Mother Baby & Child - January 2018

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The new year is finally here and we’re excited to see what it’ll offer families in the UAE. While we’re seeing the return of many popular annual events including The Buggy Run, Dubai Food Festival and more to keep us from missing the Dubai Shopping Festival too much, we’re pretty sure playtime will give us some extra time to shop while the kids enjoy.

Our resolutions as mums this year don’t involve anything too complicated. We’d be perfectly happy with polite, calm toddlers, a baby who never cries and tweens who hate junk food and video games. Pretty simple, right? Oh well, we’ll keep dreaming.

After four amazing years with Mother, Baby & Child, it’s time for me to say goodbye to what has been a fantastic journey. I’m proud to have shared it with you, chatting at events, trying out new products together and enjoying every little bit of fun that motherhood has to offer. Mamas, let’s keep on rocking motherhood in the UAE!

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JNAu Happy New year

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Mini Style Stars

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In the Kitchen

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in this issue

Things to Do ...........................................................

Mummy & Baby ................................................... 08

Toddler & Child .................................................... 12 Older Child & Tween .......................................... 16 Parenting ..............................................................

Out and about.......................................................... 18 Raising emotionally-intelligent kids................... 22 The number one secret of happy families.......... 28 Kids: switch off – time for a digital detox........... 34 The science behind a ‘brain lunch’...................... 36 Making your child’s dreams come true.............. 38 Education ...............................................................

The latest in education.......................................... 46 Teacher Profiles................................................... 48

Tackling the psychological effects of childhood obesity............................................... 51 How do I raise a science-minded child............... 54 How taking your child to the park improves his performance at school................... 56 Good Living ...........................................................

Finding time for fitness........................................ 58 Surprising first foods you should feed your baby......................................................... 62 10 components to look out for in children’s products........................................... 66 Love your body........................................................ 69 Health ....................................................................

Your baby’s first visit to the dentist................... 72

Can stem cell therapy treat autism?.................. 76 Boosting fertility with your yoga....................... 79

Exclusive to Mother, Baby & Child readers, Voucher is valid until 31st January 2018 Cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer Voucher cannot be redeemed for cash One voucher per transaction only One voucher per customer

CONTRIBUTORS Kamal Dasani Lucy Holmes

is Mum to a 7-year-old boy and newborn baby girl. Lucy is a freelance marketing consultant, specialising in the baby and child industry across the region.

Ebru Verimli Yuksel

is a Turkish writer, business consultant and, most importantly, mother to an 8-year-old son. She has dedicated herself to parenting and education after her son was born and writes for a Turkish publication on these topics; she also writes stories for children.

is mum to twin girls and the owner of online store and blog ‘TherapyBox Australia’ As a senior occupational, vision and applied behaviour analysis therapist, she provides developmental advice and resources to parents, therapists, teachers and carers. therapyboxaustralia.com

Sidiqa Sohail

is a 26-year-old mum to a one-year-old baby girl. Sidiqa has a Master’s degree in Peace and Conflict Studies and owns Spontiphoria — a concept store bakery and cafe. In her free time, you’ll often find her testing recipes or reading a novel.

DURABLE CUTENESS FROM OKAIDI OBAIBI Baby clothes can be very cute, but how long do they last?

We know the baby life ain't easy, so here our picks from Okaidi Obaibi for adorable, yet durable, cuteness.

06 | JANUARY 2018 | MOTHER, BABY & CHILD

Keira Langman

is a UK-based mother-of-one, who started her very own blog ‘Cake Run Mum Repeat’ to give mums a humorous take on the balance between responsibilities, staying beautiful and — very importantly — loving cake. cakerunmumrepeat.com

Rosa Bullock

Juggling her roles as a new mother and business owner, multitasking is second nature to Rosa. When she isn’t acquiring new business and sorting through a mountain of emails, she’s spending some precious quality time with her infant daughter, husband and two French bulldogs.

MOH : FN91051

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THINGS TO DO

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MOTHER, BABY & CHILD | JANUARY 2018 | 17

HINGS

OUT AND ABOUT Essentials for a Fun Family Outing

Mums and dads are busier than ever, so a family outing is an essential part of family bonding and a good time for the brood, but what are the essential components of said outing? You may be thinking: well, baby wipes are a must! Yes, they are, but let’s dig deeper and find out if there are more interesting things you need to keep in mind‌

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PATIENCE

When out and about, whether you’re brunching, shopping or even having dinner with the kids, it’ll be facepainting time for them. Now, you may think this is a harmless activity; it’s all fun and games until the paint won’t come off. This is where your patience is put to the test: around six hours of scrubbing, tugging, struggling and cleaning, only to be left with an irritated child and some pink glitter.

DILIGENCE

Your kids may challenge your diligence on multiple occasions, but you’re going to need lots of patience – and practice – to face your problems.

Whether it’s getting through manic dinners or cleaning their room for the third time, it’s your ability to handle it all so gracefully that makes you a supermum. We salute you!

EDUCATION

Stay informed as to what foods your kids may not be that crazy about. It helps to read more about picky eaters, and how they may suddenly start hating a food because it reminds them of broccoli. Stay educated on your kids’ strange choices so that you can move on with life.

INTUITION

When going out with the kids, you’ll need to rely on your sixth sense for some things. Being prepared is important, so try to sense when your toddler will get bored and start fidgeting, or when your tween will decide they’ll wander off on their own to check out Virgin Megastores.

CONSCIENCE You’ve packed the sandwiches, but the kids aren’t loving them.

You may be thinking that a juicy burger, fries and cotton candy are still acceptable sources of nutrition, but they’re not. This is where your mum conscience comes in: you’ll show the kids that this sandwich is perfectly yummy, and maybe add a rich slice of cheese or cherry tomatoes to make it more of a kid-friendly snack.

PERSISTENCE How persistent can you be when the kids are screaming so they don’t hear you telling them to go wash their hands? Quite persistent, if you ask us.

Okay, so it may take a few attempts – and possibly require threatening them that a giant germ will eat their hands off if they don’t – but it does work in the end, we promise.

POSITIVITY

As mums, we know that hope is what keeps us moving forward. You hope that your tot won’t spill their strawberry milkshake. You hope that your children won’t ask you to buy all 16 balloons. You hope that the family outing won’t end with a crying symphony because the kids just didn’t like the venue (even though they have visited 16 times before).

Now that you’re aware of the fact that motherhood may involve much more than breastfeeding and carrying the right stuff wherever you go, that family outing may just be the best opportunity to do what families do best – spending more quality time together.

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PARENTING

G N I S I RA Y L L A N O I T O EM T N E G I L L E T N I KIDS A mum always wants the best for her kids. Working hard to raise strong individuals, she hopes they’ll go on to lead happy lives and have a good moral standing. Sometimes, however, it can get difficult, and us mums start to question our choices – also hoping that the decisions we make will lead to the results we’re seeking.

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Research has shown that emotional awareness will not only affect, but determine how happy and successful our children will be throughout their lives. More important than IQ, it can help kids grow into more confident, intelligent and well-rounded adults.

“Empathy enables us to connect with other people, which ultimately makes us happier. The link between social support and happiness was most clearly demonstrated in the Harvard Study of Adult Development. This ground-breaking study tracked people for over 75 years and found that relationships were the number one source of happiness,” says Dr Sarah Rasmi, a Dubai-based Canadian psychologist.

Relationships are dynamic. They involve an exchange between two people. The number one rule to raising emotionally-intelligent kids is to teach them to turn towards you when you require their attention. In a healthy family environment, we expect family members to be responsive whenever we need it, and modelling such behaviour will help your kids apply it in their daily lives too.

For mums, it can be difficult to see how a toddler would have the capacity to be empathetic.

However, research has found that even younger children can understand empathy and learn to practice it. Never underestimate your child’s abilities!

“We can encourage our toddlers (and older children) to be more empathetic and kind in a number of ways, by identifying kindness and empathy as family values, talking to our children about the importance of kindness and empathy, and much more,” she adds. “We also need to correct our children when they behave in ways that are unkind or not empathetic.”

While important, correcting your children can have the opposite effect if you do so all the time.

Try to teach them how to repair things, understanding that – while it’s preferable to practice empathy at all times – making mistakes is also ok. They don’t need to beat themselves up over any undesired behaviour and need to learn how to apologise and make it right whenever this happens.

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PARENTING It’s also important for your children to learn that being grateful should be appreciated out loud.

Whether for things or people, whenever they feel like they’re appreciative of something or someone, your kids should be able to express it – and not simply keep it buried inside.

“There are lots of great (and free) resources available online. We can teach children about other people’s emotions using books. Research shows that asking a child to reflect on a character’s feelings is linked to stronger empathy. We can do this by simply asking and then having a discussion around the feeling, what caused it and how our child might feel in that situation,” explains Dr Sarah.

You also need to help your child label their emotions as it’ll help them label others’ and understand them better too. What you’re developing is their awareness of others and how they may be feeling at any point in time, in addition to the feelings associated with every emotion.

One of the most important emotions for children to learn about is ‘hurt’. The idea that they can hurt others, even when they didn’t mean to, is something that they need to learn as bullying is a major problem all over the world today because of a lack of understanding of what words – even before actions – can do.

Your children need to understand that even mean jokes aren’t ok. You also need to model this behaviour, avoiding harsh or mean jokes at home in any context if they’re around. While some adults may understand that it’s a joke, it can often be perceived by children as something harmless, leading them to exercise the same behaviour with peers, siblings and pretty much everyone they come across.

“We teach our children kindness and empathy through how we treat them.

It’s important for us to really remember what it was like to be a child. Many of the things that frustrate our kids seem insignificant to us – but they’re important to them. Remembering this and emotionally validating their feelings will enable us to avoid conflict and build a stronger and more positive relationship with our kids,” says Dr Sarah.

You need to remember to never underestimate your child or their ability to learn and grow. To do that, they’ll need you to be by their side at all times, helping and guiding them along the way. For our kids to develop into the adults we’d like them to be, we must teach them early on, very well, how this adult would be like – how they would feel, respond to and treat others.

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MOTHER-BABY BONDING

MASSAGING YOUR BABY How should I massage my baby?

You can start with baby massages when the belly button is healed off. I do recommend an early start, as newborns often have colic, wind, gas, reflux or other tummy issues during the first months and you can reduce a lot of these problems by giving them regular tummy massages.

