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Archive for the ‘Child Health’ Category

It is a common misconception that babies and children have no problems with the structure of their body as very little stress or strain is placed upon their muscles, joints or bones. But this isn’t true and symptoms can start to develop that if left unchecked, can lead to pain and discomfort through their early life and into adulthood.

Babies have to go through considerable stress during childbirth as they are forced through the birth canal. Their remarkable skulls have soft overlapping bones that shift to squeeze the head into a shape that will allow it to pass. Their chin is also pushed down into the chest to decrease their total diameter. This compression means the baby will have an odd-shaped head on delivery but over the coming days it will remould itself as the baby moves, cries and yawns. However, this natural remoulding does not always take place as it should and the baby could be left with a variety of associated problems.

If a baby is constantly irritable and will only calm when carried, it could be because they are feeling pressure in the head when lying down. If they are taking a long time when feeding it could be due to nerves in the tongue having been damaged by the birthing process as the skull received pressure to the head, face and throat. Sickness, colic and wind problems and regurgitation of milk could be due to the nerve that runs to the stomach having become irritated by the skull compression or from the diaphragm having been stretched which will affect the stomach’s ability to retain food.

As your child grows, the remoulding issue could throw up yet more problems. If the skull hasn’t moulded correctly the child could become vulnerable to infection as their immune system has been depleted during the early stresses placed upon it. Ear infections can be caused by the compression of the skull during childbirth putting strain on the bones around the ear which impedes successful drainage. These infections never fully clear and the child suffers one after another and eventually loss of hearing. Persistent colds and overcrowding of teeth can occur due to the sinuses and bones being impaired from the skull’s moulding compression.

Other problems like asthma, persistent headaches and even behavioural issues can be seen later in life and may be caused by the compression babies have to endure during childbirth. If treated at an early stage with specific osteopathic techniques, these problems could be avoided.

Cranial osteopathy is a specialised treatment that is safe and effective and commonly used on babies and children. A trained osteopath can apply gentle pressure around the head (and body) enabling a release of the stresses of the retained moulding to the skull. A baby or child will often feel relaxed after the treatment and have a good sleep. Sometimes they can react with a heightened sense of alertness while others may be irritable. These are perfectly normal reactions and each baby or child is different.

The treatment should take place ideally before the child reaches the age of five and the earlier it starts the better. It may take more than one session for the remoulding to fully release and typically up to six sessions are sufficient. It is advisable to consult a GP before making an appointment and to find an osteopath that is registered with the General Osteopathic Council. Many osteopaths specialise in this field so check to see if there’s a practitioner in your local area.

About the author: Shaun Parker is an expert on therapy and alternative medicine. He helps people that are looking for osteopathy (http://www.gotosee.co.uk/therapies/Osteopathy.htm) find a osteopath near them.
Source: http://www.articlesbase.com

Watching a newborn or pre-one year old baby breathe is, well, often peaceful, but not as informative as many have been led to believe. Is it or isn’t it the right way to breathe?

Many point to the belly and how it rises and falls. They deduce that because the baby breathes that way it is the right way for adults to breathe as well. This is not true. The baby belly breath is simply a beginning, not the whole picture by any stretch of the
imagination. It is perhaps 40-50% of an optimal breath.

The baby’s belly rises so much because:

1. There has been little development by that time of the lungs and breathing sequencing during standing in gravity. The baby actually closes its throat so that it can breathe and suckle at the same time. This ability is lost as it grows older and sits up more. This of course reduces flow of air and forces more attention in the abdominal area. Breathing is harder this way.

2. The stomach has replaced the umbilicus now with solid food and it invites some fat accumulation and bulking of the belly giving a visual impression of excessively implied importance.

3. There is a minimum of chest expansion because the lungs have not gotten large enough to need more space.

4. Balanced integrated breathing has not developed and the belly, mid chest, sides, back and abdomen is still to be.

5. The mid back above the kidney area has the larger lung volume but when the baby is on its back there simply is no where else for the baby to be able to breathe but into the belly area.

