Toddler Development (12-24) Months

Toddlers (12–24 months) Physical § Weight is now approximately 3 times the child's birth weight. § Respiration rate varies with emotional state and activity. § Rate of growth slows § Head size increases slowly; grows approximately 1.3 cm every six months; anterior fontanelle is nearly closed at eighteen months as bones of the skull thicken. § Chest circumference is larger than head circumference. § Legs may still appear bowed. § Toddler will begin to lose the "Baby Fat" once he/she begins walking. § Body shape changes; takes on more adult-like appearance; still appears top-heavy; abdomen protrudes, back is swayed. Motor development § Crawls skillfully and quickly. § Stands alone with feet spread apart, legs stiffened, and arms extended for support. § Gets to feet unaided. § Most children walk unassisted near the end of this period; falls often; not always able to maneuver around obstacles, such as furniture or toys. § Uses furniture to lower self to floor; collapses backwards into a sitting position or falls forward on hands and then sits. § Enjoys pushing or pulling toys while walking. § Repeatedly picks up objects and throws them; direction becomes more deliberate. § Attempts to run; has difficulty stopping and usually just drops to the floor. § Crawls up stairs on all fours; goes down stairs in same position. § Sits in a small chair. § Carries toys from place to place. § Enjoys crayons and markers for scribbling; uses whole-arm movement. § Helps feed self; enjoys holding spoon (often upside down) and drinking from a glass or cup; not always accurate in getting utensils into mouth; frequent spills should be expected. § Helps turn pages in book. § Stacks two to six objects per day. Cognitive development § Enjoys object-hiding activities § Early in this period, the child always searches in the same location for a hidden object (if the child has watched the hiding of an object). Later, the child will search in several locations. § Passes toy to other hand when offered a second object (referred to as "crossing the midline"-an important neurological development). § Manages three to four objects by setting an object aside (on lap or floor) when presented with a new toy. § Puts toys in mouth less often. § Enjoys looking at picture books. § Demonstrates understanding of functional relationships (objects that belong together): Puts spoon in bowl and then uses spoon as if eating; places teacup on saucer and sips from cup; tries to make doll stand up. § Shows or offers toy to another person to look at. § Names many everyday objects. § Shows increasing understanding of spatial and form discrimination: puts all pegs in a pegboard; places three geometric shapes in large form board or puzzle. § Places several small items (blocks, clothespins, cereal pieces) in a container or bottle and then dumps them out. § Tries to make mechanical objects work after watching someone else do so. § Responds with some facial movement, but cannot truly imitate facial expression. § Most children with autism are diagnosed at this age. Language § Produces considerable "jargon": puts words and sounds together into speech-like (inflected) patterns. § Holophrastic speech: uses one word to convey an entire thought; meaning depends on the inflection ("me" may be used to request more cookies or a desire to feed self). Later; produces two-word phrases to express a complete thought (telegraphic speech): "More cookie," "Daddy bye-bye." § Follows simple directions, "Give Daddy the cup." § When asked, will point to familiar persons, animals, and toys. § Identifies three body parts if someone names them: "Show me your nose (toe, ear)." § Indicates a few desired objects and activities by name: "Bye-bye," "cookie"; verbal request is often accompanied by an insistent gesture. § Responds to simple questions with "yes" or "no" and appropriate head movement. § Speech is 25 to 50 percent intelligible during this period. § Locates familiar objects on request (if child knows location of objects). § Acquires and uses five to fifty words; typically these are words that refer to animals, food, and toys. § Uses gestures, such as pointing or pulling, to direct adult attention. § Enjoys rhymes and songs; tries to join in. § Seems aware of reciprocal (back and forth) aspects of conversational exchanges; some turn-taking in other kinds of vocal exchanges, such as making and imitating sounds. Social § Less wary of strangers. § Helps pick up and put away toys. § Plays by themselves § Enjoys being held and read to. § Often imitates adult actions in play. § Enjoys adult attention; likes to know that an adult is near; gives hugs and kisses. § Recognizes self in mirror. § Enjoys the companionship of other children, but does not play cooperatively. § Beginning to assert independence; often refuses to cooperate with daily routines that once were enjoyable; resists getting dressed, putting on shoes, eating, taking a bath; wants to try doing things without help. § May have a tantrum when things go wrong or if overly tired or frustrated. § Exceedingly curious about people and surroundings; toddlers need to be watched carefully to prevent them from getting into unsafe situations. Psychological Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt (will) (J. Chasse, 2008) Psychosocial stimulation is vital during the toddler years. Play begins to become interactive. Toddlers begin to learn and exhibit independence, but ironically they enjoy sharing this discovery with others. Another important advancement is active social play with adults including mirroring and repeating. Songs, rhymes, and finger plays (e.g. incy wincy spider, little teapot, etc.) are a great way to encourage and stimulate this area of development.

