what to eat when you're pregnant

How to make sure that cute creature on the sonogram won't suck you dry

What Baby Needs: Calcium
Why She Needs It
To build her skeleton. She will take calcium from your bloodstream, but if there isn't enough there, she'll take it from your bones.

Protect Your Share
Make sure you get at least 1,000 milligrams of calcium a day, about 200 milligrams more than before you were pregnant. An 8-ounce glass of milk has about 300 milligrams. Your doctor may prescribe or recommend a particular supplement; if not, we like Citracal.

What Baby Needs: Iron
Why She Needs It
To stock her growing blood supply. Iron helps make hemoglobin, the molecule that carries oxygen in the bloodstream to her growing organs.

Protect Your Share
The National Academy of Sciences suggests you get 27 milligrams of iron daily — 9 more than before you were pregnant. This will likely require a supplement, since a serving of beef — one of the best iron sources — contains only 3.5 milligrams. Iron supplements can upset your stomach; ask your doctor to recommend a brand. We like Feosol.

What Baby Needs: Protein
Why She Needs It
To build new tissue for the placenta and for her liver, lungs, brain, fat, and muscle.

Protect Your Share
During pregnancy you'll need about 70 grams of protein a day. That's 20 more than usual. Luckily, it's easy to get: An additional ounce of cheese or serving of meat and you're there.

For more information on Pregnancy please click here......

Article Source: Women'sHealth Mag.

Suggested Resource: Women Health Care Information

Sleep May Help Kids Keep Slim

Eating right and being active are well-known ways to try to keep a child's weight in check, but a new study points to another potential weapon in the fight against childhood obesity -- sleep.

Researchers at Northwestern University found that children who get more sleep tend to have a lower body mass index (BMI, a ratio of weight to height) and are less likely to be overweight five years later, than kids who get less sleep.

Sleeping an extra hour a night reduced the chance of being overweight from 36 percent to 30 percent in young children, and from 34 percent to 30 percent in older children.

"Our study adds to the growing literature about the connection between sleep and weight," said Emily Snell, the study's lead author and a doctoral student in Northwestern's department of human development and social policy. "Other studies have found that sleep and weight are related in adults and kids, but it's not clear if sleep affects weight, or vice versa. We accounted for that by factoring in how much the kids already weighed," Snell said.

The researchers did this by collecting data in two waves. They started by looking at 2,281 children from a national survey called the Child Development Supplement of the Panel Survey of Income Dynamics. The kids were ages of 3 to 12 at the start of the study, and follow-up information was collected five years later. Parents and/or the children were given "time diaries" to record sleep information, such as the total number of hours the child slept, bedtimes, and wake times.

Analysis of the diaries showed that children who slept less, went to bed later, or got up earlier during the first assessment had higher BMIs five years later and were more likely to be overweight. The research also showed that a later bedtime had a greater effect on whether children aged 3 to 8 became overweight, while earlier wake times played a greater role for children aged 8 to 13.

"The effect of sleep on the weight of younger kids came through their bedtime. An earlier bedtime seemed to matter more, and bedtime is a place where parents have control," Snell said. "For older kids, wake time mattered more. I'm not sure how comfortable I am telling school districts that if they start school early their kids will end up fat. But it does add to the evidence that a very early start time (7 a.m. or earlier), especially for pre-adolescents and teens, is not in line with adolescents biological clocks."

Snell added that the study also found a discouraging trend in how much -- or little -- sleep kids are getting, particularly on weeknights. By age 7, children were sleeping, on average, less than 10 hours on weekdays, and this dropped to 8.5 hours by age 14. Sixteen percent of adolescents aged 13 to 18 slept less than seven hours on weeknights.

The National Sleep Foundation recommends that 5- to 12-year-olds get 10 to 11 hours of sleep nightly and that teens get eight to nine hours.

Lack of sleep not only affects a child's weight, but it can have other ramifications, said Dr. Shahrad Taheri, a lecturer in medicine and endocrinology at the University of Bristol, in Great Britain.

"We are increasingly understanding that sleep has multiple functions," he said. "Short sleep has been associated with poor educational performance, alcohol use and addiction, poor immune responses, hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease."

