The Parenting Buzz : Smarter Babies

Some unconventional ways to ensure a happy, healthy and smart baby:

Let them Eat Dirt: …or at least play in it. Seems a certain “friendly” bacteria found in soil can help your brain make serotonin, a chemical linked to happiness and commonly used to treat depression. Lung cancer patients treated with the same “dirt-y” bacteria have also reported improvements in their quality of life. A team of Canadian researchers who are also investigating links between serotonin, mood and immunity have found that serotonin may restore healthy immune functions. Although more research is needed to determine the true effects of the bacterium Mycobacterium Vaccae on mood and immunity, Bristol University’s Lead Researcher Dr. Chris Lowry is quoted in the journal Neuroscience wondering whether “we shouldn’t all spend more time playing in dirt.”

Hang ‘em Upside Down: Check out these photos from China’s People’s Daily Online of parents in Xiamen, China taking part in a “parenting yoga” session during a campaign aimed at tapping into a baby’s “intelligence potential.” Not your typical “Mommy ‘n Me” yoga class here folks: poses in this class include holding your bundle of joy by the ankles and dangling him/her upside down. I guess the sudden rush of blood to the head can be…stimulating. Or perhaps the lesson of the day is to think outside the box and tackle problems from a totally different angle…literally!

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Published:
04.04.07 / 3pm
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