Issue Seven: October - December 2015

babys beyond TM

and

October - December 2015

Drowning exposed Will you be able to breastfeed?

Raising the future

Cyber safety – know the dangers

www.babysandbeyond.co.za

ISSN 2311-5467

9 772311 546706

INSIDE: Giveaways

Sensory engagement for optimal development Classifieds

Subscribe and WIN!

Kicks for kids

BAB 7.indd 100

2015/09/23 11:06 PM

BAB 7.indd 1

2015/09/23 11:06 PM

BAB 7.indd 2

2015/09/23 11:07 PM

BAB 7.indd 3

2015/09/23 11:07 PM

10

babys beyond TM

and

CONTENTS

21

30

Features

Sensory engagement for optimal development .................. 10 Cyber safety – the dangers for children................................. 14 Year one – how to thrive and not just survive ........................ 16 Raising the future ...................................................................... 21 Early speech intervention......................................................... 24 Empowering young girls to end sexual violence................... 27 Co sleeping and biological imperatives ................................ 30 Functional fashion ..................................................................... 32 Birthing centres in South Africa ................................................ 34 Will you be able to breastfeed?.............................................. 36 Bad financial habits parents teach their children ................. 40 Crisis pregnancy campaign .................................................... 42

Health

Healthy attachment, easier separation ................................. 44 Spring has stung! ....................................................................... 47 Losing pregnancy weight the healthy way ........................... 50 Eczema and allergies ............................................................... 52 What you don’t expect when you’re expecting .................. 70

Education

Supporting your studying child ................................................ 55 How much sleep does your child need? ............................... 58 Successful studying – as an adult............................................ 60 Techno literacy .......................................................................... 62

Summer Safety

40 4

BAB 7.indd 4

Avoiding tragedy ...................................................................... 64 Drowning exposed .................................................................... 66 Pool safety legislation ............................................................... 72 A sun smart summer .................................................................. 74

Regulars

Kicks for Kids: Fun puzzles and activities ............................... 81 Grab Some Grub: Creamy Lemon Chicken

with Mushrooms and Bacon Salad Wraps ............................. 84 Out & About: Heading to the mall? ....................................... 87 Top destinations for family travel............................................. 88 News: A step ahead ................................................................ 91 Duck craze boosts children’s hospital fund ........................... 92 Living a healthier lifestyle is a breeze ...................................... 92 Polyco launches ‘how to recycle’ videos .............................. 93 The best chance at life............................................................. 93 Book Review: This edition’s recommended reading ........... 94 www.babysandbeyond.co.za

2015/09/23 11:08 PM

BAB 7.indd 5

2015/09/23 11:08 PM

Baby’s and Beyond October - December 2015

CREDITS

babys beyond TM

Editor: Emma Dawson editor@babysandbeyond.co.za

and

Editorial Contributors Annamarie Song Carey Haupt Carly Tzanos Catherine Barry Chantal Waisman Clare Pretorius Craig Wilkinson Danielle Forsyth Dr Etti Barsky Dr Sarah Karabus Gavin Sutton Gerda Klopper James J McKenna Jeanine Beukes Lesago Matabane Lourdes Bruwer Megan Faure Nolene Rust Petro Boers Wouter Fourie

October - December 2015

Drowning exposed Will you be able to breastfeed?

Raising the future

Cyber safety – know the dangers

www.babysandbeyond.co.za www.babysandbeyond.co.za

ISSN 2311-5467

Content Manager: Melanie Taylor artwork@mediaxpose.co.za

Sensory engagement for optimal development

9 772311 546706

INSIDE: Giveaways

Classifieds

Subscribe and WIN!

Design and Layout: CDC Design carla@cdcdesign.co.za

Kicks for kids

Project Manager: Elroy van Heerden elroy@babysandbeyond.co.za

Cover: Photographer: Jeanine Bresler Photography Models: Arabella and Alexandra Boyce Product: Huggies Nappy Pants

Sales Manager: Sarina Afonso sarina@mediaxpose.co.za Advertising Sales: Ehrin Manuel ehrin@babysandbeyond.co.za Lorraine Beneke lorraine@babaysandbeyond.co.za Allison Davids allison@babysadnbeyond.co.za A-eeshah Davids aeeshah@babysandbeyond.co.za

Pictures: www.shutterstock.com; www.123RF.com babysandbeyond

Chief Financial Officer: Shaun Mays shaun@mediaxpose.co.za

@babysandbeyond

Accounts Assistant: Melany Smith accounts1@mediaxpose.co.za Distribution and Subscriptions: Janine Mays distribution@mediaxpose.co.za Printing Paarl Media Paarl www.paarlmedia.co.za

Scan here to access our website: www.babysandbeyond.co.za

Published By:

babys beyond TM

and

6

BAB 7.indd 6

404 Commerce House, 55 Short Market Street, Cape Town, 8001 PO. Box 15165, Vlaeberg, 8018 Tel: 021 424 3625 Fax: 086 544 5217 E-mail: info@babysandbeyond.co.za Disclaimer: The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher or its agents. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information published, the publisher does not accept responsibility for any error or omission contained herein. Consequently, no person connected with the publication of this journal will be liable for any loss or damage sustained by any reader as a result of action following statements or opinions expressed herein. The publisher will give consideration to all material submitted, but does not take responsibility for damage or its safe return.

www.babysandbeyond.co.za

2015/09/23 11:08 PM

BAB 7.indd 7

2015/09/23 11:09 PM

44 50 60

ED’S NOTE

Wishing you a safe summer

W

ith the weather getting warmer, the days longer, and the promise of holidays approaching, we cover some important summer safety topics in this issue.

Our regular contributor, Gavin Sutton – a veteran paramedic, previous head of training at the Western Cape Emergency Medical Services, and current chief operating officer at Be Safe Paramedics South Africa – provides invaluable information about drowning. Based on his experiences as a paramedic, he doesn’t hesitate to claim that all drownings involving children are completely and utterly senseless, and associated with some form of a lapse in supervision. I urge you to read his article on page 66 to understand why he says this, and to ensure that your children are safe around water.

We also look at new pool safety legislation that’s receiving much needed traction. Caryn Formby, a staunch advocate of pool safety and a director of PowerPlastics Pool Covers, compares pool safety laws to the new seatbelt legislation.

She says it’s hard to ignore the statistics relating to children and seat belts, and wishes that more people would see pools in the same light. They are no less risky than cars, yet the statistic – a child under the age of three is more likely to die by drowning than in a car accident – does not shock us to the same degree as infant mortality rates on the roads.

Learn more about pool safety legislation on page 72.

Also tying in with our safety theme, allergies, while not just a summer infliction, can be exacerbated by the change of season – particularly those related to bees. In her story, Chantal Waisman tells of a terrifying incident with her little boy, Jacob, who is severely allergic to bees. She imparts some valuable advice to parents of allergy sufferers on page 47.

Children’s safety online also features in this edition. Nolene Rust, a forensic social worker, warns about the significance of establishing protocols and having systems in place to ensure that children are safe online (page 14), and Petro Boers, a grade three teacher at Crawford Prep Italia, highlights the importance of knowing what your children are doing online and teaching them how to be responsible digital citizens (page 62).

Our next edition will be out in January 2016. In the meantime, I wish you a safe, happy and healthy holiday season with your loved ones.

Happy reading!

74 8

BAB 7.indd 8

www.babysandbeyond.co.za

2015/09/23 11:09 PM

BAB 7.indd 9

2015/09/23 11:09 PM

FEATURE

Sensory engagement for

optimal development

By Megan Faure, occupational therapist, author, and founder of Baby Sense

Stimulating an infant’s nervous system by engaging sensory input through all the senses is essential for development. Sensory stimulation and emotional engagement are the foundation for neural growth, providing the platform for all development, emotional intelligence and ultimately long-term success. This opportunity is never more significant than in the critical early years.

T

he birth and development of the human baby is the most wonderful journey to observe. From conception to two years old, the miracle of life unfolds at a never-to-be-repeated rate. This period is 1001 days – 1001 critical days in which a parent gets to touch another human’s life in a way that will shape and form not just that person but the next generation too. It is a precious gift, an overwhelming responsibility.

Emerging research suggests that multisensory stimulation is critical for development – essential not

10

BAB 7.indd 10

only for emotional and cognitive development but also for the child’s physical and social growth. For this reason, the World Health Organisation, and many other non-governmental organisations, promote the concept that babies need stimulation and care to develop and grow.

Pregnancy provides the platform for the birth of 100-billion brain cells that are largely unconnected at birth. From birth to 18 months, connections occur at a rate of over one-million per second. By the baby’s second birthday, his brain will have grown to 80% www.babysandbeyond.co.za

2015/09/23 11:09 PM

FEATURE of its adult weight and provide the platform for all development through life.

Multisensory stimulation increases synaptic connections, which promote brain development.

When a neurone is stimulated, it is reinforced, whereas those synapses that are not stimulated are pruned. This means that what a baby feels, smells, tastes, hears, and sees will help to promote the long-term survival of synaptic connections during brain development and thereby enhance brain and physical development.

While early parenting is important for the baby’s growth and survival, it’s not just about growth but about giving a baby the opportunity to develop to his full unique potential. Parents have the awesome opportunity to enhance this process of development and change their child’s life forever.

at birth. The sense of touch is the body’s largest sensory system, receiving input from not only the entire skin but from within the body too. Tactile stimulation is essential for the development of motor skills, emotional stability and learning.

Touch travels along two tracts to the brain with two main functions – protection from danger (temperature and pain), via the Anterolateral (AL) tract, and discrimination (where I am touched and what is touching me), via the Dorsal Column (DCML) tract. Touch that passes along the AL tract has links to the Limbic system and affects emotions and attachment, as well as empathy and emotional intelligence later. Touch that passes along the DCML tract forms an awareness of the body in space and has direct consequences on motor planning and intelligence.

Looking at outcomes There are many facets of development and foundations for achieving potential. Possibly the three overarching themes can be summarised as follows: Intelligence Nobody would debate the importance of developing intelligence, which is made up of both verbal and non-verbal components.

Non-verbal intelligence allows us to analyse and solve problems, and is based on the ability to create concrete and abstract ideas, deductive reasoning, understanding spatial relationships between things, and mental organisation of cause and effect, among other factors.

Verbal intelligence involves communicating our thoughts and using language to solve problems and create complex ideas. It is often the first way that a person’s intelligence is measured in the real world.

Empathy As the foundation for emotional intelligence, empathy coud be considered one of the most important factors for success. Empathy is the ability to see the world as another person, to share and understand another person’s feelings, needs, concerns and/or emotional state.

Coordination Physical coordination is essential for sporting ability and physical success in the world. It is more than just being able to move your limbs in a coordinated fashion.

Understanding that these outcomes are the goal of stimulation, how do they develop and what is the role of the senses?

How the senses contribute to development The brain assimilates, integrates and interprets sensory information via seven senses: tactile, proprioceptive, visual, auditory, smell, taste and movement.

Touch Touch is the first sense to develop (by 14 weeks gestation) and is the most acutely developed sense www.babysandbeyond.co.za

BAB 7.indd 11

The opportunity to provide the platform for a human baby to develop to its full potential is a precious gift… an awesome responsibility.

It is achieved through sensory engagement in everyday rituals.”

Tactile input is central to our physical and emotional wellbeing. There is evidence that when there is tactile deprivation, there is a decrease in the production of growth hormones and an increase in stress responses. Since touch input passes through the limbic system, it directly effects emotions. Skinto-skin touch with premature babies is a fabulous example of the positive effect of touch on survival and emotions.

Once touch input reaches a cortical level, it is interpreted and then links to the motor cortex, which is why touch plays such a vital role in motor skills. In addition, the awareness of the body that touch input provides leads to the development of spatial and ultimately cognitive development.

Vestibular Movement input, acceleration and gravity is perceived within the inner ear and transmitted to the brain. This input tells us how and where we are moving and gives further information about the body in space. This sense has direct links to the cerebellum and helps us to maintain balance and posture. It is our equilibrium and balance centre.

11

2015/09/23 11:09 PM

In addition, vestibular input goes directly to our muscles and generates muscle tone for motor skills.

Connections to the reticular formation helps to keep us alert, so we use movement for concentration and focus in life. Finally, the vestibular system is also connected with the visual system and, through complicated integration, gives us a sense of space.

This sense is vital for motor skills, cognitive and spatial awareness, and mood and concentration.

Proprioception Without ever being aware of this sense, it is in fact our most important – integrating touch and movement so we can make sense of our world.

Taking input from both passive and active changes in the muscles and joints, proprioception contributes integrally to our sense of self, our body in space, our motor planning, and sense of well-being and comfort. It stimulates the release of neurotransmitters that help us regulate our mood and state.

When proprioception is active (we initiate the movement ourselves) it contributes to neuronal models, which are critical for motor planning and motor skills (learning to crawl or play a piano).

Smell and taste It is almost impossible to separate these senses as they strongly influence each other. Both are chemical senses. Chemicals dissolve on the tongue and the mucous membrane of the nose, providing information about what is being eaten and smelt.

In particular, the sense of smell is the only sense that does not pass through the thalamus (relay station) in the brain but has direct connections to the limbic system, which creates emotional tone and memories.

This is why the sense of smell is a powerful sense for emotional development.

Auditory Information from the ears is vital for learning language and is also useful for calming a baby.

Stimulating the sense of hearing will have long-term repercussions on receptive and expressive language, which is a critical part of intelligence.

Visual Sight input travels along the optic nerve to the cortex where visual input combines with all the other senses to create a meaningful understanding of the world.

It is essential that the sense of sight be stimulated as it creates spatial context for the other senses and long term is the foundation for visual perceptual skills, which in turn are important for reading as a base for academic learning.

Understanding a person’s emotions through the sense of sight is important for non-verbal communication and empathy. Sight is linked to mirror neurons, the study of which is a new area in psychology and has been said to have significance on the development of empathy and social learning.

Developing foundations If we agree that developing the foundations for success (muscle tone, balance reactions, body awareness, motor planning, spatial awareness, body image, cause and effect, receptive and expressive language, understanding another’s emotions and mind mindedness) is vital, and we also understand that The MacDonald’s Effect (quick fix and scheduled stimulation) won’t achieve this, it leaves the question – how do we best nurture a precious human life?

Research shows us that it is in the simple activities of daily life, the everyday rituals (without toys, programmes, and especially without technology), that this is where the magic happens. This takes us back to parenting of the past: to spending slow time together and engaging the senses.

Ed: See our January 2016 edition to learn about nurturing our children’s developing foundations for success.

Megan Faure OTR, is an occupational therapist who has worked with babies in the US and South Africa. She co-authored BABY SENSE, SLEEP SENSE AND FEEDING SENSE and, in 2011, wrote THE BABY SENSE SECRET. In 2004, Megan founded the Baby Sense product company, which she has subsequently sold. Megan runs her practice in Cape Town, treating babies and toddlers with sleep problems and sensory processing difficulties. She is married with three children, James (16), Alex (13) and Emily (9). For more information and for the latest baby advice and research, visit Megan’s website at www.megfaure.com, her Facebook page, MegFaureOfficial, or follow her on Twitter @MegFaure.

12

BAB 7.indd 12

www.babysandbeyond.co.za

2015/09/23 11:10 PM

BAB 7.indd 13

2015/09/23 11:10 PM

FEATURE

Cyber safety

– the dangers for children

By Nolene Rust

Teenagers practically ‘live’ online. The cyber space is a large part of their daily lives, providing a platform to share, create and learn.

However, it’s also children’s inherent need for attachment, belonging and acceptance that, when combined with technology, makes it so important for parents to be acquainted with the cyber world their children are so familiar with.

A

ccess to any kind of information is easier than ever before. In a recent study, teenagers were asked if they have a person in their life that they can go to if they have problems. The majority indicated they do. However, when this same group was asked if they have a trusted adult who can help and who would understand if they have technological difficulties, the majority indicated that the adults in their lives wouldn’t understand.

Know what’s ‘out there’ The cyber world is first and foremost a teenagers’ platform, forming a big part of their daily lives. They see the cyber space as a place to share, create and learn. Also, the need for attachment, belonging, acceptance, and feeling good about oneself is central to any child’s psychological make-up. Add this to readily available technology and it becomes clear why adults need to guide, empower, model and teach children everything that is fantastic and dark about this world. But we can only do this if we are acquainted with the cyber world our children have to deal with every day.

To name but a few, these are realities that children are exposed to in the online world: • Cyberbullying: A worrisome cause of too many suicides • Sexting: Text messaging with sexual content • Exposure to pornography • Exposure to sexual predators and grooming, among others: It is very easy to fake an identity to lure in children and teenagers in the cyber world • Sexual abuse • Addictions: Online platforms normalise and provide children with information about pornography, gambling, eating disorders, etc.

• Inappropriate involvement in social platforms: Sharing private information to be accepted or to receive attention • Identity and material theft • Scams and hoaxes • Misinformation and fanaticism Developmentally, children and teenagers do

14

BAB 7.indd 14

not yet have the cognitive mechanisms in place to grapple with, process, understand, and judge materials they are exposed to online. Adding to this, the vast majority of teenagers using the internet have a great need for trusted, solid role models that they can turn to with their questions or concerns. If an adult is unavailable, this means turning to their peer group or personas in the cyber world to understand themselves and complex life issues.

What is clear is that children and teenagers have access to all of these resources but are still in the process of developing morality and clearly carvedout values. This highlights the importance of our role as parents to help our children navigate through all of this – technology is here to stay.

What does the law say? When looking at the Sexual Offences Act and the Films and Publications Act, the following categories are defined (Films and Publication Act 65 of 1996 and Sexual Offences Act 32 of 2007): • ‘sexual exposure’ of any content of a sexual nature to a minor • image/description of a person/event that’s of an explicit sexual nature (under 18 years old – does not distinguish between the use of real children or images of the imagination of children) • creating, possessing or distributing materials of a sexual nature • exposure/display of, or causing exposure or display of, child pornography • using children for pornographic purposes or benefitting from child pornography.

These aspects are considered abusive because teenagers and children do not have the capacity to understand the pictures that they are shown and cannot determine what will happen as a result of their involvement.

Failing to report such knowledge is a criminal offence, mandated to be reported via the department of justice (SAPD).

Safeguard against negative influences The following are some suggestions to help safeguard www.babysandbeyond.co.za

2015/09/23 11:10 PM

FEATURE

Clever tricks

• Be mindful – our bodies and hearts can really get hurt in the cyber world.

• It’s easy for people to pretend online.

• Implement internet safety tips.

• Internet protocols – teach your child what information and/or pictures he is allowed to share and what he may not. Instil a sense of discernment from a young age.

• Create a disaster or contingency plan before someone approaches you online.

• Have a system in place regarding how to choose/ accept contacts.

• Know that identity theft does happen.

• Have a system in place to evaluate secure versus non-secure sites.

• Downtime from technology is very important for health reasons.

It is safe to say that technology is here to stay and it will continue to play an ever increasing role in our and our children’s lives. Thankfully it can also be rewarding and enriches our lives if it is handled wisely.

Guiding our children and teenagers, rather than dismissing its existence, should be each and every parent’s focus.

Films and publications board booklets are available online, or call the hotline on 0800 148 148.

Teaching your child some of the following tricks can be hugely beneficial for his safety: • Post only things that you are comfortable to put online for years to come – once it’s in cyber space it stays there.

Resources: Talking back to fbook: James Steyer; The parent’s guide to texting, Facebook and social media: Shawn Marie Edgington

our children from the negative influences of the cyber world: • Be mindful of what your child is doing on the computer. This could even mean moving his computer out of his bedroom.

