Green Baby | Inhabitots

New Research Says Baby’s First Food Should Be Finger Food

by Jennifer Chait, 02/10/12

Back in the day, as recommended by a bazillion baby rearing books on the planet, most parents chose white rice cereal for their baby’s first solid food. Then the great white out debate began, not to mention arsenic scares in rice, and baby advocates started telling parents to start Baby off with healthier fare, like brown rice cereals, brown rice mash or vegetable purée. Now, it’s a whole new game, as brand new research says you should consider starting your baby off on solids with healthy finger foods. Researchers on the study compared a group of spoon-fed babies to a group of self-led weaning babies. What they found is that babies who are allowed to self-wean and who are then introduced to solids by feeding themselves versus having a parent spoon feed them, were able to better master skills related to self-food regulation. In turn self-food regulation is directly connected to health benefits for life such as a lower BMI and a preference for healthy foods like carbohydrates.

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Adorable and Stylish gTweet and gStreet from gDiapers

by Jennifer Chait, 02/09/12

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NEW! Perfect Bum Advanced Reusable Diaper System

by Jennifer Chait, 02/07/12

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How to Be a Dad Shares Hilarious Co-sleeping Baby Sleep Positions Diagrams

by Julie Seguss, 02/01/12

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Our Favorite Eco-Friendly Animal Hats, Scarves and Mittens for Babies and Kids

Keep your little one warm this winter in one of our favorite animal-inspired hats, scarves, mittens or booties. All of the adorably wild winter gear for kids is eco-friendly from puppy hats with ears to snake scarves, right down to sweet polar bear booties. See all of the sustainable goodies and let your child help pick out a favorite - we bet she'll stop fighting when you tell her she must wear her hat and mittens!

Elevated Exposure to Chemicals Weakens Immune Response to Vaccines

A new research study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, suggests that perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) may reduce the effectiveness of common childhood vaccines. Researchers working on this study, headed up by Dr. Philippe Grandjean, chair of environmental medicine at the University of Southern Denmark, studied children born in the Faroe Islands due to reports of increasing amounts of PFCs in the drinking water and fish located within close proximity to the Islands. Children in the study received the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTaP) vaccine at 3 months, along with the recommended booster at age five. The researchers tested the immunity of the children, at age five and seven years, and drew some blood to test PFC levels. What they found wasn’t good. Higher levels of PFCs in the blood correlated with much lower immune responses. In fact, by the age of seven years, children with a twofold increase of bodily PFCs were up to fours times as likely to have an immune response that was no longer even clinically active. Basically, children with the highest PFC levels weren’t as protected or weren’t protected at all against disease, even though they’d been vaccinated.

Tips to Help You Overcome 6 Common Co-sleeping Hurdles

Co-sleeping has many benefits for parents and children. However, as any co-sleeping parent will tell you, co-sleeping is far from perfect. There are some cons that vary from family to family. From babies that kick to restless sleepers to circumstances that make co-sleeping a danger, there's plenty of issues that can make you wish you never tried co-sleeping in the first place. That said, co-sleeping really is a wonderful way to connect with your baby, so here are some helpful tips about how to overcome those pesky co-sleeping hurdles.

5 Ways to Save Money for Your Child’s Education Today

It costs a lot of money to raise children and one of the largest expenses that your family will encounter will be for higher education. Starting to save for college when your children are young is essential since it's such a large expense. There are many great ways to save for your child's education - ways that are easy, affordable and will make sending your child off to college an easier process. And when your child does go off to college, the steps that you took today will allow your child to focus on their education, not how they are going to pay for it. The key to saving for your child's education is to start when they are born. Read on to learn the five ways that my family is saving money for my son's college education, and getting started on your own savings today.

LAST DAY TO ENTER! Win a Greenbuds Organic Crib Mattress and Sheet Set Worth $492

When you put your baby in her crib, the last thing you want her to sleep on is a bed of hazardous chemicals, right? Well, unfortunately traditional baby mattresses are filled with toxins including PVC, phthalates and fire retardants. Since your baby will spend 10 to 14 hours a day on said mattress, choosing an eco-friendly one is important for her health and safety. We recently discovered Greenbuds organic mattresses and are excited to have three of their wonderful green sleep products to give away. One grand prize winner will win a Greenbuds Magnolia Deluxe Organic 2-in-1 Crib Mattress and an organic cotton sheet set worth $492, and one runner up will win an Organic Cotton Waterproof Mattress Protector from Greenbuds sized for standard crib mattresses worth $54.95. Ready to win a safe sleep environment for your green baby?
Here’s how to enter to win a Greenbuds Organic Crib Mattress and Sheet Set Worth $492 or a Mattress Protector Worth $54.95!
1) Like GreenBuds on Facebook. (And if you’re feeling extra friendly, you can like Inhabitots on Facebook too!)

2) Add a comment to this post with your answer to the following question: What’s your trick for getting your baby to snooze soundly? Please be patient – comments don’t appear instantly because they must be approved.

Learn more about Greenbuds and the giveaway prizes after the jump.

CDC Researchers Say Delaying Breastfeeding to Increase Vaccine Efficiency May be Wise

In news that’s almost unbelievable, 10 CDC researchers suggest that delaying breastfeeding in favor of making the rotavirus vaccine more efficient may be useful. What the frog! Or in other words, what we say around my house when we can’t cuss out loud. The study, publicized in the CDC’s 2010 spring newsletter, has remained fairly quiet until now but recently hit mainstream media. This worries me, because some parents may take the study at face value and delay or stop breastfeeding in order to pump up the effectiveness of the rotavirus vaccine. The U.S. has abysmally low rates of breastfeeding as it is, so the damage research like this could do is significant. As a parent, if you hear about this study, you should strongly consider how the benefits of breastfeeding outweigh any smaller inactivity of the rotavirus vaccine. Honestly, when it comes to who funded this study, my money is on the formula companies – although that’s just a guess.

