Care for childChild Development

Today, almost everything has gone digital. Cellular phones, computers and even simple household appliances, such as telephones and microwaves, have all switched to digital technology. However, the growing concern of many is whether these hi-tech gadgets can be considered safe for our health, especially in gadgets such as baby monitors that are usually placed in such a close distance to children.

A lot of parents nowadays fear that if they use a digital monitor to help them keep watch of their child, they might be exposing their offspring to too much of electromagnetic radiation and this may cause significant damage to the child’s nervous system. Children, after all, are much more prone to damage as their systems are still developing at such a young age. So we ask the question that many of these parents want to know, is it really safe to use digital baby monitors for children?

What is Electro-SMOG and How Does It Threaten Our Health?

Electro-SMOG is the electromagnetic energy that is emitted by common gadgets in our home such as our televisions, cordless phones, microwaves and digital baby monitors. Studies have been made over the years claiming that too much exposure to electro-SMOG can result to health problems affecting the nervous system of the body. A person may have such initial symptoms of headaches, disruptive sleep patterns, chronic fatigue and abnormal behavioral patterns in children.

How Are Baby Monitors Different from Other Gadgets with Electro-smog?

Because of the huge possibility of the electromagnetic energy used in the digital technology of modern baby monitors, a lot of parents are fearful for the safety of their child. But on the other hand, manufacturing companies of these digital monitors claim that the amount of radiation that their baby monitors emit are at levels that do not pose serious danger to children.

Phillips is one of these manufacturing companies that claim that the level of electro-smog released by their gadgets are 10,000 times lower from the safety norms that are accepted internationally. The company also adds a recommendation that for parents to have total peace of mind, they can position the monitoring device at least a meter away from the child.

Going digital in such technologies has many benefits, but there really are minimal risks involved. The digital models of baby monitors have proven over the years to be better in reception as compared to that of the older analog version. These models have also proven to be much better at providing privacy for the family. However, for many parents who are concerned with the safety of their child, switching to modern technology can certainly be frightening.

But as long as one knows how to set certain prevention methods such as placing the monitor at a safe distance from the baby (at least one meter) and not adding a lot of other appliances inside the baby’s room such as televisions or computers, then much harm on the child’s health can greatly be prevented. Always keep in mind that the monitor’s distance from the child is very important.

The greater the distance of the monitor from the child, then there is also a greater reduction to the amount of exposure to radiation. Most manufacturing companies nowadays have also been improving their products to make them less health threatening.

In conclusion, parents can always have the option for opting to the hi-tech digital baby monitors especially because its many benefits, but if fear for the safety of the child is still present, always remember that there are precautions that one can follow to minimize risks.

What Is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a disease that influences how the body uses glucose, a sugar that is the body’s main source of fuel. Like a TV remote needs batteries, your body needs glucose to keep running. Here’s how it should work.

(A). You eat.

(B).Glucose from the food gets into your bloodstream.

(C).Your pancreas produces a hormone called insulin.

(D).Insulin helps the glucose get into the body’s cells.

(E).Your body gets the energy it needs.

The pancreas is a long, flat gland in your belly that helps your body digest food. It also makes insulin. Insulin is kind of like a key that opens the doors to the cells of the body. It lets the glucose in. Then the glucose can move out of the blood and into the cells.

But if someone has diabetes, the body either can’t make insulin (this is called type 1 diabetes) or the insulin doesn’t work in the body like it should (this is called type 2 diabetes). The glucose can’t get into the cells normally, so the blood sugar level gets too high. Lots of sugar in the blood makes people sick if they don’t get treatment.

Type 1 diabetes can’t be prevented. Doctors can’t even tell who will get it and who won’t. No one knows for sure why some kids get type 1 diabetes, but scientists think it has something to do with genes. Genes are like instructions for how the body should look and work that are passed on by parents to their kids. But just getting the genes for diabetes isn’t usually enough. Most of the time, something else has to happen to the person — like getting an infection with a virus — for him or her to get type 1 diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes isn’t contagious, so you can’t catch it from another person or pass it along to your friends. And stuff like eating too much sugar doesn’t cause type 1 diabetes.

