Results tagged “babies” from iVillage - Beehive

A Florida mom's habit of diluting her son's formula nearly cost her child his life after the amount of added water resulted in malnutrition and water intoxication. This story spread like wildfire through our iVillage Playgroups and added fuel to arguments on the Breastmilk vs. Formula Debate message board. Many were shocked that this could happen and felt this incident is one sign that families are struggling with tough financial choices:   

"I'm afraid that the as the U.S. economy gets worse, that a lot more people are going to resort to this practice, because food banks and other organizations that help people make ends meet are already reporting that they're stretched beyond reason. Where I live, few women initiate breastfeeding and even fewer sustain it more than a few weeks. As the economy tanks, people will begin to do desperate things. There isn't much support for breastfeeding where I live, and formula feeding is actively encouraged." -- tanjanika

"I just feel sorry for any woman, whether she's poor or not, having to water down formula.  There are a lot of people in our country who don't qualify for WIC, yet are struggling big time to pay for formula.  Babies need food. Period. I think ALL babies should qualify for the food that they need to survive." -- four2008

"Times are tough for everyone. I don't understand how WIC is not enough for them. Maybe these people need to use the food pantry b/c WIC really isn't enough." - netlady

"My heart ached for this woman and her baby when I heard about this. Really, nobody tells you not to do this - and who would think or know that water would be harmful - I didn't know until I read it in one of the baby books. I hope she isn't vilified for it because that would not be kind at all. I really think (am assuming anyway) that it was purely an honest mistake, a case of really not knowing the dangers of water for a baby." -- jpo72

  

Others were, well, a little less forgiving:

"People can blame the economy all they want, but stupidity is stupidity. The directions for use on the formula cans are not 'suggestions' for use, they are directions." -- jenthebrat

Some moms wondered why there weren't other safeguards or educational programs in place for families relying on the WIC program -- and why a pediatrician wouldn't have noticed the child's failure to thrive, even if his mother did not. 

We've talked about wacky names before, but this latest story may top the list of all-time strange names. A couple in New Zealand was recently blocked from naming their new son ... wait for it ... "4real". Yes, 4real, for real. Officials are still in negotiations about the name, but say that names beginning with a number are not allowed. Of course, this case has sparked a lot of reaction on both of our Baby Names message boards, as well as in our playgroups and expecting clubs. Here's what some moms are saying about "4real" and unusual names in general:

From the November 2007 expecting club:

"... why don't some parents spend at least 10 seconds thinking about the impact their self-centered naming choice will have on their child someday? How little did a parent care about their child if they might name them Satan or Adolph Hitler? I'm dumbfounded!"

More opinions from the March 2007 playgroup:

"I DO NOT agree with the government preventing the parents from naming their child whatever they want to. It's really none of their concern."

"I grew up in communism, where parents had to either go with a name that was in the calendar (every day in the calendar has a designated name) or had to ask the appropriate government department for a permission. You can imagine it was pretty boring over there name-wise."

"Who knows, though . . . maybe this is the next trend for the future? Far be it from me to pooh pooh progress! I could very well have a great grandchild named G8r^zzle2f, or something like that. Personally . . . I'd like to hold that off as long as possible."

What do you think of incorporating numbers into names? Is this a unique choice for a child's moniker or an unnecessary burden? Should parents be able to name their kids whatever crazy combo of characters they choose or should there be some limits? Sound off with your opinion on this topic -- and share some of the wild names you've seen over the years!