Study: Married folks have fewer heart problems - SFGate

Study: Married folks have fewer heart problems - SFGate: —Married people had a 5 percent lower risk of any cardiovascular disease compared to single people. Widowed people had a 3 percent greater risk of it and divorced people, a 5 percent greater risk, compared to married folks.

—Marriage seemed to do the most good for those under age 50; they had a 12 percent lower risk of heart-related disease than single people their age.

—Smoking, a major heart risk, was highest among divorced people and lowest in widowed ones. Obesity was most common in those single and divorced. Widowed people had the highest rates of high blood pressure, diabetes and inadequate exercise.

How raising kids within routines boosts social and emotional health | Deseret News

How raising kids within routines boosts social and emotional health | Deseret News: A study just published in the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics shows that certain routines also enhance the social and emotional health of young children. Children who sing, play, read, tell stories and have dinner with their families are twice as likely to have good social-emotional health (SEH), and for every routine a parent and child do together, the social-emotional benefit grows.

The measure of SEH used by researchers from The Children's Evaluation and Rehabilitation Center at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University is based on a child's ability to understand emotions, empathize, show self-control and form positive relationships, both with other kids and with adults.

Cuddlers soothe babies too sick, tiny to go home - Newsday

Cuddlers soothe babies too sick, tiny to go home - Newsday: CHICAGO - A volunteer slips her arms into a gauzy yellow hospital gown and approaches a medical crib holding a tiny newborn hooked up to noisy machines.

"OK," she says, with a smile. "Baby time."

That means cuddle time in the neonatal intensive care unit at the University of Chicago's Comer Children's Hospital. Here, as at several other hospitals around the country, strangers offer a simple yet powerful service for newborns too tiny or sick to go home

Smartphone not so smart for parenting | WPRI 12

The Buzz: Smartphone not so smart for parenting | WPRI 12: A new study reveals that smartphones may not be such a “smart” choice when it comes to parenting. This study observed parents in several different fast food restaurants. And the people who were engrossed in their smartphones responded less, and more harshly than those who used their phone only for phone calls.

9 Parenting Steps That Foster Growth, Confidence And Leadership In Kids

9 Parenting Steps That Foster Growth, Confidence And Leadership In Kids: In January, I published a parenting post featuring Dr. Tim Elmore’s great insights on the 7 crippling parenting behaviors that keep children from growing into leaders. With more than 5.7 million views and growing, we know this piece struck a powerful chord among parents across the globe. Both Tim and I received hundreds of comments, emails, and questions from parents of all walks of life, asking how to apply these ideas into practice. Some parents disagreed, and also challenged our concept of “leadership” and asked, “Can’t we just let our children be who they are rather than make them into leaders?” (Great question.)

From my perspective, the goal is not to “force” our children to be anything they’re not, but instead, to foster, encourage and support them to be all they dream to be in the world. To do that, we need to understand some fundamentals about parenting behaviors that encourage growth, confidence and self-reliance, versus actions that stifle independence and critical thinking.

Prenatal vitamins: How to choose the best for your pregnancy | Fox News

Prenatal vitamins: How to choose the best for your pregnancy | Fox News: It can be hard to eat healthy when you’re dealing with morning sickness and pregnancy cravings, but prenatal vitamins aren’t meant to make up for unhealthy food choices.

“This should complement a healthy diet,” Dr. Mary Rosser, an assistant professor in the department of obstetrics and gynecology and women's health at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City said. “It’s really not a substitute for anything.”

Higher risk of suicide and autism in children born to older dads - Medical News Today

Higher risk of suicide and autism in children born to older dads - Medical News Today: More recent genetic studies have claimed that the age of the father at conception is linked to the likelihood of "de novo mutations" developing in their children. De novo mutations are when a gene becomes present in a family for the first time as the result of a mutation in the egg or sperm from one of the parents.

These de novo mutations have also been linked to ASDs. Medical News Today reported on one genetic study that found this in 2012.

Proactive parenting can lead to improve sleep for children | MyCentralJersey.com | mycentraljersey.com

Proactive parenting can lead to improve sleep for children | MyCentralJersey.com | mycentraljersey.com: Coinciding with Daylight Saving Time, this week Americans are presented with National Sleep Awareness Week, an annual public education and awareness program created by The National Sleep Foundation (NSF), which runs from March 2 to 9. The annual campaign creates the perfect opportunity for individuals to educate themselves on the importance of sleep and how it affects their overall well-being.

Fast Food Not The Biggest Cause Of Rising Childhood Obesity

Fast Food Not The Biggest Cause Of Rising Childhood Obesity: If you work in politics or culture, you are probably quick to attribute fast-food consumption as the major factor causing rapid increases in childhood obesity. Scholars the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill report that fast-food consumption is simply a byproduct of a much bigger problem: poor all-day-long dietary habits that originate in children's homes.