Appreciation of Beauty- A True Story

In Washington DC, at a Metro Station, on a cold January morning in 2007, this man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, approximately 2,000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After about 3 minutes, a middle-aged man noticed that there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds, and then he hurried on to meet his schedule.

About 4 minutes later: The violinist received his first dollar. A woman threw money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.

At 6 minutes: A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.

At 10 minutes: A 3-year old boy stopped, but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head the whole time. This action was repeated by several other children, but every parent - without exception - forced their children to move on quickly.

At 45 minutes: The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.

After 1 hour: He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed and no one applauded. There was no recognition at all. No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a Stradivarius violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before, Joshua Bell sold-out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100 each to sit and listen to him play the same music. This is a true story. Joshua Bell, playing incognito in the DC Metro Station, was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities. This experiment raised several questions: In a common-place environment, at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? If so, do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognise talent in an unexpected context? One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made . . . How many other things are we missing as we rush through life? Good Day and never miss an opportunity to appreciate beauty...!

Development of Your Baby ( 1- 12 Months) A Guide.

1–4 months

Physical

 Head and chest circumference are nearly equal to the part of the abdomen.  Head circumference increases approximately 2 cm per month until two months, then increases 1.5 cm per month until four months.  Increases are an important indication of continued brain growth.  Continues to breathe using abdominal muscles.  Posterior fontanel.  Anterior fontanel.  Skin remains sensitive and easily irritated.  Legs.  Cries with tears.  Has six to ten baby teeth.  Gums are red.  Eyes begin moving together in unison (binocular vision). Motor development  Rooting and sucking reflexes are well developed.  Swallowing reflex and tongue movements are immature;inability to move food to the back of the mouth.  Grasp reflex.  Landau reflex appears near the middle of this period; when baby is held in a prone (face down) position, the head is held upright and legs are fully extended.  Grasps with entire hand; strength insufficient to hold items. Holds hands in an open or semi-open position.  Movements are large and jerky.  Raises head and upper body on arms when in a prone position.  Turns head side to side when in a supine (face up) position;can not hold head up and line with the body.  Upper body parts are more active: clasps hands above face, waves arms about, reaches for objects. 4–8 months Physical  Head and chest circumferences are basically equal.  Head circumference increases approximately 1 cm per month until six to seven months, then 0.5 cm per month; head circumference should continue to increase steadily, indicating healthy, ongoing brain growth.  Breathing is abdominal; respiration rate depending on activity; rate and patterns vary from infant to infant.  Teeth may begin to appear, with upper and lower incisors coming in first. Gums may become red and swollen, accompanied by increased drooling, chewing, biting, and mouthing of objects.  Legs may appear bowed; bowing gradually disappears as infant grows older.  Fat rolls ("Baby Fat") appear on thighs, upper arms and neck.  True eye color is established. Motor development  Reflexive behaviors are changing:  Blinking reflex is well established  Sucking reflex becomes voluntary  Moro reflex disappears  When lowered suddenly, infant throws out arms as a protective measure.  Swallowing reflex appears and allows infant to move solid foods from front of mouth to the back for swallowing.  Picks up objects using finger and thumb (pincer grip).  Reaches for objects with both arms simultaneously; later reaches with one hand or the other.  Transfers objects from one hand to the other; grasps object using entire hand (palmar grasp).  Handles, shakes, and pounds objects; puts everything in mouth.  Able to hold bottle.  Sits alone without support, holding head erect, back straightened, and arms propped forward for support  Pulls self into a crawling position by raising up on arms and drawing knees up beneath the body; rocks back and forth, but generally does not move forward.  Lifts head when placed on back.  Can roll over from back or stomach position.  May accidentally begin scooting backwards when placed on stomach; soon will begin to crawl forward.  Looks for fallen objects by 7 months  Plays ‘peek-a-boo’ games  Cannot understand “no” or “danger” 8–12 Months Physical  Respiration rates vary with activity  Environmental conditions, weather, activity, and clothing still affect variations in body temperature.  Head and chest circumference remain equal.  Continues to use abdominal muscles for breathing.  Anterior fontanel begins to close.  More teeth appear, often in the order of two lower incisors then two upper incisors followed by four more incisors and two lower molars but some babies may still be waiting for their first.  Arm and hands are more developed than feet and legs (cephalocaudal development); hands appear large in proportion to other body parts.  Legs may continue to appear bowed.  "Baby Fat" continues to appear on thighs, upper arms and neck.  Feet appear flat as arch has not yet fully developed.  Both eyes work in unison (true binocular coordination).  Can see distant objects (4 to 6 m or 13 to 20 ft away) and points at them. Motor development  Reaches with one hand leading to grasp an offered object or toy.  Manipulates objects, transferring them from one hand to the other.  Explores new objects by poking with one finger.  Uses deliberate pincer grasp to pick up small objects, toys, and finger foods.  Stacks objects; also places objects inside one another.  Releases objects or toys by dropping or throwing; cannot intentionally put an object down.  Beginning to pull self to a standing position.  Beginning to stand alone, leaning on furniture for support; moves around obstacles by side-stepping.  Has good balance when sitting; can shift positions without falling.  Creeps on hands and knees; crawls up and down stairs.  Walks with adult support, holding onto adult's hand; may begin to walk alone.  Watches people, objects, and activities in the immediate environment.  Shows awareness of distant objects (4 to 6 m or 13 to 20 ft away) by pointing at them.  Responds to hearing tests (voice localization); however, loses interest quickly and, therefore, may be difficult to test informally.  Follows simple instructions.  Reaches for toys that are out of reach but visible  Recognizes objects in reverse  Drops thing intentionally and repeats and watches object  Imitates activities like playing drum

