Or, what's in my browswer tabs:
If You Give A Baby A Protein Shake... Thirty years ago, researchers in Guatemala wanted to test the impact of high nutrition and protein intake on preschool growth and development, so they gave fortified drinks [atole, btw] to two villages twice a day, and cool, refreshing, not-so-fortified drinks to two other villages. Then whoa, they went back in 2002-4 and surveyed the participants. Boys who got the protein between 0-3 were earning an average of 46% more than the others. Girls earn jack in Guatemala, but the protein girls did have an average of 1 year more of education. [Sci Dev has the summary of The Lancet's article., via dt reader dt]
It Puts The Phthalates On Its Baby's Skin A University of Washington study just published in Pediatrics finds a connection between increased phthalate levels in babies and the use of "baby cosmetics," i.e., lotions, shampoos, and oowders. It doesn't seem like a strong connection, though. And since phthalate-linked conditions like penile underdevelopment and undescended testicles only apply to half the population, I don't see what the big deal is. [LATimes via everyone and consumerist]
VW Routan, The Best-Looking Chrysler Minivan Ever Speaking of masculinity-impinging deformities... The badge-engineering project known as the VW Routan will be debuting at the Chicago Auto Show. It's Jetta business in the front, Touareg taillight party in the back, and Chrysler Town & Country everything else in the middle. Jalopnik has the leaked promotional photos. In the comments is a photo of the VW Sharan, the minivan VW hasn't bothered to bring to the US. Stay tuned for a DT correspondent's report from Chicago, by the way.
"Beer gets seatbelt. Child doesn't" Put'em together and what've you got? A guy who straps in a case of beer, but lets mom hold the 16-mo kid in the back--and then refuses a breathalyzer test when he's pulled over. Maybe he was just fed up with the unattractive car seats on the market. [ap/yahoo via dt reader sara]
Well, at least it's a somewhat attractive minivan. By minivan standards. Perhaps at the very least VW will convince other manufacturers to take another look at their 10 year old designs.
"A guy who straps in a case of beer, but lets mom hold the 16-mo kid in the back"
I also assumed it would be a guy, based on the headline, but no...the beer-safety advocate was a woman. A purse-carrying woman (with two crack pipes in her purse).
[aha, missed that. Since it was mom in the backseat. never mind, no dads were harmful in the making of this story, then. -ed.]