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A lot of parents aim to stimulate their children early in order to promote good attention and learning abilities. This is a wonderful thing to do, but can sometimes lead to overstimulation of the child’s mind. Overstimulation can lead to moody behaviour, disobedience and difficulty in communication as they move toward kindergarten years. The one thing I tell new mothers is to feed your child’s mind, just as you would their appetite. You don’t want to over or under feed your baby and, as such, the same goes with their minds.

A healthy baby is going to have natural inquisitive behaviour about the world around them. Healthy learning development involves them being able to explore their environment, be it in their play pen or a secure room. They need lots of different shapes, colours, textures and (where parents can tolerate it!) sounds to explore. This should be done on a regular basis every day for a few hours and be supervised and structured by a parent or care-giver. If over-done, babies and toddlers can become disinterested in their surroundings because they literally have satiated their curiosity to soon. This is when you see them become moody and frustrated even at play time. It is therefore important that there is structured play time (several hours a day) with a person interacting with them to guide their learning vs. unstructured play time where a new toy, gadget, book or activity is introduced and the child interacts with it at their leisure to enjoy and work out its place in their world.

As children become older, parents tend to feel they need to engage them in lots of physical and mental activities. To some extent this is very good for them however, we can over do this. For example, if you think of yourself working 5 days a week and then engaging in extra-curricula activities of a night time after work, and hobbies or other social events on weekends, you would be exhausted because you have no time for yourself. In other words you have no time just to have ‘free play’. Children need unstructured play time and down time, just as adults do. This stimulates them to entertain themselves as well as to learn tolerance for not expecting structured learning or play throughout their childhood and later teenage years.

To summarise: to promote healthy learning behaviour and good attention in your babies and toddlers, consider doing the following on a day-to-day basis:

• Have structured play time with your child where you read, engage in story telling with their toys, or simply provide basic puzzle solving games with blocks, shapes, colours and numbers. Do this for an hour or so every day.
• Allow your child to continue unstructured play after the structured play time, or after they’ve have had a rest or a feed.
• Try and change their play environment each week. For example, have them play in their room for a few days, then change their play environment to the living room for the next couple of days.
• Always talk with your child during play. Even though they will not respond verbally, they will listen during play and retain phrases you say in relation to tasks you work on together.
• Reward your children with lots of praise and cuddles each time they work out a puzzle or complete a game with you.
• As your child gets older, remember to allow them to have ‘them’ time, where no activities or social events are planned for them during one or two days of the week. It is important they learn to engage their own intellect and accept that learning is not always externally regulated by parents and teachers.

Dr Andrew Campbell is a Child, Adolescent and Family Psychologist at the Brain and Mind Research Institute – Clinical Centre, located in Camperdown, Sydney.

Dr Campbell provides assessment and treatment for a wide a range of childhood behavioural development, mental health and learning disorders and accepts referrals from all GPs.
For bookings, please call (02) 9351-0672.  
Medicare and Private Health Insurance rebates are available.

For more information on similar parenting topics you may like take a look at our e-books Publications on this link.
All articles on this website have a copyright any use of any material must have permission from Cradle 2 Kindy Parenting Solutions.

Food Intolerances and Allergies

In today’s society children face many of life’s obstacles very early, even while at the breast.  Some children react to breast milk.  This invariably is attributed to what the mother is eating.  There may be a lactose intolerance, cow’s or goat’s milk intolerance or a reaction to a certain type of food which their mother is eating and is passed through the breast milk to the child.  Some of these children may grow out of their reaction other may be found intolerant or allergic to these foods.  Food intolerances can also occur with bottle fed babies too such as a cow’s milk or soy intolerance.  Some allergies and food intolerances are only picked up when a child starts solids.   

Symptoms of an intolerance or allergy may begin in a baby with: vomiting, diarrhoea or loose smelly or mucusy stools, flatulence, irritable, excessive crying, black circles under the eyes, runny nose, wheezing, coughing, food refusal which may also indicate a reflux problem or it may appear as eczema, hives, itching, lethargic and in older children even aggressive or uncooperative behaviour.

For many years The National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (NHMRC) followed the World Health Authorities recommendation of not starting solids before baby is 6 months.  Unfortunately, it may be possible that this recommendation to delay the introduction of solids have done more harm than good.

