Nursing Mothers may be giving their infants food allergies.

Nursing Mother's with a history of asthma or eczema may need to be more cautious about foods they consume. A study being done in Canada has found that nursing mothers may pass peanut proteins in breast milk to their infants. Such early exposure to these kind of allergens could put babies at risk, developing potentially fatal allergies.

A recent Food and Drug Administration study also found that many food manufacturers fail to list highly allergenic ingredients such as peanuts, eggs and milk that are in their products. About 7 million Americans who suffer from food allergies rely on ingredient labels to tell them which processed foods are safe. Some food allergies, particularly peanut allergies, can be fatal -- they cause about 150 deaths each year.

Mothers who breast-feed their children may be able to prevent them from developing such allergies by monitoring their diets, according to a Canadian study. Researchers said babies with one or both parents with a history of asthma, eczema or other allergy-based diseases are at risk of peanut allergy, because those children can be identified at birth, nursing mothers could avoid exposing them to the allergen by not consuming peanut products while nursing.

Researchers at St. Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Ontario, said breast milk had been suspected as a hidden route by which children became sensitized to peanuts. Avoiding exposure through breast milk does not guarantee that children can avoid peanut allergy when they are exposed to the food at a later age. It is now believed the allergy is often triggered by exposure early in a child's development. Doctors generally recommend that parents not feed children peanut products until age 3.

Choosing the correct breast pump

What Type of Breast Pump Is Right For U?

Manual or electric, single or double-alternating pump, buy or rent? With the number of options available choosing the most suitable breast pump for your pumping needs can be tricky. Keep in mind that there is no one-size-fits-all breast pump; what worked well for your mother or best friend may not work well for you. Choosing your ideal breast pump is a decision best made after considering your needs and weighing all of the options. There are several factors that can help determine your ideal breast pump.

The following sections provide a brief outline of points to consider when choosing a pump. If you are having difficulty choosing a pump, a qualified healthcare professional can help guide your decision based on the following factors:

1) How do you plan to use the pump?

Are you using a pump in addition to breastfeeding?
Do you plan to pump and store several containers of milk?
Are you returning to work?
Will you be away from your baby for several days?

2) How much time will it take you to pump?
The amount of time it takes to pump varies, but certain types of breast pumps may be easier to use and extract milk faster.
If you plan to pump at work or do not have a lot of time to pump, you may want to consider a battery or electrically powered breast pump. Double and double-alternating pumps may also decrease the amount of time it takes to pump because both breasts can be emptied at the same time.

3) Are the pump's instructions easy for you to understand?
Review the instructions included with several different pumps and choose a pump that is easy for you to assemble, use, clean, and take apart. If you are shopping for a pump in a store, ask a salesperson if the store has display breast pumps so you can practice assembling and taking apart several different pumps before you buy one.
Keep in mind that for health reasons most stores will not allow you to return a breast pump.

4) Where will you be using a pump?
Manual and battery-powered pumps can be easy to transport and use in small spaces, while an electric pump will require an outlet to power the pump and may be difficult to transport.
It is important that women who use a powered breast pump are prepared for emergency situations when electricity or extra batteries may not be available. Having extra supplies for pumping and a back-up method, such as a manual breast pump, may help a woman maintain her breast pumping schedule during an emergency.

5) Do you need a pump that is easy to transport?
If you travel frequently, or plan to pump at work consider buying a light-weight pump that transports easily in a carrying case that holds the pump and your pumping supplies.
If you plan to pump in the same place every time, you may not need to worry about how easy it is to transport.

6) Will the breast-shields fit you?
Make sure that the breast-shield opening is the correct size for you. You should be able to comfortably center your nipple inside the breast-shield. Many pumps are sold with one size of breast-shield. If the included breast-shields make your nipples sore or are otherwise uncomfortable, make sure you can replace them with a different size or texture that is comfortable for you and will work with your pump.

Education Programmes For All Ages @ the Zoo!