If you start the class with a newborn, you’ll learn the same stroke and massage techniques as mums with older babies do. Of course, newborns’ attention span is lower than that of older children, but as we take care of that, it’s not a problem.

When you decide to join my baby massage class, everything will be provided for you and your little ones. As a mother, I know that you always carry a lot, so I want to make sure the only thing you need to bring to the course is your baby.

My courses are unique in Dubai and I’m very proud of that. I work with topics, which means that during every lesson we have one. I’ve discovered that you can remember the stroke and massage techniques much better if you connect them with a certain topic.

My topics include the digestive system (colic, wind and constipation), Nicole and Luke (her baby massage doll) bonding and relaxation, relaxation and sleep, teething, reflex zones, colds and snuffles, and vitality and strength. During these sessions, I’ll speak to mums about the different kinds of cold-pressed oils (carrier oils) as well as specific massage techniques, adjusted to the topic, to improve your little ones’ well-being.

During certain topics, like the digestive system, colds and snuffles, and teething, I also introduce mums to special diluted and safe essential oil mixtures which can be a very helpful, and act as a natural solution or common childhood remedies. Parents can try these oils and are also able the purchase them after the lesson.

A mum with her baby during a session at Koster clinic

At the end of our lesson, I’ll answer any questions which haven't already been answered during our session together. We also spend some time discussing general mummy and baby topics such as sleep, crying, adjusting to motherhood, stress and stress relief for mums and babies.

Nicole Flasser is a nurse for general and intensive care hailing from Vienna, Austria. She's licensed in both Austria and the UAE. At Koster Clinic, she offers aromatherapy consultations, and courses in baby massages were she’s also able to introduce you to different essential oils.

For inquiries, please call Koster Clinic on 04 388 1887 MOTHER, BABY & CHILD | JANUARY 2018 | 25

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PARENTING

THE NUMBER ONE OF HAPPY FAMILIES

It’s no secret that every family’s goal is to be happy. Mums are always working towards what they consider to be their family’s greater happiness and, while other mums are always giving them advice on the rights anda wrongs, it seems like every family has its secrets to happiness.

After asking mums: what’s your secret to a happy family? Mother, Baby & Child got its own set of answers. Can you keep a secret?

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PARENTING

Create traditions: Having a family tradition creates memories that can be cherished forever. Traditions are emotional keepsakes that we keep for life and help kids develop a sense of identity or belonging.

When trying to think up ways of creating traditions, don’t get into too many details. While some, like Friday pizza nights, will require some sort of planning, others can just develop by habit. If your family has a habit of singing a certain song on road trips, this can be your family tradition. Is there a phrase that the family says before entering the house? Do you have any special gestures?

Connect generations: Do you ever sit with the kids to go through family photos or the belongings of those who are no longer with you? Research has shown that kids who are exposed to earlier family traditions are better equipped to handle stress.

Bring out the family photo album and go through photos, telling your kids about grandparents and even great-grandparents, while sharing stories, memories and jokes about how different things may have been back then.

Eat together: Families gathering over food, whether it be for dinner, breakfast or otherwise, is a long-standing, international tradition. A great time to share stories, anecdotes, jokes or even concerns, a family meeting around the dining table brings the family together for something that everyone loves – food.

While dinner is usually the best option when it comes to sitting with family for a good chat, if you can’t manage it, even breakfast is a valid choice. As hectic as it may be, it offers the family a chance to share something of true value before each member goes their own way, whether to school, the office or otherwise.

Know where to sit: This is one of the wonders of environmental psychology and you’ll be happy you learnt it early on. When disciplining your children, sit on a rigid surface. When having a family conversation, choose a cushioned one instead. These tips will make a difference in how flexible or rigid you come across as a parent. Turns out, where you stand is affected by where you sit.

Do chores together: Chores are a hassle: nobody wants to take out the trash or clean the storage, but did you know that doing them together makes all the difference? Rather than assigning individual tasks, get together as a family and do your chores.

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PARENTING

Naturally, some will require group effort and others just won’t, but doing chores as a family will give you the opportunity to talk, laugh and spend more time together. Even something as tedious as chores won’t seem so bad then!

Build team spirit: A family operates as a unit and every member needs to feel like they’re part of something bigger. There’s nothing more comforting than having your parents approve of something you do – or even something as simple as your style.

Spend enough time giving thanks: Thanksgiving isn’t the only time when you should look at your blessings and be thankful for them. Gratitude is something that you should always practice, and doing it together as a family will always give you more ways of being thankful.

Give out hugs: Hugs have the power to make us happier, and family hugs are all the better. Sometimes, we love our family members so much that we forget how important the power of touch can be. Mums think that, as their kids grow older, they don’t need hugs as much as they used to. Something as simple as a hug can make all the difference, especially on a bad day.

Accept their passions: Their passions can be something as simple as gardening; you need to encourage your kids at all times, not only when you like it, and the same goes for all family members. Taking the time to know what they like and supporting it, even if it’s not the biggest of achievements or won’t make them billionaires on the long run, makes all the difference.

Comfort each other: A shoulder to cry on is something we all need, but the support of a family member means more than the world. A happy family must learn to be there for one another, comforting each other in times of sadness and helping one another face every hurdle head on.

Look for laughter: Find laughter in anything, whether it’s a funny joke told over dinner, your husband slipping on the kitchen floor or the kids being silly while trying to avoid chores. Laughter is medicine and the more you laugh as a family, the easier and smoother life will become.

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PARENTING

KIDS: SWITCH OFF – TIME FOR A DIGITAL DETOX As more and more children are sucked into a black hole of iPad and smartphone games, losing interest in activities like sports and reading, their parents are becoming increasingly concerned.

It’s rare to find a modern parent who hasn’t complained that their child is ‘addicted’ to screens. For most of us, it’s a throwaway comment stemming from irritation with a teenager’s incessant messaging, or a toddler having a fit when the iPad or tablet has to be powered off and put away.

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So how do keep your child’s tech usage at a healthy level, whatever their age – and how do you know if you’ve already got a screen addict on your hands?

A 2010 Kaiser Foundation study in the USA showed that elementary-aged children use on average 7.5 hours per day of entertainment technology, 75 per cent of these children have TV’s in their bedrooms, and 50 per cent of homes have the TV on all day. Gone is dining room table conversation, which has been replaced with ‘big screen’ and take out.

The Middle East has similar trends when it comes to physical inactivity among young kids with a prevalent mall and entertainment culture that also encourages these kids to become couch potatoes. Diabetes and obesity numbers are on the rise and many of these disorders start at a very young age – which in itself is the beginning for a host of other health problems. ADHD and social anxiety are just some problems that this generation is facing because of its incessant need to stay connected and stimulated.

Parents have a great responsibility in encouraging their children to stay active and educating them about the benefits of exercise. Aside from being a strong role model, try these tips to minimise conflict and find the balance we're all seeking.

Be a good role model. Children mimic their parents and pick up certain habits from 1chances them. If you spend most of your time on multiple devices for work or any other reason, are, your child will want to do the same. Older children can use your own overuse of gadgets as an excuse to spend time on theirs. Limit your own time on these devices.

For instance, ensure that no phones are allowed during meals for anyone – even you, with your overscheduled work life.

Change your Wi-Fi password daily. Then, get the kids to do a particular chore to 2 obtain it, such as cleaning their room, eating breakfast together, reading a book for an hour or anything that gets them to value the fact that they’ll have to work to go

online. This will not only help them respect their privilege, but will also make them use the time they spend with their devices better.

Engage them in activities where they'll use their hands. Most kids addicted 3videogame to technology are used to having a device in their hands all the time – the controller, their iPod, or even the TV remote. Get their mind and hands occupied by getting them to do puzzles, build 3D models or even cook.

Get them to deposit all their devices in a common location before bedtime. Not only kids, 4 but even adults have the habit of staring into their phones for a good half an hour to fortyfive minutes before sleeping. This sort of overstimulation can disrupt sleep patterns and cause poor memory, fatigue and erratic eating behaviour on the long run.

Physical activity is a must. This cannot be stressed enough. While we recall 5 how we used to play outside during our summer vacations, kids rarely engage in any outdoor activity nowadays. Get your kids to enjoy such activities. Join them.

Dance, play a sport or just go for a walk together. But be involved, so that they know that you are on their side. Then, you can let them have, say thirty minutes to an hour, with their devices.

MOTHER, BABY & CHILD | JANUARY 2018 | 35

PARENTING

THE SCIENCE BEHIND

A ‘BRAIN LUNCH’ No, we’re not talking about eating cow brains (even though some countries do eat them), we’re talking food that’s good for the brain. When preparing any meal, think of every ingredient that’ll go into your child’s body, either nourishing them or hindering their developmental progress. The former being what we’re looking for, we have a meal for you that’s made up of all the good stuff.

From vitamin-rich cucumber which prevents dehydration and olives which are rich in dietary fibres to the phosphorusfilled sea bream and zucchini, which is a great source of antioxidants and vitamin C, this meal is exactly what the kids need for a brain boost.

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Courtesy of Bipin Mathew, head chef at Wavebreaker, here's how to make the full meal:

GREEK SALAD INGREDIENTS

• 100g cucumber • 80g cherry vine tomatoes • 70g onion • 80g feta cheese • 5g dry oregano • 10 ml lemon juice • 15 ml olive oil • 50g Taggiasca olive • Salt and pepper

METHOD

• Firstly, wash and sanitise the vegetables and cut them into cubes.

• Combine all the onions, olives, bell peppers, tomatoes, cucumber and feta cheese.

• Whisk together the olive oil,

oregano, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

• Pour dressing over salad and toss well.

• Sprinkle oregano on the top of the tossed Greek salad and serve cold.

CHAR-GRILLED WHOLE SEA BREAM INGREDIENTS

• 450g whole sea bream • 200g large potato • 180g fresh lemon • 30g asparagus • 50 ml olive oil • 10g garlic • 10g thyme • 30g cherry tomatoes • 20g green zucchini • 20g yellow zucchini • 30g pumpkin • 15g shallots • 25g broccoli • Salt and pepper to taste

METHOD

• Clean and wash the fish.

• Stuff the fish with thyme and sliced lemon. Let it rest for 15 minutes in the chiller.

• Wash and sanitise your vegetables, then cut into small, round slices.

• Peel potatoes and cut into ‘batonnets’ or sticks.

• Season with natural sea salt.

• Char-grill the fish on medium heat for 15 minutes.

