November 2005

New Government Statistics on Births

The U. S. National Center for Health Statistics has released its analysis of birth data for 2004. One of the potentially worrisome findings was that C-sections in the U. S. are at an all-time high. The increase may be connected in part to the rise in multiple and preterm births, as well as a large drop in […]

Pregnant Women and New Moms Risk Blood Clots

Reportedly, pulmonary embolism has overtaken all other causes of maternal mortality in the past two to three decades. Research from a thirty-year study just published in the Annals of Internal Medicine indicates that pregnant women and those up to three months postpartum are four times more likely than other women to suffer pulmonary embolism or

Supreme Court Says Parents Bear Burden of Proof in Special-Education Cases

The Supreme Court ruled today, 6-2, that parents who challenge the adequacy of a disabled child’s “individualized education program” have the burden of proving it inadequate. The two dissenting justices felt that conversely, the school district should have to prove a program’s adequacy in such cases. While much of the current press surrounding Supreme Court

New Test for Detecting Down Syndrome in First Trimester

Researchers at the Royal College of Physicians in Dublin, Ireland, announced a new screening test last week to detect Down syndrome in first-trimester fetuses. If the results of the test are positive, a woman can then choose to have further tests to confirm the diagnosis. The new test, a combination of a blood test and

“In My Shoes” Documentary by Children of GLBT Parents

This weekend marked the 18th annual “Creating Change” conference sponsored by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. Among other things, the conference included a screening of “In My Shoes,” a half-hour movie produced by middle and high school-aged members of COLAGE, about their experiences as children of same-sex parents. I haven’t seen the film

Cranbanero Sauce

Thanksgiving is almost upon us, so I thought I’d offer a recipe idea: Cranbanero Sauce, a fiery version of the classic condiment. If you like spicy food, and grandma’s lumpy gravy just isn’t doing it for you, try this. Buy a standard 16-ounce bag of cranberries at your local supermarket. Put cranberries, sugar, and water

U. S. Senate Panel Approves Amendment Banning Same-Sex Marriage

A U. S. Senate panel led by Kansas Senator Sam Brownback yesterday approved a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. The amendment will now go to the full Judiciary Committee and, if it passes there, the full Senate, the House, and then the state legislatures. As the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports, however, Democrats are saying this tramples on

Magic, Trains, and Children

The protagonist lives in a realm that’s been described as “magical,” and which has some parallels with the United Kingdom. He finds adventures with his friends and is brave, kind, and sometimes a little cheeky. His stories and movies have had phenomenal success around the world and are beloved of both children and parents. No,

Election Results: Win Some, Lose Some

A brief political roundup for election week: Yesterday, Texas voters approved a measure placing an amendment in the Texas Bill of Rights defining marriage as a union of one man and one woman. It is unclear whether the language of the amendment would also ban other legal ties between same-sex partners, a similar conundrum to

One-Pot Cooking

Eartheasy has some great ideas for one-pot cooking, including “templates” for three different types of dishes: rice, potato, and pasta based. You can adapt them to suit your tastes and leftovers. These are useful for those of us with young kids who need to cook quickly, or those who want to limit the mess when

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