Since we had our firstborn join the family watching TV became an impossible feat. Meanwhile, many parents find it comfortable enough to watch their favorite show while their little ones are playing nearby. Is it a safe practice?

In a news release, researcher Marie Evans Schmidt said “background TV, as an ever-changing audiovisual distractor, disrupts children’s efforts to sustain attention to ongoing play behaviors.”

Schmidt is a research associate at the Center on Media and Child Health at Children’s Hospital Boston.

“Background TV is potentially a chronic environmental risk factor affecting most American children. Parents should limit their young children’s exposure to background television.”

In case you have been following the controversy regarding children autism-related statements by Michael Savage, we are publishing a transcript of his audio comments regarding his opinions and beliefs.

A recent study has found that most of sunscreens available fail to provide the necessary protection. I have a few friends who prefer to forgo the sunblocks entirely out of fear for the dangerous chemicals that them might contain. How do you pick the sunscreen that actually works and that is not damaging?

Is it even necessary to use a sunblock?

UVB rays cause sunburn and skin cancer; UVA rays cause aging and likely skin cancer. Because both cause damage to the skin, Sutton says, it’s important to pick a sunscreen with broad spectrum protection that shields out both types of rays.

A mother looks at her smiling baby and every tune of her soul is singing a sweet and happy tune… we all know that. However new scientific research indicates there is more to it:

A new study shows seeing her baby’s smile lights up the reward center in a mother’s brain. Researchers say understanding that reaction may help explain that special mother-child bond and determine why it sometimes goes wrong…

Researchers found that when the mothers saw happy images of their own baby, activation increased in areas of the brain associated with reward and the neurotransmitter dopamine compared with seeing images of other babies.

“Going outside? Splash some sunscreen. On yourself, on your baby, on your cat…” Is it really effective? Which sunblocks to buy? New research indicates that just one of 103 products from the second-largest seller, Banana Boat, and the third largest seller, Neutrogena, were recommended to be safe and provide the necessary protection. With top-selling sunscreen brands being the poorest performers, which ones are safe?

An environmental research and advocacy group claims that four out of five brand-name sunscreens either provide inadequate sun protection or contain chemicals that may be unsafe, but industry representatives strongly dispute the charge….

Don’t you love the wonderful feel of a warm swimming pool or a warm lake during the summer? Yet, enjoying it can be dangerous. The threat seems more appropriate for a sci-fi story, then a scientific document, but since the events don’t take place on some Martian plane, but actually have been recorded on our humble planet, it might seem curious enough:

Six young men died last year after swimming in lakes or pools infested with a brain-eating amoeba, the CDC reports.

Breastfeeding can be daunting and painful in the beginning. Before the breasts get used to it, most of the moms experience cracked nipples, painful sensations, even bleeding. It’s good we have a variety of nipple creams that can help us heal our breasts. Though, it appears that not all nipple creams are crated equal: some of them can even hurt our little ones.

The FDA is warning consumers not to use or purchase Mommy’s Bliss Nipple Cream marketed by MOM Enterprises Inc. of San Rafael, Calif., because ingredients in the cream may harm nursing babies.

Childhood obesity is scary as it is. The good news is, that it’s rate are not worsening, so many parents probably are taking precautionary measures. The bad news is, that it’s rates are not improving either, so it is plausible that we have to try harder to prevent this happening to our kids:

May 27, 2008 — For the first time in 20 years, America’s child obesity rate hasn’t gotten worse.

But it’s not any better, according to the latest figures from the CDC.

* 31.9% of kids are overweight
* 16.3% of kids are obese
* 11.3% of kids are in the “heaviest of the heavy” category

Another great WebMD article that makes you think some things over: Safety of Antibacterial Soap Debated

Millions of Americans use antibacterial soaps and household cleaners every day, believing that their germ-killing ability will keep them and their families healthier.

But could these same chemicals that fight germs also be hazardous to your health?

That’s a question being studied by a group of researchers at the University of California, Davis. In three separate studies, the researchers showed that the chemicals — triclosan and triclocarban — have potential to affect sex hormones and interfere with the nervous system.