LilSugar

Odd or Endearing: Ailing Father Drink's Daughter's Breast Milk?

LilSugar — Mon, 04 May 2009 08:00:48 -0700

Georgia Browne's breast milk benefits both her son and her father. While young Monty is the obvious recipient, the new mother also offered the liquid gold to her dad Tim who has terminal cancer after she found research suggesting that mother's milk helps kill cancer cells. She said:

‘It feels like I’m doing the most natural thing for the people I love. 'I’ve been there when he has drunk it and it’s just not an issue. 'Not many women can say their dad drinks their breastmilk. But I would do anything to give my dad more time with me, our family and Monty.’

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Wee Are the World: Hope For Kai Foaming Hair and Body Wash

LilSugar — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 03:06:20 -0700

Yesterday, we tested your knowledge of pediatric cancers and today I am bringing you an easy way to help fight the deadly disease by simply washing your lil one with a great two-in-one soap.

Anthony Logistics, the men's hair and skin care line, has introduced Hope For Kai Foaming Hair and Body Wash ($12) an extra-gentle, self-foaming cleanser that softens and conditions babies' skin without irritating their eyes.

Though the product was created to commemorate the birth of the company's founder's twin boys, Anthony Logistics is donating 100 percent of the product's profits to the Hope for Kai fund. The suds support a five-year-old named Kai Anderson, who was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia and is in need of a bone marrow transplant. Simultaneously, his father was diagnosed with a rare form of lymphoma. Through the sale of the body wash, the company hopes to raise funds for both father and son to have the treatments they need to survive.

Test Your Pediatric Cancer Knowledge

LilSugar — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 07:00:50 -0700

I can't think of anything worse than seeing a child in pain. Pediatric cancer affects 46 US children and adolescents every day and while cure rates have improved drastically in recent decades, there is no denying the nightmare families go through when faced with a diagnosis.

There are many different kinds of cancer out there, so take this quiz to see just how much you know about the number one cause of death in children after accidents.

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Lil Girl's Last Wish to Marry Her 7-Year-Old Sweetheart

LilSugar — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 08:00:01 -0800

Most parents dream of their daughter's wedding day, but don't expect it to come when their daughter is just nine-years-old. Jayla Cooper, a child in Texas given a death sentence with cancer, recently celebrated her marriage to a fellow patient, Jose Griggs, in front of their family and friends. The two promised to be friends forever.

Would You Have Your Child Tested?

babysugar — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 14:00:04 -0700

If you had a crystal ball and could look into your child's future and know the probability of her developing breast or ovarian cancer, would you do it? If your answer is "yes," some of your curiosity could be satisfied.

There's a test in the medical community that tells a person if he or she is a carrier of the BRCA mutation, which can indicate a higher likelihood of cancer in the future. Estimated to cost about $3,000, the test is not something every family can afford. Price aside, many families may opt not to take the test, as it could put undue pressure or worry on a youngster who might otherwise lead a happy, carefree life. On the flip side, there might be potential benefits to knowing what a person's chances are for developing such a horrific illness. Having found out they have a higher chance of developing cancer, some people choose to avoid birth control or smoking, as both could potentially increase the likelihood of testing positive.

A moral dilemma arrives when parents make that choice for their minors, giving them no say in the matter. Tell me, if you had free access to such a test for your child, would you do it?
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Mommy Spots Cancer in Pen Pal's Child Over the Internet

LilSugar — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 12:00:28 -0700

It seems that almost anything can be done over the Internet. Mothers Madeline Robb and Megan Santos have never met, but since their children were born on the same day, the two became pen pals sharing advice and photos of their tots over email. Madeline noticed a shadow on lil Rowan's eyes in the pictures suggested Megan to take her daughter to get it checked. Her advice likely saved the girl's life.

Cell Phones and Cancer

babysugar — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 05:00:27 -0700

I never met a baby that didn't enjoy a cell phone. Before you pass your chatty gadget to your tiny one, consider getting him his own fake version. Dr. Ronald B. Herberman, the director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, issued a warning:

Recently I have become aware of the growing body of literature linking long-term cell phone use to possible adverse health effects including cancer. Although the evidence is still controversial, I am convinced that there are sufficient data to warrant issuing an advisory to share some precautionary advice on cell phone use.

Numerous other studies on the same subject have come up empty on such similar findings as Herberman.

To see what measures Herberman advises people to take, read more.

