Babies Online - The Blog

Send a little boy his last Christmas Card

November 6, 2009

An Early Christmas for a Boy with Cancer Here’s your opportunity to kick off the holiday season by doing something nice. Even the most time-strapped parents of toddlers can take the time to send a Christmas card to a little boy for what may be his last Christmas.

Five-year-old Noah Biorkman has been battling neuroblastoma cancer for two-and-a-half years. He was diagnosed with Stage IV neuroblastoma in February 2007. It went into remission in August of that year, but returned in September 2008 with legions on Noah’s right arm and leg. After six different clinical trials, the cancer continues to spread.

His family, including his mother Diana Harrison Biorkman, will celebrate Christmas with him early this year – what is likely to be Noah’s last one. Noah loves Christmas cards, so his mom is asking everyone to send him a card. His address is:

Noah Biorkman
1411 Fountain View Circle
South Lyon, Michigan 48178

Snopes Verified

According to Snopes.com, DJ Ed Carter WKSR in Pulaski, Tennessee, who is an acquaintance of Mrs. Biorkman, has verified the story on the air. You can also read updates on Noah at his section on CarePages. Be warned that his mother’s blog is a definite tearjerker. I’m actually sitting here with tears in my eyes, holding my one-year-old daughter, as I read.

On Thursday, Noah received 416 cards and they continue coming in. The celebration is planned for this weekend. But it’s not too late to send a card with well wishes for this beautiful and brave little boy.

Private thoughts, prayers and well wishes for a “Christmas miracle” won’t hurt either, I’m sure. While Noah sleeps a lot, the medication that keeps the pain at bay does permit him to walk and play, as well. He is filled with wonder at the well wishes he’s receiving and is making the most of his time with his family in the ways only a child can.

About Neuroplastoma

Mrs. Biorkman describes her son’s cancer on the blog: “Neuroblastoma cancer really sucks and is a beast.” Noah’s doctors continue working hard to find a cure for children who relapse, and Mrs. Biorkman hopes the clinical trial’s Noah has taken will help them in their efforts.

Neuroblastoma is a cancerous tumor beginning in the nerve tissues – often in the adrenal glands in the abdomen — of infants and toddlers. About 650 cases of neuroblastoma are detected in the U.S. each year and most are diagnosed in children under 5 years old.

As with most cancers, the prognosis for children with neuroblastoma varies depending on how early it is detected, and how quickly the cancer progresses.

Read more about Neuroblastoma at https://www.nbhope.org

Contributed by Dawn Allcot
Tags: cancer, Christmas, neuroblastoma, Noah Biorkman
Posted in: Current Events
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Study Claims That Children Equal Happiness

Study Claims That Children Equal Happiness According to a recent study by the University of Glasgow in Scotland, the more children a couple have, the happier they are. The catch? This only holds true for married couples. The same children and happiness correlation didn’t apply to single, co-habiting or separated parents. The study took into account not only marital status but gender, income, age, and education.

So what seemed to explain this difference? Dr. Luis Angeles, who headed the program had this to say:

“One is tempted to advance that children make people better off under the ‘right conditions’ — a time in life when people feel that they are ready, or at least willing, to enter parenthood…likely signal…may well be the act of marriage.”

That’s Not What I’ve Heard

This is the first study that challenges previous ones which concluded that having more children makes parents less happy, not more. However, the key with the distinction may well be the marital status of the parents. In other words, marriage is the signal that one is ready for commitment, not just to marriage, but to family life in general.

Other interesting findings is that the happiness correlation was markedly stronger with Moms. The parents also expressed that children were one of the most important thing in their lives.

So if you and your spouse want to improve your life satisfaction? Have kids, and don’t stop at one, or even two.

Contributed by MrsH
Tags: children, co-habiting, Happiness, life satisfaction, marriage, single parents
Posted in: News, Parenting
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The First Official Lab Created Sperm

The First Official Lab Created Sperm Before there was an embryo, there were an egg and a sperm, collectively called gametes. And before the gametes, there were germ cells. The pathway from germ cells to gametes to embryo is long and complicated and occurs only in the human reproductive organs. Or at least it used to.

