Category Archives: development

Rate of Autism Diagnosis On The Rise

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I have worked in early intervention for years. This headline continues to play out in the papers too frequently. Every year the autism rates climb.  Where is the funding for the research? The article quotes 1 in every 54 male is diagnosed on the autistic spectrum? We need to not only raise awareness, but fight for why our children are succumbing to this disease.

In my experience, 99% of the time, it is the parents who have concerns about their child’s development early on. If you see something in your child’s behavior or development, video tape it and show it to your primary care giver. If you are not satisfied, please seek a second opinion. Early intervention is our best treatment, but prevention is what we have to demand.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/30/health/rate-of-autism-diagnoses-has-climbed-study-finds.html?_r=1&hpw#

Positions To Decrease Reflux

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A Tum e Time mom passed this information on reflux along to me.  She found it on kellymom.com

  • Positioning:
    • Reflux is worst when baby lies flat on his back.
    • Many parents have found that carrying baby in a sling or other baby carrier can be helpful.
    • Avoid compressing baby’s abdomen – this can increase reflux and discomfort. Dress baby in loose clothing with loose diaper waistbands; avoid “slumped over” or bent positions; for example, roll baby on his side rather than lifting legs toward tummy for diaper changes.
    • Recent research has compared various positions to determine which is best for babies with reflux. Elevating baby’s head did not make a significant difference in these studies [Carroll 2002, Secker 2002, Craig 2004], although many moms have found that baby is more comfortable when in an upright position. The positions shown to significantly reduce reflux include lying on the left side and prone (baby on his tummy). Placing the infant in a prone position should only be done when the child is awake and can be continuously monitored. Prone positioning during sleep is almost never recommended due to the increased SIDS risk. [Secker 2002]
    • Although recent research does not support recommendations to keep baby in a semi-upright position (30° elevation), this remains a common recommendation. Positioning at a 60° elevation in an infant seat or swing has been found to increase reflux compared with the prone (tummy down) position [Carroll 2002, Secker 2002].
    • As always, experiment to find what works best for your baby.

 

Babywearing International of the Bay Area

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Many families in the tum e time classes wonder what baby carrier to use. As the baby carrier market is flooded with choices and one size certainly doesn’t fit all, its a difficult question to answer. Even in my house, my husband and I had our separate, favorite carriers.

If you want to try out a carrier, have questions, etc…..I recommend joining the yahoo group or go to one of the Babywearing International of the Bay Area meetings. They meet in the East Bay, Contra Costa and the South Bay.  Here is the blurb that is posted on their yahoo group description:

“Welcome to Babywearing International of the Bay Area, Inc. (formerly known as Bay Area Babywearers).

“Babywearing” is the practice of holding a child in a cloth sling or carrier – using an item that you wear to keep your baby close and secure, while simultaneously keeping hands free for other important tasks. Babywearing International of the Bay Area, Inc. is one of a multitude of local babywearing support and advocacy groups across the country and around the world. If you are interested in either receiving or giving help for parents and other caregivers who wish to choose and learn to use a ring sling, pouch, wrap, mei tai or other baby carrier, you are in the right place!

Our group meets on the following days/times (with other events throughout the year as well). Please visit the calendar section or contact a leader for more detailed information on our meetings and playgroups.

Subscribe to our e-mail list for access to additional resources, including member lists, our carrier and media lending library, and, of course, communications with our members. Please note that while local owners or associates of babywearing-related businesses are very welcome as members, NO SPAM (advertising products or services babywearing-related or not) is allowed on our e-mail list. Members are welcome to offer used carriers from their personal collections for sale. Please keep conversations on-topic (babywearing).

From the Yahoo Groups webpage: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BabywearingInternational-BayArea/

a connected baby: a film conversation

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Until March 1, Mothering.com is offering the film: The Connected Baby free on-line.  While the film is slow and poorly shot, I was mostly interested in the researchers narrative on the interactions  between babies and their parents.  You realize how much is lost in our communication when we are not tuned in.  The film also presents developmental questions that perhaps have been misunderstood.  Are babies movements uncoordinated?  Is newborn babbling really meaningful language?  Are babies more conscious than we think?

 

the connected baby: a film conversation

What is the connected baby?  “Babies arrive already connected to other people. That’s what a range of sciences is now telling us: that they have brains already tuned in to other people’s body rhythms and vocal tones and movements. It makes them much more communicative and sophisticated than we often realise. In fact, it turns out that their very brain pathways are shaped by the kinds of responses that they receive from other people. “So, to build the kind of society that we all want, we need to pay more attention to the way that we relate to our youngest children. I guess you could say that science is helping us to understand why it is that the way we love our children matters so much.”

Dr. Suzanne Zeedyk

For the first time ever, the connected baby: a film conversation by Suzanne Zeedyk and Jonathan Robertson is available to view online–right here on Mothering.com. Please enjoy and share this exclusive airing Feb 28th through Mar 1st. For a copy of the film on DVD please visit theconnectedbaby.org. Discover more about the film in this blog post by Mothering founder Peggy O’Mara.

 

Click HERE to watch.