Dental Problems and Growth Hormone By Angela Broussard Rogers

It is not common among parents to think about dental problems when their child is suffering from growth hormone deficiency. The deficiency of growth hormone leads to developmental problems and in such cases dental problems also present in different forms. Deficiency of growth hormone is a common problem and this is not only linked to the problem with muscles and bones but also related to the development of jaw and teeth.

It is extremely important that the child’s growth hormones are assessed on regular intervals so the problem is ruled out at an early age. Along with the regular assessment of growth hormone, it is also important to assess the dental development along the way. If there is lack of growth hormone, then it directly affects the bone growth, as well as facial bones and development of teeth.

The children who are suffering from decrease or lack of growth hormones result in having their baby (temporary) teeth for longer years. For example, the normal span of losing temporary teeth is at the age of 6-7, but these kids tend to lose their temporary teeth at the age of 10-12 years, which just increases the time span to about 3-5 years before they can have their permanent teeth.

This delays the eruption of permanent teeth. It is not uncommon to see these children to have missing teeth as well as abnormal placement and thus for this matter they need braces for the proper alignment of teeth, bridges or replacement of teeth. It is important that this condition can be analyzed on a constant basis and for this, you need to take your kid to a dentist and x-rays are needed to be taken at regular intervals to see the jaw development.

For the development of the upper and lower jaws, growth hormone plays a very important role. If there is decrease or lack of growth hormone, the lower jaw will be smaller in size as well as the chin as compared to the upper jaw. As there is more impact of the low growth hormone in the development of lower jaw than the upper. If the jaws are still in the growing phase, then there are treatments available to fix the lack of growth hormone.

The treatments involved are the plastic retainer devices, as well as braces. This process is usually performed by the orthodontists and in cases of children are pedoodontist. The best decision regarding this can be taken by your pedoodontist, who is going to analyze the entire situation and will let you know as to what is best for your child. If the difference between the upper and lower jaw is more, then your child may be in need of surgery than braces to fix the problem.

This is not the job of your child’s dentist alone, therefore it is best that the dentist, the endocrinologist and pedoodontist must work together as a team and they have to work in close coordination to make the best decision for your child. The children who suffer from lack of growth hormone have softer teeth and are prone to develop cavities. Therefore it is must that an extremely good level of care is being taken of these kids to ensure that they are prevented from any cavities to further deteriorate the problem.

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=300509&ca=Parenting

Colic, Breastfeeding and Infant Nutrition - Fat is Where Its At By Beverly OMalley

Colic- what a word! This little five letter words strikes fear in the hearts of most new parents and brings to mind visions of sleepless nights, and endless frustration in trying to parent the new bundle of joy. Any parent who has ever had a colicky baby would not wish the same fate on anyone. Some people think that colic only happens to formula fed babies but this is not so. Breastfeeding is not a guarantee that your baby will be free of infant colic.

What is infant colic?

Colic is simply a word that means stomach pain. In the absence of any real scientific evidence the widely held belief is that infant colic results from intestinal cramping. Estimates are that colic occurs in about 20-30% of all babies at some time or another, most commonly in the first three months of life.

How will I know if my baby has colic?

Infant colic is easily identified by the baby's behaviour especially after feeding. The baby acts like she is in pain. Crying is often accompanied by vigorous leg movements and the child may spasmodically extend her legs during a bout of crying. Sometimes she will expel gas and have green stools. The baby's crying escalates as the discomfort increases and parents and babies alike become fretful. Nothing is more distressing that a baby who cannot be consoled.

Can a breastfed baby develop infant colic?

There can be no argument that the best source of infant nutrition is your own breastmilk, but even if you are breasfeeding, colic can still occur. There is absolutely no reason why breastfeeding should be discontinued if your baby is showing signs of infant colic. There are, however, things that you can do to change your breastfeeding technique and reduce the possibility and severity of the colic.