• Think about employing rules and protocols for using technology, in the same way we have rules in our houses regarding movies, etc.

• Teach your child cyber conduct, responsibility and accountability.

• Have open communication and continuous conversations about the pros and cons of all things digital.

• Instil an inherent sense of value in your child that will keep his emotional tank filled.

• Be mindful of the generational gap – stay relevant. In other words, keep abreast of the current technology yourself.

• Use safety software and filters – also enquire about and obtain more information from your service provider.

• Teach your child what behaviour is inappropriate so that he will be able to identify it if it ever crosses his path.

Nolene Rust is a qualified forensic social worker and a registered counsellor specialising in play therapy.

For nine years, she has worked with families and children in welfare organisations, hospitals, in schools, and in the private sector. Her work includes advocating for children’s rights and working with abused and neglected children in a child protection and counselling capacity. Nolene is a regular speaker on radio, presents seminars, is involved with Jelly Beanz (NGO), and is vice president of OPSSA. To contact Nolene, call 012 7526503 or email Nolene.rust@gmail.com

www.babysandbeyond.co.za

BAB 7.indd 15

15

2015/09/23 11:10 PM

FEATURE

Year one

– how to thrive and not just survive

By Lourdes Bruwer and Carly Tzanos

When we are pregnant our focus tends to be on our baby’s medical health, the nursery, the birth plan, child care, breastfeeding and all the other necessities for bringing a baby into this world. We usually only begin to think about development and how to encourage it once we have survived the first few weeks.

16

BAB 7.indd 16

www.babysandbeyond.co.za

2015/09/23 11:11 PM

FEATURE

There is no way to be a perfect mother, and a million ways to be a good one.”

– Jill Churchill

I

n the beginning, your little treasure is really just starting to adjust to his new world. Most of your baby’s energy will be spent feeding and growing. As new parents, you are just getting to know your baby and trying to get as much sleep as possible. This does not leave much time for ‘activities’, which is just as well because your little prince cannot cope with too many new stimuli during his first couple of months. When dreaming of being a great parent, aspiring to sensitive parenting should be at the top of your list. This means responding to, rather than stimulating your baby.

When your baby looks at you (makes eye contact) and you feel that he is ready for a little interaction, remember that he can only cope well with one stimulus at a time. This means that you will use either your face or your voice, but not both together. By ensuring your baby’s environment is not very busy you will help him to focus better when he is ready for a few minutes of interaction with you.

As your baby grows and starts rolling over and pivoting around on his tummy, he will sleep less, move more, and start engaging socially with others during his awake time. It is a good idea at this stage to couple activities with routine tasks for your baby, making it easier to include them in your day and ensuring your baby isn’t overwhelmed. Towards the end of this stage you can introduce some toys. Pick toys that have stark, contrasting colours with definite lines. Remember to take the toy away when you are presenting a new toy. The most important muscle development that your baby needs to master during this stage is gaining control of his head. For this reason, tummy time is vital. While in this position, your baby’s tummy muscles also have a chance to stretch out in preparation for contracting when learning to sit and later to crawl.

Tummy time – some tips for success: • Short periods of tummy time throughout the day are helpful, you don’t have to do it all in one go • Roll up a blanket or small towel under your baby’s chest and armpits

www.babysandbeyond.co.za

BAB 7.indd 17

• Offer a distraction – faces, especially Mom’s, can be very interesting • Lie on your tummy facing your baby, so that your face is in front of his • Use a mirror as this can also be very motivating • Do tummy time on Mom or Dad’s chest, you can make tummy time easier or more difficult by increasing or decreasing the incline of your body • Place your hand on your baby’s bum, and stabilise his hip joints to assist him to isolate just his head and neck muscles, this makes it easier for him to lift his head up against gravity • Roll your baby slowly and gently over an exercise ball Watch, marvel and encourage your baby to bring his feet to his mouth, reach for a toy, sit with support, splash in the bathtub, support himself on extended arms when on his tummy, bring both hands to his chest, keep his head in his midline when on his back, put everything into his mouth, rock, roll and pivot when on his tummy, follow a slow moving object with his eyes, start to gurgle and communicate by ‘cooing’, smiles, and to recognise familiar people and sounds.

As your baby becomes more mobile and develops a sense of independence as a result, you will also be trained to develop eyes at the back of your head!

Some little ones will move from creeping to crawling in a matter of a few short weeks, while others will take a few months to actively crawl. This tends to be a source of concern for many parents. Remember that your busy baby is developing on many different levels (babbling, imitating, grasping small objects, and attaching meaning to words, among others).

Although it may not seem that he is progressing, he may be working more intensely on another skill right now. Making sure he has fun opportunities will provide the basis for when he is ready to start work on the big crawl. Your active baby may start using his hands in novel and more advanced grasps, he could also be fascinated with small holes and grooves. This isolation of finger movements is vital for more complex fine motor control and development later on.

Although most parents are anxious for their babies to start walking soon after they start crawling, try not be in too much of a hurry for crawling to stop. Crawling is an important foundational skill for a variety of more complex developmental milestones. It forms the foundation for eye-hand coordination, shoulder girdle strength (needed for fine motor skills), bilateral integration (use of the two sides of the body in a coordinated way, such as when cutting or doing buttons), and crossing the imaginary midline of the body (vital for hand dominance later on).

17

2015/09/23 11:11 PM

Standing provides your baby with a whole new view of his world. From this position he can see and reach more and this enables him to get up to more mischief. As he pulls up on everything, whether stable or unstable, he will get much better at judging what’s safe to pull up on and be more in control of his movements. Your baby’s repertoire of movement will quickly expand and he will be more comfortable with wilder and rougher games. Rough and tumble on the bed may become a favourite part of his day. He will especially enjoy being swung around and held upside-down, as this feeds into his movement sense. This in turn aids the development of his muscles and core stability. Core stability provides the basis for movement such as walking.

The leap from standing to taking his first unaided step is like jumping off a cliff and requires a certain amount of gusto. Allowing him to push a toy trolley or a chair will help to bridge the gap between standing and walking. The awe and the excitement are priceless as you share in his countless blunders and courageous successes.

This willingness to take risks extends to using his smaller muscles to explore his environment. Your curious baby will think nothing of sticking his finger in a plug hole or any other small space. He will not give any thought to whether he will be able to get it out again or what might be inside the hole!

‘Posting’ objects into holes, couches, drawers and toilets will be a favourite past time, so provide safe opportunities for this type of play. As you tend to use ‘no’ more firmly, he may seek out this reaction from you by purposefully testing the boundaries. This is a new experience for both of you and once again signals toddlerdom on the horizon.

Your baby is like a little sponge at this stage, so talk to him about anything and everything you see and do with him. By using specific phrases or songs to signal the transition between one event and the next (when finishing play time, saying goodbye, bath time, bed time or leaving the house), you can help your baby to anticipate these changes.

As your baby develops a taste for movement and the possibilities of adventure that this movement offers, a certain level of frustration arises. How he experiences and handles this new intensity of an emotion, is the start of frustration tolerance.

Learning how to persevere through this frustration will equip him for advancing in all areas of development.

In all your interactions with your little one, aim for the just-right-challenge for him. This means providing him with enough encouragement and support to spark action from him without frustration leading to him giving up and losing interest. Your baby is wonderfully unique and will develop at his own pace.

Try to slow down and revel in the process instead of chasing from one milestone to another. This will help you to relax and enjoy your baby, and it will help him to cement each foundational skill before moving on to the next one.

Exerts taken from the book, GROOVY ADVENTURERS: HOW TO ENCOURAGE YOUR BABY TO MOVE FROM ONE DEVELOPMENTAL STAGE TO THE NEXT WHILE HAVING A BLAST! Available at www.jumpleapfly.co.za.

www.babysandbeyond.co.za

BAB 7.indd 18

2015/09/23 11:11 PM

BAB 7.indd 19

2015/09/23 11:12 PM

BAB 7.indd 20

2015/09/23 11:12 PM

FEATURE

Raising the future

Pic credit: CDC Design

By Craig Wilkinson, author of DAD – THE POWER AND BEAUTY OF AUTHENTIC FATHERHOOD

Nothing is more important for the future of our planet than how well men and women raise their children. Parents are given the unbelievable privilege of holding the vulnerable, malleable and utterly impressionable life of their child in their hands. In a parent’s hands literally lies the power of life and death for their children, for both body and soul. And in the hands of our children lies the future.

I

t’s difficult not to be concerned about the state of the world. Media abounds with stories that bode poorly for the future of our beautiful planet and its (mostly) wonderful inhabitants. Looming environmental disasters, greed, corruption, abuse of power, war, terrorism, violent fundamentalism and economic meltdowns are just a few of the not so delightful soundbites that make up our daily news fare. And solutions seem as elusive as ever. Yet we may be looking in all the wrong places for the answer.

The greatest contributing factor to the quality of the world’s future is the quality of its parents.

The reason is quite simple; the state of the world is determined by the behaviour of men and women, and the single biggest influence on the behaviour www.babysandbeyond.co.za

BAB 7.indd 21

of men and women is the way in which they were parented. No one has a greater impact on our self-esteem, world view, beliefs, values, emotional intelligence and the way we handle life and relationships than our parents.

Tolerance, love, respect, compassion are all taught and modelled, and flow from a heart that was loved and validated as a child. A person who was loved as a child is much more likely to have the capacity for love and compassion. An adult who was disciplined as a child is much more likely to have self-discipline.

A child who is valued and respected is much more likely to grow into an adult with a healthy self-esteem, able to respect and value others. A child whose feelings and opinions were validated is much more likely to be open minded and tolerant as an adult.

21

2015/09/23 11:12 PM

FEATURE Men and women with a healthy self-esteem, love, tolerance, good values and respect for themselves and others are able to build healthy, mutually beneficial relationships and contribute to a peaceful and prosperous society.

Intolerance, anger, aggression, greed and prejudice are also taught and modelled, and flow from a heart that was not loved and validated as a child. Children who don’t have their physical, emotional and psychological needs met by their parents grow up wounded. And wounded people become people who wound. Children who are raised by parents with destructive value systems, such as prejudice and intolerance, will most often internalise these values and live them out in one way or another as adults. Men and women with poor self-esteem, low levels of tolerance and respect, bad values and low emotional intelligence are dangerous to themselves and those around them. They are likely to engage in varying degrees of damaging behaviour, ranging from mild personal or social dysfunction, such as poor relationship choices and addictive behaviour to more damaging dysfunction like abuse, prejudice and criminality.

Every child has deep questions of the heart that must be answered by their parents. Who am I? Am I valid? Am I wanted and loved? Am I good? Am I enough? Am I worth fighting for? Every child cries out to his or her parents; show me how to live life, show me what it means to be a man or a woman. Help me make sense of the world. Teach me how to live and love and learn and leave a legacy. Please. I need you. And every parent needs to be there to answer the cry.

The sad reality is that many men and women are not adequately equipped for the role of parent.

Relatively few are deliberately malicious or negligent.

Most do the best they can with the skills and emotional wholeness they possess from their own journey to adulthood. Yet the number of children born daily to parents who do not have the emotional and psychological skills, wholeness and awareness to raise them well is terrifying. It’s astounding that there is absolutely no qualification for becoming a parent other than the ability to conceive.

For our collective future the world has to start taking the role of parent a lot more seriously.

The first step is to realise that none of us was perfectly parented. We all have wounds of the heart that we picked up in our journey to adulthood. As a result we all need to embark on a conscious journey of healing and restoration. At the core of this restoration process is the belief that as individuals we are valid and valuable and have something of great and unique value to offer the world. The greatest gift anyone can be to the world is to be fully alive and fully whole, living with love and compassion and using their gifts to add beauty to the world. The best parents are those who are emotionally whole, modelling to their children what it means to live life well.

Secondly we need to examine what we believe. If our belief system teaches that we are more valuable than people who are not like us, we need to question that belief. Because it’s simply not true. Every human being is of equal intrinsic value and deserves to be

22

BAB 7.indd 22

judged on the basis of their character and actions, nothing else. We need to embrace and adopt the universal values of love, compassion, tolerance and respect, and model these to the next generation.

Thirdly, every person contemplating parenthood needs to examine both their motives for wanting a child and their readiness to raise one. Parenting should never be about the parent, it should always be about the child. The only valid reason for bringing a child into the world is a desire to love, nurture, prepare and launch a well-adjusted, well equipped person into the world to make a positive contribution to humanity. It’s irresponsible and selfish to bring a child into the world for any other reason. Anyone wanting to become a parent needs to make the decision consciously and deliberately, knowing that they are willing and able to give the child everything they need to grow up into a whole, healthy adult, fully equipped for life.

Fourthly, every parent needs to know that being a parent is the most important role they will ever play.

And they need to commit to giving their all to this all-important task. Of course there is no such thing as a perfect parent, and that’s okay. Children don’t need perfect parents to grow up healthy and whole.

They need present and engaged parents, parents who love them, are there for them, and parents who put their needs first and who teach and model good values and behaviour.

Finally, every man and woman, whether or not they have children of their own, needs to realise that they can and must play a role in shaping the next generation. Good mentors and role models are in short supply, and yet every man and woman has the potential to make a significant difference by actively and consciously mentoring younger people. Many children who have not had the benefit of an involved mom or dad have found what they needed in older men and women who have played the role of the missing parent in their lives. Men and women who don’t have their own children can play this role in younger lives and parents can mentor children who are not their own.

There is no absolute guarantee that good parenting will produce good adults or that bad parenting will produce bad adults. Children from the best homes can turn out badly and children with the worst upbringing can turn out very well. Yet the correlation between childhood experience and adult behaviour is sufficiently strong to say with conviction that if we had to choose one thing to focus on that would make the biggest impact on the world and its future, it would be parenting.

Such is the power and importance of parents and mentors that the greatest contribution anyone can make to world peace and prosperity is to be a good parent, role model and mentor.

Craig is the author of DAD – THE POWER AND BEAUTY OF AUTHENTIC FATHERHOOD, an inspiring read for both men and women on the crucial role of fathers.

The book is now available as an online course with videos and exercises. Both the book and the online course can be found at www.thedadbook.co.za.

www.babysandbeyond.co.za

2015/09/23 11:12 PM

BAB 7.indd 23

2015/09/23 11:12 PM

FEATURE

Early

speech intervention

Early speech intervention – for children between birth and three years old – has recently become best practice in South Africa. CATHERINE BARRY, a Mysmartkid expert and speech and language therapist, explains the importance of early speech intervention.

E

arly speech intervention has been used for more than a decade but it is only recently that it has become best practise in South Africa, one of many countries that previously only treated children needing speech intervention when they were of school going age.

What is early speech intervention?

‘Early intervention refers to the treatment of children between birth and the age of three. When a child is diagnosed with a developmental delay or difficulty during this time, early intervention helps them develop skills that typically should emerge during their first three years,’ explains Catherine.

‘These services are provided in collaboration with families, caregivers and other professionals.

It includes prevention, screening, evaluation and assessment, planning, implementing and monitoring of the intervention, as well as consulting with and educating team members.’

Why is early intervention important?

‘A little one’s brain is programmed to learn foundational language skills during the first six years of their life, and the first three are the most critical,’ says Catherine. ‘Early intervention programmes minimise and, in some cases, prevent delays in the development of infants and toddlers with disabilities.

It can decrease the need for special education and other related services when a child enters school,

24

BAB 7.indd 24

and increase his independence and the possibility of reaching his full potential.’

She adds that early intervention also aims to provide families with support and resources. ‘Early intervention aims to facilitate development and skills in a timely way so that when a child enters formal schooling he is more likely to learn effectively and more easily, resulting in success.’

Who is at risk of developmental delays?

Catherine explains that there is a higher incidence of communication delays among infants and toddlers who exhibit established risk factors. These include genetic disorders, neurological disorders, congenital malformation, metabolic disorders, sensory disorders, atypical developmental disorders, severe toxic exposure, chronic medical illness, and severe infectious diseases.

Children may also be at risk for developmental delays if a parent, primary caregiver or professional expresses serious concerns about their development; the parent or primary caregiver has a mental illness, developmental disability, substance dependency or history of loss or abuse; if there has been a forced separation between the child and his parent or caregiver; if the child has experienced pre- or perinatal complications; if there is a family history of speech, language and learning or communication difficulties; or if there is a high level of stress in the family. www.babysandbeyond.co.za

2015/09/23 11:13 PM

FEATURE Early indicators ‘Delayed communication is the most common indicator of a developmental delay in children under the age of three,’ says Catherine. ‘Communication skills provide the highest predicative correlation with school performance, and language delay is the most common developmental problem found in preschool children.’

‘The interaction between a parent and child forms the basis for communication development and is the beginning of the growth of skills that will be needed for language, listening and speech development.’

Catherine adds that good communicators have a clear advantage over their peers. ‘Being able to communicate well, verbally and non-verbally, adds significantly to a child’s experience and quality of life.

Facilitating successful communication with your child ‘Babies learn to communicate from birth. The role of the primary carer or parent is to facilitate communication development through initiating, responding to interaction and extending the communication exchange.’

From birth to one year old, a lot of development occurs in the areas necessary for effective communication and social interaction. These preverbal skills, through parent-child interaction, are essential for communication, language and speech development, and generally the starting point for early intervention.

Milestones to look out for during your child’s first year include: • Smiling: Your baby should smile and laugh consistently to initiate and respond to interaction.

• Eye contact: Your baby should look at your face and start to look into your eyes when you speak or engage with him, moving his eyes towards the direction of sound.

• Listening: Your baby should begin to listen and observe intentionally, laying the foundation for good attention and focus. He should quiet in response to your voice, pay attention to music, notice toys that make sounds and, later, begin to listen when you are speaking.

• Understanding real words: Your baby should recognise common words like ‘juice’, ‘bottle’ and ‘dog’. He will recognise his name and stop what he’s doing when his name is called. He should also start responding to simple verbal requests.

• Vocalising: You should notice your baby crying in a different way when he is hungry, tired, hurt or unhappy. He will also start babbling in a more

speech-like way and imitate speech sounds and words towards the end of the year.

• Joint attention: This is when you and your baby focus on the same object at the same time and is fundamental to learning to communicate. The attentional focus of your baby should be the faces of responsive adults and older children. At about five months, external objects and events become the main interest, and around nine months interactions include another person.

The ability to follow your eyes or pointed finger and to direct another’s attention to things of interest allows your child to learn the connections between language heard and the objects, events or concepts it represents.

• Reaching and grasping: Your baby should begin to reach for and successfully grasp objects. This allows him to explore toys in new ways. At this stage, play will be largely exploratory with all the senses engaged. Your baby should be feeling, tasting, smelling, looking at, and listening to what their toys do when they bang it or shake them.

• Cause and effect: Towards the end of your baby’s first year, he should understand that he can intentionally manipulate a toy to do something.

He should also understand that when he cannot see something it still exists.

• Respond and imitate: Your baby should begin to respond to and imitate different facial expressions.

Towards the end of the first year, he should start recognising the names of family members and respond to the word ‘no’ most of the time. He should be able to identify parts of his body and indicate that he understands the names for familiar items.

• Voice and sound: Your baby should also be trying to make different sounds while exploring his mouth and voice. His voice will vary in pitch and loudness and he should begin to babble, first using reduplicated babbling (sound sequence is repeated, for example ‘bababa’) and then variegated babbling (sounds are not repeated in a sequence, for example ‘babeebaboo’) until the babbling changes to words. He should start copying whole words and say single real words spontaneously by the end of his first year.

