Eideard

A New Democrat MP from Quebec is pleased to learn her baby is welcome back in the House of Commons after being asked earlier to remove the infant.

Rookie MP Sana Hassainia gave birth last November to her first child, a son named Skander-Jack in memory of the late Jack Layton.

The 37-year-old — who, like her elected colleagues, is not entitled to go on maternity leave — returned recently to work, but because she is breastfeeding, her husband and baby join her on Parliament Hill.

Hassainia said she was just finishing breastfeeding her son when a vote related to the bill to abolish the long-gun registry was called.

After searching in vain for her husband, she brought the three-month-old baby inside. That was when a page — one of the students who work in the Commons delivering messages to MPs — told her the baby had to go…

“He told me that certain MPs had noted the presence of my baby in the Commons and that it was forbidden and so I had to remove him…”

“I think it was a misunderstanding,” said Hassainia, adding that Commons Speaker Andrew Scheer has reassured her that she can bring Skander-Jack…back in whenever she needs to. She noted other MPs will be able to do the same…

A spokeswoman for Scheer said booting the baby out of the room was never his intention.

“Speaker Scheer had asked a page to go over and ask a group of MPs that were standing around and taking pictures of a member with her baby to please take their seat because the vote was about to start,” Heather Bradley told the Star on Wednesday.

“The vote clock was at zero. It was about to start. Pictures are not allowed to be taken in the chamber, so that was the problem he had. But he also wanted the vote to get started, so it had nothing to do with the baby…”

Still, some MPs called for clarification of the rules on Wednesday to prevent a similar misunderstanding from happening in the future.

Let’s just put it down to undisciplined enthusiasm by the young page. It makes for a humorous memory since, thankfully, it was just a mistake instead of cardboard politicians living by the wrong rulebook.

Infant moose, born on the front lawn, in downtown Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada

Thanks, Cinaedh

Store detectives at Christmas Markets in Austria are being disguised as the baby Jesus in an attempt to catch shoplifters and pick pockets.

In the German speaking world the Christ child is usually played by young women and is also the traditional bringer of Christmas gifts.

Actors have been replaced by the undercover detectives to stop criminals taking advantage of the crowds to steal items from the stalls and shoppers’ bags at the events which are popular tourists attractions.

Church officials have criticised the idea of using staff employed to play the role as the Christ child to also catch thieves.

A spokesman for the city council in Weitra, Austria, which is one of those to employ the Christ child detectives said: “They are in among the crowds all day long and they are perfect for keeping an eye out for petty crooks.”

Har!

A 15-month-old baby girl survived a fall from a seventh-floor apartment in Paris almost unscathed after bouncing off a cafe awning and into the arms of a passer-by…

The infant had been playing unsupervised with her four-year-old sister Monday when she somehow fell out of the window, a spokesman for local city police said.

A young man saw the baby starting to fall and alerted his father, who raced to get into position, arms outstretched, to catch her after she hit the awning, the daily Le Parisien reported…

Police said the girl appeared to have no serious injuries and was under observation in a nearby hospital.

The owner of the cafe, located at the foot of the block of flats in the northeast of Paris, said it was a stroke of luck he had decided to leave the awning open that afternoon…

The police spokesman said the circumstances behind the accident were unclear. “The parents were absent, and it’s a bit difficult questioning the two girls, given their age.”

Wow. That is one very lucky little kid. She probably won’t realize the danger she survived until she’s much older.

Not the same baby — but you get the idea

A man who jumped into a Calgary dumpster to rescue a newborn that had been discovered by another passerby says he later found out the baby boy was his son, he told CBC News on Wednesday…

Police said Wednesday that the mother likely didn’t know she was pregnant and could face criminal charges related to her actions following the birth.

The man who claims to be the father of the baby said he was unaware his girlfriend was even pregnant.

“I pulled into my parking spot and hadn’t even got to the back of my truck and a girl said, ‘I think hear a baby in the dumpster.’ So I, you know — no knowledge at this time that this is my kid whatsoever — I went running over,” he said.

“And I jumped in and I removed the stuff and I personally opened the bag. My first sight of my baby was covered in garbage…”

The man and the woman who first heard the infant called 911, while another passerby used his shirt to keep the child warm.

The baby was taken to hospital and is in stable condition in the neonatal intensive-care unit at Foothills hospital.

RTFA. There’s a bit of detail; but, it will be a few days before anyone truly sorts this strange story.

This is a real hit at our home – not because we have any babies around; but, we have at least one of our dogs who matches this guy note for note.

When Annie Brown’s daughter, Isabel, was a month old, her pediatrician asked Brown and her husband to sit down because he had some bad news to tell them: Isabel carried a gene that put her at risk for cystic fibrosis.

While grateful to have the information — Isabel received further testing and she doesn’t have the disease — the Mankato, Minnesota, couple wondered how the doctor knew about Isabel’s genes in the first place. After all, they’d never consented to genetic testing.

It’s simple, the pediatrician answered: Newborn babies in the United States are routinely screened for a panel of genetic diseases. Since the testing is mandated by the government, it’s often done without the parents’ consent, according to Brad Therrell, director of the National Newborn Screening & Genetics Resource Center.

In many states, such as Florida, where Isabel was born, babies’ DNA is stored indefinitely, according to the resource center.

Many parents don’t realize their baby’s DNA is being stored in a government lab, but sometimes when they find out, as the Browns did, they take action. Parents in Texas, and Minnesota have filed lawsuits, and these parents’ concerns are sparking a new debate about whether it’s appropriate for a baby’s genetic blueprint to be in the government’s possession.

RTFA. Not too long; but, detailed. Gives you a chance to consider the viewpoint of these parents – and others. I beg to differ.

Thanks, Cinaedh

Child welfare officials are investigating the case of a baby who was reportedly rented out to beggars in the southern Indian city of Bangalore…

The nanny reportedly told the parents she would “rent” the baby for 100 rupees ($2) a day to beggars who attract more sympathy with an infant.

She was found out when the mother came home early to find her child missing…

Ms Nayak added that the parents were worried about the stigma that could be attached to the infant if a case were to be pursued by the authorities…

Police say they will track down the “horror nanny” – as she is being described in the local media – if the parents file a complaint…

But he added that it would be difficult to pursue the case without co-operation from the parents. The nanny has been dismissed from their service.

Unconfirmed reports say the child was sedated and dressed in rags. The practice is said to have gone on for several weeks.

Trust no one and cut the cards – or in this case, check the references.

Phew!