As if I didn?t have enough to worry about? Flame retardant pajamas just aren?t enough to keep my little ones from foreseeable disaster. Earlier this week, the American Academy of Pediatrics told me that I need to worry about my son?s cholesterol. (For more of the details, see Dawn Allcot?s blog or go here .)

Somewhere between the ages of two and ten I should have had my son?s lipids screened, since my own dad died of complications from heart disease and diabetes. But you should see my boy. He?s perfect?all 61 pounds of him.

But now they?ve got me worried. I need to buy him low fat foods. And if he does have an elevated LDL concentration, he ought to be on cholesterol lowering medication! Even if he?s fine, he should go back again in 3-5 years, just to make sure. Are there truly cases where an 11-year old had a heart attack?

Forget conspiracy theories for the moment. I?m sure they?re just trying to ward off preventable trouble and keep an eye to our precious ones? health future, but come on. If I keep worrying about everything that could possibly be wrong with my children, I?m afraid I?m going to have a heart attack myself?and soon.

Below is list of freebies and samples that I thought Babies Online Blog Readers might enjoy. Have a look and feel free to add to the list by sharing your comments on any other freebies that you may be aware of.

• Free CD – Find out how to “Beat the Odds” of heart Disease (60 sec Survey required)
• Free Jockey Underwear – Redeemable at Macy’s (Expires June 6th)
• Free Sample Pak – assortment of Kotex (4 in all)
• Free Kit – Important information about Breast Cancer and toold to prevent and detect it.

As always, Babies Online has an impressive list of freebies for you to choose from as well. Click here to see these exclusive offers.

Sleep deprivation ? every parent with infants knows how it feels. Especially moms. I used to be a good sleeper ? until I had kids. Even after my twins started sleeping through, I continued to have problems falling asleep and sleeping through. Worse I became such a light sleeper that I woke at the slightest sound. The mom-is-always-on-call-complex is difficult to get rid of and I still have it 5 years after delivery.

A recent study shows that poor sleep seems to have more serious health consequences for women than for men. Women who are poor sleepers have higher risk of heart disease and diabetes compared to men with sleeping problems. This is based on a survey involving 210 healthy middle-aged women and men without any history of sleep disorders, who are non-smokers and not on daily medications. Blood samples from the participants were analyzed to determine the risk of diabetes and heart disease. The results showed that among men and women with similar sleeping problems, the risk profiles were dramatically different ? women have it worse.

And what is interesting is that it’s not so much the overall poor sleep quality that was associated with health risk, but rather the length of time it takes a person to fall asleep. It has been found that women who take half an hour or more to fall asleep showed the worst risk to heart disease and diabetes. It seems that poor quality sleep among women is due to distress, depression and anger, emotions which have also been linked to heart problems. Sleeping disorders among men, however, are due to different causes than these.

SOURCE:

MedicineNet, 21 March 2008.

Still trying to lose that baby weight? Every magazine on the newsstand seems to tout a new way to ?walk off the weight.? But you know what? Combined with a healthy diet filled with lots of fruits, veggies and whole grains, walking really does work!

Walking is also the perfect exercise during pregnancy. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) says that, ideally, pregnant women should aim for 30 minutes of moderate activity, which can include walking, six or seven days of the week. For more tips on walking during pregnancy, check out this article.

Regular, moderate walking will also reduce your risk of heart disease, which is the number one killer in the United States. Now, the American Heart Association gives everyone?new moms, pregnant women, dads, and children–a reason to start walking on April 16, which the organization has declared National Start Walking Day! The AHA hopes to raise one million dollars for heart disease and encourage Americans to, collectively, take one million steps beginning on April 16. You can log in to AHA Start with a Million site to see how your city is doing!

You can squeeze in a 30-minute walk during lunch, after work, or even in the morning. Walk around the mall, your office building, or enjoy the fresh air, put the baby in his stroller, and walk around your neighborhood. If you have older children, walk around the park while they play on the swings. When I worked in an office, I took a shortened lunch break and then made a 10-minute walk to Starbucks (and back) part of my daily routine in the late afternoon. Walking requires no special equipment, no training, and no great physical abilities.

Whether you?re already in shape or need some inspiration to jump start your fitness efforts, why not tie on your most comfy pair of sneakers, invite some friends out this Wednesday, and start walking?

Physical activity is good for your health. This we know. Moderate alcohol intake is said to be healthy, too. So what do you get when you combine these 2 together?

A Danish study tells us that lots of exercise and a little bit of alcohol may actually be the perfect recipe to a long life. The study followed up 11,914 men and women for almost 20 years and observed their physical activities and alcohol intake habits. Their results can be summarized as:

* Non-drinking couch potatoes have the highest risk of having heart problems – 49% higher than the rest.

* The physically active teetotalers have about 33% lower risk than those leading sedentary lifestyles.

* The physically active moderate drinkers have almost 50% lower risk than those leading sedentary lifestyles.

* Among those who are active and doing similar amounts of exercise, the moderate drinkers won hands down, having 30% less likelihood to have heart disease than their non-drinking counterparts.

The study defined ?moderate? drinking as 1 to 14 units of alcohol a week, with 1 unit of alcohol being equal to half a pint of normal strength beer, half of a medium-sized glass of wine, or a single shot of a spirit.

But remember, a little bit of alcohol may be healthy but alcohol abuse is not.

Sources:

European Heart Journal January 2008 29(2):204-212

BBC News January 9, 2008