Family Tips

International group of scientists from America, Sweden and Netherlands has made an unusual opening - monoovular twins are not absolutely identical, they have distinctions at a genetic level.

“In spite of the fact, that as a whole genomes of monoovular twins are very close, there are small distinctions in almost all the cases”, - inform heads of the research Yang Dumansky and Karl Bruder.

Earlier scientists believed, that if one of monoovular twins fell serious ill, and the other remained healthy, it happened under the influence of an environment. Now experts have found out, that it not so.

Researchers have found out, that one of two twins may have certain fragment of DNA, while the other doesn’t have it.

Though experts mark also that fact, that somatic cells are really subject to influence of an environment, therefore it is impossible to assert confidently that distinctions are congenital.

19 million children in EU live in the families which an income is below living wage.
Such are the results, published in the new Report on the social security, made on demand of the Eurocommission.

Poland and Italy have shown the worst results - every fourth child live there in poverty.

About half of these children grow with only one of parents, and also in large families.

In the best situation is in Denmark and on the Cyprus.

Even in one of the most advanced EU countries - in Germany, children’s poverty reaches 12 %.

The main task of politicians, declare Eurocommissioners, is creation of access to education for children from poor families.

There is no explanation of this phenomenon at the moment: there are no obvious reasons for such baby-boom in the USA. In the neighboring Canada, also receiving many immigrants, the average woman gives birth to 1.5 children for all life. The American demographers also cannot tell, whether this baby-boom of 2006 will be the beginning of a new demographic tendency, or it is just a casual local “anomaly”.

Anyway, from the middle 70th, when birth rate in the USA, as well as in all West European countries, has reached the bottom point - 1.7 children for one woman - here, unlike Europe, began counter movement, and by the end of the XX century this parameter has grown up to 2.0. But higher than this level, birth rate has not risen for more than 40 years.

Let’s note that in Israel there is also increase of birth rate, and demographers are inclined to interpret it as a post-war baby-boom: the number of pregnant women has significantly increased after The Second Lebanese war.

In the USA, unlike other developed countries, baby-boom is evident: 4.3 million babies were born in 2006 - as much, as during the last post-war “baby-boom”, in 1961.

For the next 45 years there was not born so many children in the country, informs АР.

In 2006 the average of children for one American woman has reached 2.1 - the “gold” parameter needed and the sufficient for reproduction of population at the given level. It sharply distinguishes USA from all West-European countries were fertility rates make from 1.3 (Italy) up to 1.9 (France), and the population gradually grows old.

The quarter of the babies were born in Spanish-speaking families of the natives of Latin America, who has higher birth rate, than on the average in the country. However demographers cannot explain baby-boom only with contribution of Spanish sector: “baby-boom” is observed in all ethnic communities, all colors of skin and all age groups. White American women, black Americans, Alaska aboriginals have given birth to more babies – the only exception are immigrants from the countries of Asia.

WHO has determined new standards of kids’ weight and growth.

Until recently normal weight parameters of one-year-old child was within 10,2-12,93 kg; according to the new norms kids should weigh from 9,53 kg to 11,79 kg. Why?

The matter is that norms-criteria existing up to this day have been made more 20 years ago and were based mainly on the data of artificial fed children. Such children, as it is known, grow and put on weight faster. Then it has pushed experts to recommend raised standards of weight. That, in opinion of the World Health Organization, gave rise to unreasonable recommendations on supplementary feeding and overfeeding, which led to adiposity.

New tables are based on the results of measuring and weighing of 8440 breast-fed children from 6 countries of the world. Such children put on weight more slowly. The data received by scientists have shown, that former standards of weight have been too high.

45 percent of the time in front of a computer or any digital device American children in the age from 2 till 14 years spend for computer games, writes The New York Times referring to research of NPD Group. 31 percent take listening to the music. Only 17 percent of the time take TVshow and films.
Most often, 7,1 times a month, children download videoclips, is said in a press release of NPD Group. Musical video is downloaded 5,7 times a month, just music - 4,2 times, games - 3,1 times.

84 percent of children play games on a computer, game devices, digital audio-players or mobile phones. Over a half of the questioned listens to music on one of these devices, and one third views video or photos.

Children spend monthly from 6 up to 12 dollars for a digital content and from 13 up to 18 dollars on physical one.

The data on habits of children have been collected during online - survey of mothers.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has adopted new recommendations on breast feeding and prophylaxis of an allergy at babies, informs Associated Press. The old recommendations, which imposed a set of restrictions on nursing mothers and pregnant women, are cancelled: the researches carried out for the last seven years, have not confirmed, that these restrictions can actually save children from allergic reactions, including asthma.

From all former recommendations only one has been confirmed and proved by researches: children should be breast-fed in the first months of a life, and it really reduces risk of children’s allergies. As to restrictions on the use of any products by pregnant or nursing mothers, none of the researches confirmed, that these measures can lower risk of an allergy.

According to previous recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics, adapted in August, 2000, nursing mothers whose children have hereditary susceptibility to an allergy were recommended not to use for food cow milk, eggs, fish, peanuts and other nuts. For seven years doctors have not manage to confirm, that food restrictions can prevent allergies.

At what age to accustom the child to a chamber-pot? Till now the psychologists have not a common opinion in this respect. It is considered, that it is time to accustom the child to cleanliness, when he or she is physiologically and psychologically matured for this. But the age of this maturity in various cultures and time was determined in different ways.

At the beginning of the twentieth century the West-European pediatricians considered, that the appropriate time for this is already in the first months of the child’s life, later «the age of neatness» was put off further and further.

The modern European and American mums are advised to start this process from 15-20 months, or even to wait up to two years. Otherwise, consider French and American psychologists, in future the child can face various troubles from a neurosis up to an enuresis.

After one year children begin to notice a difference between words and pictures, and to be vividly interested in letters. Interest is the best incentive in education of the child. Support it in every possible ways. It is a high time to present the kid the small alphabet which he or she will study with the great pleasure. Illustrations should be not only bright, but also large, single and have precise contours.

So, very soon you will notice that, having woken up early in the morning, your kid hastens not to a box with toys, and to the favorite book. The kid does not read yet, but only looks at a picture and enjoys new impressions. In some time your kid will be an inveterate bibliophile. Therefore, in the future you won’t face problem «how to force the child to read». It is proved, that enthusiastic readers are the best pupils at school. And, on the contrary, illiteracy, a poor vocabulary, a narrow circle of interests of the child – are consequences of insufficient reading.

And the main thing - let reading be your small family tradition. Having seen you with the book, your kid will succeed you.

Reading is one of few pleasant, fascinating and developing activities.

Recently on sale have appeared special books for infants. Some of them are made of a waterproof material and will please your baby in a bath. With others – plush books - it is pleasant to play and fall asleep. Scientists are convinced that is a true way to inculcate in kids a love for books. Unfortunately, there are no so many such books. Most of the production is intended for children from one year and elder. But don’t think that three-four monthly kid does not need a “printed word”. Try to read your kid rhythmical verses, the classical literature. What to choose and what language – is your choice. The main thing is that the selected verses have filled the world of the child with harmony and melodious sounds.

Age features
Certainly, at this age children are interested neither in a plot, nor in illustrations.
At the age of six - seven months children, as a rule, have the first library consisting of small sized books. There are a lot of bright pictures, but only a few sentences. Books are printed on a dense cardboard and consist of the several pages. Cognitive books will help your child to fill up vocabulary and to “liberalize”.
Remember, that acquaintance with «a source of knowledge» should be gradual.