This week’s baby news covers modern fathers in the workplace, pinpoints the world’s most annoying sound, and proves that babies can in fact be art snobs. Well…the art study only researched Swiss babies, and we sort of knew they were art snobs already didn’t we? All

this and more below!

General Baby and Parenting

• Skip College, Go to Parenting School: Keli Geoff debates that parenting education might have larger, more positive impact on the country than increasing the number of college degrees. (~> The Huffington Post)

• Minorities Now Majority of U.S. Babies: Racial and ethnic minorities will become the U.S. majority by mid-century according to preliminary census data. (~> CBS News)

• Fathers and Workplace Flexibility: Gen X and Gen Y fathers are willing to sacrifice salary for a work/life balance, but older workers fear being passed-up for promotions. (~> MarketWatch)

• Same-Sex Couples Raising Kids: Census statistics show that 25% of same-sex couples in California are raising kids. (~> MercuryNews.com)

New Studies

• Overweight Babies: A new study by the National Academy of Sciences says that baby fat needs monitoring and makes suggestions the medical community and parents. (~> Washington Post)

• The World’s Worst Sound: It’s official, a whining child is the world’s most annoying sound! (~> Reuters)

Strange Baby News

• Babies Prefer Picasso: 9-month-old babies seem to prefer Picasso over Monet based on an odd study conducted in Switzerland. (~> MSNBC )

Thanks for visiting, and don’t forget to leave your comments in the box below. The blog is moderated throughout the day, so don’t worry if your comment isn’t immediately visible. I can also be found on Facebook and Twitter, so I look forward to hearing from you!

Have fun and stay healthy,
Dr.MOZ

Now wait just a second before getting all “safety crazy” on me and scrolling down to the comment box. I know…the base of the medicine-dispensing pacifier prototype seen above (called “Dr. Shuuuuuut“) is a choking hazard. Pacifiers are smooth and round for a reason,

but I like the way that designer Nicolas Moussallem thinks. Giving babies medicine is typically an easy process involving a syringe or medicine dropper with the correct dosage. You squirt it down their throats and that’s pretty much it, so I’m not sure we need to reinvent the wheel. Toddlers on the other hand, are different animals altogether.

Not only are toddlers much larger, but you can expect a fight once they’ve already had a dose of your foul tasting elixir. Gentle coaxing (read “bribes and threats”) become less effective with each dose, which is why you quickly find yourself incorporating techniques learned from your vet (beach towel to avoid blood loss, check!). This is where a tweaked version of the pacifier concept could come in handy. Find a way to inject or pour medicine into semi-hollow lollipops (so they still taste something like lollipops), and you have yourself a million dollar idea. In a related note, my daughter will be a toddler very soon Nicolas. You can keep the money…just get on that lollipop design right away.

What are your medicine dispensing tips and tricks parents? Advice not involving camouflage, screaming, or beach towels are always preferred.

Have fun and stay healthy,

Dr.MOZ

> tip thanks to Yanko Design!

Explaining serious medical conditions to children can be a difficult task which is why Kidzcomics of New Zealand developed the Medikidz series of medical comic books for kids. Created by a team of medical experts, Medikidz comic books help children

understand complicated medical issues that they or a family member may be suffering from including Breast Cancer, Swine Flu, ADHD, Childhood Obesity, Epilepsy, Type 1 Diabetes, HIV, Asthma, Autism, Food Allergy, and Scoliosis to name a few. Learn more Medikidz’s growing series of medical comic books at www.KidzComics.com!

Have fun and stay healthy,
Dr.MOZ

> tip thanks to Springwise!

It doesn’t matter where you are in the world, parents with children suffering from food allergies all go through similar “allergy alert tour” at their kids’ schools, daycare centers, and summer camps. A parent never really knows who has access to their children’s

important medical alert forms, which is why I love the allergy patch collection by Jeeto! Found at specialty stores around the US, these cute allergy patches (seen above) can be applied to a backpack, hat, or just about anything that would be easily visible to a student’s teacher. Available in a variety of common allergy themes in sets of 3, 6, and 10 patches directly from Jeeto!

Have fun and stay healthy,

Dr.MOZ

> Doctor’s Note: No sewing necessary. Jeeto patches have a heat-seal backing for easy iron-on application. Patch find thanks to Barbara, a regular blog reader of the moose M.D.!

Most of us would love to go completely organic, but few of us can afford to make the full switch. The good news…we can dramatically reduce our intake of pesticides by knowing which foods have the most exposure when grown.  The moose M.D.’s prescription for

weeding-out the bad apples, the Dirty Dozen Cheat Sheet by My Paper Crane!

Just tuck away this handy little printable in your wallet and it will be there for your next shopping trip. Not only will it help you put your money towards the pesticide-heavy products, but it’s a great teaching tool for the little ones as well.

