I'm a full-time mummy

I came across this article which I must definitely share with you guys as I'm very interested to know your thoughts on this. Do note that sharing this does not mean I agree or disagree with it. For your convenience, I have copied the excerpts from the article here:

Parents often worry about making sure their child has a healthy diet, but a new report highlights how being too strict when it comes to diet can do more harm than good.

 Doctors based in Spain were surprised to find an infant had developed scurvy after consuming a diet almost entirely of plant-based formula. The case report was published today in the journal Pediatrics.

When the child experienced skin irritation at 2 months of age, a doctor recommended to the parents that they stop giving him baby formula and instead supplement their child’s diet with an almond-based formula.

Unfortunately, the child refused to eat much of anything else. By the time he was 11 months old, he had become tired and irritable and was no longer sitting up.

 Medical tests revealed widespread bone degeneration, multiple fractures, low calcium and other problems. The doctors soon realized they were looking at something rarely seen in the developed world: scurvy. Scurvy is caused by a deficiency in vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid. It is rarely seen in infants, as breast milk contains enough vitamin C to avoid the condition.

Dr. Keith Ayoob, a registered dietician and associate professor of pediatrics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, said the case, while rare, highlights the importance of adhering to guidelines for good nutrition for babies.

“Really serious deficiencies can occur when typical recommendations are avoided,” Ayoob said. “For an infant in the first year of life, a diet deficient in calcium, vitamin D, and scurvy ... that’s very concerning.” Ayoob added that in a sense the scurvy diagnosis was lucky, since the signs of calcium and vitamin D deficiencies often don’t show up until it is too late. In this case, doctors immediately treated the infant with supplements of vitamins C and D, as well as a balanced diet of formula, cereals, meat, fruits and vegetables. In less than three months, his medical workup was back to normal, and he even started walking. The authors of the article note that when almond beverages are processed, vitamin C loses its potency, and puts infants at risk -- something parents should take to heart.

 “Pediatricians and parents should be aware that plant-based beverages are not a complete food and they may not replace breastfeeding or infant formula,” the authors wrote. Ayoob said he hopes that this report provides a wake-up call to parents and pediatricians. “Before you change [a] child’s diet, it needs to be changed to a nutritionally adequate diet. This is too critical a period," he said. “Bottom line, stick to breast milk or formula.”

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I came across this article which I must definitely share with you guys as I'm very interested to know your thoughts on this. Do note that sharing this does not mean I agree or disagree with it. For your convenience, I have copied the excerpts from the article here:

The parents of an intellectually disabled woman who fear she is vulnerable to sexual advances that would likely result in pregnancy have been stopped from permanently and forcibly sterilising her. The parents of the 25-year-old woman, known as ZEH, said it would be in their daughter's best interest to become 'permanently infertile' and applied to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal for a guardianship order to have her fallopian tubes tied.

They told the tribunal that their daughter, who has a mild intellectual disability and relies heavily on her family, was easily influenced and believed she could be taken advantage of sexually given her 'friendly and trusting nature'. 'ZEH’s character and personality has evolved into a person who gravitates to anyone who has a smile or shows interest in her,' her parents told the tribunal. 'Unfortunately in this ever-changing world she can be exposed to potentially serious risks by being taken advantage of in a sexual manner.'

They noted an instance where someone touched ZEH inappropriately at a social activity some time ago, stating that this highlighted her inability to determine what is considered right or wrong when it comes to sexual activity.

ZEH, an accomplished athlete who holds a part time job, has trialled a combination of other contraceptives, including the Mirena IUD which unfortunately caused her 'significant hormonal side-effects'. She has been on the oral contraceptive pill since 2007 but her parents believe it may be causing her to experience headaches and dizziness, and claim that in the long-term could put her at risk of developing breast or cervical cancer.

ZEH's sister, who has promised to take her in once her parents are unable to care for her, said she has no grasp on what is considered dangerous and recalled instances where she has seen her hug, smile or engage in conversation with strangers who have shown her kindness. 'This concerns me as she has no capacity to assess a person’s intentions whether good or bad,' she told the tribunal.

She said it would be 'preposterous' to think ZEH would be in a position to care for a child, or handle the hormonal and body changes that come with pregnancy. ZEH's sister said it would be 'selfish' to expect her or her parents to take care of a child that was a the result of an unwanted and unplanned pregnancy.

Psychologist Kerry Arrow spoke with ZEH about her parent's plan and found that she understood that they wanted her to have an operation to stop her falling pregnant. She said she is 'not able to look after a child' as she can not look after herself, but commented that she knew to take her contraceptive pill without prompting from her mother and was 'happy to do so'.

