Pattie Hughes's comments

Carry Me! The Continuum Concept and Babies - Blog Entry

02 Oct 2009 08:21 PM

The Continuum Concept is at the top of my list of favorite books.

President Barack Obama's Address to Students is No Biggie - Blog Entry

02 Oct 2009 07:49 PM

I didn't understand that controversy either. Personally, an obviously well educated and successful person is more than welcome to tell my child to stay in school, set goals and work hard to achieve them. They hear it from us all the time, but it's good reinforcement. Love the idea of teaching kids to take responsiblity for their education. What a novel idea!

Does Buying Organic Make You a Better Parent? - Blog Entry

02 Oct 2009 07:44 PM

Actually, buying produce from the Amish isn't more expensive than pesticide laden produce from the grocery store. I buy at a local Amish farmer's market and the prices are much lower than the local organic health food store.

Once a C Section, Always a C Section? - Blog Entry

10 Feb 2009 06:57 PM

Is that four c sections? That would probably risk you out for a VBAC, but you need to ask a doctor for a medical opinion before you make any baby decisions. Good luck.

Rush Limbaugh's Thoughts on the Obama Administration and Caroline Kennedy Drops Out of the Senate Ra - Blog Entry

22 Jan 2009 06:50 PM

I never listen to him, but I caught part of his show on the day after the election. Hysterical! It was like one giant temper tantrum. He was furious that Obama won and called all who voted for him morons. I don't think anyone takes him seriously; he's kind of a joke.

What's Up with Zoos Considering Evicting Their Residents? - Blog Entry

05 Dec 2008 07:42 PM

The Philadelphia Zoo got rid of its elephants last year for the same reason, protests and no money for the high cost of creating the right habitat. We miss them.

Natural Methods to Enhance Fertility - Blog Entry

26 Nov 2008 07:25 AM

The general rule is 12 months for under 35 and 6 months for over that age and you should get evaluated by your doctor. Try some of the natural enhancements and ovulation testing at home and then make an appointment or bring it up at your annual exam.

Guide to the Rotavirus Vaccine - Blog Entry

22 Nov 2008 12:34 PM

My pediatrician recommended not getting it until there is more information. She said the vax company was pushing it so they could "gather data". She told me she isn't giving it to any of her patients because she feels that for her own kids, getting an IV in the hospital for rotovirus is a lot better than having half the bowel removed. The reason for most of the hospitalizations is dehydration. This is a very vax friendly doctor too, so it gives added weight to the opinion for me than listening to the anti vax side.

A Link Between Gestational Diabetes and Language Delays - Blog Entry

14 Nov 2008 11:02 AM

Libby, since your son loves being read to, he is likely receiving the same benefits of the "highly educated mother" group in the study. Those kids didn't have the language delays of other groups. I'm a firm believer in reading to kids to encourage language development.

Val, I think they did control for prematurity, not sure about birth order. They hypothesize it could be related to changes in brain development as a result of exposure to repeated high blood sugar levels. I wonder if they looked at the sugar level of the mothers to see if there was a link between control of blood sugar level and the outcome in terms of language development. (since some are more vigilant than others in this regard) There was nothing about that in the published study though. I'm sure more will be done in the future and more information will be learned as these kids start school.

Will Obama Make Education Top Priority? - Blog Entry

13 Nov 2008 08:16 PM

Val makes a good point. Currently, there are about 4,000,000 homes in foreclosure in the US. Just for the sake of argument, say the average taxes are $5000 per year. This is a conservative estimate for many areas of the country, but a reasonable average. The lost taxes to schools in America with that many foreclosures comes to a staggering $20,000,000,000 for one year. When you do the math, the effect of the foreclosure crisis is astronomical. I heard a clip of Chris Dodd today in Congress saying this problem remains where it began, in the housing industry. If it isn't solved on the homeowner level, it doesn't matter how many billions we give to Wall Street. It affects every aspect of our society, including education.