Before throwing out the meat and seeds of a carved Halloween pumpkin chew on this:
Pumpkin is an excellent source of vitamins A and C and potassium, and the seeds are high in fiber, vitamin B12 and polyunsaturated fatty acids, one of the so-called good fats.
"The flesh of pumpkin and the seeds are abundant in many essential nutrients," says Lona Sandon, a registered dietitian at UT Southwestern Medical Center. "Pumpkins are low in fat, calories and are loaded with vitamins."
If you are planning to use fresh pumpkin for baking, Sandon says, choose smaller, blemish- and bruise-free pumpkins. Smaller pumpkins have softer and tastier meat. To maintain freshness, pumpkins should be stored in a cool, dry place until ready to use.
And don't forget to oven roast the pumpkin seeds. They are ideal as snacks or as a salad topping.
Check out our Purely Pumpkin Recipe Collection!
(10-20-09)
Jon Cryer, 44, star of
Two and a Half Men, and his wife, Lisa Joyner, 42, have adopted a baby girl, according to
People magazine. The baby girl's name is Daisy and she was born on August 11. This is the first child for the couple who married in June 2007. Cryer has a son, Charlie, 9, from a previous marriage.
(10-06-09)
The first swine flu vaccinations will start to arrive this week in some parts of the country. Around 600,000 doses of FluMist, a vaccine that is squirted into the nose, will be distributed between 21 states and four larger cities, with more following later in the week. The larger shipments of the vaccine (around 40 million) will start shipping the second week of October.
This year, most people will need two different shots for influenza; one for the "normal" flu and one for H1N1, or the swine flu. Children under the age of 10 will need two doses of H1N1.
Learn more by reading Swine Flu and Pregnancy: How Does the Influenza H1N1 Strain Affect Mom-to-be? and Swine Flu and Babies: Symptoms, Prevention and Treatment for the Swine Flu. (10-06-09)
Is Disney your go-to family vacation? Are you a master at coordinating everything from character breakfasts to family reunions? If so, then Disney Parks would like you to apply to be on its third annual Walt Disney World Moms Panel. Disney Parks has announced its search for 10 park-savvy parents to reside on the 2010 Walt Disney World Moms Panel,
www.disneyworldmoms.com, where they'll join panelists from previous years to make this the largest panel to date.
Similar to asking a friend or neighbor for advice, this online forum, led by parents sharing their ultimate park smarts, serves as a resource for families planning a Disney vacation. Beginning September 10, 2009, the Moms Panel search begins online, www.disneyworldmoms.com/2010 and will close on September 20, 2009, or when 20,000 applications are received, whichever comes first.
Parents who pride themselves on being Walt Disney World vacation experts are encouraged to visit www.disneyworldmoms.com/2010 for what will be a magical seat on Disney's Moms Panel.
"We realize moms and dads are online now more than ever, engaging in social media to research tips, connect with others and identify what's best for their family," says Meg Crofton, president of Walt Disney World Resort. "The Moms Panel provides an online space where they can interact and receive feedback from parents just like them. And the response has been phenomenal – more than 25,000 questions have been answered to date. With each new post, we reveal more of the magic of Disney. We're looking forward to another year of moms creating and sharing that magic with others."
"As a member of the Moms Panel, I have an amazing opportunity to help guests plan Walt Disney World vacations and craft trips that yield memories lasting a lifetime," says Tanya McNally, a panelist and mother of two from Basking Ridge, N.J. "As a special needs mom, I know firsthand that each family's vacation is different, and I feel most rewarded when I make tangible contributions to families with diverse backgrounds, budgets and abilities to plan trips as unique and wonderful as they are."
Beginning late this year through 2010, Disney Parks will unveil new features and Web enhancements to the Moms Panel site to further engage and educate inquiring guests on all their park-related questions.
(9-15-09)
Katherine Heigl, 30, star of ABC's
Grey's Anatomy, and her husband, Josh Kelley, are adopting a special needs baby girl from Korea. The little girl is almost 10 months old and was born the day before Heigl's birthday in November. Heigl, who also has a sister adopted from Korea, and Kelley have been married since December 7, 2008. The actress announced the adoption on
The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
(9-15-09)
As a new school year gets underway, President Obama launched a major back-to-school campaign aimed at keeping kids in the classroom. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's (CPSC) new Chairman Inez Tenenbaum carried the President's message to South Carolina where she met with students and faculty at Rosewood Elementary School in Columbia.
Tenenbaum, a former South Carolina State Superintendant of Education, brings a strong focus to CPSC on educating and informing children and consumers across the nation about product safety. She released CPSC's "Back to School Safety Checklist" and urged parents and schools to use it to create a safer school environment for children.
