occupational therapist & child development specialist
Does your baby hate tummy time? With time and a few simple techniques, any infant can learn to tolerate tummy time. My website www.TummyTimeTips.com provides tips on how to introduce tummy time and increase an infant’s tolerance without making parents’ and baby’s life miserable. To visit the site, just click HERE!
Congrats to Viorletta for winning the AAP Autism Book!
Autism Spectrum Disorder: What Every Parent Should Know is a new resource published by the American Academy of Pediatrics that provides information on the most current types of behavioral and developmental therapies for Autism Spectrum Disorder. 
Here are several facts taken directly from the book:
-Recent research suggests that one child in every 88 will be diagnosed with autism.
-Studies suggest that mothers with gestational diabetes are more likely to have babies with ASD.
-Based on 29 studies since 1999, scientists report no evidence that the MMR vaccine causes autism.
-Between 25 to 30% of children who develop autism appear to be developing normally, then regress, losing many or all of their language and social skills.
-Early signs of ASD are not pointing to draw attention and limited social interaction.
-Early intervention and treatment leads to better outcomes for individuals with ASD.
For a chance to win future books and prizes, all you have to do is “like” my Facebook page and sign up for my newsletter. You will be entered in the next drawing! Good Luck!!!
Early exposure to reading can increase a child’s chances of future academic success. Reading experience, as well as exposure to rich conversations, help improve a child’s vocabulary and ability to communicate.
This is not good news for children who live in poverty. Research has found that there are a dozen or more books per child in neighborhoods with average incomes; however, in poor neighborhoods you will only find one book for every three hundred children. Additionally, there is significantly less conversation between these parents and their children. These issues lead to limited exposure to reading for children living and poverty.
What does this mean? By the time they are school age, these children have 25% of the vocabulary than children from middle-income neighborhoods, which puts them below the national norms with language and pre-reading skills.
Many organizations in the United State are working to decrease this gap, by making books available to those who cannot afford them. They are working to increase the access of low-income families to books. For more information, visit their websites.
Do you have a baby on the way? Are you a new mother? Have you heard that breastfeeding makes your baby smarter? Certain studies have indicated that breastfed babies eventually do better on cognitive tests and make higher grades in school than non-breastfed infants. However, the research supporting breastfeeding is even stronger regarding the following issues. Breastfed babies have a lower incidence of middle ear infections, a reduced risk of asthma, and a reduced risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
Try to breastfeed for at least six months, and if possible, a full year. The longer your infant gets the nutritional value of your breast milk, the better.
It’s not just your little one that benefits. Nursing strengthens the bond between you and your infant, and you may find that it reduces your stress levels. Research has revealed that medical bills are less for breastfed babies compared to formula fed babies. Of course, everyone wants a healthier infant, and for a working mother, this means fewer sick days.
Critical brain development occurs during the first three years of life and nursing your infant gives your baby a wonderful start.
As a parent, do you dread tummy time? Does your baby cry every time you position her on her belly? Thankfully, with time and a few simple techniques, any infant can learn to tolerate tummy time. I have a website that shares a number of tips on how to introduce tummy time and increase an infant’s tolerance without making parents’ and baby’s life miserable.
Tummy time that is provided on a daily basis leads to the mastery of important motor milestones, such as rolling over, pulling up, and crawling. Also, infants who aren’t exposed to tummy time are at risk for motor skill delays and developing flat spots on the head. So click HERE to visit Tummy Time Tips, and be sure to check out the video!
A recent research study reveals significant differences in brain development in high-risk infants who are eventually diagnosed with autism- the differences are present as early as 6-months of age. The study published in The American Journal of Psychiatry reports that even before the symptoms of autism are present, differences in brain development can be detected through brain scans.
These findings can be important for early diagnosis, and early diagnosis can lead to early intervention, which is key in the treatment of autism. The earlier treatment is initiated, the more progress is typically made in many skill areas.
The study followed 92 infants from 6 months up to two years of age. The infants were considered high-risk because they had an older sibling diagnosed with autism. By age two, 30% of the infants involved in the study were diagnosed with autism.
Autism is a term that describes a group of complex developmental brain disorders known as Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD). Parents and professionals refer to these diagnoses as Autism Spectrum Disorders. Recent research suggests that one child in every 88 will be diagnosed with autism, with the diagnosis being 3 to 4 times more common in boys than girls.
Resource: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/247179.php
How can a parent know if their 3 or 4 year old has an attention problem? Is it possible to recognize Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) before a child starts to grade school? Dr. Mark Mahone, director of the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Maryland says yes. He feels that it is important to identify ADHD as early as possible because of the impact that it has on a child’s academic performance in school. Interestingly, warning signs of this disorder frequently appear in preschool, around age 4. By school age, the Centers for Disease Control reports that one in 11 school children have been diagnosed with ADHD.
The following early signs are associated with ADHD.
Of course, any time a parent has concerns related to their child’s development, they should consult with their pediatrician.
Source: Psychology Today
A recent study reveals slight residues of drugs given to livestock can be found in milk powder and meat-based baby food. A new method recently developed by researchers in Spain is able to detect these tiny residues in a very precise manner. The drugs, antibiotics given to livestock to prevent illness, are remaining in the systems of the animals in very low quantities, but still enough to be detected later in food. According to Antonia Garrido, a professor of analytical chemistry, the concentrations are low and not worrisome, but the presence of the medication reveals the need to control the products to assure safe food.
According to a study published in the Food Chemistry journal, trace amounts of anti-worm fungicides have also been detected in milk-powder and baby food, especially poultry-based baby food. The European Commission regulates the levels of these substances in cereal foods for the young, but not with animal based foods, but that may soon change.
Source: M.M. Aguilera-Luiz, J.L. Martínez Vidal, R. Romero-González, A. Garrido Frenich. Multiclass method for fast determination of veterinary drug residues in baby food by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Food Chemistry, 2012; 132 (4): 2171
A study to be published in the June 2012 edition of Pediatrics, the official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, reports an increase in the number of injuries related to the use of baby bottles, pacifiers, and sippy cups in children younger than age three. Baby bottles accounted for the highest number of injuries, then pacifiers, and sippy cups, with the injuries occurring to the mouth, head, face or neck.
The researchers reported that the majority of injuries occurred due to falls while holding the product, suggesting that the children may have been walking or running at the time of the accident. The logical solution is to require children to stay seated while drinking from a baby bottle or sippy cup, or when using a pacifier.
Here are several more tips for keeping your baby safe:
• Supervise your child at all times
• Floors should remain free of toys and items that can be tripped over
• Always use a securely fitted safety harness in a highchair or bouncer seat
• Never leave your baby unattended on a raised surface
• Never place a baby bouncers on a raised surface
• The use of baby-walkers and table-mounted high chairs is not recommended
April is Autism Awareness Month, a time to pay close attention to the research related to this growing diagnosis. According to preliminary findings from researchers at the U.S. autism Surveillance program of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, women who smoke while pregnant may have an increased risk of having a child with high-functioning autism. It is important to note that these findings were preliminary.
This study was published in the April 25th edition of the Environmental Health Perspecives Journal, and it suggested that there might be an association between smoking during pregnancy and some types of autism, including Asperger’s Disorder. The researchers stressed that further study is needed to confirm the results. Recently data from the Center for Disease Control indicates that 1 in 88 children has an autism spectrum disorder.
Unfortunately, a large percentage of women continue to smoke during pregnancy, despite serious health risks to the mother and baby, including respiratory problems, miscarriage, premature delivery, and sudden infant death syndrome. If you are pregnant and smoke, please find support to help you kick the habit. It is best for your baby’s health as well as your own.
