Breastfeeding benefits babies' brain

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — A new study by researchers from Brown University finds more evidence that breastfeeding is good for babies’ brains.

The study made use of specialized, baby-friendly magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to look at the brain growth in a sample of children under the age of 4. The research found that by age 2, babies who had been breastfed exclusively for at least three months had enhanced development in key parts of the brain compared to children who were fed formula exclusively or who were fed a combination of formula and breast milk. The extra growth was most pronounced in parts of the brain associated with language, emotional function, and cognition, the research showed.

This isn’t the first study to suggest that breastfeeding aids babies’ brain development. Behavioral studies have previously associated breastfeeding with better cognitive outcomes in older adolescents and adults. But this is the first imaging study that looked for differences associated with breastfeeding in the brains of very young and healthy children, said Sean Deoni, assistant professor of engineering at Brown and the study’s lead author.

“We wanted to see how early these changes in brain development actually occur,” Deoni said. “We show that they’re there almost right off the bat.”    The findings are in press in the journal NeuroImage and available now online.

The study showed that the exclusively breastfed group had the fastest growth in myelinated white matter of the three groups, with the increase in white matter volume becoming substantial by age 2. The group fed both breastmilk and formula had more growth than the exclusively formula-fed group, but less than the breastmilk-only group.

“We’re finding the difference [in white matter growth] is on the order of 20 to 30 percent, comparing the breastfed and the non-breastfed kids,” said Deoni. “I think it’s astounding that you could have that much difference so early.”

Deoni and his team then backed up their imaging data with a set of basic cognitive tests on the older children. Those tests found increased language performance, visual reception, and motor control performance in the breastfed group.

The study also looked at the effects of the duration of breastfeeding. The researchers compared babies who were breastfed for more than a year with those breastfed less than a year, and found significantly enhanced brain growth in the babies who were breastfed longer — especially in areas of the brain dealing with motor function.

Deoni says the findings add to a substantial body of research that finds positive associations between breastfeeding and children’s brain health.

“I think I would argue that combined with all the other evidence, it seems like breastfeeding is absolutely beneficial,” he said.

Other authors on the study were Douglas Dean, Irene Piryatinsky, Jonathan O’Muircheartaigh, Lindsay Walker, Nicole Waskiewicz, Katie Lehman, Michelle Han and Holly Dirks, who all work with Deoni in the Baby Imaging Lab. The work was funded by the National Institutes of Mental Health.

Parenting

Teaching Our Children Salah (Solat)

Make Your Children Love Salah (Solat)

A long time ago, there lived a wise man. His name was Luqman . One day he told his son:

“O my son, establish prayer…”  [Qur’an: Chapter 31, Verse 17]

How many times do you remember your parents saying the same?

Salah is the second pillar of Islam. It is an obligatory act for all Muslims and unlike the other four pillars, there is no exemption from it. Why do you think that is the case? Salah is the wire that connects us to Allah .

All the previous advice of Luqman  was centered around teaching his son how to build the connection. Salah is the act of switching on the button for the current to flow once the wires are all in place.

So what happens once the connections are in place and the flow of energy ebbs through the wires? It forms a wall around the believer that stops him/her from committing any bad deeds.

Allah  says in Surah Al-Ankabut:

“Recite, [O Muhammad], what has been revealed to you of the Book and establish prayer. Indeed, prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing, and the remembrance of Allah is greater. And Allah knows that which you do.”  [Qur’an: Chapter 29, Verse 45]

Just as we make sure that our children are properly protected to go out in the cold, we need to make sure that they are protected from the traps of Shaytan before they venture out in this world.

It is our duty as parents to help our kids build their connection with Allah  properly and be there for them when they switch it on, In sha Allah.

Here are some practical tips to help your child love and establish regular salah:

1.  Make dua for your kids to love salah

Ibrahim  knew the importance of salah in our lives. He  begged Allah  to not only help him in establishing prayer, but also his descendants who will come later. Allah  loved his dua so much that He recorded it for us in the Qur’an, so that you and I can ask Allah  through the same words to make us and our descendants among those who establish salah.

“My Lord, make me an establisher of prayer, and [many] from my descendants. Our Lord, and accept my supplication.” [Qur’an: Chapter 14, Verse 40].

2. Make salah an important part of your life

Time and time again, I have realized that no matter how much I plan my parenting goals, my major focus for the traits and habits that I want my children to develop are the ones that I focus on in my life. For example, the days on which I recite more Qur’an, I make sure that my children also don’t miss or skip it. So, it is very important to understand and acknowledge the necessity of salah in our own daily lives to explain it to our children. You forbid your child with determination to not play with matchsticks because you know with certainty the danger of fire. This “determination” is also what is required to help your children understand the importance of salah in their lives.