Breastfed colicky babies are very often good eaters, and have a good healthy pattern of weight gain. Parents often say that the baby seems hungry all the time but the more she is fed the crankier she gets. Some parents misinterpret this to mean the baby is not getting enough breastmilk and in desperation may switch to formula thinking that mom does not have enough milk. This is absolutely not the case.

In fact the breastfed baby who is experiencing infant colic is probably getting too much breastmilk, and too much of the wrong kind of breastmilk.

Here's why:

When you put your baby to the breast the baby starts to suck and a hormone is released that makes the milk ducts contract and breastmilk is literally 'squirted' into the baby's mouth. This is called the let down reflex and you might notice it as a slight aching that occurs within the first few minutes of the baby on the breast.

During breastfeeding the fat in the breastmilk clings to the sides of the milk ducts and is not released until the end of the feeding. Babies who have short feedings are often getting lots of the skim breastmilk (called 'foremilk') and not the fat rich milk at the end of the feeding (called 'hindmilk'). Because of the lack of fat hunger returns quickly.

Your colicky baby is actually getting lots of milk but the breastmilk does not have enough fat so she is not satisfied for very long.

The foremilk your baby is receiving has a high concentration of lactose and can cause intestinal cramping. Lactose is such a powerful stimulator of intestinal contractions that it is used in high concentrations for the treatment of adult constipation! Is it any wonder that the breastfed baby who gets lots of lactose in her feedings has intestinal cramping and diarrhea stools?

As a breastfeeding mom what can I do to help my colicky baby?

Your main objective will be to make sure that your baby gets more of the fat rich hindmilk. This reduces the concentration of the lactose and gives the baby the fat needed to create satiety. In other words the baby will be satisfied for longer if she gets more fat at each meal.

* express milk before the feeding. This starts the flow of milk and reduces the amount of foremilk that the baby receives.

* nurse only from one breast at each feeding. This makes sure that the baby completely empties the one breast and gets all of the fat rich hindmilk that lingers in the milk ducts until the end of the feeding.

* sit your baby up. This may require changing your usual position and using the 'football hold' . In the football hold the baby is held by your side facing the breast that the baby will feed from. If you are nursing on the right side, place the baby beside you, on your right side facing the right breast. Your right arm should go around the baby , along her back and hold her at the back of the head. You will need a soft pillow to create a little 'seat' for the baby so that she is more upright than lying down.

If these measures do not alleviate infant colic then you could try eliminating cow's milk from your own diet. There is lots of good anecdotal evidence to suggest that some infants show signs of improvement when mother eliminates dairy products. However, try the other measures first as they are more likely to bring about the best benefits for you and your baby.

You can and should continue breastfeeding your colicky baby. There is no reason to withhold the best possible source of infant nutrition from your baby if she has infant colic. Now that you know what causes infant colic, a few simple changes in your breastfeeding technique can make all the difference.

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=373847&ca=Parenting

The Baby Boomer Generation and Clutter Control By Beverly OMalley

The baby boomer generation are the children of the silent generation (born prior to 1945) and the parents of generation X (born 1965-1981). Baby boomers have exerted significant influence on the trends seen in modern societies simply because of the pressure of the population mass.

Born between 1946 and 1964 the baby boomer generation got this name simply because there was a population explosion following the second world war. Their parents (the silent generation born before 1945) were happy that the second world war was now over and there was a renewed sense of optimism that focused on families and creating homes to raise children. The resulting baby boom bulged the demographic profiles of many countries and the cohort of individuals born between 1946 and 1964 began aging together.

So what has this got to do with clutter control?

The generation cohorts are influenced by the significant social, political, and economic trends of their formative years and during this time the attitudes, values, and beliefs that influence their way of thinking are formed. In relation to clearing clutter the two influences that would exert the most pressure would be the home and the pop culture. Therefore it becomes necessary to understand how each generation has brought these influences to bear on the clutter control habits now being seen in contemporary homes.

