What Parents Need to Know Now

Part 1

 “A baby is born with a need to be loved – and never outgrows it”                                                       ~Frank A. Clark

I just read a new research study and cannot wait to share it with EVERYONE!  It is thrilling to me every time we have additional scientific research demonstrating how important love and nurturing is to the brain….. and how important those early months after birth are!     

Those of you that know me or follow my work already know the intense passion I have for making early brain development common knowledge.  And it continues to baffle me why this is not yet information that every parent, grandparent, educator, medical professional, social worker, community leader, policy maker, business leader, and voter knows! Every adult needs to know the impact the experiences in the early years has on the developing brain.  Science has been demonstrating this to us for years.  Now economists are revealing how cost beneficial it is for us to know this—and to do something about it!

The primary focus of the awareness I want to create is the understanding of the dramatic and impactful difference loving a baby makes on the physical development of the brain.  This research clearly shows the powerful influence that results from positive early care giving experiences.

Hot dogs, popcorn, gum, candy, marshmallows—These may seem like fun delicious foods to most people, but to young children under the age of 3 they are potential choking hazards that can even lead to death. These foods are about the size of a young child’s airway and can cause a blockage which can be fatal if the child can’t breathe.

Choking from food, coins or small toys is a leading cause of death and disability in children 3 years or younger. The American Academy of Pediatrics released a policy statement this month on the prevention of choking among children. They recommend that food manufacturers should design foods to avoid choking risks in young children. They also recommend routine choking-prevention counseling to parents of young children.

Children are at increased risk from choking because of several factors.

Myopia, or nearsightedness, a vision condition in which close objects are seen clearly, but objects farther away appear blurred, is extremely prevalent in our society and appears to be on the rise. A recent article estimated the prevalence of myopia in people aged 12 to 54 increased from 25 percent in the years in the early 1970s,  to 41.6 percent in the years 1999 to 2004.

Now, a new study suggests that treating myopia early with bifocal lenses—glasses that use two corrective powers in each lens–instead of single-vision lenses may slow progression of the eye condition in children.

Many factors are felt to contribute to myopia, most important being genetic factors.  Children who are myopic generally have parents who are myopic.However, environmental factors are possible contributors and attempts are being made to alter these to slow the progression of myopia.

One consideration is if computers or reading are causes of the increased incidence of myopia. As a possible explanation for this, we consider if prolonged focus (accommodation) changes the length of the eye.  This theory serves as the basis for a recent study published in Archives of Ophthalmology.

The study recruited Chinese-Canadian children from age 8 to 13 with mild to moderate myopia. The patients were selected if they had evidence of a mild increase in myopia during the year prior to enrollment.

The children were randomized to one of three treatment groups: single vision lenses (standard treatment), or to one of two types of bifocal lenses. Adding a bifocal to their myopic correction theoretically decreases the amount of focusing necessary to see clearly up close.

The Age of Computers and Television has also become the Age of the Couch Potato. Instead of running outside to play, our kids choose to sit down and text. This decrease in activity level is contributing to the current child obesity epidemic. One third of all children in the United States are overweight or obese and at risk for medical illness because of their weight. Is your child part of that group? If so, insufficient exercise could be partly to blame. 

A new study from the British Heart Foundation revealed that the vast majority of parents overestimate the amount of time their kids exercise. According to this study, seven out of ten parents think their kids get enough exercise but only one in ten actually meets current recommendations. Most parents don’t even know what the current recommendations are! The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends one hour of exercise almost every day of the week. Few children get even half that amount. 

And many people confuse “physical activity” with “exercise”. True exercise requires an increase in heart rate and the inability to speak in full sentences. Your child is not working hard enough if she can carry on a conversation while she is moving. The next time your child is exercising, try this “talk test”. Ask her a question and see how she answers it. If she responds fluidly without any huffing and puffing, ask her to turn the intensity of her exercise up a notch. You can be sure your child is really exercising is she takes deep breaths between words.