Today, many Australian health professionals have revised their recommendation and have  changing the age for starting solids to between four and six months.  This is primarily due to the dramatic increase of all types of allergies, especially food related allergies, in children.  Immunologists, doctors and dieticians specialising in allergies have suggested that delaying the introduction of solids may be interfering with the normal immune development reducing food tolerance and increasing allergies.  Thus delaying the introduction of foods may actually be to the child’s determent.   (see article: The Solids Controversy written by Karen Simmer PHD FRACP. Professor of Newborn Medicine, University of Western Australia).

Difference between Food Allergies and Intolerances

What is the difference between food allergies and intolerances?  An allergy will give an immediate response as it is the immune system reaction to food proteins.  An intolerance doesn’t involve the immune system but is triggered by food chemicals which irritates the nerve endings.  These chemicals are found in groups of foods which accumulate in the body and eventually cause a reaction.
 

Food Allergies

Food allergies are often inherited and are associated with eczema, asthma and hay fever.  Food allergies can range from mild to severe causing vomiting, cramps and diarrhoea, hives, swelling on the face, mouth, eyes.  The most sever is a life threatening anaphylaxis attack which cause breathing difficulties due to the throat and tongue swelling or asthma.  

Common children’s allergies are soy and cow’s milk, egg, sesame, wheat, seafood, peanut and other nuts.  Many children grow out of their food allergies by five but peanut and seafood may continue through adulthood.   Allergies but not intolerances can be diagnosed through a skin prick test.

Food Intolerances

Many foods have additives including colourings and preservatives but others have natural chemicals those low in chemicals are almost never a problem.   Natural chemicals in foods help to enhance their flavour.  Levels may either be high in unripe fruits and decrease with ripening or visa versa.  MSG for example is found naturally in tomato, mushroom, silver beet, prune, plum and grape.  Organically grown foods may have higher levels of natural preservatives and pesticides in their skin.  

Foods moderate in natural chemicals:
The following foods are moderate in natural chemicals:
Fruits:  pear, apple (golden, red delicious), mango, banana, papaya, rhubarb.
Vegetables: choko, potato, sweet potato, swede, leeks, celery, carrot, beetroot, marrow, pumpkin, parsnip, turnip, peas, snow peas, Chinese veg, asparagus.
Meats: chicken, eggs, fresh fish, veal, rabbit, lamb, beef.  
All dairy foods other than mild and tasty cheeses.  
Grains:  rice, arrowroot, barley, rolled oats, sago, wheat, rye, buckwheat.

Foods high in chemicals:
Fruits: avocado, date, kiwi fruit, orange, pineapple, grape, plum prune, sultana.
Vegetables: cauliflower, eggplant, broccoli, mushroom, silver beet, tomato, broad bean.
Meats, fish and dairy: Tuna, salami, sausages, seasoned meat and chicken, tasty cheese.  
Others:  honey, jams, fruit or chocolate flavoured drinks, stocks and sauces.

Food intolerances are rarely serious.  If you suspect your child has a food intolerance or allergy contact your family doctor of Paediatrician.

The good news is children often grow out of food intolerances and allergies.
The Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Allergy Unit, NSW has put out a recipe book called “Friendly Food’.  It is a guide to avoiding allergies, additives and problem chemicals in foods and can be purchased through the allergy clinic or your local book store.  

It is wise to consult a health professional or dietitian if there is a family history of food intolerance, allergies, eczema or asthma (particularly if you are a breastfeeding mother).  Restricting a child’s diet unless under professional supervision is not recommend as essential nutrition may be lost.  Most babies have grown out of their milk protein intolerances by 9 months and can once again tolerate cow, goat and soy based formulas.   While older children usually grow out of food allergies around 3 years of age.  

Not all children develop allergies or food intolerances but it is good to be aware and understanding towards those who have these challenges.  

This article was written by mothercraft nurse Sally Hall from Cradle 2 Kindy Parenting Solutions.  If you would like more information on this and other similar topics our E-books are packed full of practical parenting tips.  Down load an E-Book specifically related to your child's age group through Publications at Our Shop.

Disclaimer: Article on our website are for education purposes only.  Please consult with your doctor to make sure this information is right for your child.

All articles on this website have a copyright any use of any material must have permission from Cradle 2 Kindy Parenting Solutions.

Also known as perinatal anxiety and depression or antenatal and postnatal depression.  

What Does it Actually Mean?