"It just takes a moment for a child to be seriously injured or even killed riding a bicycle, playing on the playground, using a movable soccer goal, wearing a jacket with a drawstring or by a recalled product," says Tenenbaum. "Let's keep kids in the classroom and out of the emergency room. Parents and school officials should make it a priority to check for hazards at home and at school."
CPSC's "Back to School Safety Checklist"
Playgrounds:
I checked with my school's officials to make sure that the school's playground equipment has been inspected and maintained.
There are at least 9 inches of shock-absorbing surface material around my school's playground equipment.
Each year, more than 200,000 hospital emergency room visits are related to playground injuries. Most injuries involve falls onto the playground surface or playground equipment.
Bicycle Helmets:
My child wears a helmet that meets CPSC requirements every time he/she bikes or rides a scooter to and from school.
My child's helmet fits snuggly, level on top of the head, with a buckled chin strap.
CPSC staff has reports of an annual average of 80 children under 16 years of age who died in bicycle-related incidents in recent years. About half of the approximately 500,000 bicycle-related emergency-room-treated injuries in 2008 involved children under 16 years of age.
Drawstrings:
None of my child's outerwear clothing has drawstrings at the hood or neck area.
Since 1985, CPSC has received reports of 28 deaths and 71 non-fatal incidents involving the entanglement of children's clothing drawstrings.
Movable Soccer Goals:
All soccer goals are securely anchored while in use.
From 1998-2008, CPSC has reports of at least eight deaths and an estimated 2,000 emergency department visits by children younger than 16 years of age that are related to soccer goal tip-overs and structural failures.
Recalled Products:
I have checked CPSC's Web site, www.cpsc.gov, to make sure all back-to-school purchases and previously owned items have not been recalled.
I have signed up at www.cpsc.gov to have e-mail alerts of CPSC recall announcements that interest me sent directly to my e-mail inbox.
Keep track of recalls by bookmarking our Product Safety Recalls page.
(9-15-09)
More than a third of photographs in magazines geared to women of childbearing age show babies in sleep positions or sleep environments that are unsafe, according to the study, "Infant Sleep Environments Depicted in Magazines Targeted to Women of Childbearing Age," in the journal
Pediatrics.
Researchers looked at 20 magazines with wide circulation among women 20 to 40 years old, as well as eight magazines geared toward expectant mothers and parents of young children. The researchers analyzed pictures of sleeping infants and infant sleep environments (such as cribs) in both articles and advertisements, looking for adherence to American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines for decreasing the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
More than one third of magazine pictures of sleeping infants show them in an inappropriate sleep position, such as on their tummy. Two thirds of pictures depicting infant sleep environments are not consistent with AAP recommendations. According to the authors, such messages in print media may create confusion and misinformation among parents, and may inadvertently lead to unsafe
practices.
(8-18-09)
As summer comes to an end and children return to school, it is important to remember safety in the classroom. According to Safe Kids USA statistics, an estimated 14 million children are unintentionally injured each year – with as much as 25 percent of those incidents occurring in and around schools. Early childhood education professionals can help prevent some of these incidents simply by childproofing all classrooms to eliminate potential hazards.
One such safety measure features cordless window products. The Window Covering Safety Council (WCSC) is reminding teachers and child care professionals to use only cordless window products in the classroom to help ensure a safer learning environment. According to information provided by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, since 1990, more than 200 infants and young children have died from accidentally strangling in window cords.
"Teachers who replace their window coverings with the cordless products available can feel more confident about their students' safety," says WCSC Executive Director Peter Rush.
To maximize window-cord safety when young children are present, teachers and child care professionals are urged to follow these safety guidelines:
Install only cordless window coverings in school rooms and nap areas. Replace window blinds, corded shades and draperies manufactured before 2001 with today's safer products.
Keep furniture away from windows. Move all furniture, desks and toys away from windows and window cords, preferably to another wall.
Keep all window pull cords and inner lift cords out of the reach of children. Make sure that tasseled pull cords are short and continuous-loop cords are permanently anchored to the floor or wall. Make sure cord stops are properly installed and adjusted to limit movement of inner lift cords.
Lock cords of horizontal blinds or shades. Lock cords into position whenever horizontal blinds or shades are lowered, including when they come to rest on a windowsill.
Learn more by visiting www.WindowCoverings.org.
(8-18-09)
Did you know that approximately half of all children will eventually suffer from a fracture or serious orthopedic injury? It's no surprise to Los Angeles Orthopaedic Hospital (
www.orthohospital.org), a world leader in pediatric orthopedic treatment, research and education for nearly a century. Each year, their doctors treat more than 13,000 children with fractures, half of these occurring during summer months and the first part of the school year.
