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.
August 31st, 2009
Infant Spinal Development and Correct Baby Carrier Support
Posted by admin in Healthy Spinal Development, Research Articles, Scientific Research | No Comments »
August 31st, 2009
Hip Dysplasia – How Babywearing Can Help
Posted by Anita in Research Articles, Scientific Research | No Comments »What is Hip Dysplasia?
Hip Dysplasia is a comprehensive term that has been used to include a spectrum of related developmental hip problems in infants and children, often present at birth. Your doctor may have used one of the following diagnoses for your child instead:
- Congenital hip dislocation – where the hip is frankly dislocated at birth
- Congenital dislocatable hip – where the hip is in place at birth, but dislocates fully when stressed
- Congenital subluxatable hip – where the hip is in place, but dislocates partially when stressed
- Acetabular dysplasia – where the hip socket is shallow and remains shallow, so that the hip is unstable
- Developmental dysplasia (or dislocation) of the hip – a more recent term, to reflect the fact that there are cases that have apparently normal hips at birth, but develop the problem in the first year of life
Read the rest of this entry »
August 31st, 2009
Flat Head Syndrome – How Babywearing Can Help
Posted by Anita in Research Articles, Scientific Research | No Comments »Flat Head Syndrome also known as ‘Plagiocephaly’ literally means ‘oblique head’ (from the Greek: plagio = oblique, and cephale = head). The condition is not uncommon. Many studies have associated the recent, dramatic increase in the number of children with flat-head with the ‘back sleep campaign’. Since more children sleep on their backs, more have some flattening of the back of their heads. This can be worse on one side if a child preferentially sleeps with that side down. ‘Flattened Head Syndrome’ results from preferentially lying on one side of the head.
Prior to 1992, the risk factors associated with Plagiocephaly were considered to be a result of uterine environment and congenital muscular torticollis. In 1992, after the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended infants sleep only on their backs to reduce the incidence of SIDS, craniofacial centers began to see a dramatic increase in Plagiocephaly. By 1996, studies documented the relationship between back sleeping and Plagiocephaly. The AAP now recommends frequent rotation of a child’s head as well as tummy time.
Slightly flat-headed babies, however, are a small price to pay for the 55% drop in Sudden Infant Death Syndrome since 1992, when AAP first recommended that babies be put to sleep on their backs. ‘Back to Sleep’ is credited with saving thousands of health infants from sudden, unexplained deaths.
It has also been noticed in recent years that extended use of car seats, infant swings, and bouncy seats also contribute to Plagiocephaly. In these devices, the back of the head is often against an unyielding surface. While normal use is not a concern, extended use, especially allowing infants to sleep in them, increases Plagiocephaly.
External/Positional formations can be prevented and treated with frequent repositioning therapy of a newborn’s head in the following ways:
- Alternate the direction in which your baby is placed in the crib. Alternate the hip or arm with which you carry and feed your baby. Rotate position of toys in the crib, stroller and car seat
- Provide supervised ‘tummy time’ while your baby is awake. Tummy time is an important activity and needs to be part of a baby’s daily routine.
- Changing visual stimuli so the baby isn’t always looking in one direction when awake and offer tummy time whenever the baby’s not sleepy
Other Repositioning Techniques
by Kevin M. Kelly, Ph.D – excerpt from www.plagiocephaly.org/support/repotech.htm
Dramatically reduce the amount of time baby spends on his back. This means cutting time in car seats, swings, bouncy seats, etc. to a minimum. We all know how busy life can be, and obviously these need to be used from time to time, but using them as little as possible can help.
Car seats should be used only for transporting your infant safely and babies should not be left in them to sleep. Try using a baby carrier when out and about rather than using a car/seat carrier combo. Use the carrier at home, too, as an alternative to the bouncy seat/swing. Babies benefit by being carried and LOVE to be carried as Attachment Parenting research has shown.
August 31st, 2009
The Importance of the Leg Position in Baby Carriers
Posted by Anita in ERGObaby Carriers, Healthy Spinal Development, Research Articles, Scientific Research | No Comments »Statements by Dr. Evelin Kirkilionis of the University Freiburg, are excerpted from her book, “A Baby Wants to be Carried”.
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.
The study continued to follow the children to the age of 4 (Kirkilionis 1994a). The number of postural abnormalities in the children of the study did not exceed the percentage of such abnormalities in the children at school starting age. This showed that the fear of postural damage is unfounded.
Quite often there were questions regarding back problems for the mothers in the questionnaires. The strain on the back, which increases naturally with the growing weight of the child, intensifies previously present back problems of the mothers or develops them at that time. This is especially the case if the weight of the child is relatively high when the mother starts carrying. It is therefore a good idea for these parents to start carrying early, because the lower early weight of a baby limits the strain on the carrying person. The mother can slowly become accustomed to the increasing demand on her body by the growing weight of her child. This results in a kind of firming of the body that at least reduces the strain of carrying.
When carrying the baby in an upright position, the baby’s hips should always be straddled around the wearer’s body. The legs should be pulled up at a 90-degree angle. This is only possible if the carrier crotch piece is wide enough so that it will reach the hollow of the baby’s knees. The legs are pulled up to support the baby’s body and balance. When the baby’s knees are pulled up to a 90-degree angle, the baby’s legs are spread between a 90 and 120-degree
angle around the wearer’s body. This agrees with the baby’s anatomical make up and supports proper hip development.**
According to research by Dr. Jeffrey Hull, the best hip and hip joint position is with the knees up and away from the centerline, also called the ‘frog leg’ position.
**The ERGObaby Carrier was designed with this extensive research in mind, thus the name ERGO for ergonomically correct.
