Blogging Parent

Sometimes it’s good to have a little dirt in the house, according to a research that would be published in Nature soon.

The American scientists in the research found that mice living in a germ-free environment developed type-1 diabetes, which is an autoimmune disease.

So, having a totally sterile home is instead not too good for your kids. However, don’t go into the opposite extreme and have a super dirty house. The kids and you will have a different set of health problems then.

As for Matthew, we are not too particular about him getting a little dirty. And he has been a rather healthy kid so far other than the occasional flu, cough and fever.

Now I know why my wife goes into a trance when Matthew smiles when he was a baby. Anyway, I’m just kidding about the trance part. But she’ll be totally engrossed.

Apparently, a new mother gets a high like a drug hit when her baby smiles back. And it can be as addictive as taking drugs. The research showed that the brain regions, called the substantia nigra, the striatum and the frontal lobe, light up when the mother looks at a photo of her smiling baby. These brain areas are also activated in experiments related to drug addiction.

Well, I’m sure the same applies to fathers as well. I know I get a high when Matthew smiles or when I look at his smiley photos. Maybe they should do a similar research on fathers.

Most of us know that a mum’s postnatal depression causes babies to develop more slowly than other children. But a recent study shows that antenatal depression can have the same effect.

The research, reported in the BBC News article, says that antenatal depression can cause up to a third greater chance of cognitive or behavioral problems. In addition, a depressed mum-to-be is more likely to give birth prematurely.

So, for the fathers or soon-to-be fathers, do look out for signs of depression in your pregnant wives. If they do show symptoms of depression, it is critical to bring them to the doctor so that early treatment is sought.

Recently, I came across two news articles that talked about the impact on a child from what the parents eat and drink.

In the first article from News.com.au, the emphasis was on putting across the idea that the drinking habits of dads and mums have the most impact on the future alcohol consumption of a child. I guess it’s a form of parental modeling by the child. As for us, we don’t drink that often. And even we do, it’s usually in moderation. So, hopefully this is something that Matthew will pick up from us.

And the second article from BBC News talks about the implications of a poor diet of a mother while pregnant or breastfeeding on the child. Research found that the offsprings of rats fed fatty processed food, such as junk food, had high levels of fat in their bloodstream and around the major organs. Even if the child has been eating healthily. The researchers have determined that the diet of the mother is extremely critical during pregnancy and breastfeeding as it has implications on a child’s long-term health. Hmmm … I guess it’s a good sign that Matthew doesn’t particularly crave fast food. But I think we’ll still need to watch his and our diet to ensure that we eat healthily and be healthy.