Monsters in the bedroom?

It can be difficult for young children to differentiate between real life and imagination. Characters like Kermit and Big Bird are very real to pre school children. As a child's imagination develops, more imaginary characters can become real. When these characters are more threatening it can be worrying, and some children develop a real fear of being alone in their room. Parents need to recognise that although they know the environment is completely safe, in the mind of a child, monsters are very real indeed.

When young children "create" these characters they don't always understand how to banish them. Sometimes, they can become a little like imaginary friends and a relationship can develop which adults may find perplexing. If the child can talk about the character they "see" , and if the parent accepts this as the child's reality then a variety of techniques can be offered to calm, banish or kill the "monster".

Telling a child that there is nothing there and nothing to be afraid of, is logical to adults, but not always acceptable to the child. Some parents use "monster spray" a simple spray of water sprayed in the corners of the room, under the bed or wherever the child thinks the "monster" is lurking, can be effective. Sometimes it is better to create something the child can use by themselves. Praising their bravery in facing the scary helps the child to manage their own fear. There is usually something that your child can tell you that the monster will not like, it may be a torch, monster spray, a dream catcher, a ray gun or a simple "incantation" some noise or rhythm which "monster" doesn't like.

What scares you and how do you manage that fear?
If your child starts to talk about scary things and is reluctant to go to bed because of this it is time to review the media the child is exposed to and to ask more. Treating your child's fears as reasonable, will help your child to have more faith in you as being someone to confide in.  Together you can find a way to conquer these simple fears and help your child to become more confident in his/her abilities as well as your own as a parent

Vitamin D Supplement or not?

Vitamin D is available in very small amounts from dietary sources such as oily fish, fish oils, and egg yolk. Our bodies make this important "vitamin" in our skin, using sunlight.

The amount of UVB radiation required to meet the body's requirement depends on your skin colour. Fair skinned people need only one tenth of that required by people with darker skins.

For many years we have been told that if we take a good and varied diet, we should not need to take supplements. Now, new research shows how much we need this vital hormone.

Use of sunscreens, and traditional and religious traditions which encourage women to wear all-covering clothing reduces sun exposure and the body's ability to create this.

Regardless of skin colour and other factors it is impossible for anyone living within the UK to achieve sufficient sun exposure, in fact, from October to March, anyone living beyond 52 degrees north, must draw on reserves or take a supplement to avoid a deficiency.

The impact of this deficit is already being demonstrated in hospitals and Doctors surgeries, with the return of Rickets and other deficiency diseases which were considered the long-gone problems of the Victorian era.

Supplementation is now recommended by the Department of Health for all children aged 6 months to 5 years. Early studies show that with a Vitamin D supplement, the incidence of Rickets is reduced and so is the incidence of seasonal influenza.

Vitamin D influences almost every tissue in the body and does far more than simply maintain a healthy skeleton. There is increasing evidence that milder degrees of Vitamin D deficiency may predispose to a range of longer term problems such as diabetes, lung disease and, even some cancers.

There is still a lot of research ongoing. So far, the argument on favour of supplementing the diet, particularly of children, with Vitamin D is overwhelmingly in favour.

Towards the end of 2012 Health Professionals are expecting a further update on this important topic.

Most common food Allergies

Allergies are different from intolerances. An allergic reaction triggers an immune response and this shows in the bloodstream. Intolerance may make life uncomfortable in the short term,  but does not provoke an immune response and therefore cannot be identified from blood samples.

Parents often have concerns about their children being allergic to a foodstuff. The list below starts with the foodstuffs which are least likely to provoke an allergy. As you go down this list the risk of allergy grows with the most common allergic reactions being demonstrated in at the end of this list.

1)  Baby rice
2)  Puréed potatoes and mashed carrots
3)  Swedes, turnip, green beans
4)  Parsnips, cabbage, broccoli
5)  Cauliflower
6)   Puréed apple, pear,banana
7)  Oats, wheat, (rusks, biscuits, cereals)
8)   Chicken, Turkey,
9)   Beef,lamb,pork
10)  Fish
11)  Tomatoes and citrus fruits
12)  Strawberries, raspberries
13)  Marmite, honey
14)  Cows milk, goats milk, cheese, yoghurt, eggs, shellfish, kiwi fruit, peanuts and tree nuts.

