Jan 28, 2011
Fur Lined Toilet Seats: Garden Planning, 101
Fur Lined Toilet Seats: Garden Planning, 101: "~Planning a garden with help from the little ones It may be hard to imagine planting a garden when there is snow on the ..."
Jan 24, 2011
Do You Worry About The Growth Of Your Child
This article is by Dr Vera Oh, SBCC Baby & Child Clinic – Growth and Endocrinology Clinic (Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre)
Many parents worry and have questions about the growth of their children so we asked our doctor for some answers:
What is normal growth?
Children grow very rapidly the first two years of life and during puberty. This is reflected by their rapid weight and height gain.
Weight changes:
• Loss of 5-10% of birth weight the first few days of life
• Week 1 - 2 : Regain birth weight
• 2 weeks - 3months : Gain 20 - 30g /day
• 3 - 6 months : Gain 20g /day
• 6 -12 months : Gain 12g /day
• 12 -18 months : Gain 8 g /day
Generally, children double their birth weight by 5-6 months of age and triple their birth weight by 1 year.
Height gained:
• 1st year: 25cm
• 2nd year: 12cm
• 3rd year onwards till puberty: 6 cm/y
• Growth spurt during puberty ( usually of about 2 years duration) :
Girls 6-11 cm/ y
Boys 7-12 cm/y
What are the factors that influence a child’s growth?
The growth of a child is influenced by genetics, general health, nutrition, hormones and his psychosocial environment.
How can I monitor my child’s progress?
To track a child’s growth, you can plot her weight and height in the charts available on herhealth booklet. Joining these points over time, you will see a curve form on the chart. This gives an the indication of how the child compares with her peers.
For example, if a girl’s weight falls on the 25th centile line, it means that she is heavier than 25% of normal girls her age and lighter than 75% of normal girls. Between the age of 6-18 months, a child’s position on the chart may move up or down these centile lines. This may be normal as long as there is continued weight gain (never weight loss) and the child is ingood health. After this age, most children should grow at a normal rate such that the growth curve appears parallel to the other lines on the chart i.e. their position remains constant relative to their peers.
When should I be concerned?
Children whose measurements fall under the 3rd centile may be completely healthy but should be assessed by their paediatrician to exclude any medical problems. This is especially so if they have chronic diarrhoea, vomiting, poor appetite or are not attaining normal milestones.
Another cause for concern is the child who is not gaining weight or height appropriately for age. She may start off at a higher centile and fall to a lower centile over time. This is reflected by a growth curve that cuts across the centile lines on the chart.
How can I optimize my child’s growth?
For a child to grow well, he needs a balanced diet. Chronic illnesses or hormone deficiencies need to be addressed and adequately treated. Last but not least, a loving and supportive home environment is important.
What does a growth assessment entail?
The doctor will ask many questions about the growth, general health, nutrition as well as the birth and development of your child. She will also take notes about family history and the heights of the parents and siblings. A thorough physical examination will be carried out. This includes looking at the weight, height measurements, pubertal stage and aims at detecting any relevant medical conditions.
Previous height and weight measurements of the child are useful in determining his growth rate. It is important to see if the child is keeping up with his peers and growing at a normal rate.
What kind of tests will my child need to undergo?
Depending on the findings in clinic, the doctor may recommend further tests which may include:
Bone age - This is an X-ray of the wrist and gives the doctor an indication of the skeletal maturity of your child. Some children may have bones younger or older than their chronological ages and this will have bearing on their height.
Karyotype - In the instance of short girls, the doctor may ask for an analysis of their chromosomes. This is to exclude a condition known as Turner syndrome. ( See below).
Growth hormone stimulation test - Random levels of growth hormone do not reflect the body’s true ability to produce growth hormone. In order to detect growth hormone deficiency, a growth hormone stimulation test is conducted. Not all patients require a growth hormone stimultation test and this is only carried out on after discussion with the doctor.
FAQ on Conditions Linked with Short Stature
What is Growth Hormone Deficiency (GHD)?
Children with GHD do not have normal production of growth hormone (GH). This is may be due to a developmental abnormality of the pituitary gland that is normally in charge of producing GH. In some children, the pituitary gland may have been destroyed by infection or tumours. In others, there is no structural abnormailty of the pituitary gland but it just fails to perform normally. Sometimes, GHD is associated with other hormone deficiencies as well.
