The study, with the results published in the Developmental Science and the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, involved two groups of parents with 1-year-old children. One group was given interactive instruction: parents and their children created music with basic instruments, such as drums. The other took a passive approach: listening and playing music related games. So all were on the same page, all babies previously had no musical instruction and were on the same developmental level. All parents and children attended classes once a week for six months.

Researchers found that, after this time, the babies in interactive classes smiled and communicated more with their parents and responded in more sophisticated ways to music. About these results, one of the researchers said:

“Babies who participated in the interactive music classes with their parents showed earlier sensitivity to the pitch structure in music. Specifically, they preferred to listen to a version of a piano piece that stayed in key, versus a version that included out-of-key notes. Infants who participated in the passive listening classes did not show the same preferences. Even their brains responded to music differently. Infants from the interactive music classes showed larger and/or earlier brain responses to musical tones.”

Babies can be exposed to music from a young age, even without instruction. Musical baby toys are one common approach. When a baby is old enough to play with soft toys, he or she touches one to hear sounds, soothing tones, or even a simple classical melody.

Related articles

• First Study To Show Early Musical Training Benefits Children Before They Walk or Talk(deretornoacasa.wordpress.com)

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• Babies’ brains benefit from music lessons, researchers find(eurekalert.org)

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• Babies’ brains benefit from music lessons, even before they can walk and talk(sciencedaily.com)

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This month, Nameberry published a list of 2011’s most popular names. Choices reflect those from BabyCenter.com’s list published at the end of the year, but a few notable shifts have occurred, particularly for popular boy names.

For girls, popular choices veer toward the feminine end, with “Sophia” being the top pick. “Isabella” followed, and “Ava,” “Emma,” “Emily,” and “Abigail” are some of the top 10 selected. Unisex, or androgynous, preferences from the past few years, such as “Madison,” “Addison,” and “Brooklyn,” have slipped down the list but still remain in the top 50.

“Jacob,” a Biblical name, was the top pick for boys and was followed by “Mason,” likely a reference to one of the Kardashian sisters’ spawn. “Jacob” has been toward the top of the list for a number of years, and Biblical reference aside, this preference, as well as “Isabella” for girls, could be attributed to the popularity of the Twilight novels. But, if Twilight is to be considered a pop culture force in baby-naming, why didn’t “Edward” make the top 100 for boys?

The full list of 100 names for both sexes can be read on Nameberry’s website. Here are the top 10 selected names for girls in 2011:

1. Sophia
2. Isabella
3. Emma
4. Olivia
5. Ava
6. Emily
7. Abigail
8. Madison
9. Mia
10. Chloe

For boys, the top 10 most popular names last year were:

1. Jacob
2. Mason
3. William
4. Jayden
5. Noah
6. Michael
7. Ethan
8. Alexander
9. Aiden
10. Daniel

Related articles

• Sophia Is No. 1 Among Girls’ Names; Mason Soars To Near Top Among Boys(npr.org)

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• Twilight, celebrities again influence list of most popular baby names(thehill.com)

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• Most Popular Baby Names 2011: Jacob and Sophia(blippitt.com)

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With the situation called a “retail war,” larger establishments, such as Target, Sears, Amazon, and Walmart are just now tapping into the wealth of internet parenting culture, from mommy blogs to baby stores. Amazon.ca just launched a baby store, while Target, according to the Globe and Mail, is giving greater emphasis toward such products. These two, plus others, are additionally observing online baby trends, including corresponding with bloggers or taking note of popular products.

But, in terms of drawing business, will parents suddenly gravitate toward big box retailers? Such large, all-encompassing stores, at least from the statements in the Globe and Mail piece, seem oblivious and behind the times. And, a shopping experience online might be akin to walking around one of those large stores; you scour aisles looking for just a simple item – say, organic diapers – and end up going around the entire establishment and wasting time in your pursuit.

The internet has become a necessary platform for modern-day parents, from forums to knowledgeable bloggers to specialty retailers. And, in the present, such specialty retailers already dominate their niche markets. A specialty, such as diaper cakes, for instance, develops brand association and reliability and creates an image.

With a great range of already-established retailers, from high-end baby boutiques to stores for renting baby clothes, the internet has turned into a place for specialty baby products, mompreneurs, and connections between parents who might not always have time to leave the house. So, with this culture established, do big box retailers now investing in baby products have a chance, or are they simply out of the loop?

Related articles

• Retail’s big box era is over (business.financialpost.com)
• What Target knows about you and your pregnancy (lifeinc.today.msnbc.msn.com)
• Amazon Baby Store – Now in Canada (onestopmamashop.wordpress.com)

Announced last week, the Disney Baby Minnie Mouse collection, with the exception of darker plum hues, isn’t particularly new. In fact, several other brands of strollers have already gotten in on the trend. But, if you’ve envisioned a Disney-themed room for your baby, go beyond Minnie Mouse Trumpette socks with your baby’s toys, furniture, and clothing.

