"babies" news and stories

The old story was that expectant mothers should eat fish to help their growing babies' brains. Then we heard that eating fish was dangerous to the health of the baby. If you're pregnant, no fish!

Well let it be known that once again, fish is good for your baby when you're pregnant!

Obviously, fish was never really bad for expectant mothers; it was simply that some certain types of fish that had high levels of mercury. All the news about "fish," "mercury," and "pregnancy" must have been confusing. The most recent research doesn't seem to sound like anything new, just a reminder that fish is, in fact, good for the brain, as "Preschoolers whose mothers regularly ate low-mercury fish during pregnancy may have sharper minds than their peers...Researchers found that among 341 3-year-olds, those whose mothers ate more than two servings of fish per week during pregnancy generally performed better on tests of verbal, visual and motor development."

Just remember that it's fish with low levels of mercury, so make sure you do your homework.

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For some reason these bouncing baby bags of rice make Western style birth announcements seem a tad impersonal. Talk about bundles of joy. These dakigokochi, or baby-shaped bags of rice personalized with a picture of their respective newborns, weigh just as much as the infants whose arrival the text announces.

Dakigokochi are far from being an age-old Japanese tradition. They were, ahem, conceived by Naruo Ono and his wife, Yukiko, who own the Yoshimiya rice shop in Kita-Kyushu. The popularity of the pair's wedding favor – a packet of rice, adorned with a picture of the happy couple – inspired them to create the unusual birth announcement. Even though their own son, Sota, is now four months old, the Onos haven't had a chance to send out their own dakigokochi. Guess they've been too busy fulfilling orders for other proud parents.

[via Boing Boing]

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What the...??

Sometimes the name of a product is just wrong. Just...wrong. And when you combine it with a photo on the package, it just gets worse. On the right is a photo of an actual product called Baby Bologna. Now, I'm sure the "baby" in the title refers to the size of the bologna. So why the heck did they put a picture of a human baby on the cover, smiling? Bizarre.

But there's more evidence that this is a growing trend. Will we soon see Kidsicles? Tater Tots?

[via Boing Boing]

This might be interesting for those with foodies-in-training, as their options can be fairly limited when they're not really up to un-mushed foods yet. The Mercury News has a great guide with tips and tricks for cooking your own baby foods, all of which are useful in helping to select the most nutritious foods and prepare them safely. In general:

• Brightly colored produce, both fruits and vegetables usually pack more nutrients. They are more flavorful, so sugar should be unnecessary.
• Steaming is the quickest and easiest way to cook the vegetables quickly. Puree them in a food processor once they are tender; there is no need to cook them to death.
• Be vigilant about keeping surfaces clean while preparing the baby food, since babies are more sensitive to bacteria
• Refrigerate or freeze foods after cooking and cooling to room temperature without letting them sit out.
• Offer foods multiple times, but start with small batches in case it doesn't turn out to be a favorite.

One of the most interesting suggestions is to freeze the foods in ice cube trays for single-serving sizes after preparing them in large batches. Once frozen, you can defrost a cube or two as needed, and the cubes can be easily stored in a large plastic bag.

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This week, the Wall Street Journal reviewed several companies that make and sell organic baby foods. Unlike Tot Pots, all four companies sell their products online, which means that they're available to anyone with a credit card and a mailbox. Hopefully, you'll have a baby, too, but that's not really a prerequisite to purchasing baby food.

Evie's Organic Edibles uses no preservatives, salt or sugar in their well-flavored foods. The NY-based company offers in-home cooking, delivery and classes, too. Plum Organics were described as "good enough for a grown up" - especially some of their dessert options. Homemade Baby is based in Southern California, has food prepared by a Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef and offers an on-site baby food tasting room for picky eaters, in addition to mail-order. Little Potatoes Baby Food is colorful from fresh veggies straight from the farm and offers different textures for different age groups.