How active and sedentary should my preschool child be? How much sleep is recommended?

Guidelines from the WHO – World health organization for preschool children

Children 0-1 year of age

Exercise – at least 30 min

Screen time – NONE

Sleep time – 0-3 months 14-17 hours 4-11 months 12-16 hours a  day

 

Children ages 1-2

Exercise – at least 180 min – 3 hours at least

Screen time – NO MORE THAN 60 min- I strongly recommend NO TECH BEFORE TWO years of age

Sleep time: 11-14 hours

Children ages  3-4 

Exercise: at least 180 min – 3 hours at least  and 60 min of moderate to vigorous

Screen time : NO MORE THAN  60 min

Sleep time : 0-13  hours

Early childhood (under 5 years of age) is a period of rapid physical and cognitive development and a time during which a child’s habits are formed Lifestyle behaviors developed in early life can influence physical activity levels and patterns throughout the life. Sedentary behaviors, whether riding motorized transport rather than walking or cycling, sitting at a desk in school, watching TV or playing inactive screen-based games
are increasingly prevalent and associated with poor health outcomes Sleep time is also know to influence health outcomes and short sleep duration is associated with overweight and obesity in childhood as well as mental health issues amongst adolescents. Chronic insufficient sleep up to 7 years of age has been associated with increased adiposity in later childhood and adolescence.

There are recommendations to limit the exposure to screens in young children in a number of countries such as Australia, Canada, United States and New Zealand Sleep is essential for cognitive, physical and psycho social development in young children.

Dr. Joelle Johnson B.Sc. , D.C. practices at Family First Chiropractic and wellness and focuses her practice on pediatric care, prenatal and postnatal care. She is located at 142 Erickson Dr, Red Deer 403-347-3261 www.family1stchiro.ca

Pediatric Posture epidemic Part 1 of 3

Pediatric Posture epidemic

Part 1 of 3

I have decided to break this blog into 3 separate parts, the first to discuss the issue, the following 2 will be the exercises and rehabilitation for improving your posture.

We have a decline in healthy posture at the speed of technology. Children and adults are showing poorer posture. This posture is the forward head tilt with an increased midback curve called a hyperkyphosis. Most hyperkyphosis posture is postural; however some are structural. When you trunk flexes forward you have poor balance; this imbalance decreases your ability to regulate movement properly. You will have a slower gait and a wider stance causing poor coordination and balance.

50.5% of school-age children have poor posture! Over 50%! We have an epidemic!

Poor posture decreases balance, coordination, self-confidence, and results in a poor cognitive and emotional state. Posture distortion is unfortunately the new normal, and we need to reverse this in the ‘digital age.’

Tech neck posture at a 60-degree angle causes 60 pounds of force to the neck and upper back! Tech neck causes digital dementia

Digital dementia is defined as non-Alzheimers dementia-like symptoms form the overstimulation of devices and poor lifestyle habits.

It causes

1.    Understimulation of the Parietal lobe

2.    Overstimulation of the occipital lobe

3.    Understimulation of the cerebellum

4.    Understimulation of the PMRF

5.    Understimulation of the frontal lobe

I strongly recommend no tech under two and school-age children a maximum of 1 hour per day. Our children are developing their nervous system and spines with technology and are the first generation to have this from birth. Previous generations have developed their posture and nervous system before technology.  We need children to spend at least 2 hours a day physically playing, which activates their vestibular and nervous system.

Increased screen time causes the following

1.    Thinning of the brain cortex

2.    Decreased GPA with increased screen time

3.    Increased in ADHD

4.    Decreases in working memory

5.    Lower quality of life with increased screen time

How do we help these children and adolescents?

•    Spinal alignment, chiropractic adjustments  to stimulate the spine and the nervous system to function optimally

•    Posture rehabilitation

•    Posture habit re-education

Watch for the next blog part 2 by Dr. Joelle Johnson Bsc, D.C.,  from Family First Chiropractic and Wellness, 142 Erickson Drive Red Deer T4R3B3 www.family1stchiro.ca

403-347-3261

Importance of Tummy Time

Lack of tummy time can result in learning delays and poor posture.

We all want what is best for our new precious bundle, but many babies hate tummy time. Why is tummy time so important?

Babies need to develop their spinal muscles and their core muscles. As their core develops, so does their brain and nervous system.

Tummy time recomendations:

One month of life -30 min per day

2nd month -45 min per day

3rd month -60 min per day

Tummy time does not include babywearing or holding baby upright. Tummy time is best on their stomachs, lifting their head up against gravity. There are different ways to help a baby who does not like tummy time, such as putting them on an exercise ball slightly deflated and rocking them in different directions. The rocking assists growth in the vestibular system, assisting neurological development.

Propping baby up on towels or a pillow on your chest elevates the baby and assists them with their visual development, especially those babies who place their heads down as soon as they are on their stomach.

The birth process and how the baby is positioned in utero can affect the neck and thus affect the child's ability to extend the neck and to be able to do adequate tummy time. A chiropractic assessment and gentle treatment can assist and determine if there is a lack of extension in the neck and proper range of motion in your child’s spine. You will also be given gentle stretches and exercises to do with your baby to encourage proper neck movement and better tummy time.

Core Muscle Strength

A baby’s natural response to the prone position (lying on the stomach) is to lift the head and neck. At first, they also raise the arms and legs. Even when it doesn’t look like they’re getting anywhere, the muscles along the core of their body are strengthening. Strong and well-toned core muscles are essential for alertness and attention. Weak core muscles lead to slumped forward posture, poor tone, and  school-age children, their heads resting on desks or fists on their chin for support. These children will also show signs of poor coordination. If their heads are drooping, you can bet their attention is as well.

Visual Tracking

As the core muscles strengthen, the child’s visual field evens out. When the muscles are weak, the head bobbing that results blurs the images around them because they’re unable to focus that quickly. When the muscles develop, the head bobbing decreases, allowing the visual field to even out and become more clear. The eyes and the neck then begin working together to locate objects and determine their location. These developments are not only priming good vision in general, but also visual tracking. Proper visual tracking improves reading skills and helps children copy information from a book or whiteboard.

Vestibular System

It is far easier for a baby’s brain to orient their position in relation to the ground when they are on their tummies. While on their backs, gravity pulls on them in a way that prevents most movement. On their stomachs, they can resist the pull of gravity by doing things such as lifting the head and extremities, which activates the vestibular system. The vestibular system is responsible for balance and coordination. Children whose vestibular systems aren’t functioning correctly struggle with coordination, discrimination of objects, and even self-regulation. This can lead to behavioral problems, attention span issues, and a whole host of other issues in the classroom.

Dr. Joelle Johnson B.Sc., D.C., focuses her practice on prenatal care, postnatal care, and pediatric chiropractic care in Red Deer Alberta. www.familyfirstchiro.ca 403-347-3261 at 142 Erickson Drive.