Baby Development TV Can Impair Speech Development in Young Children
| Baby Health St. Josephs University Study Finds Parental Presence at Bedtime may Result in Sleep Difficulties By Colleen Hurley, RD, Certified Kids Nutrition SpecialistTo avoid stumbling down the hall half asleep in the middle of night, many parents keep new babies in their bedrooms to sleep during the first few months of life. Some parents even allow their infants to sleep in bed with them to provide a midnight feeding and let them drift of to sleep without having to move them. A recent study found this practice may be disruptive to an infants sleep. According to the St. Josephs University in Philadelphia study, parental presence at bedtime has a negative impact on infant sleep; even more so than co-sleeping. The study examined data from the parents of 29,287 toddlers and infants from Canada, Australia, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, United States, Hong Kong, India, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom, and Vietnam. Lead researcher Jodi A. Mindell, PhD explains that previous studies of parents sharing a bed with their baby were associated with sleep problems including more night wake-ups. Mindell states: It is likely that it is not the bed sharing or room sharing per se that leads to increased sleep issues rather, most young children who sleep in a separate room fall asleep independently of their parents. These children are able to return to sleep on their own when they naturally awaken during the night, and thus have fewer sleep problems. Children who sleep in the same room as their parents usually have a parent helping them to fall asleep at bedtime, and will need that help again throughout the night. Parents completed an extensive sleep questionnaire and co-sleeping was defined as sharing a bed, room sharing in a separate bed, or sleeping in another room. The results revealed that children who slept in a separate room got more sleep, awoke less frequently in the night, fell asleep faster, had less difficulty at bedtimes, and were perceived as having fewer problems. The clinically significant differences were mainly found in predominantly Caucasian countries, where 11.8% of parents reported bedsharing and 22% reported sharing a room. Predominantly Asian countries reported much larger rates of co-sleeping with 64.7% and 86.5% respectively. Study authors were surprised to find that in countries of predominate Asian descent; most parents were present at their childs bedtime. |
| Baby Development TV Can Impair Speech Development in Young Children By Colleen Hurley, RD, Certified Kids Nutrition SpecialistSeveral months ago, reports surfaced stating that even the background noise of the TV being on, even if in another room, disrupted a young childs ability to concentrate. Very little was discussed in previous studies as to how TV affects parent child interaction, until now. A new study found this communication is so diminished it can lead to speech impairments in children. Published in this months issue of Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, the study found that when the TV is on, parents and children literally stop speaking to each other even if sitting in the same room. Specifically, parents spoke 770 less words per hour while in front of the TV, while the average adults speaks about 941 words an hour.It wasnt just the parents who fell silent, as children vocalized much less as well. This may explain results found in previous studies that babies who watch a lot of TV know fewer words. The study fitted 329 children aged two months to four years with business card sized digital devices for about 6 months. These devices included a speech recognition program that could differentiate human voices from TV content and counted the number of words spoken when the TV was on. The study shows that even though a parent and child feel as though they might be interacting with the TV on, quite the opposite is true. In certain cases, note researchers, parents simply zoned on while watching TV and others left the room while their child was perched in front of the television.This is the seventh study to suggest TV can impair a childs language development, yet clear results are yet to be found. In fact, some recent studies have found that TV neither helped nor harmed language acquisition. One thing is known, as the study authors point out, that TV watching is not helpful to a child as some popular baby videos might suggest. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no TV watching for babies under two years of age while older children should be limited to less than two hours per day. |
| Recall of Little Builder Childrens Board Book Sets with Toys (US) Little Builder Childrens Board Book Sets with Toys are being recalled because the tailgate on the toy dump truck - and the cylinder on the toy concrete mixer - can come off, posing a choking hazard to young children.The products involved are Little Builder. |
| Prenatal Testing Techniques- Aminocentesis, Sonography, Fetoscopy, Chronic Virus Sampling Modern technology has enabled medical practitioners to detect health defects in a fetus as early as the 14th to 18th weeks of pregnancy. One common testing procedure, amniocentesis, which is strongly recommended for women over the age of 35, involves inserting a long needle through the mother’s abdominal and uterine walls into the amniotic sac, [.] |