As all children are different and develop in their own time and pace, try not to compare your child’s progress to others; they will reach each milestone when they are ready. However, if you are worried about his development, consult a speech and language therapist or visit your family’s medical professional for advice.

Catherine Barry is a Mysmartkid expert and speech and language therapist who has been practising for 16 years, specialising in the use of language by children and early speech intervention. Her special interest is in pre-schoolers with special needs, early speech intervention and children with auditory processing difficulties.

Mysmartkid is South Africa’s foremost play-based educational programme for children from pre-birth to six years. By focusing on your child’s development through the use of age-appropriate toys and activities, Mysmartkid promotes school readiness.

For more information, visit www.mysmartkid.com.

www.babysandbeyond.co.za

BAB 7.indd 25

25

2015/09/23 11:14 PM

BAB 7.indd 26

2015/09/23 11:14 PM

FEATURE

Empowering girls

to end sexual violence

By Dr Shaheda Omar (clinical director: The Teddy Bear Clinic) and Noma Pakade (ActionAid South Africa)

The importance of sex education must never be underestimated.

However, unfortunately because of a lack of it by parents and caregivers, children often become victims of abuse.

S

Action Aid South Africa (AASA) works with three implementing partners – The Teddy Bear Clinic, Xihlobo Xa Ndivho and Thohoyandou Victim Empowerment. Together they have established Empowering Girls to End Sexual Violence in South Africa, a project that focuses on sexual violence as a barrier to learning, and its infringement on the right to a safe and non-violent schooling environment.

Empowering Girls to End Sexual Violence in South African Schools is part of the Sexual Violence in Schools in South Africa (SeVISSA) programme, which is being implemented over five years in Limpopo and Johannesburg. The project seeks to tackle sexual violence, discrimination and inequality against girls in 32 South African schools, and aims to build capacity, leadership and self-esteem in girls as a key component to tackling sexual violence.

Through the implementation of the project, the team involved has learnt that sexual debut continues

Pic credit: Action Aid

ex education, sexuality and relationship education provides children with the vital information that forms their attitudes and sexual beliefs about sex, sexual identity, relationships and intimacy. Young people have the right to sex education and it helps to protect them against abuse, exploitation, unintended pregnancies, and sexually transmitted diseases.

According to the South African Police Service, children are the victims of an estimated 41% of all reported rapes. These abhorrent figures reveal that there were about 18 524 child rape cases in 2013/14. However, as the majority of sexual crimes remain unreported, official figures probably greatly underestimate the reality of the crisis. The under reporting may be attributed to the poor or bad reception of victims at police stations, the long, drawn out court cases that last up to six years, and the low conviction rate.

www.babysandbeyond.co.za

BAB 7.indd 27

27

2015/09/23 11:15 PM

FEATURE to drop below 16 years old (the age of consent), that learners are having sex in parks and open fields, and that, in many cases, sexual violations resulting in pregnancy are committed by other learners and educators.

Relationship to perpetrator In 80 to 90% of the cases, the perpetrator is someone the child knows and who has easy access and availability to the victim. The reality is that this crime is most likely to occur among relatives, partners, friends, caregivers or acquaintances. Child sexual abuse occurs across the spectrum and affects everybody – it is not confined to any class, racial group, socioeconomic strata, gender, religion or creed.

Effects of abuse Sexually abused children experience great trauma – it is an invasion of a girl’s body, especially if it happens repeatedly, and has many negative short- and long-term consequences, including low self-esteem, relationship and/or sexual problems, depression, suicidal tendencies, addictions, anxiety and promiscuity.

Being a victim comes with many conflicting feelings. Among these is guilt – a feeling that the abuse was in some way her fault and happened because she was bad. Confusion is another – if perhaps the abuse sometimes felt pleasurable (humans, including children, are sexual beings); and fear, perhaps of getting someone into trouble or because of threats from the abuser (‘if you tell what has happened your mommy will be very cross’). Children often don’t tell because they have been coerced, intimidated and threatened into keeping quiet. Often children also display feelings of ambivalence where they continue to like the person but did not like or appreciate the sexual abuse.

However, most children are resilient and can bounce back and recover from being sexually abused if given the right amount of intervention, support, nurturing and therapy. We bear testimony to many child victims who have been supported through the Teddy Bear Clinic. Once completing therapeutic intervention, these women have become successful adults who continue to provide mentorship to other victims. With the right support, there’s a dynamic shift from victim to survivor and then to thrive mode.

Signs that your child is being abused So how can you tell if your child is being sexually abused? Parents may mistakenly overlook signs of abuse because they’re in denial. The most common

Children are the victims of an estimated 41% of all reported rapes.”

28

BAB 7.indd 28

Parents may mistakenly overlook signs of abuse because they’re in denial.” response is that it is always happening out there and not to my child.

Most importantly, signs should be considered in context, not in isolation – always look out for a cluster of symptoms. In addition, be aware of age inappropriate behaviour. Tell-tale signs of abuse include dramatic changes in a child’s behaviour, disturbed sleeping patterns (recurrent nightmares, sleep walking), a change in eating habits (either too little or overeating), overly compliant behaviour, loss of bowel or bladder control, weeping easily, and listlessness. It’s not always easy to pinpoint abuse if the signs are subtle. There may be many other reasons for your child’s acting out or becoming withdrawn. However, the child may talk of a secret that nobody can know, or tell a story about ‘a friend.’ Always take a teacher’s comments seriously as they may notice behavioural changes before you do. If you suspect sexual abuse, act immediately. Be observant, pay attention and listen to your child – it will most likely be a guessing game so go with your instinct. It is better to err on the side of caution and be neurotic rather than apathetic or indifferent with a child.

Talking to your child To prevent sexual abuse, teach children from a young age about boundaries, autonomy over their own bodies, and about acceptable touching.

They need to know that they have the right to say ‘no, stop that’. Make your children understand that secrets that make them feel bad do not need to be hidden from you. Keep the channels of communication open and regularly ask, ‘did anything happen to you today that you didn’t like?’

If your child is in the habit of telling you what makes her uncomfortable, sad or scared, she’ll be more likely to confide in you when anything serious is amiss.

It is critical to talk with your child daily, and to create a platform where she is given permission to talk about anything.

Sex education should start as early as possible, before children reach puberty and before they have developed established patterns of behaviour. Sex education should be based on the child’s level of physical, emotional and intellectual development, as well as her level of understanding. Bath time provides parents with a golden opportunity to teach children the correct anatomic names for body and private parts.

For more information, visit www.actionaid.org/ south-africa or www.facebook.com/ actionaidsafrica. www.babysandbeyond.co.za

2015/09/23 11:15 PM

BAB 7.indd 29

2015/09/23 11:16 PM

FEATURE

Co sleeping and biological

imperatives

By James J. McKenna Ph.D, Edmund P. Joyce C.S.C., chair in anthropology director, Mother-Baby Behavioral Sleep Laboratory, University of Notre Dame, and author of SLEEPING WITH YOUR BABY: A PARENT’S GUIDE TO CO SLEEPING

I

write here to explain why the paediatric recommendations on forms of co sleeping, such as bed sharing, will and should remain mixed. I will also address why the majority of new parents practice intermittent bed sharing, despite governmental and medical warnings against it.

The term co sleeping refers to any situation in which a committed adult caregiver, usually the mother, sleeps within close enough proximity to her infant so that each, the mother and infant, can respond to the other’s sensory signals and cues.

Room sharing is a form of co sleeping that has always been considered safe and protective. But it is not the room itself that is protective. It is what goes on between the mother or father and the infant that is. Medical authorities seem to forget this fact.

This form of co sleeping is not controversial and is recommended by everyone.

Bed sharing is another form of co sleeping, which can be made either safe or unsafe, but is not intrinsically one or the other. However, couch or sofa

30

BAB 7.indd 30

co sleeping is intrinsically dangerous as babies can all too easily get pushed against the back of the couch by the adult, or flipped face down into the pillows and suffocate.

When done safely, mother-infant co sleeping saves infants lives and contributes to infant and maternal health and wellbeing. Merely having an infant sleeping in a room with a committed adult caregiver reduces the chances, by half, of an infant dying from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) or from an accident.

Research In Japan where co-sleeping and breastfeeding (in the absence of maternal smoking) is the cultural norm, rates of SIDS are the lowest in the world.

For breastfeeding mothers, bed sharing makes feeding much easier to manage and practically doubles the amount of breastfeeding sessions while permitting both mothers and infants to spend more time asleep.

www.babysandbeyond.co.za

2015/09/23 11:16 PM

FEATURE The increased exposure to mother’s antibodies, which comes with more frequent night-time breastfeeding, can potentially, per any given infant, reduce infant illness. And because co-sleeping in the form of bed sharing makes breastfeeding easier for mothers, it encourages them to breastfeed for a greater number of months, according to Dr Helen Ball’s studies at the University of Durham. This potentially reduces the mother’s chances of breast cancer.

That the highest rates of bed sharing worldwide occur alongside the lowest rates of infant mortality, including SIDS rates, is a point worth noting.

In Japan where co-sleeping and breastfeeding (in the absence of maternal smoking) is the cultural norm, rates of SIDS are the lowest in the world.”

Understanding recommendations Recently, the American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP) SIDS sub-committee for whom I served as an expert panel member, recommended that babies should sleep close to their mothers in the same room but not in the same bed.

While I celebrated this historic room sharing recommendation, I disagreed with, and worry about, the ramifications of the unqualified recommendation against any and all bed sharing.

Further, I worry about the message being given unfairly (if not immorally) to mothers – that is, no matter who you are or what you do, your sleeping body is no more than an inert potential lethal weapon against which neither you nor your infant has any control. If this were true, none of us would be here today to have this discussion because the only reason why we survived is because our ancestral mothers slept alongside us and breastfed us through the night.

I am not alone in thinking this way. The Academy of Breast Feeding Medicine, the US Breast Feeding Committee, the Breast Feeding section of the American Academy of Paediatrics, La Leche League International, UNICEF and the WHO are all prestigious organisations that support bed sharing and use the best and latest scientific information about what makes mothers and babies safe and healthy. Clearly, there is no scientific consensus.

What we do agree on is which specific ‘factors’ increase the chances of SIDS in a bed sharing environment: • Circumstances increase the chances of suffocation, either from someone in the bed or from the bed itself.

• Adults should not bed share if inebriated or if desensitised by drugs • Overly exhausted • Other toddlers or children should never be in a bed with an infant.

• Moreover, since having smoked during a pregnancy diminishes the capacities of infants to arouse to protect their breathing, smoking mothers should have their infants sleep alongside them on a different surface, but not in the same bed.

My own physiological studies suggest that breastfeeding mother-infant pairs exhibit increased sensitivities and responses to each other while sleeping, and those sensitivities offer the infant protection from overlay. www.babysandbeyond.co.za

BAB 7.indd 31

However, if bottle feeding, infants should lie alongside the mother in a crib or bassinet, but not in the same bed.

Prone or stomach sleeping especially on soft mattresses is always dangerous for infants and so is covering their heads with blankets, or laying them near or on top of pillows.

Co sleeping promotes: • Breastfeeding • Neurologically-based infant responses to maternal smells, movements and touch.

• Reduced infant crying while positively regulating infant breathing and body temperature • Better absorption of calories • Reduced stress hormone levels, immune status, and oxygenation.

In short, and as mentioned above, co sleeping (whether on the same surface or not) facilitates positive clinical changes, including more infant sleep, and seems to make babies happy. In other words, unless practiced dangerously, sleeping next to mother is good for infants. The reason why it occurs is because it is supposed to.

While each single bed sharing death is tragic, such deaths are no more indictments about bed sharing than are the three hundred thousand plus deaths of babies in cribs an indictment that crib sleeping is deadly and should be eliminated. Just as unsafe cribs and unsafe ways to use cribs can be eliminated so, too, can parents be educated to minimise bed sharing risks.

Whether involving cribs or adult beds, risky sleep practices leading to infant deaths are more likely to occur when parents lack access to safety information, or if they are judged to be irresponsible should they choose to follow their own and their infants’ biological predilections to bed share, or if public health messages are held back on brochures and replaced by simplistic and inappropriate warnings saying ‘just never do it’. Such recommendations misrepresent the true function and biological significance of the behaviours, and the critical extent to which dangerous practices can be modified. They dismiss the valid reasons why people engage in the behaviour in the first place.

This article is extracted from http:// neuroanthropology.net/2008/12/21/cosleeping-andbiological-imperatives-why-human-babies-do-notand-should-not-sleep-alone/

31

2015/09/23 11:16 PM

FEATURE

Functional

fashion

When choosing clothes for your little ones, cute prints, pretty colours and the latest fashion statements may be what draw you to the shelves. However, your final choice should take safety, comfort and practicality into consideration.

B

etween feeding, changing, burping, and soothing, the last thing you want to worry about are baby clothes that take too much effort. Easy to put on, wear, wash and keep clean, and often the price tag, should be key for when purchasing baby clothes.

‘For newborns, you’ll most likely be changing them several times a day, so outfits should be uncomplicated and functional,’ says Jeanne-Marie Gomes, kidswear buyer for Spree.co.za. ‘Clothing also needs to be durable and soft to the touch, providing comfort for your baby. It is also important to have minimal seams and labels to ensure there’s no irritation to your baby’s skin.’

She adds that newborn babies need to be kept warm, so in cold weather it can be easier to dress your baby in layers. ‘You can then take layers off when you’re at the shops or in other warm places.

As a guide, dress your baby in the same number of layers you’re wearing, plus one extra layer for warmth. A few blankets or wraps will be very handy for wrapping your newborn baby.’

In the summer months, dress your little one in loosefitting, lightweight clothes that are preferably made from soft breathable cotton. Don’t worry about socks and hats (other than a sun hat) but rather keep your baby protected in the shade. ‘Again, the rule of thumb is if you are comfortable in t-shirts and shorts, then your baby will most likely be, too. I’d recommend a short-sleeved bodysuit that fastens on the inside leg,’ Jeanne-Marie notes.

‘When it comes to changing nappies and for bath time, stretchy babygrows that button at the front or have poppers running along the inside leg area are best. These will ensure you are able to get your baby in and out of the clothing as quickly as possible without causing discomfort. For bath time, hooded towels are useful and provide comfort and warmth for your baby.’

As a new mom, minimising chores is essential. ‘You’ll probably be short of time, so avoid clothes that require hand washing and ironing,’ Jeanne-Marie advises.

Jeanne-Marie advises that the easiest fabrics to keep clean are those that are lightweight. Fabrics that can ‘breathe’ are best for your baby so that

32

BAB 7.indd 32

any form of body moisture can evaporate. ‘Organic/ natural blends are your best option and cotton blends work well because they are easier to clean – they can be washed at higher temperatures – and they don’t need a lot of care in terms of ironing.

Cotton also tends to keep its shape well and doesn’t generally shrink,’ she adds.

‘Children’s clothing ranges tend to take inspiration from ladies and men’s fashion trends, fabric prints, colours and themes. However, with children’s clothes, value for money is important with relation to comfort, durability and the fashion factor. This year we are seeing denim and boho making an appearance within children’s lines, and designs are really hitting the mark when it comes to the cuteness and fun factor. If you’re looking to keep up with trends, look for all things denim (pinafores, layered dresses, shorts and shirts) and boho baby – ditsy prints, florals and ruffles add a whimsical, free-spirited feeling to a young girl’s wardrobe.

To shop for kids and baby clothes, visit www.spree.co.za. www.babysandbeyond.co.za

2015/09/23 11:16 PM

www.babysandbeyond.co.za

BAB 7.indd 33

33

2015/09/23 11:17 PM

FEATURE

Birthing centres

By Annemarie Song

in South Africa

You want a natural labour experience, but don’t want to give birth at home.

Do you have another option? Yes, you do. You may want to deliver at an Oageng Baby Link Home Birthing Sanctuary, a birth centre with a difference.

I

f you’re healthy, having a low-risk pregnancy and want a more natural, family-centred experience without routine medical interventions (IVs and electronic fetal monitoring), as well as personalised quality care, then this is an option for you.

Oageng Baby Link Home Birthing Sanctuary differs from a hospital in that it offers a low-tech, comfortable and homely environment for childbirth that’s safer than having your baby at home should problems arise. While accredited birth centres are not currently available in South Africa, Oageng Baby Link Home Birthing Sanctuary is in process of achieving its accreditation. Here you’ll be cared for by two midwives, with a backup hospital nearby and your gynea on call in case of an emergency.

Birth Centres aren’t mini hospitals – your labour will never be induced or stimulated with Oxytocin (Pitocin), and C-sections are not undertaken.

However, in the case of an emergency, birth centres are equipped with IVs, oxygen, medication and infant resuscitation equipment so that emergency care can begin while you and your baby await transport to the hospital.

Also on offer is friendly childbirth education, breastfeeding classes and/or advice, and excellent prenatal care throughout your pregnancy.

Additionally, your midwife will visit you after the birth at the birth centre, at home to assist with your baby’s first bath, and for regular check-ups.

Birth centres offer a sense of control and involvement. Your midwife monitors your baby’s heartbeat intermittently with a handheld Doppler, like the one your midwife used during your antenatal visits. Once you’ve given birth, there are no routine procedures that separate you from your baby. All her examinations take place in your room.

For related services, birth centres have

arrangements with laboratories for prenatal screening and other testing and, if necessary, specialists for consultations.

Drug-free birth is encouraged and staff are trained to support you through your labour. Analgesic drugs, such as Demerol, are often available if you want them but epidurals, which require an anaesthesiologist, are not. Additionally, you’ll have the freedom to move around, choose the position you’d like for your labour and birth, and eat anything you choose during labour – a kitchen is usually available where you can store, prepare or order food during your stay.

Some hospitals limit how many people you can have at the birth, but at a birth centre you choose who’s with you, including your children if you wish, and your partner is welcome to spend the night you. Often there’s also a separate family room where your visitors can go if you need more privacy.

For your comfort, you’ll have a private room, typically with a Jacuzzi for water births, a lazy boy, a bed large enough for you and your partner to share, and soothing decor and lighting.

Birth centres are cheaper than hospitals births (usually about a third less) because new moms generally stay for a shorter time and use fewer interventions. You can expect to head home six, 12 or 24 hours after delivery if you and your baby are doing well.

For BABY’S AND BEYOND readers, book now, like Oageng Baby Link Home Birthing Sanctury’s Facebook page (mention this article), and pay in full to stand a chance of winning a lucky-draw prize, which include pregnancy massage, placenta encapsulation, doula services, and more. For more information, visit www.oagengbabylink.co.za.

Pic credit: Oageng Baby Link Home Birthing Sanctury

34

BAB 7.indd 34

www.babysandbeyond.co.za

2015/09/23 11:17 PM

BAB 7.indd 35

2015/09/23 11:18 PM

FEATURE

Will you be able to

breastfeed?

By Carey Haupt RD(SA) Msc(MED)

So, you are pregnant and want to know about how you should feed your baby. The term ‘breast is best’ is something that you have heard a million times but you may have mixed emotions about your ability to breastfeed. You have seen how some mothers have so much milk that their shirts are constantly drenched but on the other hand you have a friend that did not make enough milk. Will you be able to breastfeed?

36

BAB 7.indd 36

www.babysandbeyond.co.za

2015/09/23 11:18 PM

FEATURE Believe in yourself and your ability to provide for your baby The reason why you have heard ‘breast is best’ a million and one times is because it is true. No other infant feeding choice comes close to the protective (from allergy, disease and malnutrition) and nutritional value of breast milk. The benefits are not just for the baby but for you and your family, too.

