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Infant Formula Can’t Contain Brown Rice Syrup

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 13:42:49 +0000

The Baby’s Only/organic brown rice syrup/arsenic issue is causing an uproar among parents who feed their baby infant formula. Even parents who don’t feed their baby Baby’s Only formula are questioning their infant formula. If you’re among them, here’s something you should know about infant formula in general.

No “infant” formula sold in the U.S., including store brands, can contain brown rice syrup. That’s because infant formula is tightly regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Store brand and name brand infant formulas are nutritionally equivalent and brown rice syrup isn’t allowed as part of the formulation for any infant formula sold in the U.S.

“Toddler” formula (for older kids), however, can contain brown rice syrup–organic and otherwise–because it’s not regulated by the FDA like “infant” formula is.

It’s confusing because “Baby’s Only” is actually a formula made for toddlers, which is something else to consider if you’re feeding your infant (a baby age 1 and under) Baby’s Only.

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Traveling with your baby?

Tue, 10 May 2011 12:49:36 +0000

Check out how to become a budget traveler. Here’s my post on Consumer Reports’ Shop Smart magazine. I blog there every Monday:

http://www.shopsmartmag.org/2011/05/budget-saving-tips-from-a-world-traveler.html.

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Cool Kid Food

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 14:06:11 +0000

Go Go Squeez sent me some samples of their gourmet (from France) applesauce, which now come in five flavors: apple apple, apple strawberry, apple peach, apple banana and apple cinnamon. My kids loved them and so did my Girl Scout troop and the moms of my troopsters. These space-age resealable pouches of applesauce and applesauce combos make healthy snacking on the go–whether you’re traveling, heading off to swim or soccer practice with your kids or feeding the crowd on play dates–so easy because there’s no spoon or mess. Bonus: GoGo Squeez is 100 percent fruit with no added sugar; one pouch equals one fruit serving. Watch the cap, which reseals the pouch, though. It’s a choking hazard for kids under age 3. You can find GoGo Squeez in major supermarkets or order it from Amazon. A 48-pack, for example, will run you $29.98, or 62 cents per serving. It’s not the cheapest snack around, but it’s definitely a healthy and tasty alternative. Check them out at www.materne.us.

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Bare is best for your baby’s crib

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 21:04:35 +0000

I had the privilege of speaking on two radio shows yesterday–WARM 103.3 with morning show host, Traci Taylor, in York, PA and Money Matters Radio with Chuck Nilosek in Boston on how to save money on baby gear. Both Traci and Chuck asked me: “What’s something lots of new parents buy for their baby that they just don’t need or that’s even unsafe?” My answer: Crib bedding.

Crib bedding–a bumper, blanket and pillow set–can run you hundreds, even thousands of dollars, depending on how designer you want to go. But it’s money that you needn’t and even shouldn’t spend because the safest cribs are bare. They’re outfitted in nothing but a tight-fitting mattress and a tight-fitting sheet. Everything else–even sleep positioners–pose a suffocation/SIDS risk. To keep your baby warm, dress your baby in a sleep sack or a swaddle sack to replace a blanket.

A bare crib isn’t something you’ll often see in stores and in magazines. Check out this study by Rachel Moon, M.D., a pediatrician at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., on how more than one third of pictures of sleeping infants in magazines geared toward women of childbearing age showed unsafe sleep positions or environments that weren’t consistent with recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics:

A decked-out crib can be dangerous.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19706591?itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum&ordinalpos=1

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With Potty Training/Teaching–Timing is Key

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 18:50:24 +0000

When’s the best time to start potty training/teaching your child? It’s not just when you’re ready to be so done with diapers. According to researchers at The Bristol-Meyers Squibb Children’s Hospital and at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, you have the best window of opportunity to potty teach when your child is between 24 and 32 months of age. In the study, kids older than 32 months had a greater incidence of bed wetting, day wetting and other I-gotta-go-now urge incontinence issues. And, apparently, before 24 months, many children just aren’t developmentally ready yet. For more about the finding, visit: http://rwjms.umdnj.edu/.

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Stroller recalls continue to roll in

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 14:03:57 +0000

On January 27, Regal Lager recalled the Ruby, Onyx, and Topaz models of its CYBEX strollers due to the potential for fingertip amputations and laceration hazards from the exposed hinge mechanism, adding this stroller to the roster of recent stroller recalls. One finger fracture was reported. Stop using this stroller if you have it and contact Regal Lager at 800-593-5522, info@regallager.com or www.regallager.com/recalls to receive a free hinge cover retrofit kit. The strollers were sold between August 2009 and November 2009 for $140 to $260. Watch out for this stroller (and other recalled models) at tag sales, consignment shops and other places where secondhand baby gear is sold if you typically shop those venues.

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Microbe Myth: Kids need to get sick to build their immune system

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 13:22:53 +0000

When my kids were in daycare, I sort felt okay if they picked up every little cold bug that came their way because I had heard that kids need to get sick to build up their immunity. Turns out that’s a myth. While a cold or virus can help prime a child’s immune system, it’s not something your child needs. “Routine vaccinations, including a yearly flu shot, boost kids’ immunities enough,” says Philip M. Tierno Jr., Ph.D., director of clinical microbiology and immunology at New York University Medical Center in New York City and author of The Secret Life of Germs.

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Don’t forget the little stuff on your baby registry

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 14:27:40 +0000

Put diapers on your baby registry

When you’re registering for baby products, it’s easy to get caught up in what stroller, crib or car seat to put on your wish list. But don’t forget the little stuff such as diapers, diapers and more diapers (but not in the newborn size; you’ll only need one package of those so go ahead and buy those yourself), diaper wipes, diaper rash ointment, breast pads, pacifiers, a nursing bra or two, breast milk storage bags, baby bottle liners, formula (the store brand is just as nutritious as name brands), baby body wash (which doubles as shampoo) and a digital rectal thermometer (a $10 one will do). These practical items may not seem gifty, but they’re nifty—especially when, say–you run out of diapers and discover another package amidst your baby shower bounty, which prevents you from having to dash to the 24-hour pharmacy. (Been there!)

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Shout out for dramatic birth stories

Sat, 23 Jan 2010 12:08:13 +0000

Did you give birth…in a hurricane? On the way to the hospital? At work? Unexpectedly? (As in–surprise! You didn’t even know you were pregnant.)

For a major parenting magazine, I’m looking for dramatic birth stories like these. If you fit this description or know of anyone who gave birth under extraordinarily dramatic circumstances within the last year, send me your story (sgordon1@mindspring.com). I’ll contact you for an interview. Thank you!

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