Happy New Year! Sharing some reflections … The most amazing part of 2021 began in late January with a text from a friend. “Can you help my friend’s baby?” Helping one newborn led to helping several, which we followed developmentally over the past year. The experience has been both insightful and inspirational. Watching weekly and […]
Core activation fiction Do you have to work harder than others to keep a strong and active core? Looking for clues to unresolved pain, stiffness, or anxiety — all common when the core activation isn’t fully developed? The sports industry, exercise world, and pop culture would have us believe that all we need for a […]
A mom recently wrote us to ask a question… Her son was told he needed better core strength to swim faster. In the past, they had considered using a device to activate his core, but opted not to. Did they lose their window of opportunity to help his core? The answer is no, they didn’t. […]
The unexpected head injury — birth As we explore head injuries this month it is easy to overlook events from our very entry into this world. There are so many ways that a baby’s head gets stressed at birth. Yes, there is supposed to be lots of stress at birth. However, in a number of […]
“My daughter fell on the playground at school. The ER says there is no concussion. She took a pretty good hit in the face. Should we come in?” Each year, nearly 200,000 children, ages 14 and under, require emergency room treatment due to playground falls. The most severe playground-related injuries are due to falls. More […]
Shoulder and head strength, hand-eye coordination, hand function, and more — so many essential postural and motor skills emanate from tummy time! What may not be so apparent? The same fundamental laddered skills related to tummy time support our visual-motor function and are needed at every age. If these skills are so important, how do […]
Do you or your child need better focus and/or fine motor skills? In his 2008 book, Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell introduced us to the concept of 10,000 hours for mastery. Motor skill development is no different, yet we find so many reasons why infants and young children have missed out on the hours and hours necessary to […]
Early life events are a big deal! Motor skills are actually an essential aspect for all that we hope our children will be — thriving socially and emotionally. Every sensory-motor skill developed as an infant is essential for building another skill somewhere down the road. This concept is called laddering — the skills ladder on […]
Beyond the Scar A recent newsletter discussed the considerations of pre- and post-surgical considerations which often leave a lasting imprint of pain, discomfort, and insomnia. When procedures are for a child there is more to consider. The impact of medical procedures upon a child’s development is personal — my son had 38 lumbar punctures and […]
Medical Miracles! This year I have been writing about birth characteristics and the related long-term effects we observe. Medical miracles at birth allow most babies born from 24-36 weeks to survive. For many of the families we meet, it is also the beginning of a journey of unknowns. Nine-year-old Megan, born at 27 weeks (left), […]