• Marinate your vegetables with olive oil, sea salt and pepper, and grill them. For the batonnet potato, toss it with olive oil, salt and pepper, then roast for 15 minutes in the smoker at 220 degrees.

• Garnish with half a lemon wrapped in a muslin cloth and confit cherry tomatoes.

• Serve hot.

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PARENTING

SWEET DREAMS MAKING YOUR CHILD’S DREAMS COME TRUE

Your child is your very own dream come true: they bring so much happiness into your life, making you see things like you’ve never seen them before. Sometimes it’s easy to dismiss children’s wishes; we may think they’re too young and inexperienced, or that they’ll have a change of heart later in life, but children cherish their dreams as much as we do, and they tell us a lot about how they think of their future too.

2 DREAM

1 DREAM Need for speed:

Children are often obsessed with cars, wondering how they work.

From an early age, they count the cars on the road, watch cartoon cars ‘vroom’ around and enjoy the ride with mum and dad on the family road trip. If their dream is to drive a car, you can take them car bumping at the fair or try a real racing experience at Ferrari World; younger children can race around in KidZania.

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A whole world of colourful bricks:

Little builders will ponder over how the cities’ tallest skyscrapers were built and wonder how some of the seven wonders of the world still stand tall. Their world, however, is made of colourful LEGO. Take them to LEGOLAND® for a real-life version of their imaginary LEGO friends and structures, and splashes at the water park too.

Seeing the world from above:

Some children are fascinated with heights. Well, at least you can cross acrophobia off your list! If they’re interested in seeing Dubai from above, the best place to do so would be Burj Khalifa, which allows children from four to 12 years old for as low as AED 95. If they would like to see the world from above, plan a window seat storytelling session on your next trip abroad and marvel at the blue skies and stunning landscapes.

3 DREAM Visiting a real tropical rainforest:

Who knew you could make this dream come true in Dubai? Visit City Walk and check out The Green Planet; with a set-up which mimics a real rainforest and the biggest man-made tree hosting hundreds of adorable birds and animals, this place is a dream come true for us mums too.

5 DREAM Visiting an animation-based theme park:

This dream has come true thanks to the new theme parks which were built in Dubai. MOTIONGATE™ and IMG Worlds of Adventure are the parks dreams are made of, featuring children’s favourite characters and exciting rides, all in one place.

7 DREAM

4 DREAM Visiting every country in the world:

This is an easy one; you probably know what we’ll be talking about now. Global Village showcases the best in culture from some of the world’s most bucket-listed nations. It feels like a dream as you stroll its grounds, tasting yum cuisines and shopping for stuff you may not find elsewhere. The kids’ area is a plus for some extra hours of fun to make it worth the long drive.

6 DREAM Play and eat by the river:

A Venice-like atmosphere sounds good for us, but for the kids the dream would be to enjoy amazing food and entertainment options. Riverland™ is part of Dubai Parks and Resorts, and hosts many entertainment activities for children, not to mention kid-friendly dining – everything from fried chicken to corn dogs is on their menus.

MOTHER, BABY & CHILD | JANUARY 2018 | 39

PARENTING Splashing about all day:

8 DREAM Skiing at the mall:

Oh, this is an easy one. We even see tourist kiddies (and adults) coming in for this adventure. Set in the heart of Mall of the Emirates is one of Dubai’s top attractions; Ski Dubai is your child’s opportunity to live out their dream of skiing in the mall, at one of the hottest destinations in the globe. Very dreamlike, we think…

10 DREAM Marvelling at the sight of endless toys:

In the UAE, a single-storey toy store simply won’t do. From The Toy Store to Hamley’s, your children will have so many options. Even though you might be thinking about your wallet, there’s no denying that it makes our task of pleasing our children as parents much, much easier. Don’t forget the free shows and parades they conduct at malls!

If your child loves water, they’re in the right city. Apart from the infamous Atlantis, The Palm – there are so many mini splashing opportunities around town. From JBR’s ‘Splash Pad’ to spots like Splash and Party and Splash n’ Bounce to smaller water parks like Wild Wadi, there’s no shortage of water-based fun in here.

Living in the capital? Yas Waterworld is a water park that’s based on a story adventure – educational and fun at the same time.

9 DREAM Munching on crazy treats:

Dubai is the perfect place to find Instagrammable treats; from crazy ice cream at Sweet Salvation and customisable treats at FuzziTreat to rainbow burgers at Truckers and the sweet room at the Geales brunch, if it’s your kids’ dream to live in a Willy Wonka factory, then so be it.

11 DREAM Literally living out their dreams:

12 DREAM 40 | JANUARY 2018 | MOTHER, BABY & CHILD

If your child dreams of being a firefighter, doctor or journalist, they can get a shot at their future career dream at KidZania, a kid-size version of the ‘adult’ world. From painting their nails at the salon to housekeeping at a hotel, they can do everything their heart fancies. If your children prefer dancing in tutus, working on buildings or being transported into their cartoons in real life, they can visit Mattel Play! Town, a venue based in City Walk with tons of edutainment activities

EDUCATION

No More Drama?

John Pugh

Director, The Acting Space, Dubai

There are people of all ages for whom acting is a singularly exciting prospect and preoccupation, but it’s of interest particularly to the young. Perhaps it’s the process of revealing oneself emotionally that excites the young actor, or that of stepping into the shoes of a character and losing oneself for a while to 'become' another person.

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The 'dovetailing' of three threads (emotional, intellectual and technical) makes acting satisfying, fulfilling and irresistible. Then, there’s talent, which when thrown into the mix never fails to surprise and enthral. Beyond the obvious lure and tenuous promise of a career in acting, there exists a deeply rooted, solid set of benefits which emerge from drama exploration!

Collaboration, creativity, confidence and communication are all qualities and skills that ‘The Acting Space’, Dubai seeks to nurture in its cohort. In an age where educators are under pressure to measure every aspect of teaching and 'progress', where we need to tick boxes and 'prove' learning as if it’s a technology, The Acting Space will trust in its approaches to 'long learning' and value less 'measurable' outcomes.

Viewing the world through the eyes of great dramatists from Sophocles to Miller and Albee is a way of examining the human condition and wonderful (if often flawed) world that we share. The process of empathising development and improvisation through intense character equips learners for life, relationships and the workplace.

The wonderful and gifted Cate Blanchett once said that she has never chosen a project for the part, but for the project itself. This attitude, collaborative, inquiring and free of egocentricity, will be valued and promoted by The Acting Space. Students who walk through the doors will be much like journalists on a mission to investigate, examine and understand characters, situations and behaviours. Their tools will go beyond the use of a notebook and camera; voices, sense of physical actions and emotional intelligence will be features of every workshop and class.

The Acting Space will offer courses for actors from teenage years to adults, a foundation course for actors in Years 5 and 6 and an emphasis on attitude and resilience will be notable.

Courses will run within the facilities of Kings' School Al Barsha; small group sizes and an appreciation of the diversity of students' abilities will be among the features of the school.

A drama school in Dubai which places importance on each individual actor will enhance the excellent work going on in schools across the city and provide aspiring dramatists with a forum through which to take risks and surprise themselves!

In terms of school-based drama education, these are interesting times (particularly in British-curriculum schools). Drama and Theatre courses, which are examined at GCSE and A Level, have taken on a supposedly 'academic' character with the assessment emphasis shifting further towards written examinations.

Drama specialists, drama students and their parents have never doubted the academic value of drama and theatre exploration in practical forms and performance-based activities. To see young people communicating the works of great playwrights successfully, excitingly and intelligently is absolute evidence of 'academic' success and intellectual understanding.

Perhaps for those students at GCSE and A Level who will be inevitably spending more of their taught sessions ‘preparing’ for such written examinations, the opportunity to embrace more practical performance, acting and directing experience would be welcome.

Learners who flourish through drama education and those who love to 'flesh out' social issues and chew over human psychology and behaviour know that the study of theatre is everything: politics, history, sociology, psychology, language, art, literature, philosophy and people. For such learners, a couple of hours of drama are never enough: they know its value and want more!

The Acting Space, Dubai is a place of innovative, creative learning, where people collaborate with the common aim of devising ground-breaking theatre. The school will offer challenging and exciting opportunities in Drama education, acting classes and ensemble theatre-making for committed actors at Kings’ School Al Barsha. theactingspacedubai.com/

MOTHER, BABY & CHILD | JANUARY 2018 | 43

“My child’s preschool education is more about playing and having fun than academic learning. How can I infuse academics into his education?”

Children must play. The debate about the benefits of an academic preschool program versus those of a play-based programme is a popular one among parents and educators. Given the importance of testing and assessments in our educational systems, I understand the dilemma and inclination to give children the best possible academic preparation, even during the early stages of preschool.

However, play might be the best gift you can give your child in preschool. Parents may misinterpret play as a waste of time or a mere means to keep children busy. Play is, in fact, one of the greatest ways for children to discover and learn ‘academics’ in their own way. When children play with blocks, they’re learning math and critical reasoning. When they play with play dough and paint brushes, they’re developing fine motor skills. When they’re playing with sand and water, they learn math, science, engineering and art. Children learn best through play.

ASK

THE EXPERT

While singing, children learn poetry and rhythm, they learn new vocabulary and sentence structures. When they’re read to by teachers during story time, they’re learning how to read. For children’s brains to reach a point of learning readiness, repeated experiences are crucial. Therefore, reading to children every day helps with their literacy and language readiness for school. As children listen to stories in a rich language, it creates a platform for them to understand and use these words, and increases the rate of reading success at a later age.

At The Cardinal Valley Nursery, we incorporate design-thinking into play. A simple water play activity turns into scientific exploration of water properties and abilities.

A story during story time becomes a creative problem-solving exercise as the children invent things to help a character in the book. A role play exercise turns into fine motor skills development through woodwork.

At our nursery, we let children choose the area that excites their minds the most – whether it’s the STEAM lab where they examine something under a microscope or the design-thinking area where they build a new plane to take them around the world! Our materials, environment and teachers all facilitate the highest form of learning – through play.

Neha Syed Managing Director, The Cardinal Valley Nursery Dubai

thecardinalvalley.com 44 | JANUARY 2018 | MOTHER, BABY & CHILD

10 THINGS TO DO IF YOUR CHILD DOESN’T GET PICKED FOR A TEAM James Bedford

Director of Sport, Kings' School Al Barsha

1) Be realistic

Before any trial, make sure your child has a healthy perception of their abilities and is aware of the possibility of not making the team.

