Conversation with Children

Did you know that breast-fed children in the United States are 20 percent less likely to die during the first year of life than whose who are not nursed, according to a 2004 study? Researchers at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences said they based their finding on a survey that included nearly 9,000 infant deaths in 48 states. It found breast-fed babies were 20 percent less likely to die between 1 and 12 months of life than those who were not, and that the longer babies were breast-fed, the lower the risk of early death.Aimin Chen, a physician who was one of the authors of the study, said in an interview that the protective effect appears to come from the “package of child care skills” that goes along with nursing as well as the benefits of the milk. He said data from 2000 show that 70 percent of U.S. newborns are breast-fed when they leave the hospital and at 6 months only one third are. But there are still racial and economic disparities in how widely the practice has been adopted.
Other studies have shown breast-fed babies are less likely to be overweight, have fewer behavioral problems and may show differences in intelligence. They also may grow up to have lower blood pressure.

Groups such as the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that all mothers breast-feed their babies for the first year, and two years if possible. Breast milk is a source of nutrients that allow for the normal development of the child’s nervous system as well as their immune system. NO FORMULA can take the place of mothers milk nutrition! The study was published in Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

In health,

Thomas Von Ohlen, MS

Thomas Von Ohlen is a clinical nutritionist and developer of Plasma Pro software for doctors. In his 15 years in private practice he has helped thousands of people, from all over the world, achieve their health goals through education and product recommendations. His FREE newsletter is available at www.healyourbodynow.com

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This is by no means an exhaustive list. It’s just a few things that popped in my mind and I wanted to share it with you. 

Have you ever watched a child and noticed how they could tell something was not right? How can they pick up on stuff when we as adults appear to not be aware?

Do you find yourself telling your child the same things over and over? I read that children can only think about one thing at a time. I guess it’s because they haven’t learned to develop their mental abilities to process and juggle more than one thing at a time. 

Did you know that children need to feel loved, special and important? For example, I told my daughter how proud I was of her as she was graduating from high school. She said to me, “You have no idea how much I needed to hear that. It make me feel so special. Thank you daddy!”

Please, acknowledge your children and let them know you care and love them! Give the hug, kiss, pat on the back…just do something.

Have you ever wondered how children make sense of the world? I read that kids use their sensory experiences to make sense of the world.

For example, if a child senses their parent or legal guardian is afraid they will associate the feeling of being scared with the situation. If a child hears a loud argument and a fight occurs the child will associate arguing with fighting.

The thing to remember is these situations and feelings build the foundations that many children later rely on as well as symbols used in reading and writing. 

Finally, I learned that I had to watch what I said around my children.  You ever notice children rarely do what you tell them too but always seems to do what you do!

Children learn all of this by listening to, and watching, the conversations around them.

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