Top 20 Places to Take Kids in the Houston Area (2013)

1.   Children’s Museum of Houston:  Oh, the wonders of a Children’s Museum! Their Thursday Free Family Nights, Family Adventures, and special educator membership make it affordable for all. Special events allow everyone to participate, including: MLK Kids Peace Rally, Sensory-Friendly Events, Young Inventors Showcase and Family Literacy Program. 

2.    Houston Zoo: One of Texas’ best zoos is right here in Houston.& Get your animal groove on

3.    7-Acre Wood: Come play in a 7 1/2 acre old-fashioned Family Fun Park! Visit the petting zoo, mini golf course, western play town, play fort, huge playground, gigantic sandbox, zip line, sand volleyball, horseshoes and much more. Healthy family fun that kids love!

4.    Oil Ranch: 56 Acres of fun and education. Petting zoo, Train, Hayride, Miniature Golf, Pony Rides, 5 Playgrounds, Sports Fields, Basketball Court, and Paintball. 30 miles Northwest of Houston. Open Thursday-Friday 10am-3PM & Saturday 10am-5pm Spend the whole day petting animals, playing at the pool, or mining for gemstones with your family and friends. .

5.    P-6 Farms - Montgomery: P-6 Farms is an actual working farm in Montgomery, Texas, specializing in cattle, hay, farm fresh produce, and our annual fall festival. Come "get lost" in 30 acres of Texas Sized Family Fun!

6.    Brazos Bend State Park: 5,000-acre gem 40 miles from downtown Houston, offers a variety of activities for every age: biking, fishing, hiking, birding, camping, star-gazing, and opportunities to learn about Texas’ bountiful natural history via free programs and guided hikes.

7.   Great Play:  Great Play of Sugarland and Great Play of Cypress make it fun for kids ages 6 months to 12 years old to develop motor skills, sports skills, fitness and coordination in their Interactive Arena. Award winning birthday parties too!

8.    Crocodile Encounter: Follow the activities of Houston's largest wildlife show and find out what it's really like to live and work with the nations largest group of Nile crocodiles.


9.    Houston Museum of Natural Science: Explore the far reaches of outer space, roam with the dinosaurs, wander through Africa's Serengeti, and marvel at the world's rarest and most beautiful minerals. Discover all this and much more at one of the nation's most heavily attended museums.

10.    My Gym:  My Gym has two local locations in the Houston Area: My Gym of Katy and My Gym of The Woodlands. Their program and facility were devised to help children 6 weeks thru 13 years of age develop physically, cognitively and emotionally.

11.    Madam Newton Einstein Science Academy for Kids: Madam Newton Einstein Science Academy for Kids is a 3000 sq ft. hands-on science facility. Our goal is to bring hands-on, fun, creative and out of the box experiences to children between the ages of 4 -14 in an effort to create a lifelong curiosity.

12.    The Little Gym: The Little Gym is the worldʼs premier experiential learning and physical development center for kids ages four months through 12 years. The Little Gym of Katy and The Little Gym of Houston - Bellaire provide classes, camps, parents nights out, and birthday parties for the Houston area.

13.    UpStage Theatre: UpStage Theatre is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization and group of talented volunteers dedicated to providing the highest quality, yet affordable and family friendly theatrical experience for both the young and the young at heart.

14.    The Woodlands Children's Museum: Creating opportunities that educate, empower, and

excite children and families through play while inspiring a lifelong sense of wonder and discovery. It is a cooperative learning environment that provides children with multicultural and multi-ethnic experiences.

15.    Houston Center for Contemporary Craft: HCCC advances education about the process, product and history of craft. Visitors view innovative exhibitions, talk with artists-in-residence, create their own craft objects in workshops, and shop for one-of-a-kind gifts in the Asher Gallery.

16.    Downtown Aquarium: That big Ferris wheel enticing you from I-45 and I-10 invites you to experience all the Downtown Aquarium has to offer.   Amusement rides and carnival games thrill alongside aquarium adventures and hands-on encounters with stingrays, crabs, and other invertebrates. Sharing much more than an underwater voyage, the Aquarium boasts incredible rare white tigers which you can experience on your own or during a Sea Safari Camp, a Wild Dreams Overnight, or an Aquarium Birthday Party.

17.    Sugar Land Skeeters Baseball: The Sugar Land Skeeters, led by Manager and former Major League All-Star Gary Gaetti, play at Constellation Field in Sugar Land, Texas. They are the biggest little minor league professional baseball club in America!

