2011 July | Inhabitots

Sophie the Giraffe Artist Series Celebrates the Green Baby Toy’s 50th Birthday

by Julie Seguss, 07/13/11

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‘The Breastmilk Baby’ Doll Now Available in the U.S.

by Beth Shea, 07/13/11

Back in 2009, we reported on a bizarre breastfeeding baby doll, Bebe’ Gloton, which we believed added to the unwarranted taboo that surrounds nursing in the American culture — read our opinions here. Re-named ‘The Breastmilk Baby,’ this interactive toy, which makes sucking noises to mimic what a real infant sounds like when breastfeeding, is now available in the States. Promoted with taglines the “magic of motherhood,” (although we all know the art of breastfeeding is hardly a magical undertaking, but a learned skill for both mother and child) and “a lesson for life,” this doll enables pre-pubescent girls to strap on pasties to denote nipples (referred to as a “fashionable halter top”) and pretend to nurse a baby, “just like mommy.”

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CDC Breastfeeding Report Card Shows Best and Worst Breastfeeding States

by Jennifer Chait, 07/13/11

breastfeeding, baby feeding, bottle feeding, breast is best, breast milk, breastfeeding, breastfeeding hospital, breastfeeding in public, breastfeeding support

Percentage of Children Who Are Breastfed at 6 Months of Age

The 2010 Breastfeeding Report Card issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that more women than ever are trying to breastfeed. Recent CDC data collected in the new report card shows that a full 3 out of every 4 new U.S. mamas attempts to breastfeed her newborn. In fact, the United States has now met the Healthy People 2010 national objective for breastfeeding initiation. As you can see from the map above, in many states women are still breastfeeding at the 6-month mark. States featuring some of the best breastfeeding rates include Vermont, Oregon, Hawaii, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, California, Alaska, Washington and Colorado. The message that breastfeeding is the most healthy feeding option for babies must be sinking in. Sadly, like most report cards, this report shows that there’s room for improvement. Many states have truly abysmal breastfeeding rates and need major improvements, including Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Louisiana, Oklahoma, South Carolina and West Virginia. Keep reading to see what the U.S. is failing at when it comes to breastfeeding rates.
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New Tailpipe Controls Do Little to Improve Air Quality Inside School Bus Cabins

by Lori Zimmer, 07/12/11

When you’re shuffling the kids onto the big yellow school bus every morning, the last thing you should be thinking about is air pollution. While we trust bus drivers to get our kids safely to school, the diesel-guzzling busses spew toxic tailpipe emissions into the air. And even though some school districts have taken the pollution seriously, and are installing catalytic converters in their vintage fleet of vehicles, these tailpipe controls only help the air pollution levels outside the bus, not inside where children are riding and breathing the air on the way to school. In fact, a new study found that the ratio of pollutants inside the bus cabin can be three to 15 times more emission-heavy than outside city air.

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7 Eco-Friendly Ways to Entertain Kids on a Road Trip

If you have a road trip or two planned this summer, you might be tempted to use hand-held video games and DVD movies to entertain kids on your getaway. However, there are many fantastic ways to engage, entertain and interact with your children on a road trip that don't require electronics. These eco-friendly ideas are great for bonding as a family and creating long lasting memories of your time together on the road. Even better, they don't require a ton of planning, they're budget-friendly and easy on the environment. Read on to learn how to entertain your kiddos the next time you hit open road.