A UK clothing chain, popular discount retailer Primark, reacted swiftly to criticism of its padded bikini bras designed for girls as young as seven. The product has been withdrawn, and Primark announced it would donate any profits from the inappropriately sexualizing items to a children's charity. The bikinis were selling for £4 ($6).

The British tabloid The Sun broke the story last week and featured it prominently day after day. It congratulated itself on "a victory for The Sun" when Primark announced it would no longer sell the item. Meanwhile, its front page headlines generated considerable sales and not just among readers who were concerned with protecting the innocence of childhood. More often than not, the headlines drew one's attention to the "Paedo" (pedophile) angle on the story (as in "Paedo bikini banned" and "Paedo Heaven on High Street.") The Sun is known for its coverage of issues such as Don't grow up too soon, Miley, complete with photos that encourage the very behavior the text claims to criticize.

One in 20 American children under the age of 15 experiences the death of a parent. For military families, the rate is even higher.

Tomorrow night (April 14) Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street, will present an hour-long special on losing a parent. It airs on PBS at 8:00 PM ET/PT (check local listings).

Katie Couric will host the special. Her daughters were two and six years old when she lost her husband 12 years ago. The program, called When Families Grieve, is designed to aid communication between adults and children on this difficult subject.

Sesame's outreach initiatives harness the power of the Sesame Street Muppets to aid the communication between adults and children through strategies and language that are child-appropriate and useful for the whole family.

There is some happy news for the parents of Isaiah May, who died earlier this month after being removed from life support. Isaiah's mother, Rebecka, reports that she is now pregnant with her second child.

Baby Isaiah was born after 40 hours of labor with his umbilical cord wrapped around his neck, depriving his brain of oxygen. He was unable to breathe without a ventilator, and doctors determined that he was severely brain damaged. Born on October 24, 2009, his parents' legal battle to keep him on life support received considerable publicity, especially in Canada. In the end, his parents agreed to remove their child from life support before being forced to do so by a legal court order.

In a recent article in The New England Journal of Medicine entitled "Is It Always Wrong to Perform Futile CPR?", a doctor describes the case of a baby boy who had been born with a large encephalocele on his forehead - a neural tube defect that allows the brain and its surrounding membrane to protrude outside the skull. The child survived surgery to remove the growth, but was left effectively brain dead ("neurologically devastated").

The doctor, Robert Truog, a professor of medical ethics, anesthesia and pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, had cared for the boy when he was repeatedly admitted to the intensive care unit. The parents had been advised to limit the boy's care to the relief of pain, but they insisted that doctors treat the child aggressively and do everything they could to keep him alive. The boy had survived the first two years of his life.

Baby Isaiah May was allowed to die today, in the arms of his parents. The child was surrounded by 10 family members, including a grandmother who had traveled from Washington State.

Today was the date set for the next court appearance in the May's attempt to keep their child alive. In statements after last month's legal proceedings, the parents suggested they might be planning to make this decision on their own, rather than leave it up to the courts. And that's what happened today. The court appearance was canceled.

Four-month-old Baby Isaiah suffered irreversible brain damage at birth when his umbilical cord wrapped around his neck. Medical authorities recommended that the child be disconnected from the ventilator that keeps him alive. Isaiah's parents have sought to keep their child on life support through the legal system. See here and here for previous posts on Baby Isaiah.

A medical expert had agreed to give his opinion on the case on February 19. The upshot of last week's court proceedings, however, was another delay. The medical expect requested an additional MRI and more time to confer with specialists. A new court date has been set for March 11.

As I described in a previous post, the parents of Isaiah James May, who has been declared brain dead, are engaged in a legal battle to keep their son on life-support. At their last court appearance on January 27 they were granted an extension of their appeal. The next court date is set for February 19, when a medical expert will testify.

For updates on baby Isaiah, there is a Facebook page (available if you're a member of Facebook). The page mysteriously disappeared on Friday, but was restored on Sunday. Curious. The site includes three videos: A diaper change, baby Isaiah moving his leg, and a thank you from the parents. Although the parents find the movement of his leg an encouraging sign, I found that particular video - which shows the baby's feeble movement, as if in slow motion -- quite sad.