18.    Kemah Boardwalk: Getting an all-day pass for the rides and amusements is your best bet at Kemah. There is so much to do and see,  your kids will beg to keep going.  Between the shops, restaurants, aquarium, boat rides, train rides, and roller coasters you'll be wildly entertained.  Add to that special events like the Crawfish & Zydeco Festival, Rock the Dock summer concerts, Miss Kemah Pageant, car shows, Fireworks Fridays, Boo on the Boardwalk and Kid Krazy Mondays, and you'll want to return again and again.

19.    Moody Gardens: The iconic three pyramids are just the tip of the iceberg at Moody Gardens.  The Rainforest Pyramid®, the Aquarium Pyramid®, and the hands-on discovery museum are treasures.  Add to that the 3D and 4D Theaters, Colonel Paddlewheel Boat, Palm Beach and the annual Festival of Lights, you’ve got a multi-day destination that kids of all ages will enjoy.

20.    Discovery Green: Variety is the best word to describe Discovery Green.  From fountains, gardens, and play areas, to classes, workshops, art, and reading places the versatility of the space is phenomenal.  Not to mention the festivals, signature events, and ice skating.  Much of the activities are FREE, and many more are very reasonably priced.  They even welcome your dog!
exploring animal habitats, 4D Experiences, giraffe feedings, Naturally Wild Swap Shop (where you can bring in your found treasures), and Meet the Keeper talks/encounters/feedings every half hour. Their Water Play Park, Sneak Peek tours, Zoo Crew experiences, and Vet for a Day programs provide fun for toddlers to teens.

Water or Coke?

Very interesting indeed! Water or Coke?


I found this list on FB. Yes, I know, Facebook is not the best source for fact finding.
But if only half of these things are true . . . it is very compelling. And, let's face it, we all know that Coke is NOT good for us. We all know that pure water is good for us.

1. I will be testing some of these claims (designated with an *) . . . stay tuned for my results!
2. I have bolded the big "OH MY GOODNESS" info bits!
3. My 2¢ in red.

WATER
1. 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.

2. In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger.

3. Even MILD dehydration will slow down one’s metabolism as much as 30%.

4. One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a University of Washington study. (Yeah, but because the body confuses hunger with fatigue . . . we may still want to eat!)

5. Lack of water, the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.

6. Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers. (Man, I wish they would tell us where, who did the study, and how to find this research!)

7. A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.  (Hmmmm, again, where, who, and how to find this research!)
 
8. Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.

And now for the properties of COKE.

1. In many states (in the USA) the highway patrol carries two gallons of Coke in the truck to remove blood from the highway after a car accident. (* checking this out with some policemen I know)

2. You can put a T-bone steak in a bowl of coke and it will be gone in two days. *

3. To clean a toilet: Pour a can of Coca-Cola into the toilet bowl and let the “real thing” sit for one hour, then flush clean. The citric acid in Coke removes stains from vitreous china.

4. To remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers: Rub the bumper with a rumpled-up piece of aluminum foil dipped in Coca-Cola.

5. To clean corrosion from car battery terminals: Pour a can of Coca-Cola over the terminals to bubble away the corrosion. (* . . . kind of afraid to try. Will run this by my mechanic first)

6. To loosen a rusted bolt: Applying a cloth soaked in Coca-Cola to the rusted bolt for several minutes.

7. To bake a moist ham: Empty a can of Coca-Cola into the baking pan, wrap the ham in aluminum foil, and bake. Thirty minutes before the ham is finished, remove the foil, allowing the drippings to mix with the Coke for a sumptuous brown gravy.  (Now that I have read all of this negative information about coke, why in the world would I want to do this!?)


For Your Info
1. The active ingredient in Coke is phosphoric acid. Its pH is 2.8. (Hey, that is a really ambiguous pronoun! What has a pH of 2.8? Coke? Phosphoric acid? Both?) It will dissolve a nail in about 4 days. (I am sorry, that is such a misleading sentence! What will dissolve a nail in 4 days? Pure phosphoric acid, right?)
Phosphoric acid also leaches calcium from bones and is a major contributor to the rising increase in osteoporosis.

2. To carry Coca-Cola syrup (the concentrate) the commercial truck must use the Hazardous material place cards reserved for Highly corrosive materials. *

3. The distributors of coke have been using it to clean the engines of their trucks for about 20 years!

Now the question is, would you like a glass of water or coke?