Your baby will benefit from any amount of breast milk received, whether it is only the colostrum, or from a month of breastfeeding, from six months of exclusive breastfeeding, or from prolonged breastfeeding for longer than two years.

Prepare for breastfeeding Learn about breastfeeding while you are pregnant.

A good antenatal class can form an amazing support system to mothers and fathers. It will also provide information to make an informed decision on birthing, and teach you the basics about breastfeeding. Include your partner in your decision to breastfeed. Try not to underestimate the importance of your partners support. If he understands your wishes and knows what you need for support, he will be in a better position to help you along the way. Let your family and friends know that you will be breastfeeding. Find out which of them have breastfed and ask them for support.

Find the best support systems Be critical about where you get your breastfeeding support from. Look for an organisation or healthcare professional that supports and promotes breastfeeding. Why not try a breastfeeding support group? There are a number of them around and it is a really nice opportunity to get out of the house and to meet other mothers on the same journey as you. Advice from organisations and their customer support groups that benefit financially from you not breastfeeding, should be avoided.

Follow good feeding practices

T

he simple answer to whether you are able to breastfeed is yes – if you’re given the correct information and enough support.

So, to the mom that was told ‘you do not have enough milk’, you were not given the support you needed. To the mom that had bleeding nipples, you were not helped correctly with your latch or your baby may have had an undiagnosed lip tie.

To the mom that felt embarrassed and stopped breastfeeding because she needed to breastfeed in public, society failed you as you should not ever have felt that way. To the mom that was told, ‘your breast milk is too weak’, that is just not true.

My advice is this: If you would like to breastfeed your baby, even if you think you can’t, just try. Try for a day and see, believe in yourself and then try for another day. The tips below are aimed at helping you in your pursuit of breastfeeding. They are simple but effective ways to help you get the correct information and support needed to breastfeed your baby.

www.babysandbeyond.co.za

BAB 7.indd 37

Understand how your body makes breast milk. Milk production is controlled by your hormones, oxytocin and prolactin. To produce more milk you need to increase these hormones by stimulating the nipple.

This is achieved by the baby suckling or by pumping using a breast pump. This is why demand feeding is important – the more the baby suckles at the breast, and the more the breast is emptied, the more milk the breasts will make. A good latch is very important as it will make breast feeding more comfortable for mom and it will help to stimulate the production of these special hormones.

Your nutrition is also important. You need to eat a balanced diet and drink sufficient fluids, but you do not have to go on an elimination diet or drink special teas. In fact, the more variety in your diet, the better it is for your baby as this helps to protect him against allergies, and also introduces him to the taste of some foods through your milk.

Breastfeeding guidelines advocate exclusive breastfeeding for six months, and continued breastfeeding for two years and beyond. Focusing

37

2015/09/23 11:18 PM

on these milestones may be daunting and may feel impossible to reach when you are at the start of your breastfeeding journey. Instead, set reasonable shortterm goals for yourself. Would you like to breastfeed for one month or two? Once you have reached your initial goal, set a new one that you think you can achieve and see how it goes. You may be surprised and reach six months or two years without even realising it.

Know about challenges Yes, there may be some difficulty to get a good latch, your breasts may feel very full, or you might develop mastitis. This is why being prepared and belonging to a support group is vital – knowledge and support will help you in times when you are not sure what to do. Your group will help you to overcome barriers you may encounter, making it easier to develop a good breastfeeding relationship with you baby.

Returning to work Returning to work may be a big barrier to breastfeeding but you can still continue to breast feed if you choose to. You can feed before work, when you get home, and during the night. You can then express during the day at work. One of the rewards of breastfeeding is to come home, sit with your baby and share that special time together while he feeds.

Despite your initial feelings about breastfeeding, I would really like to encourage you to try. Get the support and knowledge about breastfeeding and try. The benefits and reward of feeding your baby breastmilk will surprise you, and will be with you for longer than you would believe. Enjoy your baby and hold him close.

Pic credit: Carey Haupt

Family Kitchen is a company made up of dieticians who each have a special interest in different aspects of family health and nutrition.

We provide one-on-one services for individuals and wellness and training services for corporate clients. We also run workshops on nutrition related topics such as breastfeeding, complementary feeding, fussy eating or diseases of lifestyle.

For more information, email info@familykitchen.co.za or visit, www.familykitchen.co.za.

www.babysandbeyond.co.za

BAB 7.indd 38

2015/09/23 11:18 PM

BAB 7.indd 39

2015/09/23 11:18 PM

FEATURE

Bad financial habits

parents teach children

By Wouter Fourie CFP® professional and 2015 FPI Financial Planner of the Year Award Winner

Many people do not realise that some of their strongest feelings and opinions about money are based on childhood experiences, which stem from the values and beliefs instilled by their families.

WOUTER FOURIE chats to EMMA DAWSON about bad financial habits that impact how children learn about money.

T

here are many bad financial habits that Financial Planning Institute (FPI) professionals regularly see when consulting with clients. These include spending more than you earn, not planning for the future, not respecting other people’s assets, not saving for shortor long-term goals, and not having a budget or a financial plan.

Emma Dawson (ED): Generally, what are the most common bad financial habits that parents pass on to their children?

Wouter Fourie (WF): Not knowing that no means NO! Parents need to learn how to say no to their children at an early age. The lesson that not everything is readily available, all the time, is one of the foundational lessons for sound personal financial planning.

Not sharing – Teaching your children to share goes hand in hand with the principal of delayed gratification. A good rule of thumb is to teach them that every rand they receive must be allocated into the following three categories: Giving (10%), saving (50%) and spending (40%).

Money for nothing – Children often get the impression that money is available without effort or planning. Teach them that this is not the case by offering them a monetary allowance based on chores that are accomplished beyond their personal responsibilities. This could include vacuuming, gardening and similar chores. If you want to firmly establish this lesson, set up a penalty system for chores that are not accomplished, or poorly completed.

Not knowing your expectations – Sometimes we assume that children will understand our expectations with regards to money, but that is often

40

BAB 7.indd 40

Children often get the impression that money is available without effort or planning.” not the case. To assist your children’s understanding, post help wanted adverts on your refrigerator. Allow your children to bid for the jobs, and let them know your expectations. Inspect their work, and let them know which areas they need to improve on.

Not having responsibilities – Not all responsibilities should have a monetary value and some tasks should be given solely to teach children about personal responsibility. Good examples of chores in this category are getting them to make their bed or fold and pack away their clothes.

ED: What could the consequence be of passing on bad financial behaviour?

WF: The consequence will be a next generation with the same bad habits as their parents. Because of this, parents have an important responsibility to pass good financial habits on to their chilfren. Ideally parents do this by setting an example – they save money, pay their bills on time, and don’t run up their credit cards. Their children see this and do the same things when they’re adults.

ED: How do you break the cycle? What could you do to change these habits and set better examples for your children? www.babysandbeyond.co.za

2015/09/23 11:19 PM

FEATURE WF: Children learn by example. Teaching your children about money is more than preparing them for employment or teaching them to save some of the money they earn. It includes helping them understand the positive and negative meanings of money. For example, children need to learn that while it is nice to show someone love by buying a gift, it is just as important to show love through actions and words. Children and parents should talk about their feelings, values, attitudes, and beliefs about money. This helps children understand that conflict about money occurs and needs to be discussed in the family and that compromise is often necessary.

ED: From what age should you consider including your children in financial discussions and why?

WF: It is important for parents to use examples or activities that match the child’s stage of development, not necessarily the child’s actual age in years. When teaching children about money, parents need to make an effort to think in children’s terms, not adult terms. For instance, a young child may ask parents how much money they make. However, what they really want to know is not how much parents earn and why they can’t have a certain toy.

Parents can begin to work with the concepts of earning, spending and sharing when children can talk in clear sentences. Children need to be a little older to understand the concepts of borrowing and sharing. These two concepts require an understanding of math and the ability to see things from another’s viewpoint. These skills don’t fully develop until several years into elementary school.

ED: What are the most important financial lessons that you should teach your child, and why?

WF: It is important for parents to communicate with children about money matters in very concrete terms. Children want to know how to operate in the adult world. Any time money is earned, moved, spent, donated, shared, borrowed or saved, provides an opportunity for parents to teach children how the money world works and what thoughts and feelings go into making money decisions.

Children learn mainly through indirect teaching and therefore observing your financial behaviour.

A good way to promote more direct learning is to include your children in money discussions and thus making group decisions through planned experiences such as giving them money to pay for a specific purchase and by allowing them to make their own decisions such as whether to purchase a toy and save some money or use it all to purchase a few toys. Through observation, children learn a great deal more than parents realise. Parents can add to this observational learning through intentionally planned learning activities.

Steady plodding brings prosperity, not hasty speculation.”

www.babysandbeyond.co.za

BAB 7.indd 41

As you teach children about money, they can learn about responsibility, family values and attitudes, decision making, comparison shopping, goal setting and priorities, and managing money outside the home. It is important to focus education about money on the concepts of earning, spending, sharing, borrowing and saving.

Start with the following basics: 1. Earnings: All family members should be assigned unpaid tasks to encourage responsibilities for household operations.

2. Not spending more than you earn. Although children might not have access to bank credit facilities, it is important for them to grasp the concept of saving for a goal and the impact and cost of credit. Motivate your child to save.

3. Understanding the value of money.

4. Steady plodding brings prosperity, not hasty speculation.

ED: Are there fun ways in which you can get your children involved in money decisions?

WF: A good friend’s father came home one day with a briefcase full of money. He cashed in his salary and decided to share the allocation costs of all the expenses with his family. Initially this was like a monopoly game with real money, but the children (and his spouse) soon realised the impact of costs and why it is important to have a budget and a financial plan. Today, this may be a far-fetched idea, but it is advisable to invest in financial literacy board games, such as Monopoly. The best I’ve seen is Cash Flow for Kids – What the Rich Teach Their Children About Money, by Robert Kiyosaki (author of Rich Dad Poor Dad).

ED: As much as setting a good example for your children is important, how do you ensure you adopt a healthier financial attitude for the longer term?

WF: My advice is to invest in educating yourself on financial matters, get professional advice and follow these basic steps: 1. Draw up a personal financial statement (assets and liabilities statement).

2. Draw up a monthly budget and measure your income and expenditure against your budget, every month. We have created an easy budget planner/calculator that you can use online at www.fpi.co.za, under Tools and Resources.

3. Set financial goals – short-term and long-term goals (such as saving for a weekend getaway and retirement planning).

4. Draw up a debt list and debt repayment schedule and work towards D-Day (debt-free day).

5. Pay yourself first by saving money for your future.

6. Have an up-to-date Last Will and Testament.

7. Have sufficient life, disability and short-term insurance.

8. Stop impulsive spending.

Furthermore, you can consult a competent financial planner, such as a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional/CFP® professional, who is well placed to assist you with adopting a healthier financial attitude for the longer term.

To find a CFP® professional near you or verify their designation, visit www.fpi.co.za or call 086 1000 FPI (374) / 011 470 6000.

41

2015/09/23 11:20 PM

FEATURE

Crisis pregnancy campaign The National Adoption Coalition of South Africa (NACSA) has launched ‘Choose to Care’, an initiative focusing on crisis pregnancy in a bid to raise awareness of the various alternatives for women experiencing unplanned pregnancies.

‘S

tatistics reveal that 30% of South African teenagers have reported being pregnant, most of which are unplanned. There are a number of causes, including the highly reported media topic of sugar daddies, as well as ignorance about birth control, rape, not wanting to use contraceptives, proving one’s womanhood, transactional purposes (survival), and healthcare workers and nurses who refuse (because of their traditional views on sexuality) to provide birth control solutions to young women,’ explains Pam Wilson, NACSA’s spokesperson.

Education is of critical importance in the prevention of teenage pregnancies, and to teach these young women that there’s a role for them in their society over and above motherhood. NACSA’s research reveals that current communication about teenage and crisis pregnancy tends to portray young women as faceless, disembodied pregnant bellies in school uniforms with no acknowledgement of who she is and her context. The perspective of the young teenage girl is usually absent.

‘Choose to Care’ is about moving the communication shift from shame and blame to care and compassion, and it addresses all the role players in managing a crisis pregnancy – the young woman (who is not alone and needs to care about her child), the man (who needs to take responsibility for his partner and future child), the community (for showing care and compassion for young pregnant women in the community) and the family (to show care and compassion for their daughter by supporting her at this difficult time).

‘Statistics indicate that although awareness of adoption has increased, adoption numbers are still declining and child abandonment appears to be increasing. A multi-pronged approach is required

42

BAB 7.indd 42

to ensure that child abandonment is reduced and that women facing a crisis pregnancy have access to credible information about their options in a crisis pregnancy. Our objective is to create more family and community support for young women through education and empowerment to prevent child abandonment and illegal abortions,’ adds Pam. Every year, thousands of women are faced with the unexpected news that they are pregnant. These are most often teenagers, but could just as easily be a single mother of three facing an unplanned pregnancy. From that moment on, lives are changed forever.

In this situation, a young mother faces decisions that need to be made and challenges to be met at a time when she is feeling emotionally confused and overwhelmed at the sudden change of direction her life is about to take. In many instances a teen will feel totally alone and too inexperienced in life to make such enormous decisions.

‘We need young women and their families to know that there are people and organisations available to help them consider all the options and decide on the best solution – most crucially we need to stem the tide of child abandonments and the devastating consequences that such a decision has on the child and mother for the rest of their lives. The ‘Choose to Care’ campaign encourages individuals, families, communities and organisations to reconsider how they look at their roles and responsibilities in just such a situation and to take positive action,’ Pam concludes.

If you or someone you care about is experiencing an unplanned pregnancy, get help and support at the Crisis Pregnancy Call Centre on 0800 864 658 or visit, www.crisispregnancy.org.za. www.babysandbeyond.co.za

2015/09/23 11:21 PM

W

THINKING OF SLEEP TRAINING*...?

IT’S UNNATURAL

IT DOESN’T WORK LONG TERM

Introduced by Holt in 1895, it is based on the Western idea that babies are naughty, manipulative and in need of corrective treatment treatment..

Mothers were warned that holding and responding to babies will spoil them.1

Research has shown that there is generally no lasting effect.. It often needs to be effect repeated but is not effective in the long term.5 Parents may end up feeling that they have failed.

IT’S NOT GOOD FOR BABY’S BODY

IT’S NOT GOOD FOR BABY’S BRAIN

Increase in stress hormones hormones,, heart rate and blood pressure; gastric distension and vomiting. Early stress is toxic for life-long health.3

It triggers the brain’s stress response system. When babies get distressed the stress hormone cortisol is released, which in excess can damage synapses and neuronal interconnections.2

IT CAN CAUSE PSYCHOLOGICAL HARM

Long-lasting damage to babies’ nervous system makes them vulnerable to stress and panic disorders in adulthood.4 Parent responsiveness is related to secure attachment, intelligence, empathy,, self-regulation, social competence and empathy lack of aggression and depression depression..1 1. Narvaez, D. (2011). Dangers of “Crying It Out”. Psychology Today.

2. Schore, A.N. (2001). The effects of early relational trauma on right brain development.

Infant Mental Health Journal.

3. http://developingchild.harvard.edu/index.php/resources/reports_and_working_papers/ foundations-of-lifelong-health/ 4. http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/1998/04.09/ChildrenNeedTou.html 5. http://evolutionaryparenting.com/how-effective-is-controlled-crying/

* Also known as: cry-it-out, controlled comforting, controlled crying, self-soothing

Western Cape Association for Infant Mental Health (WCAIMH) THERE ARE OTHER OPTIONS! Contact us to learn more: www.infantmentalhealth.co.za BAB 7.indd 43

2015/09/23 11:21 PM

HEALTH

Healthy attachment,

easier separation

By Jeanine Beukes M.A Clin Psych

The healthier the attachment, the easier the later separation and the greater your child’s independence and sense of self-confidence.

The earlier the periods of separation from the mother or primary caretaker, the greater the chance of traumatic separations later.

A

few years ago a prominent airline featured a picture of mom and dad setting off to board an aircraft, leaving behind their crying baby – the caption read: ‘If you need a break, fly with us.’

How often have we, as parents, fantasised about fleeing from our little bundle of screaming demands into a place where calm, order and indulgence reigns? However, that’s all it can be in those early months, just a fantasy, before our adult selves kick in again and we’re walking up and down the corridor soothing a troubled tummy, rocking the baby to sleep, and grabbing blissful moments of peace before we’re again summonsed by our baby.

To explicitly encourage people to act on their fleeing fantasy (particularly one we can so easily identify with) is without doubt inflicting damage to our infant’s mental health. The airline was contacted and the advertisement withdrawn.

Separation Consider how we, as adults, cope when a loved one goes away. We sense that something doesn’t feel right and our minds wander to our loved one.

44

BAB 7.indd 44

We can conjure a picture of what he looks like, remember how he sounds and smells, we can even hear him and know how he feels. While it’s not the same as being in his arms, it’s enough to soothe the longing until he returns – even if it’s a long separation.

As adults, we can manage without undue distress but an infant has no such advantage.

When parents leave their babies sight, they’re gone – totally. Your infant has no mental ability to recall you in his memory. He cannot conjure up a picture of you to compensate for your absence. This capacity develops as the child grows, it is not innate.

You are either concretely present or absent – period.

Should you need to leave for a short while, and he is left in the care of a familiar caretaker, he will recognise you on your return and be responsive to you. However, if your absence is prolonged (more than seven to 10 days), the chances are strong that all will not be as it was before. Your baby can react in various ways as to what feels to him like the permanent loss of you.

To ensure their survival, infants will mourn the loss of a loved one, go through a process of grieving, and then reach out toward a new connection.

www.babysandbeyond.co.za

2015/09/23 11:22 PM

HEALTH While reactions vary from one baby to another, your baby might appear detached and show no signs of recognition on your return. Your baby could treat you like a stranger on one hand and be excessively clingy on the other. Gradually, he can be ‘won back’ but any subsequent separation, even just 10 to 20 minutes, could precipitate great distress for your infant as he has no way of knowing how long you will be away for this time. For him, any separation now feels unbearable. He has no sense of time, only the clear association of your absence with a sense of great loss.

Jenny’s story Jenny’s father died when she was a few months old.

After her initial grief, Jenny’s mom was determined to carve out a new life for herself and remarried when Jenny was 18 months old. A wedding without a honeymoon was unthinkable for this new couple, and Jenny was left behind for two weeks.

While you could sympathise with Jenny’s mother over her loss, and commend her for embracing life again, the honeymoon was celebrated at great cost to Jenny’s psychological health.

Already vulnerable from her early trauma, Jenny then faced losing her mother at a time when she was just becoming mobile, moving around and discovering the world. She was the one who needed to do the exploring, in the safe knowledge that her mom would still be there when she returned from exploring the garden.

When her mother returned from honeymoon, Jenny was excessively clingy and screamed whenever her mom left the room. The couple’s honeymoon bliss was short-lived as mom struggled to calm her anxious demanding girl. Jenny got distressed when left with a babysitter and evenings out became fraught because they were preceded by tears and screaming.

A year later Jenny struggled to separate from her mom at playschool. When she reached Grade 1, she simply refused to stay at school and would walk home. School camps and sleeping out still present a problem, even though Jenny is now a teenager.

For Jenny to be fully equipped to separate from her mother and independently explore the world as a little girl, she needed a secure, consistent attachment to her in the first two years. These would have formed the springboard from which she could leave the nest with confidence.

Paradoxically, the healthier the attachment, the easier the later separation and the greater your child’s independence and sense of self-confidence.

