newspaper post
december 2017
IssUe 39
a UsefUl gUIde to chIldren’s growth
chrIstmas recIpes for the whole famIly
festIve crafts wIth yoUr lIttle ones
QUalIty tIme wIth the famIly
in the festive season
responsive feeding
recognIsIng the sIgns
the Importance of movement
in child development
D
ear readers, the festive season is here! Christmas decorations are up, lights are on and it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Our Christmas issue is bursting with interesting reads on festive recipes and crafts to make with your family, the importance of play, movement and family time, weaning tips, and much more. Don’t forget to take part in our Christmas Competition to be in the chance of winning a Vivian Baby Hamper worth €100. We wish you and your loved ones a Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year!
Vivian Ba by Tea m
3 Festive Family Crafts 4 The Importance of Play 8 Christmas Family Time with Mum and Dad 10 Fun Christmas Recipes 14 Educational Objectives of Board Games 16 Responsive Feeding 20 The Importance of movement in Child Development 24 Feeding Skills and their Development 27 Christmas Competition
Publisher: Joanna Gatt, Vivian Corporation Contributors: Sephora Schembri, Julia Sant, Mariebelle Muscat, Claire Anastasi, Yan Grima & Sara Camenzuli
29 Sanitas Building Tower Street, Msida, MSD 1824 Tel: 2258 8600 Email: info@viviancorp.com www.viviancorp.com
Christmas brings family and friends together; it helps us appreciate the love in our lives. May the true meaning of the holiday season fill your heart and home with many blessings. THE VIVIAN BABY TEAM
2 • VIVIAN BABY • december 2017
Festive season
with your little ones Your child’s first Christmas is filled with special milestones and you will love spending time with your little ones creating and decorating the house with these little crafts. Make this Christmas a memorable one by creating mistletoes, handprint ornaments, and family tree handprint art. They also make cute DIY gifts for your loved ones.
Mistletoes Remember your baby’s “mistletoes” forever with this holiday keepsake and give it an extra special touch with their name and birth date. It also makes a great gift for grandparents.
Baby Handprint Ornament This sweet ornament is a great tradition and a super simple way to commemorate this special time for years to come by making it a yearly tradition. Make great gifts as well as memories!
Family Tree Handprint Getting the whole family involved is when the real fun begins. This is a great tradition as the family grows. Making a family tree out of your family’s handprints is the perfect way to deck your halls this year.
This article has been brought to you by Cuore Di Natura VIVIAN BABY • december 2017 • 3
The Importance of
Pla y
Chicco Products are available from all leading outlets 4 • VIVIAN BABY • december 2017
through play, children develop language skills, their emotions, creativity and social and intellectual skills. For most children play is natural and spontaneous although some children may need that extra help from adults. Play takes place indoors and outdoors and it is in these different environments that children explore and discover the world around them. It is here where they practice new ideas and skills, they take risks, show imagination and solve problems on their own or with others. The role that adults have is crucial. Adults provide time and space and appropriate resources. These might include clothes, boxes, buckets, old blankets that will inspire play and fire children’s imaginations. They observe play and join in when invited and watching and listening before intervening. They value play and provide safe but challenging environments that support and extend learning and development. Learning through PLay Pre-Birth to three years Living, playing and learning are the same thing for babies and young children for much of the time. For young babies play begins in their first encounter in the womb with their mother’s hand touching the place where they have just kicked her stomach or when she sings or talks to them. A mother’s voice before the baby’s birth and her face, touch and gestures when the baby is born all play a part in creating emotional warmth and interaction which lead to play and learning for babies.
Duo gym 3-12m The gym that offers endless discoveries of lights and sounds.
New babies are drawn to look at the human face and they begin to learn how to ‘read’ the face of their mother or another caregiver. They carefully watch her eyes and mouth – finding out all about her and they enjoy hearing her singing and seeing the different movements of muscles in her face. Playfulness begins in earnest – smiles become broader as the baby expresses delight at seeing special people like dad, or mum, big brother and grandparents. The movement of a mobile or seeing and hearing a black and white squeaky toy soon begins to interest young babies because they are finding out about the world through whatever they can see, hear, touch, smell and taste. By the time babies are reaching out and grasping small toys another phase has begun where baby may be able to shake a rattle or raise an object to the mouth to find out more about it and to explore it more thoroughly.
