Marc Weissbluth's Blog, page 10

Friday Parenting Myth #12 No Breastfeeding if Mom has a "cold"

33 Popular PArenting Myths

Nancy Nelson, our wonderful lactation consultant contributed this myth

-Daniel Weissbluth

Myth: No Breastfeeding if Mom Has a "Cold"

Many women believe that if they have a cold or the flu, they should not breastfeed their baby. This is not true-the only maternal illness that is a contraindication to breastfeeding is HIV. Breast milk contains immune properties such as secretory IgA, which helps the baby to fight off infections. In addition to this, when a mother is exposed to, or has a viral or bacterial infection, her body reacts by producing specific antibodies in her blood. These antibodies help to fight off the infection in the mother. Similar antibodies will be produced in her breast milk to help fight off that specific infection in the baby. In reality, it is even more important to breastfeed when you are sick with a cold or the flu, in order to help your baby fight off infection.

References:

Maternal Antibodies in Breast Milk Protect the Child from Enterovirus Infections.

Pediatrics, 2007 May: 119(5). 941-6.

Sadeharju K. Knip M. et al.

Anti-infective Properties of Human Milk.

J Nutrition 2008: 138(9): 1801-1806S.

Chirico G. Marzollo R. Cortinovis S. Fonte C. Gasparoni A.

Filed under: Common Myths

Strategies to Improve Self-Regulation in Preschool and School-Aged Children Parts 3 and 4

Robert Daniels, PH.D., has helped many families in Chicago and is our guest blogger for this week. Enjoy!

-Dan and Marc

5 Strategies to Improve Self-Regulation in Preschool and School-Aged Children

Robert E. Daniels, Ph.D.

Licensed Clinical Psychologist

Executive Director,

Chicago Children's Clinic

3. Adequate fresh air and exercise: We all can feel cabin fever, even as we become exhausted from the demands of work and parenting. This is even more true for our young children who are endowed with bundles of energy. Children need frequent opportunities to use their energy in productive ways. Walk instead of drive to a nearby park, library, or store. Play tag in the yard, or hide and seek in the house. Put on an exercise video and work out with your child. It will not only help your children, it will relieve stress in yourself. As Dan Weissbluth writes, your children should not spend more than 30-60 minutes a day in front of screens (i.e., TV, computers, videogame consoles, etc.). Not only should you read a book with your child, you should also play on the floor, exercise, and explore nature with them, too.

4. Praise and guidance: Children learn more effectively from praise than they do from criticism. Use mealtime and bedtime to go over your child's recent good decisions and good behavior. If there is a particular behavior you are trying to control (i.e., biting, arguing, dawdling, hitting, etc.), think of what former President of the American Psychological Association, and Yale University Professor Alan Kazdin, Ph.D., called, "the positive opposite." Instead of scolding your child with "No" commands (i.e., no biting, no hitting, etc.), encourage your child with "Yes" commands (i.e., cooperate, be safe, be kind, be a good listener, be helpful). Not only will your children respond more cooperatively to these requests, you will also be able to guide them with examples of what type of behaviors you expect (i.e., "Let's cooperate and clean up the toys;" "Let's be safe and hold hands while we are walking in the parking lot"). The absence of negative behavior (i.e., no running) is not nearly as good as the presence of positive behavior (i.e., being kind and cooperative).

Filed under: Behavior

Strategies to Improve Self-Regulation in Preschool and School-Aged Children Parts 1 and 2

Robert Daniels, PH.D., has helped many families in Chicago and is our guest blogger for this week. Enjoy!

-Dan and Marc

5 Strategies to Improve Self-Regulation in Preschool and School-Aged Children

Robert E. Daniels, Ph.D.

Licensed Clinical Psychologist

Executive Director,

Chicago Children's Clinic

Regulating mood, behavior, and performance requires healthy sleep habits; however, sleep alone is not sufficient to teach your children how to regulate themselves. Below I will summarize some of the basic needs your young children require. After you review these basic needs, ask yourself which of these needs are you providing, or failing to provide for your children:

1. Adequate rest: If you are reading this blog, you are aware of the direct relationship between your child's sleep and their mood and behavior.

2. Adequate nutrition: Young children require more than 3 meals a day. For preschool and school-aged children, at least 5 meals are required: Breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, and dinner. These snacks and meals should always have a fruit or vegetable included. Fresh fruits and vegetables do more than build healthy bodies, they allow for adequate digestion. Many children have constipation, gas, and lethargy simply from eating unhealthy food, or not enough healthy food. It is important that your children drink plenty of water, as well. Most children enjoy milk and juice, but water is what will prevent headaches and aid digestion. A good rule to follow is that every other meal or snack should be accompanied with either water or milk. Juice should be saved for a special treat.

