ISSUES RELATED TO CHILDREN AND NUTRITION

When children do not engage in physical activity, this may cause energy imbalance. (Robertson, 2010). If more energy is taken in than is put out, an imbalance results and excess energy is stored as body fat. Obesity can impair the immune system, cause sleep apnea and stress on weight bearing joints. Obese children have may have lower self esteem because peers may tease or bully them which in fact may make them eat more.

Adults can help children develop good fitness habits by engaging in fitness activities with them. You can play softball, baseball, catch or ride bikes with them. Adults can create environments that promote physical activity by having jump ropes, hula hoops, ribbons etc. available during activity time. Free play should be encouraged, outdoor as much as possible, where children burn more calories. Televisions should be removed from the learning environment because they encourage inactivity which may result in obesity.

The thought provoking quote that captures my attitude about fostering children’s healthy growth and development was found in one of the articles in our resources for this week. “Family involvement is a necessary part of the Tots in Action program because children tend to be more active when significant adults in their lives are active”. (Schilling and McOmber,2006). I am 51 years old and yes it would actually be enticing to be a “couch potato” but I know that along with a sedentary lifestyle comes possible medical side effects such as diabetes and obesity, which are just the one named occurrences that have many side issues under their umbrellas. I never learned anything from my parents about nutrition. It was not until I was 30 years old and in nursing school that I learned about nutrition. If I had learned sooner about physical activity and good nutrition , I don’t believe I would have had this obesity diagnosis most of my life.

In a pilot study in Canada, the “Healthy Buddy” program where older children were paired with younger children for a whole year. The older children taught the younger ones about physical activity, body image and nutrition. At the end of the school year, the older children had a decrease in body weight and both groups had an increased knowledge about healthy living.(Robertson, 2010). It is estimated that as many as 1.9 million deaths worldwide are attributable to physical inactivity, and that inactivity is a key risk factor in the development of most diseases and cancers. Current studies of school based physical activity programs in children suggest that increased physical activity results in increased duration of physical activity, lower blood cholesterol, decrease in  time spend watching television and increase in the maximum oxygen uptake which all lead to increased fitness levels. (Cochrane, 2011).

References

Dobbins, M., DeCorby, K., Robeson, P., Husson, H., & Titilis, D. (2011). School-based physical activity programs for promoting physical activity and fitness in children and adolescents aged 6-18. The Cochran Collaboration. Baltimore, MD. Retrieved from http://www2.cochrane.org/reviews/en/ab007651.html.

Robertson, C. (2010). Safety, nutrition, and health in early education (4^th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning.

Schilling, T., and McOmber, K. (2006). Tots in Action ON and Beyond the Playground.Beyond the journal: young children on the web. Washington, DC. Vol. 61, Iss. 3, pg. 34. Retrieved from http://auth.waldenulibrary.org/ezpws.exe?url=http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=1038789361&sid=1&Fmt=4&clientID=70192&RQT=309&VNAME

HEALTHY EATING IN PRESCHOOLERS

Good nutrition and eating habits are important to children in each age group because poor nutrition leads to lower academic achievement. Children who suffer from poor nutrition during the brain’s most formative years score much lower on tests of vocabulary, reading comprehension, arithmetic and general knowledge. Iron deficiency anemia leads to shortened attention span, irritability, fatigue and difficulty with concentration. (Action For Healthy Kids, 2003).  Children need good nutrition because their bodies are growing and developing. Starting your kids out right with healthy foods that appeal to them develops good eating habits that carry into adulthood. (Heber, 2008). Proper nutrition is essential during childhood so that a child grows to obtain a healthy height and weight and can concentrate in school without having any nutritional handicaps. During the ages from 0-5 years, the human body undergoes its most rapid growth spurt. Children must have enough protein and calcium to encourage strong bones as they go from crawling to walking to running. A child’s performance is also related to the child’s eating habits. Good nutrition leads to increased focus and concentration at school, which results in better learning. (Davis, 2011).

Adults can actively help children develop healthy eating habits by explaining what healthy, nutritious foods are and how they work so children will know the importance of them. Give children good food choices. Send home handouts to explain the importance of food for learning and growth.(Robertson,2010.).  Modeling good eating habits when you are in the company of the children is also a good learning tool. Children mimic what they see and if you, the adult practice good eating habits, they will too.

Nutritious Recipes

Strawberry Yogurt Crepes

Fresh strawberries

Vanilla Yogurt

Prepackaged Crepes

Plastic Knife

Rinse strawberries, remove strawberries caps, slice strawberries. Lay crepe on plate starting at one corner and ending at opposite corner, spoon yogurt onto crepe. Sprinkle strawberries, wrap crepe closed by folding outside corners. This recipe contains vitamin C and protein.