The earlier the periods of separation from the mother or primary caretaker, the greater the chance of traumatic separations later.

Basic requirements From birth, a baby is equipped with vocal equipment designed to instantly summons you to his side. An infant needs his mother’s presence, her closeness, her touch, her smell and her voice. In fact, when a baby is born he will recognise his mother’s voice and respond to it in preference to any other as he’s heard it in utero many thousands of times. So, having latched onto his mother, this baby will need her continuous presence to feel safe and secure.

Continuity and consistency are the key factors.

If mom is the primary caretaker, then she is fundamentally non-replaceable in those early days.

Fathers can and will bond with their infants and that primary position can be interchangeable, provided they are also spending enough time with their babies.

However, in the early days, the father’s role is often one of support to the mother, assuring her security and well-being so that she can pass this on to their baby. Similarly, granny – that invaluable source of support and advice – is best directed towards nurturing her own daughter/daughter-in-law.

A mother who feels secure and safe will be able to direct her energies towards ‘reading’ her baby’s needs and becoming attuned to him. Similarly, a baby whose needs are consistently attended to – who feels his mom’s presence more than her absence – develops a sense of himself as a powerful and important little person in this big world.

Jeanine Beukes is a clinical psychologist with 31 years’ experience in private practice and has a special interest in the new parent-infant ‘couple’. She has studied both locally and abroad, and has a psychoanalytic practice in Rondebosch. She has presented various papers at psychology conferences, and has published articles about moms at risk. She is currently extending her work to include nannies co-parenting alongside parents. Honouring mothers and mothering/parenting is the cornerstone of her work.

Jeanine is a mother of three. To contact Jeanine, email jeaninebeukes@telkomsa.net.

www.babysandbeyond.co.za

BAB 7.indd 45

45

2015/09/23 11:22 PM

BAB 7.indd 46

2015/09/23 11:22 PM

HEALTH

Spring

has stung!

By Chantal Waisman

While the onset of spring and warmer weather really suits me, it does present a problem for my little man, Jacob, because it means bee season is upon us.

B

esides Jacob’s food allergies, this time of year is a nightmare for us because bees are the one allergy that we cannot control. Wishing for a magic wand and continuing with his immunotherapy for his bee allergy is all I can do.

Last year we went out for an ordinary family Sunday lunch. Deciding to broaden our horizons, we headed towards Pretoria to try somewhere new – a nursery offering food, an animal farm and a child-friendly play area.

On arrival, the kids ran off, full of excitement, to feed the animals. We had barely placed our order when Jacob, my allergy kid, walked up to us moaning that he had been stung in his eye by a bee. At first we had our doubts. He wasn’t distressed and seemed more bothered by not being able to continue feeding the horses. However, upon closer inspection we noticed his eyes were red and watering so we took him off to the bathroom to rinse them out. I must point out here that we were not aware of his bee allergy at this stage as he had only been tested for foods.

When my husband returned to the table with a more swollen and even grumpier baby I knew he was having an allergic reaction. Since we couldn’t find a sting and he wasn’t crying in pain, we assumed

www.babysandbeyond.co.za

BAB 7.indd 47

something in the organic animal feed must be triggering this reaction. I immediately dispensed Deselex and Aspelone. From then his reaction worsened very quickly, so we jumped in the car in search of a hospital. We left our two older children at the nursery with friends. Having never been to that particular area of Pretoria before, I started Googling the nearest hospitals, day clinics or emergency pharmacies in the area. As you can imagine, this family outing was on a downward spiral. By that stage he was grabbing his throat and telling me that he couldn’t breathe. I scrambled in my bag for our Epipen and got ready to use it for the first time, which was already enough to make anyone nervous. Having to jab your child with a needle is not something any parent wants to have to do, especially when their child is already in distress.

After several attempts to get the Epipen to dispense the much-needed dose of adrenalin, which will open his airways and allow him to breath, I discovered that it was jammed not working. By that stage, I was screaming and terrified and only making matters worse for everyone. It’s easier said than done, and even more impossible for a parent holding her barely breathing child in their arms, but it is best to try not to panic.

47

2015/09/23 11:23 PM

HEALTH My husband was driving like a maniac and we were no closer to any emergency help. My friend who lives in Pretoria was desperately trying to direct two very lost and panicked parents to the nearest hospital. At this stage, whatever she said sounded foreign and I had no idea how to tell her where we were or understand the directions she was giving us.

Thankfully a knight in a shiny blue patrol car of sorts happened across our path and led the charge to the nearest hospital, which as it turns out was only about 5km away, but when your child is not breathing and you are lost, it may as well have been a 1 000km.

Upon arrival the nurses grabbed him from my arms and rushed him straight into the resuscitation room for a dose of adrenalin and oxygen. It is something I think about every time we leave the house and I am continuously checking my bag and car for our emergency supplies.

It was a terrifying experience for us all, and one that taught us a very valuable lesson.

When going anywhere, near or far, always remember to carry enough Antihistamine, Cortisone and a spare Epipen, and always know where the nearest 24hr emergency room is.

Avoidance measures Allergic individuals seem more prone to bee stings and appear to ‘attract’ bees.

Below is my advice for the coming summer season…

• People allergic to bee and wasp stings should try to avoid being stung, and stay away from areas that bees and wasps frequent (open dustbins, uncovered cold drink cans, etc) • If a swarm of bees approach, run for shelter as bees are slow fliers and can normally be outrun.

• Keep an insecticide spray in the kitchen and car and have a ‘bee cloth’ handy to trap insects.

• Wasps and bees are drawn to flower fragrances and clothing with bright colours on dark backgrounds.

• Avoid perfumes, fruit juices, and eating fruit outdoors.

• Warn young children not to stick their fingers into flowers, as bees may be collecting pollen.

• Wear covered shoes and avoid walking barefoot on flowering fields or clover-covered lawns.

Carefully shake out any clothing left on the ground.

• If you come across a beehive, don’t disturb it – beekeepers will gladly come and remove it.

• Wasp nests should have petrol applied to them and destroyed.

Anaphylaxis is an extreme and severe allergic reaction. The whole body is affected, often within minutes of exposure to the substance (allergen) that causes the allergic reaction but sometimes only after a few hours.

What are the symptoms of a severe allergic reaction?

48

BAB 7.indd 48

• Generalised flushing of the skin • Nettle rash (hives) anywhere on the body • Sense of impending doom • Swelling of throat and mouth • Difficulty swallowing or speaking • Alterations in heart rate • Severe asthma • Abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting • Sudden feeling of weakness (drop in blood pressure) • Collapse and unconsciousness A patient will not necessarily experience all of these symptoms in the same episode.

What to do if stung?

• When stung, immediately look for the barbed stinger, in the case of a bee sting, and carefully remove it by flicking it or scratching it out of the skin with a fingernail or sharp object in the opposite direction to the way it went in. A credit card also works well.

• Don’t squeeze it as more venom will enter the skin from the stinger sack.

• Stings to the head and neck are more dangerous as swellings in these areas may obstruct breathing.

Immediately apply ice or a cold compresses to the sting site.

• Patients who are allergic to bee stings should carry self-injecting adrenalin and antihistamines. If stung, administer immediately and seek medical attention.

• Remember to check expiry dates on adrenaline Epipens and replace them immediately if expired or have been used for a sting. Epipens are made for single use only.

Also, don’t forget your Bee Allergy wristband from AllergyKids. Order yours today. Wristbands retail for R79.00 but for the month of October you can get your Bee and Asthma wristbands for R69.00.

Children start school from as young as two years old, and teachers who are looking after ten two year olds can find it difficult to remember which of the children have allergies. We couldn’t find anything on the market that we could use to make the teachers constantly aware of our children’s allergies, so developed Allergykids Awareness wristbands. The wristbands are there to speak for children when they can’t, and also to make teachers, family members and others aware of the child’s allergy.

For more information, visit www.allergykids.co.za or www.facebook.com/ allergykids.co.za.

Remember to check expiry dates on adrenaline Epipens.” www.babysandbeyond.co.za

2015/09/23 11:23 PM

BAB 7.indd 49

2015/09/23 11:23 PM

HEALTH

Losing pregnancy weight the

healthy way

By Dr Etti Barsky, MBBCh, MSc Sports Medicine

Many women worry about getting their figures back as quickly as possible after pregnancy and birth, but what is the healthy way to go about this? DR ETTI BARSKY provides her expert advice about finding the balance between adapting to a new way of life and keeping healthy at the same time.

T

here seems to be a secret competition among us to see who can lose her pregnancy weight the fastest. The rich and famous have their live-in personal trainers, dieticians and chefs. Within the first four weeks after having a baby, they whittle down to sizes that show no trace of what their bodies have undergone during the last year. We seem to try and emulate that – thin at all costs… But is this what you really want to worry about when you are trying to deal with the reality of being a new mom?

During pregnancy you do your utmost to give your growing baby the best of yourself. You make sure that you are doing the right exercises, eat the correct foods, and take the right supplements. The same should still apply now that your baby is born. Now is the time that he really needs a healthy, happy mom who is physically and emotionally fit to look after him.

Life does change after having a baby – believe me, I’ve had three. You find yourself in a new role,

50

BAB 7.indd 50

your time is not your own, and you need to give of yourself constantly. It is vital that you nourish yourself on all levels. For this you need four simple ingredients – water, food, exercise and patience (for yourself, your partner and your children!).

At delivery, there is a weight loss of between 5.5kg and 6.5kg, which is due to the weight of the baby, placenta and amniotic fluid. Then, during the first week you shed the fluids that your body retained during the pregnancy. The rest of the weight that needs to be lost is mainly the fat that accumulated during the course of the pregnancy and will therefore take longer to lose and requires a bit more effort.

A healthy and practical goal is to try to start losing 0.5kg a week, three months after having had your baby. It is normal to return to your pre-pregnancy weight after eight to 12 months.

A balanced diet with adequate fluid intake is crucial. Regardless of whether or not you are

www.babysandbeyond.co.za

2015/09/23 11:24 PM

HEALTH breastfeeding, your level of hydration definitely contributes to your energy levels. Ensure that you are drinking between one-and-a-half to two litres of water a day.

Make sure that the food you eat is nutritious and not just fulfilling a sugar craving. You are aiming for a low-fat (not fat free), high fibre diet – but be realistic, no-one is perfect and life is meant for living, so don’t give yourself too hard a time if you are not always on the straight and narrow!

When it comes to exercise, you benefit on so many levels. To name but a few, it’s a great way to burn fat, your fitness improves, your energy and ability to cope improves, and it gives you a bit of ‘me time’ that does wonders for your head-space.

Choosing an exercise regime after having a baby depends on a number of things: • How you delivered (vaginally or by caesarean section) • How physiologically traumatic the delivery was?

(Did you lose a lot of blood, did you need an episiotomy, etc) • Are there any residual problems from your pregnancy? (Piles, back pain, etc) • How you are coping during the day?

• Very importantly, are there any continence issues?

You then need to build your fitness slowly in the first three months, taking care not to train if you are bleeding, uncomfortable or utterly exhausted.

Remember that during this phase the focus is for you to make the time for yourself to exercise and that your baby is growing and flourishing. Over the next six months you can then concentrate on increasing your training intensity and duration.

If you are breastfeeding, invest in a good, supportive bra. It allows for a more comfortable, vigorous work out and gives you freedom to move. There are many myths surrounding exercise and its effects on the quality and quantity of breastmilk. Research shows that breastmilk is not affected by exercise, and experts recommend that you keep yourself well hydrated. If you are due to feed after a training session, express a bit of milk onto your areola to wipe away the sweat. It makes for much easier latching.

At Preggi Bellies, our postnatal programme takes all these factors into consideration when you resume training as a new mom. Pelvic floor rehabilitation is paramount, regardless of how you delivered, as is your exercise technique. Knowing what your body has been through, we build your strength and endurance slowly and mindfully. We offer both group and personal training classes for our postnatal moms.

We also have a dietician, who can put together a personalised eating plan for you.

Being a mom to a newborn places an enormous physical and emotional strain on your body. You need to give yourself a chance to recuperate and adjust to a new way of life. So, be kind to yourself and allow yourself the time to heal and enjoy your baby in the process. Celebrate the feat of nature that you have just achieved and, who knows, you may even look better than before!

For more information about Preggi Bellies, visit www.preggibellies.co.za.

www.babysandbeyond.co.za

BAB 7.indd 51

2015/09/23 11:24 PM

HEALTH

Eczema and

allergies

By Dr Sarah Karabus, paediatric allergist and paediatrician

Eczema is a genetic disease that results in a defective skin barrier.

Babies inherit eczema – it is not caused by allergies as many people believe. DR SARAH KARABUS discusses how to prevent flare ups, how to treat them, and how to identify triggers.

W

ith eczema, because there is a dry, damaged skin barrier, irritants, food and allergens are able to penetrate into the deeper layers of the skin, resulting in red, flaky and itchy skin. Furthermore, itchy skin leads to scratching, and scratching causes further damage to the skin barrier, resulting in increasing redness and itch – a vicious cycle of itch and scratch.

There is no cure for eczema but with proper understanding it can be managed through a combination of regular prevention measures with medications used as necessary.

Prevention Because children with eczema have a damaged skin barrier, the aim of eczema prevention is to replace the skin barrier as effectively as possible.

Exclusive breastfeeding in high-risk infants, until four to six months, is helpful for the prevention of eczema.

If this is not possible, a hypoallergenic formula should be used. There are only four brands of hypoallergenic formula available – Nan Alfare, Similac Alimentum, Novolac Allernova and Pepticate.

Some studies show that certain probiotics – specifically those that contain Lactobacillus rhamnosis – may help to prevent the onset of eczema. Not all probiotic brands contain this strain, so you need to check the product labels to use the correct one.

From the time a baby is newly born, emollients (fragrance and preservative fee) should be used at least twice a day. If you are able to apply this more often, you will have even better results. Examples of good emollients include cetamacrogel and emulsifying ointment. Aqueous cream is not an emollient and should never be used in eczema.

Note that by replacing the skin barrier, irritants and allergens are now no longer able to penetrate the skin, which may even help to prevent the onset of new allergies. Some studies reveal that it is the eczema that causes the allergy, not the other way around.

When the body encounters an irritant or allergen via the skin it starts to produce antibodies to fight against this allergen. These antibodies can then cause allergic reactions. By maintaining the skin barrier, the irritants/ allergens cannot penetrate the skin and therefore the body does not form antibodies against them.

What triggers eczema?

• Children with eczema should wear 100% cotton clothes only. Try to avoid polyester, nylon, fleece and wool.

• Sweat and heat often make eczema worse so try not to overdress your child, especially at night.

• Non-biological washing powders should be used, and the softener should be replaced with white vinegar.

• Bath water should be lukewarm (again, the heat will aggravate the itch). Pat your child dry after the bath (rubbing will damage the skin barrier further) and apply your emollient within three minutes after getting out of the bath. Studies show that after three minutes, much water has evaporated off the skin, which leaves it even drier than before.

52

BAB 7.indd 52

www.babysandbeyond.co.za

2015/09/23 11:24 PM

HEALTH • Avoid bubble bath, medicated soaps, and any product that you can smell – do not be fooled by labels that claim ‘organic’ and ‘natural’.

Even organic and natural products, and fragrances such as olive oil and lavender, can make eczema worse.

• Remember that shampoo also contains fragrances and chemicals – so wash your child’s hair over a basin or use a shampoo especially formulated for children with eczema.

• Some children with eczema also flare up when they come into contact with certain triggers such as pets, house dust mites, or certain foods.

Food allergy and eczema Food allergy as a trigger for eczema is not as common as people often think. In fact, most children with eczema do not have food allergies and it may do more harm than good to avoid certain food groups in the hope that it will help the eczema.

Only about 30% of children with severe eczema have food allergies. And even once that food is removed from the diet, the genetic tendency remains, so they will still have the eczema, perhaps in a milder form, despite the removal of the food.

If you suspect food as a trigger for your child’s eczema, please seek professional advice before embarking on an exclusion diet.

Treatment There are two main types of medications that are used to treat eczema.

1. Topical corticosteroids Topical steroids are the cornerstone of eczema treatment, but there are many myths and fears surrounding this medication.

As with any medication, even paracetamol, if used incorrectly there will be side effects. But if used correctly – using the right dose on the correct body part, for the correct length of time – topical steroids are perfectly safe.

In general, there are mild steroids for the face, and stronger ones for the body. The amount and length of time to be used depends on the area it is applied to and the severity of the eczema.

2. Immunemodulators There are two products now available that are as effective as a mild cortisone, but do not contain any cortisone. These can be very useful to reduce the amount of steroid that needs to be used, or for the use on delicate areas such the eyelids.

Children who require more than the basic measures as discussed above should preferably be treated under the guidance of a dermatologist, paediatrician or allergologist. For eczema that does not respond quickly to the above measures, other treatments, such as bleach baths and wet wraps, may be considered by these specialists.

Dr Sarah Karabus is a paediatric allergist and paediatrician based in Cape Town. For more information, contact her on T +27 021 4221354 or email drkarabus@thrivingkids.co.za. www.babysandbeyond.co.za

BAB 7.indd 53

2015/09/23 11:24 PM

BAB 7.indd 54

2015/09/23 11:24 PM

EDUCATION

Supporting

your studying child

By Clare Pretorius, senior deputy principal, Trinityhouse High Randpark Ridge

If having toddlers brings with it spills (of the liquid and scraped knee kind) and frazzled parents, then having children in the house who are studying brings with it a whole new myriad of uncertainties and frustrations.

E

very young person differs when it comes to attention and dedication to studies, homework and exam preparation. Those of you lucky enough to have had an intrinsically motivated child will identify less than those of us who need to spur our children on. Children appear to fall within a spectrum that starts on one side with ‘needs motivation to get dressed’, graduates to ‘will work if there is no other option,’ and finally peaks at the other end of the spectrum with ‘needs to be told not to overdo it’. If, like me, you have sons who are unlikely to be plagued with stress-related illnesses, perhaps you would benefit from continuing to read…

www.babysandbeyond.co.za

BAB 7.indd 55

Study style In the run up to studying, you will have established how your child learns. He may want to speak out loud or write out copious notes. You and the child (depending on age) might consider finding out whether his learning style is auditory, visual or a combination of the two. It is possible that the child learns through doing rather than seeing. The method preferred, if used correctly will facilitate successful learning. Try to establish whether your child understands the work and whether extra lessons are required or not.

55

2015/09/23 11:25 PM

EDUCATION The most important aspect when it comes to studying is ensuring that there is a suitable environment. This refers to both the physical environment and the atmosphere created for the studying child. Routine needs to be regulated. This includes when meals are served and when family outings are arranged. Often children need little to distract them from the task at hand. Preparation of the environment includes ensuring that all necessary equipment (for example, calculators, coloured pens and paper) is available too. As children get older they will organise this themselves but initially a parent needs to assist. Don’t underestimate how important adequate food and healthy snacks are to the studying child. Insist on a balanced diet that will sustain the child. Low blood sugar will result in reduced concentration and tiredness.

Children need little to distract them from the task at hand.”

Depending on your child’s nature, you will approach the studying period with varying degrees of involvement. The aforementioned intrinsically motivated child may need firmness and guidance as to when enough is enough. Avoid allowing children to study into the small hours of the morning and sit the exam in an exhausted state. Of course, on the other side of the spectrum is the child who needs firm encouragement to get going at all. This child might need repeated persuasion to set up a study programme and to get going.