In addition to the nutritional benefits of eating more frequently and more fresh fruit and vegetables, it is important to recognize that preschool and school-aged children do not need to eat the same sized portions as adults. Small portions will allow them to ask for more food, if they are hungry, but finish eating if they are full. Only put ½ of what you expect them to eat on their plate at a time. In this way, if they are still hungry after eating their favorite snack, you can feel confident in asking them to clean their plate (including vegetables and fruit) before refilling their plate with a second portion. If you have a very picky eater, you may have to provide very small portions and ask them to alternate eating a healthy bite of food prior to eating their desired food. Hunger is a strong motivator to try foods your children may normally push away. Keep in mind that hungry children are also more irritable, so it is important to feed your children often, with small portions of healthy food.

Filed under: Behavior

Friday Parenting Myth #11 Iron Causes Constipation

Top Parenting Myths we hear around the office

Myth: Iron Causes ConstipationThere are two likely sources for this myth. All infants will occasionally make some pellet-like stools and strain during bowel movements. While the infant is drawing his knees up to his chest, scrunching up his face and grunting, the parents are wondering what is causing this "constipation?" The association is made to the iron fortified formula because that is such a big component in the infant's diet. In fact, because an infant's abdominal musculature is relatively weak compared to their adult counterpart, this "bearing down" helps them pass stool and gas. The second source of this myth is the experience (subjective?) of adults that taking iron supplements causes them to be constipated. Hence, adult parents assume that this phenomenon would also exist in children.

In a well designed study, researchers compared infants given iron-fortified formula with those given a low-iron formula and others given cow's milk and followed symptoms of constipation over nine months. There was no increase in constipation with iron fortified formula.

What we do know is that iron is very important in preventing anemia in the first year of life. Anemia is dangerous to infants because it can cause developmental delay and even heart failure. If you are going to give formula, please do not use a "low-iron" formula! For parents wanting to switch formulas, please consult your pediatrician.

-Daniel Weissbluth

Singhal, A., R Morley, R. Abbott, S. Fairweather-Tait, T. Stephenson, and A. Lucas. 2000. Clinical Safety of iron-fortified formulas. Pediatrics 105 (3): E38.

Pizzarro, F., R. Yip, P.R. DAllman, M. Olivare, E. Hertramph, and T. Walter. 1991. Iron status with different infant feeding regmines: relevance to screening and prevention of iron deficiency. Journal of Pediatrics 118 (5): 687-92.

Filed under: Common Myths

Sleep & Obesity

In the Journal Pediatrics, a study showed that there is a 40% lower prevalence of obesity in four-year-olds when there are 3 household routines.

1. Regular eating the evening meal as a family more than 5 nights per week.

2. Sleep at least 10.5 hours per day on weekdays.

3. Limit screen time to 2 hours or less on weekdays.

Marc.

Weissbluth Method Infant Nap App.

Filed under: Healthy Sleep, Why Sleep is Important

Friday Parenting Myth #10 -Our Free App is Here!

Top Parenting Myths we hear around the office

Myth: Bottle-fed Babies have a Weaker Maternal Bond.

There is a huge amount of enthusiasm for breastfeeding and expectant mothers are surrounded by friends who promote the practice. Although breastfeeding is a wonderful practice, some mothers are unable to breastfeed. Adoptive parents, mothers on certain medications, and mothers of children with certain medical conditions cannot breastfeed. These mothers may feel a tremendous amount of guilt because they are bottle feeding. However, bottle feeding can be a wonderful experience too! Parents experience genuine warmth and emotional connection while bottle feeding and their relationships with their children are just as loving as breastfed children. In fact, other family members who are able to participate in infant feeding with a bottle express the same sentiments! Remember, this method of feeding is only one choice among many choices that parents make. Parents will bond with their child over playing, bathing, soothing, dressing and so forth.

-Daniel Weissbluth

"Initial Differences in Postpartum Attachment Behavior in Breastfeeding and Bottle-feeding Mothers" (1988) Martone, DJ, Nash BR. Journal Obstetrics and Gynecology and Neonatal Nursing. June: 17;3 212-213.

Filed under: Common Myths

Review of Questions and Comments

I read all the comments individually but I am unable to follow all the threads. Would anyone be so kind to review the aged group Questions and Comments (0-2 Months, 2-4 Months, 4-6 Months, etc.) to summarize the main issues, unresolved challenges, or main points? Perhaps I could then bring together information posted elsewhere and create a new age group specific Post.

