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Baby Einstein Videos
Not Such a Good Idea
Research shows language development videos actually have negative
effect on infant development for babies under 16 months, but no adverse effects
for toddlers 17 - 24 months.
A study on how language development proceeds revealed that
young babies who spend time watching videos designed to enrich vocabulary and
communication skills actually have the opposite effect, resulting in a reduction
of vocabulary equal to about six to eight words between ages two and five. In a study where 1008 parents of children
ages two months to two years were surveyed on topics including questionsa bout
their baby's viewing of TV and DVD/videos, and parents were also asked to fill out a
comprehensive communication skills survey, researchers found that each hour of
daily viewing of baby DVD/videos was associated with a reduction of
communication skills, including understanding of vocabulary. The study also showed that reading and
telling stories to young children had a positive effect. To read the study on infant language
development, click on Video Study.
Our Advice: No product
can ever substitute for the rich one-on-one interaction between a baby and a
caring adult. This is how infants learn
to communicate and interact with the world.
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Family Dinners Help
Protect Teens from Eating Disorders
A new study has shown that adolescent girls who frequently eat meals with
their families are less likely to use diet pills, laxatives or take other
extreme and unhealthy measures to control their weight five years later.
In a University of Minnesota study of more than 2500 adolescents at 31 Minnesota schools,
teen
girls were asked to complete two surveys - one in school in 1999, the other
mailed to their homes in 2004 - about how often they shared meals with their
families. The surveys also collected
data about other related topics, including body mass index, feelings of family
connectedness and eating behaviors.
Researchers found that girls who ate five or more meals with their
families each week were significantly less likely to resort to "extreme
measures" to control their weight five years later - interestingly, this
finding did not hold for adolescent boys.
If you'd like to read more details about the family meal study, please
click here.
Our Advice: Family meals are important, not only in
ensuring that the nutritional needs of children are met but also that they feel
emotionally connected to their family.
The meals do not have to be elaborate or time-consuming, but kids
benefit in a wide variety of ways from eating dinner with their families.
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Getting a Good Night's
Sleep Makes a Big Difference
Though children may sleep for more or fewer hours depending on the time
of day, week or year, those who don't get enough sleep are more likely to
become overweight and have behavioral problems.
This New Zealand study of the sleep patterns of 591
seven-year-olds used a non-invasive technology called actigraphy to measure
circadian rhythms and sleep patterns at four different stages over their lifetimes
- at birth, at one year, at 3-1/2 and at age 7.
The average time spent in bed over that period was just over ten hours ...
with less sleep on weekends than weekdays ... in the summer months ... in those
with no younger siblings ... and among those who went to bed later than 9
pm. The researchers found that kids who
sleep less than nine hours/night were more likely to be overweight or obese and
also to have higher scores of "emotional liability," meaning there was greater
incidence of behavior problems. To read
more about kids and sleep click
here.
Our Advice: Sleep problems cause stress for everyone in
the family. Try to establish a
consistent bedtime and follow the same routine (including one on one time with
your child) most nights. Infants should
not be rocked, nursed or given a bottle at bedtime. Preschoolers should get 11 - 13 hours of
sleep/night, while school-age children should have 10 -11 hours/night. Call us if you are having bedtime battles ...
we're here to help.
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