We hope your doing well! We have a new giveaway for ya!! Check it out!

Tell us in the comments section your best baby bath time story! The best one gets the following:

100 4 x 6 Postcards for One (1) Winner

Paper Stock: 14pt Cardstock Gloss

Specifications: Full Color Both Sides; 3 Business Days Turnaround

Shipping: FREE UPS Ground Shipping

Eligibility: Limited to US Residents only

You must be at least 18 years old to enter.

Its that easy!!

Postcard Printing

Print Online

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THIS!

Three-quarters are fans of a brand

Marketers going after moms on social networks such as Facebook know by now that users rarely embrace ads in environments where they are focused on socializing with friends.

Data from lucid marketing and Lisa Finn shows that most mom Facebook users feel neutral about ads on the social network, compared with about 36% who actively disliked them. Only a tiny percentage of respondents reported liking ads on Facebook.

Moms were much more receptive to marketing in general, however—at least when done on their terms. Though most moms used Facebook primarily to keep in touch with friends and family, and only 10.4% said they focused on checking out companies or products, three-quarters were fans of at least one company or brand.

Further, some 16% of mom Facebook users followed more than 10 companies’ fan pages. Respondents named parenting-specific pages as their favorites, along with restaurant, grocery and entertainment pages—especially kid-oriented ones.

The survey found mothers on Facebook savvy about marketing and skeptical of offers that seemed to good to be true. They expected companies to be straightforward and respectful of their time, and indicated a great interest in special offers and deals exclusive to Facebook, such as coupons they could send to their friends on the site.

“Facebook is fertile ground for marketers to engage mothers and drive sales, but it needs to be done on their terms,” said Kevin Burke, president of lucid marketing, in a statement. “They have no time for brands that don’t ‘get it,’ but they do embrace brands that play by their rules.”

They say never work with animals or children but who can resist those cherub like faces? Here are a handful of hopefully helpful pointers that one can try when it comes to framing tots and toddlers:

1. Most children will have the patience of a fly so start by netting the ‘safe shots’ first, such as a few well composed, nicely lit portraits with a 50mm prime, before diving into the most adventurous ideas. Suggestions for such could be to: opt for some tight crops of the tot’s face, vary depth of field to avoid distraction, or get creative with shutter speed to some exciting ‘movement’ effects. When their attention levels start to dissipate, try following them around. Not only do you get a glimpse into their world but this can make for some beautifully natural shots. When kids are happy playing on their own opt for a zoom such as an 18 – 200mm to cater for up close and at a distance shots.
2. When kids are cute it can effortless to forget technique and become shutter happy; click, click and click some more – before you know it you’ve expired a 4GB memory cards and have a heap of blandly identical images. Limiting yourself to 20-40 shots forces you to focus on strengthening your composition, as it helps you to decide what it is important and challenges you to be more creative.
3. A towering adult is obviously a daunting prospect for a tot and the bird’s eye view perspective is only going to yield so much value. A better idea is to drop down to their level is ideal and emphasis the smallness of their stature, reinforce the connotation of innocence and if you catch them looking up you’ll be amazed at how big their eyes can appear, subtly increasing the ‘aw’ factor.



4. Some kids just don’t want to sit for photos. Give them a prop, toy or a task to focus their attention and you’ll be amazed by the results. There are lots of things you can try; baking cakes, gardening, building sandcastles, following a treasure trail – anything to get them to relax and this is where an on-hand parent can be of great use; helping the child to relax and bring them out of their shell. If they still don’t want to play ball catching infants at their most naughty, angry, sulky or upset can still make for powerful portraits. Be aware that cheesy grins may cause the eyes to crinkle and the impact may be lost, so catching a shot whilst the child is off guard but in good spirits is a solid antidote for this.
5. As with any portrait consider your scene. Be sure the light falls evenly and flatteringly, backdrops featuring bright colours and interesting textures add interest and declutter your scene of distracting items. On a really bright day it can be hard to get even light, so place your subject in a shaded area such as a doorway, porch, entrance to a tent, or even under a garden table. Take an exposure reading from their face and the result will be a portrait with flattering light without the need for flash or reflectors. Alternatively if there is no shade, try taking a shot of the child walking away with the light behind you – often these shots can reveal more about their personality than the front.
6. The beach is a wonderful location for photographing children at play. Their actions are natural and the backdrop provides a sense of place whatever the weather. Avoid shadows and squinting in super sunny conditions by bringing along a parasol or improvise with a beach towel, shooting them under the shaded area.



