) is the goal. The greatest need for micro amounts of iodine is in the mother’s womb.”

There are still safe toys out there for babies and toddlers. And to help you out, here is a list of ten toys that have high safety standards. Happy (almost) last minute christmas shopping!

Constipation the biggest cause of abdominal pain. Does your little one have a tummy ache? Chances are, she might be constipated. In a study of children treated for abdominal pain in one hospital, it was found that in nearly have of those cases, constipation was the culprit. Signs of constipation include fewer than three bowel movements per week, one or more episodes of stool incontinence per week, passing of stools so large that they obstruct the toilet, retentive posturing (withholding behavior) and painful defecation.

Experience matters in treating heart defects. A University of Michigan study found that infants born with certain complex heart defects were much less likely to die if they were treated in a hospital that more frequently dealt with these specific concerns. This study echoes the sentiment often expressed in the forums by MomSquawk’s resident pediatric nurse, Joannpicu1: experience matters. If your child is sick, get them to a children’s specialty hospital whenever practical.

More recalls. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced more recalls of note: Infantino Lion Teethers, for a choking hazard; and some Dollar Tree toys, Jo Ann Fabric Stores water globes, and Codeena Princess metal jewelry for lead paint.

I spent this Thanksgiving in Cody, Wyoming, on my in-laws ranch. In addition to providing the opportunity for a great change of pace, spending Thanksgiving in Cody also provides another unforeseen benefit: access to a Walmart that rarely runs out of stock.

Yes, you heard it here first: last year, we were able to find not just the Fisher Price digital camera, but also TMX Elmo, in ample quantities on the shelves on December 15th. It may seem impossible to believe, but I assure you, it’s true. So it’s something to keep in mind if you really need to have “the” toy of the season — the Walmart in Cody probably has you covered. All you need to do is drop a grand on a plane ticket, survive the landing of a little prop plane in 40 mph winds, and brave the sub-zero temperatures of the mountains of Wyoming in the winter.

Or you can check out eBay, of course. Personally, I don’t have the energy to be an eBay seller, but thankfully for lazy old me there are many who do. I would imagine Cody is not a rarity in small-town Walmarts with disproportionate supplies in hot toys, and probably supply many-an-eBayer with a nice chunk of change just in time for Christmas. The trouble is you have to know what the hot toys are.

And I didn’t while in Cody. And I still don’t. Which brings me to the topic of this post: what are they going to be?

According to Toy Wishes Magazine’s early November predictions, the 12 hot holiday toys for 2007, in alphabetical order, were supposed to be:

1. American Idol Talent Challenge. At about $50 a pop for ages 8 and up, this little machine lets you croon like an Idol star — complete with critique from Randy, Paula and Simon. For me? No. Thank. You.

2. Aqua Dots Super Studio. Way to go, Spin Master. You would’ve hit the ball out of the park on this one if you could’ve managed to avoid putting the date rape drug in your product. Doh!

3. Barbie Girls. This is a “two-part concept” (sounds complicated) involving an MP3 player, an online community (yay!), fashion accessories packs and decoration packs. I can’t exactly figure out how this all fits together, but that might be because I’m not 6. The MP3 player is about $60; the accessories packs $10.

4. EyeClops. This is a high-powered electronic magnifying glass that plugs into the TV that shows what things look like up to 200x magnification. Seems pretty cool… this may actually be a cool gift for the husband-types. $49.99 for ages 6 and up.

5. Guitar Hero III. Satisfy your inner Gene Simmons by plugging this thing into your PlayStation, Xbox or Wii and rocking out. What’s interesting is that the songs it comes with include Heart and Kiss. Aren’t these musicians a little old for “kids”? Makes me wonder if this isn’t really a device for the stoner set. Anyway, for $100, it’s yours, duuuuude.

6. Hannah Montana Singing Doll and Pop Star Stage. With the oldest of my girls being almost 2 1/2, I haven’t yet personally become familiar with this wildly popular Disney Channel star. (Can one of you in comment land enlighten me to her appeal?) For $80 total for a doll and a stage, you get a mini concert that hooks up to any music player. Interesting.

7. Nerf N-Strike Disc Shot. Forget the kiddos — this thing is perfect for anyone who works in a cube farm. This thing has a disc launcher which is wirelessly operated that launches discs into the air to be shot with a dart blaster. The hours and hours of wasted productivity this could bring are almost enough to make me want to return to corporate America. Allegedly retailing for $49.99, these things are selling for $90 on Amazon. Looks like we have the real deal here, folks.

8. Rubiks Revolution. Everything must go electronic, and the Rubiks cube is no-exception. $20 for ages 5 and up.

9. Fisher-Price Smart Cycle. This one is personally interesting to me, given the aforementioned toddler. It’s a stationary bike that connects to the TV, and coordinates with a child-friendly video game. I will admit that I’m tempted… helps me feel better about combating the couch-potato factor. (Of course, we could go outside and actually let her ride her tricycle, but that would require her to put on clothes. - sigh - ) At $100, I don’t want to buy one blindly, so if any of you have reviews of this product, I’d love to hear them!

10. Spotz. This looks pretty cool. Definitely for the tween girl set, it allows you to translate a picture into a cool collectible button. I can see the trades happening now. Of course, it may be a little contrived for the truly cool preteens — I guess we’ll see. $30 for ages 6 and up.

11. Swypeout Online Battle Racing. Wow, I must be getting old. This is a scanner that plugs into the computer that allows kids to “swipe” collectible trading cards which allows them to have online races. I don’t get it. $20 for ages 8 to somewhere less than 35, or perhaps it’s just me.

12. Transformers Ultimate Bumblebee. This one is good as gold. Supposedly retailing for $90, it’s going for $140 on Amazon. A small price to pay for a half Camaro, half robot.

Do you know of others that should make the “sold out” list? Let’s hear your predictions… and if you’re right, perhaps I can help you secure one with my Cody connection!

Posted by mctex.

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.