Do not allow children to use a cell phone, except for emergencies. The developing organs of a fetus or child are the most likely to be sensitive to any possible effects of exposure to electromagnetic fields.
While communicating using your cell phone, try to keep the cell phone away from the body as much as possible. The amplitude of the electromagnetic field is one-fourth the strength at a distance of two inches and 50 times lower at three feet. Whenever possible, use the speaker-phone mode or a wireless Bluetooth headset, which has less than 1/100th of the electromagnetic emission of a normal cell phone. Use of a hands-free ear piece attachment may also reduce exposures.
Avoid using your cell phone in places, like a bus, where you can passively expose others to your phone's electromagnetic fields.
Avoid carrying your cell phone on your body at all times. Do not keep it near your body at night such as under the pillow or on a bedside table, particularly if pregnant. You can also put it on “flight” or “off-line” mode, which stops electromagnetic emissions.
If you must carry your cell phone on you, make sure that the keypad is positioned toward your body and the back is positioned toward the outside so that the transmitted electromagnetic fields move away from your rather than through you.
Only use your cell phone to establish contact or for conversations lasting a few minutes, as the biological effects are directly related to the duration of exposure. For longer conversations, use a land line with a corded phone, not a cordless phone, which uses electromagnetic emitting technology similar to that of cell phones.
Switch sides regularly while communicating on your cell phone to spread out your exposure. Before putting your cell phone to the ear, wait until your correspondent has picked up. This limits the power of the electromagnetic field emitted near your ear and the duration of your exposure.
Avoid using your cell phone when the signal is weak or when moving at high speed, such as in a car or train, as this automatically increases power to a maximum as the phone repeatedly attempts to connect to a new relay antenna.
When possible, communicate via text messaging rather than making a call, limiting the duration of exposure and the proximity to the body.
Choose a device with the lowest SAR possible (SAR = Specific Absorption Rate, which is a measure of the strength of the magnetic field absorbed by the body). SAR ratings of contemporary phones by different manufacturers are available by searching for “SAR ratings cell phones” on the Internet.

Will this warning affect your cell phone behavior?
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Babies Kick Cancer and Save Mother

LilSugar — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 15:09:37 -0800

A British mum owes her life to her twin daughters. Diagnosed with cervical cancer while expecting, Michelle Stepney refused to terminate her pregnancy to have a hysterectomy.

Instead, she opted for limited chemotherapy and to carry her unborn babies to term. It was a tough decision since Michelle and her husband, Scott already had 5-year-old son, Jack. A BBC article said:

"It was a very difficult decision to make. We wanted to make sure what we did was right by Jack but we did not want to do what was wrong by the girls."

To find out what happened, read more.

Suspecting a miscarriage, the pregnant woman went to the hospital where doctors discovered the unborn babies' kicking had dislodged a tumor.

"I'd felt them kicking but I didn't realise just how important their kicking would turn out to be."

After giving birth to Alice and Harriet at 33 weeks via cesarean section, Michelle got a hysterectomy. The mom and her babes are all in good health.

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British Mum Gave Her Life to Save Son

LilSugar — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 08:00:00 -0800

As mothers we do all we can for our kids, but Lorraine Allard gave her life to save her unborn son. Diagnosed with advanced cancer while she was four month pregnant with her fourth child, the 33-year-old mother of three girls - Leah,10, Amy, 8, and Courtney, 20 months - refused her best chance of survival to abort her son to start chemotherapy. A recent article in Daily Mail said:

Instead, with steadfast courage, she insisted on waiting long enough to give her unborn son a chance to survive, telling her husband Martyn: "If I am going to die, my baby is going to live."

To hear more about this courageous mom just read more.

The expectant mom went in to premature labor at 25 weeks and the family of five welcomed their addition - lil Liam on November 18, 2007. Though she began treatment after delivering, Lorraine passed away two months later on January 18.

Her husband Martyn, 34, said his wife had strength for the both of them. He said:

"Towards the end we knew things weren't going well, but she was overjoyed that she had given life to Liam."

Though Lorraine made the ultimate sacrifice for her son, she told her husband, she didn't want their son, who is expected to go home from the hospital in March to feel bad that she died.

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Could Nursing Reduce the Chances of Breast Cancer in Moms?

LilSugar — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 09:00:10 -0700

While the debate over whether breast-feeding leads to smarter and skinnier children continues, the list of perks for mamas grows. Women claim it helps with everything from shedding the postpartum pounds to cutting the budget. A new report claims that women with a family history of breast cancer can reduce their risk by nursing. Take our quiz to learn more about the link that's been discovered.

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