When introducing semi solid diet to an infant it makes sense to make these introductions slowly. Baby's taste buds are immature and only recognise sweet, sour and salt to begin with. Adding extra sugar or salt to any baby food is not recommended as too much sugar makes for an early sugar addiction, and salt is difficult for baby's kidneys to cope with, particularly in large amounts.

If you would like more information about starting your infant on semi solids ;- Contact Dream-Angus.com

Preventing Cot Death and using baby car seats safely.

A neonatal nurse recently developed "Best practice" guidelines for the prevention of Cot Death while travelling and using car safety seats.Michelle Clark, neonatal unit sister at Doncaster Royal Infirmary, produced information to raise parents’ awareness of the risk of car seat cot death, due to a dearth of materials in this area. She spent two years researching the subject, studying findings from various sources, including New Zealand and the Foundation for Sudden Infant Death. Now Ms Clark has developed guidance for parents to help minimise the risk of car seat cot death and her work has been recognised by the national special care baby charity Bliss, which is publishing it on its website and in its information booklet for parents.

Key findings from Ms Clark’s work include:

Young babies may experience respiratory (breathing) problems if placed in a sitting position or car seat. A newborn baby’s reflex to keep its head held up is not fully developed, meaning the head flops down and restricts the airway. It is always best to keep a young baby on their back wherever possible.
Car seats should only be used to transport babies in cars, and other sitting baby equipment should only be used once the baby is strong enough to support their own head. (usually about 6/7 months)

Car seats are designed to keep babies safe while travelling, not as a main sleeping place. The research recommends that frequent breaks are taken on long journeys to get the baby out of the seat, even if this involves waking the baby up.
The same applies when bringing the baby into the home if they have fallen asleep in the car seat. The baby’s warm outdoor clothing should be taken off, even if this involves waking the baby.

If the baby is due a sleep, they should be taken out of the car seat and put into a cot or crib; the safest place for a baby to sleep is on a firm, flat mattress - a car seat does not meet this requirement. Worryingly, it has been found that some babies were spending hour after hour in car seats, ie during the journey, transferring the car seat in a travel system pram, and once home allowing the baby to continue sleeping in the car seat rather than waking the baby up and placing in them in a cot or crib.

All the advice suggests that babies should not spend longer than possible in a car seat, especially whilst sleeping.
1) So, stop your baby from scrunching up and over, keep an eye on their neckline.
2) Make sure the car seat you buy is age appropriate and correctly fitted.
3) Be sure grandparents and carers know how to fit the car seat and watch them practice.
4) When ever possible, babies travelling in a car seat should be observable by a responsible adult.
5) If you are a lone driver driving a significant distance use service stations to stop and check on your baby.
6) Babies find it difficult to regulate their temperature and quickly overheat. When in the car, remove any headgear the baby is wearing as they lose excess heat through their head.
7) Think about what baby is wearing, for example, thick snowsuits. It may be cold outside, but cars can heat up quickly. Natural materials will help the baby’s body with heat rather than nylon, polyester, and other man-made fabrics.

Infant Colic

In medical terms "colic" is defined as "persistent inconsolable paroxysmal crying in otherwise healthy infants aged two to sixteen weeks old." It is presumed to be as a result of abdominal pain. There is an associated "rule of three" which gives the following criteria;-

1. Spasms of crying lasting up to three hours.
2. Occurring up to 3 days every week.
3. For Three weeks

Excessive crying is the main feature although some infants cry "excessively" in the evening hours as a non specific reaction to any number of stimuli. This does not necessarily signify colic. It may peak at 6 weeks of age and may simply be a normal phase for the infant to go through.