Soaking (and Sprouting) Raw Almonds

Almonds are an uber-healthful, filling snack, jammed packed with real protein, fiber, and omega-3 and -6 fatty acids. Lots of raw food enthusiast always tell others how important almonds are to a balanced diet, but it is harder to get them to expound on why soaking almonds can unlock more health benefits, making them easier to digest. 

Soaking all tree nuts — especially almonds, since they aren’t botanically a tree nut but a seed — keeps you healthy by elevating the vitamins and nutrients your body absorbs from the food, creating a straightforward and efficient process to unlock the treasures inside this healthy seed.

Digestion

Raw almonds have tannic acid and an enzyme inhibitor in their brown skin that protects the nut until the proper levels of sunlight and moisture allow it to germinate. Since the nut does not release its enzymes until those conditions have been reached, eating almonds without removing the inhibitor limits the nutrients your body can absorb and makes the almond difficult to digest.

By soaking almonds, you provide the moisture that makes the almond shed its skin and release its enzymes. The process works with most nuts and seeds.

Texture

Soaking almonds also changes the texture of the nut and makes it easier to chew. As the almond absorbs water, it becomes softer and less stiff. This is of particular benefit to young children and seniors who should avoid hard, difficult-to-chew foods. Softer almonds are easier to digest, which increases the amount of nutrients your body can absorb from the nut. If you use almonds in recipes such as raw pies, cookies, or meat, soaking almonds provides a way of maintaining the integrity of your raw creations and tasting flavorful and divine.

Soaking Instructions

To soak almonds, place your raw almonds in a glass or BPA-free bowl and add purified water. Purchase raw, organic almonds if possible. After placing the almonds in a large bowl, cover them with 2 cups of water per 1/2 cup of almonds. Soak the almonds overnight, then drain and store them in the refrigerator using plastic bags or jars. Almonds will remain fresh for up to a week after soaking with proper storage.

The Importance of  Sprouting

The benefits of almonds can be unlocked further by taking soaking to the next level and actually sprouting your nuts. Sprouted almonds are softer, moister, and sweeter as well as being easier to digest. Sprouting almonds is also the only way to release lipase, an enzyme which digests fat.

Almonds are good sources of monounsaturated fatty acids. The heart-healthy monounsaturated fat are very satiating, resulting in a feeling of fullness and thus preventing individuals from overeating.

To sprout almonds, soak your almonds overnight for 10 to 12 hours, rinse, and place them in glass jar with a lid in the refrigerator. It generally takes between one and three days for the almonds to sprout and you can expect a 1/8-inch sprout to grow.



Thank you to Shane Roberts  for this article

Symptoms You Must Not Ignore in Children

The wait-and-see approach is fine for some kids' health problems. But not these.

By Kristyn Kusek Lewis  via Shine.Yahoo.com

When you become a parent, you earn a medical merit badge of sorts. Whether you're sopping up a goopy nose or extracting a dangling-by-a-thread baby tooth, eventually few things faze you. But sometimes it's tough to tell what warrants a call to your doctor's office: Which temperature actually classifies as a "high fever"? What kind of tummy ache means your child has more than your average stomach bug? And when something truly frightening happens -- say, your child suddenly breaks out in hives -- should you call your pediatrician or head straight to the E.R.?

"Parents should always err on the side of caution and seek immediate medical care when they're worried about something," says Anita Chandra-Puri, M.D., a pediatrician at Northwestern Memorial Physicians Group, in Chicago, and a spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics. However, to give you more specific guidelines to follow, we talked to top pediatricians about the 12 symptoms that always require medical attention.

Symptom #1: A fever that's 100.4°F or higher in a baby younger than 3 months; higher than 101°F in a baby 3 to 6 months; or higher than 103°F in a child 6 months to 2 years
Pediatricians stress that when fever strikes, the number on the thermometer isn't as important as your child's disposition. The one big exception: infants under 3 months old, who need immediate medical care if fever rises to 100.4°F. "If their fever is caused by a bacterial infection like a urinary-tract infection, it could quickly spread through the body," says pediatrician and Parents advisor Jennifer Shu, M.D., coauthor of Heading Home With Your Newborn: From Birth to Reality. "It's usually just a common virus causing the symptoms, but we have to check it out to be sure." It's important to call your doctor right away; if it's after office hours, be on the safe side and head straight to the E.R. In kids older than 2, fevers aren't urgent as long as your child appears to be well hydrated and acting normal. Call your pediatrician for guidance.