2) Don’t overreact

Rejection at any age is disappointing, but it’s not the end of the world. Stay calm and praise the effort they’ve put in. Questions like ‘why do you think it didn’t work out?’ will help your child to make sense of the rejection.

3) Accept the decision

The temptation for parents to disagree with a coach’s decision is sometimes overpowering.

Parenting doesn’t have to be a solo activity and, when the time is right, you should pull in the coach’s advice for your child on how they can improve.

4) Let them vent

It’s intuitive for parents to console their children after an upsetting situation. Rushing in and saying, ‘it’s ok’ or undermining the coach’s decision will only invalidate your son or daughter’s feelings towards something that’s important to them.

5) Try again

One of the subtler benefits of sports for children is the exposure to negative situations that can develop resilience. Use rejection to pinpoint areas of improvement and work with them so they can improve.

6) Embrace the teachable moment

Rejection can sometimes humble overconfident players and offer some perspective. Embrace this and use it to teach children that rejection shouldn’t be feared, but rather be seen as an opportunity to learn.

7) Explain the emotional response

Rejection won’t feel nice and it’s important that parents explain to children that it’s normal to feel upset by it. Acknowledging their feelings will enable them to move on faster.

8) Try an alternative

Suggest other sports your child may enjoy. Children have fun learning new skills and, with a vast amount of different sports to try, they’ll sure find one they can enjoy and flourish at.

9) Help them practise

The only way to improve a skill is practise, practise and practise! This can be done at the park, beach or home!

10) It’s only a game

Reiterate that their sports performance doesn’t define them. Their ability to be good friends, polite and respectful are more important qualities. A rejection in sports doesn’t make them a bad person.

MOTHER, BABY & CHILD | JANUARY 2018 | 45

EDUCATION

THE LATEST IN EDUCATION Babyshop Renews Cricket Partnership UAE children’s retailer Babyshop has renewed its partnership with the International Cricket Council Academy at Dubai Sports City, continuing to be the Title Sponsor of the ICC Academy’s flagship youth development programme Cricket Cubs and next year’s Babyshop Summer Cricket Camp.

The eight-week Babyshop Summer Cricket Camp will take place from July – August 2018 and cater to youngsters in two age groups, the Cricket Cubs for 3 – 6 year olds and the Juniors ages 6 – 12. iccacademy.net

Foremarke School Dubai Introduces Scholarships and Reduces Fees by 10% from FS1 to Year 6 Foremarke School Dubai is reducing its fees by 10% from FS1 to Year 6 after receiving KHDA approval. The revised fees will be applicable from September 2018.

The school will also be introducing a partner nursery discount of 15% on school fees for pupils from Dovecote Nursery. The discounts are applicable from September 2018 onwards for the first year the child is in school.

Foremarke Dubai will also be launching five scholarships for students who excel across five categories, namely Academics, Performing Arts, Sports, Music and All-Round performance. These scholarships will offer pupils a 5 – 10% discount on annual school fees. foremarkedubai.org

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What’s New with Caitriona Ni Fhiannachta, Head Teacher at Children’s Oasis Nursery A new development we’ve seen lately is a focus on languages, and here in the UAE a focus on Arabic.

Encouraged by the multicultural nature of Dubai and the government’s efforts, many parents, irrespective of their nationality or background, are now encouraging their kids to learn Arabic at a young age.

In response to this, we’ve introduced new Arabic classes which, in 2018, will include fully immersive full-day classes to extend our language offerings just like we’ve done with Spanish. Despite being in the UAE, not many nurseries, particularly those which follow the British Early Years Curriculum, offer immersive Arabic language classes; we’re thrilled to be able to foster a love of language among our children.

MOTHER, BABY & CHILD LOVES: Hape Toys - Doll Family Mansion Home Sweet Home!

Most children dream of a dollhouse of their own and this wonderful doll mansion offers inclusive, moveable furniture with windows and doors that open and close. Interchangeable coloured lamps and plenty of space to work make this item suitable for three to four kids to play together.

It has 10 rooms to go around for doll role playing, acting out their daily routines and re-arranging everything inside.

What’s more exciting? The doorbell makes ‘ding-ding’ sound!

04 239 88 55 info@babico.ae

MOTHER, BABY & CHILD | JANUARY 2018 | 47

EDUCATION

TEACHER PROFILE Michelle Burrowes

Clarion School

What do you like the most about teaching as a career?

I like that every year is different. Working with different colleagues, having different students, working with different families provides endless opportunities for personal and professional growth. On a day-to-day basis, nothing is ever the same twice, and I always feel like I’m learning with the children.

How do you organise your classroom?

It’s important for the classroom to make sense to the children, as well as to me and my support teacher. My classroom is organized into eight centers, where children can work on different skills. Within each center, there are baskets and buckets that are labeled with words and pictures that tell you what is supposed to go into that basket or bucket. There are also words and pictures on the shelves which correspond to the baskets and buckets. That way, the children are able to clean up the classroom by matching the objects that go in the bucket to the bucket itself, and then matching the pictures on the buckets to the pictures on the shelves.

What do you think is the greatest challenge facing students today?

I think that the greatest challenge for children today is that there is not enough focus on their social and emotional growth in the classroom. This is something that I strongly believe they need a sturdy foundation in if they are going to be successful in school, and in life. I feel 48 | JANUARY 2018 | MOTHER, BABY & CHILD

lucky to work in a school that also values the social and emotional growth of each child. As teachers, it is our job, especially in the younger years, to model and help build pro-social skills for our students. Social skills are something that we learn through seeing and doing. Just like any other skill, it takes practice. Many times, I feel that children are not given adequate opportunities and support to practice these skills.

How do you motivate students to become active learners in your classroom?

It is really important to meet children where they’re at, both academically and socially, and also to take interest in and make time for their interests in the classroom. At Clarion, our grade-level curriculum is heavily based on social studies. We are very lucky in that we can be flexible with our curriculum. In KG1, we study transportation all year, but we are able to tailor this curriculum to the interests of the children in our class. Transportation might lead us to do a study of emergency vehicles, or a study of Dubai Creek, depending on what the children are interested in. Right now my students are building 3D vehicles out of recycled materials. When they are learning hands-on about something that they are interested in, they become very active learners.

What would you tell your incoming class in a "back-to-school" letter at the start of a new school year?

I would tell them that I’m really excited to meet them, and I’m excited that they are in my class. I would also tell them to get ready for a really fun year at school!

MOTHER, BABY & CHILD | JANUARY 2018 | 49

EDUCATION

TEACHER PROFILE Glenn K. Lloyd

Teacher & Personal Acting Tutor Hayley's Comet Theatre Company What’s the one thing you love the most about your job?

My favourite thing about my job has to be watching children develop and grow each week. At Hayley’s Comet, we allow the students a lot of creative freedom, which enhances a sense of ownership of the work they produce! All the children and teens have their own individual creative flare, which certainly shines through, but also the passion and joy they have to perform is amazing to be a part of. It’s so rewarding when you open the door and have a bunch of excited children asking if they can play improv games or sing a song.

How has working with kids inspired you?

Within each child we teach, they bring something different to the group. I’ve mainly been inspired by helping the children develop from shy and quiet, to confident smiling stars. There’s a big mix of abilities among the children and, as a teacher, I strive to bring out the best in all of our students and develop their weaker areas in terms of performance and confidence.

It’s heart-warming to see the children helping each other. Setting the group a challenge in teams, and having a chance to step back and watch each child be creative and express themselves, is one of the most rewarding parts of being a teacher.

What’s the most difficult aspect of teaching kids theatre and drama?

I think every day as a teacher you're faced with a plethora of difficult situations. Sometimes kids have missed a class and they’re slightly behind.

Other times, they might be exhausted and struggling to focus. The most difficult aspect for me is tailoring each class to meet the individual needs of each student.

Being aware of a situation, and always being ready to adapt to any lastminute change of plans, I always want to make sure that the children and teens are not only enjoying themselves, but they’re also learning invaluable skills in confidence and interaction that will stay with them throughout their life.

50 | JANUARY 2018 | MOTHER, BABY & CHILD

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Come and enjoy an evening with our accomplished students. Experience a dynamic environment where our Sixth Form students excel in intellectual enquiry, debate, and search for explanation well beyond their A-level curriculum.

kings-edu.com/sixthform

EDUCATION

TACKLING THE PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF

CHILDHOOD OBESITY As a mum, you must have heard of the childhood obesity epidemic, a growing concern all over the world and in this region. Experts are calling for parents to introduce more exercise and healthy eating into their children’s daily lives to prevent this epidemic and help them avoid the psychological effects of obesity as well.

Childhood obesity has emerged as a major health challenge around the globe affecting more than 41 million children worldwide, and is forecasted to reach 70 million by 2025 if current trends continue. According to the World Health Organisation, over 17% of children in the UAE are classed as obese.

“Overweight and obese children are likely to remain obese into adulthood and face problems such as depression and bullying, which can further affect their self-esteem and mental well-being,” says Bahee Van de Bor, specialist paediatric dietitian at the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children (GOSH) in London.

The psychological effects of obesity are overwhelmingly evident. To avoid having them continue into adulthood, it’s important to tackle childhood obesity early on. “Since habits are hard to break, it’s essential that we teach our kids to follow a healthy lifestyle from the very beginning. This message needs to spread far and wide,” explains Dr Raza Siddiqui, CEO of Arabian Healthcare Group and executive director of RAK Hospital.

“We hope that families will eventually learn to adopt good habits in terms of eating, sleeping and exercise. We understand that it’s not an easy task, but remember that change comes from within, and that’s what we should focus on”.

Obesity has several effects on a child’s health and is a leading cause of death around the world. Obese children have an increased risk as adults for strokes, coronary artery disease, hypertension and diabetes, which will lead to a poor quality of life and shortened lifespan.

According to Van De Bor, the child’s support network can play a key role in the prevention or treatment of obesity. “It’s important that the family encourages positive body image from an early age, teaching their children about nutrition and helping them understand what factors are driving weight gain,” she urges.

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People who exercise regularly have a 50% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes and 30% lower risk of early death, dementia and depression. In addition to the health benefits of exercise, overweight and obese children who exercise regularly will see benefits in their school performance as they’re able to focus and concentrate better.

Children need around 60 minutes of exercise a day which can be split between school and extra-curricular activities. Being active and eating healthy shouldn’t feel like chores to the child and should be incorporated in an enjoyable way – it’s as simple as playing tag.

