A 10-year-old member of the northern indigenous Wayuu tribe in Colombia was 39 weeks pregnant when she underwent a Caesarean section and gave birth to a healthy girl, according to The Daily Mail. It was the first time she had visited a doctor about her pregnancy.

She arrived at the hospital bleeding and crying over the “enormous” pain of the contractions. Because of her age, doctors decided to do a Caesarean. Both the mom and daughter — who weighed 5 lbs at the time of birth — are doing well now.

However, the young mother is refusing to breastfeed the infant, and both are still confined to the neo-natal unit.

Although the father, who remains unknown, could be prosecuted for underage sex, the country’s constitution does allow some autonomy and to retain certain cultural heritages to the Wayuu — including giving birth at a young age.

Regardless, the director of the hospital, Efrain Pacheco Casadiego, criticizes the practice: “At a time when [the girls] should be playing with dolls, they go to having to take care of a baby. It’s shocking.”

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Researchers have begun to call some children with autism “bloomers” — kids who start off with severe symptoms and can outgrow most of them by 8 years old. Even though there is growth, many continue to show the classic symptom of autism: The inclination to rock back and forth, according to The Daily Mail.

Christine Fountain, study researcher and postdoctoral fellow at Columbia University, says “the biggest improvers may have benefited because their parents were able to afford access to better quality treatment.” Research found “bloomers” tend to come from wealthier families and white mothers.

‘These socio-economic disparities suggest that equal access to early interventions and services for less advantaged children is going to be really vital,” she adds.

—Giovanna Pagliarulo

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1. Is Puberty For Girls Before 10 Years Old The New Normal?
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Girls starting puberty in elementary school is not exactly “normal” for parents to hear from a doctor, but they might not be the only one! Elizabeth Weil, author of No Cheating, No Dying, talked with Katie Couric on Good Morning America on April 2 regarding her research in The New York Times article about the possible culprits of puberty and ways to slowdown the big event.

Early development can be caused by obesity, processed foods and plastics. Not so shocking, but packing lunch and tampons for your 9-year-old can be jaw-dropping for some moms.

Three events sum up puberty in girls: The growth of breasts, the growth of pubic hair and a first period. According to researchers, the process takes about two years.  The percentage of girls experiencing puberty at a young age have increased since the late ’80s.

“We still have a lot to learn about how early puberty affects girls psychologically,” said Paul Kaplowitz, Chief of Endocrinology at Children’s National Medical Center. “We do know that some girls who start maturing by age 8 progress rapidly and have their first period before age 10, and many parents prefer that we use medications to slow things down. However, many girls do fine if they are simply monitored and their parents are reassured that they will get through it without major problems.”

Doctors don’t know exactly why early-development happens, but there are factors that contribute to the issue and ways to prevent them.  Girls should stay physically active, maintain a healthy weight for her age and height, avoid chemically enhanced milk and meat with hormones and avoid stress.

“The concept of a new normal is not just brushoff but an encouragement to support a girl who is vunerable,” Weil adds.

Be prepared and patient for your daughters — All you can do is support them and let them know they are not alone!

—Giovanna Pagliarulo

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Danielle Young‘s condition is very rare — the odds were five million to one, according to The Daily Mail! Medical experts were amazed when she gave birth to two healthy babies despite the odds.

Even more amazing, only one of her two wombs was functioning properly.

“An obstetrician will see a case like this once in a lifetime,” Andrew Shennan, a professor of obstetrics at Kings College Hospital in London says. “The egg must have come down the fallopian tube that doctors thought was previously blocked. It is extremely unusual.”

The 29-year-old was diagnosed with bicornuate uterus at 18. This means her womb is completely split in two, and the halves are sealed off from each other to make two separate wombs. Because one fallopian tube was completely blocked, she was only supposed to be able to get pregnant in one womb.

“I knew that because of my condition it would be unlikely that I would ever be a mum,” she says. The couple then went on the waiting list for IVF treatment when they wanted to have children for the first time. “I wanted to give it every possible chance and there was no way I was giving up that tiny bit of hope. So we went on the waiting list of treatment.”

But she actually became pregnant naturally without the treatment. She then gave birth to daughter Paige. Five months later, she found out she was pregnant again — with twins!

“When I look at them I know that miracles certainly do happen,” Danielle says.

