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Tender touch, cuddles help babies make it through drug withdrawal
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Volunteers are key to helping babies who are born addicted to drugs make it through the withdrawal process. It's used at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center to great effect and the volunteers benefit, too. - photo by Lois M Collins
Volunteers at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center are cuddling newborns who have withdrawal symptoms after exposure to certain drugs in the womb to calm the infants down and help them recover.

The babies may receive the special attention and snuggles for as long as eight weeks, Maribeth McLaughlin, chief nursing officer and vice president of Patient Care Services at the hospital, told The Huffington Post's Taylor Pittman. "Its great for our babies because it provides them with care and comfort, and its an assistance to families who may not be able to be there the whole time, she said.

The challenge for the babies is "neonatal abstinence syndrome," which Medline Plus explains is a series of problems caused because baby is withdrawing from opiates like heroin or oxycodone to which he or she was exposed in the womb. For some babies, the symptoms are so severe that methadone or morphine are needed, that article says.

But often, a little tender loving care does the trick. Among proven helps are swaddling, rocking and turning down lights and sounds, notes Medline, which is produced by the National Library of Medicine.

Calming a cranky, stressed baby isn't the only reason to cuddle.

In an article in the journal Applied Developmental Science, research led by University of Notre Dame professor of psychology Darcia Narvaez found cuddling, free play and being supported as a child improve the kind of adult one becomes.

A press release from Notre Dame noted that American kids fall behind some of their other-country peers. We have forgotten that we are social mammals with specific evolved needs from birth, is how the release quoted Narvaez.

Children's Hospital of Los Angeles notes similar benefits to kids. In a blog post for the hospital, Robert Giesler, a newborn intensive care nurse, outlines some of the benefits of cuddling on the littlest patients. Among other things, it encourages calm and relaxation. Heart, lung and immune functions improve, as do sleep patterns. Stress is reduced, as is discomfort, he writes.

The U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) estimates that the number of drug-exposed infants born each year may be as many as 375,000.
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How to avoid 'sharenting' and other paparazzi parenting habits
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A recent study revealed parents often spend up to two hours staging a single photo of his or her child to post online. - photo by Amy Iverson
Before having kids, some people just dont appreciate their friends baby posts. But after having a child of their own, three fourths of new parents jump right on the parental social media bandwagon. If you have become a member of this group, there are some rules to follow for posting responsibly.

Much of a parents worry is how to teach their children to use social media responsibly. We talk with our kids about privacy, oversharing, and setting restrictions on their devices to keep them safe. But parents themselves need to look in the digital mirror once in a while. Before having children, it doesnt take as much effort to think about what to post online. Its up to us to decide what we share about our own lives. But once you become a parent, there are many questions to think about regarding what is appropriate to post about your kids on social media.

In a recent survey, kids clothing subscription company Mac and Mia surveyed 2000 new parents to find out how they are documenting their kids lives on social media, and what concerns they may have.

First of all, people without children seem to feel a bit differently about the onslaught of baby pictures online than those who are parents. 18 percent of people say before they had kids, they were annoyed by their friends baby posts. But after having children of their own, 73 percent admit they post progress pictures of their little ones every single month.

Not only are new parents letting the world know each time their baby is a month older, but they are posting about their kids every few days or so. Men and women report they post 6-7 times per month about their baby.

And while 70 percent of new parents say the benefit of using social media is how easy it is to help family and friends feel involved, there are some downsides. Here are a few tips to avoid the pitfall of becoming paparazzi parents.

Dont miss the moment

In the Mac and Mia survey, some parents admitted to spending up to two hours to get the perfect shot of their baby. That seems a little extreme. New and old parents alike should be careful about spending so much time taking pictures and videos that they dont enjoy the moment. Years ago, I decided to never live an experience through my phone. A study by Linda Henkel, a psychology professor at Fairfield University in Connecticut, found that when people took pictures of objects in an art museum, they didnt remember the objects as well as if they simply observed them.

This photo-taking impairment effect can happen to parents as well. If we are so consumed by getting the perfect photo, we can miss out on the moment all together, and our memory of it will suffer.

Dont forget about privacy

60 percent of couples say they have discussed rules and boundaries for posting their babys photos, according to the Mac and Mia survey. Even so, men are 34 percent more likely to publish baby posts on public accounts. If parents are concerned about their childrens privacy, keeping photos off of public accounts is a given.

In the Washington Post, Stacey Steinberg, a legal skills professor at the University of Florida, and Bahareh Keith, a Portland pediatrician, wrote that sharing too much information about kids online puts them at risk. They write that all that sharenting can make it easier for data thieves to target out kids for identity theft. Check that your privacy settings are where they should be and never share identifying information like full names and birth dates.

Dont be paparazzi parents

36 percent of parents say they take issue when their childs photo is posted online by someone else. Responsible social media users will always ask permission before posting a photo of another child. But parents should also think about whether their own children will take issue with their own posted photos a few years down the road.

When parents are constantly snapping pictures and throwing them on social media, it can be easy to forget to pause and make sure the post is appropriate. I always use the billboard example with my kids. I ask them to picture whatever they are posting going up on a billboard in our neighborhood. If they are okay with that, then their post is probably fine. Parents should ask themselves this same question when posting about their children. But they should also ask themselves if their child would be OK with this post on a billboard in 15 years. If it would cause embarrassment or humiliation, it might be best to keep it private.

Once children reach an appropriate age, parents should include them in the process of deciding what pictures are OK to post. Researchers at the University of Michigan surveyed 10- to 17-year-olds and found children believe their parents should ask permission more than parents think they should. The kids in the survey said sharing happy family moments, or accomplishments in sports, school and hobbies is fine. But when the post is negative (like when a child is disciplined) or embarrassing (think naked baby pictures or messy hair), kids say to keep it off social media.
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