What does mother goose have to do with getting kids to eat right?

Researcher Konrad Lorentz showed that by replacing a mother goose with something else as the first thing a baby goose encountered, he could alter the behavior of the baby goose to view that thing (even a toy train!!) as ‘mama’.

This phenomenon is referred to as “imprinting,” and it works just as well for “what’s for dinner?” as it does for “who’s mama?”

But there’s a catch – it only works for a short while.

If you want your children to make healthy food choices almost instinctually, you have just a couple of years to give your kids the right message about what to eat to keep them healthy.

Watch this video where I discuss the impact of ‘food imprinting’ and getting kids to fall in love with real food

Make sure that your kids smell the aromas of the foods you want them to learn to like early in life. AND you want them to see you eating healthy food as well.

We’d love to hear from you in the comments below! Tell me what you can do to put this in to practice in your family.

Or do you have some habits that you use in your family that already have them loving nutritious food?

Talk with you soon!

- Dr. Alan Greene

So the day’s finally here.

You’ve gone through your pregnancy and despite whether it was a difficult pregnancy or not, you made it out the other side with your precious baby in hand.

Walking through the threshold of your home, you realize that things have changed and that you’re about to embark on a new life and one that, while exciting, is also uncertain. If this is your first baby, this is even more the case, though many of us who have had more than one child can vouch for the fact that it’s always life-changing when your newest family member enters our lives. We know that change is upon us but in what permutation, we’re not sure. It’s anyone’s guess, really.

As this is a common feeling for many moms as they start their new lives with their babies,  it can indeed feel daunting, if not stressful, to say the least. Being responsible for another life completely is not something that most parents take lightly. Is it any wonder then, that we stress about how we’re going to manage at home to the best of our abilities? Add to this the realities of day-to-day life, including  spending time with our spouses, housework and our other kids who also need our support, and there’s the potential for mom to feel overloaded.

Thankfully, this doesn’t have to be the case, as there are a few simple things that can be done to make the transition to new mom as easy as it can be.

Here are 5 Simple Tips For Managing The First Few Weeks After Baby:

1)   Accept help – Once you’ve had the baby, don’t be surprised by the deluge of offers of help from caring family and friends. Your first instinct may be to decline, after all, this is your time alone with your baby and you wouldn’t want your focus to be taken away from your new addition. The reality is that even in those first few days and weeks when your feeling is to spend every waking hour with your child, the reality is that sleep is required in order for you to be at your best. Ditto for being able to do anything else around the house. When a loved one offers to come over and watch the baby while you sleep, shower, take some time alone or otherwise, accept it graciously and be thankful that you’ve got such wonderful people in your life to help.

2)   Don’t worry about the house – Adding to point #1, you may worry about the state of the house, since people are coming over to help you out. Don’t worry about the house. Your friends and family will understand if you haven’t gotten around to vacuuming or washing the floor lately. What’s important is your child, your bonding time with your child and your sleep, so focus on those and worry about the cleaning when the baby’s a bit bigger. And if your friends want to help clean the house, let them!

3)    Take care of yourself – It’s really important to address any health or body concerns that may have come up after your child’s birth. Following the advice of accepting help, make sure that you’re doing something for yourself during this very demanding time. Make sure to follow up with your doctor regarding any body changes or updates since giving birth. If you’re breastfeeding and having some difficulty, it’s okay seek out assistance and ask for help

4)   Carve out some “me” time – As impossible as it may seem with a new baby, this doesn’t have to mean an extended break alone. “Me” time could be 15 minutes alone, away from the baby, while you steal away to a quiet room to read, close your eyes or meditate. It could mean a quick walk around the block

5)   Don’t stand on ceremony – What this means is that while a daily schedule may be good in theory, it doesn’t always translate in reality. Sometimes the baby will fuss longer than planned, other times he’ll sleep beyond the prescribed nap times. In either instance, don’t worry or stress. Unless he’s feverish or clearly ill, variations on daily behavior is normal and on the positive side, a good opportunity for you to get that very well-deserved break.