Tackling the problem together as a family can be a great step towards a healthy lifestyle. Experts recommend that parents participate in the activity with their child and prepare a nutritious snack for them to eat immediately after.

“This reduces the temptation to snack on high-sugar/fat snacks later in the day. Always offer your support and understanding, and ensure that there are plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables and healthy snacks readily available for children to eat at home when hungry,” she says.

Here are some top tips from GOSH doctors:

Get Active

Exercising is important for preventing weight problems. Kids need about 60 minutes a day and help achieving this both in school and at home. Encourage them to join a school sports team or take part in school activities. After school, look for local after-school clubs or sports teams; there are lots of fun ways for kids to do 60 minutes without making it a chore.

Activities such as cycling, walking, playing tag, jumping rope or swimming and dancing are great to encourage your child to exercise.

Join in as a family

Exercise is more fun as a family! It should be encouraged and integrated into everyday family life. This can be achieved through small, incremental changes (deciding to walk to school rather than taking the car), to bigger changes such as family trips to the swimming pool or going on a family bike ride.

Reduce screen time Reducing the amount of time kids spend in front of a screen, such as computer, television or video game consoles, is also beneficial.

Be a good role model All the family needs to be on board with a healthy ‘get fit, get active’ attitude so that the child doesn’t feel odd or singled out. This will soon make this healthy attitude a normal, everyday part of family life.

Eat well

It’s important that the body is fuelled correctly to feel the benefits of exercise. Make sure the family is eating regular, healthy and properly-portioned meals every day. Watch out for sugary snacks and drinks in between meals and instead snack on fruits or nuts and drink water.

RAK Hospital CEO Dr Jean Marc Gauer concludes: “As parents, it’s our duty to help our children evaluate their choices in terms of food and activity. However. Sometimes, we need to be taught things from a different perspective which can be far more effective. Moreover, if we make activities such as grocery shopping, outdoor sports and mealtimes a family affair, it’ll help children connect better with a healthier lifestyle and add a fun element to it”.

MOTHER, BABY & CHILD | JANUARY 2018 | 53

EDUCATION

HOW DO I RAISE A SCIENCE-MINDED CHILD? A child’s favourite subject will depend on their preferences and the way they’ve been exposed to it through their education at school and their environment at home as well. Science is an important part of modern-day curriculums; it offers effective methods in teaching children hands-on skills, with fun experiments and colourful modes of study.

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“To foster curiosity and science-based thinking in children, it’s important that they’re encouraged to ask questions, experiment with things, think critically and explain their reasoning. This process should begin at home and it’s important that they’re given the freedom to explore and play without limitations (not on an iPad),” says Michael Bartlett, founding executive principal of Rising School.

Asking questions: Kids and college students have one thing in common: they’re not fans of lectures. A one-sided approach to education won’t help you teach your kids scientific principles, but experimentation and interactivity will.

This means that, in addition to engaging in hands-on activities, they also need to be able to ask questions without fear or hesitation.

Experimenting with things: The flasks and measuring cups may be at the lab, but why not get them a science kit they can play with at home? They can even use everyday objects from the kitchen or garage to create science-related projects.

The key here is creativity.

Critical thinking: Foster this type of thinking by making your kids question their surroundings and observe their environment, always coming up with answers and discussing them with you. Teach them not to take things for granted or merely live through the day without learning anything new.

Free play: Exploring an iPad isn’t free play. This type of play is what happens when kids are left to explore healthy, educational surroundings without limits. An example of this would be a typical workshop or classroom setting in a nursery where, once the teachers steps aside, kids get to explore and discover on their own – as opposed to guided play, which offers a more structured approach to education.

Explaining their reasoning: Kids love a good chat. While their reasoning may sound overly simple for you, to them it sounds like a complicated matter – and this will always call for your attention. Give them the time to explain the reasoning behind their decisions, and engage in interesting talks with them.

“Parents can help develop science-like thinking by questioning the child and their train of thought, encouraging them to explain their own reasoning behind discoveries. It’s important to question their understanding of the world around them and give insights to promote further, deeper thinking. It’s this deeper understanding of concepts that promotes scientific thinking,” adds Bartlett.

While raising a science-minded child requires a bit of an effort and some solid observation from your side, the results will always be worth it in the end. Don’t forget that what you’re trying to teach your child is scientific thinking, rather than a love for science – which are two different things. They need to learn how to approach life with a scientific-thinking approach and choose what subjects to pursue and excel in – all in line with their very own individual preferences.

MOTHER, BABY & CHILD | JANUARY 2018 | 55

EDUCATION

HOW TAKING YOUR CHILD IS H S E V O R P IM K R A P E H T TO L O O H C S T A E C N A M R O F R PE Sheena Wilson

Have you ever made a connection between your child’s sense of touch and school performance, or made a link between their awareness of their arms and legs and ability to count? Probably not…

Founder and CEO, Wilson Centre for Child Development and Rehabilitation

We were all taught about our five senses in school: touch, taste, sight, hearing and smell. However, there are two important unfamiliar senses which contribute to your child’s healthy development too. These two senses, the vestibular and proprioceptive systems, along with our touch system, are crucial to your child’s development and directly linked to their academic performance. Some children who have a high IQ never reach their academic potential because these senses aren’t properly developed before the age of six.

The vestibular system controls muscle tension in every part of our body, from small muscles in the mouth and eyes to large muscles in the arms and legs. In simple terms, this system keeps us upright and balanced. The proprioception system works alongside the vestibular system to feedback to the brain on where the muscles and joints are.

Another important factor in a child’s ability to learn academically is their sense of touch. Every part of our skin provides information to the brain. Our touch system is important for our motor, perceptual, emotional, social and intellectual wellbeing and influences many aspects of our growth and development. A well-developed sense of touch, for example, develops your child’s visual perception. Visual perception is necessary for reading and writing.

How do these systems relate to your child’s learning?

Arithmetic:

The vestibular system is the awareness of our body in space. Therefore, it directly affects a child’s spatial awareness. Spatial awareness skills are related to a child’s ability to plan their movement, where to write on a page and how they understand quantity in maths: for example, what’s bigger, longer, taller, and how to take away and add up.

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Speaking and writing:

The proprioception system relates to movement. If a child can plan their movements verbally and create sounds, then they’ll then be able to transfer them on to a page. A strong tactile system enables them to speak clearly, articulate their words, plan them in a sentence and apply the correct pressure to hold a pen or pencil and create words on a page. A well-developed proprioceptive system also leads to improved concentration and attention.

Reading:

A child’s fingers exploring the world help their eyes understand what they’re seeing, meaning their sense of touch develops their visual perception and affects their ability to read. The vestibular system aids the coordination of both sides of the body and eyes, therefore helping with reading and the concentration required to do it.

When it comes to learning in a classroom setting, the mature development of these three senses is far more important than having a high IQ. Of course, we all want our children to excel in school, but encouraging them to read and write before these senses are fully developed can be detrimental to the success, and their enjoyment, of the task.

Instead, developing your child’s sensory systems through organised play will ensure their academic success. Here are some ideas to help develop a child’s sensory motor systems: • Bouncing on a trampoline • Swings • Slides • Roundabouts • Ball games

• Banging and crashing onto things (for example, a crash mat) • Obstacle courses • LEGO, sand, paint, glue, foam, play dough, water • Blocks, bricks

Every child has sensory motor milestones that should be reached before they’re ready for formal academic learning. By the age of four, they should be able to stand on one leg for 10 seconds, draw basic shapes and hop on one leg.

Don’t forget: Sensory milestones are just as important as formal academic learning!

BRITISH ORCHARD NURSERY OPENS FAHR CAMPUS

British Orchard Nursery has launched its 18th branch in collaboration with the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources (FAHR). The new campus aims to alleviate stress on working women, particularly the employees of FAHR, by taking pre-school and nursery services to their doorstep.

The pre-school’s collaboration with the Federal Government will provide a solid educational environment for children and peace of mind to working mothers. The new campus is located within the FAHR premises in Al Khabaisi, Deira.

britishorchardnursery.com

MOTHER, BABY & CHILD | JANUARY 2018 | 57

G N I V I L D O GO MUM BLOGGER SECRETS

DEEPTI CHANDAK jivewithdeepti.com Give us a brief about your blog.

My blog ‘Jivewithdeepti’ was born when my baby was six months old; it started as a travel blog with baby and later moved on to lifestyle and travel.

What’s your career background and how did your career change after becoming a mum?

I’m a media professional and I continued with my employer a few months after the baby was born, but yes my focus was on my baby and family and, hence, I didn’t change my job or take on any challenging tasks.

What inspired you to start your blog?

The beauty of nature and my baby.

What can mums find on the site?

They can find where to travel with kids, where to eat and how to stay fashionable.

How difficult was it to get the site off the ground? What were your biggest hurdles?

The content needs to be regular and that’s why it’s important to find time to work on it. Once you have a routine, it’s easy.

How did you come up with the design/look and feel?

It was trial and error method: I tried, learnt and worked on it again after receiving feedback from friends.

What tips do you have for other mums who want to start a blog or website?

Choose the right name, be consistent, don’t think about covering everything possible and choose your niche.

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EVIE

No Time to Do Your Eyebrows?

You may be naturally blessed with perfect eyebrows, impeccably shaped and coloured, ready for you to embark on your next playdate or weekend family brunch. However, that’s usually not the case. Eyebrows almost always require lots of grooming and not everyone is blessed with lots of hair to allow for that.

Microblading is perfect for those who want to fully reconstruct, define, cover gaps or fill-in over plucked eyebrows – and it’s very different from a tattoo. Visiting The Dollhouse salon, we got a glimpse of the microblading process, where the therapist – Rowena – uses a special pen to draw hairlike strokes. The process, which takes around two hours including the consultation is pain-free, with a two-week healing period to follow.

The result is flawless: your eyebrows as you’ve always dreamt for them to be, with no effort from your part whatsoever. Now you can tackle motherhood outings head on, surprises and all, without worrying about your eyebrows.

AED 3000 including consultation, session and touch-up

EVIE

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thedollhousedubai.com

A Very Mum-Friendly Salon A beautiful white villa set in a lush garden, Pastels salon is the type of pampering venue where you’ll see mums with newborns getting their beauty fix. With a team who masters the latest techniques and a range of the very best, on-trend hair treatments, they offer the complete works – consultations, cuts, colouring and specialist advice.