Movement leads to new possibilities for babies to play and learn – rolling and reaching allows them to make things happen and by the time they are able to sit unaided they find out what they can do with a ball or a shaker. Physical dexterity then allows fuller exploration of scrunchy material, paper or anything within reach. As babies continue to explore the world in this way their understanding and enjoyment are enhanced with the help of parents/ caregivers who know how to be partners in their play and helping them to hold something the right way or showing them how to push or pull something; always watching over them yet giving them ‘space’ so that they can enjoy some independence whilst keeping safe. Babies and young children love to play with anything from their fingers and toes, to their toys, as well as with sounds and with adults
BaBy Bear 0+ Soft projector toy with spectacular light effects and relaxing melodies.
Children learn Most importantly as they play.
in play, children learn how to learn!! Call us on
for your nearest stockist VIVIAN BABY • december 2017 • 5
Finger PuPPet 3-24m A finger puppet to have fun together with your child. They will love seeing the farm come to life on your hand and listen to your stories.
teDDy 6-36m A bilingual soft talking teddy bear and cute friend to cuddle and play with.
and children. When young children play they learn at the same time, so play is a very important way for children to learn. If you watch very young children playing you will notice that they do not always need other children or adults because they are quite happy playing alone, provided they can see and hear others nearby. When babies play, their whole bodies are involved in reaching, grasping,
rolling and touching things. As they become more mobile and they gain control over their bodies babies enjoy putting things together such as piling blocks on top of one another or banging balls together, or filling and emptying containers. Toddlers love to play pretend, basing their play on imitating things they have seen you, or other people do, like vacuuming, talking on the telephone or playing a trumpet. When they play like this they do not always need the real thing, as
Watering Can 6-36m An electronic toy with lights and sounds that allows your child to step into the shoes of a real gardener.
they will make do with anything that they can adapt to their pretend play. By the time they are moving towards their third birthday children begin to play with others more, and increasingly enjoy playing with other children. Babies and young children also enjoy looking at books, listening to stories and rhymes and joining in with songs. As they hear and join in with stories, songs and rhymes and look at books, young children become familiar with different sounds and words, and they begin to anticipate events. Babies and young children are learning all the time. They learn through looking, listening, touching, tasting, investigating, exploring, experimenting and through playing and talking. This means that young children need to have opportunities to: • look at interesting things such as birds, animals, plants, trees, mobiles, shells, stones, boxes, tubes, mirrors.
Call us on Freephone 8007 3102 for your nearest stockist 6 • VIVIAN BABY • december 2017
shoPPing troLLey 9-24m A bilingual shopping trolley that helps children to stand up and learn how to walk and includes numerous mechanical activities.
• listen to a range of sounds such as songs, rhymes, jingles, stories, music. • touch a variety of objects – hard, soft, bumpy, smooth, rough, cold, warm. • taste a range of flavours such as those in fruit, milk, vegetables, bread.
taLking Farm 1-4y A bilingual farm which introduces infants to the farm animals through different play modes. It includes 50 words, questions and fun phrases, melodies and sounds.
• investigate things that open, close, float, sink, twist, turn. • explore objects such as large boxes, things that make noises, things that move. • experiment with water, sand, clay, dough, paint, glue, felt pens. • play for uninterrupted periods of time, alone or alongside others, with help from adults, and in their own way. • talk to other children and adults and to have their efforts rewarded. Play and learning cannot be divided during the earliest years because as children are finding out about what things do when they touch them and what they can do when sitting, crawling, cruising, clambering, climbing, standing, reaching, pulling, pushing and so on they are also gaining mastery and control of their bodies – so play is learning. At the
Cottage 1-4y The lively cottage with lots of coloured shaped blocks to insert and 5 coloured keys that open the doors of the house.
same time the sounds and words and gestures that they have experienced in interactions with others help babies to understand ways of relating to others and whilst they will have had great fun blowing raspberries or squealing with delight when somebody has played peek-a-boo with them they have also begun to learn social and emotional skills which will help their development as people. Young children soak up the atmosphere around them and are affected and can be upset if others are depressed or sad so it would be fair to say that they are learning about emotions right from the start.
Ga m es t o
L o ve
Chicco products are available from all leading outlets VIVIAN BABY • december 2017 • 7
s a m t s i r h C s i h t t n a w y l l a e r s d i k l l A h t i w e m i t d is to spen
mum and dad
According to some studies, some children would rather have family time than a new gadget or toy. At the top of their heart warming wish list is decorating the tree, followed by opening the chocolate advent calendar and putting up fairy lights. Wearing a Christmas jumper, playing board games and hanging up a Christmas stocking were high on the kids’ Christmas list along with preparing mince pies and carrots for Santa and Rudolph. Since kids would rather see their family happy than see a pile of presents under the tree, let’s put our thinking hats on and spend some quality time with our loved ones. After all what is Christmas all about! Let’s not just focus on some expensive treats but also on putting a festive grin on our kids’ faces and understand the true meaning of Christmas.