Children with GHD fail to grow normally and do benefit from growth hormone treatment. This should however, first be assessed by and discussed with your doctor.
What is Turner syndrome?
This is a genetic condition that affects girls where there is a missing X chromosome. Girls generally have two copies of the X chromosomes in each of their cells. Turner syndrome occurs when there is only one X chromosome in some or all of the cells. Girls with Turner syndrome are short and may also have some other distinctive physical features. GH helps these girls grow better. Often, these girls also have problems of delayed puberty and require female hormone replacement.
I was told my child had Intrauterine Growth Retardation (IUGR) or was Small for Gestational Age ( SGA). What does this mean for him in the future?
Some babies grow suboptimally while in the womb. This may have been due to maternal health issues, a placenta that did not function well, the baby’s genes or other unknown factors. These children are small at birth compared to their peers of the same “incubation period”. For term babies, this is usually taken to be less than 2.5kg or less than 45cm on length. Most of these children, despite being born small, will catch up with their friends by 2-3 years of age. Those who do not catchup may benefit from GH treatment.
There is information that SGA children are at increased risk of high blood pressure, insulin resistance, lipid problems and metabolic syndrome in later adult life. These issues need to be discussed before a decision is made with regard growth and GH treatment.
What is Constitutional Delay of Growth and Development?
This is a term used to describe late-bloomers who enter puberty later than their peers. There is often a family history of similar pubertal delay in their parents and close relatives. As a result of their less mature skeletal system, they may appear shorter than their classmates initially. They start puberty late but may grow for a longer time and catch up with their peers. Because these are normal children, most of them will finish off within the normal height range as dictated by their genetic potential.
What is Idiopathic Short Stature?
Idiopathic is medical-ese for “unknown cause”. These are children who are very short but who appear to be healthy otherwise. They have normal hormone levels and are not GH deficient when tested. There is now evidence that some these children may have other genetic factors that contribute to their short stature. GH has been to shown to help improve the growth of some of these children.
Further Reading
The Magic Foundation, visit www.magicfoundation.org
The Hormone Foundation, visit www.hormone.org
Jan 20, 2011
Jan 19, 2011
Celebrating Chinese New Year In A Special Way
How to Make Chinese Lantern : Red Packet Fish Lantern
Step 1:
Spend time to learn how to make a chinese lantern for your kids.
There are many stories behind the beliefs that we know today.
Why are the twelve Zodiac animals arranged as they are today?
Blessings are exchanged as the younger generation (children and unmarried adults) bless their married siblings and relatives 恭喜发财, 万事如意, 年年有余, 身体健康 and many more.
Parents, relatives and married couples exchange oranges and return the blessing with 快高长大, 读书聪明 etc.
The year 2011 is the year of the Rabbit. There are still many Chinese traditions that build up positive values in children. Apart from the visiting of relatives and friends, and spending time together, Chinese New Year also signifies a new beginning.
A family often spring cleans the house to prepare for new wealth. During the first few days of Chinese New Year, some families do not sweep the floor or dispose of their trash as they don’t want to sweep away the luck and throw away good fortune.
I believe that the most important part of welcoming the New Year is the evening before. Often, my grandparents will come home with bags of good things to cook for steamboat dinner. This is a time when the whole family makes time to have dinner together, in the midst of busy schedules.
After steamboat, we will “捞鱼生” and speak of our hopes in the New Year. The elders say that the higher we lift our chopsticks as we “捞鱼生”, the more successful we will be. We just have lots of fun eating, and laughing together.
Tradition says that to wish their parents longevity, children can stay up past midnight on the eve of Chinese New Year. In the name of fun, we do it. What traditions do your family share during Chinese New Year?
Step 1:
Step 2:
Step 3:
As the name tells it, Chinese New Year marks the beginning of a new year for the Chinese. However, do we know and appreciate the significance behind the culture and traditions?
As we prepare for the celebrations, let us take the opportunity to have fun making “red packet” chinese lanterns!
As we prepare for the celebrations, let us take the opportunity to have fun making “red packet” chinese lanterns!
Spend time to learn how to make a chinese lantern for your kids.
There are many stories behind the beliefs that we know today.
Why are the twelve Zodiac animals arranged as they are today?