With fresh coffee, milk and cookies on our mirror stand, we opt for Angelina’s colour expertise and she definitely knows what she’s doing. Originally from Germany, the stylist has been working in the hair industry for over thirteen years. Then, our hair is blow dried to perfection, with perfect shine and volume; we also go home with some hair-rejuvenating goodies.

A mum’s beauty morning and no complaints from the baby? This might just be our new obsession.

Full colour AED 385, blow dries starting from AED 120 pastels-salon.com

MOTHER, BABY & CHILD | JANUARY 2018 | 61

GOOD LIVING

SURPRISING FIRST FOODS YOU CAN FEED YOUR BABY

Do you ever look at a food and think: would my baby be able to eat this? Until today, we thought babies ate carrot purees – and we were busy mashing, but that’s not the case! Here are some foods your baby can eat that make us go: who would have thought?

Kiwi

Kiwi is an excellent source of vitamins C and K, as well as potassium.

They’re sweet and juicy too, which makes kiwis an ideal first food.

Fish

An excellent source of protein and easy to digest, fish, such as salmon, is high in omega-3 fatty acids which are critical for your baby’s development, including brain and eye health.

Fish is also easy to prepare, works well with a variety of herbs and spices and can easily be masked with other foods or served alone.

Liver

It’s not something that most people eat, but liver is one of the most nutrient-dense foods you can feed your baby and, like beef, it’s an excellent source of iron. Chicken liver has a milder taste and is easier to prepare than other types.

Avocado

Rich in magnesium, potassium and essential fatty acids for brain health, avocado is one of the healthiest first foods for your baby to eat.

Mashing it or rolling small pieces in almond flour makes it easier to grip and introduces almonds to your baby in a palatable way.

Beetroot*

• Rich in minerals and vitamins such as iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin B complex, vitamin C, vitamin K and vitamin E • Decreases risk of diseases • Protects the liver • Promotes blood circulation in the brain

“I personally recommend including children in our regular meals as early on as possible for them to understand what a balanced meal is. Make sure they get used to fresh salads and veggies so they understand that balance, or a little bit of everything, is important,” says Chef Micheel Uwe, president of the Emirates Culinary Guild.

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Can I use these ingredients for the family too?

Yes, the key is mixing them for a healthy, balanced meal that your family can enjoy.

‘BABY BEET' PURÉE INGREDIENTS

• 120g boiled beetroot • 60g boiled quinoa • 50g low fat yogurt • 15g agave syrup • 30ml water

METHOD:

• Add all ingredients into a blender.

• Blend all ingredients together until a smooth paste is achieved.

• Remove and serve in a kids’ bowl. *Beet can only be introduced at 6+ months old.

TIME FOR ANOTHER BUGGY RUN! While The Buggy Run 2018 will take place at Dubai Motor City’s Dubai Autodrome on February 24, training sessions will start from January 5 at Al Barsha Pond Park. With three sessions offered for free as part of The Buggy Run registration, participants are encouraged to sign up soon.

Suitable for all ages and abilities, the family-friendly event includes an untimed 2.5 km and 5 km run with buggies, for beginners right through to seasoned runners, with the aim of bringing families and friends together, and encouraging fitness and exercise as a positive and fun experience.

Participants can run, walk or skip the distances solo, as a team, or even as a relay, and older children are welcome to bring bikes or scooters if they prefer.

Prices start at AED 120 for an individual, AED 170 for a relay team and AED 195 for a family, and all registrants receive three free training sessions and a race pack full of goodies on the day. thebuggyrun.com

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IN THE KITCHEN

BACK FROM WINTER BREAK MAC 'N' CHEESE MUFFINS

Academia Barilla

SCHOOL LUNCHES HAVE NEVER BEEN MORE FUN!

As the school term starts, the days have become busier juggling between work and school hours. For a tasteful, yet healthy lunch, try these mac 'n' cheese muffins. A favourite among kids, this quick and easy-to-make recipe takes almost no time to bake and brings delicious home-made Italian flavours to school lunches, giving you more time to spend with your family.

This child-friendly recipe can also be made with your little ones – creating memories along the way!

INGREDIENTS: FOR 8 MUFFINS

• 200g pipette pasta • 30g butter • 30g plain flour • 500 ml milk • 100g frozen peas • 100g grated cheddar, plus extra to top • Salt and pepper to taste

METHOD

• Preheat the oven to 180°C. • Place the pasta in a pan of boiling water and cook as per the instructions on the pack.

• In a separate saucepan, melt the butter, then add in the flour and stir until combined. Slowly pour in the milk and whisk until the lumps start to break down. Cook the sauce for 4 – 5 minutes until thickened, whisking regularly. Add the cheese and remove the saucepan from the heat.

• When the pasta is cooked, drain it and add it to the cheese sauce along with the frozen peas. Season to taste.

• Grease a muffin tin with a little butter or spray oil and spoon in the macaroni cheese.

• Top with some extra cheese and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.

• Once the macaroni cheese muffins have been baked, allow them to cool before removing them from the muffin tins or they’ll fall apart.

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!

PIZZA PIZZA

The Quick Recovery Healthy Pizza is an excellent example of a kid-friendly recipe that’s healthy, easy to make and delicious

FC Barcelona Nutritionists INGREDIENTS

• 330g flour • 200 ml warm water • 18g fresh yeast • 17g olive oil • 7g salt • 150g low-fat grated cheese • 250g natural canned tomatoes • Oregano

METHOD DOUGH

• Pour the water into a large bowl; sprinkle with yeast and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the oil and salt. Add flour and stir mixture in a kitchen machine until a sticky dough forms.

• Lightly brush another large bowl with a little olive oil. Place dough inside and drizzle a little oil over the top. Cover dough with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm, draft-free place until dough has doubled in size, about 1 hour.

• Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and gently knead 1 or 2 times, forming into a round. Let the dough rest for about 10 more minutes.

METHOD PIZZA

• Stretch the dough into the desired shape.

• Preheat the oven to 210º C. • Combine the tomatoes with the oregano to make the sauce.

• Spread the sauce over the pizza dough.

• Add grated cheese and chosen toppings.

• Place your pizza on a pizza stone and get your pizza in 5 minutes.

This recipe is part of the ‘Eat Like a Pro’ campaign for kids by Beko and FC Barcelona.

To check out more healthy recipes for success, visit beko.com/eat-like-a-pro.

MOTHER, BABY & CHILD | JANUARY 2018 | 65

GOOD LIVING

THE NAUGHTY LIST 10 COMPONENTS INGREDIENTS TO LOOK OUT FOR IN CHILDREN'S PRODUCTS

We all want what’s best for our children, going to great lengths to keep them out of harm’s way. However, most parents are still unable to differentiate between products that are safe for children from those that have long-term, irreversible side effects. Harmful chemicals in children’s products are far more prevalent than we can ever imagine: this can be attributed to wrong labelling, ‘greenwashing’ and more. What’s a mum to do?

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“Knowledge is power. Educating yourself is the best way to defeat ignorance. It’s pivotal to purchase products with apt ingredients, not only for your child’s safety, but also for safeguarding Earth. Remember, every step you take creates a better environment for your child and sets them up for a healthier life,” says Megan Gage, founder of Hot Tot Children’s Hair Care.

Here’s a list of ‘naughty’ culprits you MUST avoid:

1,4-dioxane: This is a manufacturing byproduct that occurs when ingredients are processed with ethylene oxide. 1,4-dioxane is an eye and respiratory irritant and a possible human carcinogen.

Animal fats: Tallow (beef or mutton fat) is rendered after an animal has been killed and is used as an emollient or skin-conditioning agent. There are more humane alternatives to animal-derived ingredients.

Ethanolamines (MEA/DEA/TEA): Neutralising agents used to adjust pH. Ethanolamines can be absorbed through the skin and are associated with allergies, hormone disruption and skin toxicity.

Formaldehyde: This is a by-product of when formaldehyde-releasing preservatives are combined. Formaldehyde is a carcinogen associated with developmental and neurotoxicity in addition to asthma.

Parabens (methyl-, isobutyl-, propyl- and others): This is a class of preservatives commonly used to extend a product’s shelf life.

Parabens mimic estrogen, altering important hormonal mechanisms; they’re suspected to be triggers for breast cancer.

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GOOD LIVING Phthalates: This is a class of chemicals used to make products more pliable and/or aid in the presentation of fragrance. Phthalates are believed to be reproductive and developmental toxins.

Polyethylene Glycol (PEG compounds): Widely used as solvents, softeners, moisture-carriers or thickeners, these compounds are associated with allergy-related conditions such as asthma, rhinitis and eczema.

Sulfates (SLS and SLES): As foaming agents used to create bubbles, sulfates can cause skin irritation, trigger allergies and may be absorbed through the scalp and skin.

Mineral oils (paraffin or petrolatum): This is a byproduct of petroleum distillation with no nutritional value. Mineral oil slows natural cell renewal and may cause dermatitis.

Synthetic colouring: Used to make products more visually appealing, such dyes are also known as coal tar dyes or artificial colours; these petroleum-derived substances are associated with ADHD, allergies and learning difficulties.

Fortunately, there are products in the market that don’t contain these ingredients. It all depends on you! Let’s strive to keep our eyes open and children safe.

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LOVE YOUR BODY

EMBRACING THE POST-BABY BOD

Loving our bodies can be a struggle as is, especially having media constantly bombarding us with images of perfection, causing unattainable standards to be the norm. After giving birth, a woman’s body goes through so many changes – add to that the pressure of raising a new child and it makes a combo very few can breeze through.

“The post-partum period begins after the delivery of the child until the mother’s body returns to its pre-pregnancy state. This period generally defines the first six weeks after childbirth,” says Dr Shila Waghmare, specialist gynecologist, Aster Clinic, Muteena.

“A baby is an adjustment for the entire family and it may take some time to get used to the new family unit. This period may also involve you, as a mother, spending most of the time bonding with your baby and less time with your partner. However, even weeks after, adjusting to motherhood can be challenging, particularly if you’re a first-time mother. Although it’s important to take care of your baby, it’s also extremely important to take care of yourself and your body.”

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GOOD LIVING Here are a few tips that can help ease the process: Don’t rush into losing weight.

