A Parent's Guide to Immunisation

I was on medical leave this afternoon, and to claim this benefit, I have to present a valid medical certificate signed by a Singapore-registered doctor. While I was waiting for my call at the clinic's waiting area, I saw a leaflet about common and major diseases among children. And since I am a mom, it caught my interest (mom's over-protectiveness instinct! LOL!) and was quick to grab one of course. My son is 5 years old already, obviously, he completed all the vaccinations needed, just going for the boosters every now and then. I do hope the following information maybe of help to everyone especially to those whose got infants and very young children and to first time parents as well.

*******************************
Infants and children face many potential dangers from various infectious diseases that can harm their physical and mental development. Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis (or 'whooping cough'), Hepatitis B, Polio and Hib diseases all can lead to potentially serious health complications in children and can eventually lead to severe illness, complications or death.

Understanding the Major Infectious Diseases:

Diphtheria begins as a sore and swollen throat due to bacterial infections which can cause obstructions to breathing and damage to the heart. Resulting complications may even be life-threatening.

Tetanus often begins with the clamping together of the jaw (hence the name "lockjaw"). There is severe muscle spasm involving many parts of the body, including the muscles responsible for breathing and swallowing. Complications from Tetanus are often fatal.

Pertussis or Whooping Cough typically starts like an ordinary cold. This is accompanied by runny nose leading to prolonged bouts of coughing which are characterised by a whooping sound. Often the whooping cough can cause the child to vomit or even turn blue from lack of air. A child with whooping cough can have difficulty eating, drinking, or even breathing. Whooping cough can cause serious complications like pneumonia, seizures or brain problems. In serious cases, even death may occur.

Polio or Poliomyelitis is a viral infection that can be transmitted easily through contaminated food or water. The disease typically affects very young children, with 80 - 90% of cases occurring in children under 3 years of age. In the majority of cases the disease produces only mild symptoms like fever, sore throat and nausea. However, if the virus enters the brain and spinal cord, the disease may result in paralysis especially of the child's leg muscles.

Hib disease is caused by Haemophilus influenzae type b bacteria. The bacteria causes several serious, often life - threatening illnesses including bacterial meningitis which may cause mental retardation in young children. The same Hib bacteria can also cause pneumonia or epiglottitis (the inflammation of the windpipe). Hib is transmitted through airborne saliva droplets or secretions, similar to how the common cold is spread. It can enter the blood stream and cause life-threatening infections like meningitis, pneumonia and epiglottitis. Although the word 'influenzae' is part of the scientific name, Hib is not related to the virus that causes the respiratory infection generally known as 'flu'.

Hepatitis B is a serious disease caused by the Hepatitis B virus. It can lead to complications, including chronic hepatitis (persistent liver inflammation), liver cirrhosis (hardening of the liver), liver failure and liver cancer. The virus is spread through the blood or other body fluids such as saliva, semen or vaginal secretions from people who are infected or are carrying the Hepatitis B virus. The virus is often also passed from mother to baby, usually at the time of birth.

Vaccination Saves Lives

Fortunately, effective vaccines are available that can protect you and loved ones against these dangers. In particular, combined vaccines against Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis are established as part of a routine paediatric vaccination practise.

How Children Learn

Nurture and Teach

The single most important thing caregivers can do for a child is provide a nurturing environment. By doing this, we influence children’s brain development and their ability to learn. Introducing nurtured children to learning opportunities every day will help them become happy, well-adjusted adults. In all stages of child development, each experience builds on the one before it. The most basic foundations can serve as the basis for the comprehension of more complex ideas in future years.

Learning Begins at Birth

We are born with billions of brain cells – in fact, all we will ever have. What is missing is a large amount of connections – synapses – between those brain cells. Synapses start developing based on a child’s experiences. Children’s brains develop faster from birth to age three than any other time; and more learning takes place during this time than any other. The more learning opportunities parents provide for their children from birth until school age, the more synapses are made. The connections will serve as a pool of knowledge for a child to access in later years.

Because children’s earliest experiences affect how they will think, learn and behave, helping children learn from birth to school age is a crucial activity. Parents and other caregivers can create a strong foundation for learning by providing a nurturing and rich learning environment from the very beginning.

Children Seek Learning Experiences

Not only do children need to be physically active, it is their nature to look for opportunities to learn. They participate in learning by using their senses and asking countless questions in order to more fully understand the task at hand.

Creating a Learning Environment

Children enjoy learning when they can master an activity. Begin with a simple task and expand or complicate it after your child has enjoyed some successes.

Create a safe and secure learning environment. This will help children do their best learning rather than distract them. Key to creating this environment is treating your child with respect and caring.

Where Do Children Learn?

Children learn everywhere from school to the doctor’s office to the grocery store. As do adults, children learn from interacting with others and watching their parents’ behavior. Kids are highly influenced by the people in their lives, especially adults who they are close to.

Not All Children Learn in the Same Way

In the book Frame of Mind, Howard Gardner described his theory of multiple intelligences. We all have a certain way we prefer to learn. The seven multiple intelligences Gardner points to are interpersonal, intrapersonal, bodily-kinesthetic, spatial, musical, logical-mathematical and linguistic. We have the most success teaching our children when we can recognize their style of learning (as well as our style of teaching) and incorporate activities accordingly.

Playing and Learning

The main way children collect and process information is through play. Play is the repetition that reinforces old skills and encourages new ones. Because play is enjoyable, children’s minds are open. Children are capable of much learning through play because they are very receptive and relaxed. Take advantage of this benefit and select activities that are fun and educational. Your children will learn, and you will both enjoy the experience.

Author: Shelley Ruiz (www.magiclarklearning.com)
Article Source: http://www.articlecity.com/

Child's Creativity

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.