Researchers don't know why sleep and childhood obesity may be related, but Snell said there are many potential pathways that link the two. For instance, not getting enough sleep can leave a child tired, and therefore less likely to be active. Also, being awake longer provides more time for eating.

Lack of sleep may also disrupt hormones that influence metabolism and hunger.

"Literature suggests that with restricted sleep comes changes in certain hormones that could alter intake of food," said Dr. Robert Vorona, a sleep specialist and an associate professor at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Va. "Leptin (which decreases food intake) and ghrelin (which increases food intake) are respectively reduced and increased by lack of sleep."

But, researchers don't recommend that parents wait to fully understand what links sleep and obesity before taking action. "If our kids got better sleep, then maybe we can make a dent in the obesity statistics," Taheri said. "You only need a 100 calorie surplus a day to put on significant weight over time, so every little effort helps."

Article Source: Medical Health Care Information

Temper Tantrums In Children

What are temper tantrums?

A temper tantrum is an unplanned, unintentional expression of anger, often with physical and verbal outbursts; it is not an act to get attention, as is commonly thought. During a temper tantrum, children typically cry, yell, and flail their arms and legs. Temper tantrums usually last 30 seconds to 2 minutes and are most intense at the onset.

Occasionally temper tantrums last longer and consist of more aggressive behavior, such as hitting, biting, and pinching. If this type of more aggressive behavior becomes common, a behavioral disorder or other health condition may be the cause.Anyone can have a tantrum, even an adult. However, temper tantrums are most common in children between the ages of 2 and 4 years.

Is it normal for my child to have temper tantrums?

Temper tantrums are common, occurring in about 80% of children between the ages of 2 and 4. About 20% of 2-year-olds and 10% of 4-year-olds have daily temper tantrums.

Why do children have temper tantrums?

A tantrum is a normal and expected response when something interferes with a young child's attempt to achieve independence or to master a skill. For example, a temper tantrum may be triggered by a child becoming frustrated while trying to button a shirt or by being told it is time for bed when he or she wants to stay up longer.

Some children are more likely to have temper tantrums than other children. Factors that contribute to a child's tendency to have tantrums include the child's age and stage of development, temperament, whether underlying health conditions are present (such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder [ADHD] or autism), fatigue, and stress in the child's environment. Also, a child may be more likely to have temper tantrums if parents react too strongly to difficult behavior or give in to the child's demands.

Symptoms

Usually, temper tantrums last 30 seconds to 2 minutes and are most intense during the first 30 seconds. During a tantrum, a child may:

* Cry, scream, or shout.
* Arch the back or tense the body.
* Flail the arms.

Temper tantrums are most likely to occur when a child is afraid, overtired, or uncomfortable. Breath-holding spells may sometimes occur with tantrums.

Difficult behavior that frequently lasts longer than 15 minutes, occurs more than 3 times a day, or is more aggressive may indicate that a child has an underlying medical, emotional, or social problem that needs attention. These are not considered typical temper tantrums. Difficult behaviors may include:

* Kicking, hitting, biting, scratching, hair pulling, or pinching other people.
* Throwing or breaking things.
* Head-banging or inflicting self-injury.

Although breath-holding alone is not a sign of a an underlying health or behavioral problem, it may need evaluation if it occurs with other more violent symptoms.

Temper Tantrums In Children

Treatment Overview

Most children learn other ways to deal with their anger and other strong emotions as they grow older and do not need medical treatment for temper tantrums. Ignoring the tantrum behavior and helping a young child learn how to handle his or her feelings is most often all that is needed.

Parenting workshops can be helpful for parents of a child who has temper tantrums. These types of programs often help parents become familiar with growth and developmental stages and provide strategies on how to handle difficult behavior in a constructive way.

Medical treatment for temper tantrums may be recommended for children who:

* Have long-lasting and frequent temper tantrums.
* Regularly have temper tantrums after 4 years of age.
* Hurt themselves or become violent.

Talk with a health professional if:

* You have concerns about your child's temper tantrums.
* Your child's temper tantrums frequently last longer than 15 minutes or occur more than 3 times a day.
* Your child's behavior does not improve after 4 years of age.
* Your child hurts himself or herself or other people or objects during a temper tantrum.
* You have problems handling your child's behavior, particularly if you are concerned that you might hurt your child.
* You want help with learning to cope with your feelings during your child's temper tantrums.