The study programme A study programme is vital to the success of the exams. This programme must be realistic and give adequate time to each subject. It must be flexible and make allowances for last minute emergencies, such as power failures or illness. Such a programme should be set up well in advance, as that in itself brings a sense of control to the situation. This programme must include adequate breaks that enable the child to return to studying refreshed.

A good rule of thumb is to ensure that study breaks take place every 45 minutes for a period of 10 to 15 minutes at a time. Ideally these breaks should involve going outside, playing with the dog or getting a snack. It is not recommended that the child watch television or play a computer game during breaks, as this encourages much lengthier breaks and may result in the child not feeling as refreshed as when he does something more active.

Please note that a child sitting behind closed doors for several hours, supposedly studying, is not necessarily taking much in. It is vital that the child engages with the work and then takes regular breaks.

It may also be a good idea not to allow screens in the study area if you are concerned that your child is not actually actively studying. It is recommended that phones, televisions and gaming consuls, among others, be removed from the environment unless it is a study break. But remember, first choice is to take a break in a different environment.

Supporting your studying child can be a cause for stress, which is exacerbated if the child also doesn’t enjoy writing exams or studying. Parents are key to the maintenance of a relatively stress-free environment. Potentially, there are years ahead of our children that will be filled with exams and tests. If we can engender a positive attitude and a diligence in approach to academic work it will go a long way to cultivating positive and diligent young adults.

ADvTECH Schools Division, www.advtech.co.za.

babys beyond TM

and

VISIT OUR FACEBOOK PAGE AND ENTER OUR BABY PHOTO OF THE YEAR COMPETITION! YOU COULD WIN YOUR SHARE OF R50 000.00 WORTH OF PRIZES

56

BAB 7.indd 56

www.babysandbeyond.co.za

2015/09/23 11:25 PM

BAB 7.indd 57

2015/09/23 11:25 PM

EDUCATION

How much sleep

should your child be getting?

More and more research points towards the importance of sleep for children’s health, academic performance, and behaviour. Although this may seem apparent, many of us actually do not allow our children to get the critical sleep they need to develop and function properly.

By Danielle Forsyth, educational psychologist, Trinityhouse Heritage Hill

58

BAB 7.indd 58

www.babysandbeyond.co.za

2015/09/23 11:25 PM

EDUCATION

Healthy sleep allows for optimal alertness when we are awake.”

I

t’s certainly not something we do on purpose. But with parents working long hours, packed school schedules, after-school activities, and other lifestyle factors, naps are missed, bedtimes are pushed back, mornings start earlier, and nights may be anything but peaceful. Missing naps or going to bed a little late may not seem like a big deal but it all adds up, with consequences that may last a lifetime.

‘Sleep is the power source that keeps your mind alert and calm. It recharges your brain’s battery, increases your brainpower and attention span, and allows you to be physically relaxed and mentally alert at the same time. Then, and only then, can you function at your personal best,’ insists paediatrician, Marc Weissbluth.

In children, signs of sleep-related problems may show up in a number of ways, including daytime sleepiness, weakened immune systems, inattention, poor concentration, moodiness, behavioural problems, weight gain, irregular social skills, and poor academic performance. According to Dr Avi Sadeh, author of SLEEPING LIKE A BABY, a loss of one hour of sleep is equivalent to the loss of two years of cognitive maturation and development.

To understand the critical nature of sleep to our children’s growth and development, let’s look at the essentials needed for healthy sleep, and what interventions we can put in place in our homes to encourage better sleep routines.

Essentials of healthy sleep Healthy sleep allows for optimal alertness when we are awake. This is the state in which we are most receptive to and interactive with our environment – www.babysandbeyond.co.za

BAB 7.indd 59

when our attention span is at its best and the most learning can occur. You can see this in a child who is calm and attentive, pleasant, wide eyed, absorbing everything, and socially interacts with ease. Altered states of alertness interfere with a child’s learning and behaviour.

Healthy sleep requires: • Sufficient amounts of sleep to grow, develop, and function optimally. How much is right for your child varies by age.

• Uninterrupted (good quality) sleep allows good growth and development of the body’s nervous system.

• The proper number of age-appropriate naps optimise alertness, learning and development.

Naps serve a different purpose to that of night time sleep, but are as important. Thus timing is essential, making sure they are planned and in sync with your child’s natural biological rhythms.

• A sleep schedule that is in sync with the child’s natural biological rhythms (internal clock or circadian rhythm). This allows for effective restoration and long-term memory development.

However, being out of sync can lead to difficulty falling asleep or simply staying awake. Children then become overly tired and stressed. So it is important your child’s sleep needs are met and that you adjust your schedule to be in sync with theirs. If, over time, any of these essentials are not optimal, symptoms of sleep deprivation and fatigue may occur.

How can we help our children to get the proper amount of sleep?

1. Limit bedtime activities – a routine of relaxing activities such as reading or listening to classical music can help most children sleep better. Make sure all electronics are removed to avoid further stimulation.

2. Establish a sleep schedule – similar to routine activities, experts recommend consistent times to go to sleep and wake, ideally not differing much during the week and on weekends.

3. Create a conducive environment – children will sleep faster and deeper when the room is dark, quiet and cool.

4. Promote regular exercise – a minimum of 60 minutes of physical activity for children each day can yield many benefits, including better sleep.

5. Limit caffeine – it’s advisable to limit all forms of caffeine, particularly late in the day. This includes tea, sodas and chocolate.

6. Avoid late afternoon or early evening naps – later naps can result in later bedtimes and less critical sleep for older children.

As parents, it is our responsibility to be sensitive to and protect our children’s sleep, just as we do their safety. We are primarily responsible for their sleep habits so it is important to start healthy habits early. It is much easier to instil good habits than correct bad ones.

Infuse the importance of sleep with daily attention to it and you will likely have a happier, self-assured, less demanding, and more sociable child. And who knows, you might just get some more sleep yourself!

ADvTECH Schools Division, www.advtech.co.za.

59

2015/09/23 11:26 PM

EDUCATION

Successful studying – as an adult Going back to school as an adult, years after you thought you had closed the book on studies, is challenging and not to be tackled without due consideration.

T

ammy Oppenheim, Head of Programme: Applied Humanities Faculty at The Independent Institute of Education (IIE), says that too often adult learners throw in the towel without ensuring they have the basic structures and strategies in place.

‘Studying while juggling a job and family is stressful and intimidating, but staying the course will give successful students a new lease on life. Accept that compromises must be made, and don’t allow life’s daily challenges to trip you up,’ she says.

Oppenheim proposes some strategies to smooth the path:

Create a study roster and stick to it ‘Working on your studies as and when you have the time can create unnecessary stress and set you up for failure. Find a standard block of time every day, or at least four days a week, to be used only for study.

This time should be free from interference so that you can focus. Choose the hours that work best for you – early morning, a few hours before bed each night, or a block of hours every Saturday and Sunday morning.’

Tammy adds that creating a consistent study block is also a useful mechanism to manage the expectations of friends, family and colleagues, who will come to learn that you are unavailable during your designated study time.

Get your ducks in a row Tammy notes that being a parent can make study a little bit more complicated, but not impossible.

‘If you have children, ensure that that you have reliable child-care lined up, as well as a back-up plan. Having group-work meetings, lectures or exams interrupted because of unreliable child-care creates unnecessary stress and can damage your focus and motivation,’ she maintains.

60

BAB 7.indd 60

‘If you are employed, make sure that your colleagues and line managers are supportive of your studies, and use study leave available to you should your company make provision for it.’

Maturity is not a disadvantage ‘Studies can be daunting from the perspective of an adult with a number of other responsibilities,’ Tammy notes. ‘Younger students do seem to have an easier time of it as they may not yet be financially responsible for themselves and may not have as many responsibilities to focus on. However, the value of life-experience and maturity should not be underestimated. As an adult learner, you have a wealth of experience and familiarity with socialisation to draw upon. This contextualises theoretical studies, which makes the material easier to internalise and remember. Be confident in what you already know.’

Nurture a support base among fellow students You are not alone in this, and many other students doing your course will be going through the same stress and pressures that you are. ‘Cultivate relationships, and start an online support group where you can share resources, emotional support and remind each other of scheduling or deadlines.

Before you know it, you and your new friends and future colleagues will write your last exam and the sacrifices you made to get there will pale against the victory of holding your qualification in hand. Come to terms with the fact that it is not going to be easy.

You are going to have to commit a sizable chunk of your time and energy to your studies. Keep reminding yourself of your end goal and the benefits that will far outweigh the stress and effort,’ Tammy concludes.

For more information, visit www.theworldofwork. co.za or www.iie.ac.za. www.babysandbeyond.co.za

2015/09/23 11:26 PM

BAB 7.indd 61

2015/09/23 11:26 PM

EDUCATION

Techno literacy

By Petro Boers, Crawford Prep Italia: Gr3 teacher, Gr computer teacher, and assistant aftercare homework

The development of technology, how young children engage with it, and the influence it has on families, is still in its infancy and there’s much more to come. We need to teach children to be responsible digital citizens who can make thoughtful decision between quality and quantity when interacting with technology.

I

can vividly remember being a child. Choices could be made without too many consequences. Friends didn’t pose a threat to my daily existence, I could eat and drink what was offered to me, and going to school at the age of five was not frowned upon. Life was easy and uncomplicated.

Being a parent in 2015 is challenging. Gone are the days of allowing your child to be a child as we knew it. Taking care of a household and providing for a family in the current economic climate is not easy.

Watching people is something I love doing – in restaurants, at home, when visiting friends, or in my car during peak time traffic. The one thing that has struck me is how fragmented family life has become.

Parents on their cell phones, children on tablets or

62

BAB 7.indd 62

game consoles, all at the same table having a meal.

What has led us to the point where we need to understand what the influence of technology is on our daily existence?

Reading through research papers and available literature does not give clarity on this controversial topic. What makes it even more challenging is that we have only seen the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the development of technology. If we have to believe what the futurists say in terms of what is still to come, the next decade will pose even greater challenges.

How do we best assist young children growing up in the radically changing world? Children learn through exploring. They experience the world through their

www.babysandbeyond.co.za

2015/09/23 11:26 PM

EDUCATION senses. Through smelling, tasting, touching, hearing and seeing they understand the world around them. Depriving them of this important interaction is detrimental to their holistic development. Exposure to screens from a very young age is inevitable and preventing interaction almost impossible, but children under the age of two should not be exposed to these devices. Over stimulation of the senses due to loud noises, bold colours and flashing lights often leads to restlessness and agitation in young children. Even young children can become addicted and there are now centres opening to treat young techno addicts.

The more time a child spends interacting with technology the more time is taken away from playing creatively and interacting on all levels. Building friendships and learning social skills in hampered in a world where the click of a button gets rid of all unwanted friends. Parents talk less to their children when interacting with technology, and they deprive their children of meaningful conversation on topics that are essential to their well-being.

Childhood obesity is also a very real challenge to society. Too much sedentary time is largely blamed on the use of technology to entertain children instead of them playing outdoors and developing gross motor skills. A consequence is the increasing need for therapies such as occupational therapy and neurodevelopmental physiotherapy. Participation in school sport has become optional and the valuable skills, related to playing in a team, are compromised.

Looking at all that is can be overwhelming, and technology then becomes the culprit for all that is wrong when raising children. Making informed

www.babysandbeyond.co.za

BAB 7.indd 63

The more time a child spends interacting with technology the more time is taken away from playing creatively and interacting on all levels. decisions based on fact will determine the impact technology has on young children. Setting limits on screen time and monitoring content is essential.

Teaching children to be responsible digital citizens who can make thoughtful decisions between quality and quantity, when interacting with technology, is what we are striving for.

Helping your child to become a responsible digital citizen can be time consuming, as it will take a concerted effort by parents to ensure that children don’t get engulfed and overwhelmed. Some tips include: • Be ruthless with age restrictions. They are a guideline to prevent interaction with inappropriate media.

• Limit the time spent using technology. Half an hour is enough for the pre-school child.

• Sit with your child while playing games or using apps. The only way to really know what your child is doing is to be actively involved. Do not allow unsupervised usage.

• Establish technology rules and boundaries.

Establish times when technology will be allowed.

Teaching children socially acceptable behaviour is important – for example, no technology during meals.

• Will the use of technology expand and enhance your child’s experience? Playing outside or doing a creative activity can be more valuable than playing a technology game.

• Consider the cost of technology. Buying devices and sustained usage can be costly. Be aware of hidden costs. Unsupervised downloading and watching online media can be expensive.

• Using technology should be a privilege. The parent, not the child, determines the use of technology.

As with most things in life, striking a balance is important. Time spent using technology should not take away from spending valuable time as a family.

Reading books, playing games, eating at a table, and caring for pets cannot be replaced by a virtual, disposable world.

There is no doubt that technology is forever changing the world around us. How to best navigate through this minefield is complex and scary.

Whatever you do to protect your child and keep him safe from the danger that lurks behind a screen should be carefully considered and implemented with only one thing in mind, the safety and wellbeing of your child.

ADvTECH Schools Division, www.advtech.co.za.

63

2015/09/23 11:26 PM

SUMMER SAFETY Pic credit: Designer Pool Covers

Avoiding tragedy

By Gerda Klopper

Something that scares all parents is losing a child. In South Africa, drowning is listed as one of the top causes of unnatural death in children and in 90% of cases children were under some sort of supervision at the time.

P

arents or caregivers of children who are victims of drowning tragedies usually say that they only diverted their attention from the child for a few minutes. However, this is long enough for a child to fall into open water – it only takes four minutes without oxygen for irreversible brain damage to occur.

In South Africa more drownings occur in inland provinces than in coastal areas. In the coastal provinces, emergency calls received involving children and drowning occur more frequently with freshwater sources, such as public and private swimming pools, than sea-related emergencies. This indicates that there’s definitely a heightened need for safety around swimming pools.

Secondary drowning is another frightening occurrence that people are less aware of. After a near-drowning incident, or a struggle in water, the victim could have breathed in a small amount of water that builds up in the lungs, called pulmonary oedema. This person can be out of the water and walking around normally before signs of secondary drowning become apparent.

Fatal if untreated, symptoms of secondary drowning include trouble breathing, chest pain, coughing, sudden behaviour changes, or extreme fatigue. The signs of secondary drowning can be hard to spot, particularly in young children who may be normally fussy or tired after a long day in the sun and water.

Secondary drowning is treated with oxygen or ventilation in a hospital. If your child has a near-drowning incident, take him to the hospital immediately.

However, drowning or secondary drowning is preventable. Parents should be attentive and keep a watchful eye, and install multiple safety precautions when there are children around swimming pools and other water, such as water buckets, pets’ water bowls, fountains and water features. A child can drown in just a few hundred millimetres of water.

64

BAB 7.indd 64

Water safety tips • Good parental supervision • Add a child-safe, self-closing, self-latching gate to your pool fence • Maintain strict pool rules especially if diving is allowed • Statistics show that drowning significantly decreases if a pool is enclosed with a four-sided fence • Take your child for swimming lessons and teach him water safety • Do not let your child swim alone • Parents and caregivers must be trained in first aid and CPR • Avoid alcohol when supervising children who are swimming • Ensure that filtration systems and drain pumps are not an entrapment risk • Keep your pool grounds well maintained • Keep approved flotation devices and rescue equipment easily accessible • Properly install a certified safety net or pool cover and remove it completely when swimming • Remove any nearby furniture or other items that could be used by children to climb over the fence or walls to your pool or to neighbours’ pools • Remove the steps from above ground pools when not in use If you own a swimming pool it is imperative that you ensure it’s safe. There are many options available, including safety nets, automated covers, manual covers with high-quality materials like rigid PVC or airtight and waterproof slats. Many people prefer a pool cover as it enhances the aesthetics of the pool without compromising security.

In addition to saving the lives of children and pets, pool covers also decreases cleaning costs.

For more information, visit www.designerpoolcovers.co.za.

www.babysandbeyond.co.za

2015/09/23 11:27 PM

BAB 7.indd 65

2015/09/23 11:27 PM

SUMMER SAFETY

Pic credit: Gavin Sutton

Drowning exposed

By Gavin Sutton, veteran paramedic and COO for Be Safe Paramedical South Africa s a dad, paramedic, and eternal optimist, I have always seen drowning as one of those completely senseless deaths. I can picture some of you frowning right now and saying, ‘but when is downing not senseless?’ Well with everything in life, some things we do come with inherent risks. For the most part they are calculated, but things don’t always go to plan and a risk becomes an actioned reality.

Based purely on my experience as a paramedic, I have no hesitation in stating that all drownings involving kids are completely and utterly senseless and associated with some form of lapse in supervision. A pool gate left open (or no pool fence at all); a bucket full of dishwashing water left on the lawn; a bath left full of water and dad dozed off on the couch. I have experienced all these, and as much as we would like to go back five minutes and change a bad decision, we cannot. It is done. So please, take your little one with you whenever you go inside the house, do not leave even small volumes of water unattended, and never think for one second that your child cannot reach it. As we will discuss, it takes very little water for a child to drown in.

Let’s take a closer look at drowning and what

66

BAB 7.indd 66

happens inside the body, factors affecting the outcome of a drowning victim and emergency care.

What happens in drowning?

Drowning is defined as respiratory failure from being in or under liquid. The term ‘near-drowning’ was often loosely used to define the outcome. We no longer use this term, but rather subdivide the outcome of a drowning episode into death, ongoing health problems, or no ongoing health problems.

Irrespective of whether in fresh or salt water, all drownings follow the same initial sequence of events.

So, to better understand drowning, let’s do a quick lesson in anatomy.

In the upper part of the airway (the Larynx) we have two main passages – the Trachea allows air to pass into the lungs as we breathe. The second passage, the Oesophagus, allows food and liquid to be carried to the stomach.

There is a small leaf-like muscular structure at the entrance to the Trachea, called the Epiglottis. This structure closes off the entrance to the Trachea whenever we eat or drink, which ensures that the air passages are protected from obstruction.

In the initial stages of drowning small amounts of

Pic credit: Gavin Sutton

A

www.babysandbeyond.co.za

2015/09/23 11:27 PM

SUMMER SAFETY

Pic credit: Gavin Sutton

water enter the upper airway. This triggers a violent cough response to try and force the water out.

As additional amounts of water enter the upper airway the Epiglottis continues to open and close to protect the air passages. If water continues to irritate the upper airway, it will eventually go into a spasm, which will effectively block off the passage of air and oxygen to the lungs.

With the airway now sealed off, no oxygen will be moving in through the mouth and nose, which means the brain becomes starved of oxygen. When this happens, the victim will lose consciousness.

If we remove the victim from the water at this stage, there will be very little water in the lungs. This is what is commonly called ‘dry drowning’. It takes very little fluid to cause a ‘dry drowning’. Sometimes just a few millilitres. If the victim is not rescued, the unconscious state will cause the spasm of the upper airway to relax, which will then allow water to flow into the lungs. This is what is commonly referred to as ‘wet drowning’.

With children, there are a couple of concerns. Firstly with crawling babies, their heads are proportionally larger than the rest of their bodies. This means that there is a natural tendency for their heads to fall forwards. The dog’s water bowl or bucket of water are therefore very real drowning hazards. Secondly, a larger head means that it will be heavier and therefore more difficult to lift up once it is in the forward position. This combination of increased size and mass places little crawlers at a very high risk of drowning.

What about the water?

Without making things too complicated I think it is important to mention some of the issues associated with the type of water the child is rescued from. If the drowning event takes place in salt water and the child is rescued and appears to be okay, the parents may decide to take him home, but think again.