Type 2 Diabetes Can Be Prevented

Type 2 diabetes is different. Sometimes, it can be prevented. In type 2 diabetes, the pancreas can still make insulin, but the body doesn’t respond to it in the right way. Most people who have type 2 diabetes are overweight. In the past, mainly overweight adults got type 2 diabetes. Today, more kids have type 2 diabetes, probably because more kids are overweight.

How can you help prevent type 2 diabetes? Getting to a healthy weight is one way. That’s because a lot of extra weight makes it harder for the body to use insulin right. Making healthy food choices and getting sufficient exercise are other good steps to take to help prevent diabetes.

Taking Steps to Prevent Type 2 Diabetes

If you want to help prevent type 2 diabetes — or just be healthier in lots of other ways — take these steps:

(1). Chow down on good-for-you foods. Try to eat foods that are low in fat, but high in other nutrients. Here are some good choices: whole-grain cereals and breads, fruits, vegetables, milk, yogurt, cheese, lean meats, and other sources of protein.

(2). Limit fast food and sugary sodas. Eating too much fat and sugar can make you overweight. And being overweight can make you more likely to develop type 2 diabetes. Try to cut back on fatty fast foods and sugary drinks like sodas, juices, and iced teas.

(3). Get up and get moving. Staying active is a better choice than watching TV or playing video or computer games when it comes to preventing diabetes and staying healthy. Moving around a lot helps prevent diabetes and helps keep your weight in a healthy range for your height. Being lively can be as straightforward as walking the dog, running around your yard, or playing soccer with friends. Try to do something that gets you moving every day!

(4). If you have questions about your weight, ask. If you’re worried about your weight, ask your mom or dad to take you to talk to your doctor. A doctor can assist you find out if your weight is well and how to keep it that way.

A baby monitor can undoubtedly offer a great deal of assistance to both first-time and experienced parents. If you want to get things done while your baby dozes off in another room, then purchasing this nifty gadget is certainly the way to go. Concerned parents, like you, also have the option of setting up multi-room baby monitors.

Multi-room Monitoring

A good number of baby monitors only have one radio transmitter and one or more portable receivers that make it possible for parents to listen in on their babies all day and all night long. If you prefer to have one radio transmitter in every room, there are actually a smaller number of choices.

In order to set up a multi-room monitoring system, some parents purchase more than one baby monitors. By simply positioning one radio transmitter in each room, you can listen to the sounds coming from your baby’s room even if you’re busy with house chores or other stuff.

Then again, this added capability comes with a number of drawbacks. The baby monitors could interfere with each other. For that reason, you need to make sure that they are set in different frequency bands; otherwise, you will only be able to hear irritating electronic screeches. Your most excellent option these days would be to purchase baby monitors that carry features for multi-room monitoring.

Other Practical Features

Baby monitors are actually quite new. The idea behind the importance of having one is that you – as a parent – are afforded with an extra set of eyes and ears. This way, you can keep tabs on your baby even while you’re busy with something else. By listening in on your little one, you’ll be alerted each time he or she needs feeding or a diaper change.

Video Monitoring – The latest models of baby monitors also feature several other options that takes the pressure off monitoring your baby 24/7. The video monitoring capability of some model allows you to watch over your baby anytime and anywhere in your house.

You may even avail of the web cast feature that makes it possible for a parent, who’s away on a business trip, to keep track of their baby or kid at home. This is definitely an excellent alternative especially when one of the parents needs to work away from home for a certain period of time.

Walkie-talkie Features – This option provides you with the ability to talk to your little one through the baby monitor. On top of that, you can even play music or transmit almost anything you want to the baby. Some doting parents also make use of this feature to calm their babies down by talking to them over the baby monitor. Also, when your child is old enough to speak, you can surely have chats by means of this nifty device.

Other Fun Features – Newer models of baby monitors now come with a number of fun attributes. The wide range of options include rechargeable batteries for the portable receivers, remote controls, warning alerts

Baby monitors are wonder gadgets for many busy parents. They not only allow them more time to themselves and to work, but most especially, they give them the opportunity to provide for the safety of their children even when they are not right by their side. However, with the many different types available in the market, new parents may find it puzzling to choose which monitor would be the most practical purchase for their budget. And so, with whatever type of monitor you want to purchase –whether audio, video, digital or analog- here are a few qualities that you should always find in a good monitoring device.