That being said, Graco’s new collection has five types of baby products, most of them dual purpose. Although the press release goes into greater detail, these include:
• Nursery furniture, such as a rocking seat that turns into a bassinet and can be carried from room to room. For stimulation purposes, each has a toy bar and a mobile that plays classical music and soothing nature sounds.
• Dinner furniture, which is self-explanatory.
• On-the-Go items, such as a stroller and car seat. With modern features in mind, the strollers are lightweight, effortlessly turn around corners, and are easy to fold up or out. Graco car seats, which integrate in with many other stroller models, can also be used with the Minnie Mouse collection.
• Playtime Toys, which, much like the rocking seat, are made to soothe a baby. This device offers multiple seating positions and a choice of speeds.

If a Disney theme and bold colors are the theme for your baby’s room, clothing, and toys, find even more possibilities with classic characters through Dada Baby Boutique.

Related articles

• How to Buy a Stroller (answers.com)
• Every Baby Pushchair Doesn’t Offer an Acceptable Level of Safety, Convenience, and Reliance (boldstate.com)
• How do You Roll? Choosing the right Stroller for You and Baby (kleinekinder.wordpress.com)

About a week ago, Jersey Shore store Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi was reportedly pregnant but remained mum about her condition, until Friday, when she confirmed it to Us Weekly. Now, many in the media, including the reality star’s castmembers, are discussing how she’ll be as a mother and the future of the show.

First off, Snooki’s pregnancy wasn’t even known to her closest castmembers, including newcomer Deena Cortese (who replaced the reportedly-pregnant-but-not Angelina “Jolie” Pivarnick). In speaking on Ryan Seacrest’s radio show, Cortese thinks the pint-sized party girl will make a good mother:“I think this has been her dream: getting married and having kids. She’s really happy and I’m happy for her. I’m going to miss my little partner in crime, but I’m happy for her!”

Do you agree? Spilling the news when 15 weeks pregnant, Snooki is also engaged to boyfriend Jionni LaValle. In announcing the news, she told Us: “I don’t care what anybody else thinks. As long as I know I’m ready and he’s ready.”

Long-time castmember Vinny Guadagnino was also shocked to hear the news. In speaking with the Huffington Post, the castmember who once considered law school thinks Snooki will return to the show and the Jersey Shore crew will be as helpful as possible: “We all get into our hardships with each other and petty arguments but this is real life. She is pregnant and we are there for each other…”

On the other hand, pregnancy means Snooki will have to sober up. Rather than resume her role on Shore as a relatable, hilarious drunk, continuing her antics will make her about as reviled as a Teen Mom. Sources, as well, have mentioned that plans to cancel Shore because of Snooki’s pregnancy, but the four-foot-nine celeb and taller BFF J-Woww have been spotted filming their spinoff show in Jersey City.

Related articles

• ‘Jersey Shore’s Vinny Guadagnino: ‘Snooki pregnancy was a shock’ (digitalspy.co.uk)
• Snooki Confirms Pregnancy Rumors (inquisitr.com)
• Deena Cortese: Snooki ‘Is Going to Be a Great Mom’ (people.com)

Discussed in the Huffington Post, a Dartmouth College study found increased levels of arsenic in foods sweetened with rice syrup, baby formula being one of them. Rice syrup, in these instances, originates domestically. Rice is presently grown on land once reserved for cotton. As environmentally-conscious parents know, conventional cotton is sprayed with a laundry list of pesticides, with arsenic included. Although the cotton is since gone, the arsenic remains in the topsoil, allowing the rice crop to absorb it.

The USDA is presently conducting research for reducing levels of arsenic in domestic rice crops.

In response, the USA Rice Federation issued a statement, declaring the arsenic in their product contributes only a small amount to the total from a human’s diet. They go onto explain that arsenic is a naturally-occurring substance that has been in foods for years and that the type in rice is organic. Arsenic, they add, is in water meeting FDA standards but is inorganic – more harmful than the naturally-occurring compound.

When it comes to your baby, whose argument do you buy? The USA Rice Federation, who possibly is downplaying the effects of arsenic to save their product, or the Dartmouth College study, which could be creating unnecessary hysteria?

In terms of baby formula, the Huffington Post points out, most brands are not made with rice syrup. Baby’s Only Organic Dairy Toddler Formula and Baby’s Only Organic Soy Toddler Formula do, however. Nevertheless, a baby’s health shouldn’t be put at risk, and to avoid any products with rice syrup, organic or otherwise, read all ingredients before purchasing.

Related articles

• Baby Formula: The Next Frontier in Arsenic’s Battle to Exterminate Us [Food] (jezebel.com)
• Study: Organic Rice Syrup Linked to High-Arsenic Baby Formula (environmentalleader.com)
• Is There Arsenic in My Baby Formula? (ecochildsplay.com)

4 million seats have been sold in the United States. A significant amount of the related injuries, on the other hand, result from parents not using it properly. Before the 2007 recall, parents often placed the plastic seat on top a raised surface, such as a chair or table. As a result, a child who moves too much in the seat can fall out and hit floor, where he or she can experience a head injury. While not in the same category as a car seat, however, similar precautions should be taken, such as not placing a Bumbo on a raised surface.