Baby massage may seem superfluous or silly to some people, but it’s popularity is growing in the U.S. and it has actually been practiced for centuries in many cultures around the world. But, does it have any significant health benefits? You might be surprised at how much it does. In fact, touch plays a much more important role in human development than scientists first imagined.

Consider these facts:

• Skin is by far the largest of all of our sense organs.
• It develops early in utero – at less than 8 weeks, when the fetus is less than an inch long, the sense of touch is already highly developed – before there are eyes or ears.
• Between the pulsing of the amniotic fluid and the contracting and expansion of the walls of the womb, the uterine environment is a space of constant massage.
• When a baby is born, his vision is still fuzzy, but touch is a primary way he can interact with the world for the first few months.

Just from these basic biological facts, it becomes clearer that touch must be important for infant development. But, to what extent? Here’s a snapshot of the myriad medical benefits researchers have discovered over the years.

• In 1986. Dr. Tiffany Fieldand her colleagues gave preterm infants a 15-minute massage, three times per day, for ten days resulting in 21-47% greater weight gain than standard care alone. Those infants were also discharged six days earlier on average than control infants, saving approximately $10,000 in hospital costs per infant. Since then, they’ve also found:
  • Infants who experienced massage therapy cried less and had lower cortisol levels, suggesting lower stress.
  • Touch stimulation can positively affect physiological, behavioral, and social development among infants.
  • Young children with eczema who received daily massage from their parents saw symptoms decrease.

• Dr. Kathryn Barnard at the University of Washington found that infants who were held more showed superior cognitive development as long as eight years later.

• Research by Theodore Wacks, a psychologist at Purdue, showed that infants who experienced more skin-to-skin contact had an advantage in mental development in the first six months of life.

 
It turns out infant touch benefits pretty much all systems of the body – nervous, circulatory, digestive, respiratory, endocrine – the impacts are profound.

And, the benefits aren’t just for babies. You can probably guess that parents sleep better when babies sleep better (which they do with infant touch). And, it reduces parental stress levels, too! Field found that mothers who do infant massage report lower levels of depression, they seem to be more sensitive to their baby’s cues and the babies are more responsive to the mother through the whole first three months.

Still question whether touch is as important as eating and sleeping? Consider one more landmark study.

In the 1960s, Dr. Harry Harlow separated infant monkeys from their mothers at six to twelve hours after birth and substituted “surrogate” mothers made either of heavy wire mesh or of wood covered with cloth. Both mothers were the same size, but the wire mother had no soft surfaces and was equipped with a bottle from which the baby could “nurse”while the other mother was cuddly, covered with foam rubber and soft terry cloth, but had no food. Despite the fact that only one surrogate mother could feed them, the infants still spent more time cuddling with the cloth mother. (They also found that the monkeys“raised” by wire mesh moms were very aggressive as adults.) These results led researchers to believe closeness and affection are as imperative to healthy development as food.

In today’s busy world, it’s all-too-common for parents to give a child a pacifier or put them in front of a video screen to keep them calm and quiet. But, those convenient moments of calm may be having subtle impacts on your child’s development. Take time to slow down. Take time to touch. Take time to cuddle. They aren’t babies for long and your investment of time and touch is a priceless investment in their health and well-being.

Colic can be very distressing both for babies and their parents. Parents often feel their baby’s screaming is an indictment of their parenting ability: there’s something wrong with me; there’s something wrong with my milk; or there’s something wrong with my baby! It’s no wonder that so many feel frustrated, exhausted, guilty, angry, or helpless.