Brain Development of Child from the age 7 to 12 years

The child from seven to twelve years of age represents childhood in its full flowering, from full consciousness at seven to highly cognizant and emotionally developed individuality at twelve. Only a year or two later, at thirteen or fourteen, the child will be an adolescent, a very different creature! But at twelve, highly developed though he may be, he still has the qualities of the naive, imaginative, wonderstruck child that seem to characterize children everywhere! Even before modern science with its brain scans, hormonal analyses, etc., human society has acknowledged the tremendous threshold that is crossed from the end of childhood into the beginning adolescence. In Catholicism and Judaism, the thirteenth year is celebrated as a glorious culmination in development with the Communion and the Bar/Bat Mitzvah respectively. In Charles Dickens’ England, only a century and a half ago, a boy of thirteen was assumed to have arrived at manhood, and, having apprenticed at a trade from the age of eleven, could now legally become a master of his trade at thirteen, an age at which he could also legally take a bride and marry! Even Juliet, the heroine of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and the symbol of impassioned womanhood everywhere, was only thirteen! Clearly, then, some of the most important abilities and qualities of the adult are acquired in this period of late childhood. Most amazing about this period ending around twelve is that some developing abilities of the brain reach their peak in this period, and then actually begin to decline in the next period, i.e., in adolescence! These abilities involve the capacity to learn—comparatively effortlessly—certain complex cognitive and motor skills. The most conspicuous cognitive ability that one has in abundance in the period from seven to twelve, and that begins to decline thereafter, is the ability to learn a spoken language, or even several languages, seemingly without effort and without accent! Foreign languages learned in adolescence or later are almost invariably spoken with some accent—or even hesitancy—for the rest of one’s life, even by highly intelligent and gifted linguistic learners. The most conspicuous physical ability that one has in abundance in this period is the ability to learn complex physical skills so expertly and seemingly effortlessly that they become—as the phrase so aptly puts it—second nature. These skills are most evident in the field of sports, athletics, and in the playing of complex musical instruments. If a boy, for example, has not learned to throw an object such as a stone or ball in boyhood, he may never learn to do it properly. Or at least, he may never learn to do it in a natural, intuitive fashion. The same applies to learning a complex instrument such as the piano, which an adolescent or young adult may learn to do very well, but rarely with the natural, intuitive mastery that comes with having learned the instrument in childhood. Why does the brain actually seem to lose the ability to learn such skills with such thoroughness that they become “second nature”, when the brain, even in adolescence, is still growing? We can only assume that it is because the ability to learn certain motor and linguistic skills has been superceded in importance by the now more important areas of cognitive reasoning and sexual development. And why are these new areas more important for the adolescent? They are more important because, from an evolutionary standpoint, the motor and linguistic skills required for survival are presumed to have been acquired by age thirteen; and now, for the survival of the species, the individual must be able to 1) reason intelligently and 2) to procreate! What is the message in all this for the parents and educators of the older child in modern society? Clearly, it is that the skills that will benefit the future adult must be taught as early as possible in the period from seven to twelve years of age. These skills include, among many others, the learning of important or useful foreign languages as well as one’s mother tongue with expertise; the learning of specific athletic skills that are likely to bring the individual pleasure later in life; and the learning of a musical instrument, most preferably for starters, the piano, which with its versatility and matchless musical repertory can bring a lifetime of pleasure to the individual in any culture in the world!