Women who experience a depressed mood during the perinatal period (ie pregnancy to one year post partum) for 2 weeks or more that is impacting on their life.  The symptoms may include tearfulness, changes to sleep and eating patterns, feeling overwhelmed, anxious, angry, tired, hyperactive.  Around 20% of women and 10% of their partners will experience perinatal anxiety and depression.

Difficulties Associated with Diagnosis

Perinatal mood disorders are multi-factorial with a biological, psychological and social basis.  Hormones and chemicals play a role, as does the media, portraying motherhood as blissful and mother as beautiful.  General life experiences (past or present) and stressful events (such as moving/renovation, financial concerns), and issues relating to the pregnancy and birth are also factors.  Many mothers do not have realistic expectations of motherhood and the major bi0-psycho-social changes that occur.  When the reality is exhausting, repetitive and isolating, the transition from independent to invisible can be a shock.

Many women do not want to admit they are not living up to societal or their personal expectations.  Other women are not able to articulate their feelings. Women do not want to be judged as mad, bad or sad.

There is under-reporting by women and misdiagnosis by professionals.  Referral pathways are difficult.

Getting Professional Help

Professional counselling is considered the most effective treatment.  Antidepressant medication can be prescribed in conjunction with counselling, but should be carefully monitored.  Professionals who can help include: PG, obstetrician, psychologist, psychiatrist, ECHC nurse, mothercraft nurse, midwife, supported play group.

There are differences in the nature, severity and duration of symptoms of perinatal mood disorders and professional help is recommended in order to diagnose and then identify the best approach to treatment.

General practitioners

General practitioners are generally the first step in seeking professional help. Some GP’s have an interest in PND and will identify and optimal treatment plan for you.

Furthermore, an increasing number of GP’s are registered with the Better Outcomes Project and can refer you to a social worker or psychologist trained in the psychological assessment and the treatment of PND.  The Better Outcomes Project enables you to have a number of sessions with a rebate via Medicare.
Remember that your obstetrician or paediatrician can also assist you in seeking help if you let them know that you need help.

Social Workers / Psychologists /Psychiatrists

These professionals are skilled in psychological assessment and in a variety of treatment approaches and can be assessed in private practice or may be part of a medical/counselling practice.  They will assess your individual/family needs and tailor a treatment plan to meet your needs.

Early Childhood Health Centres

A number of projects going on and much greater awareness within nursing community and Perinatal mood disorders.  

www.gidgetfoundation.com.au
contact@gidgetfoundation.com.au

Disclaimer: Article on our website are for education purposes only.  Please consult with your doctor to make sure this information is right for your child.

All articles on this website have a copyright any use of any material must have permission from Cradle 2 Kindy Parenting Solutions.

Kid's Health information

• Statistics from National Health & Medical Research Council show that 25% of adults are overweight or obese and 1 in 5 children are also overweight or obese. Both these figures are on the rise.
• Obesity in childhood constitutes a risk factor for a range of health problems:
  • Diabetes
  • sleep apnoea
  • liver disease
  • psychological problems especially in girls
• Health experts recommend children consume nutritious foods for proper growth and development.
• Set up healthy habits from the start
• Parents should offer fresh foods with fewer preservatives and low in additives and refined sugars. It is also important to watch the fat levels.
• READ FOOD LABELS!!: Aim for Fat 10g/100grams, sugars 15g/100grams, high fibre, low salt (sodium)

It is important to find the balance of healthy eating and physical activity.

Some tips for mums and dads:

1. Enjoy a wide variety of foods – 5 serves vegetables, 2 serves fruit try and choose different colours for different vitamins & minerals
2. Never skip breakfast! Its true that children perform better at school if they have started the day with a healthy, high fibre breakfast such as weetbix, low fat milk, fruit and wholemeal or multi grain toast
3. Watch portion sizes – very important to serve food in the recommended quantities: ½ plate vegetables, ¼ plate Meat/Chicken/Fish, ¼ plate rice, pasta or potato. Choose smaller plates, bowls
4. Get children involved in healthy meal preparations and planning meals and healthy desserts. Get them to plan a ‘menu for the day’. They will love the challenge
5. Have set meal times and only allow healthy snacks such as fruits and vegetables
6. Try not to purchase unnecessary snacks bars, including nut bars and dried fruit/muesli bars, these often contain too many calories.
7. Limit snack foods, especially biscuits, chips, chocolates, lollies. Include fresh fruits and vegetables. Try making fruit kebabs, vegetables boats and healthy dips such as yoghurt, light cream cheese spread (philli light)
8. No juice, even freshly squeezed or “no added sugar” varieties should be offered. These contain a lot of natural sugars which can contribute to weight gain.  Soft drinks are also considered a big “no, no” should not be offered unless on a special occasion. Low fat milk and water should be the only drinks offered.      
9. Limit take-away to once/month. If you are a family relying on take away, choose healthy sandwich wraps, small kebabs (no hommus or cheese please!), have water as part of the meal deal and choose salad instead of fries. Avoid anything deep fried. Have fruit or yoghurt as your dessert.
10. Eat slowly; allow your hunger signal to turn off before too much food is consumed. Never force children to finish their meals if they are full. Kids will never starve themselves!
11. Dessert is not a mandatory part of the menu
12. Exercise; be actively involved in sports, swimming, tennis, soccer, football or dancing. Join a gym if you’re 13 years or older.                                                                     