Many solutions to colic have been proposed. Some remedies have been tested and found not to work (such as simethicone drops, one of the most common given to babies). Most colic solutions help in about one third of babies, but it’s hard to predict which babies will benefit. Combining remedies is often the most helpful. Here are 10 tips:

1. Motion. Some families report relief with gentle movement, whether from a swing, a car ride, a ride in a jog stroller, or a parent’s arms.
2. Massage. Baby massage in general and belly massage in particular. A warm bean bag can be a nice tool for this. Some babies are helped with the addition of one of the infant vibrating products during massage.
3. Changing mother’s diet. For breastfed babies, eliminating certain foods can help. Cow’s milk, eggs, nuts, or wheat are the most likely to make a difference – especially if there is asthma, eczema or allergies in the family.
4. Changing to a hypoallergenic formula. For formula-fed babies, the switch is sometimes powerful.
5. Changing bottles.  Any bottle change can produce improvement in some babies. In one clinical trial, switching BornFree bottles with ActiveFlow made a significant difference for 80 percent of babies.
6. Changing feeding technique. Switching from nursing at both breasts at each feed to prolonged emptying of one breast cut colic in half in one study. Sucking on a pacifier or thumb between feeds can help whether a baby is breast or bottle fed.
7. Soothing noise. Heartbeat recordings, white noise machines, recordings of babies yawning, or the gentle voices of parents sshhing, humming, or singing a lullaby.
8. Swaddling. Being wrapped snuggly comforts some babies.
9. Herbal remedies. Chamomile, fennel and balm mint have appeared effective in some studies.
10. Probiotics. Compared to placebo, taking beneficial bacteria reduces crying for some.

Dr. Greene is a consulting Pediatrician for BornFree.

Dr. Greene’s Answer:

Usually, the peak age for crying is about 6 weeks old, so there is light at the end of the tunnel. After all of the emotions of pregnancy and anticipating a baby, this crying period can be overwhelming for parents. Different babies respond to different comforting measures. Experimenting and observing what seems to work best for your baby is the best way, through.

Some children are comforted by being held close in a dark room. Some like to be swaddled. Some like to be sung to. Some need to suck on something. Some are calmed by rocking. For many kids, car rides are settling.

Some children are intolerant to cow’s milk-based formulas. Most of them will do well on soy, but about 20 percent of them are intolerant to soy as well. Breastfeeding mothers can try a dairy-free diet. For formula-fed infants, Nutramigen or one of the other hydrolysate formulas will often do the trick. Kids may not like them, but they are almost impossible to be intolerant to.

If you are using a bottle, try switching brands. Any bottle change can produce improvement in some babies. In one clinical trial, switching to BornFree bottles with ActiveFlow made a significant difference for 80 percent of babies.

If a baby is not consolable, or if the fussiness increases after kids are 6 to 8 weeks old, it’s important to consider other causes, such as reflux. Talk to your pediatrician about possible causes and treatments.

Dr. Greene’s Answer:

Different babies are comforted in different ways. Some like to be swaddled, some feel better free. Some like to be rocked, some are comforted by suckling. Those who enjoy swaddling usually start to outgrow it as their motor skills are developing, often by 3 or 4 months. During the transition, they may have mixed feelings. At first they enjoy being swaddled, and then they struggle to use their hands or feet.

This is usually a good stage for transitioning away from swaddling, perhaps at first by wrapping the body securely, but leaving the arms out. This is unlikely to be a passing preference that she gives up, going back to the way she was before. She is growing up!

Related concepts:

Turned-in feet

Introduction to tibial torsion:

When a baby starts toddling around the home, many parents notice that one or both feet turn in.

What is tibial torsion?

The most common cause of in-toeing in toddlers is internal tibial torsion (the large bone in the calf is rotated inward). Some children are pigeon-toed for different reasons, such as a curved foot (metatarsus adductus) or a rotated hip (internal femoral torsion). Children with musculoskeletal issues, such as Cerebral Palsy, tend to have more problems with in-toeing than other children.

Who gets tibial torsion?

Generally, internal tibial torsion is a result of normal positioning of the baby in the tight space of the uterus. Some degree of tibial torsion is normal throughout infancy. This in-toeing usually corrects on its own after the baby begins to walk.
In some children, the rotation is greater than normal or lasts longer than normal. The tighter the fit in the uterus, the more likely that there will be problems. Large babies, such as those born to diabetic mothers, are at greater risk. Also, the later that a child walks or the less a child walks, the longer remodeling can take.

What are the symptoms of tibial torsion?

One or both feet turn in.

Is tibial torsion contagious?

No

How long does tibial torsion last?