Warm Apple Sandwiches

Whole wheat pizza crust dough

¼ of an apple per sandwich

Cinnamon and sugar mixture

Prepare whole wheat pizza crust, preheat oven to 425 degrees, tear off a small piece of crust and roll it into a ball. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a thin circle. Prepare chopped apple pieces on ½ of dough circle. Sprinkle cinnamon/sugar mixture over apples. Fold the non apple side of the crust and press edges together and crimp pie crust edge. Bake in oven on greased baking sheet 10-13 minutes. Remove and cool for 10 minutes. This recipe contains fruit and whole wheat, plus different shapes and sizes you can teach at the same time.

Orange Dream Milk

½ regular orange

¼ cup milk

1 tsp honey or sugar

¼ tsp vanilla

Peel orange and separate. Place segments on plate. Place in freezer. Place frozen orange segments and other ingredients in blender and pulse until foamy. Pour into glass and enjoy.

It is important to cook with a child before he/she gets cranky or sleepy. It will be a much more enjoyable occasion. Give the child some recipes to look at the pictures and choose which ones he/she wants to cook. Allow little boys as well as girls to join in the cooking, it is important that they know how to cook too, so that as adults they will be self sufficient in the kitchen too.

References

Action For Healthy Kids. (2003). Fact sheet: nutrition, physical activity and achievement. Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://www.sboh.wa.gov/Meetings/2003/10-15/documents/pmTab08-Factsheet.pdf.Davis.

Davis, Sarah. (May 5, 2011). What is the importance of good nutrition for kids? Livestrong.com. Austin, TX. Retrieved from http://www.livestrong.com/article/45375-importance-good-nutrition-kids/.

Heber, David. (2008). Dr Heber answers your questions on essential nutrition for children. Herbalife. New York, NY.  Retrieved from http://www.edietstar.com/articlestips/nutritionforchildren.html.

PreschoolRock.com. (2011). Nutritious recipes for preschoolers. Napa, CA. Retrieved from http://nutrition.preschoolrock.com/index.php/recipes_for_preschoolers/.

CHOKING OR DROWNING TIPS IN REGARDS TO YOUNG CHILDREN

The first scenario is snack time in a classroom. A 3 year old is eating grapes, when all of a sudden, she starts gagging and coughing. Present at the scene is a teacher and a teacher’s aide. The first step would be to remain calm, reassure the child she will be okay, teacher attempts abdominal thrusts, child coughs up grape. Notification should be given to parents of the incidence. Stay with child until parent/caregiver arrives. The second scenario is a 2 yr old little boy found in summer camp in a kiddie pool underwater face first, after a camp counselor went to answer the phone. Pull child out of water, give rescue breaths every 5 seconds, lay child on back on hard surface, begin chest compressions 30:2, place grasped hands between victims nipples, begin compression 1-1 ½”, give rescue breaths while pinching child’s nose and sealing entire mouth with yours. While doing compressions, alert other staff members to call 911, continue compressions/rescue breaths until help comes or the victim shows obvious signs of life or you are too tired. If an automatic external defibrillator is available, use it. After two cycles of CPR, the child starts crying and water spews from the mouth. Emergency personnel arrives at the scene and the parents are notified of the incident.

Advance planning for emergencies leads to sound decisions in a crisis.(Scholastic,n.d.).  Staff, parents, children and community emergency personnel must coordinate their responses to an emergency. Families need to be informed of the emergency policy. Practicing emergency procedures role playing is key to doing what is necessary during a time of stress. CPR certification is done, including choking, every 2 years, to keep staff members, parents and first responders abreast of any new emergency procedures. CPR certification includes children, infant and adult techniques, so depending on what type of age group you cater to, the necessary skills will be taught.

The American Heart Association continually changes the steps in the CPR process. First aid kits should include emergency checklist and contact #’s for all children and workers. Instant ice packs, safety pins, gauze, bandage tape, ace bandages, scissors, tweezers, antiseptic would wipes, cortisone and antibiotic ointment are also in the kits. Practice drills should be given in case of fire or earthquakes. Children and teachers should be very familiar with the procedures. CPR instruction cards, hand sanitizer, charcoal for poisonings, micro shields for CPR, bacterial soap and rubber gloves in 2 different sizes should be available. (Robertson, 2010). Knowledge of and training in basic emergency response procedures are essential for teachers/caregivers. Poison control #’s should also be posted, 1-800- POISONS. Literature on burns, poisons, choking etc. can also be readily available for parents to educate themselves.

References

Hubpages. (2011). CPR for drowning victims. Hubpages. San Francisco, CA. Retrieved from http://www.andromeda10.hubpages.com/hubCPR-for-drowning-victims.

Robertson, C.(2010). Safety, nutrition, and health in early education. (4^th ed.). Belmont, CA:Wadsworth/Cengage Learning.