| This Blog is Moving - Visit Our New Blog Our new blog is now up and running!We’re really excited about the change because - as you’ll see - our new blog has LOTS of features that were missing from this one!Let’s not spend any more time here. instead, head on over to the new Homemade Baby Food Recipes. |
| Child Development ABC Reports Mattel Fined $2.3 Million for Toy Hazards By Colleen Hurley, RD, Certified Kids Nutrition SpecialistJust when parents thought toy shopping got a little safer. Over the past year, great strides have been made in keeping harmful chemicals out of the hands of children, including providing the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) with additional funds to crack down on safety violations. The CPSC is apparently working more efficiently as they recently reported Mattel knowingly ignored safety standards.Toymakers Mattel Inc. and its Fischer Price subsidiary will be paying a $2.3 million civil penalty for selling and importing toys containing excessive amounts of lead. It wasnt a new regulation Mattel violated, but a 30 year old federal ban on lead paint in toys and, as the CPSC announced, did so knowingly. The toy company denies purposefully violating the ban, yet this is not their first time in the hot seat. During the 2007 holiday shopping season, Fisher-Price and Mattel were among many other toymakers who had millions of China-made toys pulled from shelves.This is first fine for the commission, who hopes this will serve as a notice to other toymakers that the CSPC is committed to child safety. The 2007 toy recalls were highly publicized, which the commission feels helped spawn congressional legislative action. One big change that arrived last summer, the Consumer Product Safety Act, restricts lead amounts in childrens products. We were able to effectively minimize any potential concerns by launching a fast-track recall of the affected product in conjunction with the CPSC and other global regulatory agencies, and by taking several steps to enhance our product compliance protocols and procedures to confirm that every Mattel toy is safe for children to enjoy ; Mattel responded to the CPSC announcement. Lead poisoning is a serious matter for children as it can lead to delayed physical and mental development, learning deficiencies, and neurological damage. |
| Baby Health American academy of Pediatric Dentistry Releases New Perinatal and Infant Oral Health Guidelines By Colleen Hurley, RD, Certified Kids Nutrition SpecialistMost expecting women are aware that a healthy diet during pregnancy can positively influence the babys health. One fact some mothers might not know is that oral health can impact an unborn baby as well. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) recently announced new perinatal oral health guidelines for expecting women and their babies.The AAPD recently met for their annual meeting and arrived upon a new set of guidelines for expecting women urging women to seek oral healthcare during pregnancy. In addition, infants are encouraged to obtain an oral health risk assessment by their first birthday. Both preventative measures can contribute to optimal oral health for mother and baby. Recent studies have found an association between periodontal disease and increased risk of preterm birth as well as low birth weights. The findings suggested that including periodontal care during pregnancy may improve pregnancy outcomes and should be included as a routine component of prenatal care. Unfortunately, many pregnant women are unaware of the health implications of poor oral health and may enter into delivery in suboptimal condition. Mothers with poor oral health may be at higher risk of infecting their newborns with cavity causing bacteria; which in turn sets the baby up for high risk of cavities. The new guidelines also address proper oral care for infants and children while encouraging health care professionals to discuss proper oral health with their patients. Key components of the new guidelines include:Oral hygiene: proper brushing and flossing on a daily basis to reduce bacterial plaque which has been linked to both preterm and low birth weight babiesDiet: dietary education including how foods and beverages may affect oral healthOral health education: early intervention and counseling during pregnancyFluoride: use of an AAPD approved fluoridated toothpaste along with nightly rinse with an alcohol free .05% fluoride mouthwash.Xylitol gum: studies have suggested that mothers chewing about 4 pieces of xylitol gum each day can decrease a childs risk of cavitiesDelay of colonization: educating parents on sharing food, cups, or utensils to decrease the passing of cavity causing bacteria |
| Three New Toy Recalls (US) If you have older children at home, then there are three new recalls of toys that you need to be aware of.The first involves Fake ‘Hillbilly’ teeth, which are high in lead. Considering that these are designed to be placed in the mouth, this recall is particularly. |
| New Approaches for GBS disease currently, researchers are investigating two other approaches: the development of a vaccine against group B strep and the development of a rapid, easily available, and accurate screening test that could be performed in labor with immediate results. A screening test would identify the women who carry GBS at the time of delivery and reduce the [.] |