When a child begins to pull to stand, and then to walk independently, tibial torsion usually begins to correct spontaneously. In most children this process is complete within 6 to 12 months after independent walking. Spontaneous correction can continue to occur for years after this. By mid-childhood, a small percentage of children will continue to have significant tibial torsion.

How is tibial torsion diagnosed?

Tibial torsion is diagnosed (and distinguished from other causes of in-toeing) by a careful physical exam.
Tibial torsion is assessed by measuring the thigh-foot angle, if the foot is shaped normally.
While the child is relaxed and lying on his stomach, with his knee and ankle each at 90 degrees, imagine a line from the second toe to the middle of his heel. If the angle between this imaginary line and the line of his thigh, when looking from above, represents more than 10 degrees of in-toeing, he has internal tibial torsion.
The normal tibial angle in older children and adults is 10 to 20 degrees of out-toeing. Internal tibial torsion usually corrects itself in the first 6 to 12 months of walking. If the internal tibial torsion alone is 40 degrees at any time, or persists beyond 6 to 12 months of walking, consider having your child seen by an orthopedist for evaluation and possible treatment.

How is tibial torsion treated?

For many years, the standard treatment for internal tibial torsion was the Denis-Browne splint, an 8- to 12- inch bar, worn at night, with the feet facing out at about 45 degrees. This device seemed to work quite well — almost all of the children who wore one experienced slow, steady improvement and then disappearance of their severe tibial torsion. The device worked so well that it was taken on faith. No controlled studies were done. They were felt to be unnecessary.
In 1991, a prospective, randomized, controlled study analyzed use of the Denis-Browne splint. The splint did work very well. However, doing nothing at all worked equally well! Almost all children corrected spontaneously with or without the splint.
Since 1991, many other splints have been designed to “treat” this condition, but no non-surgical treatment has been shown to be any more effective than doing nothing at all for young children with uncomplicated internal tibial torsion (Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, 11(5) 2003).
Still, old habits die hard, and it is not difficult to find textbooks and doctors who recommend the use of some type of nighttime device. My favorite of these is the recommendation that the child sleep on the back, to let gravity pull the feet outward (face-down children usually point the toes in). This recommendation is inexpensive, non-invasive, and makes some intuitive sense. As far as I know, it has yet to be studied. Some people sew bulk to the front of the pajamas to make it uncomfortable to sleep on the tummy, but I wouldn’t go to this much trouble.
If the feet still turn inward by more than 15 degrees at age five, spontaneous correction is unlikely. For these children, surgical de-rotation is an effective treatment. Typically, the best window for this is between 7 or 8 and 10 years of age.

How can tibial torsion be prevented?

Sleeping on the back, and lots of walking, running, and jumping may help prevent some tibial torsion.
While prevention of tibial torsion is not very effective, there is good news for those whose internal tibial torsion doesn’t completely correct, but isn’t severe enough to indicate surgery.
The fastest runners tend to fall in this category. Top sprinters, in particular, are significantly more likely to be in-toed than the general population.

Related A-to-Z Information:

Bowlegs, Cerebral Palsy, Clubfoot, Fractures, Spina Bifida, Sprains

Introduction to thumb sucking:

When Jacques Cousteau first took cameras under water, he opened up an enchanted new world for us to see. When ultrasound was first turned toward the wombs of pregnant women, an even more marvelous world appeared. Sights that had been hidden for ages were now open to our view, and one of the first things we saw was that babies suck their tiny thumbs even before they are born.

What is thumb sucking?

Infants are hard-wired to need and enjoy sucking as a separate experience from feeding. This is sometimes referred to as “non-nutritive sucking.”
Some babies who do not suck their thumbs can be comforted, stimulated, or put to sleep through pacifier use. This sometimes feels more acceptable to parents because they can control the use of pacifiers. One problem with pacifiers is that young babies cannot find them when they fall out of their mouths, which happens quite frequently. Babies who use pacifiers are dependent on an adult who must understand their needs and respond to them.
Children who suck their thumbs are able to begin at an early age to meet their own need for sucking. These children fall asleep more easily, are able to put themselves back to sleep at night more easily, and sleep through the night much earlier than infants who do not suck their thumbs.

