African-American Mothers and Postpartum Depression
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Newswise -- Poor women in Iowa are much more likely to suffer from postpartum depression than their wealthier counterparts, a new University of Iowa study shows.
In the study of 4,332 new mothers from four Iowa counties, UI psychologist Lisa Segre found that 40 percent of Iowa mothers with a household income less than $20,000 suffered from clinically significant postpartum depression. In contrast, only 13 percent of new mothers with a household income of $80,000 or more were considered clinically depressed.
The study was recently published in the journal Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology. The mothers completed the Inventory to Diagnose Depression and sociodemographic interviews in the late 1990s; on average, participants had given birth 4.6 months prior to the survey.
"Forty percent of Iowa's lowest-income mothers are facing the double burden of being depressed and being poor,"said Segre, adjunct assistant professor and research scientist in psychology, a department in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
"Women who are poor already have a lot of stress, ranging from poor living conditions to concerns about paying the bills. The birth of an infant can represent additional financial and emotional stress, and depression negatively impacts the woman's ability to cope with these already difficult circumstances."
In a second study on race and postpartum emotions in Iowa, Segre found that African-American mothers are more likely than white mothers to experience depressed moods immediately after giving birth, but Latina mothers are less likely to experience depressed moods.
Labels: depression
posted by Mommy Too! Magazine @ 3:39 PM,
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Love This! The Case Crib
Monday, February 18, 2008
Case Crib
The Case Group from NettoCollection combines natural light oak and white lacquer veneers for a clean, contemporary design. Picture your nursery with a stylish Case Crib, with an adjustable mattress platform, fixed side rails and a sliding shelf underneath for extra storage. Plus, a daybed conversion kit helps the bed grow with your child for a stylish toddler bedroom!
*Linen storage boxes sold separately
Labels: baby must-haves
posted by Mommy Too! Magazine @ 12:56 PM,
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Eco-Clothes for Tots: Sprout
Friday, February 15, 2008
Want eco-friendly clothes for your growing toddler? Sprout Kids Clothing are made with 70% bamboo and 30% organic cotton.
We love this tee for tots. So cute!
Labels: babies, must-haves baby, toddlers
posted by Mommy Too! Magazine @ 8:17 AM,
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Health Care Disparity in Minority Children Persists
Thursday, February 07, 2008
New research published in the journal Pediatrics says minority children are least likely to have health insurance and are significantly less likely than whites to have visited a physician in the past year. "Greater attention needs to be paid to disparities in minority children, not just because of their striking frequency and magnitude, but also because of their potential to become disparities in adults," said Dr. Glenn Flores, professor of pediatrics at UT Southwestern and lead author of the study. "Conservative estimates indicate that minorities will comprise half of U.S. children by 2040. In Texas, more than 62 percent of children currently are non-white. Although increasing attention is being paid to racial and ethnic disparities in health care, very little attention is directed toward children."
According to the study there are several disparities between minority and white children such as:
- Asthma was significantly more prevalent among African-American, Native Americans and multiracial children;
- Native American children had a higher prevalence of hearing and vision problems and diabetes;
- Behavior problems were especially prevalent in African-American and multiracial children;
- Digestive allergies were significantly more likely in multiracial children, while skin allergies were more frequent in African-American children; and
- Multiracial, Native American and African-American children also had higher odds of not receiving all needed dental care.
Labels: child health
posted by Mommy Too! Magazine @ 8:16 AM,
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Children and Cholesterol Screening
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia says children as young as two should get annual screenings for high cholesterol because the risk for heart disease can start in young bodies even if children are not overweight.If a child has a family history of high cholesterol, the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia recommends children undergo a cholesterol profile after overnight fasting.
"Although the most common reasons for high cholesterol are poor diet, being overweight, and not getting enough exercise, some apparently healthy children inherit high cholesterol levels from their parents," said Julie Brothers, M.D., medical director of the Lipid Heart Clinic at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "Overall, we’ve noticed an increase in children’s cholesterol levels the past several years and this is a disturbing trend."
More physical activity coupled with a nutritious diet can lead to lower cholesterol levels in both children and adults. It is imperative to get any high cholesterol under control in order to avoid early heart disease and heart injury.
Labels: babies, baby health, toddler health, toddlers
posted by Mommy Too! Magazine @ 7:50 AM,
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Harmful Baby Powders and Lotions
Monday, February 04, 2008
A new study published in the journal Pediatrics says baby products such as powders and lotions have harmful amounts of phthalates, chemicals suspected of impairing male reproductive function.Phthalates, man-made chemicals used in lubricants and cosmetics, were found in all 163 infants whose urine was examined. Doctors say babies do not need powders and lotions on their skin because at this stage it is perfect. Avoiding these potentially harmful consumer products will lessen the likelihood that these chemicals will be found in youngsters' bodies.
Labels: babies, baby health
posted by Mommy Too! Magazine @ 11:57 AM,
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Folic Acid May Help Prevent Premature Births
Friday, February 01, 2008
We've long known that folic acid is essential to preventing birth defects. Now researchers say the miracle B vitamin can also prevent premature births, a pregnancy concern that plagues black mothers in increasing numbers.According to the Washington Post a study of 40,000 women who took folic acid supplements for a year or longer before conception had a 70 percent decreased risk of preterm birth between 20 and 28 weeks of gestation.
Here's more about folic acid from the March of Dimes
Folic acid, a B vitamin, helps prevent birth defects of the brain and spinal cord when taken very early in pregnancy. It is available in most multivitamins, as a folic acid-only supplement and in some foods.
The March of Dimes encourages all women of childbearing age to take a multivitamin containing 400 micrograms of folic acid every day, as part of a healthy diet. Most multivitamins have this amount, but check the label to be sure. A healthy diet includes foods that contain folate, the natural form of the vitamin. Such foods include fortified breakfast cereals, beans, leafy green vegetables and orange juice.
Labels: babies, kids health, march of dimes
posted by Mommy Too! Magazine @ 11:44 AM,
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Pure Baby Clothes
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
We love this generation we're in! Companies have really started to make clothes that are not only cute for babies, but good for their sensitive skin and great for the environment.
BabyBam Collection (www.babybamcollection.com) is a new "green" clothing company offering eco-friendly natural bamboo baby clothing and accessories.
All products are made from bamboo for infants 0 to 9 months and are naturally hypo-allergenic, anti-microbial, anti-fungal, odor free, and made with zero dyes, chemicals or pesticides. BabyBam clothing is softer than Pima cotton -- more like cashmere to the touch. Even their "Little Lathers" baby soap is 100% natural and handmade with bamboo powder. Products range from $9 to $42 U.S.
Labels: must-haves baby
posted by Mommy Too! Magazine @ 11:08 AM,
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Black Infant Mortality Rates Unchanged Since Civil War
Sunday, January 27, 2008
It's a shocking fact: black infant mortality rates have not changed since the Civil War. But Dr. Jack Turman, an associate professor from the University of Southern California says it is indeed true. In fact, he says black babies have been dying at twice the rate of white babies since the 1860s.
One of the reasons experts and researchers say black babies die so readily is because black women face a lot of stress and cannot adequately nurture healthy babies. "Black women have much higher levels of stress than women of other ethnic groups," Turman said. "That high stress level has a negative effect on their babies once they become pregnant."
(Source: Tallahassee Democrat)
Prematurity is a silent crisis in America. The March of Dimes
Labels: babies, baby health, march of dimes
posted by Mommy Too! Magazine @ 8:50 AM,
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