Best parenting practices change with the weather. For years swaddling your baby, “burrito-style” was a must. But all of that changed seemingly overnight after a new licensing standards banned wrapping babies in blankets. And according to an article in Huffington Post, many childcare providers aren’t happy about it
"Young babies that were sleeping an hour [or] an hour and a half are now sleeping 20 minutes," said an employee who chose to be identified only as J. "I have some babies who are not sleeping at all."
Workers (no pun) have their hands tied when it comes to doing what they feel is best for the babies they care for.
In 2011 the National Resource Center on Child Health and Safety, together with the American Academy of Pediatrics and American Public Health Association, published the third edition of "Caring for Our Children," replete with safety guidelines—one of which effectively rules out swaddling.
Aside from increased safety risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), swaddled infants may experience hip dysplasia or dislocation.
Needless to say, many advocates and pediatricians, like "The Happiest Baby on the Block" author Dr. Harvey Karp are speaking out against the swaddling ban.
"They're changing something that is a very entrenched standard of care of the community," Karp told HuffPost. "The burden of proof on their shoulders to change something that is such a well-used—universally-used—intervention is rather high."
Safety concerns aside, Karp claims the benefits of swaddling are “robust.” But the proof is in the pudding. Caregivers maintain that babies sleep better and cry less when swaddled.
Though swaddling does have a host of benefits, the American Academy of Pediatrics cautions against using it in settings where there are multiple carers and techniques may not be safe.
"Our teachers are very committed to what they do, and they're feeling very frustrated that they can't do what they know helps the baby," said J. "There's more crying. The babies are not as happy or content when they're awake. It makes
everything a lot more stressful."
Is the AAP wise in erring on the side of caution, or is the swaddling ban taking policy a step too far?
You’d be forgiven for laughing at a headline like that, but the reality—that an eight-year-old girl from Tennessee was sent home due to “foul odour”—is actually quite pitiful.
According to an article in the Digital Journal, the girl’s school reportedly sent her home dozens of times for being unbearably smelly. At first read I assumed the little girl had gastro problems, but it seems the issue is one of simple hygiene.
The girl’s mother, Krystal Hensley, claims the second-grader bathes every day and is a great student. The school begs to differ, though, claiming the child sleeps in the same clothes and when grilled, she couldn’t remember when she last had a bath.
Apparently the Department of Children Services has been involved in the past, but “a case was never opened.”
The school has made it clear that the girl cannot return to classes until the problem is resolved. Hensley was adamant that the odour had no medical cause.
Was this school within its rights to suspend the girl?
Does marriage make you fat? Apparently so, according to a study from a Dallas University reported in Science Daily. And the happier you are in the early years of marriage, the more likely you are to pack on the pounds.
"On average, spouses who were more satisfied with their marriage were less likely to consider leaving their marriage, and they gained more weight over time," said psychologist Andrea L. Meltzer, lead researcher and assistant professor at Southern Methodist University. "In contrast, couples who were less satisfied in their relationship tended to gain less weight over time."
This latest research casts doubt on previous studies claiming that marriage was beneficial to a couple’s health. Apparently it all depends on the quality of your marriage. The happier you are, the less inclined you are to want to attract someone other than your spouse.
So the theory goes in the article, "Marital satisfaction predicts weight gain in early marriage," currently published in Health Psychology, based on data of 169 newlywed couples tracked over the first four years of marriage.
These findings complement other stats showing that divorce tends to lead to weight loss, no doubt because that person is suddenly ‘back on the market’ and more concerned about attracting a mate.
"So these findings suggest that people perhaps are thinking about their weight in terms of appearance rather than health," said Meltzer. "By focusing more on weight in terms of health implications as opposed to appearance implications, satisfied couples may be able to avoid potentially unhealthy weight gain over time in their marriages."
I put on weight the minute I started living with my husband, even before we were married. So maybe any happy relationship can have this effect once a certain comfort level sets in.
Do you concur with these findings?
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