Have fun and stay healthy,

Dr.MOZ

> tip via Cool Hunting!

Are you or your partner pregnant and wondering about the risks associated with the H1N1 swine flu virus? Chances are, you are just as concerned with the contents of the vaccine as you are the virus. There’s been a lot of debate as the flu season approaches, so your favorite moose M.D. has you covered with a growing H1N1 link roundup.

Note: This list of information from government sources, the media, and popular parenting/baby blogs were updated from the date of the original post through December. 2009.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Media (TV, Newspapers, Magazines)

• (Dec 15th) The Washington Post: Pregnant woman is panicked about swine flu risk for herself and her children
• (Nov 29th) Examiner.com: Shocking horror stories about pregnancy and H1N1 vaccine
• (Nov 9th) Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Depressed and Pregnant? Flu Shot May Be Needed
• (Nov 9th) Daily Herald: H1N1 vaccine works well for pregnant women
• (Oct 25th) CNN.com: Understanding the H1N1 virus
• (Oct 23rd) NPR, All Things Considered: In N.Y. Vaccine Availability Worries Pregnant Women
• (Oct 23rd) LaTimes.com: H1N1 vaccine a tough sell to pregnant women
• (Oct 23rd) Examiner.com: California suspends ban on thimerosal containing H1N1 vaccine for pregnant women
• (Oct 21st) Fox News on YouTube: Panel, Sean Hannity, Deirdre Imus, etc Obama’s Daughters Should Be H1N1 Vaccinated on TV
• (Oct 19th) Newsweek: Innoculation Misinformation
• (Sept 30th) CBS Evening News: Some Pregnant Women Say No to H1N1 Vaccine
• (Sept 28th) New York Times: (Essay) Pregnancy Is No Time to Refuse a Flu Shot
• (Sept 21st) USAtoday.com: Pregnant women bare arms for H1N1 vaccine
• (Aug 9th) NPR, All Things Considered: Pregnant Women Weigh Risks of H1N1 Vaccine
• (Aug 5th) CNN Health, Paging Dr. Gupta: Swine flu vaccine for pregnant women

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Blogs (Parenting, Baby Blogs)