7. The clothes the child wears will have an effect on their mood and ultimately – your shots. Everyday casuals are ideal for relaxed natural shots, whereas formal wear can go either way; exude maturity or sulk because they dislike stuffy dresses and suits. Costumes are perfect for bringing out the imagination gene in your models, resulting in energetic and tangibly fun frames.
8. Black and white images can do wonders for pictures of newborns, whereas tot shots are often better left in vivacious colour. However if you are keen to emote a calmer, softer connotation open up Photoshop travel into the Adjustments menu and either reduce saturation, hit desaturate or travel into Gradient Map and select the B&W option. Employing a high-key effect in Photoshop can also add an angelic feel to portraits of your little cherubs. Take a beautifully lit image and open it in Photoshop. Head for Adjustments and select Curves. Gently lift the line twice near the bottom and once near the top to generate a shallow ‘S’ shape. This will alter the contrast and brighten hues, but do this process in small increments as too much and you’ll lose details.
9. Creating a shallow depth of field is wonderful for focusing attention on the child sitter. If you’re uncomfortable with using manual, flick your shooter into Aperture Priority and opt for a lovely wide aperture such as f4 or f5.6. Focus on your subject and incorporate the backdrop into the frame – use something interesting or colourful here. Alternately throw the child out of focus by aiming at an object in their hands instead.



10. Get creative with shutter speed! Chuck a pair of wellies on the pint size model and have them jump around in puddles. You could freeze water splashes and stop the action using a shutter speed of 1/250 or above or blur the child mid air with a slow shutter of around 1/60 (but you may need to ramp up the ISO in low light). Alternatively mix the two effects with a rear curtain sync to make the most of a long exposure whilst firing a flash – the result is a frozen subject with the motion trailing behind.
11. Newborns grow rapidly and their features can alter as a result. Photograph at regular intervals to chart this change. Whilst they are very young you’ll find it is easy to capture stills whilst they are asleep. For the best results position the baby in a well lit room or near a large window diffused with a thin white sheet. Cropping in close for segmented body shots of newborns is quite clichéd but the results can be breathtaking: toes, feet, hands, legs, face, etc. Why not use these as a series or pick the best three to form a triptych?
12. Shooting children in groups multiplies the stress levels but increases the opportunities to be experimental. Ask them to interact by holding hands, rubbing noses, playing a game s, running towards the camera, jumping off a bench – anything that unleashes their personality! The encyclopaedia of expressions and characteristics that will no doubt explode out of the frame will definitely be worth the hassle. Expose for the faces and lock focus on to one of the cheeky grins for sharpness.

Topping the list of idiotic things to share on Facebook, 18-year-old mother Rebecca Davey of Southend, Essex (in the UK), posted a photo of her six-month-old son Ollie with an unlit cigarette in his month.

The Daily Mail reports that the smoking baby photo alarmed a few online friends, who reported Davey to the local authorities.

The Facebook () photo, which was eventually removed (although later posted by the Daily Mail), prompted Essex police and social services to inquire about the well-being of the baby. They ultimately found that the child was not at risk.

Davey returned to the scene of the crime (Facebook) to offer her insightful analysis of the situation in a special language understood by her fellow friends and status updaters.

Davey wrote, “Some w***** reported me to the police abwt picture off ollie.”

Which was followed up by the ever-so eloquent sentiment, “Why Would SomeOne Do That To Me U Ollie No was taking U Yur Mine for lyfee Darlinggg Mummy Loves You .”

Once supporter wrote, “Some ppl r nosey f****** aint they!! dw ur a good mum they wont hassle u 4 long!!!”

While another pondered, “What chance has the kid got if the family behave like this?”

We hope that Mashable () readers are savvy enough to know that posting a photo of your child smoking a cigarette online — unlit or not — is unwise. Should that not be case, let this be one lesson learned through the example of Rebecca Davey.

How do you feel about this? I sure do not play with any bumps or bruises on anyone head! Do you take this concussions serious enough?

Mon, Jan 18, 2010 (HealthDay News) — Children who suffer a concussion don’t just have a minor head bump, but a brain injury that parents, coaches and teachers need to take more seriously, Canadian researchers warn.

