Even if you don't suspect that your baby has problems with his or her vision, it is wise to take your baby to see the optometrist as soon as 6 months of age; sooner if you suspect any problems.
Infant Vision: <br>Birth to 24 Months of Age | American Optometric Association
Pediatric optometrists (OD) and opthalmologists (MD) have tools and techniques to evaluate babies and non-verbal children, so don't let that keep you from going! Vision is important for all areas of learning: communication so that he baby can look at your face as you are speaking; motor skills so that the baby can look at his hands and feet as those body parts are moving and interacting with toys; social skills so that he can see all of the people within his environment and read social cues given by the other persons facial expressions; cognitive skills so that he can use his eyes to problem solve such as with puzzles; and self-help skills such as to watch the bottle, spoon, or bowl as he is feeding himself. If you are ever concerned about your child's visual skills, no matter the child's age, please take them to see an eye doctor!
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Saturday, July 31, 2010
When should my baby stop using a pacifier? | BabyCenter
My kids both quit taking a pacifier early on (3 months of age), probably because they were breastfed. But it is a great question to want to know how old is too old to use a pacifier.
When should my baby stop using a pacifier? | BabyCenter
The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests using a pacifier for the baby's first year of life. Just remember that when you take it away, you need to provide another way for the baby/toddler to self-calm. It might be thumb sucking, holding a fuzzy toy, or listening to soothing music.
When should my baby stop using a pacifier? | BabyCenter
The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests using a pacifier for the baby's first year of life. Just remember that when you take it away, you need to provide another way for the baby/toddler to self-calm. It might be thumb sucking, holding a fuzzy toy, or listening to soothing music.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Car Seat Crying (Child Development Institute)
Great article on helping keep a young child busy during a car ride, and the suggestions also help to develop the senses.
Car Seat Crying (Child Development Institute)
Would love to hear comments on what you do to help make car rides more fun for a young child!
Car Seat Crying (Child Development Institute)
Would love to hear comments on what you do to help make car rides more fun for a young child!
Thursday, June 24, 2010
The Importance of Touch for Newborn Development
It seems like I can't go to work even one day and not be reminded of how IMPORTANT the sense of touch is, and how its development can be hindered by developmental disabilities and/or premature birth. It is interesting how the sense of touch has pathways that connect to soooo many parts of the brain, therefore any brain damage at all typically results in some sort of tactile dysfunction. Sometimes that means the child being overly sensitive to touch such as not wanting to be held or only wanting to be held a certain way; this can impact attachment and bonding to caregivers and motor skill development. Sensitivity may be less obvious such as grouchiness when being clothed in aversive fabrics like lace or polyester. Tactile dysfunction may also impair the infant's ability to discriminate touch input. This might show with poor sucking and feeding skills or body awareness needed for rolling, sitting, crawling, reaching, and walking because if the tactile information is not detected then these skills are hindered. Kids with severe impairments with discrimination may not detect pain or detect it less than typical. I've had parents report that some of these children break a bone and don't even cry, so the parents don't even realize it until the body part swells and turns blue! The following link describles the sense of touch and ideas to promote it.
The Importance of Touch for Newborn Development
I personally am a big fan of infant massage for many reasons including promoting the development of the sense of touch. A few years ago when I became an infant massage instructor, I first had to do lots of studying and "homework". I learned that it has quite a bit of evidence that it improves attachment, bonding, digestion, and body awareness as well as some other areas of development. I use it a lot to help calm the baby prior to a bottle feeding, especially with premature babies who have poor sucking/swallowing skills as well as a poor ability to calm down and get "organized." So what's your favorite way to promote the sense of touch in infants?
The Importance of Touch for Newborn Development
I personally am a big fan of infant massage for many reasons including promoting the development of the sense of touch. A few years ago when I became an infant massage instructor, I first had to do lots of studying and "homework". I learned that it has quite a bit of evidence that it improves attachment, bonding, digestion, and body awareness as well as some other areas of development. I use it a lot to help calm the baby prior to a bottle feeding, especially with premature babies who have poor sucking/swallowing skills as well as a poor ability to calm down and get "organized." So what's your favorite way to promote the sense of touch in infants?
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
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