8 • VIVIAN BABY • december 2017
Here are a few tips on how to spend quality time together – even in this busy world. set asiDe FamiLy time Do not just assume it will happen. Just like the meeting you talk about but never book, there is always a risk it will fall between the cracks. Whether it is a promise to eat dinner together every night (at the table, not in front of the TV), or a weekly excursion to a museum or the park, schedule family time and make plans around it. It is easy to think ‘we see each other all the time, we can do it another time’, but once you fall out of the routine it is much harder to schedule it back in there. Remember that this is not time you get to opt out of. FinD one-on-one time too While it is important to do things as
a whole family, it is also important to find time to spend with individuals – including your partner! So plan date nights together (this can even be a movie once the kids are in bed), and take turns to take one of your children to the park, for example, while your partner takes the other for a hot chocolate. FinD Common grounD It is a lot easier to spend time together when you are all doing something you enjoy. So take the time to find out what you all like to do – or activities you can do with one of your children on their own. It might be that you support a sports team or decide to train for a charity run together.
Or you may find that spending time in the garden or teaching them to ride a bike suits you more. If you work long hours, try to eat breakfast in the morning with them or curl up for a bedtime story – even ten minutes of quality time is better than nothing! Be Present We have all become quite proficient at multi-tasking in our busy lives, but spending quality time with your family means not answering the phone or checking emails. It means not reading a magazine while you are watching cartoons but engaging with your child is important! Knowing you are laughing alongside them or asking questions at the end means they feel like you are a bigger part of something they enjoy. Be a roLe moDeL Do not forget that your every move is being watched. If family time is important to you, your children are more likely to want to join in.
So if you want your child to join in, lead by example! If you spend all your time on the phone during family time, you are giving them the impression that they can pull out their handheld games and not participate either. Be suPPortive It is hard to watch your children grow up and start making their own choices, especially when you do not agree with them. But remember to be supportive – you want your child to know that if they are in trouble they can talk to you. There will be times you do not want to know, and times when you will not want to believe your child was involved in something. However, being there from the beginning means they are more likely to come to you when they really need your help. Be there no matter what – but remember you do not always have to say what they want to hear.
We wish you all a blessed Christmas and quality time with your beautiful families.
Here are the top 10 things that children would want to do this Christmas: 1. Decorating the Christmas tree 2. Eating chocolates from an advent calendar 3. Decorating the house with lights 4. Making a Christmas wish list 5. Hanging Christmas stockings 6. Listening to Christmas music 7. Baking with parents 8. Watching Christmas films 9. Meeting Father Christmas 10. Going to see a pantomime
VIVIAN BABY • december 2017 • 9
Fun Christmas Recipes R aND FaMIlY FoR babY, ToDDlE MY FIRST TURKEY DINNER
INGREDIENTS • 250g roasted vegetables; butternut squash, parsnips and carrots, diced • 250 ml chicken stock or broth • ½ tsp fresh thyme, finely chopped • 20g peas (fresh or frozen) • 80g Plasmon Tacchino (Turkey) • 1 tbsp parmesan cheese, grated
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METHOD • Put half of the roasted vegetables into a bowl and blend until smooth. Spoon into a saucepan. Add the chicken stock or broth. Stir until smooth. • Put the remaining vegetables onto a board and chop into small pieces. Add the vegetables, peas, turkey and thyme to the pan. Stir over the heat until the peas are cooked and then stir in the cheese.
10 • VIVIAN BABY • december 2017
CREaM oF PUMPKIN aND CoRN SoUP
INGREDIENTS • ½ Plasmon Vitello (Veal) jar • 3 tablespoons of Plasmon Crema Di Riso Mais e Tapioca • 100g pumpkin • 50 g potatoes • ½ teaspoon extra virgin olive oil METHOD • Pour 350ml water into a saucepan and bring it to boil. Meanwhile, cut the pumpkin and potatoes into small pieces and cook in the boiling water for about 20 minutes. • Use a sieve to separate the boiled vegetables from the vegetable broth. Blend the vegetables until smooth. • Mix 3 tablespoons of Plasmon Crema Di Riso Mais e Tapioca with 180ml of vegetable broth and mix well until puree consistency. Add the Plasmon Vitello and mix well. Drizzle some olive oil and serve warm.