Salt water is highly concentrated and even small amounts present in the lungs will tend to draw additional lower concentrated fluid toward it (by the process of osmosis). This means that there is a very high probability that the child will end up with more fluid in his lungs than at the time of rescue. We refer to this as ‘secondary drowning’. Children developing a ‘secondary drowning’ will begin to show signs of respiratory distress up to several hours after the drowning episode.

So, if you are faced with an incident at the beach, it is important that the child is assessed and monitored in a hospital for several hours following the incident. Please do not think everything is fine and it was just a near miss. Please make sure your child is taken to hospital and accessed.

Water that is contaminated or stagnant may cause severe pneumonia if aspirated into the lungs. So even if you think the water is clean, it is very likely that your child could develop a post aspiration infection. Lung infections can be very severe and indirectly cause a range of challenges for your little one to overcome.

Please ensure that your child is taken to hospital for a thorough assessment. The warm moist environment in the lungs is a perfect place for bacteria to grow. An X-ray will need to be taken to ascertain the degree of aspiration and the course of treatment to be followed.

Emergency care and factors influencing outcome There has been much debate around what truly impacts on the outcome of paediatric drowning.

There have been many reported cases of patients who have drowned in very cold water, have been www.babysandbeyond.co.za

BAB 7.indd 67

67

2015/09/23 11:27 PM

SUMMER SAFETY

The Laryrx

68

BAB 7.indd 68

child-proof your doors and never leave your little one unattended. Prepare your children by sending them for swimming lessons early in their lives, and prepare yourself by taking a CPR class. It only takes a second for our lives to be changed, and a split-second decision to change something that may alter our lives and our children’s lives forever…

Gavin is a paramedic and previous head of training for the Western Cape Emergency Medical Services. He is currently the chief operating officer at Be Safe Paramedical South Africa. www.be-safe.co.za

Pic credit: Gavin Sutton

resuscitated for over an hour and have recovered with no neurological impairment.

From personal experience, and based on what I have actually seen and done, I would have to say that water temperature has played a role in a positive way for a number of drowning cases I attended to over the years. I once had a threeyear-old toddler who we resuscitated for over 40 minutes on a cold winter’s morning. Not only did he survive, but made a 100% recovery with absolutely no neurological damage. Call it a miracle, call it circumstantial, or just call it science. I am not sure which it is but my teaching has always been to begin CPR as quickly as you can and carry on for as long as you can.

CPR is the only thing that has been shown scientifically to truly influence any cardiac arrest outcome. Evidence from studies show a continual downward survival trend the longer CPR is delayed.

Something that I think is important to point out is that there is often a lot of concern about the water that the child may have swallowed. I have arrived on some scenes to find people actively trying to compress the abdomen to try and get rid of the water swallowed. This is not a good idea at all. The risk with this is that it is very easy to cause the child to regurgitate the mixture of water and acids from the stomach, which will inevitably end up in the lungs.

Acid from the stomach will damage the lining of the lungs and add to the list of complications should the resuscitation be successful.

I know its human nature to make mistakes and to learn from them but drowning is not a mistake we want to make to learn a lesson. So I challenge you to relook at your pool and make sure it is safe, have set places for your pet’s water bowl that is in easy view,

www.babysandbeyond.co.za

2015/09/23 11:29 PM

www.dradelrossouw.co.za | Cell: 083 719 9021 (emergency only) | Phone: (012) 752 9000 (reception) Email: info@adelrossouw.co.za | 533 January Masilela Dr, Constantia Park 0010, Pretoria Phone (012) 252 6759 | 9 Harrington Street, Brits

DR ADEL ROSSOUW_fcp.indd 2

2015/09/29 11:39 AM

HEALTH

What you don’t expect when

expecting Embarking on the journey of motherhood should be a pleasurable and memorable experience. However, for many women pregnancy can be overshadowed by hypertension, also known as high blood pressure.

U

ncontrolled high blood pressure prior to pregnancy or high blood pressure developed during pregnancy poses a risk to both the mother and unborn baby. Future and expectant moms should be aware of these dangers and know about the lifesaving tips to help prevent high blood pressure from casting a shadow over this momentous time.

High blood pressure can affect an expectant mother in two ways. Firstly, she might have existing high blood pressure prior to becoming pregnant or, secondly, high blood pressure may develop in the second half of pregnancy. When high blood pressure is accompanied by protein in the urine, and swollen ankles, fingers and face, it is particularly serious and is called pre-eclampsia. For both types of high blood pressure in pregnancy, if it is not detected and then controlled, it can cause a low birth weight or require the baby’s early delivery. High blood pressure and especially pre-eclampsia can also be very harmful to the mother, causing seizures, damaging the kidneys, liver and brain, and increasing the risk of stroke.

The good news is that early detection and control of high blood pressure and close monitoring of mom and baby can ensure a safe and happy pregnancy.

However, there are certain factors that can put one at an increased risk of high blood pressure during pregnancy, which include high blood pressure during a previous pregnancy, obesity, being under the age of 20 and over the age of 40, having diabetes and other chronic illnesses, and being pregnant with more than one baby. Women with any of these factors should be especially vigilant. Severe headaches and visual disturbances are warning signs that require an urgent visit to your doctor or clinic.

How can women with existing high blood pressure prevent problems during pregnancy?

1. Firstly, it is important to control your blood pressure and speak to your doctor or nurse when thinking about falling pregnant.

2. Discuss with your doctor how high blood pressure might affect you or your baby and how to adapt or change any current blood pressure medication.

70

BAB 7.indd 70

3. Continue to monitor blood pressure regularly throughout your pregnancy as advised by your doctor or clinic.

4. Ensure that you are eating healthily, limiting salt intake, being active, and avoiding alcohol or tobacco products. In addition, taking calcium supplementation can prevent pre-eclampsia.

How can women be sure not to get high blood pressure or pre-eclampsia during pregnancy?

Regular visits to the doctor or clinic are important to ensure a safe pregnancy. For a healthy pregnancy one should: • First and foremost ensure that you are in the best possible health before thinking of falling pregnant; including managing a healthy weight, being physically active and not smoking.

• Get early and regular care from a doctor.

• Follow all the doctor’s recommendations.

• Do what you can to help manage blood pressure.

Eat a healthy diet, including plenty of fruit and vegetables, daily dairy, and limit intake of salt and salty foods.

• Take a calcium supplement as advised and directed by your doctor.

High blood pressure has no symptoms or warning signs, therefore checking blood pressure regularly throughout your pregnancy and beyond is important to monitor your and your baby’s health and wellbeing.

The Heart & Stroke Foundation South Africa encourages all women to know their numbers by visiting their nearest clinic, GP practice, pharmacy or obstetrician to get their blood pressure checked.

For more information, visit www.heartfoundation.co.za. www.babysandbeyond.co.za

2015/09/23 11:31 PM

BAB 7.indd 71

2015/09/23 11:32 PM

SUMMER SAFETY

Pool safety legislation

Pool safety legislation is once again receiving much needed traction via a national Standard, rather than the municipal by law approach.

S

wimming pool safety legislation has been widely debated and commented on in South Africa over the years. However, since a move was made by city decision makers earlier this year to approach this as a national Standard rather than via municipal by law, the issue has again received much needed traction and a draft Standard is now open for public comment.

Staunch advocate of pool safety and international entrepreneurial business award winner, Caryn Formby, compares the issue to the new seatbelt legislation. ‘The statistics are hard to ignore when it comes to children and seat belts. We just wish more people would see pools in the same light. They are no less risky than cars, yet the statistic – a child under the age of three is more likely to die by drowning

Pool safety for children is about layers of safety – combining adult supervision and other responsible behaviours, such as swimming lessons, with a safety device (or multiple devices) that restrict access to the water.

72

BAB 7.indd 72

www.babysandbeyond.co.za

2015/09/23 11:32 PM

SUMMER SAFETY than in a car accident – does not shock us to the same degree as infant mortality rates on the roads,’ insists Caryn, director of PowerPlastics Pool Covers and founder of TopStep, an educational website about child drowning prevention.

One must remember that pool safety for children is about layers of safety – combining adult supervision and other responsible behaviours with a safety device (or multiple devices) that restrict access to the water.

However, to ensure that at least one method of safety is incorporated into every domestic pool, the SABS is in the process of redeveloping the Standard for pool safety. This means that when selling any property with a pool, it will undergo a safety inspection, much like electrical and beetle inspections.

‘This is not new though. A law was legislated in the 1960s and even into the 1970s that one had to protect a pool against children entering it. However, the old Standards are no longer in use and the behaviour has slipped back into more of a selfregulating outlook rather than something one is legally obliged to comply with,’ Caryn adds.

The Standard (SANS 10134) has been deemed relevant today, and is considered effective in reducing fatalities in swimming pools. It is now in the public participation process, after which it will be an advisory document for pool builders and pool owners to better understand safety around private swimming pools.

‘At SABS there is no disagreement around the spirit embodied within SANS 10134, nor doubt that pool owners must be obliged to secure their pools. But the longer it takes, the more children will drown. The need for efficient standards is paramount.’

American standards PowerPlastics Pool Covers, a key player in the pool safety industry and 2015 National Spa & Pool Institute Award winner, has motivated for the American Standards to be considered for South Africa. ‘America’s Standards are renowned for their simplicity and lack of grey areas,’ explains Carolyn Idas from PowerPlastics Pool Covers.

The American (ASTM) standards use a simple question format to qualify or test the efficacy of the pool safety device or method. These are: • Can the device bear weights of up to 220kg (static load test)?

• Are there any gaps or openings that allow unsupervised entry? If yes, can I fit a ball of 9cm x 14cm x 30cm through the gap? (This being the size of a child’s head or torso).

• Opening test – is the cover sufficiently anchored to prevent a child gaining access to the water?

A child under the age of three is more likely to die by drowning than in a car accident.”

www.babysandbeyond.co.za

BAB 7.indd 73

Pool safety for children is about layers of safety.”

• Can water collect/pool on top of the device and, if yes, is there provision for it to drain away (to prevent small pools forming that a child can drown in).

• And most importantly to the overall safety of the cover is that it is installed by an accredited supplier.

‘Labelling should also come into the standards.

We’d like to see mandatory health warnings on every pool product, much like those found on cigarettes.

For example, pool chemical companies could also participate by placing warnings such as ‘protect your pool from unauthorised access by children,’ says Carolyn.

‘The whole topic is centred on protecting those who can’t protect themselves – children. There are many opinions out there but it brings us back to a point that has been made many times before – do we really require a law to make us more responsible parents? Should we not be more self-regulating as adults? For example, most ‘dangerous’ products or industries don’t ever require a Standard or even a recommended practice. Take the chemical industry, for example. There is no enforceable law saying we can’t let children ingest poisonous substances – we take the precautionary steps on our own,’ Caryn maintains.

With so many questions and debates around the issue of pool safety, Caryn launched an educational blog to address the concerns. TopStep is a public platform for tips, medical advice, industry insight, and a place for people to share their stories about child drowning. Useful educational tools are available, and TopStep also unpacks some of the common myths around the appearance of a drowning.

‘Many tragedies occur because those nearby think they know what a drowning in progress looks like – shouts for help, thrashing in the water and waving for help. In reality, drowning is quick and silent. The child shows no sign of violent struggle and remains upright in the water, often looking like they are just treading water or doing doggie paddle,’ Caryn points out.

Drownings are entirely preventable with the right pool safety devices, adequate swimming skills and responsible parenting in the form of vigilant adult supervision around pools. Solid safety covers, pool nets and fences are the most common way to prevent access by children.

Caryn was a winner in the 2014 IWEC (International Women’s Entrepreneurial Challenge) in Sweden, receiving an international accolade for her entrepreneurial drive and her dedication to lowering child drowning statistics through ongoing education.

Visit www.topstep.co.za for drowning prevention tips and advice. To learn more about solid safety covers for child drowning prevention, visit www.powerplastics.co.za.

73

2015/09/23 11:33 PM

SUMMER SAFETY

A sun smart

summer With temperatures rising and long summer days ahead, the Cancer Association of South Africa offers advice about being sun smart.

I

t takes just one blistering sunburn during childhood to more than double your chances of developing melanoma later in life. In fact, children should not get sunburned at any age, especially because there are very effective sun protection methods to use.

For everyone, no matter what age, remember to take special care in the sun between 10:00 and 15:00 when Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is at its most intense. Also remember to dress children in protective clothing, a sun hat and sunglasses.

Infants under six months old should be kept out of the sun. Avoid applying sunscreen to infants younger than six months as these products are only recommended for children and adults.

Here are some sun tips for infants: • Keep your baby in the shade as much as possible, and make sure she wears a sun hat.

• Consult a paediatrician before using a sunscreen.

• Make sure your baby wears clothing that covers and protects sensitive skin.

• Watch her carefully to make sure she’s not showing signs of sunburn or dehydration (fussiness, redness and excessive crying).

• Give her formula or breast milk if she’s in the sun for more than a few minutes.

• If you notice that your child is getting burned, get her out of the sun immediately and apply cold compresses to the affected areas. Seek medical assistance if necessary or in doubt.

74

BAB 7.indd 74

Sun exposure protection: For children six months and older Liberal amounts of sunscreen (preferably SPF30 or higher) should be applied before children are allowed in the sun for short periods of time. Sunscreen should be applied 15 to 20 minutes before going outside. Test the sunscreen first, in case there’s a reaction, and remember to reapply it every two hours or more frequently if your child is swimming.

Children with dark skin need sun exposure for longer periods, and to more of their bodies, to get adequate vitamin D. Children with naturally very dark skin should still protect their faces and eyes from over exposure to UV rays. While skin cancer, including melanoma, can occur in dark skin populations, the risk is lower.

Plan daily activities to keep children well protected from the sun, and make use of a combination of sun protection measures: • Let children wear clothing that has a UV protection factor (UPF). The higher the UPF, the greater the protection provided by the fabric.

• Get children to wear broad-brimmed hats to protect their faces, necks and ears.

• Provide children with sunglasses, if practical, to protect their eyes. Look for sunglasses that are labelled at least UV400 and that are a close fitting, wrap-around style that covers as much of the eye area as possible. Don’t forget that these guidelines also apply when your children are at school.

For more information about keeping your children safe in the sun, visit www.cansa.org.za. www.babysandbeyond.co.za

2015/09/23 11:33 PM

BAB 7.indd 75

2015/09/23 11:33 PM

CLASSIFIEDS BAB 7.indd 76

2015/09/23 11:34 PM

CLASSIFIEDS

DANCE MOUSE

OVER 35 FRANCHISES NATIONWIDE AND GROWING FAST! Grade 000-Grade 7 as an extra-cost activity From Grade 8 - Grade 12

Special Design Clothes for Boys & Girls

Day And Night Fashion for any Occasions.

Warm up: Ballet and Modern techniques, Body Conditioning, Pilates basics and Proprioception skills Dance forms: Hip-hop, Hip-Tap, Rock’n Roll, Jazz, Freestyle, Latin American, Disco, Hula Hoop Dances and Cheerleading Basics

Tel: 082 8505 808 E-mail: info@cherrykids.co.za Website: www.cherrykids.co.za

Strength, Stretch and Core Training is our passion! www.dancemouse.co.za • 083 387 7771

13 Boekenhout Crescent, Extension 4, Delmas, 2210

THE BENEFITS ARE ENOR’MOUSE!

PO Box 815, Delmas, 2210

TO ADVERTISE IN

babys beyond TM

and

ys bab beyond

Baby’s and Beyond

TM

October - December 2015

and

ber October - Decem

2015

osed Drowning exp le to Will you be ab breastfeed? re Raising the futu

eyond.co.za

www.babysandb www.babysandbeyon

-5467 ISSN 2311

d.co.za

6 9 77231 1 54670

aways

INSIDE: Give

– Cyber safety rs nge know the da agement eng y sor Sen elopment for optimal dev Classifieds

Subscribe and

WIN!

Kicks for kids

CONTACT:

021 424 3625 info@babysandbeyond.co.za www.babysandbeyond.co.za

BAB 7.indd 77

77

2015/09/23 11:34 PM

BAB 7.indd 78

2015/09/23 11:35 PM

BAB 7.indd 79

2015/09/23 11:36 PM

BAB 7.indd 80

2015/09/23 11:36 PM

babys beyond

KICKS FOR KIDS

and

Gingerbread house The tradition of making decorated gingerbread houses started in Germany in the early 1800s. Some researchers say that the first gingerbread houses were the result of the well-known Grimm’s fairy tale, Hansel and Gretel. Today, for many families, the tradition of decorating a gingerbread house is an annual holiday event.

www.babysandbeyond.co.za

BAB 7.indd 81

81

2015/09/23 11:36 PM

KICKS FOR KIDS

Crossword

a

Join the

puzzle

Write the names of these African animals and find the missing word.

dots

b Draw a line from dot number 1 to dot number 2, then from dot number 2 to dot number 3, and so on.

Keep going until you’ve joined all the dots.

82

BAB 7.indd 82

www.babysandbeyond.co.za

2015/09/23 11:37 PM

Spot the difference

KICKS FOR KIDS

c

Can you find the 10 difference between these two pictures?

Find the route

Help the hungry little caterpillar get to his yummy green breakfast.

d

www.babysandbeyond.co.za

BAB 7.indd 83

83

2015/09/23 11:38 PM

GRAB SOME GRUB

Creamy Lemon Chicken with Mushrooms Serves 4-5 A lovely family supper or an easy dish to serve to friends.

Ingredients

6-8 Skinless chicken breast fillets 1t (5ml) Ina Paarman’s Lemon and Black Pepper Seasoning 2T (30ml) Ina Paarman’s White Sauce Powder 1T (15ml) Butter 1T (15ml) Canola or olive oil 250g Punnet mushrooms, thickly sliced 1 x 200ml Ina Paarman’s Lemon and Herb Coat & Cook Sauce 250ml Fresh cream 1 x 25g Ina Paarman’s Liquid Chicken Stock

Method

Adjust the oven rack to its middle position and pre-heat the oven to 180°C. Cut each breast fillet across the grain on the diagonal into 4 pieces. Mix Seasoning and White Sauce Powder, sprinkle over the chicken and mix through.

Warm an empty frying pan over high heat, add the butter and oil. Add the chicken and stir-fry briefly until lightly browned on the outside, but still raw inside.

Toss the mushrooms in with the chicken, do not cook them. Immediately dish the mixture into a medium size ovenproof dish.

Add the Lemon and Herb Sauce, the cream and Liquid Stock to the frying pan and heat, while stirring and scraping with a wooden spoon to incorporate all the nice brown bits. Pour over the chicken. Bake open for 20 to 25 minutes.

84

BAB 7.indd 84

Serve

Delicious with buttered tagliatelle to soak up the sauce.

Serve a crisp green salad on the side, dressed with an Ina Paarman Vinaigrette Dressing. www.babysandbeyond.co.za

2015/09/23 11:39 PM

GRAB SOME GRUB

Bacon Salad Wraps Serves 2 Once you have mastered the art of slow cooking bacon, the family will be very impressed with you!

You will need:

Medium frying pan Tongs Table spoon Chopping board Small chopping knife Toothpicks

Ingredients

8 Slices of streaky bacon 1T (15ml) Canola or olive oil 2 Shop bought tortilla wraps 2T (30ml) Ina Paarman’s Tomato Pesto 1 Small bunch spring onions, finely sliced with green tops 4 Lettuce leaves 2T (30ml) Ina Paarman’s Honey Mustard Dressing 2 Red ripe tomatoes, sliced Ina Paarman’s Vegetable Spice

Method

Swivel the oil in the pan and lay the bacon in the oiled pan.

Slowly cook the bacon over a medium heat, turning with tongs once or twice until crispy. Remove and keep on one side.