There have been previous similar claims of artificially creating gametes in the lab. Some claims had some degree of credibility. Some were simply hoaxes.

If you remember, just a few months ago, British researchers from the University of Newcastle claimed they did it first. However, their report published in the journal Stem Cells Development was later retracted due to plagiarism claims so that their claim to be “first” is currently still unsubstantiated.

Well, the latest claim to achieve this feat is coming from no less than researchers of Stanford, an educational institution of impeccable reputation. And the fact that the results have been published in no other than the highly esteemed science journal Nature tells us – this is really it.

The Stanford researchers developed a technique to isolate germ cells from embryonic stem cells. However, they went further and induced the germ cells to give up half of their chromosomes in the process called meiosis. Eureka! The first “lab-made” sperms are here. OK, so they were actually only spermatids, i.e. immature sperms.

But hey, can you imagine the controversy this latest development triggered? If sperm (and eventually eggs) can be made in the lab, the next logical step is to use these lab-made gametes in IVF. This is definitely taking the “test tube baby” one step further. Is this the start of the eugenics era?

However, the researchers claim they have different intentions and site the following benefits that may come out of this discovery:

Learn more about the earliest stages of human development

Understand inherited diseases better

Find treatments for infertility

Understandably, there are those are not too happy about such scientific advancements. Those who object would probably base their objections on the following:

The use of embryonic stem cells.

The act of playing God, trying to make human beings in the lab.

Some scientists, however, dismiss these objections as groundless and irrelevant. According to a Bioethics professor:

“It seems to me this is one of those examples where people are groping around for a problem and there literally isn’t one.”

So how do you feel when you hear about such developments? Outraged? Scared? Skeptical? Or fascinated?

Contributed by Science-mom
Tags: artificial sperm, gametes, germ cells, science, sperm, stem cells
Posted in: Current Events
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Wearing Contact Lenses May be Good for Children?

November 4, 2009

A surprising study which was recently published is offering great news to parents. A new type of contact lens is said to be creating solutions for some eye problems that plague children. The contact lenses made especially for short-sighted persons work to correct or improve the condition while they sleep.

How the Contact Lenses Work

The i-GO Overnight Vision Correction lenses are unique in more ways than one. These contacts are made to be slept in. When used, the custom designed contact lenses apply pressure to the cornea. When this pressure is exerted, light is then streamed to the back of the retina the way it should be in healthy eyes. The jelly-like elasticity of the cornea will then keep the shape for up to 36 hours.

In effect, wearing the lenses according to the report makes it unnecessary to have surgery to correct shortsightedness in most cases. Plus, over time the wearer will not need to use contacts or glasses during the day. This would be great for children, especially those who participate in sporting activities.

Why i-GO Works Best for Children

The belief is that since children are young and their eyes are technically still soft and changing the contacts work like braces. Over time this can actually correct or slow the process that leads to shortsightedness. Since the condition is caused by eyeballs becoming misshapen, the contact lenses technically force them back to the way the eyeballs are shaped in people with good vision.

Unlike adults where the cornea will generally go back to the original shape over a period of hours, the results are different for children. The corrected shape of the cornea seems to last, which is great news. This was revealed from the study, called SMART which was started two years ago. The study will run for five years.

A study of the contact lenses has found that there are definitely benefits especially for children after wearing them for at least one year. The lenses are a little more expensive than regular contacts, but seem to be worth the price based on results.

I’m sure many parents and those in the eye care industry are awaiting the completion of the study in 2013 to see just how lasting the results are.

Contributed by Jessdel27
Tags: contact lenses for children, eye care, i-GO Overnight Vision Correction lenses, research studies, shortsightedness
Posted in: Health
2 Comments »

What’s Going On in November

November 2, 2009

Road traffic safety and prematurity are just a few of the many interesting health-related events going on in November. However, I’ve prepared a short list focusing on family health.

GLOBAL EVENTS AND OBSERVANCES