Isaiah James May was born last October in a small town (population 7,000) in Alberta, Canada. For Rebecka May, age 23, this was her first child. The pregnancy was normal, and both mother and child were healthy at the time of delivery.

Labor was difficult, however. It went on for 40 hours, including four hours of pushing. It's not clear why a Caesarian section was not performed. When baby Isaiah finally appeared, his umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck. This had deprived him of oxygen, and he suffered severe and irreversible brain damage.

The child was flown to a children's hospital in Edmonton, where he was placed on a ventilator. After evaluating Isaiah's condition, doctors recommended removing him from life support. His parents took the matter to court, and Isaiah remains on a ventilator and feeding tube, pending a legal decision.

Ellen O'Neill-Stephens is an attorney in Washington state. Her background includes prosecuting crimes against children - sexual assault, neglect, abuse and other serious crimes.

Back in 2003, her household included her son Sean, who has cerebral palsy, and Jeeter, a trained service dog and companion to Sean. There were days when Sean was with a caregiver, which left Jeeter alone at home. So she started bringing Jeeter with her to juvenile drug court.

One day a fellow prosecutor asked if Jeeter could help calm two young girls. They were scheduled to testify against their father in an emotionally charged sexual abuse case. "During cross-examination the kids and the defense attorney were stroking Jeeter," recalls O'Neill-Stephens. "It was just people having a conversation around a dog, and it worked for everyone." Jeeter made such a difference that the juvenile department decided to add a "full time" service dog to its staff. There are now four courthouse dogs in Washington state.

In the days before informed consent - when doctors knew best and it hadn't occurred to patients that they had rights - newborn babies with life-threatening birth defects were declared "stillborn." The motives were compassionate: Spare the parents an agonizing choice and a lifetime dedicated to full time care. This medical practice continued well into the post-World War II era.

Today, due to a combination of technological advances in medicine and the rise of bioethics, that's not what happens. Premature babies, for example, can be kept alive. Those first few months may be very difficult on the parents psychologically, and -- if they have good health insurance -- may cost a million dollars, but premature infants are saved all the time.

The typical diet in Afghanistan is bread with a watery soup, some onions, a potato, perhaps a bone and some yogurt or oil. One third of the population is hungry or in danger of starving - humanitarian groups call this being "food insecure." Another third of the population is on the border of food insecurity.

In the old days, before their country was overrun by foreigners, Afghans could produce enough to eat by subsistence farming - growing enough to feed one's family. Between the disruptions of armed conflict and an inadequate, unpredictable rainfall, that's no longer possible. Afghans must earn money to buy food.

Christopher Beam, writing on Slate, points out that opposition to vaccines unites both ends of the political spectrum. "Swine flu may have an unexpected side effect: political unity. The far left and far right agree that they're sure as heck not getting vaccinated against swine flu."

The far right objects to the vaccine because it comes from the government. The sentiment is not limited to US citizens. I found this comment from an Israeli in response to an article in the UK's Daily Mail:

"I find it very interesting that the vaccine does the opposite of what its supposed to do. Is any one open to the thought that this is intentional? That the people in power are using this is a means for population control? And the fact that governments are in the process of making this vaccine MANDATORY??"

Thermerosal

Opposition on the left comes from doctors, lawyers, and celebrities. Jim Carrey promotes the claim that vaccines cause autism. The usual culprit is mercury in the preservative thermerosal. Note that a definitive study (PDF) published last week finds that children with autism have the same levels of mercury in their blood as "typically developing" children. The study found that children who chew gum have higher levels of mercury.

The questions raised by Dr. Mercola about swine flu vaccinations - such as, Are you willing to let the government experiment on your child? - are simply inflammatory and self-serving.

There are some legitimate questions, however. For example: Where is the vaccine manufactured?

The current supply of H1N1 flu vaccine comes from US and European manufacturers. For what it's worth, these manufacturers are approved by the FDA. I add that caveat only because the FDA has limited capabilities, as we've seen with recent episodes of food poisoning.

