2010 baby discoveries

IN 2010, All Woman remained committed to informing parents about ways to care for their young ones. Through our weekly Baby Whirl feature, parents and prospective parents and caregivers were educated on the best practices of caring for their growing children with the assistance of experts who gave of their time to respond to our questions. Here, we share some of the tips and discoveries we made.

1. Eating dirty food can protect your child against heart disease

A study done in the United States showed that parents who let their kids romp in the mud and eat food that has fallen on the floor could be helping to protect them against maladies like heart disease later in life. “Our research suggests that ultra-clean, ultra-hygienic environments early in life may contribute to higher levels of inflammation as an adult, which in turn increase risks for a wide range of diseases,” said Thomas McDade, lead author of the study.

2. Does ‘time out’ work?

As cases involving the physical abuse of children mount, some childcare practitioners were encouraging parents to use ‘time-outs’ rather than spanking their children. Based on discussions with child psychologist Dr Sandra McDemott, we learnt that time-outs are usually effective when a child is two years old and above. Methods like keeping these kids away from their other friends during playtime were effective means of punishment that did not involve getting physical.

3. Fun ways to guess your baby’s sex

Instead of doing an ultrasound, you could guess your baby’s sex by the shape of your tummy, how sick you feel, your particular food craving or by unlocking the mystery with a key. It’s all in good fun, but we were stoked to hear about some of the fun ways to guess the sex — like if you’re carrying high or low, if the mom’s having terrible break-outs, and where she carries her baby fat.

4. Cross-feeding still practised in Jamaica

Following the story in which Mexican actress Salma Hayek breastfed the newborn baby of a mother in Sierra Leone last year — a country where many mothers stop breastfeeding their infants within the first few months after birth because of pressure from their husbands and where tradition dictates in some areas, that it is not acceptable to have sexual relations with breastfeeding women — we explored the issue here in Jamaica and found that women here also breastfeed each other’s babies. Sister Pauline Lovindeer, director of the breastfeeding programme at the University Hospital of the West Indies, said that while it is not practised by hospital officials, some new mothers in Jamaica still breastfeed each other’s babies, when the birth mother, for whatever reason, is unable to do so.

“People do it, it is a matter of choice, it is a matter of her (mother) wanting a friend to help her out and mutual agreement between them — it happens — but at the institutional level, like at the hospital, we no longer give one mother’s milk to another’s baby,” said the nurse.

5. Beware of those herbal remedies

From treating the common cold to soothing mosquito bites, many mothers have turned to natural herbs and remedies to provide that perfect cure to treat their little ones, although they are not recommended by doctors. “It is not recommended because in terms of the dosages for children, there is no way of gleaning that,” explained paediatrician Dr Margaret Gunning. “Because there hasn’t been a lot of research, it is usually based on anecdotes. It’s just a matter of, well, ‘I give it to my child’, but nothing concrete, no research studies. So it is not something that is wise.” So fever grass? Noni? Cerassee? Check your doc before administering to your baby.

6. Child ear infections not helped much by antibiotics: Study

Using antibiotics to treat ear infections in children is only slightly more effective than offering no treatment at all, said a study published this year. Infections of the middle ear are the most common childhood infections for which antibiotics are prescribed in the United States, said the study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. “Our findings reinforce the existing knowledge that the best antibiotic treatment for common childhood ear infections may be no antibiotic treatment at all,” said lead author of the study Tumaini Coker.

11. Brain foods

It is very important that children have milk — even a half-cup in the mornings — as it is rich in calcium and helps in the strengthening of the bones. For children refusing to take cow’s milk, skim milk or soy milk is just as rich. Milk is just one of the brain foods important when parents are preparing food for their young child, nurse Denise Reeves from the Spanish Town Hospital said. “It is very important that we try to include foods from all the six food groups,” Reeves said. “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It revs up their metabolism and improves their brain function. And so skipping breakfast hinders academic performance and mental ability.”