Who gets thumb sucking?

In some babies, the need to suck is more pronounced than in others. Children at any age tend to exhibit the sucking behavior most when they are tired, bored, or in need of comfort.

What are the symptoms of thumb sucking?

For children in the first year of life, sucking to fall asleep or for comfort is self-limiting and wonderful. If they are sucking their thumbs simply because they are bored or are “zoned out,” it is a good idea to distract them by handing them something interesting to hold on to, without even mentioning their thumbs. Until your baby is old enough to reason with, any pressure applied against thumb-sucking will only turn a natural developmental phase into an ingrained habit.

Is thumb sucking contagious?

No

How long does thumb sucking last?

Many parents are worried that their children won’t stop thumb-sucking at the appropriate age. The great majority of children stop thumb-sucking spontaneously as they get caught up in learning new skills and no longer need to be stimulated or comforted by sucking. The sucking need usually diminishes by around 9 months. Most children have finished with sucking their thumbs by their first birthdays.
But behavior that is adorable in one so young can be a concern in an older child.
How old is too old? According to the American Dental Association, thumb-sucking does not cause permanent problems with the teeth or jaw line unless it is continued beyond 4 to 5 years of age. As it turns out, somewhere between 85 and 99 percent of children have finished thumb sucking spontaneously before this period.

How is thumb sucking treated?

If your child has not spontaneously stopped thumb-sucking by the time she is talking, there are ways to actively encourage her to stop.
Children have control of their own thumbs when you are not looking. Pressure applied against thumb sucking can turn a natural developmental phase into an ingrained habit.
Instead, you want to create an environment where she chooses to stop on her own. You can weaken the thumb-sucking habit by distracting her when you notice her thumb in her mouth. Engage her in a way that she uses both hands.
Painting something that tastes yucky on the thumbs can make sucking them less satisfying. Commercial products are available for this purpose. Other parents have had success with pickle juice or a drop of vinegar. You might have to switch flavors periodically because people can develop a taste for almost anything. (I remember my first cup of coffee – yechhh!)
If she decides she wants to stop, yet the habit continues, then helping her notice when she is doing it can help her. Otherwise, pointing it out will only seem like nagging.
Comments from other people, though, can be helpful. Her pediatrician and dentist can be important allies, helping her to feel that she wants to stop because she is growing up!
Having children that she respects (and who don’t suck their thumbs) over for sleepovers can also help. If they comment on her thumb sucking, it can be a powerful motivation. If she doesn’t suck during the sleepover, it further weakens the habit.
Without nagging or battles, almost all children will stop before age 4 or 5. For the very few that don’t, their dentists can help with sleepy-time appliances and other techniques.

How can thumb sucking be prevented?

Many parents are concerned that thumb-sucking at a late age is a sign of emotional immaturity or lack of self-confidence. When investigators have looked at late thumb-suckers for common traits, they found only one thing in common that distinguished them from other children — a prolonged history of a strong battle with thumb-sucking at an earlier age. It is striking that many well-meaning parents have actually encouraged thumb-sucking by trying to forcibly take the thumb out of their children’s mouths.

Related A-to-Z Information:

Baby Bottle Tooth Decay, Breath Holding, Colic, Contact Transmission, Eczema, Head Banging, Impetigo, Night Terrors, Nightmares, Pinworms, Separation Anxiety, Sexual Curiosity in Young Children, Tantrums

Related concepts:

Candida, Oral pseudomembranous candidiasis, Yeast

Introduction to thrush:

Wordsworth says that we come into this world “trailing clouds of glory.” We also come trailing hosts of microorganisms. Even before an infant has completed her trip through the birth canal, she is already being introduced to the complex interplay of different species of life.

What is thrush?

Thrush, or oral pseudomembranous candidiasis, is a superficial yeast infection that is found in about 5 percent of healthy newborns.

Who gets thrush?

