Surfing violent websites linked to violent behavior

news.yahoo.com — NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Young people exposed to violent media are more likely to lash out violently themselves, new research published in Pediatrics shows. "Our findings add to the growing evidence that violence in the media is related to aggressive behavior, including seriously violent behavior among youths," Dr. Michele L. Ybarra of Internet Solutions for Kids in Santa Ana, California and her colleagues report. "Reduction in youths' exposure to violent media should be viewed as an important aspect of violence prevention." Many studies have examined exposure to violent media and violent behavior among young people, Ybarra and her team note in their report. In fact, they point out, the American Academy of Pediatrics calls media violence "the single most easily remediable contributing factor" to youth violence. read more...

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Successive Births, HRT Use Boost Joint Replacement Risks

news.yahoo.com — Early puberty, having lots of children, and hormone replacement therapy all increase a woman's likelihood of having knee or hip replacement surgery, according to a study that looked at 1.3 million British women whose health was tracked for an average of six years after they turned 50. The participants, all taking part in the Million Women Study, were asked how old they were when they had their first and last periods, how many children they'd given birth to, and whether they'd used oral contraceptives and hormone replacement therapy (HRT). During the six years of monitoring, more than 12,000 of the women needed a hip replacement and almost 10,000 needed a knee replacement. The researchers concluded that starting menstruation at or before the age of 11 increased the probability of knee and hip replacement by between 9 percent and 15 percent. Each successive birth increased the risk of knee replacement by 8 percent and the likelihood of hip replacement by 2 percent. read more...

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Parents Get 'Kid-Sick' with Children at Camp

edition.cnn.com — Eve Pidgeon watched the large group of kids, many of them laughing and chatting excitedly as they boarded a bus for summer sleepaway camp last summer. "They just couldn't wait," says Pidgeon, whose 8-year-old daughter, Zoe, was among the young campers. Then Pidgeon looked around and noticed something else: "There were no children crying -- just parents." These days, camp leaders and family counselors say it's an increasingly common dynamic. It used to be the homesick kid begging to come home from camp. While that still happens, they've noticed that it's often parents who have more trouble letting go. Child experts say success at camp has a lot to do with a kid's own desire to try it, or at least an interest in some of the activities. They agree that you shouldn't force a kid to go to camp. But they say it's equally important for parents to remain open to it. read more...

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Surviving a flight with your baby or toddler

edition.cnn.com — (CNN) -- Flying with a baby or toddler can have its fair share of turbulence. From finding a place to change diapers to keeping your child quiet to dealing with eye-rolling passengers, parents have their work cut out for them on a plane. Still, with some careful thought before, during and on the flight, you and your baby can survive the ride with minimal headaches. Booking seats In a perfect world, your child will sleep on the plane. But kids can be unpredictable -- as can flight delays -- which makes the planning process tough. If your child sleeps well in the car, your best bet is to schedule a flight during nap time, said Elizabeth Pantley, author of Gentle Baby Care. read more...

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Born too soon: One dad's story of preemie twins

msnbc.msn.com — DALLAS - The speech I was holding should only have been a backup. I knew the words by heart because I'd lived them. It was the story of my twin sons and how their birth 17 weeks too soon changed everything for me, my wife Lori and our 4-year-old son, Zac. I'd given this speech plenty of times, but never to an audience like this — other parents of preemies. read more...

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When moms criticize, dads back off of baby care

msnbc.msn.com — When Jeremy Adam Smith's infant son, Liko, woke up in the middle of the night screaming, Smith wanted to help calm him down. While his wife tried to sleep, he'd take the baby into another room and sing, coo and plead with his son to quiet down. But all that accomplished was keeping all three of them up. More often than not, his wife, Olli, would insist that he just let her breast-feed Liko. It worked like flipping a switch — no more crying. “For many fathers, they see that and, on the one hand, they don’t want to intrude — and on the other, it's a lot of work to intrude!" says Smith, who lives in San Francisco with his wife and their now-4-year-old son. Within weeks, he began to back away from trying to soothe his son's screams. read more...

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