Kiran Chetry Has a Boy

Kiran Chetry, 33, co-anchor of CNN's American Morning, and her husband, CW weather forecaster Chris Knowles, have welcomed a baby boy. Christopher was born on April 17 and weighed 7 pounds. This is the second child for the couple, who also have a daughter, Maya Rose, 2.

March of Dimes Fundraising Walk Still All About Babies

t doesn't matter what you call it, March of Dimes' premier fundraising walk is all about babies. March for Babies will be held the last weekend in April in hundreds of communities nationwide.

This year, several celebrities have given their support to the March of Dimes' work to help moms and babies – those born healthy as well as those who need help to survive and thrive. Tom Bergeron, host of Dancing with the Stars, returns as the 2008 March for Babies national spokesman. Sherri Shepherd, co-host of The View, is the celebrity chairwoman of the Los Angeles March for Babies, while New York Giants Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Eli Manning will serve as the New York City celebrity chairman.

Formerly called WalkAmerica, the 39th annual fundraising walk was renamed to draw a clear connection to what the March of Dimes is all about – stronger, healthier babies. March for Babies participants, nearly a half million in 2007, walk for many reasons; some in memory of a child lost to premature birth, some to spare others the problems they faced, others simply because they believe that the March of Dimes' work in communities nationwide helps give every baby a healthy start in life.

The money raised – which neared $117 million in 2007 – funds lifesaving research and educational programs aimed at helping women in communities across the country have healthy babies.

This year, Bergeron is joined by Shepherd in a playful public service advertisement in which both agree that the name change doesn't change the March of Dimes objective – stronger, healthier babies.

To join March for Babies as an individual, as a corporate, family or friends team, or to donate to help babies be born healthy, visit marchforbabies.org or call toll-free 1-800-525-9255. For the first time, March for Babies participants will be able to distribute personalized sponsor requests with photos through an e-card, which can be downloaded at http://ecards.marchforbabies.org.

Babies and Toddlers Need More Sleep, Less TV

Babies and toddlers who get less than 12 hours of sleep a day have a greater risk of being overweight in preschool, according to a Harvard study in the Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine.

Researchers evaluated reports from mothers on their babies' sleep habits, as well as measurements of the child's weight, height and skin-fold thickness. They combined information collected starting when the child was 6 months of age, and then at 1 and 2 years old. When the child reached 2, mothers were asked about their television viewing habits. They found that of the children who slept 12 hours or more a day, 7 percent were obese by the age of 3. Of the short-sleepers, or those who slept less than 12 hours a day, 12 percent were obese by that age. And 17 percent of the short-sleepers who watched two hours or more of TV a day were obese by age 3.

Children's Feet Grow Fast, So Check Them Often

It's no secret that children's feet grow rapidly. Parents should check their youngster's shoes every few weeks to ensure there is adequate space to expand.

"The wrong shoe size can cause foot problems," says Dr. Philip Wilson, an orthopedic surgeon at UT Southwestern Medical Center. "Parents should check the fit of a child's shoe when the child is standing and pay particular attention to the front of shoes. There should be one-half the length of an adult's thumbnail between the tips of the toes and the front of the shoes."

Dr. Wilson also recommends that shoes be wide enough so they don't cramp the child's toes from side to side. Shoes are unnecessary for infants except in cold weather or if the child has started walking and is on a hazardous surface. "When shoes become necessary, parents should purchase inexpensive, well-ventilated soft shoes with flexible, soft soles," Dr. Wilson says.

Giada De Laurentiis Meets Her Gem

Giada De Laurentiis, 37, host of The Food Network's Everyday Italian and Today show contributor, and her husband, Todd Thompson, 44, have welcomed a baby girl, according to People magazine. Jade Marie, born on March 29, weighed 5 pounds, 13 ounces. She is the couple's first child.

Tracey Gold Has a Boy, No Fooling

Tracey Gold, 38, former star of TV's Growing Pains, and her husband, Roby Marshall, 42, welcomed a baby boy on April 1. Dylan Christopher weighed 8 pounds, 4 ounces and was 21 inches long. This is the couple's fourth child. Dylan joins brothers Sage, 11, Bailey, 8, and Alden Michael, 3.