Kids lunchboxes

Recess:

• 2 pieces of fruit tip: fresh = better than tinned or dried fruit
• e.g. 15 grapes and 2 plums or 1 apple and 1 nectarine
• Rice crackers – limit to 6 or Sakata biscuits (packet) this is better than chips
• Raisin toast – 1 slice
• Mini fruit homemade muffin
• Frozen low fat yoghurt

Lunch:

• 1 x Sandwich with wholemeal or wholegrain bread/wrap
• With salad m/c/f or vegemite or light cream cheeselight sliced cheese/tomato/lettuce or light jam/margarine/labni (homemade with skim milk)
• Add a favorite vegetable e.g carrot/cucumber/tomato/celery
• Water or diet cordial
• Try to avoid left overs and limit canteen treats to once/week or even once/fortnight. Don’t allow your children to purchase canteen food or to assume its a normal thing.
• Ice blocks have 1 tablespoon of sugar per serve which would take 30 minutes of money to burn off, soft drinks and juices also have a significant amount of sugar
• If you are frustrated the fruit and veg comes home, just offer it for afternoon tea instead of cake or biscuits.

This information has been brought to you by Hanan Saleh (APD,AN) Accredited Practising Dietitian Consultant Paediatric/Adult specialist in weight management
As seen on SBS TV series “Food Investigators”
Her website: www.thefooddoctor.com.au
Email: nutrition@thefooddoctor.com.au

For more information on similar parenting topics you may like take a look at our e-books Publications on this link.

Disclaimer: Article on our website are for education purposes only.  Please consult with your doctor to make sure this information is right for your child.

All articles on this website have a copyright any use of any material must have permission from Cradle 2 Kindy Parenting Solutions.

To ensure you are getting enough dietary iron eat the wide variety of foods that are naturally high in iron.  Iron from plant food is absorbed better by the body if eaten with foods containing Vit C and therefore may cause less constipation.  For more information on diatry iron please read Getting Enough Iron written by Dietitian Eve Reed.

Here is a list of foods that are rich in iron:

Food	Iron Content (mg)	grams
Cereals, grains and nuts Rice, brown Pasta, wholemeal Bread, wholemeal Wheatgerm Wheatbran Branflakes Cornflakes Soya bean curd, tau hoo Cashew nut Pistachio Walnut Lotus seed Almond Sunflower seed Watermelon seed Soya bean, white lentil Gram, green Gram, red Humus Tahina	1 bowl  200g 1 portion  100g 1 slice   30g 1 teaspoon  15g 1 tablespoon  15g 3/4 cup  30g 1 cup  30g 1 small square  85g 1/2 cup  65g 1/2 cup  65g 1/2 cup  50g 1/2 cup  15g 2 tablespoons  30g 1/2 cup  70g 1/2 cup  50g 1/2 cup  50g 1 cup  180g 1 cup  250g 1 cup  250g 3 tablespoons  50g 2 teaspoons  25g	1.0 1.8 1.0 1.1 1.8 5.0 3.6 1.9 5.0 2.5 1.5 0.6 1.2 3.2 3.1 3.0 14.4 13.8 10.5  2.6 9.0
Fruits Apricot, semi-dried Dates, black, dried Dates, red, dried Raisins Longan, dried Fig, dried Prunes, semi-dried Peach, fresh	10 halves  35g 10  90g 10  90g 1 packet  42g 1/2 cup  65g 10  85g 10  85g One  155g	1.2 3.3 3.0 1.5 3.5 3.6 2.2 1.6
Vegetables Kale, Chinese (kai lan) Spinach (bayam pasir) Kang kong Chinese cabbage (bok choy) Mustard leaves, chye sim Seaweed, dried (hai tai) Sea moss (fa chai)	1 cup  65g 1 cup 30g 1 cup  30g 1 cup  170g 1 cup  55g 1 sheet  15g 1 pinch  10g	1.3 1.5 1.6 1.6 0.7 3.3 9.9
Meat, Poultry and Fish Beef, lean Pork, lean Pork liver Pig kidney Mutton, lean Turkey meat cooked Chicken, skinless Chicken liver Egg yolk Egg, whole Fish Ikan bilis  (white bait) Prawns, dried Oyster, fresh Sardine, canned	1 palm-sized piece  90g 1 palm-sized piece  90g 2 slices  30g One  230g 1 palm-sized piece  90g 1 palm-size piece  20g 1 palm-sized piece  90g One  50g One  17g One  50g 1 fillet  90g 2 tablespoons  15g 1 teaspoon  5g 12  60g 1 fish  40g	2.8 1.2 3.1 13.8 2.1 4.8 0.8 5.1 0.8 0.9 1.2 0.6 0.7 3.7 1.8