MINI PoTaTo, ZUCCHINI aND CHEESE PIE
PENNE WITH ToMaTo SaUCE, bEEF aND MoZZaRElla
INGREDIENTS • 50g Plasmon Pennette • ½ Jar Plasmon Manzo (Beef) • 20g Fresh Mozzarella • 1 clove of garlic • 6 Cherry Tomatoes • 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil METHOD • Heat the olive oil in a saucepan, add the garlic on a low heat. Cook for a few minutes then cut cherry tomatoes in half and cook until soft. • Cook the Plasmon Pennette in a pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Drain the pasta and transfer to the saucepan. Mix the pasta, tomato sauce and the Plasmon Manzo. Add the fresh mozzarella and serve warm.
INGREDIENTS • 15ml Plasmon Nutrimune 3 (Liquid) • 250g Potatoes • 2 small Marrows • 1 Egg Yolk • 2 teaspoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil • 1 Jar Plasmon Formaggino Fuso • Grated Parmesan Cheese
Todd 1 yE a
lers
R+
METHOD • Peel and wash the potatoes. Place them in a pot of cold water and cook for about 30 minutes or until they are cooked. Mash the potatoes with a fork and add the Plasmon Nutrimune 3 milk until you obtain a smooth and creamy consistency. • Wash the marrows and cut them into cubes, and bake the marrows for about 8 minutes. • When done, crush the marrows with a fork. Place the marrows in a bowl and add the Plasmon Formaggino Fuso. • Mix well. Spread the mashed potatoes evenly in a baking dish. Add a layer of the marrows and cheese mixture on top and finish off by adding another layer of mashed potatoes on top. • Brush the surface with egg yolk and add some grated parmesan cheese. Bake the pie for another 5 minutes until the surface is golden.
VIVIAN BABY • december 2017 • 11
ily m a F RICoTTa aND CHERRY CUPS
Serves 4 Difficulty: Easy Preparation Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 15 minutes Resting Time: 1 hour INGREDIENTS • 20 biscotti Plasmon dei Grandi con gocce di cioccolato • 500g ricotta • 4 tablespoons icing sugar • ½ vanilla pod • For the gelatin • 400g chopped cherries • 100g sugar • The juice and zest of 1 lemon • 5g gelatin sheets METHOD • Soak the gelatin sheets in cold water for 10 minutes. • In a saucepan, mix the chopped cherries together with the sugar, zest, and lemon juice. Place on a medium flame and cook for 10 minutes. Strain the cherries and set aside. • Squeeze the gelatin sheets to remove the water and put in saucepan together with the cherry liquid. Mix until it is completely dissolved. • Add the cherries kept aside and cool to room temperature. • Roughly chop the Plasmon dei Grandi con gocce di cioccolato inside 4 cups. • Using an electric whisk, beat the ricotta together with the icing sugar and vanilla pod until you get a smooth texture. Transfer inside the cups. • Using a spoon, pour the cherries onto the ricotta cream forming a uniform layer, then level by adding the syrup. Place in the fridge for at least 1 hour, then serve.
12 • VIVIAN BABY • december 2017
CHoColaTE
aND RaSPbERRY TaRT
Difficulty: Easy Preparation Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 15 minutes Resting time: 65 minutes INGREDIENTS For the base • 200g biscotti Plasmon dei Grandi • 100g melted butter For the ganache • 50g butter • 200g cream • 25g sugar • 250g dark chocolate
For decorating • 25-30 raspberries • Gold dust • Mini meringues • Icing sugar
METHOD • Place the biscotti Plasmon dei Grandi inside a food bag and crumble using a rolling pin. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the melted butter. • Cut out baking paper to fit a round tin with a diameter of 22cm and place inside. Transfer the prepared base mixture and using the base of a spoon flatten against the bottom and sides of the tin. Place in the freezer for 20 minutes. • While the base sets, prepare the ganache. Pour the cream into a saucepan, place on a medium heat and add the sugar. Stir continuously and when the mixture begins to simmer, add the dark chocolate. Continue stirring until there are no lumps and add 50g of butter. Keep stirring until you have a smooth, dense texture and remove from the flame. Pour the ganache on to the base of the tart, making sure it does not overflow from the biscuit base. • Decorate the tart using fresh raspberries. With the help of a circular stencil, use the gold dust to decorate three circles in the centre of the cake. Decorate with mini meringues and sprinkle icing sugar on top. • Place in the fridge for 45 minutes before serving.