• (Nov 9th) CafeMom: A Mom’s H1N1 Story, Vaccinated Without Consent
• (Nov 5th) New Moms Need: Is there thimerosal in the H1N1 vaccine?
• (Nov 3rd) Attachment Parenting Blog: Fighting H1N1 with a cool soap dispenser
• (Oct 26th) Babies Online The Blog: H1N1 Flu Updates for the Family
• (Oct 23rd) cafeMom, dailybuzz: Swine Flu Vaccine: Demand the Babysitter Get It?
• (Oct 22nd) BabyCenter, MOMformation: Swine Flu and You: Breastfeeding and H1N1
• (Oct 21st) SafeMama: H1N1 Vaccine: Get It or Don’t Get It?
• (Oct 20th) Babble, Strollerderby: What Pregnancy Plus Swine Flu Looks Like
• (Oct 19th) ParentsConnect.com: H1N1 and Pregnancy: Swine Flu and Pregnant Women

~~~~~~~~~~~~

U.S. Government

• (Oct 23rd) FLU.gov, US Department of Health and Human Services: What Pregnant Women Should Know About H1N1 Virus
• (Oct 2nd) CDC H1N1 Flu: Influenza Shots and Pregnant Women: Questions and Answers for Patients

Thanks for visiting everyone and feel free to share your comments, swine flu concerns, and useful H1N1 links in the comment box below.

Have fun and stay healthy,
Dr.MOZ

According to a recent piece in the New York Times, a sub-culture of high-performance runners are beginning to learn what the majority of baby shoe manufactures have known all along…less is more. Running barefoot or nearly barefoot with thin, flexible shoes is thought to reinforce proper biomechanics unlike many running shoes that allow athletes to

repeatedly slam down on their heels.

Much like developmentally appropriate baby shoes, running with thinner shoes (or completely barefoot) helps runners land gently with their feet under their torsos while building strength in all the muscles in their feet. Competitive athletes aren’t yet releasing what other secrets they’ve learned from their baby counterparts, but don’t be surprised to see Nike’s new full-sized reflective onesies running through a neighborhood near you.

Have fun and stay healthy,
Dr.MOZ

If you haven’t been to ZRecs lately, you would probably surprised to hear that none of the “3 Things to Do with Your SIGG Bottle” listed below include drinking water. As it turns out, the epoxy lining used in SIGG bottles for many years (bottles manufactured before Aug 2008) contained hormone-disrupting BPA (bisphenol-A). It appears that the company knew

about it long before announcing it through a recent post online, and actually began working on a new BPA-free lining back in June 2006.

According to SIGG’s CEO, independent third-party tests show that the trace amount of BPA used in previous lining formulas revealed absolutely no migration. Unfortunately for SIGG, most of their customers (including the Dr.MOZ team and their families) traded-in their water bottles and early-model Nalgenes for expensive SIGG bottles under the illusion that they didn’t contain bisphenol-A. The fact that they needed to be lined at all (aluminum leaches too) should have been a clue to consider other options, so I’ve written it off as learning experience.

The Dr.MOZ team recently migrated to BPA-Free Kleen Kanteen products, but don’t think for a second that we threw away our totally safe early-model SIGGs. Here are three great uses for your totally safe SIGG containers made prior to Aug 2008:

(1) Place in a Toilet Tank to  Save Water: Place a few small rocks at the bottom of your totally safe SIGG container made prior to Aug 2008, fill it with water, screw the lid on, and place it in your toilet tank. This will take up a small amount of space in most toilets (usually occupied by water) and will save the average family around 10 gallons of water a day! (Note): most tanks will need around 3 gallons to work properly, so don’t use this tip if you are already using a modern low-flow toilet.

(2) Battery Receptacle: If you haven’t yet switched to rechargeable batteries, you are probably wondering what you are supposed to do with the toxic little buggers once they’ve died. I recommend that you put them in your totally safe SIGG containers made prior to Aug 2008. Once it’s full, visit this recycling locater provided by Earth911.com to see where to recycle them.

(3) Oil Drip Catcher: Just look under your car and you’ll likely find a minor leak coming from a predictable location. Place your totally safe SIGG containers made prior to Aug 2008 under this persistent drip area at night and take it to your local recycling center when it’s eventually full. If it’s a very slow leak, simply take it to your mechanic for recycling during your regularly scheduled oil change.

Thanks again to ZRecs for their excellent BPA coverage, and to SIGG for eventually getting around to announcing the existence of BPA in their SIGG containers made prior to to Aug 2008. Did I mention that Kleen Kanteen has colored sippy cups and new wide mouth designs for adults?

Have fun and stay healthy,
Dr.MOZ

>also see: BPAs in the News,

This Just In, A Year Later “BPAs a Concern”,

Avoiding BPAs: Use Glass Bottles

book’s release, it appears that we’re still attempting to catch-up to improvements made in the 1990′s.

• Six Areas of  Improvement: infant mortality rate, child death rate, teen death rate, teen birth rate, high school dropout rate, and rate of teens not in school and not working
• Four Areas of Worsening: low-birthweight babies, children living in families where no parent has full-time year-round employment, children in poverty, and children in single parent families

– ———

• Best States for Children’s Well-Being: (1) New Hampshire, (2) Minnesota, (3) Utah, (4) Connecticut, (5) Massachusetts
• Worst States for Children’s Well Being: (50) Mississippi, (49) Louisiana, (48) Alabama, (47) Arkansas, (46) Tennessee

Visit the Kids Count Data Center online to see how your state adds up!

Have fun and stay healthy,
Dr.MOZ

If you have a toddler in the house, chances are good that you hear the “W” word dozens of times a day. Why do bananas grow on trees? Why are bananas yellow? Why do you open bananas from the stem instead of by the end like a monkey? What? You don’t open a
banana like a monkey? Well come on, watch the video and give it a try!

Have fun and stay healthy,

Dr.MOZ

> swissmiss via ifiwerethekeys

Summer is heating-up and it’s time to get the kids out of the house. This weekend’s prescription is to pack-up the family and head outdoors on an adventure…doctor’s orders! You may not have access to a new 39-foot-tall play structure like the Girl Scouts in Balboa Park do, but there must be field, beach, or park somewhere close by. Enjoy the weekend everyone, I’ll see you outside!

Have fun and stay healthy,
Dr.MOZ

If your summertime routine includes sending the kids to daycare or camp, your family may have dealt with head lice. If not, it’s just a matter of time before a note comes home warning you of an outbreak of the little beasties. When it happens, you’ll probably forget to write me

a Dear Dr.MOZ letter because you’ll be too busy trying to type “lice treatment” on Google while fighting an uncontrollable case of the willies.

Fear not parents, there’s a strange new industry spreading almost as fast as the little buggers on Junior’s mop…professional head lice removal. I first heard of London-based Hairforce at Springwise and dismissed it as a crazy British start-up, but after a little investigation I learned that it’s a crazy Brazilian and American industry as well (see locations below). In fact, the lice removal business has been around for a few years now and it sounds like a smart idea considering that most parents would pay just about anything to avoid touching them.

Not only will these businesses make confidential home-visits to remove lice, nits, and eggs, but many offer lice screenings at schools! It kind of makes your head itch just thinking about it doesn’t it? Let our readers know of a service like this in your area by clicking on the comments bubble above.

Have fun and stay healthy,
Dr.MOZ

> Lice Removal Services in: California, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Texas, UK (London)