Children Health | Children Care

The Cost of Baby Formula on Children’s Health

Posted by Admin on January 24th, 2011

Most people calculate the cost of baby formula by adding up the price of formula, feeding bottles and rubber nipples. They might also include the cost of sterilizing everything, which requires clean water and energy.

However, the real cost of baby formula includes the costs of increased risks for diseases that formula-fed children have, compared to breastfed children. These include medical care, medicine, hospitalization and time off from work that parents have to take to care for the sick child. Increased illness also impacts on the child’s growth and development. Finally, the manufacture and use of baby formula places a burden on the environment.

The World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and INFACT Canada have concluded that infants fed with baby formula have increased risks for:

Diarrhea and Pneumonia

Formula-fed babies have been shown to get sick twice as often and 3 times longer than breastfed babies. They also have increased risk of pneumonia and diarrhea. In contrast, exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months of life prevents at least 33 per cent of diarrhea cases.

Asthma

Babies fed infant formula have a 40-50 per cent higher risk of developing asthma and wheezing than infants breastfed for at least nine months.

Allergies

Children who were breastfed the longest in infancy had the lowest incidence of atopy, eczema, food allergy and respiratory allergy.

Reduced Intelligence

Children who were formula-fed in infancy had lower IQ points than breastfed children. Greater differences were observed with children who were breastfeed longer.

Infection From Contaminated Formula

The International Food Safety Authorities Network says that it is not possible to manufacture sterile powdered baby formula. Therefore, the risk of contamination is always present. In fact, baby formula products are being recalled all the time, because of contamination with anything from molds to metal particles to bacteria.

Chronic Diseases

Children who receive little or no breastmilk are at increased risk for becoming overweight and developing diabetes and cancers, including leukemia.

The true cost of baby formula cannot be counted in dollars and cents. It is not possible to calculate the cost of illness and even death of a child in a family. However, it must be considered that increased risk for illness and disease – even death – are part of the cost of baby formula. The loss of human potential in the form of potential intelligence that was not realized because of formula-feeding is another important and incalculable cost. Parents who want to make an informed decision on how to feed and nourish their children should be aware of the true cost of baby formula.

By: Alexis Rodrigo

About the Author:

Alexis Rodrigo is a work at home Mom to 3 kids, certified childbirth educator and breastfeeding advocate. Get more natural parenting information, breastfeeding tips and other resources. Sign up for the FREE Natural Parenting Newsletter to receive breastfeeding info right in your Email by going to http://www.naturalmomsblog.com

Troubling Statistics About Children’s Mental Health

Posted by Admin on January 22nd, 2011

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1999, entitled Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General. Washington, DC: Anxiety disorders, mood disorders (e.g. depression), and disruptive disorders (e.g. attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder) are the most common mental disorders among children. Of these, research indicates that anxiety disorders are the most common; affecting about 13% of children aged 9-17. More than 6% of children are estimated to have some form of mood disorder, and 4% are estimated to have a disruptive disorder.

It is a sad comment on society when so many children suffer needlessly from such a variety of mental health difficulties. The lives of children in modern times are not easy or pleasant in so many cases. Families are disrupted by the recession, rising unemployment and the resulting severe financial stress and worry. Poverty still impacts on far too many families. The tragic impact of drug and alcohol abuse is too often a reality of the lives of many children. Educational neglect and disadvantage have not been significantly reduced and are not even close to being eliminated.

Children with anxiety disorders suffer a wide variety of nameless and named fears and worries. Disturbing thoughts and images about their parent’s death can haunt their night-time and waking dreams and visions. Worries about thieves breaking into the family home in the night are not uncommonly a focus and source of needless anxiety. In some children anxiety is so pervasive that it generalizes to every area of the life. Walking to school can be a constant series of anxious and disturbing thoughts. Sitting in the classroom a child with such a generalized anxiety disorder can’t pay attention because they are preoccupied with the thoughts that something horrible has happened to mother or father.

ADHD is a condition effective at least 5% of all children. It is a condition that interferes with the brain’s ability to pay attention, concentrate, make plans and organize them into units that can be put into action. Sometimes it results in such high levels of activity that the child can be uncontrollable. ADHD is a condition that interferes with home, school and community life to a significant and sometimes severe degree. It can disrupt the life of a child and, if unrecognized and untreated, can disrupt their adult life as well.