made from high quality ingredients grown at the Plasmon Oasi
*come per legge
The Sapori Di Natura are a great addition to the weaning diet, they are not only tasty and creamier in consistency, but they are also loaded with vitamins Plasmon and minerals. Conveniently atura N i d i r o p packaged in re-sealable tubs, Sa uced e is prod g n a r it whether on the go or at u ic t fr test asep la e h t g in home, this range has been us gy, which technolo s ergonomically designed for s le times uses five d r a your comfort. the stand
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NEW
Plasmon (Malta)
NEW
Plasmon (Malta)
available from all leading supermarkets and pharmacies in Malta and Gozo
Here is what the experts say about the
Five educational objectives of Board Games
Playing is a natural actor for our children, something that comes spontaneously in all situations and at all times of the day. However, when it comes to structured games, children first need a bit of time to learn the game and sometimes they even need to learn how to play. This is very helpful because through play children can test out and improve their capability and skills. materiaL maniPuLation Children must be able to get to know and manipulate material. Before they start playing it is essential that they have the chance to explore and discover the components that make up the game.
more ComPLex ruLes Older children, meanwhile, sometimes get tired of playing the same game too many times. Games that include various challenges are ideal for keeping children interested and engaging them at all times. giving a ChaLLenge Playing allows children to put their skills to a test. For this reason, games should involve the use of memory, touch, verbal and communication skills and most of all the reasoning strategies that highlight a child’s cognitive style and fine motor skills.
DisCovering anD Learning As soon as they are born, children start taking information that enables them to perform complex tasks that require their reasoning. It is important that you give them the right stimuli such as shapes, colours, counting, spelling, time, etc. Games are an amazing tool for children to discover and learn new things. Board games play a very important part in your child’s harmonious growth. Board games are also an opportunity for parents to spend some quality time playing together. So why not choose one of our Top Ten recommended board games from Orchard Toys this Christmas!
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simPLe ruLes They must learn the mechanisms and the rules of the game. So, for young children the game must be simple and easy to understand, with only a few rules.
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14 • VIVIAN BABY • december 2017
Call us on Freephone 8007 3102 for your nearest stockist
Handling money & giving change
Fresh new box design for this favourite puzzle
A bestseller for young children
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A spellbinding maths game with a magical twist!
A fun first matching game
The perfect party board game
A basic counting activity
4 fun games in one box!
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top 10 most recommended this Christmas arnin
2 traditional family games in 1!
Early learning shape and colour activity
Perfect Stocking fillerS!
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VIVIAN BABY • december 2017 • 15
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Orchard Games are available from all leading toyshops and supermarkets
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the mini size orchard games collection
The first 1,000 days of life, the period from conception until 2 years of age, has been identified as the most critical time in life for nutrition. Diet in pregnancy and what the baby eats for the first two years of life have been found to have a long-term impact on health as well as on food preference, eating behaviours and neural development.
16 • VIVIAN BABY • december 2017
The brain undergoes massive growth during this period, by the age of 2 around 80% of the adult brain is formed. Essential nutrients and a large portion of calories consumed have an important role in brain development. Human breastmilk is species specific and nutritionally is designed to encourage and support brain growth and development. Exposure to different flavours is now thought to occur in uterus and continues with the introduction to solid foods. Wide varieties to texture and taste can reduce fussy eating and encourage preference to healthy foods later in life. However, frequent exposure
to sweetened foods and drinks encourage a preference to sugary foods. A baby’s appetite and metabolism is thought to prime during the first 3 weeks of life. Over feeding during this very delicate period is easy but fast weight gain during this time can lead to a life-long problem with obesity and obesity related illness. Infant Feeding Breastfeeding is undoubtedly the best nutrition for babies, the unique quality of breastmilk cannot be reproduced. Breastmilk not only changes with age but changes from morning to evening and even from the beginning of a
Learning signals that the baby is full is an important step to avoid overfeeding. It is also very important to listen to the baby as pushing to feed that little bit more can result in the baby’s appetite to wanting that little bit more.
feeding to the end. There are still nutrients that are unknown and to date it has been impossible to replicate the protective effect of this nutrition. Taking breastfeeding as the normal model of feeding a human infant should extend further than the actual milk. Breastfeeding is close, it is paced and the baby is the controlling factor to both quantity and frequency. Today, infant feeding though seems to focus more on creating a ‘good’ baby that feeds at set intervals, timed by the clock, and sleeps in between. This concept leads to many breastfeeding mothers introducing bottlefeeds as the baby that is not sleeping is viewed as hungry.