Toddler Development - What a Pediatrician has to say..

A toddler is a young child who is of the age of learning to walk, between infancy and childhood. Toddling usually begins between the ages of 12 and 18 months. During the toddler stage, the child also learns a great deal about social roles, develops motor skills, and first starts to use Walking To toddle is to walk unsteadily; the term cruising is sometimes used for toddlers who cannot toddle but must hold onto something while walking. On average, a child begins walking between 9 and 14 months of age. The age at which children start to walk can generally be determined by their gender, physical attributes and family genes. Small, light children usually walk earlier than heavy, large children. Language Talking is the next milestone of which parents are typically aware. A toddler's first word most often occurs around 12 months, but again this is only an average. The child will then continue to steadily add to his or her vocabulary until around the age of 18 months when language increases rapidly. He or she may learn as many as 7-9 new words a day. Around this time, toddlers generally know about 50 words. At 21 months is when toddlers begin to incorporate two word phrases into their vocabulary, such as "I go", "mama give", and "baby play". Before going to sleep they often engage in a monologue called crib talk in which they practice conversational skills. At this age, children are becoming very proficient at conveying their wants and needs to their parents in a verbal fashion. Emotions and self There are several other important milestones that are achieved in this time period that parents tend to not emphasize as much as walking and talking. Gaining the ability to point at whatever it is the child wants you to see shows huge psychological gains in a toddler. This generally happens before a child's first birthday. This age is sometimes referred to as 'the terrible twos', because of the temper tantrums for which they are famous. This stage can begin as early as nine months old depending on the child and environment. Toddlers tend to have temper tantrums because they have such strong emotions but do not know how to express themselves the way that older children and adults do. They also throw tantrums to let others know that they are free and can do what they want. The toddler is discovering that they are a separate being from their parent and are testing their boundaries in learning the way the world around them works. Although the toddler is in their exploratory phase, it is also important to understand that the methods used by the parents for communicating with the toddler can either set off a tantrum or calm the situation. This time between the ages of two and five when they are reaching for independence repeats itself during adolescence. Self-awareness is another milestone that helps parents understands how a toddler is reacting. Around 18 months of age, a child will begin to recognize himself or herself as a separate physical being with his/her own thoughts and actions. A parent can test if this milestone has been reached by noticing if the toddler recognizes that their reflection in a mirror is in fact themselves. One way to test this is to put lipstick on the child's forehead and show them their own reflection. Upon seeing the out-of-the-ordinary mark, if the child reaches to her own forehead, the child has achieved this important milestone. Along with self recognition come feelings of embarrassment and pride that the child had not previously experienced.

