It's Tough To Be A Baby!

Stories

19 Stories

September 2008
- New Rite: Baby Blogging
  
  New York Times | Sep 11, 08 12:37 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Soon after entering the world, babies are forging online identities compliments of eager parents, the New York Times reports. "It does feel a little funny to personalize it in his voice," says a blogging mommy who “friends” other babies on behalf of her son. For many parents, social networking is an easier way than email to keep relatives updated on baby's life. More »
August 2008
- Jolie-Pitt Clan Masters 'Studied Casual' Look
  
  USA Today | Aug 11, 08 1:18 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - The photos in People of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s ever-expanding multi-cultural brood put out a vibe of a normal family relaxing and having fun, notes USA Today . Don't buy it for a second. "This was very well planned and very well executed," says publicist and author Howard Bragman. "The message is that 'Hey, we're pretty regular people.' It's what we would call 'studied casual,' which is the hardest thing to create." More »
- $15M Twins Debut Monday
  
  New York Post | Aug 1, 08 10:44 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - The world will see the first images of Knox and Vivienne Jolie-Pitt on Monday. People and Hello! magazines teamed up to win the bidding war for exclusive rights to the photos by offering $11 million to $15 million, the New York Post reports. Though initial reports speculated the price could go as high as $20 million, that's a still a record. More »
July 2008
- Brangelina Babies Off to Busy Start
  
  USA Today | Jul 14, 08 9:35 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - At just 2 days old, Knox Leon and Vivienne Marcheline are the world's most sought-after celebrity pair—and parents Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are in managing mode. Just Jared reports the Brangelina lawyers bought out all domains with the bambinos' names—and experts tell USA Today that a photo shoot will occur in the next few weeks to deter rogue paparazzi. More »
June 2008
- 45 Reasons to Have a Kid. ASAP
  
  Babble | Jun 5, 08 2:38 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - If you're planning on having a kid at some point then now's the perfect time, advises Babble , which lists 45 reasons to produce a curtain-climber without delay. Here are the top 5: Halvies: Unlike the old days, fathers are expected to do half the dirty work like changing diapers Your inner kid: Having a baby is a great excuse to throw on classic kids' shows on DVD, like Sesame Street and Schoolhouse Rock More »
May 2008
- Sudden Infant Death Linked to Bacteria
  
  Washington Post | May 30, 08 3:01 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Some cases of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome may be caused by staph and E. coli infections, a new study finds. British researchers saw significant levels of both bacteria in 470 of 546 SIDS victims ranging in age from 7 days to one year. But scientists don't yet know what the findings mean for medical care. Some 2,500 infants die of SIDS each year in the US. More »
- Sperm Donors May Lose Anonymity
  
  Newsweek | May 25, 08 7:36 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - The halcyon days of anonymous sperm donation may draw to a close, Newsweek reports, as children's rights and health issues prompt the country’s top three sperm banks to consider a national registry for sperm and egg donors. The list may allow recipients to learn about inherited health risks, and give the progeny of manufactured unions a link to their past. More »
- Usher Won't 'Pimp Out' Son
  
  New York Post | May 2, 08 11:23 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - In a world where Jennifer Lopez made $6 million off her twins’ first photo and famous-for-no-reason Nicole Richie raked in $1 million from her baby, Usher is one celebrity who won't profit from parenthood, the pop singer says. Upset by rumors he was trying to peddle photos of his infant son, Usher told the New York Post , "In no way would I ever pimp out my child for money." More »
April 2008
- Sex a Factor in Preemie Survival
  
  Associated Press | Apr 17, 08 3:53 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Gestational age is not the only factor determining odds of a very premature baby's survival, a study finds. Being female, receiving lung-maturing steroids before birth, an extra 3½ ounces of weight and being a single birth all help as much as an extra week of pregnancy, the AP reports. The findings will help doctors and parents decide on heroic measures to save a fragile preemie. More »
- 'Sex Bed' for Girls Found in Polygamist Temple
  
