Your Family: Jul. 26, 1999

BREAST IS BEST Breast milk not only contains the best nutrition for a newborn. Exclusive breast feeding for three to five months also reduces the risk of a child’s later gaining too much weight, a study last week in the British Medical Journal shows. Children of normal weight tend to stay that way as adults, so prolonged breast feeding may reduce the long-term risks of heart disease and other weight-related ailments.

BE KIND This week People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals launches a campaign to increase public awareness of animal cruelty and its link to other violent behavior in youngsters. The group is supplying teaching kits and videos to more than 100,000 educators as well as 15,000 pediatric and obstetric offices to help adults teach kids the importance of being kind to their pets and other animals. The material shows parents, teachers and doctors how to spot and deal quickly with the troubling early signs of cruelty to animals.

TWO FOR ONE A growing movement in child and eldercare is “co-located” programs, in which small children and frail adults share space and activities. These arrangements, say researchers, help boost the spirits of the elderly, who become more alert after time spent reading to children or even just watching them. The little ones, meanwhile, seem to be less self-absorbed and more caring.

–By Daniel S. Levy