The 2007 recall addressed this concern. Bumbo International added the following note to their products: “WARNING – Prevent Falls; Never use on any elevated surface.” Nevertheless, parents continue to pass over this warning, and the November 2011 recall addressed this issue: the product, when used correctly, poses no risk of injuries, claims the company.

Children, on the other hand, can still injure themselves when they fall out of the correctly-placed seat. Because of this notion and the fact that a product still shouldn’t be injurious when not used fully correctly, multiple consumer groups want the product recalled again.

Bumbos are designed to assist a baby with sitting up. Nevertheless, other baby seats with fewer recalls are out there. Do you think the Bumbo should be recalled again and go through a redesign? Or, by stating that parents must use it correctly to prevent injuries, is the company in the right?

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• New Warning Issued For Bumbo Seats (lisabarger.typepad.com)
• CPSC November Recall List (fdarecalls.wordpress.com)

A recent survey conducted by Kelton Research indicates that many mothers feel a strong amount of guilt in regards to baby products, particularly about purchasing more expensive brands. In response, many purchases are based on guilt rather than need. The survey found that:

• 58 percent of new mothers compulsively think about what they need to buy their baby.
• 37 percent feel guilty about not being able to buy the more expensive brand.
• 59 percent are stressed about their general finances.
• 53 percent daily think about baby product budgets.
• 75 percent cut back expenses on themselves

Anxiety from parenting- or baby-focused advertisements, the study claims, fuels the guilt. About the findings, Sandra Gordon, national baby products expert and author of Consumer Reports Best Baby Products, 10th edition, mentioned:

“This study sheds light on what moms are going through from both an emotional and economic standpoint. Moms are so intent on absorbing as much baby-related information as possible, and making the right purchasing decisions, that it can be easy to overlook inexpensive options that are just as safe and effective for their baby.”

The extra expense, in general, is considered foolish, especially as brand-name baby products are not considerably better than their store brand counterparts. Mothers, rather than striving after the supposed best, simply need to be aware of the benefits and make decisions from there. Dr. Jennifer Trachtenberg, assistant clinical professor of pediatrics at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, stated to the press about the study’s results:

“According to the Infant Formula Act, all infant formulas manufactured in the United States must contain the same key nutrients and adhere to the same quality and safety guidelines. This survey found that less than a quarter of the moms were willing to buy store brand formulas, which indicates that there is a significant knowledge gap. Far too many families are spending twice as much as they need to for infant formula, just to get a brand that is advertised.”

Honest.com, the website for Alba’s The Honest Co., offers a line of nontoxic, environmentally friendly diapers, biodegradable wipes, and organic bath and skin care products. Unlike many eco baby products, which frequently are colored beige or green, The Honest Co.’s adds patterns.

Alba explained that, after receiving a rash from a baby-safe detergent, she researched the chemicals in it, only to find that many were, in fact, not organic. Further finding out that flame retardants are added to breast pillows, she sought out truly green baby products, which were difficult to come across. She said:

“It was exhausting. I had a baby, I was working. I didn’t have time to go everywhere. And I get it. Everything has a green leaf on it or brown or beige. I’m like, just because it’s eco why does it have to be brown, beige, or have a green leaf on it?”

The actress developed the brand of eco-diapers in response, determined to offer truly environmentally-friendly baby products that are both affordable and attractive. At the moment, the diapers and other baby products appear to only be available for purchase online.

Finding eco-friendly baby products is a difficult task, but more options can be found on the internet. DadaBabyBoutique.com has a large selection of green baby toys, supplies, and diaper bags, and Rattlecake’s eco diaper cakes are perfect as baby shower gifts.

Simple standards and guidelines don’t quite hit as close to home as stories and experiences. A piece in South Carolina newspaper The State goes into detail about the hazards of cosleeping, particularly the innate ease at which a parent or older child can suffocate a baby.

How unsafe is a baby when surrounded by heavier people in an adult bed? Essentially, an arm or a leg becomes a suffocation hazard, extending over the baby and staying in place. Because infants have limited motor skills, pushing off a heavier person is impossible.

At the same time, co-sleeping, or use of a family bed, may be a greater cause of sudden infant death than previously believed. A baby who dies in a family bed is labeled with condition “Sudden Unexpected Infant Death Syndrome – Unsafe Sleeping Conditions,” which can also include letting a child sleep on a couch or armchair, in a crib with comforters or pillows, or in the same space with a dog.

In the past, at least in this area of South Carolina, infant deaths resulting from sleeping were labeled SIDS, but this condition indicates that the child was placed in a safe area. In order to now determine the cause of death, a coroner goes to the caregiver’s house and asks the individual to reenact the sleeping situation with a doll.

Cosleeping, however, isn’t a radical parenting approach, like baby-wearing; rather, it has been in practice with families for many years, going under other names. That doesn’t mean that it’s safe. Just like the playgrounds of metal equipment and blacktop of many adults’ childhoods, not all past situations and practices are safe for children; what was once the norm is now a hazard. Gary Watts, the Richland coroner quoted in the State, piece explained:

“My grandmother did it, my mother did it, and I know I did it. But it’s unsafe. At some point, you have to realize it’s a danger to the infant. If you want to have a child in the room – put him in a bassinet beside your bed.”