baby (Page 3)

Scientists think that if women take choline during their pregnancies, they?ll “super-charge” their children’s brains for life. If they eat chocolate daily, they’ll have a happier baby. And if they have a toddler who’s a finicky eater, it’s because of the way he was fed as an infant.

Babies born to pregnant rats that were given the supplement were known to be faster learners with better memories. They also had better memories when they got old. Choline is found in egg yolks, liver and other meats that, according to researcher Scott Swartzwelder, are “exactly the kind of things people were told not to eat” due to worries about high cholesterol.
read more

Scientists may have come up with the answer to the question every parent wants answered: why is their baby crying? You’ve fed him, changed him, taken his temperature?nothing works. If only he could tell you what’s wrong.

Now a device has been invented that can translate a baby’s cries. A microchip monitors volume, pattern and interval to calculate if the baby is stressed, tired, hungry, sleepy or uncomfortable. The battery-powered “Why Cry” was created by Spanish electronic engineer Pedro Monagas.
read more

Scientists are worried that in fertility clinics using in-vitro (test tube) fertilizations, parents will be able to select embryos for IQ or personality traits. Now embryos are selected according to which ones are healthiest and free of genetic disease. Future genetic testing could allow them to be selected for above average intelligence, good behavior or sexual orientation.

Psychiatrist Terrie Moffitt says, “Parents are highly motivated to have the best child possible?some would consider such a selection technique if it were available.? Scientists are especially concerned after new research showed links between genes and behavior.
read more

Prospective parents can now “feel” a baby in the womb with the aid of a computer system that converts ultrasound images into a tactile virtual picture. A 3D ultrasound image of the baby is generated by layering successive 2D pictures on top of one another. The computer then traces the features of the fetus and allows the 3D shapes to be felt using a device which resembles a robot arm.

“When the cursor touches a virtual object, the motors in the device kick in and that’s what lets you actually feel it,” says Tom Anderson of Novint, the New Mexico-based company that invented the system. “It’s a pretty amazing experience. You can feel the nose and reach down and touch the lips.”

To learn more,click here.
read more