Category Misc

February 27, 2023

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Are there drugs in the frozen embryo transfer process that would legitimately interfere with breastfeeding? – The drugs that are typically used in these cycles could affect your breast milk supply. However, considering how far along you are in breastfeeding, the effects are likely to be small. It will certainly be recommended that you stop breastfeeding, though, just because we do not have much data about this situation.
Would breastfeeding, given my period has been back for 12 months, lower my chances of successful implantation? – We can extrapolate the answer to this question from the question of getting pregnant while nursing in general. In general, breastfeeding acts as birth control by preventing ovulation. Breastfeeding is not contraindicated during pregnancy, including early pregnancy (i.e. implantation). So this is fine.
If I do have to defer implantation, is there any reason for me to stick to my “I don’t want to be pregnant after 40,” given they are eggs from a younger age? – No. In the immortal words of Matthew McConaughey in *Dazed and Confused*: “That’s what I love about these high school girls [read here: frozen embryos], man. I get older, they stay the same age.” You’ve got a little breathing room.

Published February 24, 2023
Visit ParentData to read Emily Oster’s original post Q&A: Frozen embryos, third-hand smoke, miscarriage, left-handedness, and stretching

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Labor Positions [Emily Oster, ParentData]

February 23, 2023

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Stages of labor: Labor has three stages: first, when the cervix dilates to 10 centimeters; second, the pushing stage; and third, the delivery of the placenta.
First stage of labor: During the first stage of labor, the key question is whether you will labor in bed or be able to walk around. Evidence suggests that labor is shorter and outcomes are improved when women are able to be upright and walking around.
Second stage of labor: In the second stage, the question is about position. Pushing upright, in a squatting position or similar, may result in a slightly shorter labor, but the data is not very consistent. There is no clear evidence of a difference in perineal tearing.
Water birth: There is no compelling evidence to suggest that water birth is either more painful or less painful. Safety is generally assured, but infection is possible in rare cases.
Concluding thoughts: It is important to consider personal preference and hospital constraints alongside the data when making decisions about labor position.

Published February 23, 2023
Visit ParentData to read Emily Oster’s original post Labor Positions

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Wins, Woes, and Autism [ParentData Team, ParentData]

February 22, 2023

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Wins and Woes has received over 1,000 submissions since its launch last April as a community space to help us all feel less alone. It has grown to include stories, reader questions, chatrooms, and illustrations.
Proud Mom of a Strong Girl shared a heartwarming story of her 2.5-year-old daughter’s self-confidence.
Mountains of Mom Guilt shared her story of recently finding out she is unexpectedly pregnant while struggling to care for her daughter with feeding challenges.
Kinder Kids shared how she overcame sibling conflict through a unique “kindness points” system.
Today’s Reader Question is about moving forward after an autism diagnosis. Elizabeth is seeking advice as she and her 3-year-old son start occupational therapy and are on waiting lists for autism specialists.

Published February 21, 2023
Visit ParentData to read ParentData Team’s original post Wins, Woes, and Autism

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COVID-19: Where to Go from Here [Emily Oster, ParentData]

February 20, 2023

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When I started this newsletter my vision was to write about pregnancy and parenting.
The COVID pandemic dramatically changed the focus of this work, and for most of the first two years, the majority of the posts here were about COVID-19. Over the past year, this has become less and less true.
Looking through the archives, it has been months since I wrote about COVID.
One reason for this is that there haven’t been a lot of updates. But more importantly, people stopped asking. This newsletter aims to be responsive, and, frankly, I get more questions these days about lead in chocolate than COVID-19.
It seemed like an appropriate time to address this. The COVID situation has evolved, for now, to what seems like a steady state. COVID is not gone, and (more on this below) it is still a significant health concern. But with high vaccination rates, and a large share of the population having had the virus, it has receded as a threat. Barring unexpected changes, we have arrived at a place where we are likely to stay for a while.
This means that when I address questions — which I’ll do below — these are really long-term answers. There was a time when the COVID situation seemed to change minute by minute; that time is not now.