Since an adequate supply of the vaccine is now a problem, it's reasonable to ask if the roster of suppliers will expand. Two manufacturers in China are now licensed to produce the vaccine. It may not happen during the current flu season, but how long will it be before vaccines manufactured in Asia are shipped to the US?

A chiropractor for whom I have considerable respect - she's a scientist, formerly an aeronautical engineer - is handing out copies of an article by Dr. Mercola that recommends against the swine flu vaccine. Another chiropractor told me she knew of no one in her profession who would receive, or allow their children to receive, vaccinations of any sort. She promptly added that, being "only" a chiropractor, she couldn't legally make such a recommendation anyway.

Is the safety of vaccines merely a difference of opinion? Everything I've read on the scientific evidence for vaccine side-effects - which is the primary grounds for opposition - favors vaccination.

The National Football League (NFL) commissioned a survey on the incidence of dementia and other memory-related diseases among its retired players. The results that came back showed early-onset dementia occurring "vastly more often" compared to the national population. The NLF dismissed the study as unreliable.

The data comes from the 88 Plan, a financial assistance plan for retired players with dementia. Confidential data from the plan indicates that the rate of dementia among football retirees is several times higher than the general population. The rate may actually be much higher than the data indicate, however, since many retirees are reluctant to admit they have a problem. Even NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell admits that the 88 Plan data underestimates the problem.

There are a number of things about the H1N1 (swine) flu that are different from the seasonal flu we see each year. For example, adolescents are at a greater risk of dying than younger children. This is just the opposite of what we typically expect. In a normal flu season, at least half the deaths are among children younger than 5. With swine flu, 80% of deaths have occurred in children ages 5 to 18.

Normally, flu fatalities are higher among older adults, but that's not true for swine flu. Three out of five deaths have happened in people younger than 50. "Sophisticated" laboratory tests indicate that the immune systems of older adults are providing an unusual amount of protection against the swine flu virus. This suggests that adults over 50 were exposed to an ancestor of the H1N1 virus - probably when they were children - and their immune systems are now prepared to defend against related strains.

Here's a well-written story by a mother (Brigid Schulte) whose son caught the flu at summer camp. She ended up nursing a houseful of sick patients, including herself. Everyone survived, but it was no picnic.

The subtitle of the article is "During the Swine Flu Season, Think Before You Share a Drink With Someone." She had innocently offered her water glass to her thirsty son the day before he started showing symptoms.

Goodness! I've been sneezing into my elbow and didn't realize it was socially unacceptable.

It makes so much sense. You should never sneeze into your hands unless you can wash them without first touching something. Handkerchiefs collect germs and tissues should be used only once.

This first video is from the CDC and makes a good lesson for kids.

A child's health depends on the child's environment. Children who live in poor households are more likely to die, more likely to suffer the irreversible effects of poor nutrition, and less likely to benefit from a health-care system if one is available.

It's estimated that 9.2 million children under the age of five die each year in developing countries due to easily preventable or treatable diseases or medical conditions. The international organization Save the Children has published a new report called Lasting Benefits, The role of cash transfers in tackling child mortality. (PDF) It explains why regular donations (cash transfers) to poor communities make a difference, whether the money comes from sponsoring a child, making an online purchase, or a simple donation.

Children love to put things in their mouths and, unfortunately, there's always the danger of swallowing small objects. About 80 percent of these "foreign bodies" pass through the digestive system without incident, especially if they're small and not sharp. Curious children might wonder what would happen if they swallowed a magnet or two. What happens can be a serious problem.

The photo shows an x-ray of a 9-year-old Italian boy who swallowed 23 magnets, some of them round, most of them rectangular. You can actually count all 23, aligned end-to-end like a string of dominos, punctuated by a few large dots.

One small magnet might pass uneventfully through the digestive system. If there are multiple magnets, however, they are very likely to attract each other through the intestinal wall. This can cause severe damage. Problems include cell or tissue death (pressure necrosis), a hole in the intestines (perforation), an abnormal connection between two segments of the intestines (intestinal fistulas), a twisting of the intestines (volvulus) that blocks the passage of food (or magnets), and obstruction.