Parents often believe that concussion injury is mild and doesn’t involve damage to the brain, said lead researcher Dr. Carol DeMatteo, an associate clinical professor in the School of Rehabilitation Science at McMaster University, in Hamilton, Ontario.

However, “concussion really is a brain injury — there’s no question about that,” she said.

“The term concussion is used frequently, but there are no real guidelines in using it with children,” DeMatteo said. “This means that many different types of injury of different severity can be called a concussion. This leads to misconceptions by families and coaches and teachers and children themselves.”

Instead of using the word “concussion,” these injuries should be called mild brain injuries and that may help these children get the care they need, DeMatteo added. “We only have one brain, so let’s help kids look after theirs.”

The report is published in the Jan. 18 online edition of Pediatrics.

For the study, DeMatteo’s group reviewed the medical records of 434 children seen at McMaster Children’s Hospital for a brain injury. About a third (32 percent) were diagnosed with concussion.

The researchers found that, compared with other brain injuries, children diagnosed with concussion spent less time in the hospital and fewer days out of school. They were also more likely to go back to school shortly after leaving the hospital.

If children go back to school or sports too soon after a concussion they are at an increased risk of having another head injury, DeMatteo noted. “Kids are twice as likely to have another head injury within a year if they have [already] had one,” she said.

DeMatteo believes that children should see a doctor if they are showing signs of a concussion, such as fatigue, headache, memory problems, disturbed sleep or mood changes.

These symptoms can affect school performance, and returning too soon to sports can increase the risk for another injury, she said.

Most importantly, having a subsequent head injury can boost the odds of doing permanent damage to the brain, DeMatteo noted.

Gillian Hotz, director of the Pediatric Neurotrauma Program at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, said parents are often relieved to hear that their child has “only” suffered a concussion.

But concussion is only a catch-all term for a spectrum of non-structural brain injury, Hotz said. “Most kids who have a concussion, rest — the headache goes away, the symptoms go away, and they’re fine,” she said.

“But, you have to be very careful,” Hotz said. “If there is damage on a CT [scan] or prolonged unconsciousness then it’s in another category, not a concussion.”

Concussions do need to be taken seriously, and injured children need to be seen by doctors before they are allowed to return to school or sports, Hotz said.

“If a kid goes down and has symptoms during a game they are pulled. They need to be cleared by a medical professional before they return to play, and not that game,” she said.

“Concussions are cumulative so we are going to have a lot more severely injured kids if we don’t start putting some of these policies into place,” Hotz said.

– Steven Reinberg

Fri, Jan 15, 2010 (HealthDay News) — Oral contraception may decrease bone density in young women, a new study suggests.

Those taking birth control pills for more than two years, and those on the low-dose estrogen pills appear to have the greatest risk of decreased bone density in the spine and whole body, according to the researchers.

“I think the evidence is still emerging on this association, but our findings suggest that low-dose oral contraceptives with long-term use have some impact on bone density,” said study author Delia Scholes, a senior investigator at the Group Health Research Institute of Group Health Cooperative in Seattle.

The findings were published in the January issue of Contraception.

What isn’t entirely clear from this study of women under 30, explained Scholes, is what the long-term impact might be. Researchers don’t know if the lower bone density findings are easily reversible just by stopping the use of oral contraceptives. They also weren’t able to study if the lower bone density in these young women would translate to a higher fracture risk later in life.

But, “if oral contraceptives are indeed causing the approximately 5 percent lower spine bone density for oral contraceptive users versus non-users that we observed in our study, and if that impact is not reversed with oral contraceptive discontinuation or with other factors that may occur across the life span, a 5 percent lower bone density after menopause is associated with approximately 50 percent more osteoporotic fractures,” said Scholes.

Almost 12 million American women are currently using oral contraception, according to background information in the study. And, the use of oral contraception is highest in women under 30, reports the study. That’s important because the 20s are generally a time of peak bone mass production.

However, little is known about the effects of oral contraception on bone density. Previous studies have had conflicting results, with some showing no effect or a benefit on bone density while others suggest that oral contraceptives may inhibit bone mass accrual.

The current study was comprised of 606 woman between the ages of 14 and 30. The researchers reviewed oral contraceptive use, the duration of use and the estrogen dose in the contraception, and compared this to bone mineral density tests. The bone density test measured bone density in the hip, spine and whole body.