Published February 20, 2023
Visit ParentData to read Emily Oster’s original post COVID-19: Where to Go from Here

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Panic Headlines: A New Series [Emily Oster, ParentData]

February 16, 2023

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• ParentData introduces a new series, “Panic Headlines”, to address topics that are too long or in-depth for a Q&A but not significant enough for their own post.
• The first two Panic Headlines are infant screen time and processed foods and cancer.
• Infant screen time is associated with executive functioning at age 9, but this is likely due to family characteristics rather than a causal impact of screens.
• A study on ultra-processed foods suggests a small increase in cancer, particularly ovarian cancer, but the data is flawed due to differences in family background, behaviors, and underlying health conditions.
• Eating processed foods is not recommended, but this study does not provide enough evidence to conclude that family pizza night should be cancelled.

Published February 16, 2023
Visit ParentData to read Emily Oster’s original post Panic Headlines: A New Series

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Your Sex Lives After Kids [Emily Oster, ParentData]

February 14, 2023

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• Valentine’s Day discussion on post-having-children sex lives, based on 26,000 survey responses
• Most respondents were women (94%), in the age range from 30 to 39 (83%), married (96%), and heterosexual (95%)
• Most popular responses: 1 to 2 times per week (30%) and 1 to 2 times per month (44.5%)
• Frequency of parents’ sex goes up (on average) as children age
• Older parents have less sex (on average), but this is trumped by the child age increase
• Most people do not think they are having enough sex (85-90% for all groups with a frequency lower than weekly)
• Men are about 16 percentage points more likely to say they feel there is too little sex
• Average person in the survey gave their sex life a 5.5
• Those with more frequent sex are most likely to report high satisfaction (7 to 9 range)
• Pain during sex is a common issue
• Resources from Dr. Sara Reardon and Vanessa Marin, including book “Come as You Are” by Emily Nagoski

Published February 14, 2023
Visit ParentData to read Emily Oster’s original post Your Sex Lives After Kids

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ADHD Diagnoses in Children [Emily Oster, ParentData]

February 9, 2023

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• Parenting can be difficult when there is a concern about a health, developmental, or socioemotional issue with a child.
• Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or attention deficit disorder (ADD) diagnoses have increased over the past several decades.
• It is unclear why the increase has occurred, but it could be due to changes in diagnosis, environmental factors, or heritability.
• Erin O’Connor, a developmental psychologist, weighs in on the topic of ADHD/ADD diagnosis and treatment.
• Questions for the child’s teacher and physician should focus on the observed behavior in both home and school settings, as well as other potential sources for the behavior.
• Diagnosis requires a history of behaviors over time, and parents should compile a list of behaviors that concern them.
• Medication has been proven safe and effective in the treatment of ADD/ADHD symptoms, but there can be side effects.
• It is unclear if ADD/ADHD is overdiagnosed or underdiagnosed, but it may be underdiagnosed among girls and children of color.
• For pre-K children, it can be hard to decipher between developing executive functioning skills and other factors (like learning differences).
• Parents can support executive function skills at home by using timers, breaking up multi-step directions, and establishing routines.
• How parents respond to their child’s challenges is related to their own temperament.

Published February 9, 2023
Visit ParentData to read Emily Oster’s original post ADHD Diagnoses in Children

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New AAP Guidelines on Childhood Obesity [Emily Oster, ParentData]

February 6, 2023

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• The American Academy of Pediatrics released new guidelines for pediatricians on childhood obesity, which have been met with criticism from all sides.
• The guidelines suggest a more aggressive approach to obesity in children and adolescents, up to and including medication and surgery.
• The guidelines have been met with criticism due to the way society has associated overweight and obesity with value, as well as the data behind the guidelines.
• The two fundamental disagreements are whether childhood obesity is a health concern and whether there is anything effective to do about it.
• Intensive health behavior and lifestyle treatment is expensive, not widely available, and has small impacts.
• Medication for children 12 and over and bariatric surgery for children 13 and over with severe obesity are also suggested, but have their own issues.
• More evidence is needed on what might work, as well as discussion of the mental health impacts of these interventions on kids.
• The problem is difficult to solve and requires more work to be done.

Published February 6, 2023
Visit ParentData to read Emily Oster’s original post New AAP Guidelines on Childhood Obesity

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From the Archive: Do I Need a $1,700 Robot Bassinet? [Emily Oster, ParentData]