If you would like more information on similar topics our E-books are packed full of practical parenting tips.  Down load an E-Book specifically related to your child's age group through Publications at Our Shop.

Also see: Food intolerances' and Allergies in Children

More Articles on Health

All articles on this website have a copyright any use of any material must have permission from Cradle 2 Kindy Parenting Solutions.

Some babies are born with flat spots on their heads. This is often due to the position they were in while in the uterus, other times it may be cause during the birth procedure or as in many cases it is the result of regularly sleeping with the head in the same position.

All babies are born with soft mouldable heads to allow for their passage through the birth canal.   These soft malleable bones of the skull are not fused and often slide across one another, overlapping a little during birth.  Once born, a newborn has very little head control causing the head to be floppy and roll to one side or the other.  If your baby favours one position in particular, this may become a problem. After as little as four hours of sleeping there will be a tendency for the under side of the head to be a little flatter than the upper side.   You may have see babies who have very round moon-shaped faces. These tend to be babies who have slept on their backs looking straight up.  They often have quite obvious flat spots on the back of their heads.
 
There is no doubt that the incidence of SIDS has been lowered significantly since the introduction of Safe Sleeping Education.  But evidence also suggests that we should make sure that the baby lies with his head turned to alternate sides during each sleep session.  This practice should be started from birth.

As the baby develops and become more aware of his surroundings he may tend to turn his head to see bright objects, light, or the approach of his parents of a carer.  Positioning the cot to make use of this voluntary turning of the head is a very good practice.  Some people find it easier to sleep the baby at alternate ends of the cot.

Placing the baby on his tummy and alternating lying on his right and left sides when awake and supervised is also important.  This practice should be started from birth otherwise baby may dislike being on his tummy for extended periods.  This is often the case with babies 2 months or older.  To help baby enjoy tummy time begin with short periods and keep extending the time until they are able to play happily for up to 60% of their wake time on their tummy.  Baby massage, laying beside them on the play mat, lying while on your chest or across your knees, or after the bath on the change table, can be soothing for a baby and teach him that tummy time is pleasant and fun.  Tummy time is also important for his brain development.

Mild flattening of the head often resolves itself once the baby is sitting up independently.  Don’t be alarmed if you do not see results instantly, as the skull continues to grow and change shape until the age of 18 years.  Aside from introducing good positioning techniques and plenty of tummy time, no intervention is required unless your baby has a severe misshapen head or you notice asymmetry in the face.  This may include forehead bossing and/or ears or eyes not level with each other.  In the more severe cases, a custom moulded helmet is designed to encourage the skull to grow in a more symmetrical manner.  This form of intervention is effective on babies aged between 5 months and 18 months, the most common time to treat is between 6 and 12 months.  The helmet is generally worn 23 hr/day for about 3 months.
  
If you have any doubt about the shape of your baby’s head, you can contact a paediatric physiotherapist and you can get further advice about handling and encouraging good development in your baby.  There is also a brochure outlining the techniques to help in maintaining good head shape of your baby, available from your APA paediatric physiotherapist or through the National Office of the Australian Physiotherapy Association.

