In the News: Young minds and bodies

Time.com: Hooked on McDonald's at Age 3
A new study shows that children as young as three rate identical food items as tasting better when they come out of a McDonald's bag rather than a plain paper bag, scary evidence of how brands co-opt little minds. (A whopping 77% said the fries in the McDonald's bag were better.) McDonald's, of course, points out that it only advertises its "healthy" Happy Meals (with white meat nuggets, apple slices and lowfat milk) in ads aimed at kids. If you ask me, the idea that McDonald's cares about kids' health is a joke as long as it continues to use trans fats in its foods -- including, incidentally, the chicken nuggets. (Check out the fries, too.)

Time.com: Baby Einsteins: Not So Smart After All
Not only do "Baby Einstein" or "Brainy Baby" videos fail to make babies into geniuses, a new study shows they may actually be harming language development. Researchers at the University of Washington found that for every hour daily spent watching baby videos, babies scored about 10% lower on language skills than kids who didn't watch the videos. A scary finding is that by the time they are two, almost 90% of kids are spending TWO TO THREE HOURS in front of a TV daily. I rely on at least 30 minutes of TV a day with my kids -- I don't think I'd ever manage to get dinner on the table without help from Blue or Little Bear. And on hard days with the kids, they might get a video so I can gather my sanity... I'd rather not feel guilty about it, but I do all the time.

LA Times: Hearing loss may foretell infant deaths, study says
I just came across this fascinating article that suggests routine newborn hearing screenings may help identify infants at risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. A study shows a striking and curious connection between a unique pattern of hearing loss (detected in routine infant hearing tests at hospitals) and SIDs. Researchers believe that the inner ear may have a role in respiratory control, and that it's possible some infants suffer damage to these systems during delivery. Wouldn't it be amazing if doctors could soon prevent these tragedies?