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A new study from Yale University finds exposure to radiation from cellphones during pregnancy affects the brain development of the fetus, the Daily Mail reports. “The rise in behavioural disorders in human children may be in part due to foetal cellular telephone irradiation exposure,” senior author Professor Hugh Taylor says.

No actual babies were intentionally exposed to cellphone radiation for the study — only mice. But the furry little rodents involvement as test subjects have some British scientists questioning the evidence provided.

Professor Katya Rubia, from the Institute of Psychiatry at King’s College London, called the link made between mice and humans “alarmist and unjustified.”

As the British scientists point out, being so small, the mice absorb a “proportionally far higher” amount of radiation than any unborn baby would. And mothers others tend not to hold their cellphones directly over their uterus, but a few feet above to their ear.

The study does call attention to the rise of children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) every year. The condition is “a growing public concern,” according to the Yale researchers.

What do YOU think? Will you put the phone down to protect your unborn child? Or will your phone forever be permanently attached to your face?

Emily Morgan

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Half of all children suffer back pain by 14 years old, and doctors say heavy backpacks could be the cause, according to The Daily Mail!

Experts say kids risk long-term damage if they regularly carry more than 15 percent of their body weight over their shoulders, but the charity BackCare claims many kids are carrying as much as 25 percent to and from school!

“If children are getting back pain so young, then there is the potential they will have it for the next 70 to 80 years, which leads to an enormous physical and emotional cost,” Sean McDougall, a representative from the charity, says.

He stresses that parents should watch to make sure their kids’ bags aren’t overfilled.

“Parents should insist that their children pack their bags only with what they need for the next day and ensure that they are worn on both shoulders.”

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Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

A new study reveals every six minutes a child falls down the stairs and is rushed to the hospital! Find out how you can make your staircase safe!

A new report says nearly 100,000 kids a year are hurt by falling down staircases, according to The Today Show‘s Jeff Rossen! Dr. Gary Smith reports that the most serious injuries happen to babies being carried down the stairs! He exposes three major staircase defects that could be in your home now, and how you can prevent your child from getting hurt.

Check your staircase for these three major flaws:

1. The Top of the Flight Flaw: In many homes, the first step is longer than all the remaining steps. The danger here is that adults and kids can overstep and fall because your mind thinks all the steps are the same size. Even worse, many builders and inspectors don’t know to check for this flaw. Solution: Talk to a contractor to install a piece to the first step to make it even with the others.
2. The Chunky Railing: If you trip, you can’t get your hand around a chunky railing to grip it. Solution: Replace the railing with a thinner one or add a thin railing on the other side of the staircase.
3. The Gate Flaw: Many parents use a pressure-mounted gate at top of the stairs, but often it’s not flush or tight enough. A child can easily push it over, and fall down the stairs. Solution: A wall-mounted gate is impossible for a kid to push down. Also, install a gate at the bottom of stairs to keep curious kids out.

Jeff also recommends that parents don’t multi-task while on the stairs! In other words, don’t try to carry too many things at once — and hold on tight to the railing, HollyMoms!

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In the University of California—San Francisco study, Doctor Amy Gelfand, a child neurologist with the Headache Centre at UCSF,  surveyed 154 new mothers bringing their 2-month-old babies for check ups to try and figure out the cause of colic among infants, according to The Daily Mail. Two months old is a crucial age because it is when colic — excessive crying —typically happens.

“If we can understand what is making the babies cry, we may be able to protect them from this very dangerous outcome,” says Gelfand.

Colic has usually been associated with gastrointestinal problems, yet research has shown no link between the two. Finding a cause is very important because researchers say excessive crying is one of the most common reasons for shaken baby syndrome. This can then cause brain damage, severe disability and even death.

The mothers who participated were surveyed about their babies’ crying patterns and their history of migraines. The mothers who did suffer from migraines were two-and-a-half times more likely to have babies that suffer from colic.

Results showed that 29 percent of infants whose mothers had migraines had colic compared to 11 percent of babies whose mothers did not have migraines.

“Since migraine is a highly genetic disorder, our study suggests infant colic may be an early sign a child may be predisposed toward migraine headache later in life,” Gelfand told the American Academy of Neurology.

Just like people with migraines, babies with colic may be more sensitive to stimuli in their environment. The next step in the study will be to look at babies who suffer from colic as they get older and check to see if they develop other periodic syndromes, like migraines.

Dr Gelfand will be presenting these findings at the American Academy of Neurology’s 64th annual meeting in New Orleans in April.

-Milly Contreras

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