Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Do the infant learning games really work?

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I was at barnes and nobles the other day and being 6 months pregnant of course i went to the parenting secton and say this book (or a couple books) about games you can play with your baby from newborn and up? i mean do they really help? has anyone tried these?


Answer
I haven't read any books on games to play with your children, but I do get e-mails and mailings from formula and diaper companies which include developmental suggestions. Plus, you kind of make up stuff as you go along!

These are the things I do with my almost 3 month old son (who is "highly advanced" according to milestone charts):

* I talk to him constantly. I tell him all the tasks I am doing, and I make up silly stories. This helps his vocabulary development. I also vary my speaking voice and I refer to myself as "mommy" and my son by his name instead of saying "I" and "you" (babies are not supposed to comprehend pronouns at a young age).
* I count to 10 with him on both our fingers in English and Spanish every day. And, I use his toys to introduce the names of colors, also in both languages. When I show him books with pictures of animals or objects, I try to use both languages as well.
* He has a bumble bee toy that I hold a few inches away from his face and allow him to focus on. Then I make a buzzing sound and move the bee in different directions (up, down, left, right) so he practices following it with his eyes. This helps spacial development.
* I sing songs to him, especially ones with hand motions or dances (la manito, itsy bitsy spider, wheels on the bus, etc).
* I place toys in his hand(s) while we are playing together so he works on his grip, or I sit him in his swing with toys attached to the play tray when he wants independant time so he can practice grabbing the toys himself. He also like to play on his play mat and in his bouncy chair where he can bat at and rattle the toys.

I hope these suggestions help. Good luck!

How will the following hender the normal development of ashley?




Carla B


By Lindsey Tanner, Associated Press
CHICAGO — In a case fraught with ethical questions, the parents of a severely mentally and physically disabled child have stunted her growth to keep their little "pillow angel" a manageable and more portable size.
ON DEADLINE: Debate the case, read family's blog

The bedridden 9-year-old girl had her uterus and breast tissue removed at a Seattle hospital and received large doses of hormones to halt her growth. She is now 4-foot-5; her parents say she would otherwise probably reach a normal 5-foot-6.

The case has captured attention nationwide and abroad via the Internet, with some decrying the parents' actions as perverse and akin to eugenics. Some ethicists question the parents' claim that the drastic treatment will benefit their daughter and allow them to continue caring for her at home.

University of Pennsylvania ethicist Art Caplan said the case is troubling and reflects "slippery slope" thinking among parents who believe "the way to deal with my kid with permanent behavioral problems is to put them into permanent childhood."

Right or wrong, the couple's decision highlights a dilemma thousands of parents face in struggling to care for severely disabled children as they grow up.

"This particular treatment, even if it's OK in this situation, and I think it probably is, is not a widespread solution and ignores the large social issues about caring for people with disabilities," Joel Frader, a doctor and medical ethicist at Chicago's Children's Memorial Hospital, said Thursday. "As a society, we do a pretty rotten job of helping caregivers provide what's necessary for these patients."

The case involves a girl identified only as Ashley on a blog her parents created after her doctors wrote about her treatment in October's Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. The journal did not disclose the parents' names or where they live; the couple do not identify themselves on their blog, either.

Shortly after birth, Ashley had feeding problems and showed severe developmental delays. Her doctors diagnosed static encephalopathy, which means severe brain damage. They do not know what caused it.

Her condition has left her in an infant state, unable to sit up, roll over, hold a toy or walk or talk. Her parents say she will never get better. She is alert, startles easily, and smiles, but does not maintain eye contact, according to her parents, who call the brown-haired little girl their "pillow angel."

She goes to school for disabled children, but her parents care for her at home and say they have been unable to find suitable outside help.

An editorial in the medical journal called "the Ashley treatment" ill-advised and questioned whether it will even work. But her parents say it has succeeded so far.

She had surgery in July 2004 and recently completed the hormone treatment. She weighs about 65 pounds, and is about 13 inches shorter and 50 pounds lighter than she would be as an adult, according to her parents' blog.

"Ashley's smaller and lighter size makes it more possible to include her in the typical family life and activities that provide her with needed comfort, closeness, security and love: meal time, car trips, touch, snuggles, etc.," her parents wrote.

Also, Ashley's parents say keeping her small will reduce the risk of bedsores and other conditions that can afflict bedridden patients. In addition, they say preventing her from going through puberty means she won't experience the discomfort of periods or grow breasts that might develop breast cancer, which runs in the family.

"Even though caring for Ashley involves hard and continual work, she is a blessing and not a burden," her parents say. Still, they write, "Unless you are living the experience ... you have no clue what it is like to be the bedridden child or their caregivers."

Caplan questioned how preventing normal growth could benefit the patient. Treatment that is not for a patient's direct benefit "only seems wrong to me," the ethicist said.

Douglas Diekema, a doctor and ethicist at Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center in Seattle, where Ashley was treated, said he met with the parents and became convinced they were motivated by love and the girl's best interests.

Diekema said he was mainly concerned with making sure the little girl would actually benefit and not suffer any harm from the treatment. She did not, and is doing well, he said.

"The more her parents can be touching her and caring for her ... and involving her in family activities, the better for her," he said. "The parents' argument was, 'If she's smaller and lighter, we will be able to do that for a longer period of time.'"

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.



Answer
Personally, I think that the parents reasoning is a slippery slope. I know how difficult these decisions are from a personal perspective. But I think such treatment may be against the person's best interests and would not ensure the outcome the parents envisioned. Despite their having the best intentions, I would not advocate this treatment mostly for fear of unforeseen repercussions to the person and fear that it would not accomplish the goal I sought.




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