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Kids who go to bed early and get up early are less likely to become obese than those who do not, according to an Australian study released Friday.

Children who went to bed late and got up late were 1.5 times more likely to become obese than those who went to bed early and got up early, researchers from the University of South Australia found.

Kids who stayed up late were also almost twice as likely to be physically inactive and 2.9 times more likely to sit in front of the TV or play video games for more hours than guidelines recommend.

It Makes Sense

The researchers concluded that mornings were more conducive to physical activity than nights, as kids were often distracted with prime-time TV and other sedentary activities in the evening. Sound familiar? If we’re going to turn this childhood-obesity problem around, we need parents to care enough about the well-being of their kids to step up their parenting when it comes to nutrition and physical activity.

Make It A Family Affair

“It” is healthy eating and exercise. You’re in control of what your kids (newborn to teens, at least) eat and, to a great extent, how they spend their time.  Involve your kids in meal preparation; let them help you find healthy recipes they think they’d like. Engage them in the kitchen and talk about good nutrition. Remind them of the consequences of poor eating habits (but not at the expense of others who are dealing with the problem), encourage them to try new, healthy options for snacks. Take walks as a family in the evenings. Hold games and relay races for kids in your neighborhood; get other parents to participate in organizing. Not only will you know what your kids are up to in the afternoons and evenings, you’ll also know the activity is good for them! Resistant kids? What a surprise. Just remind yourself who’s the parent…

Starting from Birth

In an earlier post, I offered this recommendation from recent British government studies:

For babies who can’t walk yet, the government says physical activity should be encouraged from birth, including infants playing on their stomach and swimming sessions with their parents.

That gets babies moving, and Corner Stork is here to help in the “sleep” department (not that newborns don’t get plenty of sleep!) You’ll find lots of adorable sleep-time layette sets among our Baby Clothes, including the ultra-adorable “Big Dreamzzz” Baby MD (a great Halloween costume, too!) Get your children into good sleeping, eating and exercise habits, and, throughout their lives, they’ll require fewer MD visits! Happy Hump Day!

Just about every new Mom — and sometimes even pregnant ladies — knows the struggle of juggling mommy, wife, work, church, social responsibilities and everything else at one time.  With so much to keep up with, it’s no wonder she does something completely spacey or is sometimes forgetful, like driving a mile down the road with a cup of coffee on the roof of the car.

Well, we may not be able to do anything about the coffee on the car, but we might can help with some of the baby-related stuff you have to remember.  Thanks to the helpful folks at Voxiva, there is a free text-messaging service designed for expectant parents.  This Washington-based, health-messaging business has partnered with the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition and other companies and nonprofit agencies, including 16 telcoms that  donated their networks, to provide the a text alert service to remind Mom to take her vitamins, get an exam, etc.

Here’s How It Works!

Simply send a one-word text message consisting of the word BABY (or BEBE for Spanish) to 511-411.  At the prompt, enter your baby’s due date and your ZIP code. That’s all it takes to start receiving these helpful little reminders.  “It’s like carrying around your own personal pediatrician, reminding you to take your vitamins or to go for your ultrasound, from the time you sign up until about a year after your delivery,” says Warren Buckleitner of the New York Times.  How cool is that?!

How We Can Help

Corner Stork Baby Gifts might not be able to tell you when your next doctor’s appointment is due, but we sure can tell you when to get those adorable baby shower favors–NOW!

Well, not exactly, but at least about month prior to your baby shower.  To save time and money, we offer a great selection of favors to match just about any theme and can ship them right to your door with ease.  How’s that for an alert?!

Breastfeeding has become increasingly popular over the last few years because of research that has proven the overwhelming benefits of breast milk.

Many of the mothers who donate have children of their own, but a good portion of the donations come from bereaved mothers who have lost their babies. These mothers see their donation as a way to honor their lost child. Can you think of a more incredibly selfless ?

According to their Web site, the goals of the National Milk Project are:

• To provide a confidential way for mothers across the U.S. to donate their milk.
• To build a network of support for breastfeeding mothers and parents of premature infants.
• To ensure safety and quality of human milk through screening and processing.
• To provide supporting scientific studies of the benefits of breast milk for all, especially premature infants.