Legend says that in the past, the animals had a race. The first twelve animals who reached would have the chance to be part of the Zodiac.
When Cat heard about it, she was very excited. Cat shared the good news about the race with mouse. However, Mouse was afraid that he would not be able to be part of the first twelve animals to complete the race, so he tricked Cat into sleeping late.
The next day, Mouse woke up long before sunrise, and hurried to run the race. He was the first animal to reach, and is thus the first in the Zodiac. Animal by animal came. Even Pig managed to wake up early and reached in time to be the twelfth animal in the Zodiac.
When Cat awoke and realised that she did not have an opportunity to be part of the Zodiac, she was very angry with Mouse. And that’s why cats are always chasing mice.
When Cat awoke and realised that she did not have an opportunity to be part of the Zodiac, she was very angry with Mouse. And that’s why cats are always chasing mice.
And that’s how legend says the Chinese Zodiac was created.
During Chinese New Year, children wish their elders blessings, and offer them mandarin oranges (橙). This is an act of sincerity (诚心诚意).
Blessings are exchanged as the younger generation (children and unmarried adults) bless their married siblings and relatives 恭喜发财, 万事如意, 年年有余, 身体健康 and many more.
Parents, relatives and married couples exchange oranges and return the blessing with 快高长大, 读书聪明 etc.
The year 2011 is the year of the Rabbit. There are still many Chinese traditions that build up positive values in children. Apart from the visiting of relatives and friends, and spending time together, Chinese New Year also signifies a new beginning.
A family often spring cleans the house to prepare for new wealth. During the first few days of Chinese New Year, some families do not sweep the floor or dispose of their trash as they don’t want to sweep away the luck and throw away good fortune.
I believe that the most important part of welcoming the New Year is the evening before. Often, my grandparents will come home with bags of good things to cook for steamboat dinner. This is a time when the whole family makes time to have dinner together, in the midst of busy schedules.
After steamboat, we will “捞鱼生” and speak of our hopes in the New Year. The elders say that the higher we lift our chopsticks as we “捞鱼生”, the more successful we will be. We just have lots of fun eating, and laughing together.
Tradition says that to wish their parents longevity, children can stay up past midnight on the eve of Chinese New Year. In the name of fun, we do it. What traditions do your family share during Chinese New Year?
Jan 18, 2011
An Introduction to Infant Stimulation
So what is Infant Stimulation?
The definition is plain and simple: they are activities that arouse or stimulate your baby's sense of sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell. Infant stimulation can help improve your baby's attention span, memory, curiosity, and nervous system development. In addition, stimulating your baby's senses will enable him to reach developmental milestones faster, as well as aid in the development of motor skills. Here are some things to keep in mind before embarking on the road to teaching your baby:
Your baby's immediate surroundings will have the greatest impact on his development.
Each and every thing your baby is exposed to is a wondrous thing to be explored fully with their eyes, ears, mouths, noses, and fingers. Simple items that you may take for granted represent a world of wonder for your curious child, as everything is something to new to investigate. Ensure that your child receives the appropriate stimulation during his first year of life, because this is the time when your baby's brain is growing the fastest that it ever will!
Interaction is better than observation.
Medical practitioners advocate parental interaction with children, as do we - the best way for your child to learn is not to leave him in the playpen; it's to hold him and play with him!
Instead of leaving your child in the crib with his toys, you can make his toys come alive for him - give it a voice and make it move. Your child will develop his capability for imagination as he takes his cues from youyou’re your experiences playing with him.
Your childs attentiveness is important.
In order for your baby to benefit from your stimulating interaction, he needs to be in themood for it your babys attentiveness is vital to successful stimulation. If your baby is sleepy perhaps from boredom, overstimulation, or just sheer exhaustion simply let your child rest and resume your activities when he is more receptive. Understand that when your baby is attentive, he makes a conscious effort to learn more about the world around him. Your baby devotes all of his energies to what you have to show him only when you have his full attention, so you must learn to maximize this limited time.
Aim for repetition, not habituation.
Again, again! Theres a reason children drive us crazy with their requests to do or hear the same thing over and over: children learn best through repetition.
With very young children, repetition is important because that's the way they learn best. Hearing something many times helps your child remember information for increasing periods of time. Young children (4 to 18 months) particularly need repetition more so than a 2 1/2-year-old, say to learn and remember new information.
