Breast Cancer Genetic Testing in U. S. May Be Inadequate

A new study claims genetic tests available in the U. S. for detecting high risk of breast cancer may miss some mutations that indicate the disease. An additional test, available in Europe, but not the U. S., can detect gene changes the U. S. test can’t. The researchers say there are a lack of clinical testing options in the U. S., and inappropriate patent rules are stifling the development of new genetic screening methods.

Most Important Tools

Forbes recently published a list of “The 20 Most Important Tools Ever.” I always find these sorts of lists interesting, even though I often (as in this case) disagree with many of the choices. (I view knifes and swords as variants of the same thing, not deserving two separate entries, for example.) Not making the final cut, but warranting a separate column in support, was one of my favorite tools, duct tape, useful for everything from warts to diapers.

Children Can Learn Words as Early as 10 Months

Scientists at Temple University have shown experimentally for the first time that children as young as ten months can associate a word with an object, even though it has to be an object in which they have previously shown an interest. Older children can associate words with both objects that interest them and those that don’t. The researchers suggest that “Perhaps this is why children learn words faster when parents look at and name objects the infants already find interesting.”

Oh Oxo!

The LA Times had a nice story about Oxo tools a couple of weeks ago. (Thanks to FOOD Blog for the sighting.) I’ve been a big Oxo fan for years, and was glad to see the coverage. (I’d own all of their products if we weren’t a lesbian family with one stay-at-home-mom, paying federal taxes on the medical insurance my partner’s employer provides me.) Oxo develops kitchen, gardening, and hardware tools that are not only good-looking, but also offer functionality that goes beyond that of other brands. Every time I visit my parents and am forced to use their old pull-cord salad spinner, I’m thankful I have an Oxo push-top one (which also doubles as toddler amusement). A few of their products, like the Mango Splitter (see image above), seem on one level superfluous, but on another, cleverly solve a tricky kitchen need.

I’m not employed by Oxo or in any way affiliated with them. I just admire smart design. (I’m also a sucker for IKEA.) As a mom, I’m all in favor of anything that’s faster, safer, and more efficient. Now if Oxo would put their minds towards diaper pails and strollers, we’d really have something.

The Lesbian- and Gay-Family Threat

Mamazine points out a great column by San Francisco Chronicle columnist Jon Carroll, on the American Family Association’s [sic] boycott of Ford for “[supporting] a social agenda aimed at the destruction of the family.” Carroll says, in part:

The gay and lesbian parents I know are too busy to have an agenda, unless the agenda is “1. cook dinner, 2. wash clothes, 3. find frog. . . .”

The reality is the mirror image of the stereotype. The real keepers of the American flame, the real practitioners of daily love and a life of the spirit, are gay and lesbian parents. They are, gosh darn it, what made this country great.

Nothing most Mombian readers don’t already know and agree with, but very well put, and worth a read.

Kids and Gardening

It’s the first day of spring, and despite the lingering cold here in the northeast, I find my thoughts turning to branches and blooms. I’m looking forward to starting a garden with our son soon, bringing to life some of the ideas he’s read about in Planting a Rainbow and Growing Vegetable Soup. For those of us without verdant opposable digits, or those looking for how to transform their gardening skills into something kid friendly, there are numerous online resources. Here are a few of the best I’ve found:

• Kidsgardening.com, published by the National Gardening Association. offers a ton of resources for parents and teachers, including pointers on what types of gardening activities to expect at various ages, how not to make your kids hate gardening, ideas for small, kid-friendly gardens, garden safety tips, and practical information on what to plant where. There are also curriculum guides and information on gardening-related grants for schools.
• Gardening with Kids also has many good ideas, including suggestions for a “Nose Garden,” an “Odd Behavior Garden,” and how to explore the scientific side of gardening.
• Finally, the Brooklyn Public Library has a collection of links to even more gardening sites as well as a list of children’s books about gardening.

Weekly Political Roundup

The big news this week was the decision by Catholic Charities of Boston to shut down its adoption services instead of adhering to state laws requiring them to consider same-sex couples as prospective parents. The Massachusetts Department of Social Services gave Catholic Charities approximately $1 million in reimbursements for its adoption-related work in fiscal year 2005.

Governor Romney realized, correctly, that this would prevent many children from finding permanent homes. (According to the Catholic Charities Web site, they have placed 720 children in permanent homes over the past 20 years. Of those 720, 13 were placed with same-sex families.) The governor therefore filed a “Protecting Religious Freedom” bill to exempt religious groups from laws prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation. Interestingly, though, the bill would still make it illegal for religious institutions to discriminate “on the basis of race, creed, national origin, gender, [or] handicap.”

Hmm. If Romney is so concerned “that government not dictate to religious institutions the moral principles by which they are to carry out their charitable and divine mission,” shouldn’t he waive all anti-discrimination laws for them? If a Catholic organization wanted, say, not to place children in Jewish homes (or vice versa), or if a congregation hailing mostly from one ethnic group wanted to avoid placing children with families of a different group, shouldn’t this be allowed, by Romney’s logic? Maybe he’s trying to placate ethnic groups who may be upset by his invokation of a 1913 law barring Massachusetts from permitting the marriage of an out-of-state couple if the marriage would be void in their home state, a law originally intended to prohibit interracial marriages.

And from the “Stay Tuned” department:

The New York State Court of Appeal, the state’s highest, announced this week that on May 31 it will hear arguments on the constitutionality of banning same-sex marriage. Similar arguments have already been made in New Jersey and Washington state, and decisions could come at any time. [Insert "waiting" music from Jeopardy here.]

In Connecticut, on March 21, a GLAD lawyer will argue in front of the New Haven Superior Court on behalf of eight same-sex couples who wish to marry. This is only the first step in a case that will likely go all the way to the state’s Supreme Court.

Village Heroes

Is it just me, or do the Fisher Price “Rescue Heroes” remind anyone else of the Village People? Every time I see them in a toy store, I keep wanting to line them up in “YMCA” poses.

According to Fisher-Price, sometime before age four my son is supposed to graduate from toys like the Little People Animal Sounds Farm to hirsute, muscular Rescue Heroes with names like “Brandon Irons.” (Yes, really.) Maybe we’ll just line them up behind a whole bunch of Barbies on toy motorcycles, and have a parade.

Books About Music

My son loves music, and he loves books. I’m always excited, therefore, when I can find books about music for the pre-school age group. A modern (1995) classic, Caldecott winner Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin, by Lloyd Moss is a gem. One by one, the book introduces various instruments, as each lends its sound to the music. The illustrations, rhyme, and meter swoop and soar, just like the music they describe, without ever becoming trite like so many rhyming kids’ books.

In Mole Music, lonely Mole teaches himself the violin and dreams of someday playing for people. Unbeknownst to him, those who live above his tunnels hear his music as it vibrates up through the roots of a tree. His music calms those who listen, even causing armies on horseback to stop and embrace each other. A gentle, soothing story about the power of music and dedication.

Financing Adoption

Karen at Blogging Baby has pointed out an article on financing adoption, courtesy of Adoptive Families magazine. It’s a long list of ideas, from people who’ve actually used them: pinching pennies, refinancing one’s home, taking a loan from one’s 401k, and even selling items on eBay. If you’re looking to adopt (or need to pay lawyers to otherwise secure your parental rights), this is a great resource.