Symptom #2: A fever that doesn't go down with treatment, or that lasts more than five days
If you've given your child a fever reducer like acetaminophen or ibuprofen and the number on the thermometer doesn't budge within four to six hours, call your pediatrician. This is a sign that the infection may be too strong for the body to fight off, and your doctor may want to do a thorough examination to determine the cause. A fever caused by a common virus like cold or flu typically goes away within five days. One that hangs on longer -- even when it's low-grade (100.4°F) -- may be caused by an infection like bacterial pneumonia, which requires antibiotic treatment, explains Alanna Levine, M.D., a pediatrician at Orangetown Pediatrics, in Tappan, New York.

Symptom #3: A fever that's accompanied by a stiff neck or headache or a rash that's either bruise-like or looks like tiny red dots
Call your doctor -- these can be signs of meningitis and need immediate attention.

Symptom #4: A rash that resembles a bull's-eye or consists of tiny red dots that don't disappear when you press the skin, or excessive bruising
A ring-shaped rash with a pale spot in the center can signify Lyme disease. Get help right away if you see pinpoint-size spots under the skin, which can signal many serious conditions. Any inexplicable, widespread bruising may be a sign of a possible blood disorder. In addition, a splotchy rash, often a little raised, may be a sign of an allergic reaction. If your child also has difficulty breathing or is agitated or lethargic, she should be checked immediately by a doctor.

Symptom #5: A mole that's new or changing
Keep tabs on your child's moles, especially any that she's had since birth, because those have a higher risk of becoming malignant, says Parents advisor Ari Brown, M.D., a pediatrician in Austin and author of Baby 411. Do a monthly skin check during bathtime. Alert your doctor if you notice a mole that's irregularly shaped, has ragged borders, is not all one color, or is raised. All of these are signs of a potential skin cancer.

Symptom #6: Stomach pain that's on the lower right side, or that's sudden and crampy and comes and goes
If your child has pain on the lower right side, ask him to jump up and down -- if it's excruciating for him to do so, it can be a sign of appendicitis. Although the appendix is on the lower right side of the abdomen, the pain caused by appendicitis can start around the belly button and migrate to the right. "With a normal stomach virus, there's typically fever, then vomiting, then stomachache and diarrhea," says Dr. Brown. "With appendicitis, it's sometimes diarrhea, then abdominal pain, then vomiting, then pain, then fever." If you notice these symptoms, call your doctor -- appendicitis progresses quickly and it's most effectively treated when caught early.

Symptom #7: A headache that occurs in the early morning or wakes her up in the middle of the night, or that's accompanied by vomiting
These could be signs of a migraine. Your doctor can determine the appropriate treatment. Migraines in kids are not dangerous, and tend to run in families. However, morning and middle-of-the-night headaches can also be a signal of something more serious, and that's why you want to see a doctor right away.

Symptom #8: Dry mouth and lips, decreased urination, a flat fontanelle (in an infant), dry skin or skin that stays bunched when you pinch it, or excessive vomiting or diarrhea
These signs are all associated with dehydration and need to be treated fast because dehydration can lead to shock. Call 911 or get to the hospital if you think your child is nearing this stage. Otherwise, call your doc and try to get more fluid into your child.

Symptom #9: Blueness or discoloration around the mouth; labored breathing where you can see your child sucking in his chest and abdomen; or panting, grunting, or a whistling sound when breathing
"Breathing problems are more worrisome when the sounds come from the chest and lungs, not the nose," says Dr. Shu. Critical breathing issues are often due to choking, an allergic reaction, an asthma attack (which can occur in kids as young as a few months old), pneumonia, whooping cough, or croup. Seek help right away or call 911. If it's not obvious that your child is having serious trouble, check his respiratory rate. Count each breath taken in for 30 seconds and then multiply by two. A normal rate is less than 60 for newborns; less than 40 for babies under 1 year; less than 30 for 1- to 3-year-olds; and less than 24 for 4- to 10-year-olds.

Symptom #10: Swollen tongue, lips, or eyes, especially when accompanied by vomiting or itchiness
These often signal a serious allergic reaction (anaphylaxis). Symptoms may include swelling, breathing problems, and severe hives and need immediate attention. Call 911 and, if possible, give your child a shot from an EpiPen or a dose of an antihistamine like Benadryl in the meantime. For less severe reactions, call your doctor and ask about giving an antihistamine to quell symptoms.