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Jessica Alba and Christopher Gavigan Launch The Honest Company, Green Diaper & Baby Product Delivery Service

A new diaper/baby care products delivery service for eco-minded parents just launched this week. The Honest Company picks up where the stork left off, leaving bundles of product joy on your doorstep for the whole family to enjoy (we wish all deliveries were this simple!). Co-founded by Christopher Gavigan, former CEO of Healthy Child, Healthy World and actress and child advocate Jessica Alba, The Honest Company equips you with the essentials you need to care for your green baby. With an innovative, new biodegradable baby diaper, baby wipes, bath and skin care collection and home cleaning line, the affordable and convenient collection means that now it's not just easy being green -- it's effortless -- simplifying your existence during one of the most magical yet confusing times of life: parenthood. No more late night diaper runs, no more researching which skin and bath care products are best for babe, or which cleaning products will effectively clean your home sans toxins. The entire Honest Company collection has been meticulously crafted with the utmost care in mind for babies, families and the environment.

Recycled Wood Art Panels from Urban Tickle Enlighten Kids and Brighten Rooms

It’s easy to find planes and cars flying and zooming across art decor for kids. But the artist behind Etsy shop Urban Tickle really goes the distance by pairing inspirational messages with the transportation motifs to really drive important sentiments home. Parents may brighten the nursery or playroom with Urban Tickle’s 100% recycled …

Spice Up Homemade Baby Food for Health and Taste

How would you like boring, unimaginative baby food day in and day out? I bet you wouldn't. Babies may be young, but their taste buds are developing very quickly, so it's smart to introduce new flavors early on, rather than later. Also, many herbs and spices are healthy food additions and can even fight off colds and flu. If you haven't ever made homemade baby food before, it's not that hard. You can easily make homemade baby food with a pot and fork or potato masher, or get fancy with an easy to use baby food maker. Oh, and although jarred baby food isn't as healthy or as fresh as homemade, you can add herbs and spices to it in order to liven it up as well.

Baby’s Rocking Cradle by Martin Price Transforms Into Two Rocking Chairs

A lot of the stuff you need to buy for Baby only ends up getting used for a year or two before being tossed aside. So we love the idea of gear that transforms as your tot grows like Baby's Rocking Cradle, a concept by London designer Martin Price. The clever wooden cradle becomes two rocking chairs after it's no longer needed.

Protect Baby’s Eyes in Style with Rubber Babiators Sunglasses

If the name of the company alone doesn’t make you smile, maybe this will help: Babiators‘ line of baby aviator sunglasses offers 100% protection from the full spectrum of UV rays and are made our of rubber instead of plastic. The sunglasses are also BPA and phthalate-free (so no worries if they end up, like most things, in Baby’s mouth), and they carry a one-year Wear and Tear Guarantee. Buying a pair of these bendable …

Vintage Book Clocks Are a Smart Way to Track Time in Kids Rooms

Looking for a clever piece of art for a nursery or your child's room? How about a book that's actually a clock? Vintage Book Clocks let you show off your love for literary classics like The Wizard of Oz and Horton Hears a Who! and keep track of time all at the same time - you just may inspire your child to develop a greater love for reading, too.

Throwing a Green Baby Shower for an Eco-Friendly Mama-To-Be

Throwing a baby shower is a great way to pamper and spoil a favorite mother-to-be in your life. Luckily, you don't have to spoil the planet as well - having an eco-friendly baby shower can be easy, affordable, and lets you get creative! Read on for green invites, flowers, decorations, and more!

HOW TO: Make Homemade Organic Yogurt

Recently, I shared a healthy granola recipe, and today I get to share an organic yogurt recipe to go along with your granola. Yogurt and granola is not only a great, quick, and healthy breakfast it is also a quick and healthy snack, or even a quick and healthy dessert. Once you know how to make yogurt you'll be well on your way to make yogurt cheese and creamy frozen yogurt, imagine that. Yogurt is a great source of protein, specially for vegetarian tots. And the best part is that homemade yogurt is easy to make.

FDA Finally Agrees to Make Decision About BPA in Food Products

According to Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has finally committed to making a decision about the dangers (or not) of Bisphenol A (BPA) in food and drink packaging. NRDC and other sources report that the FDA has agreed to a final BPA decision by March 31, 2012. Personally, I’m not holding my breath for a positive response, or any response at all for that matter. NRDC originally sent a petition to the FDA asking it to ban the use of BPA as a food additive about three years ago. Although legally the FDA is required to respond to petitions within 180 days, it took them 41 months, along with an NRDC lawsuit to respond. On top of that, even though countless organizations have asked for a BPA ban in baby bottles and sippy cups over the last few years, the FDA failed to respond to those concerns as well, that is, until the American Chemistry Council (ACC) asked them to. It’s quite obvious that the FDA couldn’t care less about your opinion if you’re an environmental or health organization or a concerned parent. The only way to make headway with the FDA is if you’ve got a hefty bankroll and some major marketing clout.

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Green Parenting and Design Predictions for 2012

Another year is behind us and as we look forward to 2012, we're contemplating all the opportunities of what this new year holds. We've asked some of our favorite bloggers, green-minded business owners, and a few of our own Inhabitots editors and writers to share their predictions for the year ahead. What will change in green design this year? How will the world move forward to provide a better environment for healthy families? Read on to see what Giggle's CEO Ali Wing, Groovy Green Livin's Lori Popkewitz Alper, Small for Bigs' Mari Richards and more predict for 2012.