3. Teach your kids the duas for salah

Games, quizzes, and bedtime routines are great ways to teach our children the necessary duas for salah, preferably before they reach 7 years. This eases the progression to praying by themselves.

4. Invite your kids to pray with you

Invite your children to pray salah with you. Salah is a beautiful aspect of our religion. And also a major area of concern for Shaytan. Invitation without coercion stands a greater chance of making the children fall in love with salah. Telling them that salah is a time that we spend in the presence of Allah , talking to Him and sharing our feelings with Him encourages them to pray. Letting them know that Allah  answers back to us when we recite Surah Fatiha in salah, making them choose their hijabs, caps and prayer mats encourages the children to pray. Taking them to the mosque and making them stand with you in congregation to pray also helps in teaching them the basic actions in salah.

5. Start with one salah and then progress to the next one

First focus on getting your child to pray salah for one time properly, before moving on to the next one. For instance, my daughter loves to pray Isha, the night prayer, as she feels that she can stay awake longer! She was pretty disappointed when the time moved to 6 pm in winters!

6. Establish a reward system

Children love gifts. Allah  rewards us for salah, so we should follow suit and reward our kids when they start praying! Praising them, giving them extra points, and throwing a party for them when they establish a routine for salah all work to motivate them to pray regularly.

The family that prays together, may Allah  make them enter Jannah together. I recently heard a sister say that she tells her children when they seem reluctant to pray, that if In sha Allah they pray together, maybe Allah  will make them enter Jannah together. SubhanAllah! This is such a beautiful vision. The father can lead the prayer and sometimes, the teenage sons can take over as imam.

From Productive Muslim
Click to read more: http://productivemuslim.com/luqman-parenting-lessons-part5/#ixzz3U5HiBqAe 

Shape Party

What a better way to learn 'SHAPES' than by eating them up ~  square sandwiches, round cookies, triangle water melon slices and so forth.   To make the party more 'lively' , the children wore hats of different shapes or have different shapes on the hats!

Thank you to all parents for your support to make this activity a success.  We hope that through this activity, the children will be able to recognise some shapes by now.

10 Things You Can Do to Raise a Reader

1. Read from day one. Start a reading routine in those very first days with a newborn. Even very young babies respond to the warmth of a lap and the soothing sound of a book being read aloud.
2. Share books every day. Read with your child every day, even after he becomes an independent reader.
3. Reread favorites. Most children love to hear their favorite stories over and over again. Rereading books provides an opportunity to hear or see something that may have been missed the first time, and provides another chance to hear a favorite part.
4. Send positive messages about the joys of literacy.Your own interest and excitement about books will be contagious!
5. Visit the library early and often. Public libraries are great resources for books, helpful advice about authors and illustrators, story times, and more. Make visiting the library part of your family's routine.
6. Find the reading and writing in everyday things. Take the time to show your child ways that adults use reading and writing every day. Grocery lists, notes to the teacher, maps, and cooking all involve important reading and writing skills.
7. Give your reader something to think and talk about. There are many different types of books available to readers. Vary the types of books you check out from the library, and seek out new subjects that give you and your reader something to think and talk about.
8. Talk, talk, talk. A child's vocabulary grows through rich conversations with others. No matter your child's age, narrate what you're doing, talk in full sentences, and sprinkle your conversations with interesting words.
9. Know your stuff. Parents don't need to be reading specialists, but it is important to understand the basics about learning to read.
10. Speak up if something doesn't feel right. Parents are often the first ones to recognize a problem. If you have concerns about your child's development, speak with your child's teacher and your pediatrician. It's never too early to check in with an expert.

Look for new books and authors that your child may enjoy.
Organize an area dedicated to reading and writing tools.
Visit the library for story time and book recommendations.
Encourage your child to talk about what he's read.

Talk to your child, and sprinkle interesting words into your conversation.
Offer a variety of books to read.

Read with your child every day.
Expand your home library to include magazines and nonfiction.
Ask questions if you're concerned about your child's development.
Decide to raise a reader!

Parents are a child's first teacher, and there are many simple things you can do every day to share the joy of reading while strengthening your child's literacy skills.

Taken from Reading Rockets

BEWARE OF SNATCH THIEVES (PERAGUT)

Dear parents,

Last week, an unfortunate and frightening incident happened in front of the school. One of our parents had her hand bag snatched by 2 men on a motorbike as she was sending her child to school at about 7.30 am. They were walking on the path between Jin Hold Apartment & the SESCO sub-station (its not even on the road) towards the school. One of the men had a knife and pointed to the parent when she fought for her hand bag.

The front of the school gates was quite deserted at that time, only one car was there at that time, so the thieves got away easily.

So, please do take care when you are walking along that path or within the vicinity of this area. Always be alert of any motorbikes coming behind you and do take care of your hand bags.