Symptom #11: A fall when your child is less than 6 months old, or has obvious neurological changes like confusion or loss of consciousness, or that causes vomiting and/or any damage to the body, such as broken bones
These emergency situations must be addressed by a doctor -- so head to the nearest medical facility. Falls are generally not problematic in kids older than 6 months if they only fall the distance of their height and don't land on anything hard or sharp.

Symptom #12: A cut that gapes open widely enough that you could stick a cotton swab in it, or that doesn't stop bleeding within a few minutes of applied pressure
These are signs that your child needs medical attention (and perhaps stitches, skin glue, a butterfly bandage, or staples). Depending on the severity of the injury, your next step should be to either call 911, go to the E.R., or call your pediatrician. You should also always see your doctor if an animal bites your child or if another child bites your child and breaks the skin.

The Very Serious Dangers of Baby Oil (Yes, Really!)

It smells nice and it's soothing for baby. But who would think such an old-time product, a nursery staple, could injure and kill?

Baby oil, along with other common household oils for massage, hair, and bath, essential oils, eucalyptus and camphor oils, are responsible for a disturbingly large amount of reported ingestion accidents to young children.

Toxicologist Dr Naren Gunja from NSW Poisons Information Center at Westmead Hospital in Australia says most parents don't realize the danger.

"Once the child has ingested it depending on how much they ingest then it could be too late. Over a period of time, the child can die," says Dr Gunja.

"It is a gradual process that can take several days, two weeks to die."

Mums Gabby and Soraya say the drama started when their kids, Natalia, 4, and Gabriel, 3, were playing together. They discovered the two splashing baby oil over them and they'd drunk some.
Soon, both kids were having difficulty breathing. Natalia was also vomiting, Daniel had a rash. An ambulance rushed them to hospital - the doctors' warnings were grim.

"He listened to his lungs for quite a while and he said 'he looks ok' and - this was just horrible - he said 'look, there's nothing we can do, this is something that if your child has done this, and it's in his lungs there is nothing that we can do'," says Soraya.

When Gabby and Soraya checked the internet for accidents and side-effects they discovered the horrors - in the US, 20 kids a year die from breathing in household oils, 5 deaths are from baby oil. In total, around 80,000 household oil ingestion accidents are reported to the US Poisons Center yearly.
"The death the child goes through is absolutely horrific, the latest boy to die in America was Jayden Bryson, 18 months old, it took him 28 days to die, he suffocated to death," explains Soraya.

Why so toxic? Look at the ingredients and you see baby oil, sunscreen oil, bath, body and massage oils, make-up removers, nail enamel dryers, eucalyptus, camphor and clove oils - are all made from mineral oil, a petroleum ingredient from crude oil.

Mineral oils contain hydrocarbons, a real danger to the stomach and especially the lungs - which can stop working.

"A mouthful of baby oil ingested by a child is enough to cause the child to vomit and if they breath that into their lungs that is enough to cause lung inflammation . . . .  if enough of that happens it could lead to death," says Dr Gunja.

Mineral oils are also used for cleaning, as industrial and mechanical lubricants, in cosmetics and even pesticides. And, apart from they've been blamed for a range of health problems - allegedly acne, premature aging of skin, and other skin disorders, impeding normal cell development and possibly causing vitamin deficiency.

Luckily, Gabriel and Natalia survived their ordeal. Seven years ago the US Consumer Product Safety Commission made child-resistant packaging mandatory for oily liquids containing hydrocarbons - like baby oils, bath, body, hair and massage oils, and sunscreens. So, Johnson and Johnson Baby Oil sold in America has the compulsory child-proof lid. Why not in Australia?

When contacted by the Australian news show, Today Tonight, Johnson and Johnson would not appear on camera.  J&Js email to the show stated that their Baby Oil has been sold in Australia for 48 years and that these reports of accidents were the first they'd received of a potentially serious health issue. Yet, they must be aware it was the accidents and deaths in America that forced them to put child-resistant caps on their oil there.
Johnson & Johnson is, after 48 years, going to change to child resistant caps on all its baby oil products in Australia and worldwide.

Further information:

Hydrocarbons are compounds that are also present in many household products like:

 

          •  Gasoline          •  Kerosene
          •  Lamp oil
          •  Paint thinner
          •  Furniture polish
          •  Lighter fluid
          •  Lubricating oils
          •  Solvents

  If a hydrocarbon gets on your skin, wash well with soap and water; hydrocarbons can cause   burns if left on the skin.