Nutrition-Development-Womb Talk

Child receives essential nutrition from mother through placenta and umbilical cord. Transformation of embryo to fetus is very fast and magical evolutionary process, during which developing baby needs variable nutrients. If the baby’s developmental need is proteins, then the mother feels the ‘urge’ to eat more protein rich food. It is called ‘Dohale’ in Sanskrit meaning Do-Hrud, i.e. ‘Two-Hearts’. Baby in the womb develops nicely when parents/family members welcome it & rejoice in its arrival. The baby senses the emotions in the womb. Practically this can be communicated to the baby through ‘Womb Talk’ Womb Talk can be practiced by mother after getting trained under the guidance of an expert. At Brainberg we are engaged in such training sessions for pregnant women. It helps the pregnant women to overcome the challenges like mal-position of the fetus to Vertex (normal) position to facilitate safe delivery. We at Brainberg we make sure that the process of ‘carrying’ for the mother is smooth and enriching experience through the various ‘Pregnancy Care’ sessions we partake with the couples.

Infant: Development and Psychology

An infant or baby is the very young offspring of humans. A newborn is an infant who is within hours, days, or up to a few weeks from birth. In medical contexts, newborn or neonate (from Latin, neonatus, newborn) refers to an infant in the first 28 days of life (from birth up to 4 weeks after birth, less than a month old). The term infant is derived from the Latin word infans, meaning "unable to speak" or "speechless." It is typically applied to children between the ages of 1 month and 12 months; however, definitions vary between birth and 3 years of age. "Infant" is also a legal term referring to any child under the age of legal adulthood. Upon its entry to the air-breathing world, without the nutrition and oxygenation from the umbilical cord, the newborn must begin to adjust to life outside the uterus. Alert infant interested in surrounding objects and people Newborns can feel all different sensations, but respond most enthusiastically to soft stroking, cuddling and caressing. Gentle rocking back and forth often calms a crying infant, as do massages and warm baths. Newborns may comfort themselves by sucking their thumb, or a pacifier. The need to suckle is instinctive and allows newborns to feed. Newborn infants have unremarkable vision, being able to focus on objects only about 18 inches (45 cm) directly in front of their face. While this may not be much, it is all that is needed for the infant to look at the mother’s eyes or areola when breastfeeding. Depth perception does not develop until the infant is mobile. Generally, a newborn cries when wanting to feed. When a newborn is not sleeping, or feeding, or crying, he or she may spend a lot of time staring at random objects. Usually anything that is shiny, has sharp contrasting colors, or has complex patterns will catch an infant's eye. However, the newborn has a preference for looking at other human faces above all else. While still inside the mother, the infant could hear many internal noises, such as the mother's heartbeat, as well as many external noises including human voices, music and most other sounds. Therefore, although a newborn's ears may have some catarrh and fluid, he or she can hear sound from before birth. Newborns usually respond to a female voice over a male voice. This may explain why people will unknowingly raise the pitch of their voice when talking to newborns (this voice change is called motherese). The sound of other human voices, especially the mother's, can have a calming or soothing effect on the newborn. Conversely, loud or sudden noises will startle and scare a newborn. Newborns have been shown to prefer sounds that were a regular feature of their prenatal environment, for example, the theme tune of a television program that their mother watched regularly. Newborns can respond to different tastes, including sweet, sour, bitter, and salty substances, with a preference toward sweets. It has been shown that neonates show a preference for the smell of foods that their mother ate regularly.