VCAT deputy president Genevieve Nihill said that while she believed ZEH's parents had the 'best of intentions', sterilisation was an invasive option that should only be used as a 'last resort'. Ms Nihill acknowledged the family's concerns that they would have to help ZEH raise the child if she did fall pregnant but stated that these issues did not relate to ZEH's best interests.

The guardianship order was denied.

What do you think?

** Note: I have disabled the commenting feature on my blog engine thanks to all the spammers who happily spam my blog every day. If you wish to ask me any questions, you can find me at my Facebook page (I'm there almost everyday) or just drop me an email if you wish to maintain some anonymity.

Businessman extraordinaire and investing genius Warren Buffett wants kids to learn about business at a young age — not so they can start buying stocks with their lunch money, but so they can develop smart habits that will help them in business and throughout their future.

"When a kid at 8, 9, or 10 years old learns the basics of how finance works and how to behave in a business relationship, he or she can apply those lessons throughout their lives," says Buffett. "Practicing those good habits over a lifetime can have huge beneficial consequences, not just for business, but for a person's happiness and even how their families develop."

To help kids learn to develop good financial (and life) habits, Buffett partnered with Amy and Andy Heyward to create the Secret Millionaires Club, which has a new book out: "How to Start Your Very First Business." So what advice does Warren Buffett's Secret Millionaires Club's new book have to offer young people who want to take their lemonade stand to the next level?

1. Don't be afraid to speak up and ask for what you want.

If you need something to start your business — equipment, advice, supplies, a place to set up a table — start talking to people. You may find someone who has the equipment you need and no longer wants it. Someone else may know of the perfect venue for your event or sale. Identify people who can help you and then make the strongest case you can about why they should lend a hand. You may not always get what you ask for. In fact, the best businesspeople in the world are used to not getting what they want every time they ask. But speaking up is an absolutely essential skill.

2. Do your best to anticipate your customers' needs.

Buffett says, "If your service is outstanding, you'll always stand out." So listen to your customers. If you are running a snow-shoveling business, watch the weather forecast. If snow is on the horizon, you can reach out to your customers and make a plan before they are buried under a foot of snow.

3. Start a starter business.

There's no substitute for getting out there and trying things. But if you have a big idea, you may need to start small to raise the money you need for a more costly business. You'll learn a ton from your initial business so you'll be better prepared for the big one. If landscaping is your dream business, you may have to weed a few small gardens first.

4. If you don't know all of the skills you need to succeed in your field, that's OK.

You just need to be willing to figure them out. Take a class, read a book, ask lots of questions. Start out slowly and grow your business as you learn more skills. As Warren Buffett says, "The more you learn, the more you earn!"

5. "Failure isn't falling down, it's staying down."

Starting a business isn't easy. There are going to be bad days, rejected pitches, and unexpected hiccups along the way. Adapt and come up with creative solutions to the problems you encounter. Try a new location, do a clever promotion, or tweak your product to improve your sales.

6. Be honest and fair. Being a person of integrity is invaluable in business and in life.

Be honest about what you can deliver. Be reliable. If you've made a mistake, apologize and do your best to quickly make up for it. When you treat people with kindness and respect, they want to spend more time with you — and that goes for clients, business partners, and friends. Buffett is fond of saying, "You can't make a good deal with a bad person."

7. Give back.

Creating a successful business isn't just about making money. It is about contributing to the world around you. Many of the young entrepreneurs featured in "How to Start Your Very First Business" incorporate philanthropy into their business models. "There are an unlimited number of good things to be done in the world," says Buffett. Be creative, think about what is important to you, to your community, or to the world, and you'll find a way to contribute. And remember, sharing your time can be just as valuable as donating money.

8. Enlist a mentor.

A mentor may be able to walk you through a process that's new to you. Or maybe together you can brainstorm a smart solution to a tough problem. Sometimes just knowing that someone else has gone through what you are going through can make all the difference for your outlook.

9. "Do not save what is left after spending, spend what is left after saving."

Buffett believes that one of the most beneficial lessons a kid can learn is that saving is a habit. If you make saving a habit early on, it will be ingrained in you for life, which can help you avoid countless unpleasant situations later.

** Source

** Note: I have disabled the commenting feature on my blog engine thanks to all the spammers who happily spam my blog every day. If you wish to ask me any questions, you can find me at my Facebook page (I'm there almost everyday) or just drop me an email if you wish to maintain some anonymity.