Stork Visits
It’s not so much a case of the stork visiting you as you visiting the stork. Now, expectant moms can tap into the Internet and connect with other soon-to-be moms at the Stork Site (https://www.storksite.com). In addition to features and pregnancy information, women can compare pregnancy experiences with one another in the online chat room. “Storkies”--a nickname for the devoted users--are also alerted when their friends arrive online. Some apparently have even stayed in touch from the delivery room. Hope Dad captured that moment on videotape.
Men and Breast-Feeding
Men should support breast-feeding of their newborn children, according to a Santa Monica-based organization that specializes in infant-care consultation and breast-feeding services. Dads shouldn’t just back breast-feeding because many studies indicate it’s healthier for infants, according to the Pump Station. There’s a selfish reason as well. Usually sex between new parents dips after the birth of a child, but breast-feeding can help reverse that, says the company. You see, breast-feeding burns up to 800 calories per day and helps women return to their pre-pregnancy weight faster than if they bottle-feed the infant. Eight hundred calories! That’s better than a 30-minute workout on the treadmill.
Kids Smoking Grass
Compared with a decade ago, adolescents aren’t just saying no to marijuana as much as they used to, according to the March issue of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. Researchers studied urine samples from about 1,300 teens and compared them with the results of a similar study 10 years ago. The study showed that 13% tested positive for marijuana. In the 1989 study, just 2% tested positive. Although it didn’t cite specific numbers, the study also showed that kids today are less likely to use cocaine than they did 10 years ago.
Losing the Battle
Although most Americans concede that the “War on Drugs” is being lost, a majority still strongly backs more drug-fighting efforts, according to the March issue of the Journal of the American Medical Assn. After reviewing about 50 national drug surveys, researchers found that 78% of Americans believed the anti-drug effort has failed. However, 66% supported paying higher taxes to fund campaigns against drug use, the study found. Conversely, 14% favored legalization of illicit drugs, the study said.
