Yucky ducky: Your kid’s cute bath-time friend carries nasty bugs

Scientists have the dirt on rubber ducky: Those cute yellow bath-time friends are, as some parents have long suspected, a haven for nasty bugs. Swiss and American researchers counted the microbes swimming inside the toys and say the murky liquid released when ducks were squeezed contained “potentially pathogenic bacteria” in four out of five toys studied. The bacteria included Legionella and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a bacterium that “often implicated in hospital-acquired infections.” These cute yellow bath-time friends are a haven for nasty bugs. (Getty Images/iStockphoto) The study by the Swiss Federal…

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Virat Kohli Launches Own Lifestyle Brand, Urges Kids to Play More

Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli on Thursday pushed the cause of physical fitness and encouraged kids to play outdoor sports while launching his personal athleisure line with a German sports lifestyle brand. After unveiling his personal One8 line, Kohli, who recently turned 29, said all health concerns will disappear if one is able to take care of one’s body. For the uninitiated, 18 happens to be the Indian skipper’s jersey number. “There is so much of technology that children nowadays don’t go out and play..they are more interested in…

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Parents, keep in mind: Less than 20% urban kids in India eat fruits once a day

Only 18% of urban children in grade six to 10 in India eat fruits every day, show the results of a survey, revealing poor eating habits of a vast majority of kids in the country. At 14%, the proportion of children eating protein once a day is even lower, showed the survey by Podar Education Group which runs over 100 schools spread across the country. The survey involved responses from 1,350 parents of children studying in grade six to 10 in India’s metro cities. The results showed that only 35%…

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Would-be moms, breathe easy! Mobile phone use in pregnancy may not affect kids’ brains

Babies born to women who use a mobile phone during pregnancy are unlikely to have any adverse effects on their neurodevelopment skills such as language, communication and motor skills, according to new research which has challenged previous theories. According to researchers, the concern for harm to the foetus caused by radio frequency electromagnetic fields such as those emitted by mobile phones is mainly driven by reports from experimental animal studies with inconsistent results. Researchers found that children born to mobile phone users had an 18% lower risk of low motor…

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Do your kids skip breakfast? Here’s how doing so puts their health at great risk

Is it “too early” to eat? Is there no time before school? Your children may be putting themselves at risk of malnutrition by skipping breakfast. A study by the King’s College London found that children who skip breakfast regularly may not be consuming the recommended daily amounts of key nutrients required for growth and development. Children who ate breakfast every day were deemed to have overall superior nutritional profiles compared to those who didn’t. While the study was unable to identify a causal link, these children were found to have…

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83% parents believe almonds are best snack for kids

Nearly 83 per cent of parents feel that consuming almonds — a natural source of many essential nutrients, including protein and healthy fats — makes their children remain more energetic throughout the day, a survey shows. The survey, led by market research company Ipsos, found that 94 per cent of mothers in both Tier I and II cities, rank “almonds specifically” as the healthiest form of snacking.  Parents believe that almonds help boost brain development and are essential for healthy and stronger bones in addition to providing a daily dose…

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