Scholastic. (n.d.). Staff workshop teacher handout:ready for any emergency. New York, NY. Retrieved from http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3747459

CHILDREN IN CRISIS SITUATIONS

The two crisis situations that I decided to write about are hurricanes and working in a daycare in a high crime area. Hurricanes are an act of nature, they are strong storms that may cause flooding, high winds and tornadoes that cause life and property threats. They can occur at any time, or anywhere. Hurricanes usually occur in southeastern states but on 8/28/11, New York City had a hurricane. Earthquakes are more likely to occur in California but on 8/23/11, NYC had an earthquake. The safety of the children is of utmost importance. The children and the staff members are at risk.

Being prepared for disaster will decrease anxiety among caregivers, anxiety will be there but it is important to have a plan in place. All environments should have a written evacuation plan. Caregivers must inform families where their children will be taken in case of emergency. Drills should be given bi monthly to ensure the correct evacuation procedure will be followed to eliminate any chance of danger.

In the 2^nd scenario, injury or loss of life of children or teachers is also pertinent.  Violence is not foreseen, can occur at any time, and a emergency plan must be in place just in case. A silent buzzer could be used to alert the authorities in case of any criminal activity. A planned response to violence should be talked about and agreed upon before it occurs. (Robertson,2010).  A code phrase should be agreed upon prior to the incident, in order to not alarm the students. Not being prepared can result in chaos, injury or emotional anxiety for you or the children in your care.

In the case of non life threatening injuries, first aid kits, family emergency contact lists and locations in case of emergency relocations should have been distributed to parents prior to the crisis.

Reference

Robertson, C. (2010). Safety, nutrition, and health in early education (4^th ed.). Belmont,CA:Wadsworth/Cengage Learning.

1.     Tipping furniture including televisions on stands with or without stands are the third most dangerous hidden danger in the house.  Do not ever place items on top of the TV or other high pieces of furniture that a child may try to reach by climbing. Do not place over-sized or heavy TV’s or other appliances on weak or unstable furniture. Avoid using television stands that have wheels, which make it even easier for it to tilt over. (Gaulin, 2007). I did not find any specific policy on furniture but according to the Child Protective Safety Committee, installing hardware that anchors furniture to a wall is inexpensive and easy to install. (CPSC, 2009).

2.     Window safety. Window falls occur sometimes in households where there are no window guards. It is a law in New York for landlords to provide window guards. If you own a home, you can easily buy the window guards and install them. Recommendations include not leaving children unattended in rooms with any open windows. The National Safety Council offers these tips to protect children from window falls: avoid placing furniture near windows to prevent children from climbing, installing building code-compliant devices designed to limit how far a window will open. (NSC, 2010).

3.     Playground safety. Improper protective surfacing.  The surface or ground under and around the playground equipment should be soft enough to cushion a fall. Improper surfacing material is the leading cause of playground related injuries. Platforms without any guardrails  on elevated surfaces of the playground such as ramps or bridgeways should have guardrails that would prevent accidental falls. Preschool age children are more at risk. Their equipment should have guardrails on elevated surfaces higher that 20”. (Rules of the Playground, 2009).

4.     Choking. Check floors and reachable areas for small objects such as pins, coins and buttons. Avoid giving raw vegetables, nuts, hard candy, popcorn and other foods that are difficult for child to properly chew and swallow. Choking hazard toys include game token, marbles, balloons, dress up jewelry, doll pacifiers, game pieces, jacks, toys with strings, or cords long enough to encircle a child’s neck. Recommendations include checking for toys with sharp points, rough edges, pinch points and loose small parts. Avoid stuffed animals, which may have loose parts such as eyeballs.  Make sure that toys with pull strings are restricted to use when an adult is present.

5.     Drowning.  Drowning is the 2^nd major cause of death in children. Never leave a child in water unattended. Cover or remove any pails with water. Direct adult supervision is warranted. Drowning can occur in a relatively small amount of water, such as a bucket of standing water that someone forgot to empty. Toilets, tubs and sinks also pose a risk. Toilet lids should be closed. Outdoor water safety tips include covering, fencing and locking any gates to the pool. Always supervise children playing near a pool or any body of water. Begin to teach water safety to children. Children should engage in swimming lessons. (Robertson, 2010).

References

Consumer Products Safety Commission. (2009).  The tipping point. Bethesda, MD. Retrieved from http://www.cpsc.gov/onsafety/2009/09/the-tipping-point/#more-174.

Gaulin, Pam. (August 11, 2007). Top five hidden home hazards for children and natural remedies. Retrieved from http://www.associated content.com/article/343992/top_five_hidden_home_hazards_for_children_pg2.html?cat=25.

National Safety Council.(April 4,2010). Open the window to safety this spring. Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://www.nsc.org/Pages/openthewindowtosafetythisspring.aspx.

Robertson, C. (2010). Safety, nutrition, and health in early education. (4^th ed.). Belmont,CA:Wadsworth/Cengage Learning.

Rules of the Playground. (December 14, 2009). 12 common playground hazards. Retrieved from http://www.rulesoftheplayground.com/design-ideas/12-common-playground-hazards/.