When the researchers compared oral contraceptive users to non-users they found that women taking oral contraception had average bone mineral density levels that were 5.9 percent less for the spine and 2.3 percent lower for the whole body. There was a trend for lower bone density in the hip as well, though this trend didn’t reach statistical significance.

The researchers also noted a trend toward lower bone density in women taking oral contraceptives containing lower doses of estrogen, with the lowest readings in women taking formulations containing less than 30 micrograms of estrogen.

The researchers found no effects in the 14- to 18-year-old age group. However, Schole said it’s important to note that contraceptive use was less in this age group than for the women between 19 and 30.

Scholes said the researchers suspect that the hormones in birth control pills are likely affecting normal hormone levels — perhaps lowering normally circulating estrogen levels — which then affects bone production.

“The studies on oral contraception and bone density have been conflicting,” said Dr. Beatrice Chen, director of the Center for Family Planning Research at Magee-Women’s Hospital at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. “Although this study adds to that information, I don’t think young women should be scared into stopping birth control. Talk with your doctor about your own risk factors, and the risks and benefits of using oral contraception.”

Chen said that studies on longer-term birth control, such as Depo-Provera, have shown that when the contraception is stopped, bone levels quickly return to normal.

If you’re concerned about your bone health, Chen said that there are steps you can take to help prevent bone loss, including: consuming adequate calcium and vitamin D, participating in weight-bearing exercise and quitting smoking.

– Serena Gordon

The agency calls for more study but no ban on the controversial chemical in baby bottles and other food containers. Industry officials praise the action, but food safety groups are disappointed.

Reporting from Washington – The Food and Drug Administration said Friday that the safety of a controversial chemical found in some baby bottles, children’s drinking cups and other food containers merited further study but did not warrant immediate restrictions on its use.

The FDA, the Department of Health and Human Services and other health agencies have committed $30 million to studying the health effects of bisphenol A, or BPA, and expect results in 18 to 24 months.

“We have some concern, meaning in part that we need to know more,” FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg said in a conference call with reporters.

In the meantime, the agency has issued guidance for limiting the exposure of children and babies. FDA Deputy Commissioner Joshua Sharfstein said that for the present, “the FDA does support the use of baby bottles with BPA.”

The FDA action, which was praised by industry officials and criticized by some food safety and consumer watchdog groups, comes after more than a year of controversy.

Reacting to consumer pressure, the nation’s six largest plastic baby bottle makers, which control 90% of the market, have voluntarily removed BPA from baby bottles sold in the U.S. But millions of bottles and containers manufactured before the issue surfaced may still be in use, consumer groups said.

BPA is a plastic hardener and an ingredient in epoxy resin, which is used in can linings.

In the human body, it mimics the hormone estrogen. Some studies have tied the compound to reproductive abnormalities and increased risks of cancer and diabetes. Infants and children are thought to be particularly vulnerable to any adverse effects because their reproductive organs and ability to metabolize chemicals are not completely formed.

In a statement in 2008, the FDA said BPA was safe in materials that come into contact with food, but critics accused the agency of using outdated studies that had been sponsored by the chemical industry.

The FDA’s action Friday was not enough for Urvashi Rangan, director of technical policy at Consumers Union, a nonprofit organization that publishes Consumer Reports.

“It’s really disappointing. I’m surprised it was so soft,” Rangan said. “The least I expected was a ban on baby bottles and more guidance to pregnant women.”

The announcement is likely to sow confusion because it is at odds with bans on BPA in plastics already legislated by several state and local governments, said Dr. Sarah Janssen, a senior scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Connecticut and Minnesota and the city of Chicago, among others, have placed restrictions on BPA, and Canada has banned the substance in baby bottles. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) has filed legislation that would ban the chemical from food and beverage containers.

The American Chemistry Council, an industry trade group, said the FDA announcement “confirms that exposure to BPA in food contact products has not been proven harmful to children or adults.”

But the council complained that “some of the recommendations are likely to worry consumers and are not well-founded.”

Also Friday, the FDA criticized McNeil Consumer Healthcare for a tardy investigation and recall of batches of Tylenol, Motrin and other over-the-counter products tainted by a chemical in wooden shipping pallets.

The FDA issued a warning letter to the company demanding improvements in its manufacturing processes.

“McNeil should have acted faster,” said Deborah Autor, the chief of compliance in the FDA’s drug office. “When something smells bad, literally and figuratively, companies must take all necessary actions” to fix the problem.

