'OHANA BRIEFS
Unborn boys bulk up

Advertiser Staff

Women pregnant with boys tend to eat about 10 percent more calories a day than those carrying girls but generally don't gain more weight, new research indicates.

A study published in the British Medical Journal appears to explain — at least in part — why newborn boys are heavier than girls and suggests that signals between the fetus and the mother drive the appetite during pregnancy.

Early dental care

The American Academy of Pediatrics is calling on its members to help stem tooth decay. In new policy guidelines, published in the May issue of Pediatrics, it recommends that pediatricians begin oral-health risk assessments when a child reaches 6 months old, often before the child cuts his first tooth. It also says parents of high-risk youngsters should start taking their children to a dental-care provider by the time they turn 1.

High-risk groups include children who: sleep with a bottle or who breast-feed through the night; already show signs of caries or plaque buildup; with mothers who have a lot of cavities; with special health care needs; in families with low socioeconomic status; later-order children (the second, third or fourth child in a family).