Microwave tortillas for 20 to 30 seconds until warm.

Spread one side of each tortilla with Tomato Pesto and divide the sliced spring onions between them and top with the lettuce leaves.

Drizzle lettuce with Honey Mustard Dressing.

Lay tomato slices over and season lightly with Vegetable Spice, add bacon slices.

Carefully roll up, cut into halves on the diagonal, and secure with toothpicks.

Recipes and pictures courtesy of www.babysandbeyond.co.za

BAB 7.indd 85

85

2015/09/23 11:40 PM

BAB 7.indd 86

2015/09/23 11:41 PM

OUT & ABOUT

Heading to the

Pic credit: Tyger Valley

mall?

Centre

A popular weekend and holiday pass time is a family trip to the mall. EMMA DAWSON finds out what Tyger Valley Centre in Cape Town offers end-of-year holiday shoppers.

T

yger Valley Centre has much on offer in the way of facilities, events and convenience for shoppers, including those with children and babies.

With six modern baby changing facilities and family rooms, it is no wonder that Tyger Valley Centre is known as a family-orientated shopping destination.

Convenient facilities are located throughout the Centre, and its beautiful restrooms have been redesigned with disabled shoppers in mind.

Additionally, intercoms are located at each entrance should visitors require a wheelchair, and the Centre also provides dedicated parking bays for disabled shoppers and for moms with babies.

Activities for children (toddlers to young adults) Funky Frogs is an indoor play centre and party venue that offers a safe environment where children can develop occupational skills by playing actively in an exciting atmosphere. Aimed at one to 10 year olds, all activities are designed to improve balance, coordination and other stimuli while reinforcing social skills in a group play environment. Funky Frogs also offers an array of extra mural lessons and activities.

Parents can leave their children in the capable hands of the Funky Frogs staff while enjoying a quiet meal or some shopping. Birthday parties are also hosted here, and all themes, age groups, and budgets are catered for by tailor making each party package to suit the individual.

Holiday programmes November 2015: Whether you’re a soon-to-be mom, old hand with a string of children, or a grandmother, don’t miss Tyger Valley Centre’s Baby & Toddler Expo being held from November 19 to 22. Many renowned baby and toddler brands will be displayed throughout the Centre, showcasing the best products and services; and helping moms to prepare for this exciting phase in their lives. www.babysandbeyond.co.za

BAB 7.indd 87

Another entertaining, fun offering that children will love is Kidz Skouspeel – think Skouspel, but in a junior version. Join Tyger Valley Centre hostess, the Princess of the Valley, for a magical production as every child’s fantasy is turned into a reality. Imagine Lollos and Lettie, Tjiff and Tjaff, Liewe Heksie, and the Tyger Valley mascots, Tom and Tina, all together on one stage in real time. Tickets will be available from Computicket. Don’t miss this production at the Tyger Valley Arena from November 21 to 22.

December 2015: Back by popular demand is the Centre’s special Christmas holiday offering, Santa’s Workshop. The Arena will be transformed into a magical castle where children can make their own Christmas presents and be entertained with crafts and baking classes by Deeghuys while parents complete their Christmas shopping. Keep an eye on www.tygervalley.co.za for dates and times.

Safety and security for children While the safety of shoppers and tenants is of the utmost importance to the Centre’s management, parents are ultimately responsible for their children’s safety. Here are some recommended safety tips for children left alone at the Centre: • Teens/tweens should always go out in a group and should not speak to, or accept anything from strangers.

• The group should stay together at all times and continuously check on each other to ensure nobody’s missing.

• Parents should programme emergency contact numbers into their children’s cell phones and educate them about what to do in an emergency.

• Parents should regularly check up on their children via a text or phone call.

• Steer clear of dark, outside areas, especially in the evening. Children are advised to wait inside the Centre for their parents to collect them.

For more information, visit www.tygervalley.co.za.

87

2015/09/23 11:41 PM

OUT & ABOUT

Fun for the whole family.

Traveling with family needs to be simple from the get go.

Top destinations for family travel

By Lesego Matabane, marketing manager, Club Med Southern Africa

Are you in the lucky position of considering an international holiday?

Club Med Southern Africa offers some advice on child-friendly destinations for December.

M

any of us are in the process of planning an endof-year holiday and trying to make the most of the one time in the year when the whole family can go away together. So, having a structured plan is invaluable.

Where to go is often a contentious issue because it begs the question: ‘What maketh a destination preferable for that once-in-a-lifetime full-on family holiday?’

We don’t want to travel to a destination that the kids won’t like – we all know that a family holiday is really only about the kids, right? Believe me, unhappy kids mean unhappy parents, which equals a disastrous holiday. Bored children are also a no-no.

Your break will quickly turn into yet another midweek public holiday at home without a playdate and nothing but repeats on television.

We also don’t want destinations that are difficult to get to – one layover is more than enough for international travel. It can get pretty frantic chasing a connecting flight at an airport we hardly know with three children on tow, bulky hand luggage stuffed with toys and pillows and no nanny. Traveling with family needs to be simple from the get go so

88

BAB 7.indd 88

that as parents, we also get some downtime to relax.

Here are a few holiday destinations to consider for your next family holiday. For me, these destinations tick the boxes for an exotic, yet affordable destination that will enrich you with its various offerings, while being easy and laid back enough for some much needed rest.

Bali, Indonesia Think calm seas with vast white beaches and warm clear turquoise water. Bali is considered one of the best family-friendly destinations in the world, and I believe one of the reasons is because of its incredible weather year round. March to September are dry with high temperatures (25 to 35°C). October to February are wet with beautiful tropical rainfall.

There’s a lot to explore in Bali, and being in a resort with kids facilities gives you time to explore the city.

Balinese people are very friendly and will welcome you into their world with open arms.

Phuket, Thailand Thailand is a popular destination for adults because it has long been associated with the fast-paced urban www.babysandbeyond.co.za

2015/09/23 11:41 PM

OUT & ABOUT

Pic credit: Club Med Southern Africa Staying at resorts with kids clubs gives you time to relax and let your hair down.

vibe of Bangkok and its numerous ping pong shows, as well as the beach and island parties across Phuket, Ko Samui, Ko Pha-Ngan and Ko Tao. For that reason, most people who genuinely love Thailand and would like to go back with their families don’t because they don’t know that off the beaten track in Phuket there are a number of quiet spots that still boast the charm of the Thai people in a safe, laid back environment.

The weather is good, the beaches offer soft white sand and warm clear water, and Thailand has a rich culture, friendly people and wonderful food – all the makings of a great family holiday.

Because of its accessibility and general ease of travel, Mauritius is proof that a short-haul flight with an island paradise at the other end is a no brainer for family holidays.

Albion has beautiful beaches with some of the warmest Indian Ocean water. The food, which boasts many influences, is testament to the wider cultural palette of the Mauritians and is dominated by French, Indian, Chinese and various other European cuisines.

Mauritius is great for a quick getaway with family, and staying at resorts with kids clubs gives you a couple of free nights to let your hair down.

Istanbul and Palmiye, Turkey

Averting disasters

Only about a nine to ten hour flight from Johannesburg, the Eastern European paradise that is Turkey presents the best of both worlds for the entire family. Located right in the nook of Europe and Asia, Turkey is a melting pot of culture and heritage.

Its capital, Istanbul, boasts one of the most talked about markets, The Grand Bazaar, which has been operational since 1461. From this and other markets to substantial buildings, such as Aya Sofa, the Blue Mosque, and the Basilica Cisterm, there a wealth of eclectic influences from European and Asian heritage.

The gorgeous coastal part of the country is perfect for recharging and getting some much needed rest.

Most families love Palmiye, right next to Antalya. By virtue of its location, Palmiye is nestled between the majestic Taurus Mountains and a stunning beach with fine white sand and warm sparkling blue water. You get to see the sun rise behind the towering mountain range, and watch it set on the horizon. Throw a cocktail in the mix and a relaxing massage in view of your children playing safely at the beach, and you have a perfect family holiday.

Having kids means choosing destinations with them in mind to avert any possible holiday disasters.

Whatever the case, a family holiday is one of those special opportunities to make great memories.

Choosing the right destination will make the difference. With the recently enforced changes to the Immigration Act affecting family travel, many parents are unsure of how to handle the new requirements. Early planning makes a lot of logistical sense for the traveling family. Some things to remember include: • Creating a checklist of all the requirements prior to booking a holiday.

• The time it takes to get certain documentation.

For example, an unabridged birth certificate takes up to eight weeks from date of application.

• Should there be a need for court orders and other documentation from courts, it is important to get these documents before making bookings.

• The date stamp on all notarised (including certified) documentation should be no older than six months.

• Consulting with other related parties, such as coparents, and collecting all the correct supporting documentation should you be traveling without these people.

For more information, visit www.clubmed.co.za.

Albion, Mauritius Mauritius is South Africa’s family-favourite destination.

A flight of just four hours from Johannesburg and, voila, an island paradise with beautiful weather all year round awaits. www.babysandbeyond.co.za

BAB 7.indd 89

89

2015/09/23 11:41 PM

BAB 7.indd 90

2015/09/23 11:42 PM

Pic credit: GoBabyClub

NEWS

A step ahead The new GoBabyClub app puts loving fun into baby development, guiding you to help your child reach and complete her milestones.

W

hen you first bring your baby home, you’re constantly aware of her daily needs. It’s a fact that bathing, feeding and changing nappies takes up most of parents’ time. But as the days turn into weeks, you begin to wonder how to play, have fun and bond with your baby while stimulating and developing her to reach and complete the milestones.

The GoBabyClub app for parents and caregivers is an interactive mobile app with 240 development activities that, through the use of videos and picture sequences, shows you how to emotionally bond with your baby. Through fun-filled experiences and positive encouragement, it covers all the main aspects of baby’s development, from three to 12 months, using music and rhymes. Child development specialists are in agreement that activities paired with songs or rhymes are essential for early childhood development, and research shows that music and rhymes not only stimulate a baby’s language development but also increase the ability in spatial reasoning, which can enhance a child’s mathematical and scientific abilities. A baby’s brain grows the most in the first year, and repetition at every phase of development is of major importance in building networks in the brain. Music and rhymes are excellent tools for repetition.

The GoBabyClub app focuses on six main baby development categories, including: • Sensory development: hearing, tactile, taste, smell and vision • Fine motor skills: hand-eye and foot-eye coordination • Cognitive development: musical instruments, language development and early maths • Gross motor skills: tummy time, balancing, www.babysandbeyond.co.za

BAB 7.indd 91

rolling over and sitting up, lap time, large motor movement and vestibular stimulation • Body awareness and emotional development: proprioception, hand development, stretching, midline crossing and facial awareness • Memory boosting: flashcards, peek-a-boo and where is?

A large number of the development activities on the GoBabyClub app are based on a programme developed for the Parent and Child Association by a team of occupational, speech and physiotherapists.

The activities are based on extensive research taken from workshops for parents and caregivers, and babies from all around the world. Making parents aware of the sequential nature of developmental milestones helps to reduce stress that results from unrealistic expectations. The programme devised for the app is endorsed and supported by leading occupational therapists and other health care professionals.

In addition to the baby development activities the GoBabyClub app will also feature: • Baby massage and acupressure • Baby yoga love • Helpful baby tips and hints equip parents with information to cope with challenges.

Creative Director of GoBabyClub, Erika Woodman, says, ‘While facilitating mother and baby programmes and running a playschool, I saw a need to equip parents with tools for interacting and effectively bonding with their babies through a stimulating and fun-loving platform. I also experienced the power of music and rhymes when paired with fun baby development activities, hence the idea for the GoBabyClub app was born.’

For more information, visit www.gobabyclub.com.

91

2015/09/23 11:42 PM

NEWS

Living a healthier lifestyle is a breeze R

Photo credit: Almond Breeze

ecently launched in South Africa, and made with almonds, Almond Breeze, is a great tasting, low-calorie, lactose-free and all-natural alternative to milk.

Available in two varieties, Original and Unsweetened, Almond Breeze can be used in cereals, smoothies, coffee, in baking, or simply enjoyed as a delicious drink on its own. It is also suitable for people with dairy allergies or those following a vegan diet. As almond milk contains no cholesterol, it is also recommended for people suffering from heart disease or high cholesterol, and the unsweetened variety has a low glycaemic index (GI) with no added sugar, making it a suitable option for health-conscious consumers.

Almond Breeze is packed with calcium, and vitamin D and E to support strong bones and healthy skin. It’s also GMO free, has no additives, MSG or preservatives.

‘People are definitely paying more attention to their health, and whatever their reason for seeking alternatives to dairy, Almond Breeze promises great taste with great health benefits,’ says Brendan Binder, Global Director for Almond Breeze. For more information, visit www.almondbreeze.co.za.

Pic Credit: The Crazy Store

Duck craze boosts children’s hospital fund T

he Friends of the Children’s Hospital Association has received a major cash injection as a result of the continuing popularity of a campaign launched last year by The Crazy Store.

Kevin Lennett, MD of The Crazy Store, handed over a cheque for R100 000 to David Stephens, executive director of The Friends of the Children’s Hospital Association.

Kevin is very thankful for the contribution and support of Crazy Store customers who have helped to make a difference to the lives of the little patients of the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital in Cape Town.

In April 2014, The Crazy Store partnered with The Friends of the Children’s Hospital Association (FOCHA) – the fundraising arm of The Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital – to help raise funds in their stores for this worthy organisation.

‘We began by introducing specially branded collection tins in all our stores, which is still ongoing. We then started donating 10% of all sales of our popular range of charity collectable ducks to the FOCHA,’ Kevin says.

Two types of ducks are on sale – a standard size at R22.99 and mini version at R14.99. ‘Each duck is a unique

92

BAB 7.indd 92

character and 34 310 have already sold. We hope that their continuing popularity provides further much-needed funds for this worthy cause that helps to make the hospital experience less traumatic for patients and their families.’ For more information, visit www.crazystore.co.za.

David Stephens, executive director of FOCHA receives R100 000 from The Crazy Store’s MD, Kevin Lennett.

www.babysandbeyond.co.za

2015/09/23 11:44 PM

NEWS

The best chance at life I

n South Africa, one million babies are born every year and of these one in seven is born pre-term. This means that every hour, approximately 17 babies are born prematurely. One in 10 newborns will have some kind of health problem that requires specialist medical attention, and this specialised care is often not available to mothers living in our poorer communities.

Many factors are associated with pre-term birth, but in most cases the exact cause is unknown, meaning any pregnant woman could be at risk.

Annually, the Neonatal Unit at Groote Schuur Hospital (GSH) in Cape Town looks after 3 200 babies born in the region. Nearly 600 of these have a birth weight of less than 1.5kg, which is less than half the weight of a healthy baby at birth. Groote Schuur Hospital’s Neonatal Unit has an occupancy rate of 120% instead of the ideal 80% and, because of this, its facilities are stretched far beyond minimum standards.

The danger of overcrowding is a possible increased risk of infection and further complications for these very vulnerable babies, placing their lives at risk.

With the growing number of prematurely born babies, the Neonatal Unit at Groote Schuur needs

contributions to continue making a difference.

The Unit’s goal is to raise R26-million to increase the survival rate and the quality of life of newborn babies, and improve its care through the expansion and refurbishment of Groote Schuur Hospital’s Neonatal and Ultra Sound Units.

The Groote Schuur refurbishment project will directly contribute to the reduction in infection rates; provide space for mothers to be actively involved in the daily care of their babies; improve the overall efficiency, functioning and workflow of the unit; provide improved working conditions for staff; and maintain GSH’s position as one of the largest and well recognised training hospitals in Africa.

To support Groote Schuur’s annual Wear Purple for Preemies Day in celebration of World Prematurity Day on November 17, call +27 021 404 6023/5 or email enquiries@newborns.org.za to order or to find out where you can buy stickers. Sell the stickers to your employees, pupils, family and friends, and wear purple with pride in support of preemies.

To make a donation, visit www.newborns.org.za and donate online.

POLYCO launches ‘how to recycle’ videos P

OLYCO, the non-profit Polyolefin Recycling Company, has released a series of five informative and fun YouTube-style videos that explain the importance of plastics recycling, how to recycle, what not to recycle, and the different products that recycled plastics get made into.

According to POLYCO’s chief executive officer, Mandy Naudé, each video is only approximately three minutes long and features the dynamic and funny sister duo, Nolo and Gee, who take viewers through the simple facts.

‘Unfortunately, many people don’t recycle and there is still a lack of understanding about recycling.

We have also found that many consumers are willing to separate their waste but are unsure of what to do with the recyclables if there is no kerb-side collection system in place in their suburbs. Our videos aim to show that recycling is fun and easy, and is needed for a sustainable future,’ Mandy explains.

In addition to funny banter and dialogue, the videos also use animations and graphics to make the learning and viewing experience more entertaining.

‘The two sisters are polar opposites of each other and, because of this, appeal to and help educate a wide ranging audience – from school children and young adults, to parents and even waste collectors who need to learn more about the different kinds of plastics,’ Mandy explains.

www.babysandbeyond.co.za

BAB 7.indd 93

The videos were launched on Youtube in September as part of the plastics industry’s CleanUp and Recycle SA month.

‘We believe that we can change recycling behaviours in South Africa and have a positive impact on the future of the recycling industry by educating the leaders of tomorrow,’ Mandy concludes.

For more information, visit www.polyco.co.za or to search for the videos, look for POLYCO South Africa on www.YouTube.com.

93

2015/09/23 11:44 PM

BOOK REVIEW

Real Food, Healthy, Happy Children

By Kath Megaw This book is a treasure trove of nutritional information and nourishing recipes, guaranteed to put you and your family on the path to optimum health. The book’s author, Kath Megaw, offers an easyto-grasp guide on what to feed children at different stages of development.

A long-term advocate of low carb eating, her mission is to convert parents and children to ‘real’, natural food – instead of the processed, nutrient-poor foods that surround them.

Marrying science with warmth, Kath has the experience of a healthcare professional and the intuition of a mother. Her approach to how children should eat extends far beyond the contemporary bodycentred focus of nutrition.

Change Your Child’s Behaviour

By Anchen Witthuhn CHANGE YOUR CHILD’S BEHAVIOUR is more than just a do-it-yourself guide to the often fraught business of dealing with what society in general would define as naughty or difficult behaviour from children. In accessible, non-judgemental and jargon-free terms, Anchen Witthuhn sympathetically examines the reasons why children and pre-teens may exhibit a variety of challenging behaviours, either at school, at home, or in their daily interactions with others.

Dealing head-on with sensitive issues such as discipline, anger management, exposure to inappropriate electronic media, and the continuous need for firm, gentle and positive reinforcement, this book gets to the root of the problem.

Homeschooling: The Primary Years

By Shirley Erwee Homeschooling is not the educational route that most of our society follows, so prospective home educators often feel they’re setting of into unchartered territory. However, all kinds of families, from single child and single parent families to large families with children across every age group, can successfully educate their children at home.

HOMESCHOOLING: THE PRIMARY YEARS is a comprehensive guide for this journey.

The book includes information about legal issues, socialisation, sport, common mistakes to avoid, the benefits of learning at home, choosing curricula, teaching tips, helping children with special needs, and more.

94

BAB 7.indd 94

www.babysandbeyond.co.za

2015/09/23 11:49 PM

BAB 7.indd 95

2015/09/23 11:49 PM

BAB 7.indd 96

2015/09/23 11:49 PM

BAB 7.indd 97

2015/09/23 11:06 PM

ADCOCK INGRAM_fcp.indd 1

2015/09/29 10:58 AM