Posts Tagged second group
Breast is best for our Children (so far…)
Posted by in Pregnancy on October 25th, 2009
Today I read about a recent study into infant formula. The results implied quite strongly that formula fortified with essential fatty acids (in this case DHA) improved the cognitive brain development of the baby. This is yet another piece of evidence to support the far reaching benefits of essential fatty acids for the brain, from infant through to the elderly.
The experiment involved 229 infants. One group were given formula from birth and were split into two groups – one given a traditional formula and the other given a formula with added DHA. A second group split in the same way were given formula from 6 weeks (after breastfeeding) and a third group from 4-6 months. At 9 months the babies were given a problem solving test. In both the “from birth” and the “from 6 weeks” groups, the babies from the DHA supplemented groups performed better in the test.
This certainly suggests that if you do choose to formula feed over breastfeed for either health or logistical reasons (for example, many mums are unable to breastfeed) it is worth choosing a formula that does supplement with essential fatty acids (and probiotics too, based on the results of other studies). However, as a mum who breastfed both my children for 9 months, what about the mums who do choose to breastfeed? Is there anything they can learn from study and other studies like this?
Of course there is. Their diet is our diet, and we must make the right choices in what we eat to ensure our children get the optimal start in life nutritionally. Breastfeeding is currently known to be the best option for the pre-weaning stage, but as infant formulas improve every year in what they have to offer, is there a competition on?
Yes there is, and so there should be! Anything that means our children get an improving nutrition has to be a good thing. So if you choose to breastfeed, that is brilliant, but don’t rest on your laurels. Make sure you have a well balanced and healthy diet that includes lots of essential fatty acids through oily fish, seeds and vegetable oils. Limit your saturated fat but ensure your diet is high in calcium. Unlikely high sources of calcium include broccoli, bok choy and oranges.
But my advice would be to also take a high quality supplement that is formulated specifically for breastfeeding women. Of course we want to eat healthily, but the truth is we’re often tired, usually in a rush and regularly eating on the hoof between feeds, sleeps and so on. I can’t emphasise enough how important it is to steer clear of high, refined sugar foods such as biscuits and chocolate, as much for the mother’s energy levels as for the child’s health, but I understand that sometimes a healthy, home-cooked meal is hard to come by.
When I was breastfeeding I took a Pregnancy & Lactation Formula but many friends had recommended that i did. Of course I will never know if it made a difference to my children’s’ development with nothing to measure it against. But at the time it was nice to know that I had a buffer, on those nights I fell into bed after just a bowl of cereal.
Sam worked in the health and fitness industry for over 15 years and became more interested in the role diet and nutrition plays in people’s health, so her studies took her in a more nutritional direction. She now works at a company who sell health products such as Pregnancy & Lactation formula, as well as, breastfeeding supplements. For more information please visit, http://www.totallynourish.com.
Article Source: Breast is best for our Children (so far…)
The Benefits of Baby Sign Language Extend Way beyond the First Few Years
Posted by in Babies on August 5th, 2009
It is a simplified version of sign language designed to be easy enough for baby’s to use from 6 months of age. The baby signs are often borrowed or modified from traditional sign language. These baby signs are based on gestures that symbolize the action or meaning of a word and are designed so that they can be understood even if you don’t know any sign language at all. Baby Sign Language can be taught from birth although most children have the necessary hand eye co-ordination to begin signing back to their parents and caregivers by the age of 6 months. As most babies don’t begin talking until they are between 9 – 12 months of age, Baby Sign Language gives the child a significant head start on two way communication. This milestone may seem to be a small advantage to begin with however research has shown that this small advantage flows through to have larger developmental impact later on in life.
NIH Funded Baby Sign Language Experimental Studies
Baby Sign Language is not a new concept, although it still receives much media attention around the world. The first Baby Sign Language studies were conducted as early as 1989. One of the most highly regarded and a frequently referenced experimental study is a National Institute of Health (NIH) funded study conducted by Drs Linda Acredolo and Susan Goodwyn. This study was designed to determine the benefits of Baby Sign Language. The aim was to determine if Baby Sign Language would delay speech development in children. The children recruited into the study were assigned into two groups; the first group consisted of children that used Baby Sign Language and the second group consisted of children that did not. The children were recruited for the study at eleven months of age. Their speech and language development was followed up until they reached three years of age.
The study regularly assessed the speech and language development of the children. Language assessments were designed to measure language comprehension and language production. These assessments were conducted at assigned intervals during the study and measured the children’s ability to put words into sentences. The child’s intellectual development was also measured at 24 months.
The average scores of children in the study that were in the group that used Baby Sign Language were found to be higher than the control group who did not. By the age of twenty-four months, the signing children had a developmental advantage of three months over the non-signing children. By the time these signing children reached the age of thirty-six months, this advantage had increased dramatically from a three month developmental advantage to an equivalent twelve month advantage in their overall language skills and comprehension.
Since this research was conducted in 1989 there have been many families that use Baby Sign Language in their home. To date there hasn’t been a single study that has shown there to be any disadvantages from using Baby Sign Language. Many childcare centres are also using Baby Sign Language as part of a dedicated program.
Some parents may be concerned if they use Baby Sign Language with their children that it may delay their speech development. The results of the NIH funded study demonstrate quite clearly that this is not the case. Baby Sign Language facilitates communication between baby and parent earlier in life and is thought by some to be an essential step in the learning process. Baby Sign Language aids in the comprehension of words through actions that they understand. By providing a communication method to the baby earlier in life they understand the benefit of communication as they are rewarded with some control over their environment and their needs. This only leads on to a thirst for a more complicated language which is thought to be the reason that baby’s who sign with their parents speak earlier than those who do not.
Lisa Baade is the author of Toddler Interpreter, A Parent’s Guide to Baby Sign Language for Hearing Babies and Toddlers. By the time the baby has worked through the 5 stages of learning, the baby signs have progressed with the child’s development and most children will be ready to replace all signs with fully developed speech, which remains the goal. Toddler Interpreter Baby Sign Language Resources can be purchased on line from http://www.toddlerinterpreter.com
Article Source: The Benefits of Baby Sign Language Extend Way beyond the First Few Years