Exercise May Reduce Risk of Developing Breast Cancer

Exercise not only keeps you fit – it also could reduce your chances of developing breast cancer. Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center speculate that a regular routine of brisk walking, swimming or bicycling may protect against breast cancer by lowering estrogen levels. They believe that estrogen may deactivate genes in breast tissue that suppress breast-cancer development. When estrogen silences these so-called tumor-suppressor genes by a process called methylation, which is reversible, the risk for breast cancer increases.

"So many of the risk factors for breast cancer cannot be modified, such as being a woman, getting older or having a family history," says Dr. Yvonne Coyle, a physician who researches the epidemiology of cancer. "However, physical activity may be a modifiable risk factor allowing for breast cancer risk reduction."

Preemies May Be at Greater Risk of Developing Autism

Twenty-five percent of the toddlers involved in a study published in the journal Pediatrics, who were born prematurely, had signs of autism at an early screening. The study suggests that preemies have an increased risk of developing autism.

Researchers studied 91 children between the ages of 18 months and 2 years, and on average, were born 10 weeks early weighing less than 4 pounds. Autism was suspected in 23 of the infants.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children be screened for autism by 2 years of age.

Parents Leaning Toward More Stylish Baby Nurseries

A recent poll by Harris Interactive for CoCaLo, Inc. (www.cocalo.com) showed that nearly half (47 percent) of current and future parents are trending toward nurseries that are an eclectic extension of their stylish home decor as opposed to having the "baby theme park" look where everything in the nursery decor matches.

With 53 percent of younger, future parents agreeing, this trend has staying power. Current parents are having babies later in life and, at 43 percent, want their nurseries to reflect the investment they've made in their home. This is especially true with new parents necessarily spending more time at home with a newborn or going out less as a reaction to the uncertainties of recession.

A Little Contender Arriving Soon for Laila Ali

Laila Ali, daughter of Muhammad Ali and former contestant on Dancing with the Stars, 30, and her husband, Curtis Conway, 37, former NFL player, are expecting a baby, according to People magazine. Ali, who now co-hosts American Gladiators, and Conway got married in July 2007. This is the first child for Ali and the fourth for Conway. He has twin sons, Cameron and Kelton, 13, and a daughter, Leilani, 9.

Toddlers Affected Most by Secondhand Smoke Exposure

Secondhand smoke in the home appears to induce markers for heart disease as early as the toddler years, researchers reported at the American Heart Association's 48th Annual Conference on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention.

It has long been known that many forms of cardiovascular disease in adults are initiated and progress silently during childhood. Now researchers have found a young child's response to smoke may not just affect the respiratory system, but the cardiovascular system as well.

"This is the first study that looks at the response of a young child's cardiovascular system to secondhand smoke," says Dr. Judith Groner, lead author of the study, pediatrician and ambulatory care physician at Nationwide Children's Hospital and Research Institute in Columbus, Ohio.

The study included 128 children, 2 to 5 years old and adolescents 9 to 14. Researchers found that children ages 2 to 5 absorbed six times more nicotine than children 9 to 14 from the same levels of parental smoking. That exposure resulted in a dramatic increase of markers of inflammation and vascular injury signaling damage to the endothelium, the inner lining of the vessel walls.

Hair samples of children ages 2 to 5 showed this age group had average nicotine levels of 12.68 nanograms per milligram of hair compared to the 9 to 14 year age group, which had 2.57 nanograms per milligram of hair. Toddlers had significantly higher levels of the inflammatory marker soluble intracellular adhesion molecules (ICAM).

"Toddlers in the homes of smokers not only had higher levels of nicotine, but also had higher levels of markers for cardiovascular disease in the blood," says Dr. John Bauer, senior author of the study and director of the Center for Cardiovascular Medicine at Nationwide Children's Hospital and Research Institute in Columbus, Ohio. "The dose of smoke is greater in toddlers than adolescents who are able to move in and out of the home. Toddlers are like a fish in a fishbowl. They are exposed at a higher dose. And it appears that toddlers also are more susceptible to the cardiovascular effects of smoke."

For more information, visit www.americanheart.org.