Modern infant formula milk has much lower levels of protein than its predecessors meaning that babies tend to become hungrier sooner. Traditional bottlefeeding tends to be fast which can easily lead to a baby drinking more than is actually needed. Bottlefeeding a baby should also be close and paced with the baby being allowed to control how much he/she drinks. Responsive Feeding Responsive feeding encourages parents to feed in response to a baby’s cues or their own need to feed such as feeling very full breasts. This moves completely away from the 3-4 hourly feeding
and encourages mothers and babies to respond to each other’s needs. Babies tend to suckle when they are hungry, uncomfortable, distressed or lonely. Sucking releases hormones that calm and relax the baby. Babies show particular movements to indicate their needs. Watching a baby and learning these cues helps parents to respond exactly to what their baby wants. Feeding cues are relaxed until the baby reaches the crying stage. Crying is a late hunger cue. Hand to mouth movements, turning the head in response to facial touch (rooting), sucking motions and clenching his/her fists over the chest are relaxed feeding cues. However, these cues do indicate normal newborn movements and the baby may have similar movements but not indicate hunger. A baby who has recently fed and uses these actions but if there is drawing up of his/her legs may be saying ‘I need a burp’ or ‘I drank too much’. Learning signals that the baby is full is an important step to avoid overfeeding. It is also very important to listen to the baby as pushing to feed that little bit more can result in the baby’s appetite to wanting that little bit more. A full baby may start and stop often, unlatch from breast or let go of bottle frequently, try to ignore the breast or bottle, slow down considerably, fall asleep or become very fidgety. A baby who is born around 40 weeks and physically well has the ability to selfregulate feeding. Unfortunately this tends to be frequent and over 24 hours meaning that a baby normally feeds at night as well as during the day. Breastfeeding ideally is on demand allowing the baby to decide when and for how long to feed. It is common for breastfed babies to cluster feed meaning that they feed very frequently over VIVIAN BABY • december 2017 • 17
a period of a few hours followed by a longer sleep. Sucking patterns are very different when feeding than comfort sucking. Mothers can easily learn the difference and use alternative soothing techniques if the baby tends to spend long stretches comfort sucking. Mothers need to be aware that demand feeding a newborn is very demanding and that this is sign that all is healthy and well. Bottlefeeding should also be on demand with the baby having some control over how much. It is not possible to achieve total responsive bottlefeeding as comfort and company feeding would result in overfeeding. Ideally parents would aim for a number of bottles over a 24 hour day which may result in several being close to each other and another following a longer interval. A newborn baby should take 6-8 bottlefeeds in 24 hours; it is only acceptable to take a larger number of bottles if the baby prefers to drink smaller than expected quantities. It will be necessary to find ways of soothing other than the bottle and learn when feeding cues are showing a need for comfort rather than hunger. Traditional bottlefeeding is fast, the baby sucks in response to the bottle touching the sucking reflex. For the first 8-12 weeks a baby will feed from reflex action so it is easy for a baby to continue bottlefeeding longer and to still appear hungry at the end of feeding. Paced bottlefeeding mimics breastfeeding by removing the bottle from the baby’s mouth and allowing a
breathing break after 6-8 sucks. This slows feeding down which helps the baby realise that he/she is full and be more relaxed at the end of the feed. When removing the bottle there should still be contact between the teat and the baby’s lips which the baby will turn towards when ready to continue. Once the baby starts to lose interest this is a full cue and parents should not be tempted to encourage finishing what is in the bottle. It may be that at certain times of day the baby prefers a little extra but that does not mean it is necessary to give that amount with every feed. The fear of underfeeding a baby has led to a trend of overfeeding as we become more and more concerned with timings and quantities. If a baby is relatively content and growing accordingly there is no need for strict feeding monitoring. All babies are individuals with different likes and dislikes, there are no set rules. The ideal person to listen to is your baby.
A newborn baby should take 6-8 bottlefeeds in 24 hours; it is only acceptable to take a larger number of bottles if the baby prefers to drink smaller than expected quantities
This article was brought to you by the SMA Nutrition
18 • VIVIAN BABY • december 2017
ARTICLE By
Helen Borg Infant Feeding Practice Midwife
Fortified milk drink that’s nutritionally tailored for toddlers form 1 year onwards Contains Vitamin D and Calcium to support the normal growth and development of bones Iron to help support normal cognitive development
Helping to build a nutritional foundation for life We remind you of the importance of a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle from the very beginning.