My hat is off to these women and this organization, who truly make a difference in the world every day. I would be hard-pressed to find a more meaningful baby gift than the one I’ve just described, but if you’re lucky enough to know mothers who are welcoming healthy children into the world, you can find many meaningful baby gifts at CornerStorkBabyGifts.com, where babies–all babies—come first.

What a misnomer!  That queasy, sick feeling has a way of popping up any time and lingering for as long as it would like.  There are a precious few women who don’t experience morning sickness, but that is not the norm.  It’s a common side affect of pregnancy that has forced women to cope with it well into the second trimester.  For some unlucky women, it may linger throughout the entire pregnancy.

Researchers have not specifically identified the causes of morning sickness, and chalk it up to all the changes that happen in a woman’s body during pregnancy. Some even say that it is the body’s natural defense mechanism, warning mothers to stay away from foods that will be potentially harmful.  But regardless of the cause, since indigestion and nausea can’t be done away with altogether, they must be dealt with.  Here are some tips to help you survive what feels like the roller-coaster ride of pregnancy:

1. Take two crackers…

Two crackers before your head leaves the pillow is old but wise advice.  In other words, put some food on your stomach first thing in the morning before you get active to help keep your stomach settled.

2. Smaller is better

Smaller frequent meals can also help keep an ailing belly at bay.  Remember, your organs are shifting and the baby might be pressing on the stomach area, so there is less space for the stomach to expand for a heavy meal. Try eating smaller portions or dividing the meal into courses, eating each component of the meal (meat, veggies, starch, salad, etc.) separately and giving them time to digest.

3. When in doubt, do without

Avoid foods and smells that seem to trigger nausea. It may seem like this will be nearly every food or every smell, but once you identify the sensory culprits, avoid them like the plague.

4. Stabilize the sugar

No, that doesn’t mean to load up on sweets at mealtime.  The sugar we’re talking about is in your blood.  Eating something high in protein before going to bed helps your blood sugar stay more level.

5. Ginger is great!

Ginger in any form such as teas, cookies and even the spice itself can be helpful in preventing nausea.  Peppermint is another great natural nausea killer.  Either smelling it in aromatherapy form or sipping peppermint tea can help curb nausea. It’s also known to help with sagging energy levels.

6. Keep it cool

Have sips of ice water as the urge to purge strikes. Many women say that this helps them keep meals down as well.

7. Apply the pressure

Acupressure bands can be worn like bracelets and can curb nausea while you wear them. But be forewarned as one mom says, stand next to a bucket when you take them off!

8. Breathe easy

Don’t underestimate the power of your will. It might be mind over matter. Simply take a deep breath when nausea creeps in.  It may not curb the nausea but it just might you kept you from loosing your lunch.

9. Monitor your diet

Eat and enjoy the foods that you can, discard those you can’t and modify your diet accordingly.  Slowly add more foods to your diet one at a time.

10. Be prepared

We all need a little help to get through the day.  Turn your travel bag into your personal “Nausea Kit.”  A diaper bag like this one includes a smaller bag that can be filled with items like a gallon-size resealable plastic food bags (unzipped and ready to go) along with a small paper or grocery bag to put it in when used, gum, mints, hard candies, toothbrush, toothpaste, travel-size toothpaste, chewable antacid, bottle of water, crackers, pack of tissues, wet wipes and a calming lavender mist.  Choose the items that work best for you and keep it handy for those times when nausea strikes.

Linda Shrieves, a writer for the Orlando Sentinel, posted an article that explained the two researchers’ methods and what they discovered. Osnat and Phillip Teitelbaum, who authored the book “Does Your Baby Have Autism?” spent thousands of hours reviewing home videos shot by parents of children eventually diagnosed as autistic. They were watching for patterns in crawling and walking, which they compared to the same development in children without autism.  Here are three of several patterns that emerged among the children who were eventually diagnosed as autistic:

1. “Asymmetrical crawling,” as the Teitelbaums call it, means the baby “crawls with one leg in the crawling position and the other leg in the walking position.” In short, two sides of the body are doing different things.
2. Many autistic babies showed a preference for one side of their bodies. Normal infants may reach for a toy with both hands or alternate hands. Autistic babies seem to prefer and use only one hand. This is significant because children don’t become right- or left-handed until they’re four or five years old.
3. Some autistic children never crawl. They simply start walking. While this might impress and excite the parents, the Teitelbaums say it’s not a good sign, because it indicates there’s something wrong with their neurological development.