Developmental Quotient (DQ) For Indian Infants- Assessment and Early Intervention

By assessing the Developmental Quotient of the baby we understand the various aspect of the Motor and Mental development happening in the baby. We get the set of records of the Motor and Mental Developmental Quotients of the baby. When as parents you go through some intervention program (e.g.: ISP) for your baby the Developmental Assessment Scale for Indian Infants brings forth the efficacy of the program by assessing the DQ of the baby. It also helps to understand and identify the delayed milestones occurring in the child. Thus the physician and the psychologist can plan out an effective intervention program for the baby to treat the cause accordingly. Age Group: The test can be performed on the babies from birth till 30 months. Abilities Evaluated: Body Control, Locomotion, Manipulation, Cognition, Memory, Social interaction, language Development & Manual Dexterity, Application: Assessment of Mental & Motor Development. Diagnosis & location of Delayed Development, Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Intervention program.

Pre- Conception Planning

When a couple plans to evolve as parents and start ‘thinking’ about child that is the time when the ‘baby’ is conceived at psychological level. Parent’s psychology and their surrounding greatly decide the ‘Personality’ of the unborn baby.

In our mythology it is been explained aptly in Sanskrit as ‘Putra-Kamesthee- Yagya’. Where Putra is Child, Kamesthi is Wish (desire) and Yagya is a special procedure. ‘Vision’ that the parent’s keep for their baby help in designing its personality.

This is what in terms of Neuro-Linguistic Programming and special sessions are taught to the parents when they visit Brainberg.

Weaning Diet for Baby

1) After successfully introducing the above diet one at a time, the mother has to decide and alternate the items as per the need and likings of the baby. 2) In sixth month add gruel of wheat and bhagar. 3) Subsequently start with white of egg and meat soup ( if you are comfortable with Non-veg diet) 4)In eight or ninth month the baby can partake most of the food cooked in the house for adults. Have a Happy Parenting experience! Jai Brahm.

Swimming for Rejuvenation

Swimming is a sports considered as one of the best physical exercise, which gives benefits to whole body. But... let me share with you the psychological development which can happen if awareness is there to child , parent and teacher.

Usually when we give stimulus to any part of our body that stimulus is carried to nervous system. So it gives reaction to some stimulus. When body is emmersed in water subdermal neurotransmitter are stimulated by touch & pressure of water surrounding it, simulating a foetus floating in womb of the mother surrounded by amniotic fluid. Needless to say that the baroreceptors and chemoreceptors on the skin are getting constant pleasant stimulus. In this phase child's body is in perfect alignment with his/her emotions and desision making capacity. Perception of any stimuli in this phase is very inportant because if stimulus comes as 'fear' then also its intensity is enhanced with loss of logical desicion making capacity of the brain. In oppose to it if 'pleasure' or 'play' stimulus is given to child same emotion is enhanced along with empowerment to decision making.

Neuro chemicals usually secreted as reaction toany emotion is usually enhanced by making favorable surrounding & making perception of person more positive. It can be achived with the expertise of pediatrician, psychologist along with team of child and parents.

This can be utilized for treatment some of the pathological conditions as cerebral palsy complications, mental retardation, psychological treatment for autism, early depression, excessive anger and abusive tendency of the child.

Jai Brahm.

Lecture on 'Enhancement Of Immunity'

Dear All, BrainBerg has organized a lecture on How to Enhance Your Immunity on 18th Sept. 2010. Dr.Ruta Sawarkar and Dr.Vishal Sangale will be presenting some rare insights on the subject. It will be dealing with Holistic approach in the development of Immunity. The lecture is open for all. And the venue and timing are detailed below. You are cordially invited to ear the lecture. Venue: Pune Merchant Chambers,Gultekdi,Market Yard. Date: Saturday,18 Sept. 2010. Time: 6 pm to 8 pm.