“Childbirth is one of the greatest and most life-changing experiences for a woman. Post baby, life can be very rewarding, but also extremely challenging. New mothers often struggle with changes in their post-baby body such as more stretch marks, a wider waistline, jelly tummy from retaining pregnancy fluid and saggy breasts,” says Dr Enas Othman, family medicine specialist at Snowdonia Medical Centre.

You may feel the urge to get back into shape and shed the extra pounds immediately after leaving the hospital.

While some women may be able to hit the gym and work out within two weeks post-delivery, Dr Shila advises mums to wait until the completion of the first six weeks and consult with your specialist whether it’s okay for you to proceed with working out. The most important thing to remember is to be patient with your body and give it some time to recover.

Breastfeed your baby.

The benefits of breastfeeding are widely discussed and well-known to all mothers. While breastfeeding provides the baby with the best nutrition, it also boosts the mother’s immune system. Breastfeeding may not necessarily help shed extra pounds, says Dr Shila, but it has proven health benefits for the mother and baby.

“Although, breastfeeding can burn 400 – 700 calories a day, and aid weight loss, exercising on a regular basis and maintaining a healthy diet will improve the mum’s overall physical and mental status on the long term. Some mothers go back to their pre-pregnancy figure quicker than others, while others don't.

From my experience, it’ll take, on average, 3 – 12 months for your body to recover from pregnancy,” explains Dr Enas.

THE PERFECT POST-WORKOUT MASSAGE

Mamas, we all know that feeling: you’ve just finished your week’s workout routine and you feel pretty good about your body; the only thing is, your muscles feel a bit sore and you’re finding it hard to go about your day as you normally would.

We’ve found the perfect deep tissue massage for you. ‘CHI, The Spa’ draws inspiration from the legendary Shangri-La – a place of personal peace, enchantment and well-being. Massages and treatments are based on authentic natural healing methods found in traditional well-being practices shared by many Asian cultures.

Your treatment can be customised according to your personal health and wellness goals – and even your favourite odours.

Treat sore muscles with an intense deep tissue massage, which was created to restore and heal overused muscles. Using a warming organic essential oil designed to strengthen the body’s vital energy, this therapy ensures that you emerge with a renewed spirit, and a relaxed body and soul. Post-baby workout cool down – sorted!

04 405 2441

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Avoid fad diets.

As tempting as they may seem, avoid following diet plans which aren’t recommended by a specialist and claim to help reduce weight easily.

As a mother, you need plenty of energy as you’ll be frequently feeding your baby. Avoid empty calorie foods like aerated drinks, sodas, chips etc. Consume healthy food that includes all the necessary nutrients including protein, fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products, carbs combined with protein, whole grains etc.

Don’t diet by not eating.

Ensure to eat timely meals, particularly breakfast and lunch. Don’t skip any meals. Eat small yet frequent meals throughout the day which will help avoid overeating. Dr Shila also advises new mums to distribute their calorie intake throughout the day.

SHOW YOUR BODY

SOME LOVE

Eat healthy snacks.

Munch on nutritious food and avoid sugary munchies. Eat high-fibre snacks like some veggies including celery sticks, cucumbers, figs, raisins, etc.

Find a suitable time for working out.

Some women may find it convenient to work out in between feeding and changing the baby. They’ll find small workouts which can be completed within 10 minutes’ time. Others may prefer long walks in the park and a few others may prefer to exercise at the convenience of their homes.

Drink lots of water.

“Drink lots of water throughout the day and stay hydrated at all times.

Drinking water will also help keep you full and eat less,” says Dr Shila.

Stay motivated – throughout the whole journey.

“In between all of this, ensure that you get adequate sleep. It’s difficult to get eight hours of sleep when you have a little baby, but lack of sleep can cause various problems. Seek help if you need it. If you’ve been trying to lose the extra weight, but have been unable to, seek assistance from a professional,” urges Dr Shila.

Moreover, discuss your issues with your partner and find ways to make things work. Take time off from taking care of the baby and make some time for yourself as well; feeling happy and healthy is extremely important to make everyone around you feel the same.

Dr Enas concludes: “After having a baby, some women might even feel blue (or in extreme cases, suffer from postnatal depression) due to their changing hormones, which doesn’t help with their already-negative perception of their bodies. I always tell my patients to share doubts with friends and family. As a new mother, you may feel as though it's selfish to be concerned about your needs over the baby’s. However, it's essential to have both a healthy baby and mother.”

Let’s face it, no one wants to start the new year in Spanx! Enter Rebecca Treston and her eponymous clinic, which offers an array of slimming and shaping treatments: this means you can throw your stifling undergarment away and enjoy looking fabulous in your new brunch dress.

We would recommend the Ultrasound Cavitation; dubbed ‘fat melt’ by beauty industry insiders, this non-invasive and non-surgical treatment targets and obliterates the body’s fat deposits, offering a loss of up to five centimetres after just one session. Due to its non-invasive nature, the treatment is completely painless and there’s no recovery time, ensuring your daily life isn’t inconvenienced and making the procedure a welcome alternative to surgery.

What’s more, unlike other fat melting treatments, Ultrasound Cavitation takes just 60 minutes to treat unwanted fatty deposits.

January promotion: Buy a package of three – one treatment of Ultrasound Cavitation, one session of proellixe and one RF treatment – and pay just AED 2,580 – saving 50%.

Prices start from AED 800 For more information:

04 394 5422

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YOUR BABY’S FIRST VISIT TO THE DENTIST “When should I take my baby to the dentist?” is one of parents’ most common questions to dentists.

It comes as a shock to most when they’re told that it’s recommended to take their children to visit a dentist by the time their first tooth appears. As parents, it’s important to understand that babies can develop cavities in their teeth as early as when they grow their first tooth.

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry has found that a child’s first visit to the dentist should take place by their first birthday. The first dental visit is more for the parents as they're then made aware that good dental hygiene isn’t limited to cavity prevention. It’s during this visit that they learn about oral health practices crucial to ensuring their child’s dental hygiene.

Dr Jaby Tom Jacob, specialist paediatric dentist at Aster Clinic, Karama, tells Mother, Baby & Child about some of the things parents learn during their first dental visit: • Milk teeth start to fall at the age of six and continue to be replaced by permanent teeth until a child is 12 years old.

• Milk teeth play a vital role in aesthetics, phonetics, mastication and maintaining the size and shape of the jaws – also as a guide to the eruption of permanent teeth.

• It’s important to maintain healthy milk teeth from the time they first appear.

• Parents learn more about teething during their first dental visit, which is a common area of concern.

• During the first dental visit, parents also learn about the importance of healthy eating and good oral hygiene.

• Various undesired oral habits which can be harmful to tooth development like thumbsucking, tongue thrusting, nail biting and more are explained by the dentist during the first visit.

• It’s important for parents to learn about compulsory dental and oral check-ups which take place once every six months for the prevention and early management of problems.

• During the first visit, the dentist will check your child’s existing teeth, gums, alignment, etc.

Another common concern parents have with regards to dental care for their kids is whether to consult a dentist or paediatric dentist. Either type of dentist can address a child’s oral care needs. However, it’s highly recommended that a paediatric dentist is consulted as they may understand a child’s behaviour better, which can help put them at ease.

During your baby’s first visit make sure that the dentist answers all of your questions. Good luck!

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LOOKING AFTER YOUR BABY’S TEETH IS ONE OF THE MANY IMPORTANT RESPONSIBILITIES OF PARENTHOOD

Dental

Dr. Tania Firoozi

Dentist and Founder, Sterling Dental Clinic, Dubai

Milk teeth are as important as permanent teeth. Your baby will have 20 milk teeth by age of three with a few months’ variation. Milk teeth have thin enamel and are more prone to decay and erosion when exposed to sugar or acidic drinks. It’s very important to look after your baby’s teeth right from the beginning because they can decay as soon as they erupt. It’s always better to schedule the dentist when your child has no dental problems, don’t wait until an emergency comes up. Positive reinforcement and regular check-ups will lead to decay-free milk teeth and their permanent successor teeth.

Products for kids

available on cleanition.com AED 90

Avoiding night-time baby bottle tooth decay

Once teeth have erupted, any long exposure to sugar can cause tooth decay. This means trying to avoid bottle feeding at night to soothe baby back to sleep. When fed to a baby at night, milk forms a pool in a sleeping baby’s mouth, and its sugar content ferments into acid, decaying teeth over time.

Care don’t share

Avoid sharing spoons with your baby and cleaning dummies in your mouth.

This transfers decay-causing bacteria to your little ones.

Thumb-sucking and dummy use

Thumb-sucking is a natural reflex in children which helps them self-soothe and fall asleep. This reflex should be discouraged from the age of two onwards to avoid complications with tooth alignment and biting when the permanent teeth erupt. This can be achieved either through applying a bitter solution on the thumb or placing a tongue crib appliance in the mouth.

Sucking on a dummy provides the same soothing effect, but is a much easier habit to break.

for Mama

Cleaning baby’s teeth

As soon as baby teeth are out they must be brushed using a soft baby toothbrush. Before the age of three, using just a smear of toothpaste (rice-size), gently brush in circular motions with a regular unflavoured toothpaste that has at least 1000 ppm of fluoride.

After the age of three, a pea-sized amount of toothpaste must be used. There’s no need to opt for over-the-counter children’s toothpaste as the fluoride isn’t enough to fight off decay. In addition, the ‘don’t rinse- only spit’ mantra after brushing must be taught to retain the action of topical fluoride on teeth after brushing. If two teeth are in contact, floss should also be used to remove food debris and plaque from the contact areas which a brush wouldn’t otherwise reach.

If your child is a toddler, if necessary, the dentist may clean their teeth too.

Happy first visit!

AED 295

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H E A LT H

SWINE FLU

How Can You Protect Your Family?

Dr Azhar Alam Khan

Internal Medicine Specialist, Medcare Hospital

One of the most common scares we hear of is swine flu, but how much do we really know and how can we protect our families from it – and the rumours that fly around every time there’s an outbreak?

Influenza viruses are small viruses responsible for causing the flu and flu-like illnesses.

There are three types of influenza viruses: A, B and C. Influenza A and B cause most flu cases, a different type of influenza virus causes an outbreak, which affects many people.

This is called seasonal flu. Most cases usually occur within a period of six to eight weeks during the winter.

Swine flu, as it’s known to the public, is caused by a particular strain of the influenza A virus called H1N1. Swine influenza is common throughout pig populations worldwide. The transmission of the virus from pigs to humans isn’t common and doesn’t always lead to human influenza.