Alti Vogel, an Orthotist, has helped put this article together; she works at the Children’s Hospital assisting in the design and manufacture of helmets for babies with misshapen heads.  (Information was also adapted from the Physiotherapy Association of Australia).

For more information on similar parenting topics you may like take a look at our e-books Publications on this link.
All articles on this website have a copyright any use of any material must have permission from Cradle 2 Kindy Parenting Solutions.

Slip on a t-shirt, slop on some sunscreen and slap on a hat! We’re all urged to keep those sunlight rays away from our skin, but in our eagerness to prevent every possibility of skin cancer are we exposing our children to the other very harmful possibility of Vitamin D deficiency?

Vitamin D is a vitamin most well known for its major action of enhancing the body’s ability to absorb calcium from the diet. Vitamin D also has some other very important actions such as enhancing phosphorus absorption and playing a vital role in the immune system. Perhaps the importance of Vitamin D is best demonstrated by looking at the effects of Vitamin D deficiency. Without enough Vitamin D children are prone to develop rickets, a disease where young developing bones become soft and bendy, giving a bowed-leg, knocked-knee look and increasing the risk of fractures and breaks. Other serious symptoms of deficiency are grand mal seizures, fever, cough and vomiting then cardio-respiratory arrest.

During pregnancy Vitamin D is essential for foetal growth and bone mineralisation, and Vitamin D is stored up in the body to be used by the newborn after birth to protect against tetany, convulsions and heart failure. Because of this it is important for pregnant mothers to be aware of their own Vitamin D levels particularly in the last trimester of pregnancy when foetal bone growth is the greatest. After birth, a newborn’s stores of Vitamin D are used up in approximately the first 8 weeks of life. Newborns then obtain their Vitamin D from breast milk, although this too can be almost non-existent depending on mother’s own Vitamin D levels. Adding Cod Liver Oil to breast milk or a Vitamin D fortified formula is very important if this is the case.

The main source of Vitamin D is from sunlight. Sunlight levels vary greatly between different times of the day, seasons of the year, even between continents, and so it is hard to measure exactly how much sunlight exposure is needed. A good guide is at least ½ an hour of unhindered sunlight per day (no sunscreen!) to face, neck, shoulders and arms. In winter this will not be enough and so it is important to combine this with good dietary sources of Vitamin D. Those most at risk of developing Vitamin D deficiencies are dark-skinned people, vegetarians and vegans, veiled women, and breastfed infants of these groups of people.

Breastfeeding mothers should obtain 4000IU per day. In addition to enough sunlight (at least half an hour a day) good dietary sources of Vitamin D are egg yolks, butter from grass-fed cows, cheese, fermented foods, bone broths, fatty fish like salmon, mackerel and herring, and organ meats like liver. Vitamin D is much higher in animal products where the animal is grass-fed as opposed to grain-fed for the very obvious reason that sunlight is needed for the grass to grow!

Vitamin D also raises the need for Vitamins A and K, two other important fat-soluble vitamins for the immune system and nervous system development. If you are concerned about your own or your children’s Vitamin D levels it would be worth your while to go see a trusted medical practitioner or nutritionist.

By Jodie Sirone BHSc(CompMed)
Live Life Natural Therapies  jodie.livelife@gmail.com  02 9602 3377  www.handykidsot.com.au

For more information on similar parenting topics you may like take a look at our e-books Publications on this link.
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A Concerned Mum's Experience

Our little boy is nearly three years old and is only just sleeping through all night.  It has been a long arduous journey in which we have tried and tested absolutely every technique known to mankind to make sleep possible.  In October 2008, he was diagnosed with Restless Leg Syndrome finally, after about 18 months of long term sleep deprivation for our entire family.  

My understanding of Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) is that it generally runs in families and is exacerbated by low iron stores in the body.  My boy had a long history of barely eating and eventually became iron deficient.  This affected his behaviour, his sleep patterns and also his bowel movements.  The gastroenterologist eventually diagnosed this condition of whom I will be forever grateful to.

In 2007 we spent four days at Tresillian to assist with his night time awakenings.  This helped initially, however after a few months, he started waking again.  I went to our local GP and then paediatrician to seek help.  I was advised that I had a challenging child and that his sleep disturbances were entirely behavourial.  With three hundred dollars less in my pocket, and no further tests taken, I went home with absolutely no idea of what to do next.   