Infantile colic is considered to be a self limiting condition which resolves in 90% of children within the first four months. 95% of cases resolve by six months. There are many theories about the cause of colic. The most commonly held beliefs are that colic is caused by;-

1. Excessive wind or gas
2. Lactose intolerance
3. Reflux
4. That it is behavioural and  a result of inadequate parent infant interaction which may be due to a difficult maternal experience or a temperamental infant.

When diagnosing Colic there are other things which should be excluded. Parents know their baby best and if they are concerned, then it is important that they are taken seriously. There are a variety of treatments for colic and these vary from changing the infants feeds, to drug treatments which must be prescribed by a doctor.

If you think your child has colic take breaks by using a baby sitter or extended family. Respond quickly to your child's  cry as infants take in large amounts of air when left to cry. Sooth your infant, offer a comforter or dummy as a soothing mechanism. Skin to skin contact can also be soothing and reassuring. Some infants benefit from rocking. There are over the counter solutions which work well for some infants.

Allergy and Intolerance

Food allergy is when the body reacts to certain foods by an abnormal immune system reaction. Some reactions such as "hives" or a red skin rash, swelling of the tongue or lips, happens very quickly.

Other reactions include eczema, vomiting or constipation may be delayed. Reactions can range from mild to severe and there may be overlap between fast and delayed reactions.

Food intolerance happens in a more delayed way, often occurring hours or even days after eating certain foods.The immune system is not involved in this reaction, therefore it is not life threatening and cannot cause anaphylactic shock. Typical symptoms include diarrhoea and vomiting.

Avoiding or reducing the intake of allergenic foods during pregnancy and breast feeding is not proven to prevent an infant from developing food allergies.

The ideal time for starting to introduce solid foods to an infant is after 17 weeks,(4 months) and before 26 weeks (6 months) based on the needs of the mother and child.

Less hypersensitivity has been demonstrated in infants who are weaned before 6 months but there is no ideal time on which all "experts" are agreed.

The Importance of play

Play is the way children learn. In the past many generations lived together, either under one roof or close together in the community and there were many opportunities for play. Now parents want their children to play at home so playing opportunities with others are fewer.

Children with access to a wide variety of toys are more likely to be intellectually stimulated and challenged. They reach higher levels of intellectual development regardless of age, sex, racial or social class.

Toys that stimulate mental development are appropriate to the child's abilities, responsive to the child's movements and give feedback when manipulated.Whether playing alone or with others, quietly or with enthusiasm play is the way that children explore their world and use their imaginations.

A baby's first toys are important in teaching about size, shape, colour and texture. The availability of toys in infancy is strongly related to the child's IQ at 3 years of age. In the first year babies respond to bright colours and gentle sounds.

Musical toys and mobiles are ideal. At first babies cannot co-ordinate their hand and eye movements so all shape and feel is learned about through mouthing the object.

As they gain co-ordination an activity mat is good for exploring textures and shapes.

Half the waking hours of a toddler are devoted to play so toys that move, and stimulate the imagination, such as play sets, toy vehicles, soft toys and puppets are popular.

An active toddler needs toys for physical play, toys they can sit on, push or pull. Toys that are responsive to movements hold the child's attention. Increasing the attention span is important for reading.

Pretend play is important for 3-5 year olds. This is how new skills are developed, language being one of these. As children gain confidence and social skills they enjoy play with other children.

This is when role playing and fantasy games help because these are the things which help social and emotional development.

Realistic toys such as dolls, action figures, household items, things which resemble everyday people and objects help children to understand the world.

Active play on swings, slides and climbing frames encourages physical development, co-ordination and balance. As they develop logic and are able to concentrate for longer games with rules like "lotto" matching games and memory games become more interesting.

One of the joys of being a parent or grandparent is the opportunity to play with children. It is the ideal setting for getting to know each other while providing a foundation for the child's future, raising the child's self esteem and happiness. While playing adults are both teachers and learners. At all times they are role models. Shared playtime is an opportunity for mutual enjoyment and discovery.

Have you played with your child today?