Marc

Filed under: Uncategorized

Friday Parenting Myth #9

I put these "Friday Parenting Myths" together in a free App for the iPhone because they're fun to write-Version 1.1 will have about 20 myths and I'll just keep adding more.

Here is our new free app

Thank you for being part of our blog!

Enjoy!

-Daniel Weissbluth, MD

Myth: Drinking Milk Causes Mucus Build-up.

Pediatricians tend to hear this myth when a parent brings their child with symptoms of an upper respiratory tract infection. The child is coughing and the parents want to know if restricting milk or other dairy products will help alleviate symptoms. Another place this myth appears is in the alternative medicine approach to treating asthmatics. It is no wonder that so many parents believe this myth because many of them may have heard this myth from their doctors-in one study in Australia, 330 parents were asked their opinion on whether or not milk produced more mucus. 58% of them felt that milk did cause more mucus and almost one third of that group reported being told this myth by their doctor!

Two well known studies have aided in debunking this myth. First, a population of volunteers was infected with a common virus and then split into milk and non-milk groups and there secretions were weighed and their symptoms (cough, runny nose, congestion) were compared. There was not statistically significant difference in secretion amount or complaints of symptoms. Second, a randomized double blind trial compared the phlegm-like symptoms of cow's milk versus soy milk and found no significant difference. Before the subjects were given the cow's milk or soy milk, they were asked about their beliefs about the milk-mucus connection. The subjects that believed this myth prior to the study had higher overall levels of phlegm-like complaints regardless of what they were being given.

References:

Lee, C. and A.J Dozor. 2004. Do you believe milk makes mucus? Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine . 158 (6): 601-3.

Pinnock, C.B. Graham, N.M. Mylvaganam, A. Douglas RM. 1990. Relationship between milk intake and mucus production in adult volunteers challenged with rhinovirus-2. American Review of Respiratory Disease. 141 (2): 352-6.

Pinnock, C.B, and W.K Arney. 1993. The milk-mucus belief: sensory analysis comparing cow's milk and a soy placebo. Appetite 20 (1): 61-70.

Filed under: Common Myths

Sleep deprivation impairs the accurate recognition of human emotions.

Sleep deprivation selectively impairs the accurate judgment of human facial emotions suggesting that sleep loss impairs discrete affective neural systems disrupting the identification of salient social cues.

            On a related subject by the same authors (Psychological Bulletin. 135(5): 731-48, 2009), they discuss the interaction between sleep and emotional regulation with an emphasis on the importance of REM sleep.

            Social learning in our babies and children requires accurate recognition of the emotions of those around them and regulation of their own internal state. 

            Are we surprised that more socially poised and better behaved children are usually better rested children? 

Marc

Filed under: Healthy Sleep

Friday Parenting Myth #8

Hi everyone, here is a summer myth for this week! We are thinking of putting these myths together in an app- do you think that would be useful?

-Daniel Weissbluth

Myth: A Tan is Healthy

Teenagers may think a tan makes them more attractive, parents may feel that a tan is good for their child's vitamin D levels. This current cultural trend/myth, combined with increased ultraviolet radiation, makes skin care and sun protection a more compelling issue than in the past. The effects of sun exposure are cumulative and can cause wrinkling, toughening, and even cancer in the skin. Newborns today have a projected 1:33 risk of melanoma versus the 1:1500 chance of children born in 1935. That is why the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends NO direct sunlight exposure for infants under 6 Months of age. Infants have lower levels of (protective) melanin, thinner epidermis, and a higher surface area/ body mass ratio.

UVB, which is generally thought to be the culprit, can cause sunburns and skin cancer. It was initially believed that tanning beds, which emit UVA, were safe because they used a different wavelength. Actually, UVA suppresses the immune system in the skin and can facilitate the damage and cancer promotion of UVB sunlight.

When it comes to sun and children > 6month old, parents should have their children avoid midday sun, wear protective clothing/hats/ sunglasses, and use lots of sunscreen.

-Daniel Weissbluth

References:

Paller AS, Hawk JL,Honig P, Giam YC, Hoath S, Mack MC, Stamatas GN. "New Insights about Infant and Toddler Skin: Implications for Sun Protection" (Pediatrics) 2011 Jul; 128 (1): 92-102.

Rigel DS. "Cutaneous Ultraviolet Exposure and its Relationship to the Development of Skin Cancer" Journal American Academy of Dermatology. 2008; 58 (5 suppl): S 129-S132.

Filed under: Common Myths