"Children grow rapidly and have open growth plates, which increases their potential for fractures," says Dr. Mauricio Silva, associate medical director for the Los Angeles Orthopaedic Hospital Medical Center, one of a team of specially trained pediatric orthopedists available to treat children in need of fracture care. "To help avoid potential accidents and broken bones, parents and caregivers need to be responsible for the necessary safety precautions, maintenance and repair of any play equipment and involve their child in the process of learning the safety requirements of participating in a particular activity."
Los Angeles Orthopaedic Hospital pediatric orthopaedic experts offer these top five tips for keeping kids bones safe:
Provide proper adult supervision at home. For example, use non-slip rugs, appropriate stools or ladders with non-skid legs, child safety locks on cupboard doors and drawers so children cannot climb up them.
Cushion playground areas. Use playground equipment with a protective soft surface surrounding it, along with close adult supervision.
Practice bike safety. Keep children's bicycles in good working order and make sure they adhere to the rules of the road, such as using helmets, reflectors/light at dusk and hand signals.
Use protective gear for outdoor sports. This includes wrist guards and helmets, braces and kneepads during activities.
Avoid or use extreme caution during high-risk activities. This includes trampoline use in the home and riding all-terrain vehicles.
"For many children, rapid access to pediatric orthopaedic specialists makes the difference between a childhood accident or a debilitating injury with lifetime consequences," says Dr. Silva. "Because children's bones heal fast and should be treated differently than an adult's, a fracture not seen within days of occurring will start to heal, aligned or not, which can cause problems including deformity, pain, and arthritis down the road. But if a fracture is treated promptly and correctly, many complications can be avoided and the child is more likely to have a healthy recovery."
The most common types of fractures seen in children at Los Angeles Orthopaedic Hospital are elbow, ankle and forearm. If a child falls or has an accident, Los Angeles Orthopaedic Hospital doctors recommend the following:
Look for areas of swelling and/or deformity.
Elevate the extremity, apply ice and seek medical attention if there is swelling and/or deformity.
Cleanse deep abrasions with soap and water.
Seek medical attention for deep abrasions/lacerations or if the surrounding skin becomes red and warm.
Seek medical attention if the child cannot stand or walk on an injured extremity.
Take any symptoms of headache seriously and seek medical attention.
(8-18-09)
On August 14, 2009, new requirements of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) will take effect that are aimed at making children's products safer and increasing consumer confidence in the marketplace. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is educating domestic and overseas manufacturers, importers, and distributors of children's products and other consumer goods of these important new safety requirements.
CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum said the CPSIA's new requirements will help protect families and she urged businesses to comply. "I will ensure that these requirements are enforced vigorously and fairly," said Tenenbaum. "By ensuring that toys and other children's products meet strict lead limits and can be tracked in the event of a recall, I believe children will be better protected in their homes."
The requirements that become effective on August 14 include:
Lead Content: The limit for lead in children's products drops from 600 parts per million (ppm) to 300 ppm. After August 14, it will be unlawful to manufacture, import, sell, or offer for sale, a children's product that has more than 300 ppm of lead in any part (except electronics) that is accessible to children.
Lead in Paint and Similar Surface Coating Materials: The limit for lead in paint and similar surface-coating materials for consumer use drops from 600 ppm to 90 ppm. The lead paint limits also apply to toys and other articles intended for children as well as certain furniture products. Products subject to these limits cannot be sold, offered for sale, imported or manufactured after August 14 unless they meet the new lower lead limits.
Civil Penalties:Civil penalties increase substantially to a maximum of $100,000 per violation and up to a maximum of $15 million for a related series of violations. Previously, civil penalties were a maximum of $8,000 per violation and up to a maximum of $1.825 million for a related series of violations.
Tracking Labels:Manufacturers must place permanent distinguishing marks (tracking label) on any consumer product primarily intended for children 12 and younger made on or after August 14, 2009. The permanent marks must enable consumers to ascertain basic information, including the manufacturer or private labeler, location, the date of manufacture, and more detailed information on the manufacturing process such as a batch or run number. The permanent distinguishing marks must appear on the product itself and its packaging to the extent practicable. Learn more about the tracking label requirement at www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/sect103.html#faqs.
Catalog Advertising: Advertising for certain toys and games intended for use by children from three to six years old must have warnings regarding potential choking hazards to children younger than three. The requirement to include warnings in Internet advertisements went into effect on December 12, 2008. There was a grace period for the requirement for catalogues and other printed materials, but this grace period expired August 9, 2009. All catalogues and other printed materials distributed on or after August 9, 2009, regardless of when they were printed, must include the appropriate warnings.
Visit CPSC's Web site at www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/cpsia.html for more information about the agency's successful implementation of the CPSIA.
(8-18-09)
See parents helping parents in action! 
