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I was just reading an article on how babies are no longer being put on their tummy to play. Because they are not sleeping on their tummy to prevent SIDS, and there are so many carriers available, mothers are not putting them on their tummy to play. The results are alarming with respect to infant development. Babies who do not get tummy time every day are likely to develop weakness with head, trunk, and upper extremity control. And being weak in these muscles increases the likelihood that they spend even less time in prone. There is also an increase in the number of babies with flat heads out of this.

There are many reasons to put babies on their tummies to play for good development. It develops the shoulder muscles and coordination, balance, strength and inclination to crawl, which is good for learning, developing the connections between the side of the brain that are needed. Every baby should be placed on his tummy every day for play, even if its only a few minutes or even seconds and then increasing the time.

So take your babies out of their carriers and place them on their tummies. You can do this in the first week of life to help them develop. And make it at specific times during the day, like after diaper changes, naps or bath time, but not immediately after eating. It is beneficial even for a few minutes at a time. To make the baby more comfortable, you can place them on their tummies on your reclined chest, over your leg, or even over a rolled up towel. Put toys in front of them while they are on tummies. Sing or talk with them there to encourage them to like it. They will develop faster and be stronger for it.

Author: Sally Stepath, OTR/L

Baby Zane was born on 6/1/11 weighing 7lbs, 90z and was 20″ long. He is healthy and mom and dad are home resting and adjusting to a new baby boy! What a joy he is to have

The Oregonian

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Sensory Saturdays: Films serve a sensory-sensitive clientele

In the U.S., about 1.5 million people live with autism or ASD. Oregon has the third-highest rate of autism in the country, and 80 percent of those affected with autism in Oregon are younger than 20. April is National Autism Awareness Month.

Canby Cinema 8 puts on Sensory Saturdays once a month. Children with autism to watch movies with the lights on, booming sound lowered, and freedom to talk whenever they feel like it and bring their own snacks. Now a year old, Sensory Saturdays at the Canby Cinema 8 is the longest-running event of its kind in the state.

“Children with autism or an autism spectrum disorder all have difficulty regulating themselves in an overstimulating environment or an environment they’re not familiar with,” says Dr. Sherri Alderman, a developmental pediatrician with the Pediatric Development and Rehabilitation Program at The Children’s Hospital at Legacy Emanuel. “It is very challenging for a family to create some kind of normalcy when they have a child with autism because they can get overstimulated by a sound, or a smell, that the rest of us wouldn’t notice.”

“Instead of being excited about being around other people, and absorbing the social energy of an afternoon at the movies, Alderman says, “they could be disturbed by the sound of the popcorn popper, the shift from the colorful lobby area to the dark of the theater or the sound of the ticket taker’s voice. Things may not make as much sense.”

“One parent I know came back to me and said it was such a wonderful experience to be around people who have an understanding,” Alderman says. “It’s very rewarding to do something that every other family may take for granted, whether it’s going to the park, a mall or a movie theater.”

To read this touching story and find out when Sensory Saturdays take place visit: http://www.oregonlive.com/O/index.ssf/2011/04/sensory_saturdays_films_serve.html