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Special Needs Blog Week in Review – Week of February 26 – March 3, 2012

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Every week, the Special Needs Blog Week in Review gives you a quick description of each of the blogs that appeared on here in the past seven days. This is a good way to catch up on whatever you may have missed, or on blogs that you wanted to read but ran out of time for. The Special Needs Podcast Roundup went up on February 27, 2012. This week, I would like to point out an episode from the Hold the Gluten podcast that is titled: “Pizza Perfection”. It talks about a place that makes delicious gluten-free pizzas. As a … Continue reading →

Beware of Unexpected Allergy and Asthma Triggers

Halloween can be scary, and even dangerous, at times. Parents of children who have asthma, or who have skin allergies, need to be especially careful as they celebrate Halloween. Certain things that your children encounter on this holiday could hold hidden asthma and allergy triggers. Haunted houses, and spooky costumes, help people have some scary fun on Halloween. Few things can be more terrifying, though, than having to rush your child to the emergency room because he or she is having a severe asthma or allergy attack. It can be especially upsetting when you have no idea what triggered the … Continue reading →

An Unexpected Reaction

I discovered mold underneath the sink in my bathroom last week. Living in a very high humidity area like the Pacific Northwest — that’s not a big surprise. I did some research on how to clean it up and prepared myself to tackle the growth. One important thing to note here: I’m allergic to mold in all forms. If I take penicillin (or any mold-based medication), I break out in hives. If I eat bleu cheese, my mouth burns. Knowing this, I protected myself with a face mask and rubber gloves. I figured I was in danger of ending up … Continue reading →

Other Kids’ Reactions to My Adopted Kids’ Skin Color

My son Patrick, who is European-American, was nearly three when his sister Meg arrived. Six months later, the two of them sat near me while I read a picture book about a Latino boy. “Hey mom,” Patrick said pointing to the picture, “that kid’s skin is different from mine.” “Yes,” I replied. “And Meg’s skin is different from mine.” “Yes,” I replied. “And mommy, your skin is different from mine.” Although this was a bit unexpected, I do have a rosy undertone (in fact I remember telling someone when I was a child that I was a pink person, not … Continue reading →

An Introduction to the Pregnancy Blog

Hi Everyone, My name is Pattie and I’ve been hired to write the Pregnancy Blog on Families.com. I am very excited about this assignment, as pregnancy is something that is very near and dear to my heart. I have three children and recently found out that we are expecting baby #4 in July. It feels very fitting that I am beginning my journey into my fourth pregnancy at the same time I am beginning my journey into this blog. On my journey to motherhood, I have been through nearly every conceivable situation. My husband and I got married nearly fourteen … Continue reading →

The “Two Minute Warning” Might Make Tantrums Worse

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It has been said that the “two minute warning” is a good way to help a young child transition from playtime to another (less fun) activity. A study found that the “two minute warning” might actually make tantrums worse for some children – especially if the child was engaged in screen time. Researchers at the University of Washington’s Computing for Health Living & Learning Lab interviewed 27 families about how they manage media and screen time experiences for their toddlers and preschoolers. The answers to those questions informed a diary study that included 28 different families. Each family documented screen … Continue reading →

When Your Baby Has Food Allergies

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Recently, I decided to get my baby tested for food allergies. With the history that my two boys have had, I just wanted to make sure that there were no lingering issues as we moved forward with food trialing. I had been suspicious that eggs were causing a problem with my little one when I was breastfeeding. It was one of the foods I had cut out of my diet when he was having all of his tummy issues. But, none of my children have ever been diagnosed with your typical IgE food allergies. IgE stands for Immunoglobulin E which is … Continue reading →

George Clooney is Related to Abraham Lincoln

It’s pretty amazing what genealogists from Ancestry.com can dig up. It seems like they are always finding connections in the family trees of unexpected people. This time, they found that actor George Clooney and former President Abraham Lincoln are related to each other. Ancestry.com is one of the biggest genealogy websites. The site is frequently updated with new records and archives. They have a blog that updates at least once a week. They produce one or two live webinars every week. Somehow, the genealogists who work for Ancestry.com still find the time to dig up unexpected connections in the family … Continue reading →

Transgenic Cow Makes Hypoallergenic Milk

Food allergies are to be taken very seriously. Exposure to an allergen can lead to death. There are many children, and adults, who are severely allergic to milk. Scientists have created a cow that produces hypoallergenic milk. This brings up some interesting questions for parents of kids who are allergic to, or intolerant of, milk. Milk allergies can range from a slight intolerance to a very serious allergic reaction. For some, it is the lactose that causes problems. Others are allergic to the whey in the milk. Whey is a mix of about ten different proteins, including one called Beta-lactoglobulin. … Continue reading →

Helpful Health Information From My Health Insurer

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Today, in the mail, I got something unexpected from my health insurance company. It wasn’t a bill, and it wasn’t a scary letter about cancellation. Instead, it was a helpful little pamphlet with advice about dealing with asthma. Part of the Affordable Care Act includes something called the medical loss ratio. It requires health insurance companies to spend at least 80% of the money that they get from customer’s health insurance premiums on things that actually can improve a person’s health. The insurer cannot include things like salaries, advertising costs, or other administrative costs in that 80%. One of the … Continue reading →