There's some educational programmes organized by the zoo. This is really interesting. Some programmes are catered for different age groups. The one I'm introducing here is one which suits all ages. You can bring your kids along to zoo one of these days. I'm sure you'll enjoy your day there.

Animals fascinate children. At the Singapore Zoo, we use this fascination as a platform to reach out to children and make learning an enthralling journey for the little ones. The journey engages them with sight, sounds, touch, smell and taste.

The Tamed Ones (Suspend until further notice)

Enjoy an intimate encounter with a friendly ferret, a funny bunny, a cuddly chinchilla or a Red-Eared Slider. Our knowledgeable Zoo staff talks to your students about the interesting characteristics of these animals that they have the privilege to meet. Note : The animals featured in this programme are subject to availability.

Domestic Animals (Held at Animal Land)

Set in Animal Land, this lesson brings the children up close and personal with the various animals that are associated with humans since 9000 B.C. Understand how domestication of animals began and the benefits that humans have reaped as a result. Your students get to do what most Zoo visitors enjoy tremendously - an opportunity to feed the animals.

Horsing Around (Held at Animal Land)

Prance around and find out the various breeds of horses we have in Zoo, from the standard thoroughbred to the world’s smallest horse - the Falabella.
Insects and other Invertebrates Insects and invertebrates are unlike us in that they do not have backbones. Come face to face with some of these fascinating creatures that wear their skeletons on the outside and unearth interesting facts about them. Get to know the Creepy Crawlies, pat a stick insect, a hissing cockroach or a giant millipede if you dare!

Animals and What They Eat

Discover the variety of supplements that we provide for all our animals to keep them in the pink. Feast your eyes on the supplements, which include cod liver oil, powdered milk, eggs, rice, vitamins, biscuits, etc, etc. You will be surprised at the huge quantity of food that our animals consume each day. Different animals eat different things and they have special mouthparts or teeth adapted for the diet. Your students get a chance to touch and feel animal teeth that are used for different functions.

Mad About Elephants

Big, big, big! Go totally mad over the world’s largest living land animals and be overwhelmed by their size, intelligence and agility. Find out how big the skull of an elephant is, and the weight of its molar tooth and tusk. Students learn the concept of size and weight, and make comparison. So, it’s not just mad about elephants, it’s also math about elephants.
Cool Cats Be awed and fascinated by the beauty of the tigers, leopards, lions and other cats. Run your fingers over their pelts, hold their paws and discover the secret behind the texture of their rough tongue.

Under the Sea!

Suspend until further notice(Held at Manatee, Sea lion and the Penguin Enclosure)Come discover the amazing facts of the marine animals that the Zoo has! Learn about the food chain of the marine habitat. Touch a polar bear’s foot and hold a sea turtle specimen in your arms. See how different the penguins’ feathers are from the other birds. Also catch a glimpse of the ‘mermaid’ swimming gracefully underwater.

Body Coverings

In this programme, your students learn to appreciate the importance of different body coverings. They can feel the scaly skin of a reptile, the feathers of a bird, the fur of a mammal and the quill of a pangolin. By using a magnifying glass, they are able to observe the details on a pangolin’s `scale’, which is actually a plate of modified hairs.

Primate Personalities

Get down to monkey business and be a primatologist for a day. Apes and monkeys have are intriguingly human-like in their mannerism. Their expressive eyes and facial expressions keep us enthralled. Find out the many fascinating facets of primates personalities at the Singapore Zoo, which houses the world’s largest collection of primates.

Animals Babies

What is childhood like for animals? Come and find out just how much we share in common. Learn why some animal babies need to know how to run even before they have learnt to crawl, and how some others have unique ways of darting to safety. Find out why some young animals look nothing like their parents and how it helps them survive.Come and discover the miracles of birth and the wonders of being young at the Singapore Zoo. Let your children be enchanted by the great splendors of Nature—babies!