  CNN | Apr 10, 08 4:55 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Members of a polygamous cult had sex with underage girls inside the group's temple immediately after "spiritual weddings," according to court documents. Investigators found the bed, described by a tipster, in the temple of the Texas ranch. Men had sex with "brides" as young as 13, reports CNN. Police removed 416 children—including several pregnant girls—after a plea for help last week from a 16-year-old girl who called a hotline. More »
- Father, Daughter Have Love Child
  
  Sydney Morning Herald | Apr 9, 08 7:44 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - An Australian father and daughter, reunited after 30 years, have had a daughter together, reports the Sydney Morning Herald . "I knew it was illegal, of course I knew it was illegal, but you know, so what," said the baby daddy/granddaddy. He called the sexual relationship "absolutely fantastic." The two were charged with incest and banned from having sex, and are being monitored by police. More »
- Baby Zzzs Linked to Obesity
  
  Boston Globe | Apr 8, 08 7:56 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Babies who get less than 12 hours of shut-eye a day double their risk of being overweight by the time they're 3 years old, a new study finds. The risk is even higher for little ones who watch two hours of TV a day, the Daily Telegraph reports. If habits aren't changed, more than 25% of all children are expected to be obese by 2050, experts warn. More »
- Madonna to Adopt Indian Baby
  
  Sun (UK) | Apr 7, 08 11:26 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - A year and a half after Madonna's controversial adoption in Malawi, the Material Mom will bring home another baby—this time from India, reports the Sun . Hubby Guy Ritchie was initially "against the idea," a friend told the paper. "But when she wants something, she gets it." More »
- Indians Worship Two-Faced Baby
  
  ABC News | Apr 6, 08 5:15 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Indians are coming from far and wide to see a two-faced baby born in a tiny village, ABC News reports. Many think the little girl with four eyes and two mouths is a reincarnation of the Hindu god Ganesh. "Some people say she is like a goddess," a village teacher said of the weeks-old girl. "They call the baby a face of a goddess." More »
- First Preggers Guy: It's My Right to Have Baby
  
  ABC News | Apr 4, 08 7:41 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - A pregnant transgendered man always wanted to have a baby and kept his uterus so he could do so, he told Oprah Winfrey yesterday. The 34-year-old man, who's expecting in July, had his breasts removed years ago and underwent hormone treatment to change his sex. He decided to step up and be the "mom" when his wife learned she could not become pregnant. More »
March 2008
- Why Do Kids Love to Cuss?
  
  NPR | Mar 27, 08 12:34 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Kids swear. They swear like sailors. Why is that, and should parents be worried? NPR decided to investigate and found, logically enough, that kids swear because they pick up the words from others, particularly mom and dad. “That’s just language learning,” says psychologist Paul Bloom. “These words have no special status as taboo words. Learning they’re taboo words is a later step.” More »
- Cost of Bringing Up Baby: $204K
  
  Reuters | Mar 25, 08 9:27 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Raising that little bundle of joy will come with a not-so-cute $204,060 price tag for middle-income families, according to a new government study. Factoring in inflation, the parents of a child born in 2007 can expect to spend $269,040 by the time that baby turns 18. Actual costs vary according to income and location, with the urban West the most expensive region to raise children and rural areas the least expensive. And, of course, the little darlings become more expensive as they get older. More »
- Boomers Move Back Home
  
  Associated Press | Mar 24, 08 3:06 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Young people have long fled recessionary job markets by moving back home, but the current crisis has a new demographic scurrying there: the middle-aged. "This is not like, 'OK, my son just graduated from college and needs to move back in' type of thing," says one financial planner, who has seen more adult children leaning on parents for everything from rent to groceries. More »
- UK Teachers Blame Parents for Bratty Kids
  
  Daily Telegraph (UK) | Mar 22, 08 3:50 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - UK teachers complain that classrooms are getting tougher to control because kids throw more tantrums—and parents are to blame, the Daily Telegraph reports. A Cambridge University study says that parents are letting children indulge in video games, junk food, and TV. "Teachers described highly permissive parents who admitted to indulging their children, often for the sake of peace or simply because they had run out of alternative incentives or sanctions," the report said. More »