Childhood Obesity And Weight Gain Linked To Bedroom TVs - Health News - redOrbit

Childhood Obesity And Weight Gain Linked To Bedroom TVs - Health News - redOrbit: According to a study published on Monday in JAMA Pediatrics, children between the ages of 10 and 14 who had a TV in their bedroom weighed around one pound more than their peers without a bedroom TV. The study found that the additional weight was unrelated to how much TV kids watched in their bedrooms.

The study included over 3,000 children that researchers tracked over a four-year period. The children’s body mass index, which is based in their height and weight, was determined at the outset, two-year mark and four-year mark. Researchers also conducted telephone interviews with parents to determine kids’ TV and video game habits.

Musical instruments linked to child development - The Nation

Musical instruments linked to child development - The Nation: Tepika Rodsakan, a lecturer at Faculty of Fine Arts' Music Department, is doing a PhD degree at Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts. The research funding was from the National Research Council of Thailand.

Tepika said the inspiration for her novel approach to learning came from organising activities for special needs children at Panya Wuthikorn School.

During the activities, she found the children had limited knowledge of how to use Thai and foreign musical instruments and that they were too big.

Tepika tried to get the kids play normal instruments like the flute, but they had trouble playing them as the instruments have seven finger holes.

Digital parenting: how to monitor your child in the cyber world | Fox 59 News – fox59.com#axzz2v6fncMlY#axzz2v6fncMlY#axzz2v6fncMlY#axzz2v6fncMlY#axzz2v6fncMlY#axzz2v6fncMlY

Digital parenting: how to monitor your child in the cyber world | Fox 59 News – fox59.com#axzz2v6fncMlY#axzz2v6fncMlY#axzz2v6fncMlY#axzz2v6fncMlY#axzz2v6fncMlY#axzz2v6fncMlY: Believe it or not, social media websites like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are old news now. Enter Snapchat, Kik, and MeetMe.

In a cyber world filled with millions of friends and followers, experts say it’s important for parents to stay connected and keep their kids safe online.

“When I grew up, it was the diaries. It was very private information, you didn’t do those things,” said Kelly Marshall, a parent. “This is a completely new culture.”

Current parenting styles make teachers’ job harder

Current parenting styles make teachers’ job harder: One of the most frustrating issues for classroom teachers continues to be the impossibility and inability to work with kids effectively because of some issues created by some parents in response to various aspects of our current culture. I actually believe this to be a societal issue, rather than an issue of bad parents or failure by schools and teachers. We teachers combated children’s sense of entitlement, their lack of respect for us and for learning, their “all about me” attitudes and behaviors, and — in some cases — an undivided focus on their grades as opposed to their achievement and learning. These frustrations would constitute “the tip of the iceberg” of issues facing educators today.

Orphans' Lonely Beginnings Reveal How Parents Shape A Child's Brain | KUOW News and Information

Orphans' Lonely Beginnings Reveal How Parents Shape A Child's Brain | KUOW News and Information: More than a decade of research on children raised in institutions shows that "neglect is awful for the brain," says Charles Nelson, a professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and Boston Children's Hospital. Without someone who is a reliable source of attention, affection and stimulation, he says, "the wiring of the brain goes awry." The result can be long-term mental and emotional problems.

AFP: Anger outbursts linked to swift heart attacks, strokes

AFP: Anger outbursts linked to swift heart attacks, strokes: People who have outbursts of anger are at greater risk of having a heart attack or stroke in the two hours immediately after the episode, European researchers said Tuesday.

The study -- a big review of published papers -- is the first to give powerful statistical backing to suspicions that strong emotions can drive cardiac risk, although the underlying biological causes remain unclear.

In the two hours immediately after an angry outburst, an individual's risk of myocardial infarction or acute coronary syndrome rose nearly five-fold, to 4.7 percent, compared to times when the person was calm, the study found.

White noise machines may be hazardous to babies’ hearing: study - NY Daily News

White noise machines may be hazardous to babies’ hearing: study - NY Daily News: White noise machines may help babies sleep more soundly, but they may also damage their delicate ears, a group of researchers warned.

Some widely available brands of infant sleep machines — which, like ambient noise machines for adults, emit a variety of soothing sounds designed to block out external noise — are capable of playing at volumes that could impair an infant's hearing, according to a study published March 3 in the journal Pediatrics.

Children exposed to more brain-damaging chemicals than scientists thought — RT USA

Children exposed to more brain-damaging chemicals than scientists thought — RT USA: Back in 2006, researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai pinpointed five industrial chemicals that they linked to brain disorders such as autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), reduced IQ, and more.

These chemicals were lead, methlymercury, polychlorinated biphenyls (a coolant fluid in motors), arsenic (found naturally and also in pesticides), and toluene (in paint thinner, nail polish, and more).

In a review of their 2006 study, though, the same scientists have now discovered brain development in children could be negatively disrupted by another six chemicals. These chemicals are: chlorpyrifos, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, fluoride, manganese, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, tetrachloroethylene.