"When/Then" parenting could change your life

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TOP OF MIND

CDC warns newborn syphilis cases have reached dire levels
In 2022, more than 3,700 babies were born with syphilis in the United States, a 32% increase from the year before, and a 1,000% rise since 2012. Nearly 300 of those babies died or were stillborn, according to a new report from the CDC. The US hasn't seen numbers this high since the early '90s, and health officials are warning the numbers will only increase if we don't act now.

The important bits
Syphilis, a sexually transmitted infection caused by bacteria, can linger in the body for many years. It's an especially tricky disease because sometimes you don't have many symptoms, and those you do have can disappear completely, only to come back months or even years later.

If left untreated, mothers can unknowingly pass the disease to their children during pregnancy. This form of the disease, known as congenital syphilis, can result in stillbirth, miscarriage, death or developmental disabilities such as hearing loss or blindness.

David Harvey, executive director of the National Coalition of STD Directors, admitted he was stunned by the new numbers:

Unfortunately, the government doesn't seem prepared to tackle this situation. In fact, back in May, budget cuts led to a shortage of the only drug approved to treat syphilis in pregnancy, a long acting form of penicillin called Bicillin.

What's it all mean?
It means everyone (including us parents) need to step up. The CDC recommends that all pregnant women get screened for syphilis via a blood test at their first prenatal care visit. They also call for more testing and treatment in emergency departments, prisons, substance abuse facilities and other settings that see patients with otherwise limited access to health care.

Additionally, they say testing should be done throughout one's pregnancy because women who test negative early in pregnancy may acquire syphilis later on, especially because they are typically no longer using protection such as condoms.

To learn more about the symptoms to watch out for, click here.

DID YOU HEAR

When/Then parenting
A video going viral in the wild world of Instagram parenting is being lauded for its brilliant "When/Then" reframe. The goal is to replace negative demands with positive expectations. For example, instead of saying, "You have to put on your shoes before you go outside!" you might try, "When your shoes are on, then we can go outside!"

More examples here.

How to avoid raising a spoiled child
According to Parents.com, 42% of their readers admitted their child is spoiled, and 80% of them firmly believe spoiling kids will impact them negatively in the long term.

So how do you prevent it, or perhaps undo the spoilage? Well, this article is an outstanding starting point.

Pasta and rice may be healthier to eat as leftovers
Instead of avoiding simple carbs like pasta and rice, you could just simply wait a day to eat them! Balazs Bajk, a gut physiologist from London, says cooling starchy foods can change their structure, which may boost the amount of "resistant starch" they have inside them. It's the same type of starch found in whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds.

And because resistant starches aren't as easy to digest, they don't spike your blood sugar as much as regular starches.

Midwife warns new parents about "hair tourniquet syndrome"
There are so many things to worry about as a new parent, and now it looks like we all have to add something called "hair tourniquet syndrome" to the list. A midwife shared a photo of a baby on her Instagram who had experienced "tourniquet toe" after a strand of hair was wrapped around their toe for more than 10 hours.

Find out how you can prevent hair tourniquet syndrome here.

The largest baby born since 2010
Can you guess how much the beefy little dude weighed?

A DOSE OF GOOD

JUST FOR YOU

Bites: Tomorrow is National Clean Out the Fridge Day. While we’re pretty sure that is meant as a day that you actually clean [out] the fridge , you could also think of it as a day when you have permission to look into the back of your refrigerator and scrape around in the bottom of the vegetable drawer to see what can be turned into a creative meal. When we do this in our houses - which is more than just once a year BTW - we turn to, tacos, pasta, big salads, stir fry, and tapas/charcuterie boards as great (and adaptable) options.

Reads: The world can be a scary place, even for us adults, so just imagine how daunting it can seem to our kids. Thankfully, there are books out there to help your child process what's going on in the world. A board-certified kindergarten teacher was nice enough to put together a curated list of books to read to your kids that might help them talk about their feelings and ease their anxiety.

Gizmos: Look up the word "exhausted" in the dictionary, and you'll probably see a photo of a new parent bawling their eyes out on the bathroom floor. But hey, we live in a world of endless technology that can make your life easier! Here are 19 practical gift ideas for the exhausted new parent in your life.

PARENTING WIN/FAIL

This week, loyal reader Molly T. shares an epic pasta success story!

Molly, that's pasta-tively amazing!

If you have a parenting win/fail you'd like to share, email us at [email protected] and your story might be featured in a future edition!

HERE’S A QUESTION

Last week, we asked you when you start decorating for Christmas, and nearly 60% of you said, "The day after Thanksgiving."

RECALLS

Mid America Pet Food.

Why are we telling you about a dog food recall? Well, because it's directly impacting infants. According to the CDC, seven people in seven states got sick from Salmonella in relation to products from Mid America Pet Food. Six of the seven cases involved children one year of age or younger.

Those who became sick were most likely infected by touching things like dog bowls that once housed the contaminated dog food, or by coming in contact with the poop or saliva of dogs that were fed the food.

Some of the brands being recalled include Victor, Eagle Mountain, Wayne Feeds and certain types of Member's Mark with "best by" dates for October 31, 2024. The FDA is urging people to throw away their contaminated packages of dog food in a secured container.

For a full list of products being impacted, click here.