Swine Flu : Positive talk that works

Now a day’s Swine Flu nightmare is in most of parents mind and to prevent and treat this challenge here are the designed vision statements based on scientific as well as sanskrutic ( cultural) mode. Here cellular level, organ level and psychological status are considered as base of the statements. ISP parent can share this vision with their baby, self, family members and society. 1. My dear ________ your physical and mental immunity is very strong. 2. My dear__________ you are being loved and cared very well in the family. 3. My dear _________ you are quite peaceful with self and surrounding. 4. Dear Baby _________ your respiratory system which includes nose airways, lungs and lymph nodes are very strong and healthy. 5. Dear baby you digestion and absorption process in body is normal. 6. Dear baby your physical immunity system which includes in detail : bone marrow, blood cells, lymph nodes( all groups) spleen, thymus is very strong and self sufficient. 7. Dear baby you are calm and cool expression of peace and love 8. Dear Baby ____ you are so happy and playful just like singing bird 9. Dear baby you are doing physical and mental exercises regularly with us in playful manner. We are using similar techniques in patient treatment and with proud experience, it has helped a lot. Such Positive talk, sleep talk, vision sharing with the child are the concepts which are highly recommended and implemented in SSY ISP programs. Mr Sanjay Chadawar, the senior ISP teacher has devoted himself in the field child development and art of parenting. We are proud to be part of his team- DRISHTI.

Swine Flu (H1N1) and Influenza Prevention and Treatment

We all know that there is a new wave of influenza and Swine Flu (H1N1) infection floating in the community. Government and public health bodies are trying their best to check the infection.

We at Brainberg are aware of the fear and anxiety in the hearts of the public. In this connection we recommend super-added preventive techniques along with conventional methods.

These techniques and ‘rituals’ are in par with holistic medicine. They are highly recommended by Dr.Ruta Sawarkar who is a pediatrician having been worked with Dr.Vijay Bhatkar for demonstrating the efficacy of these techniques in prevention of the Swine Flu (H1N1) infection.

Rituals and techniques to prevent Influenza including Swine Flu (H1N1) infection:

• Practice of 'Agnihotra' at your house/living premises
• Pellets made of Turmeric powder + Jaggery. To swallow one pellet every night before bed with lukewarm water.
• Steam inhalation of water added with turmeric powder
• Gargles with lukewarm water by adding salt and turmeric powder to it.
• Include lots of fruit vegetables and fruits in your diet along with veg clear soups.
• Tea made up of grass leaves with addition of a pinch of powder of dried ginger
• Drink lots of water and Sherbats
• Rice Porridge (khichidi) with addition of jeera powder and ¼ tsf of cow ghee
• For sound sleep massage your soles with lukewarm oil and put two drops of lavender oil and eucalyptus (nilgiri) oil on your sleeping pillow
• ‘Be Happy and at Peace- it increases your immunity’

Awareness is cure ignorance is disease. Dear all take precautions and stay away from infections.Wish you all a good health.

'Swasth-Prasuti'- The Blissful Child Birth.

Exercises and Conduct to be followed One week before the Expected Date of Delivery (EDD)

Food:

• Calcium rich food e.g. razgeera flakes, freshly prepared buttermilk.
• High fiber content food e.g. beans, lettuce, spinach soup or salad.
• Fresh fruits and fruit juices (no preservatives).
• Drink lots of water and sherbats.

Exercise:

• Pranayam
• Abdominal breathing
• Diaphragmatic breathing
• Practice of Vajrasan
• Practice of Squatting position.

Aroma Therapy:

• Put Lavander oil on sleeping pillow of mother.
• Put/Keep Fresh aromatic Flowers in the delivery room.
• Put two drops of Neroli oil on hankie and let the mother inhale the aroma during labor.