Once your child has learned something, enjoy the repetitive process because he can anticipate what comes next. After many readings of a familiar book, your child may even remember it well enough to add the endings to most of the sentences. This accomplishment means that she can participate more actively in story time.
However, it is also important to stop the repetitive stimulation when your child begins to develop habituation. When your child gets habituated through repetition, your childs intellect is no longer excited by your stimulation, making your efforts to teach him useless. When you notice this happening, take this as a cue to make changes in your teaching style, perhaps by changing a toy or pausing your teaching schedule for a while.
Satisfying your babys curiosity will keep her wanting more.
Have you eaten a piece of candy and end up wanting another one? If so, then you are not unlike your baby - once he experiences something that he finds pleasure in, he will strive to learn more and more about it! You, as parents, can play a helpful part in feeding their thirst for knowledge, and you can do this by providing your baby with the opportunities to experience different stimuli to further pique his curiosity and make him want to learn more.
Till next time, happy teaching!
adapated from BrillKids Early Learning
The definition is plain and simple: they are activities that arouse or stimulate your baby's sense of sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell. Infant stimulation can help improve your baby's attention span, memory, curiosity, and nervous system development. In addition, stimulating your baby's senses will enable him to reach developmental milestones faster, as well as aid in the development of motor skills. Here are some things to keep in mind before embarking on the road to teaching your baby:
Your baby's immediate surroundings will have the greatest impact on his development.
Each and every thing your baby is exposed to is a wondrous thing to be explored fully with their eyes, ears, mouths, noses, and fingers. Simple items that you may take for granted represent a world of wonder for your curious child, as everything is something to new to investigate. Ensure that your child receives the appropriate stimulation during his first year of life, because this is the time when your baby's brain is growing the fastest that it ever will!
Interaction is better than observation.
Medical practitioners advocate parental interaction with children, as do we - the best way for your child to learn is not to leave him in the playpen; it's to hold him and play with him!
Instead of leaving your child in the crib with his toys, you can make his toys come alive for him - give it a voice and make it move. Your child will develop his capability for imagination as he takes his cues from youyou’re your experiences playing with him.
Your childs attentiveness is important.
In order for your baby to benefit from your stimulating interaction, he needs to be in themood for it your babys attentiveness is vital to successful stimulation. If your baby is sleepy perhaps from boredom, overstimulation, or just sheer exhaustion simply let your child rest and resume your activities when he is more receptive. Understand that when your baby is attentive, he makes a conscious effort to learn more about the world around him. Your baby devotes all of his energies to what you have to show him only when you have his full attention, so you must learn to maximize this limited time.
Aim for repetition, not habituation.
Again, again! Theres a reason children drive us crazy with their requests to do or hear the same thing over and over: children learn best through repetition.
With very young children, repetition is important because that's the way they learn best. Hearing something many times helps your child remember information for increasing periods of time. Young children (4 to 18 months) particularly need repetition more so than a 2 1/2-year-old, say to learn and remember new information.
Once your child has learned something, enjoy the repetitive process because he can anticipate what comes next. After many readings of a familiar book, your child may even remember it well enough to add the endings to most of the sentences. This accomplishment means that she can participate more actively in story time.
However, it is also important to stop the repetitive stimulation when your child begins to develop habituation. When your child gets habituated through repetition, your childs intellect is no longer excited by your stimulation, making your efforts to teach him useless. When you notice this happening, take this as a cue to make changes in your teaching style, perhaps by changing a toy or pausing your teaching schedule for a while.
Satisfying your babys curiosity will keep her wanting more.
Have you eaten a piece of candy and end up wanting another one? If so, then you are not unlike your baby - once he experiences something that he finds pleasure in, he will strive to learn more and more about it! You, as parents, can play a helpful part in feeding their thirst for knowledge, and you can do this by providing your baby with the opportunities to experience different stimuli to further pique his curiosity and make him want to learn more.
Till next time, happy teaching!
adapated from BrillKids Early Learning
Jan 16, 2011
Lee Ann Womack - I Hope You Dance
Being a mum takes making good decisions to another level. A very good friend shared this meaningful song with me...
Thanks for injecting a huge morale booster of courage in me. *Love you Claudine!* hugs *
Jan 4, 2011
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