Latest Research

The Natural Sitting Position is one which supports the natural rounding of a baby's spine, supporting a forward pelvic tilt and proper development of the hip joints. In the Natural Sitting Position, the baby's legs are bent with his knees level with his bellybutton, and spread apart at about a 45 degree angle. This position, also referred to as the Spread-Squat Position, mimics the natural position for optimal joint and spinal support; hence, the Natural Sitting Position.

A recently published study suggests that babies riding in outward-facing strollers are significantly less likely to laugh, "talk", and positively interact with their caregivers than those in strollers facing the pusher. The study was conducted by Dr Suzanne Zeedyk, Developmental Psychologist at Dundee University's School of Psychology. Zeedyk asserts that the emotional isolation and poor verbal interaction experienced by babies in outward-facing strollers carries serious, negative implications for babies' brain development.

Click here for a summary of the study:
http://www.dundee.ac.uk/pressreleases/2008/prnov08/babybuggies.htm

The study, in its entirety, can be found here:
http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/talktoyourbaby/Buggy_research.pdf

Recently, there has become a clear distinction between co-sleeping and what experts now refer to as bed-sharing. In order to decide what is best for your family, it is important to know the difference.

According to Attachment Parenting International (API), the definitions are as follows:

"Co-sleeping refers to sleeping in 'close proximity', which means the child is on a separate sleep surface in the same room as the parents."

"Bed-sharing, also called the 'family bed', describes a sleep arrangement where the family members sleep on the same surface."

What is the spread-squat-position, and is it important for my child to be in it? This question is discussed widely and this article aims clarify this matter.

When a child is born he / she is in a state of so-called total kyphosis (the back is rounded so much as to resemble the letter C). The child's spine is still bent as it was in the womb. Even though the child's hip joint already receives its final shape in the womb, it only matures after birth, since the cartilaginous matter of which the hip joint consists turns into bone over time.

The term "dysplasia" is a combination of plasia, which stems from the Greek "plasis" and means "process of a development/formation" and the prefix dys, stemming from the Greek "dus", which expresses the absence of something. Thus, a dysplasia is a malformation in the development of a tissue or an organ. Hip dysplasia, CDH for short (for congenital dysplasia of the hip), is an umbrella term for congenital or acquired false positions or disorders of the ossification of the newborn's hip joint. [1]

When buying a Baby Carrier, consider the Leg Position the carrier provides.

Very often parents who want to carry their child in carrying devices are warned that it may cause spinal damage, especially if they want to start carrying before the child is able to sit unaided. A longitudinal study of the carrying methods of 192 children (Kirkilionis, 1989, 1992,), demonstrated that the daily duration of carrying and the start of carrying showed no relationship between carrying in the upright position and an increase in postural damage.

Legislation to ban thiemrosal-containing vaccines has been enacted in six states: California, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, and New York. Fourteen other states have introduced similar legislation. It is now pending Governor Linda Lingles’s signature in the state of Hawaii.

What is Plagiocephaly (pla'je-o-sef'ah-le) ?.

It literally means 'oblique head' (from the Greek: plagio = oblique, and cephale = head). You may have noticed that your baby's head is developing an unusual shape. If so, to evaluate your infant's head shape, view the head from various angles: from the top, sides, the back and face on. Gently placing your fingers in the child's ears will help you see an ear shift. The diagnosis begins with an examination by a pediatrician to determine if it is Positional Plagiocephaly or a more serious form such as Craniosynostosis.

 

How a group of determined parents did the impossible and helped form one of the leading autism research facilities in the country.
By Gary Delsohn.
Thanks to Rick Rollens. Printed in Southwest Airlines Magazine