Pre-term birth drug

Here's one to watch:

U.S. Food and Drug Administration staff questioned the effectiveness of Adeza Biomedical Corp.'s Gestiva drug because new findings were at odds with an earlier government-funded trial, according to documents released on Monday.

Data for the drug, which aims to prevent pre-term births, also showed a possible increase in miscarriages and stillbirths in women who used it, the agency staff said ahead of an FDA advisory panel scheduled to discuss the drug on Tuesday.

(link)

Andrew at Six Months, Seven Months

At six months, Andrew:

• Sits well by himself.
• Tries to get all the way up on his hands & knees; rocks back and forth. Sometimes he gets on one knee and pushes himself up with the opposite leg.
  
• Plays peek-a-boo (at least he "gets" the joke now).
• Has started solids. Just a little rice cereal and a small jar a fruit, once a day. Plus some Cheerios or a teething biscuit.
  
• Cut his first tooth.
• Can drink water or milk out of a cup.
  

At seven months, Andrew:

• Learned how to get into a sitting position from his hands and knees.
• Two days later, started crawling. Just a little.
• Will crawl a couple inches in the "proper" hands-and-knees position, then goes down and army crawl the rest of the way.
• Cut tooth #2 at 6 1/2 months, then #3 at 7 months.
• Likes to be tickled. Laughs at his brothers jumping on the bed.
• Has been known to eat a whole jar of baby food at one sitting. Usually just eats half a jar, though.

At seven and 1/2 months, Andrew:

• Tried his first vegetables (sweet potatoes).
• Crawls for real.
• Will crawl from room to room, and seems delighted with himself for figuring out this little trick.
• Tries to pull up on everything. He can pull up on the fireplace hearth, but not on the coffee table yet.
• When he sees that mommy has left the safety gate down in the kitchen, he makes a beeline for the cat food bowl. When she tells him "no", he stops, sits up, looks at her, and smiles. And then continues on.
• Thinks his big brothers are really, really funny.
  

It's good to suffer pain?

In the Netherlands, you can buy "soft" drugs in a coffee shop, but good luck getting drugs in a hospital if you are in labor and see a midwife.

(irritating discussion follows)

Things I Fished Out of Andrew's Mouth Today

Some carpet fluff.
A small piece of paper.

He made it all the way to the cat food bowl today, but I was distracted and didn't get a chance to look in his mouth to see if he was eating the cat food. He may have.

Now, where did I put that safety gate?

Things I Fished Out of Andrew's Mouth Today

Another puzzle piece from a Christmas Tree-shaped puzzle.
Another sticker that said "I've been Krogering".

Things I Fished Out of Andrew's Mouth Today

A 1 x 4 Lego brick.
A puzzle piece from a Christmas tree-shaped puzzle.
A small piece of plastic of indeterminate origin.

(actually, my husband caught the first two)

Natural "Birth Control"

Doctors need more training in natural birth control.

Well, duh. Didn't need a study to tell me that one.

Point 1: Most people refer to "natural family planning" or "natural family spacing" (or even "fertility awareness") rather than "natural birth control". That is not a term that you hear often.

Point 2: I think it's hillarious when people say "you can get pregnant while breastfeeding, you know". Well yes, but if your baby is under six months old and you are exculsively breastfeeding (and not sleep-training) you are about as likely to get pregnant as if you are on the pill. But you don't hear people warning each other "you can get pregnant on the pill, you know".

Things I Fished Out of Andrew's Mouth Today

A chess piece (the white queen).
A backgammon piece.
A brass door stopper which he managed to pull out of the baseboard.
A sticker that said "I've been Krogering".

Things I Fished Out of Andrew's Mouth Today

A raisin.
Some paper.

Things I Fished Out of Andrew's Mouth Today

A cat food kibble.
Some paper.

Things I Fished Out of Andrew's Mouth Today

A staple.
Some paper.

Postpartum Depression Hits Dads, Too

Postpartum Depression Hits Dads, Too

Allergies & Exclusive Breastfeeding Past Six Months

Here's more infomation on studies that have shown that delaying the introduction of solid foods might be connected to an increased risk of allergies.

Breastfeeding and HIV-Positive Moms

South African health officials say HIV Positive Moms Can Breastfeed Too:

According to a study done by University of KwaZulu-Natal paediatrics professor, Anna Coutsoudis, it is safe for HIV positive mothers to breastfeed their children for up to six months, as long as they don't combine this with infant formula.

Mixed feeding introduces allergens and contaminants into the baby's gut, which could cause inflammation and thus make it easier for the HI virus to pass from mother to child, she explains.

An estimated 3.83 million South Aficans are HIV+; 55 percent of those infected are women. Prevalence is highest among women aged 15 to 49 (i.e. women of childbearing age) with an overall rate of 20 percent. (link)