If you swallow a hydrocarbon, wipe out your mouth; hydrocarbons can be an irritant to the stomach, causing nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Do not induce vomiting or give large amounts of fluid.

Call the poison center right away for specific recommendations if you come in contact with a hydrocarbon.

If your child chokes on a hydrocarbon, it can be drawn into the lungs, causing a chemical pneumonia that can be potentially life threatening.

Click here to link to our inhalants page for more information about hydrocarbons and inhalant abuse.

 

 

SOURCES: 

http://au.news.yahoo.com/today-tonight/consumer/article/-/5035273/dangers-baby-oil/ 

http://www.ncpoisoncenter.org/body.cfm?id=122

www.poisonsinfo.nsw.gov.au

Helping Your Child - Vocabulary

Talk to your child constantly. Children learn language and increase their vocabulary in only one way — listening to the people around them. The richer and more abundant the language they hear daily, the more well developed their own language will be. In addition to normal conversation, however, you have dozens of creative and enjoyable ways to increase your child's vocabulary that can also build family bonds and heighten family fun.

Read aloud. Of course, you've been reading aloud to your child since he was born, but try reading books with characters and plots. Take time for discussion and point out new words and concepts to your child.

Show and tell. Whenever you go somewhere, collect something to bring back. Have a show-and-tell time when the family is together. Give your child the floor to tell about his treasure. These special objects need not be expensive or elaborate. The important part is sharing information and experiences.

Talk. Never underestimate the importance of good conversation and information to the development of vocabulary.

Label, label, label. Give your children as much vocabulary as you can. They will probably remember the big words most easily because shorter words with similar letters such as "was" and "saw" and "which" and "when" are confusing. Most preschoolers know all the names of dinosaurs that most adults can barely pronounce. Their minds are like sponges.

Use a variety of words to describe things; don't just use "good" and "nice." Take each new experience you have as an opportunity to learn new words. When you visit the auto shop to get a new muffler, talk about mufflers, tail pipes, exhaust systems, and welding. When you visit the greenhouse to choose new plants for the garden, talk about marigolds, impatiens, zinnias, and geraniums. When you make a new recipe, talk about woks, peanut oil, soy sauce, bean sprouts, water chestnuts, and pea pods.

Article by: Elaine McEwan-Adkins
Source: BabyCenter.com

Delayed Cord Clamping

From: CafeMom.com
An article by: Christie Haskell

Likely, you've heard the phrase "delayed cord clamping" -- it's the idea that all the blood in the placenta and umbilical cord should pump INTO the baby's body before the cord is cut, since it's intended to be the baby's own blood supply. Waiting just 94 seconds ups blood volume and helps prevent anemia in the baby's first year. While the benefits aren't very disputed, sadly, most OBs only wait an average of 17 seconds before clamping the cord.


Dr. Hutchon, a retired and decorated hospital consultant in the UK, invented (along with a team) The Basics Trolley. Basics stands for Bedside Assessment, Stabilisation and Initial Cardiorespiratory Support. This Trolley can save the lives of many babies, and help prevent a lot of temporary or life-long problems ... merely by allowing babies to remain attached by that umbilical cord.

It is set up right next to the mother and has a water heater and built-in resuscitator, so if there is an emergency, the baby can be resuscitated right there -- with the umbilical cord still attached.
Why is this so important? Well, because along with the blood that the baby's body needs, also comes oxygen -- and in a baby who isn't breathing right away, that lack of oxygen if the cord is immediately cut can cause brain damage and sometimes even death.

Hutchon says, “In the first 20 seconds or so one of the reasons the baby is sometimes not breathing is that they are still getting plenty of oxygen from the placenta through the umbilical cord.”
Twenty seconds may not seem like that long, but for a mother waiting for the first cry, or a doctor holding a newborn that isn't breathing, it can seem like an eternity ... especially if the baby is deprived of oxygen. But thanks to Hutchon's invention, that's already being used at multiple UK hospitals, babies will still be receiving oxygen for at least the first critical minute or so.

In fact, evidence is so strong to support delayed cord clamping that the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists recently changed their recommendations to require delayed cord clamping, and Hutchon's trolley will soon be available in all hospitals in the UK.
Now, American ACOG, it's about time you get on board!