"To all to be mothers wish you a relaxed and happy journey with your baby who is coming from darkness to light"

Pre-conceptional Planning

Priya Tatva Sangopan

The research project initiated by BrainBerg Child Development Center in association with Lokmanya Medical Research Center is an attempt to provide utmost care and protection to the ‘generation next’. It idealizes a compassionate mother who embraces and protects the child. Dr. Ruta Sawarkar is the principal investigator (PI) of the project. Below is a description of the actual research conducted. It illustrates the criteria for participation in the project and the benefits the individuals acquire with the participation. This is an appeal to the afflicted ‘couples’ who wish to go for conception and cherish a long awaited dream of having a healthy child to enroll in the program. Priya Progeny near to heart. Tatva Essence of parents transmitted to progeny through ‘tatva’ i.e. genes. Sangopan Nurturing of progeny with love and care. Description: This is a project which gives insight into the techniques and procedures to avoid transmission of hereditary disorders to next generation. This includes a health care system which broadly encompasses Modern Medicine and Alternative Medicine together. Who Can Participate? 1) If one of the parent is affected by some or the other genetic disorder (e.g. vitiligo; schizophrenia; thallacemia; diabetes etc) and are worried of about transmission of affected genes to their offspring. 2) If any of the parent is a carrier for the affected gene for various hereditary disorders. 3) Any family history of genetic/hereditary disease. Procedure/Technique of Treatment: To make sure the disorder is not transferred to the progeny the treatment plan begins 6 months prior to conception soon after the enrollment. In our project we deal with the planning stage of the parents and it involves a Holistic approach of treatment at three levels- The Body ;The Mind and The Soul. The entire procedure involves three main stages viz. Sankalp i.e. Resolution; Vrata i.e. Vow and Samarpan i.e. Dedication. The plan involves a scientific investigation process including the DNA mapping (Karyotyping) of both the parents. After birth the baby also undergoes DNA mapping for confirmation of the successful accomplishment of the treatment.

Integrity of Medicine: A Need Medicine was conceived in sympathy and born out of necessity. Medicine shared a cradle with religion in its development at the beginning. Medical men strive hard to restore the best of the therapeutic methods in upbringing of medicine through ages. World’s most ancient systems of safeguarding health the Indian, the Greek, the Chinese, the Egyptian are some to quote, have had a spiritual and religious connect. To elaborate it further, as seen in Ayurveda, an Indian contribution to Medicine the emphasis on Atman or soul is worth mentioning. They say Atman plays a pivotal role in binding the five elements of nature, which constitute our body, and impart Life into it. The expression of life whether in health or in disease is through this Atman. Further, we can see out of short research, that Aesculapius was termed as a ‘demi-god’ of Greek medicine and his two daughters Hygeia and Panacea were revered as goddesses of Hygiene and Preventive medicine respectively. The mystical thing is the intrinsic relation of Medicine and Philosophy- here it would be called Theosophy. Theosophy had always found its roots mingled with any development of medicine on the globe. There was an influential growth of modern medicine in the late eighteen century and couple of centuries there after. What we as a modern man need is to ‘awaken’ our intelligence, in order to bring about Medicine-Theosophy integrity, re-capture the laws of healing from nature and blend them into delicate, simple and a beautiful Science – Yes the Science of Holistic Healing.

Benefits of Psychological Assessment: • If done with a specific purpose it helps in the therapy process as the therapists gets an idea of the clients needs, emotional state, strength and weakness. • Children who have academic problems can be given proper remedial therapy to develop their study skills Here IQ report can act as a guide. • Psychological test report can give the clinician information about the illness and as well the severity of the illness to decide mode of treatment. • Psychological tests help in deciding the proper course of medication • Psychological tests help the mentally handicapped persons to acquire necessary certificate from the Government. • Psychological tests helps the family to understand the nature of the family members problem. They get a different insight in to the behavior of the patient.

The Personality Map

Personality is a word derived from the word 'Persona' which means 'mask'. Personality is actually what the society or people confer upon us and the reality is always the 'identity' that what nature gives us. We usually mask our identity with personality. This unavoidable masking is done by various factors in and around us. The adjacent 'Personality Map' shows exactly the way personality is acquired.