www.viviancorp.com • www.smamums.co.uk 29, Sanitas Building, Tower Street, Msida MSD 1824 Tel: 2258 8600 Email: info@viviancorp.com
Breastfeeding is best for babies. You should always seek the advice of a doctor, midwife, health visitor, public health nurse, dietician or pharmacist on the need for and proper method of use of infant formulae and on all matters of infant feeding. Good maternal nutrition is important for the preparation and maintenance of breastfeeding. Introducing partial bottle-feeding may have negative effect on breastfeeding and reversing a decision not to breastfeed is difficult. Social and financial implications should be considered when selecting a method of infant feeding. Infant Formulae should always be prepared and used as directed. Inappropriate foods or feeding methods, or improper use of infant formula, may present a health hazard.
n i t n e m e v o M portance of
The Im
t n e m p o l e v e D d l i h C
Between the ages of three and six children develop fundamental movement skills which are the building blocks that enable them to progress and develop a full range of skills. For example, by six years of age, a normally developing child will be able to run, jump, hop, skip, climb, throw, catch, kick, strike, manipulate, write and draw. This ability to learn movement competence creates the essential nerve cell networks which are the very essence of the learning process. Setting a high level of activities that encourage body awareness or movement competence will provide the opportunity for children to develop physical literacy alongside their literacy and numeracy skills. Initially this might include the opportunity for children to experience a sense of balance and relaxation and to develop the ability to move with control, precision and clarity. It is important for children to
20 • VIVIAN BABY • december 2017
develop these fundamental movement skills and sport skills as they form the foundation for more complex skills later on in life. These more complex skills are the movements used to participate in leisure and recreational activities, which lead to a healthy and active life. What are gross motor skiLLs? For the developing child the ability to move the body and explore the environment influences intellectual, social and emotional development. It leads to knowledge and understanding about the world and how we fit into it. It also helps us to develop and formulate concepts and ideas which later are shown through drawing and writing. We learn to move and move to learn. Gross motor skills involve the large muscles of the body that enable such functions as maintaining balance, walking, climbing, jumping, pushing, pulling and ball skills. They are the building blocks for the
development of fine motor skills. Gross motor skills begin to develop right from birth, and keep developing at a rapid pace right up until we are around the ages of 6 and 7. Appropriate play activities are key to providing children with the stimulation to help their motor skills development.
Here are some ideas that we wish to share with you to encourage your children to stay fit and have fun whilst playing alone or with other children. These Chicco games provide content and activities that are specifically developed and tailored to stimulate motor development in children during each growth phase.
Mister Ring
Goal League
MISTER RING 2-5y To score, it takes eye-hand coordination skills…and a bit of luck! Slip the rings over the posts of Mister Ring and train at two different speeds, taking part in exciting challenges with mummy, daddy and friends.
Sports toys
GOAL LEAGUE 2-5y Every football star had a ball when they were young and a goal to kick it into, as well as lots and lots of freedom of movement. With Goal League, little ones become champions through play, shooting accuracy and coordination of the feet are the first targets to be achieved.
Monkey Strike
MONKEy STRIKE 18m-5y In order to improve accuracy of movement, babies need coordination and the right adventure companions. With Monkey Strike children can improve their skills every day with six cheeky monkeys to hit, count and stack.
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HOPSCOTCH 2-5y Take a leap into the forest with the animals of the Jump&Fit mat. Enjoy this traditional game whilst improving balance and motor skills: throw the coin onto the right number, jump along the path and copy the position shown on the dice. Can you manage to stay on the mat without falling?
Chicco Malta VIVIAN BABY • december 2017 • 21
THE SKIN ITSELF INSpIrEd bIodErma To FINd a way To rEbuILd ITS proTEcTIvE barrIEr.
#SKINBODYGUARD Give your skin the means to go through the winter
aTodErm raNgE “When skin suffers, rather than treating it, we should teach it to live according to its natural biology.” Jean-noël thorel Pharmacist Biologist, Founder of Bioderma
Atoderm IntensIve Gel moUssAnt
Atoderm IntensIve bAlm
Recommended foR Atopic deRmAtitis (eczemA), veRy dRy skin, And psoRiAsis
• cleanses wIthout harshness or IrrItatIon
• ImmedIate soothIng relIef of severe dryness and IrrItated skIn
• for face & body. excellent skIn and eye tolerance
• Pleasant texture
• antI-bacterIal
• easy to aPPly
• for face & body
• raPIdly absorbed
• for adults, chIldren & Infants
• long lastIng effIcacy
To cLEaNSE
To TrEaT
VIVIAN BABY • december 2017 • 23
Feeding Skills
Development and their
Weaning should be carried out and paced according to your child’s development. Naturally all children develop at different rates, and therefore it is up to the parents or caregivers to read the signs and adapt weaning accordingly. Although developmental readiness often corresponds to age and size, other factors should also be considered such as the infant’s skills and attitudes. This short article will outline the development of feeding skills and their link with the appropriate textures, food types and methods.