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How does swine flu spread?

Swine influenza (H1N1) spreads from person to person, either by inhaling the virus or touching contaminated surfaces, then touching the mouth or nose. Infected droplets are expelled into the air through coughing or sneezing. Research suggests that the H1N1 swine influenza is about as contagious as the usual human influenza. If one person in a household gets swine flu, anywhere from 8% — 19% of their household contacts are likely to get infected.0

What are the symptoms of the disease?

The H1N1 virus causes a respiratory infection and a combination of following symptoms: fever, chills, sore throat, cough, difficulty breathing, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, headaches, body aches, confusion, dizziness or alterations in consciousness.

Very young children may not complain of a fever or have a cough, but rather experience dehydration, irritability, listlessness or shortness of breath as their main symptoms. Parents should look out for signs of rapid breathing, bluish skin or reduced levels of responsiveness, which should prompt immediate medical attention.

Children and young adults (ages 0 – 24 years) have the highest rate of infection. Older adults (>65 years) are less likely to be infected as they have ‘partial immunity’, probably due to developing antibodies against these viruses. People with chronic medical conditions are always at higher risk of complications.

How long is a person with H1N1 considered contagious?

People with swine influenza are believed to be contagious one day before getting sick until at least 24 hours after symptoms resolve. Children and people with weak immune systems may be infectious for longer periods, for example 10 days.

What are the treatment options for swine flu?

The doctor would be the first person to determine these, but general management includes: • Frequent handwashing with soap and water or disinfection with alcohol. Patients should try to avoid touching their face or mucous membranes. The influenza virus can live about two hours on surfaces that become contaminated.

• During coughs and sneezes, the mouth should be covered with a tissue or sleeve.

• In areas with many cases, it’s best to minimise non-essential exposure to crowds. Sick people should stay home whenever possible.

• To reduce the risk of spreading the flu to other family members, everyone in the household should wash their hands frequently. Alcohol-based sanitising gels can be used instead of soap and water when hands aren’t visibly soiled. The most significant risk factor for the flu is contact with virus particles, usually hand-to-mouth contact or contact with particles spread by coughing and sneezing.

How serious is an H1N1 virus infection?

Illness tends to be the most severe in the elderly, infants and young children, and in immunocompromised hosts. Death resulting from seasonal influenza occurs mainly in the elderly and in individuals with pre-existing chronic diseases. Travellers, like residents, are at risk in any country during the influenza season.

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H E A LT H

CAN STEM CELL THERAPY TREAT AUTISM? A new pregnancy is a new beginning: a child that you’ll nurture and protect to, not only ensure they get the best possible start when they enter the world, but also help them go on to lead a healthy and happy life.

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New developments and discoveries in stem cell research giving mothers hope for a better future for their children.

It has been found that storing their stem cells at birth could be a crucial step in treating or curing unexpected illnesses they may face later in life.

are

“Umbilical cord blood stem cell therapy, which uses stem cells collected from the blood of the umbilical cord immediately after birth, was first used in the 1980s and is now part of the successful treatment of more than 80 different diseases,” says Shamshad Ahmed, founder and CEO of Smart Cells.

What exactly are stem cells?

Stem cells are biological cells which, when they divide, have the potential to either remain a stem cell or transform into another type of cell with a more specialised function. Such cells are the building blocks of the blood and immune systems, acting as a repair and maintenance system for tissue, organs and blood vessels by multiplying and transforming into other body cells, replacing cells which have been damaged.

Stem cells are located in several places throughout the body, but one of the best sources is the blood of the umbilical cord. After childbirth, the umbilical cord is normally discarded by medical staff, but saving cord blood and extracting the stem cells is a simple, non-invasive process.

What can stem cells be used for?

Cord blood stem cells can be used in stem cell transplants to replace diseased cells and rebuild an individual's blood and immune system. Stem cells collected from one child can be stored to be used to treat siblings, provided they are a correct match. Clinical trials are also looking at the use of cord blood stem cells in regenerative medicine, including the treatment of autism in children.

Autism is a very common developmental disorder that affects millions of people around the world. It impairs the ability of a person to communicate and interact with others. Its symptoms include poor eye contact, compulsive behaviour, learning disabilities, anxiety and inappropriate social interaction.

What do we know so far?

US-based Duke University researchers trialled their new stem cell therapy on 25 autistic children between the ages of four and six. They began by testing their autism symptoms and ability to communicate with others. “The idea that cord blood stem cells could be used to treat autism is an outgrowth of extensive prior research at Duke University,” says Wayne Channon, Cells4Life chairman.

The children were then given the stem cell therapy,

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H E A LT H which consists of a transfusion of their own cord blood stem cells. The researchers then waited a year and brought the children back in for testing.

“We measured the children’s social and communication abilities using various tests and parent questionnaires. We found that the infusion was safe and many children showed improvements in their social and language skills,” explains Dr Geraldine Dawson, director of the Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development and professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Pediatrics and Psychology and Neuroscience at Duke University.

They were delighted to find that the children had fewer symptoms. The researchers don’t know exactly how the stem cells are reducing autism symptoms, but they suspect it may be through suppression of microglial activation — a type of immune cell within the nervous system.

This pilot study isn’t enough to definitively say that this umbilical cord blood therapy can cure autism. Researchers have to perform additional research with more participants and control groups, and planning is underway.

How are stem cells collected?

Cell collection takes place immediately after birth and is painless and safe for both mother and baby. The procedure is carried out by a trained and licensed healthcare professional – a private obstetrician, doctor, midwife or an assigned phlebotomist (someone trained to take blood) at the hospital or birthing centre. Home births are discouraged in the UAE because midwives aren’t permitted to work outside the hospital.

As soon as your baby is safely delivered, whether naturally or via C-section, and the umbilical cord is clamped, it’s wiped with antiseptic and a needle is inserted into one of the veins in the umbilical cord to withdraw blood.

The collected umbilical cord blood is then transferred to the specialist laboratory or cord blood bank, using special containers to maintain the appropriate temperature and integrity of the cord blood unit.

The umbilical cord then undergoes a process known as volume reduction. If it meets quality standards, the cord blood is then cryopreserved for long-term storage. Ideally, the cord blood should arrive at the laboratory and be processed within 72 hours of birth. The shorter the time between the birth and cryopreservation the better, to maintain the quality of the cord blood taken.

Once frozen, the precious stem cells can be stored for many decades, depending on the quality of the cryopreservation procedure. If the time comes when you need the stem cells for a treatment, retrieval is straightforward. Simply contact your cord blood bank, fill out a request form and provide permission for the bank to liaise with the doctor who’s dealing with your case. Everything is then arranged to make sure the cells are shipped and prepared for the date of treatment.

Should I go for stem cell therapy?

Stem cell therapy has been shown to treat many diseases, but further studies are required to confirm just how effective it can be in treating autism. Storing stem cells collected from your newborn’s umbilical cord is a once-ina-lifetime opportunity to capture a valuable resource that could, in the years to come, turn out to be a life-saver.

However, the only person who can decide whether it’s worth the investment is you.

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BOOSTING FERTILITY WITH YOGA

WHAT ARE THE RIGHT POSES? Everybody knows that stress can have harmful effects on the body. For women who are trying to conceive, stress can be one of the factors which hinder their efforts to have a baby. The links between stress and infertility are complex and not fully understood, but cortisol, the so-called stress hormone, has been found to interfere with ovulation. Lower stress levels, and having a positive mood and outlook, can increase the odds that fertility treatments would work.

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H E A LT H Yoga has been found to have multiple positive effects on the body. From reducing stress to promoting a flexible, disease-free physique, mums are now taking on yoga as part of their daily lives, even after giving birth, but what are the best yoga poses for mums who are still looking to conceive?

“Perhaps the strongest evidence that reducing stress (through yoga and other means) can boost fertility comes from a study

by Alice Domar of Harvard Medical School. In 2000, Domar found that 55 per cent of infertility patients became pregnant (and had a baby) within one year of participating in her 10-session programme, in which they were introduced to yoga and meditation, along with other relaxation techniques and acupuncture,” says Dr Pankaj Shrivastav, director of Conceive Fertility Hospital.

“Stress is harmful to just about everything physiologically. When the body feels like it doesn't have enough energy, it’ll start to shut down the less crucial functions. One of those is reproduction,” he adds.

Positive visualisations, heart openers and poses that foster self-nurturing can help women cope with stress and disappointment. Here are some poses that are often taught with the intention of overcoming infertility, increasing flexibility and boosting overall fitness:

Paschimottanasana (seated-forward bend): This pose stimulates the ovaries and uterus. The forward bend stretches the muscles in the lower back, hips and hamstrings.

Hastapadasana (standing-forward bend): In this pose, you bend forward bringing the hand to touch the feet. It stretches all the important muscles of the back and this will improve the blood supply to the pelvic region and nervous system. This bend helps relieve stress from the abdominal region and make the spinal cord more flexible.

Baddha Konasana (butterfly pose): Improving flexibility in your private parts and hip regions, this pose stretches the inner thighs, genitals and knees. It helps release any toxins and negative energy in the areas of the hip and groin.

Balasna (child’s pose): In this pose, the muscles of hips, thighs and ankles are stretched and strengthened. It calms the brain and helps relieve stress and fatigue.

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Bhramari Pranayama (bee breath): This pose instantly relieves the body of tension, anger and anxiety. The chances of conception are better with a more relaxed body and mind.

Bridge: This is a tough yogic pose. This asana requires you to lift your pelvic region up while keeping your buttock muscles firm. When the pelvic area is thrust upwards, both the energy and blood flow get circulated to the uterus and ovaries.

Cobra: This is an important asana that strengthens your back muscles while stimulating hormone production in the uterus. Lie on your stomach. Then, lift your upper body portion by putting your weight on your hands. Raise the upper body and look up.

Shavasana (yogic sleep): This pose is helpful to induce a conscious yogic sleep called Yoga Nidra. It aids in attaining equilibrium in the body and mind. It’s very simple yet powerful among other fertility yoga poses for women, as it helps in uplifting the state of mind and making one more optimistic in their approach.

It’s as easy as lying flat on your back with the heels spread as wide as the yoga mat and the arms a few inches away from the body, palms facing upwards.

There you have it mamas; if you need some stress-free time, with something that’s low-impact, fun and calming, all you need to do is practice some yoga poses. Don’t forget to end it with some yogic sleep – it’s a good excuse to dose off.

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