Infants usually acquire the yeast from their mothers during passage through the birth canal. The yeast is more apt to remain in those infants who abrade the lining of the mouth with prolonged sucking (such as babies who sleep with a bottle or pacifier). Visible thrush begins to develop 7 to 10 days after birth. The use of oral antibiotics, especially during the first year of life, can lead to recurrent or persistent thrush.
Immune deficiencies or systemic illnesses can also lead to chronic thrush.

What are the symptoms of thrush?

The lesions of thrush are white (or sometimes gray) plaques found on the insides of the cheeks, the lips, the tongue, or the palate. If the only symptom is a uniformly white tongue, it isn’t thrush. The plaques of thrush are often described as curd-like. Unlike milk residue, they adhere to the underlying tissue.
Thrush lesions can be quite painful for some children, leading to fussiness and decreased feeding. For other children, there appears to be no discomfort at all. Either way, the yeast sometimes passes through the gastrointestinal system and causes a yeast diaper rash on the other end.

Is thrush contagious?

The yeast that causes thrush can pass back and forth between the baby’s mouth and the mother’s breast, or any artificial nipple.

How long does thrush last?

In otherwise healthy children, thrush is a self-limited condition, usually resolving within a month from its first appearance without treatment.

How is thrush diagnosed?

Thrush is usually diagnosed on physical exam by its characteristic appearance. Brushing the lesions with a tongue depressor reveals reddened, tender areas that can bleed easily.

How is thrush treated?

Even though it will improve on its own, treatment is often recommended either to alleviate oral discomfort or to treat (or prevent) painful yeast diaper rashes.
Treatment usually consists of a gentle antifungal medicine. This can be applied directly to the plaques with a cotton-tipped applicator, or given orally.
Stronger medicines are available, though usually unnecessary. If the thrush persists, yeast on nipples or pacifiers should be considered as sources for reinfection. Some yeast medicines can also be placed on mother’s breasts. Artificial nipples and pacifiers can be sterilized.

How can thrush be prevented?

Some thrush is normal. Excessive thrush can often be prevented by avoiding unnecessary antibiotics, by breastfeeding, by quickly treating skin infections on the breast, and by keeping artificial nipples clean. Minimizing the use of artificial nipples also tends to minimize thrush.

Related A-to-Z Information:

Baby Acne, Baby Bottle Tooth Decay, Cold Sores (Herpes simplex), Colic, Contact Transmission, Cradle Cap, Diaper Rash, Gastroesophageal Reflux, Hand-Foot-Mouth Disease, Hiccups, Ringworm (Tinea corporis), Teething, Thumb-sucking, Type I Diabetes

Introduction to milia:

When you first meet your baby, there may be tiny bumps on his or her face. These may catch your attention or you might look right past them and not even notice at first.

What is milia?

Milia are little plugs of keratin in the glands of the skin of the face. The resulting bumps are a common feature of newborns’ faces.

Who gets milia?

Milia are found in up to half of newborns.

What are the symptoms of milia?

The tiny bumps of milia are no larger than a millimeter or two. They are most common on the tip of the nose or chin, and are frequently seen on the cheeks and forehead. Less commonly, they will be found on the upper trunk or limbs –and even on the penis. When found in the middle of a baby’s palate, they are called Epstein’s pearls.
These bumps are yellow or white (unlike the red bumps of baby acne).

Is milia contagious?

No

How long does milia last?

Most milia disappear within the first few weeks of life. Sometimes they last for the first 3 months.

How is milia diagnosed?

Milia are recognized by their appearance and location.

How is milia treated?

Treatment is unnecessary. If the bumps last longer than 3 months or are very extensive, other diagnoses should be considered. In adults or older children (with secondary Milia), the bumps may be a sign of other skin conditions.

How can milia be prevented?

No prevention is necessary.

Related A-to-Z Information:

Baby Acne, Cradle Cap, Diaper Rash, Erythema Toxicum (Baby rash), Hemangioma, Inconspicuous Penis, Labial Adhesions, Lanugo, Miliaria, Moles (Nevi), Mongolian Spots, Port Wine Stain, Pustular Melanosis, Salmon Patches (Stork bites)