6. The soft tissue of the frontal belly area is the path of least resistance so the majority of visual emphasis is in that area. Being on the back is mostly better then the side or stomach as it allows the rib cage to raise and that allows the diaphragm to rise for a deeper easier inhalation and the baby, or most people for that matter, to breathe easier, but not necessarily “better”.

Ideally, standing straight up, or swimming the breast stroke or side armed-back stroke aretwo of the best ways (with exceptions) to get the easiest lung volume while moving the body. Neither of which are readily available to the unstable non walking baby.

The back breath is critical to optimal breathing. Posture-wise, the baby has not been upright much at all and its body is compressed in the areas it is lying on; generally the back. After all, it has just spent the last several months or its intrauterine life in a bent forward position. Try bending forward and taking a deep breath and you will soon see that bending over restricts the breath quite a bit.

Does this imply that the baby should breathe into the upper chest? Nope. Not yet unless it is well coordinated and there is enough 360 degree belly breath as a foundation.

Believe it or not, you don’t really want to sleep like a baby. Why? Babies’ sleep, especially in the early months, is typically full of interruptions because their sleep cycles are much shorter than an adult’s. It takes time for these cycles to lengthen and for our baby to learn how to fall back to sleep on his own if he wakes up in the middle of the night.

To summarize, the classic baby breath example most often involves under developed lungs which makes it not a very good example or at least a very limited one and is only during quiet breathing anyway. Most breathing issues involve an abnormal percentage of high chest breathing that occurs more often during activity (making it harder to track) and increased oxygen needs, including more severe aspects of anxiety, high blood

pressure,hyperventilation, asthma, most bronchitis and many forms of COPD. They breathe deeper and in the effort of that they cough, gasp or wheeze even more. That encourages shallow breathing and the cycle repeats itself.

Essentially non-activity oriented forms such as bronchitis, emphysema and COPD stem from BOTH mechanical and toxemia/chemistry aspects, the variations of issues related to air quality, diet, stress, smoking history and lifestyles. Both mechanics AND chemistry need be addressed to achieve optimal breathing.
About the Author: Michael White is a health educator, author, breathing development specialist, public speaker, vocalist, and CEO of Breathing.com and the Optimal Breathing School. He has studied breathing development since 1975 and helped thousands transform their lives through correct breathing and nutrition. Visit Breathing.com
Source: http://www.articlesbase.com

Being a vegetarian can put a strain on you if your kids are not. However, if if you are considering to put your kids on a vegetarian diet, here are the tips for you.

Having your kids on this diet would not only save you time and make your meal planning a lot easier but it is healthier as well.

However, if you are not a vegetarian but your kid is in the beginning stages of becoming a vegetarian, your child will be might be missing some important nutrients from not eating meat. This results to a nutritional imbalance.

You may have heard about the risks of being a vegetarian such as it could stunt the growth of your child, as well as if this diet is at all sustainable.

If yes, then you are right. Your concerns are valid especially if your vegetarian diet is poorly planned. This could result to a serious short term as well as long term deficiencies in children. This is because children do not have the appropriate amount of vitamins and minerals in their bodies as yet.

You could be putting your kids at risk if the meals are not well-prepared and well-planned.

Being aware of the necessary nutrients that a body should have while on a vegetarian diet, then there should not be a problem.

IF you know what you are doing then you are helping your child improve his or her overall well-being by limiting them from eating animal products that are full of growth hormones, preservative, and other chemicals during the processing.

Make sure that you have the following information at hand before preparing your meal.
1) Protein – source: nuts, soybeans, and tofu.

2) Calcium – source: lots of green leafy vegetables and green tea.

3) Iron – source: beans, soybeans, tofu and cereals.

4) Zinc – nuts, peanut butter, mushrooms and green tea.

Green tea contain all the necessary nutrients and minerals that a body need as well as powerful antioxidants to help prevent diseases and help strengthen your immune system. Nowadays, there are green tea recipes available to include in your diet thereby providing a satisfying and nutritious meal for you and your family.

About the author: Mary Rose Antonio invites you to learn about green tea recipes. She has a website about the benefits of green tea and organic green tea.
Source: http://www.articlesbase.com