It’s important to keep in mind that not every child who crawls late or walks late is autistic. There’s a wide range of normal when it comes to child development. The Teitelbaum’s goal is to make parents aware of the warning signs “to help get more children in therapy earlier,” when researchers believe it benefits them most.

While all children love toys, there are actually some baby gifts that are helpful to autistic children.  Any toy for an autistic child that can be stacked helps them improve their motor skills, like this set of colorful, wooden spelling blocks (left.) Stories with repetition and/or rhyme help in the development of speech skills. Plush Mother Goose (right) contains three beloved nursery-rhyme characters and soft books that contain the rhymes. You can check online for lists of helpful toys for autistic children.

But there’s one wives’ tale that has gotten some validation from the medical community. The old saying that, “the mother loses a tooth for every child” may not be that far from the truth. Now, that’s a scary thought! For those of you who are staring at the possibility of a toothless grin, don’t worry. While tooth loss during pregnancy is common, it is preventable.

According to a recent study of 2,635 women conducted by Dr. Stefanie Russell, “women who have more children are more likely to have missing teeth.” Biological and behavioral changes related to pregnancy and child birth are likely to be a factor in tooth loss, according to Dr. Russell, an assistant professor of epidemiology and health promotion at the New York University College of Dentistry. She found that:

* Pregnancy can make women susceptible to gingivitis (gum inflammation). Repeated pregnancies are likely to result in more frequent outbreaks of gingivitis that may lead to tooth loss in women with periodontitis.

* A woman may postpone seeking dental treatment because of financial concerns related to having children.

* Caring for more children may lead a mother to cut back on the time she devotes to herself, including her own dental care.

How do you counteract these biological and socio-economic factors? Rather than cut back on the number of children you might wish to have, make a commitment to take better care of your teeth. As I mentioned, tooth loss is totally preventable. Taking the time to brush and floss daily along with regular checkups can give you something to smile about! Keep your smile ready for those photos of you and your baby. There’ll be plenty of cameras around, and you will want to fill up an album like this with photos of you and your baby looking your picture-perfect best.

One sure-fire way to protect your smile is to limit sugary snacks. So skip the dessert at the baby shower and enjoy one of these delightful diaper cakes instead. The recipe for this cake includes all sorts of baby necessities, like booties, blanket, hooded towel and diapers, of course! A great twist on the angel food cake, it’s the sweetest Angel cake I’ve ever seen. Don’t you agree? It’s the perfect non-fattening gift for you and baby to enjoy.

Talk about having your cake and (not) eating it, too!

Now is the time for you and your baby to get outside and enjoy some fun in the sun. Whether it’s a stroll in the park or a day at the beach, here are some summer sun safety tips to keep your baby protected while having fun.

Avoid the Mid-day Sun

The sun is hottest, and its rays are strongest, during the middle of the day. Children should stay inside or in the shade between 11:00 am and 3:00 pm to minimize exposure. Be extremely careful at the beach because the sun’s rays reflect off the water, increasing the chance for sunburn. Since babies can’t tell you if they are too hot, check by placing your hand across your baby’s back underneath the clothes, or on the back of the neck. Skin should feel warm, but not hot. If baby feels hot, move to a cooler place or inside, and hydrate as needed.

Bright sun, bright clothing

As a general rule, bright or colored clothing works better to protect baby from the harmful rays of the sun that white clothing. Blues, reds, greens, and yellows (including socks) offer more protection than pale colors. Choose light, breathable cotton clothing for summer. Keeping baby covered and applying sunscreen are your best defenses against the sun.

Sunscreens and sunblocks

A baby’s skin is soft, sensitive and offers no protection from the sun. Sunblocks and sunscreens with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide won’t overwhelm the baby since these elements are used to sometimes treat burns, according to WebMD. Dermatologists recommend an SPF of 15 or higher made especially for kids to block UVA and UVB rays. Apply approximately 15 minutes before going outside (even on cloudy days), and be sure to reapply as indicated on the bottle.

Portable Shade

If you’re going to be at a place where there is no shade, be sure to pack yours!

• A big beach umbrella or pop-up tent
• A stroller with a canopy
• Wide-brimmed hats (not baseball caps) that protect face, scalp, ears and neck
• Wraparound UV protection sunglasses.
• Even placing a light-weight blanket over the stroller or car seat during travel or play can provide shade.