So I began sleeping with my child so that he would wake, see me, feel comforted and go back to sleep again.  He didn’t or couldn’t.  He would wriggle and toss and turn for three hours every night and then finally go back to sleep.  It was like he’d had a strong cup of coffee – he just could not stop moving every part of his body!  No behavioural strategies had worked after twelve months of trying so I began looking for alternative methods.  

In addition to this, I also had a newborn baby at the time and my husband and I would regularly be living on 1-2 hours of broken sleep/night.  I met a lady at playgroup who suggested I try an elimination diet – determined not to do this without the support of a good doctor, I drove well over an hour to Hornsby to see an allergy specialist, who was so overbooked she was unable to see me (despite having an appointment).  I began the diet anyway and noticed some improvement in his behaviour, particularly after we replaced his milk with rice milk.  After six weeks I went to my GP concerned his bowels were chronically loose.  At this stage I realized there was a connection between him having diarrhea and his sleep troubles.  A blood test revealed he had very low iron levels.  
After what seemed an eternity and several visits to our local baby health clinic, Tresillian, two GP’s, a paediatrician, a kinaestheologist and one attempt with an allergy specialist, we finally could pinpoint the problem.  It seemed that when the condition got so bad that physical changes were apparent, it prompted GP’s into action.  

My little boy was also slow to speak and within a few weeks of iron therapy he was communicating by words in leaps and bounds.  His eating improved and after five months of taking iron everyday, his sleep started to improve and waking in the night became more habitual than anything else.  This was easily fixed with the help of Sally Hall.  

I am writing this as I am concerned there are several parents who are repeatedly told by health professionals that their child’s night awakenings is behavioural – yet if behavioral strategies don’t work the first time, please suggest to your local GP for him/her to have a blood test.  I recently informed a paediatric nurse at our local child health clinic about RLS and she had never heard of it.  I found this disturbing.  

I am not a medical expert but a desperate mother who on several occasions left the family home in the depths of the night to avoid hurting my precious son.  Sleep deprivation is extremely dangerous for families and when parents think it is serious enough to visit doctors after trying several behavioural techniques; it really does warrant further medical investigation.     

A good website to visit for further information is: www.rls.org.au/pdf/ChildrenRLS2005.pdf

An article written by Lisa Collins June 2009

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It is unusual for a very young child to be given a diagnosis of Asperger’s Disorder. More often, a child will be of primary school age before such a diagnosis is made.

The signs of Asperger’s Disorder are characteristics exhibited by many young children and it is the level of intensity, and the combination of characteristics and the persistence of characteristics over time that may eventually lead to a conclusion that a child has this Disorder. So even if your toddler exhibits many of the following signs, one cannot presume that the child has Asperger’s Disorder. The young child may instead have an anxious temperament, or simply be struggling with normal developmental milestones or external stressors.

Children with Asperger’s Disorder show difficulty with social interactions. They may be less expressive and engaging with their face and gestures when communicating. They may be less likely to point out an item that interests them, not thinking to share their interest with others. They may demonstrate less empathy and reciprocity of emotions. As they grow, they tend to miss social cues and misinterpret other’s reactions.

Children with Asperger’s Disorder show restricted or repetitive play, interests or movements. For example, the child might engage in hand flapping, or have an interest in parts of toys more than the whole toy, or be intensely preoccupied with the detail on a particular topic.  

Children with Asperger’s Disorder typically do better with a strict routine, and struggle with any changes to it. They can have very rigid expectations in each situation. They can be hypersensitive to stimuli, fussy eaters and temperamental sleepers. Unanticipated or unfamiliar situations with additional stimuli and/or social demands can cause them intense frustration, distress and anxiety. Angry outbursts, with seemingly little thought of consequences, can result.

Understanding that their child’s mind works differently to others can help parents respond in meaningful and constructive ways. Calmly taking the child with Asperger’s Disorder to a familiar “time out” space can be the most productive behaviour management technique for these angry outbursts, thus providing the child with the opportunity to re-group.

Asperger’s Disorder is considered to be related to autism, although milder in impact. A key identifiable difference between Asperger’s Disorder and autism is that of acquisition and use of speech. Speech development is usually within the normal range for the child with Asperger’s Disorder, whereas the child with autism would typically have delayed or unusual speech development.

Parents can find a diagnosis helpful in understanding their child, or in accessing help. But whether a particular label is appropriate or not, and forthcoming sooner or later, doesn’t alter the fact that some children require a greater level of management than other children.