Reflexes in the new born baby Newborn babies are born with a set of reflex responses, which help them feed during their early stages of development. The rooting reflex involves the ability of the baby to turn to the direction of the stimulus, and open their mouth when the infant’s oral area is touched by an object (such as a nipple prior to breastfeeding). This reflex allows the baby to locate the source of food, and thus encourages the child to react. The rooting reflex is seen in newborns and can be noticed till about 4 months. Following the rooting reflex, the suck/swallow reflex takes place. This reflex involves the suckling motion observed after a child accepts a nipple or teat into their mouth. As liquid flows into their mouth, it is 24 • VIVIAN BABY • december 2017
moved to the back of the mouth by the tongue and swallowed. As with the rooting reflex, this reflex is also seen in newborns, and still evident till around 4 months. The suck/swallow reflex helps the child to breastfeed or drink from a bottle but not from a cup or a spoon. Therefore, before the 4 months, when these reflexes come into play, the infant is not capable of drinking from a spoon or a cup. The tongue thrust reflex involves the movement of the tongue out of the mouth when the lips are touched. Unless the child still possesses this reflex, weaning cannot take place, since this action allows feeding from the breast or bottle but not from a spoon or cup. The tongue thrust reflex is usually seen from birth till 4-6 months. The gag reflex occurs when a solid material such as food or a spoon, is
placed at the back of the mouth, resulting in the child gagging, and pushing the object forward, and out of the mouth by the tongue. As with the tongue thrust reflex, the gag reflex needs to be diminished before solid foods are introduced. The reflex usually persists till about four months, but is still seen in adults (to a lesser extent). What skills need to be developed to start weaning? • Mouth pattern development, which involves the ability to move the food from the front of the mouth to the back and swallowing. • Head control – the ability to hold the neck and head up, and sit upright.
Both these skills are needed for your baby to be able to self feed; self feeding usually takes place around 6 months of age. Self feeding i.e. allowing the child to grab to food and moving it to their mouth promotes two skills; the palmer grasp and the pincer grasp. The palmer grasp is usually developed when the child is about 6 months, and it involves using the fingers to push an object into the palm. The pincer grasp involves holding an object between the thumb and forefinger, this usually occurs between 6 and 8 months. When should I expect what? The following developments occur over a long period of time, and differ greatly from one child to the next; however below is a generalised
overview of the milestones a child goes through.
8-9 months Grasps food with hands 9-14 months Sweeps a spoon without spilling 9-18 months Drinks from a sippy cup A positive attitude towards feeding times and good communication between you and your child will lead to promotion of healthy growth and good feeding habits later on. If during feeding times the cues are not understood or ignored by the caregiver, a dysfunctional feeding relationship can be established which may result in poor dietary intake.
To help establish a positive attitude towards feeding times make sure you understand your child’s hunger and satiety cues, and follow and respect these clues. Children, who have their food intake completely controlled by their caregivers, lose their ability to feel satisfied when full. This will lead to repercussions later on mainly linked to childhood obesity. Although we have discussed several developments during this article, the most important approach towards feeding your children; keep a positive attitude and listen to your child’s behaviour. As outlined in the article, all babies develop differently, and this is just an indication. Keep in contact with your paediatrician if you suspect any unnatural behaviour.
Bibliography United States Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Library. Development of Infant Feedng Skills.Retrieved from www. nal.usda.gov/.../Topics/FG/Chapter2_ DevelopmentofFeedingSkills.pdf on 24th September 2014.
VIVIAN BABY • december 2017 • 25
14 varieties to accompany your growing child on his discovery of the world of tastes and flavours
100% Organic Baby Food
Plasmon (Malta)
Produced in Italy
How many ViVian BaBy products can you spot?
Send an SMS with your answers to 50619615 by not later than 31st January 2018, along with your name, surname and contact number.
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competition
Competition winners issue 38 plasmon xKidz competition: Audrey Micallef Chicco competition: Nadia Camilleri, Charlene Bezzina, Annalise Micallef Googly Fruit competition: Amanda Gauci Azzopardi smA competition: Marie Claire Williams VIVIAN BABY • december 2017 • 27
The little ones can make a great Christmas