It all started with the silent generation. They are the parents of the baby boomers and the grandparents to generation X (born 1965- 1981). The silent generation is sometimes called the veteran's demographic because the people in this generation were greatly influenced by the first and second world wars as well as the great depression.

With a strong view of authority influenced by the military model that suggested 'duty before self', the silent generation may to this day have difficulty with assertiveness such as saying no.

They grew up with very little variety or choices in consumable goods and were limited to what was available within a short distance of their home. Along with the purchase of goods was the expectation that the purchased item would last as long as it was needed. The silent generation grew up with the belief that if you throw something away you are a bad person because you are wasteful. Therefore throwing things away is never an option.

The mantra of the silent generation would be 'Use it up, make it last, wear it out, or do without!'

Over a lifetime the persistent pattern of thinking in the parents of the baby boomer generation led to the accumulation of more and more material goods in their home. Unfortunately their skill at clearing clutter and managing those goods did not keep pace with their skill at acquiring them.

So we can see that the homes where the baby boomer generation grew up were characterized by the accumulation of goods. This was a measure of success and reflected the growing economic prosperity of their parents as well as the changes in the variety of goods and services now available to them and marketed through the media.

The baby boomers were probably the first generation with a realistic expectation to 'do better' than their parents! Unfortunately they never learned clutter control skills from their parents. The ability to purge their possessions or even how to be happy without them was not something that the silent generation taught their children.

The clutter in the homes of baby boomers and their families is the direct result of the emotional attachment to their stuff and the lack of well developed clutter control skills. The clutter epidemic suggests that there is a legacy from the mid 1900's that is still exerting its influence in the homes of the baby boomer generation.

Stopping this epidemic means that the cause must be identified and understood before it can be mitigated. Clutter control cannot be achieved unless emotional attachments to material possessions are recognized and dealt with. The first step in clearing clutter is always learning how to purge possessions appropriately and without guilt.

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=372837&ca=Parenting

Keeping Daycares Fun and Fit By Kris Starliper

Playgrounds at your daycare facility are a great and fun way for your child to stay fit and healthy. Your child not only gets to eliminate excess energy while playing on the playground, but they get a lot of exercise while they are at it.

When was the last time you played like a kid on a playground? Running from the swings to the jungle gym works off a ton of calories. Swinging from the monkey bars not only is a great form of cardio but it also helps with upper arm strength which is something that kids especially have trouble with. If a child is sitting in a classroom all day a half hour of playing on a daycare playground helps to maintain a good work out regime. And the best part is that the child does not even know that they are working out, to them it is just fun play.

The best types of equipment for a daycare to have would be parallel bars that are low to the ground. This is a fun and safe way for children to work out their upper arms. Another great piece of playground equipment is a swing set. Pumping your legs back and forth to get the swing going really works out the leg muscles and helps with cardio.

Large toys that have climbing walls, slides, bridges, climbing ropes and other things that could be fun make believe for children are great for daycare playgrounds. It is a great way for children to get in cardio workouts. Running back and forth on the bridge playing tag is great for balance and cardio. Being able to use climbing walls and climbing ropes are a great way to work out the upper body and lower body of children.

Other toys such as steering wheels, binoculars and tire forts are great for a child’s imagination. When the kids are playing make-believe they are more likely to want to run around and have fun playing. It is important to remember that if children are having fun they will work harder. It is when children stop having fun that they stop working.

It is a good idea to have an indoor playground for rainy days. A safe place that kids can run around on indoors allows the children to still get their activity time even during the rainy months. However, it is important to sanitize these toys after children use them in order to keep germs from spreading. Plastic holds onto germs and without rain and the elements to wash the germs away indoor toys serve as a hotbed for bacteria.

Children are also more likely to put their mouths on indoor toys more than outdoor toys so daycare workers must make sure to kill those germs to keep the children healthy as well as fit. Daycare workers are with some children even more than their parents are so it is important to remember that the daycare worker is responsible for helping to keep children safe and healthy.

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=371248&ca=Parenting