All children are different, and place different demands on us, and offer us different rewards and joys. As parents, the challenge is to learn to understand our child, learn to meet our child’s particular needs most of the time and learn to recognise the rewards and joys that only this child can bring.

When you have a child whose behaviour regularly deviates from the average, other parents and grandparents will inevitably offer unwanted and unhelpful advice and comments. Sometimes this fuels your own self-doubts about your parenting strategy or skills. Sometimes you are able to let the comment pass, knowing that it comes from a place of ignorance about your child. Other times, you are required to advocate on behalf of your child, educate others who have narrow views of expected behaviours, and translate your child’s world to others so that with greater understanding they might be able to make room in the their hearts for you and your child.

If you want to find out more about Asperger’s Disorder, here are two good starting points. Tony Attwood is an internationally recognised authority on Asperger’s Disorder. His website is www.tonyattwood.com.au. Also Autism Spectrum Australia (or Aspect for short) provides advice, education and services for individuals, families and the community. Their website is www.autismspectrum.org.au and their advice line number is 1800 069 978.

Sharon Murphy
Counsellor
Providing the option of consultations in your home
0425 244 492

60 minutes, Channel 9 produced and interesting story on Autism which you can view here  '"Pet Theory"

Disclaimer: Article on our website are for education purposes only.  Please consult with your doctor to make sure this information is right for your child.

For more information on similar parenting topics you may like take a look at our e-books Publications on this link.

All articles on this website have a copyright any use of any material must have permission from Cradle 2 Kindy Parenting Solutions.

Tongue Tie

Having recently seen a few babies with tongue tie or Ankyloglossia I asked Dr Laurie Kobler if I could use his article to inform parents of this sometimes debilitating condition.   These days many doctors either neglect to inform parents or believe it is unnecessary to treat a baby with ankyloglossia this can lead to several problems including poor attachment causing damage to the nipple and even poor feeding.  

Take a look inside your baby’s mouth.  If you notice a shortened frenum which you feel may be contributing to your baby’s poor attachment I suggest you seek medical advice.  If you are in NSW give Dr Kobler a call. 

Neo-natal Ankyloglossia Release

By Dr Laurie Kobler B.D.S. 

Ankyloglossia – A condition in which the sublingual frenum is shortened, tight or otherwise restrictive, resulting in reduced mobility of the tongue.

Consequences

1. Infant.  Interference with feeding, most especially causing maternal breast/nipple pain, significant air intake and extended feeding time.  This can express itself in poor weight gain.
2. Toddler.  Commonly causes difficulty with speech, as well as ongoing eating issues associated with the condition.  Often unable to phoeneticise correctly and rapid speech can be difficult to understand.
3. Unseen effects on personality development and self-esteem associated with poor communication skills are possible.
4. Inability to circumlocute is messy.  Occasionally excessive saliva flow is also evident.
5. Older child/adult.  Poor oral hygiene.  Reduced tongue mobility impacting intimacy issues

Treatment options

1. Non-treatment with associated symptoms as described
2. Conventional surgery often performed at 6 months age under G.A. using scalpel, scissors & sutures.  Breast feeding opportunity has passed with associated nutritional compromise.  This is significantly more invasive, costly and painful with longer healing time & often increased costs.
3. Laser correction can be performed as young as possible, is quick, minimal pain and rapid healing, allowing breast feeding to continue or re-commence if possible.  Minimally invasive and less cost as well as less time commitment to procedure.  No requirement for hospitalisation or overnight stay.

Procedure

1. Pre-operative photographic record
2. Topical anaesthetic application
3. (Local anaesthetic is rarely needed)
4. Tension frenum (DeLorenz Retractor)
5. Release ankyloglossia
6. post-operative photographic record

Take a look inside your baby’s mouth.  If you notice a shortened frenum which you feel may be contributing to your baby’s poor attachment I suggest you seek medical advice.  If you are in NSW give Dr Kobler a call at Intergrity Dental Clinic 02 96514488

If you would like more information on other topics our E-books are packed full of practical parenting tips.  Down load an E-Book specifically related to your child's age group through Publications at Our Shop.

Disclaimer: Article on our website are for education purposes only.  Please consult with your doctor to make sure this information is right for your child.

All articles on this website have a copyright any use of any material must have permission from Cradle 2 Kindy Parenting Solutions.