Children with mood disorders suffer so often in silence and desperation. The most common mood disorder of childhood is depression. Its symptoms can often be mistaken for boredom and listlessness. Depressed children need help and often don’t get it. The result is the risk of suicide. Many adults don’t think children can contemplate suicide but it is now recognized that many do. Even worse is the fact that many who contemplate it actually attempt it. Sadder still is the reality that some who attempt it succeed.

Our children have mental health problems and we are not responding effectively enough as a society. More training is need for parents and teachers in recognizing the signs and symptoms of mental health difficulty in children. More resources are needed in diagnosis and treatment. Let’s act before it’s too late for another child!

By: Dr. David Carey

About the Author:

David J. Carey, Psy.D.
297 Beechwood Court
Stillorgan
Dublin, Ireland

http://www.davidjcarey.com

Promoting Your Child’s Heart Health

Posted by Admin on January 22nd, 2011

Cardiovascular endurance is one of the five health-related components of physical fitness. It refers to the ability of the heart and lungs to supply oxygen and nutrients to the muscles. In simple terms, someone with great cardiovascular endurance has a strong heart – one that actually grows in size and pumps more blood with every beat, resulting in a lower heart rate.

As you can imagine, this can only happen when an individual regularly exercises. Typically, it’s aerobic exercise that improves cardiovascular fitness – but, where children are concerned, we can’t think of “aerobics” in the same way that we do for adults.

For one thing, children won’t exercise for the same reason we adults do. Most adults exercise for the sake of their health or because they want to look good. Children should never be encouraged to exercise because it will make them look good, even if obesity is an issue. Emphasizing exercise for the sake of appearance places the wrong value on physical activity – and appearance!

As far as health benefits are concerned, unlike adults, young children live very much in the present moment. They’re simply incapable of projecting themselves into the future. So you can’t expect your toddler, preschooler, or even your first-or second-grader to exercise because it will ensure he’s healthier at age 40 or he’ll look and feel better at 60. Even if you explain that exercise will make him healthier right now, you’re not likely to get an enthusiastic response. These are all adult concepts – adult goals – beyond a child’s cognitive and emotional capabilities.

Additionally, young children are not made for long, uninterrupted periods of strenuous activity. So expecting them to jog, walk briskly, or follow an exercise video for 20 to 30 minutes, particularly before the age of six, is not only unrealistic but could be damaging. At the very least, it can ensure an intense dislike of physical activity that results in a lifelong devotion to being a couch potato.

Rather, when we consider developmentally appropriate aerobic activities for children, we should be thinking along the lines of moderate to vigorous play and movement. Physical activity that’s moderately intense will increase the heart rate and breathing somewhat, while vigorous-intensity movement takes a lot more effort and will result in a noticeable increase in breathing. The latter can usually be sustained for a maximum of 20 to 30 minutes.

Riding a bicycle, swimming, walking, marching, chasing bubbles, playing tag, dancing to moderate- to fast-paced music, and jumping rope all fall under the heading of moderate- to vigorous-intensity exercise for children. In other words, it’s anything that keeps the child moving continuously, sometimes strenuously and sometimes less so.

The American Heart Association assures us we needn’t be concerned with target heart rates in children. Yes, we want to get their hearts pumping on a daily basis; but, whenever possible, we want to ensure it happens naturally. If you’ve noticed your child is definitely not getting enough exercise to improve cardiovascular fitness, joining in on the play yourself may be all that’s needed. Start slowly, gradually increasing the length of time you maintain movement (by a few minutes a week) and stopping immediately should your child experience any discomfort. Before you know it, daily or almost-daily, moderate- to vigorous-intensity activity will be a way of life.

By: Rae Pica

About the Author:

Rae Pica is a children’s movement specialist and author of Your Active Child: How to Promote Physical, Emotional, and Cognitive Development through Age-Appropriate Activity (McGraw-Hill, 2003). Rae speaks to parent and education groups throughout North America. Visit her and read more articles at www.movingandlearning.com.

Children Health | Children Care

The Cost of Baby Formula on Children’s Health

Troubling Statistics About Children’s Mental Health

Promoting Your Child’s Heart Health

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