Good hydration is essential

While breastfeeding usually provides thirst-quenching, nutritious milk for your baby, those who are not breastfeeding may need to supplement bottle-feedings with cooled sterile water. In both instances, give shorter feedings more frequently to keep baby hydrated.

On days when it’s too hot to head for the beach, why not bring the beach to your baby with this adorable soft beach pail and shovel. It comes with a host of beach buddies that squeak, crinkle, rattle and jingle with excitement during play. To keep the summer fun going all year long, why not try this Hang-10 Surfer Stool? It’s a great way for toddlers to catch a wave of excitement as they stand to reach the sink or shelf in their room.

A new report has just been released by Tokyo’s respected Tobacco Control Journal which has carried on an 8 year study following 7,402 children of smokers. A third of the children who had parents smoking within 10 feet of them within their first few months of life ended up in the hospital before they were even 1 year old. There was a significant decrease in their immune system that made them vulnerable to infectious and potentially lethal diseases. 45% of the children that were exposed to smoke within their first 6 months of life had to be treated for infectious disease before the 8 year study was completed.

Even with the onslaught of educational videos and commercials on TV and radio against smoking, it doesn’t appear to be enough since there are many parents simply ignoring the warnings and willing to take the chance of giving their child a potentially fatal infectious disease thanks to a decreased immunity.

Being an ex-smoker, I understand how difficult it is to quit and I plan on releasing a post about how I successfully quit without the use of any drugs or patches. And I had kids, but I never smoked around them. I always went outside to smoke regardless of what the season. So I implore you, not just for your own health, but also for your children. If you don’t respect your body and wellness, respect theirs and leave the house if you can’t control your habit. It’s not fair to a defenseless child that you injure them through your elected ignorance.

Hello, all. Susan here, and this is a blog I wish I didn’t have to write, but I’m inspired to do so by the wonderful Chinese people with whom I work every day. All of them have friends and relatives in China, including one lovely young woman whose 10-month old is being cared for her parents in China. The other day, when she and I were working on some fundraising materials to raise money internally for earthquake relief, she was in tears as we looked at the pictures of the devastation. It was heartbreaking.

She reminded me about China’s one-child policy to help control their population–so almost all of the parents who lost children were left completely childless. It hurts to even think about.

At last, there was some good news out of their country yesterday. The Chinese government announced that it would make exceptions to its 30-year, one-child policy for some families affected by the earthquake two weeks ago. Because it happened in the early afternoon, this horrendous 7.9-magnitude earthquake collapsed many schools filled with children. The region’s Population and Family Planning Committee announced that families whose child was killed, severely injured or disabled in the disaster would be allowed to have another child. I can’t imagine a more valuable baby gift for these grieving parents.

While they can’t estimate how many children were killed, the death toll stands at about 65,100, with more than 23,000 still missing. They do know that, at this point, at least 5,498 Chinese children have been orphaned. An organization has already been established to connect parents who lost their child in the quake with a child who no longer has parents, and a couple that adopts will not be penalized if they have their own biological child later.

I’d like to make a special request to everyone who reads this blog. Please make a contribution to the Chinese Red Cross through the American Red Cross to help them in their rescue and recovery efforts. Think about your own children, hug them and hold them tight–and give generously. On behalf of the Chinese people, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Fussy babies are taking advantage of these soothing treatments to calm the senses. Gone are the days when parents would drive the baby around all night in the car to get them to fall asleep. One Los Angeles spa offers over 25 different services, ranging from baby massage, baby yoga, baby sign language, brain awakening through classical music and baby chakra chi. During spa time, they align the baby’s chakras through warm towels while a trance-type of music plays in the background. It designed to bring the baby to a state of calmness.

Oher treatments are also offered that help with the baby’s balance and exercise. My personal favorite is the “Spaghetti Massage” performed at a baby spa in Atlanta. To stimulate the senses, babies are allowed to roll around in warm spaghetti. It’s infant nirvana at its best!

But since most of the sessions start at about $20, some parents may opt to calm the baby in a different way. This personalized lullaby CD is a great way to send your little one off to dreamland. After all, who would want to hear music that includes their name? Or have some stimulating fun at bath time with this little duckie bath gift set. It includes lots of items to have a quackin’ good time!