Autor said McNeil waited a year to notify the FDA after first learning that people were temporarily sickened by exposure to moldy smelling products and an additional two months before instituting a recall.

Fri, Jan 8, 2010 (BabyCenter News) — St. Martin’s Press has announced a recall of about 204,000 Big Rex and Friends cloth books in cooperation with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

A red plastic dot sewn in the book contains high levels of lead. Lead is toxic if ingested by young children and can cause serious health effects. No injuries have been reported.

The recalled Big Rex and Friendscloth books have a black and white striped border with a red dinosaur on the cover. The words Big Rex and Friendsare printed on the cover. The ISBN 031249260X or 9780312492601 is printed on the back of the book.

The books were sold at Barnes & Noble, Toys “R” Us, Amazon, Borders, and other bookstores and retailers nationwide from May 2004 through October 2009 for about $9. They were made in China.
– Grace Blasco, BabyCenter News

What you can do:

• Immediately take the book away from your child and contact St. Martin’s Press for instructions on returning the book for a full refund. Call the company at (800) 347-9411 or visit its website.

• See a photo of the recalled cloth books on the CPSC’s website.

“He called me on Sunday afternoon and said, ‘I made a little baby girl,’ ” the actor’s brother, Rooster, tells People. “He’s all proud … He’s got it going on now.” Vida joins big brother Levi, 17 months. – Lorena Blas

Posted on USA Today.com

The new vaccine schedules — issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Family Physicians — also recommend using combination vaccines whenever possible.

“These are life-threatening illness that vaccines prevent, and if you have a combination vaccine that’s safe and effective and requires one less stick for your child and one less trip to the doctor, it makes sense to me — as a father — to think about that,” said Dr. David W. Kimberlin, a professor of pediatrics and co-director of the division of pediatric infectious diseases at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Kimberlin is a member of the committee that created the new immunization schedules.

The new vaccine schedules are published in the January issue of Pediatrics and online on Jan. 4.

The most significant changes are:

• A recommendation that children older than 6 months receive the H1N1 influenza vaccine.
• A newly licensed HPV vaccine for girls, known as HPV2, to protect them from cervical cancer, which can be caused by certain strains of HPV. Girls should get their first dose of either the HPV2 or the earlier HPV4 vaccine, which is still considered effective, around age 11 or 12.
• A suggestion that a three-dose series of the HPV4 vaccine can be given to boys between 9 and 18 years old to prevent genital warts.
• A statement that the use of combination vaccines are generally preferred over separate injections.
• The need to revaccinate some high-risk children who have already received the meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV4). Kids at high risk tend to be those with immune system disorders. Booster shots aren’t recommended for those whose only risk factor is living in a dormitory setting, according to the new vaccine schedules.

Overall, Kimberlin said he thinks most parents are following these recommended schedules and protecting their children against what can be life-threatening illnesses. However, “parents are inundated with misinformation or incomplete information about vaccinations,” he noted. “And, with all the noise out there, people start thinking there might be something to what they’re hearing.”

Dr. Michael Green, an infectious disease specialist at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, said that although most children are vaccinated, “there is a fairly large cohort of kids who don’t receive optimal immunizations either for religious reasons, or their parents don’t believe in immunizations because of health concerns, such as a fear of autism.”

But the data has consistently shown that the measles vaccine doesn’t cause autism, he said. Measles, on the other hand, can cause brain damage, or even kill children, explained Green. And, while some parents may think that they don’t have to worry about these diseases because most U.S. children are vaccinated, an outbreak for unvaccinated children might be only a plane ride away. Last spring, said Green, someone visiting from another country brought measles with them. They were in close proximity to an unvaccinated American family who then contracted the measles. The outbreak ended quickly and without any serious consequences, but others might be more severe, he warned.

“People forget that when there used to be measles that kids died, or they ended up with brain damage. The risk-to-benefit ratios with today’s vaccines are tremendously slanted to the benefit side. And yet, between every one to three months, I see a child with a vaccine-preventable illness,” said Green.

“The vaccines we have today are the safest vaccines we’ve ever had, and I hope that parents recognize that it is a matter of life and death, and that they choose to do everything they can to protect their children,” said Kimberlin. “Time and time again, when immunization rates fall, diseases come back, and then the immunization rates go up again.”
– Serena Gordon

Posted today on BabyCenter.com