Home Treatment

Expect your 1- or 2-year-old to have temper tantrums. Tantrums are a normal part of learning independence and mastery in this age group. If your young child has temper tantrums, try the following:

* Ignore the behavior. Sometimes ignoring the tantrum works best, especially since tantrums usually last less than 2 minutes, and attempts to stop a tantrum usually make it worse. When you stop responding to your child's temper tantrums, the behavior may get worse for a few days before it stops. Ignoring some temper tantrums (such as when a child has one because he or she does not want to go to bed, or is kicking, biting, and pinching) may not be possible.

* Praise for calming down. After a tantrum, comfort your child without giving into her or his demands. Tell your child that he or she was out of control and needed time to calm down. Never make fun of or punish a child who has had a temper tantrum. Don't use words like “bad girl” or “bad boy” to describe your child during a temper tantrum.

* Acknowledge the feeling. Once your child is calm, acknowledge his or her feelings of frustration and anger. You might say, “I know that you were frustrated because you could not tie your shoes.”

* Teach other ways to handle anger and frustration. Teaching a child different ways to deal with negative emotions may reduce the number of temper tantrums a child has or prevent temper tantrums from getting worse. Offer simple suggestions to help a child learn self-control. For example, encourage your child to use words to express feelings or establish a safe, comfortable, place in the home where your child can go to calm down. Notice and praise good behavior.

* Encourage taking a break from a frustrating activity or redirect the child to a task he or she has already mastered.

* Be a good role model. Children often learn by watching their parents. Set a good example by handling your own frustration calmly.

Article Source: Medical Health Care Information

Pinpoints Trouble Spots For Heart Disease

Heart disease is more common in Arizona, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas, and least common in the U.S. Virgin Islands, according to the government's first state and territorial estimates of people living with heart disease nationwide.

Several of the states with the highest heart disease rates lie in a swath of Southeastern states known for high-fat diets. States reporting the lowest heart disease rates lie mainly in the West and Midwest: Nebraska, Wisconsin, Wyoming, New Mexico, Montana, Utah and Colorado.

Some states and territories had twice the prevalence of heart disease of others, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports. Heart attack prevalence ranged from a high of 6.1% in West Virginia to 2.1% in the U.S. Virgin Islands. West Virginia residents also had the highest prevalence of heart disease and/or heart attacks at 10.4%. The Virgin Islands had the lowest at 3.5%.

"The magnitude of the difference was striking," says the study's lead author, Jonathan Neyer of the CDC's division for heart disease and stroke prevention.

Heart disease has been the nation's biggest killer for nearly a century and could cost the economy $151 billion this year for medical care, lost productivity and other direct and indirect costs. Yet doctors have lacked reliable state-by-state information to enable them to determine where to target prevention programs.

The new study provides that data, Neyer says, filling the gap between surveys showing how many people suffer from heart disease risk factors and how many people die of heart disease. The new survey, he says, supplies the estimated prevalence of people "actually living with heart disease."

The study revealed disparities based on education and race. The heart disease prevalence was nearly twice as high among people with less than a high school diploma as it was among college graduates, 9.8% vs. 5%. American Indians and Alaska natives reported a prevalence of 11%, compared with 4.7% among Asians. Blacks, Hispanics and whites reported heart disease prevalence ranging from 6% to 7%.

The CDC analysis is in Friday's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. The data come from the agency's 2005 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, a random phone survey. A total of 356,112 adults responded to the survey in 2005, the report says.

Overall, 6.5% of people said a doctor or health provider told them they had a heart attack, angina or coronary heart disease.

Although the risk factor surveillance system has been established for years, this was the first time all 50 states and territories provided information on heart disease.

The study's main drawback is that it is based on self-reported data, which are not always accurate.

"If you're asking somebody whether they have heart disease, they're not going to tell you unless they've seen a doctor and gotten diagnosed," says Harvard's Christopher Murray, author of a September study showing population-based differences in life expectancy that generally jibe with the new report.

Murray says other government surveys indicated that half of people with diabetes and high blood pressure know they have the conditions.

Neyer says diabetes and hypertension are often silent diseases; heart attacks and chest pain are less likely to go unnoticed.

Article Source: Medical health Care Information