National Parents Center

Medieval Armor Drained Soldier’s Energy, Study Finds

FRIDAY, July 22 (HealthDay News) — Heavy body armor worn in medieval times may have made soldiers feel safe, but it also forced them to expend twice as much energy as usual, according to a new study.

The steel plate armor of the 15th century, researchers pointed out, typically weighed up to 110 lbs and would have limited a soldier’s performance on the battlefield. As a result, they added, body armor may have played a role in whether or not a battle was won or lost.

“We found that carrying this kind of load spread across the body requires a lot more energy than carrying the same weight in a backpack,” said the study’s lead researcher, Dr.

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Tags: Energy, Energy Study

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Pregnancy and Baking

Baking is something I have not done in a long time. I absolutely love to bake and have been baking pretty regularly since I was eight years old. The only time I have not felt inclined to bake has been during my first trimesters. Of course there have been times when I really want to bake and choose not to given the amount of “empty calories” I tend to eat when I bake; and it is really hard to loose the baby weight with a dozen freshly baked chocolate chip cookies tempting me to indulge. Most recently, I gave up eating sweets of all kinds for lent which was directly followed by morning sickness on Easter day. Needless to say, I had intentionally and nauseatedly sworn off sweets for nearly four months.

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Tags: Baking

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Depression: Not Just for Adults

From a distance, Callie1 appears to be a normal if quiet 5-year-old girl. But when faced with a toy that blows large soap bubblesan activity that makes the vast majority of kindergarteners squeal and leap with delightshe is uninterested in popping the bubbles or taking a turn with the gun herself. When offered dolls or other toys, she is equally unmoved. When groups of children congregate to play, Callie does not join them. Even at home, she is quiet and withdrawn. While Callies mother explains this lack of interest in play as simple shyness, researchers are now discovering that children as young as 3 years of age can meet the clinical criteria for major depressive disorder (MDD). Read full post…

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Vacation Emergencies 101

Before You Leave Home Create an emergency information pack: (use your Baby MEDBASICS pack, a bag or envelope but make sure you pack this in your carry on luggage dont check it)

2. A list of allergies.

3. Phone number for family doctor.

4. Insurance company phone number and insurance identification cards. Call your insurance company to verify their policy for emergencies and doctor visits specific to your particular destination.

5. A few basic childproofing items for the hotel/guest room (outlet plugs, cabinet locks, cord rollers, etc).

2. Carry the emergency info pack you so carefully created before leaving home.

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