Target Age Group:
All ages

Duration:
30 mins per session

Cost:
$3.60 per pax (excludes admission) Minimum 30 paxN.B. - For every 10 students, 1 adult admits free

Venue:
Auditorium (Learning Centre) unless stated otherwise.

Booking Procedure:
Note: All the programmes are available on a first-come-first served basis.

Pregnancy Loss - Dealing with Miscarriage and Other Forms of Loss

How to cope with grief and every day living after the loss of your pregnancy or baby due to miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, preterm labor, stillbirth or neonatal death.

Here's some brief information for your knowledge. Most importantly, Take good care of yourself.

Pregnancy Loss: Pregnancy loss is defined as the loss of a pregnancy at any point before birth. It can be at a very early point in the first trimester due to miscarriage or near the end of pregnancy as a stillbirth. Each type of pregnancy loss is different and is experienced differently for each family suffering the grief of that loss.

Miscarriage: Miscarriage is usually defined as the loss of a pregnancy before 20 weeks gestation, about the half way point, before your baby can survive outside of the uterus. The vast majority of miscarriages occur in the first trimester. Sometimes they are caused by a blighted ovum, or egg that failed to develop.

Tubal Pregnancy: Tubal pregnancy is also know as an ectopic pregnancy. This is a pregnancy that grows outside of the uterus, most frequently in the fallopian tube. Since other structures are not capable of carrying a growing baby, the pregnancy is doomed. This can be a very serious and often life threatening situation for the woman.

Preterm Labor: Preterm labor does not always lead to preterm birth, but when it does, there is a greater chance of neonatal death. When a baby is born early, it is unable to survive as well and faces extra challenges from the premature birth. Even with vast amounts of technology we cannot always save these early babies.

Stillbirth: After the midpoint of pregnancy, around 20 weeks, if your baby dies for any reason before birth, it is said to be still born. The stillbirth rate is about 1% of all pregnancies. Birth is usually induced right away, though not always.

Grief: After a pregnancy loss you may feel very numb and not know what to do. Seek help from a group of parents in similar situations, your hospital should be able to help point you in the right direction. There are other ways such as memorial services and grief counseling that work well. Others find that individual counseling is helpful. Doing what is best for your family will be what you need.

Family Issues: If someone you know has had a pregnancy loss, you may not know what to say or do. You may worry about how to act around them or be unsure of what they want you to to help them. The best advice is to always ask what you can do to help.

Having Another Baby: Many families go on to try again. Having a pregnancy after any type of pregnancy loss is often very scary for you and your family. You may need to have extra visits with your doctor or midwives to help you emotionally deal with being pregnant again. Be calm and patient with yourself and each other.

Barbie Girls Lastest Cool Toys

I got to know this new cool toy of BarbieGirls from my niece. I think it's pretty cool too! It's a MP3 of barbiegirls.

Not sure if it's selling in Singapore. Here's some photos of the new toy and the barbie girls website screen shots!

http://www.barbiegirls.com/home.html

Sorry, you didn't have cancer

It is the news no woman wants to hear: You have breast cancer.

That was the diagnosis for Darrie Eason, a 35-year old single mother from Long Island, New York.

Eason had both of her breasts surgically removed, only to hear the unthinkable: She never had cancer.

"All the things that I had gone through with my family, my child...it was unnecessary," said Ms Eason.

According to the New York Health Department, Eason's misdiagnosis was the result of a laboratory error.

The state says the technician who handled her biopsy cut corners and mixed up two specimens.
Eason's lawyer, Steve Pegalis, says his client was told she had cancer, while another woman was told she did not.

"This other young woman has to live with the idea that she has breast cancer and hers was not diagnosed at the earliest possible time," said Mr Pegalis.

Now, Eason is suing the laboratory. "Something should have been done to tell me that there wasn't anything wrong with me before I had a radical double mastectomy," she said.
For years, women have been urged to seek second opinions and to have their lab results rechecked. But that is little comfort for Eason, who now has to live the rest of her life with an irreversible mistake.