There are many apps available to check your infant or child’s developmental milestones. While these can be useful tools, it’s important not to become obsessed about the timing of your child’s milestones.
Many of these purchasable apps provide an indicator of ‘red flags’ for when your child is not meeting a milestone at the expected level. Parents need to be very careful about not letting these apps contribute to unnecessary anxiety and stress.
This inspiring TED talk by Para-Olympian, Karni Liddell, has really got a lot of people thinking about how we look at disability.
She begins by drawing our attention to the conversations so many parents-to-be have when they are asked “What do you want to have – a boy or a girl?” and the socially-acceptable answer they tend to respond with: “All I want is a healthy baby”.
Nothing particularly shocking in that exchange, right?
But, Karni asks us to consider “Does a healthy baby necessary equal a happy baby?”.
Sunday 17th November was World Prematurity Day. A baby is considered to be preterm or premature if born before 37 weeks gestation.
Each year 15 million babies are born prematurely worldwide and about 25,000 of these babies are born in Australia.
Currently, up to 50% of Victorian preterm infants suffer from one or more developmental difficulties in early childhood.
Premature birth can be associated with multiple traumatic experiences for both mum and baby, which means that parents are at an increased risk of poor coping, anxiety and depression.
Practical tips for Parents of Premmies: How to help yourself, or someone you love
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(*As of 24th July, 2019.)