There's a physiological reason why teenagers want to stay up late and sleep as long as they can in the morning. It has to do with the production of melatonin.

The body produces melatonin, a natural hormone related to our daily (circadian) rhythm, about an hour before we're ready to fall asleep. Before adolescence, melatonin secretion starts about 9:30 PM. In teenagers, this doesn't happen until an hour later. So teenagers aren't ready to fall sleep -- physiologically -- until 11:30 PM or later. They like to sleep later because they still need the same amount of sleep each night as children in elementary school: 9.25 hours.

Climate change has a much bigger effect on our health than we realize, and it's possibly the greatest public health threat of the coming century. This is the opinion of pediatrician Aaron Bernstein, quoted in a recent issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association.

Consider infectious diseases. As the climate changes, birds, insects and other "disease vectors" are forced to move into new habitats. The incidence of Lyme disease, for example, increases as deer ticks change where they live and become more abundant. "Lyme disease is a disease of ecology," says Dr. Bernstein. "We tend to think that we get infectious diseases from other people, but it turns out that the majority of infectious diseases are diseases that we share with other species." As infected species move into our neighborhood, we can expect an increase in the diseases they transmit.

Some parents in the UK are discussing the idea of swine flu parties for their children. British parents have long held "chicken pox parties" at the beginning of summer. The idea is that it's better for children to catch this once-in-a-lifetime disease at an age when there should be few complications.

The reasoning with swine flu is to give your child immunity now, while the virus is still mild. The UK's National Health Service is preparing for 100,000 new cases a day by winter. Presumably supplies of Tamiflu will be lower at that time, and hospital space may be at a premium.

Towards the end of season one of In Treatment, the HBO series about a therapist's sessions with his patients, a young woman asks psychotherapist Paul Weston if he ever analyzes his own daughter.

"It's just not a good idea," he replies. "It's not possible to treat one's own children."

"Why?" Sophie, the teenage patient asks.

"Parents play a big role in the development of the child's personality. So as a doctor it would be very hard for me to keep my role as a father separate from the therapy."

"Because you are part of the problem," Sophie states.

"Correct."

Can therapists ever really escape the training that has taught them to observe and analyze? What about medical doctors? Do they worry more or less than other parents about their children's health? Does emotional involvement cloud the judgment of a doctor who attempts to treat a family member?

Here are two images from Italian photographers Winkler + Noah. The exhibit includes 30 photos of children, retouched to suggest puppets.

From the artists' statement:

How can we forget the scent of dolls? ... They talk, laugh, dance and joke ... like children. Because that's what they are.

Children we ask too much of, to be perfect, like dolls.
Children who have become sons and daughters of perfection, pretence and image, manipulated by the media and the social context and who are inevitably losing their naturalness.

An exhibit which becomes a starting point for reflection, sociological research and introspection, to better understand ourselves and the world around us. And to understand that the best present we can give to children is to let them be children.

"I hope I die before I get old"

There was an interesting piece in Newsweek recently on the use of cosmetics and other beauty enhancements by children.

[T]his, my friends, is the new normal: a generation that primps and dyes and pulls and shapes, younger and with more vigor. Girls today are salon vets before they enter elementary school. Forget having mom trim your bangs, fourth graders are in the market for lush $50 haircuts; by the time they hit high school, $150 highlights are standard. Five-year-olds have spa days and pedicure parties. And instead of shaving their legs the old-fashioned way--with a 99-cent drugstore razor--teens get laser hair removal, the most common cosmetic procedure of that age group.

[B]y the time your 10-year-old is 50, she'll have spent nearly $300,000 on just her hair and face. It's not that women haven't always been slaves to their appearance .... But today's girls are getting caught up in the beauty maintenance game at ages when they should be learning how to read--and long before their beauty needs enhancing.

Two-year-old backstage at Toddlers & Tiaras

Source: flickr

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Padded bikini bras for seven-year-olds