What to Look For in a Baby Monitor

Clarity of the Reception (whether audio or video) and less static is always a good quality for the baby monitor to become effective in child safety. This allows you to clearly hear or see the activities of the child better.

A good monitor must always be handy. A compact and portable monitor will easily provide you with comfort as you carry it around the vicinity. With this, it would be easier for you to keep an eye on the child while working.

A light alarm that activates whenever it picks up sound is always a good feature of the gadget. This becomes very useful in instances wherein you might be preoccupied with loud noises in the area such as the sound of the television or vacuum. This will at least keep you alert and aware if the baby is making noises.

Having an indicator on the gadget that activates whenever the battery is low prevents instances of the battery running out without you knowing. Not having this feature could be very dangerous to the child because one might not notice that something wrong has already happened if the monitor stops working when the battery drains.

In choosing a monitor, the right range or bandwidth must be considered properly. If it would be used in a bigger house, then a wider range is required. A smaller house or apartment might not need as much range especially if one lives in an area where there may be a lot of interference such as cell phones and other monitors that could disrupt the signals. But it is also important to consider the user’s activity, especially if work might require him or her to be of farther distance from the child.

Considering Your Own Needs

Knowing what to look for in a good baby monitor is one thing, but aside from this, it is also important to consider your own needs. Always remember to choose those with features that would fit the type of work that you do in order to make it easier for you to look out for the child.

Also, the family budget in choosing a monitor must also come in mind. If you are decided on getting the best and if you have the means to splurge on high-end monitors, then there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. But if you are on a tighter budget, many good monitors are available in the market for almost just as good the quality at more economical prices.

Baby monitors are the wonder gadgets for parents today. Although the whole process of choosing which type or model to buy may be baffling and many factors may come to your mind, always remember to stick to the basics that keep the gadget effective to its goal in keeping the child safe.

Benefits of kangaroo care

[edit] For mothers

• Enhanced attachment and bonding (Tessier et al., 1998)
• Increased milk volume, doubled rates of successful breastfeeding and increased duration of breastfeeding (Mohrbacher & Stock, 2003)
• Physiologically her breasts respond to her infant’s thermal needs (Ludington-Hoe et al., 2006)
• Resilience and feelings of confidence, competence, and satisfaction regarding baby care (Tessier et al., 1998; Conde-Agudelo, Diaz-Rossello, & Belizan, 2003; Kirsten, Bergman, & Hann, 2001)

[edit] For preterm and low birth weight infants

• Normal temperature, heart rate, and respiratory rate (Ludington-Hoe et al., 2005)
• Breast milk is readily available and accessible, and strengthens the infant’s immune system
• The maternal contact causes a calming effect with decreased stress and rapid quiescence (McCain, Ludington-Hoe, Swinth, & Hadeed, 2005; Charpak et el., 2005)
• Reduced physiologic and behavioural pain responses (Ludington-Hoe, Hosseini, & Torowicz, 2005; Johnston et al., 2003)
• Increased weight gain (Charpak, Ruiz-Pelaez, & Figueroa, 2005)
• Enhanced mother-infant bonding (Dodd, 2005)
• Positive effects on infant’s cognitive development (Feldman, Eidelman, Sirota, & Weller, 2002)
• Less nosocomial infection, severe illness, or lower respiratory tract disease (Conde-Argudelo, Diaz-Rossello, & Belizan, 2003)
• Restful sleep (Ludington, Hosseini, & Torowicz, 2005);
• Earlier discharge (London et al., 2006)
• Possible reduced risk of sudden infant death (see www.infactcanada.ca)
• Normalized infant growth of premature infants (Charpak, Ruiz-Pelaez, & Figueroa, 2005)
• May be a good intervention for colic (Ellett, Bleah, & Parris, 2002)
• Possible positive effects in motor development of infants (Penalva & Schwartzman, 2006).

Description of kangaroo care

Kangaroo care seeks to provide restored closeness of the newborn with mother and/or father by placing the infant in direct skin-to-skin contact with one of them. This ensures physiological and psychological warmth and bonding. The kangaroo position provides ready access to nourishment. The mother’s body responds to the needs of the infant directly, helping regulate temperature more smoothly than an incubator, her milk adjusts to the nutritional and immunological needs of her fragile infant, and the baby sleeps more soundly.