Parents tempted to treat Junior’s misbehavior with a lashing from a tree limb out back or dad’s leather belt are being urged to think again.

A study released Tuesday by doctors at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill finds that parents who spank their children with an object - such as a belt, switch or paddle - are nine times more likely to abuse their child through more severe means. Also, parents are much more likely to beat, burn or shake their children if they spank frequently, according to the study which is being published by the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

“Parents get angry when they’re spanking and it’s not working,” said Adam Zolotor, lead author of the study and a pediatrician at the UNC-CH’s Department of Family Health. “If a child gets spanked so often, they just don’t care anymore and will misbehave anyway.”

It’s the latest finding in a growing body of research suggesting parents should use their voice, not their hands or household tools, to keep children in line. This study rests on anonymous admissions of 1,435 mothers of children from North and South Carolina randomly selected to share details of the discipline they and other caregivers use in the privacy of their own home.

Rates of abuse, the researchers found, are alarmingly high, even in a survey dependent on parents owning up to behavior that could cost them the right to raise their children. Twelve percent of mothers who reported spanking a child’s bottom with an object also admitted engaging in behavior researchers classified as physical abuse. Also, 12 percent of those who spanked 50 or more times in the last year admitted abuse such as beating, burning, shaking or hitting the child with an object about their body.

Spanking has been a mainstay in American parents’ discipline regimen for generations. Most national studies show that more than half of parents have spanked or slapped their child in the past year. In the UNC-CH study, Zolotor and his colleagues found that nearly half of those Carolina parents with a child between the ages of 7 and 9 whipped their child’s behind with an object in the past year.

Corporal punishment has been on the minds of North Carolinians this summer. In June, Triangle residents watched Johnston County mother Lynn Paddock admit she lashed out at her brood of adopted children with a plastic plumbing supply line; Paddock borrowed the parenting advice from an evangelical Christian minister who teaches parents how to rear submissive children. A Johnston County jury sent Paddock to prison for the rest of her life for suffocating her youngest son, 4-year-old Sean.

Over the last year, child advocates have appealed, without success, to legislators to outlaw corporal punishment in public schools. Some districts, such as Johnston County, have recently voted to abandon the practice.

“People want to change behavior immediately, and they think spanking is the way to go,” said Tom Vitaglione, a child advocate from Raleigh-based Action for Children who has pushed for the statewide ban on spanking in schools. “Down the line, though, (these children) do far worse. That relationship of trust is broken.”

At least 56 school districts still allow administrators to spank or paddle children. Efforts to ban that practice entirely have met fierce opposition.

John Rustin, vice-president of Family Policy Council, a non-partisan research group in Raleigh that focuses on family issues, opposed the ban and thinks there’s still a place for spanking in North Carolina’s homes and schools.

“Spanking can be administered in a loving manner to help children understand what’s right and wrong,” said Rustin. “But, it’s not just something that ought to be done with little thought.”

Some Christians heed the Bible’s admonition that parents who spare the rod will spoil their children. Several ministers have written books or taught seminars instructing parents how to employ the rod, preaching that a parents’ hand ought to be preserved for loving and nurturing, not discipline. Michael Pearl, the Tennessee pastor Paddock turned to for a discipline advice, suggests in his books that parents whip babies under one with “a footlong willow branch shaved of its knots” and for older children “plastic plumbing pipe, a 3-foot shrub cutting or a belt.”

Beth Taylor, a mother of two boys, said she finally gave up on spanking years ago when her oldest son began acting worse after she turned to a belt to punish him. It was the only tactic she knew, Taylor said. Growing up, her father had whipped her and her sisters with a strap.

“It made him lash out at me,” said Taylor, who lives in McDowell County in Western North Carolina. “It broke my heart. I worried about him hating me.”

Frustrated, she took a parenting class to figure out what was going wrong. There, Taylor said, she learned her spanking provoked her son. Now, to get her oldest son to behave, Taylor disconnects his cell phone. For her youngest, 7, she takes away his video game machine.

“Nothing gets their attention faster,” said Taylor.

Source: Kansas City Star, MO
http://www.kansascity.com/440/story/754399.html

Young children can often prove to be an exciting adventure as well as a mighty challenge for parents. Michael H. Popkin, Ph.D., Betsy Gard, Ph.D., and Marilyn Montgomery, Ph.D., authors of 1, 2, 3, 4 Parents! Parenting Children Ages 1 to 4, emphasize that parenting is a “job” — one that entails specific skills and tasks.

A parent’s job is to protect and teach their children to survive and thrive in the society in which they live and to guide their children through their developmental stages. During this time, the child’s “job” is to fully experience each stage of development, to play, to learn and to grow.

A child’s development occurs rapidly from one to four years of age. The better parents understand the different stages of development the better they understand what is age-appropriate and realistic to expect …; and the easier the parent’s job will be! The authors of 1, 2, 3, 4 Parents! categorize those stages of development as follows:

Age 1 — The Explorer

This stage is self-explanatory — children are into everything! As they begin to gain motor skills, they are learning about the world through touching and mouthing. The job of a parent at this stage requires keeping a child safe while simultaneously providing opportunities for their child to experience the world around them.

Age 2 — The Boss

This stage unfolds when children want to do everything themselves, even though their little bodies may not be ready. There can be a lot of frustration at this stage but if managed in a positive way each challenge helps a child grow. The job of a parent at this stage is to be realistic in expectations of their child’s behavior and skills because it will help preserve a parent’s patience and help guide how to bridge the gap to the child’s next stage.

Age 3 — The Pal

This stage presents itself with questions like “Why?” A child is not only learning from his or her parents, but from other family members and friends as well. The job of a parent is to have clear expectations and create boundaries so that the child can begin to learn the rules of family life and be successful in interaction with their peers.

Age 4 — The Adventurer

This stage unfolds as the child learns what risks are safe and which are not. Allowing a child to exercise his/her independence and judgment while simultaneously teaching boundaries is important for safety — it is a tough balance to strike as a caregiver. It is essential that children experience success as well as failure because both are needed to build their confidence to persevere to try new things.

As a child’s first teacher, a parent guides their child from one developmental stage to the next. Creating an environment for a child’s learning and growth requires skills and techniques. Employing sound teaching strategies in concert with positive disciplinary strategies are necessary for parents to help their children succeed as they encounter the adventures of everyday life and the challenges that may come with them.

Three primary teaching strategies are highlighted in the 1, 2, 3, 4 Parents! curriculum and can be utilized throughout these early stages of development:

1. Choice and Consequences: Present children with a choice of two options. The parent can make the decision as to the choices offered. For example: “Would you like apple juice or orange juice this morning?”

2. ACT: Accept the behavior; Communicate your feelings about the child’s behavior; and Target a positive choice. For example: Accept — I know you like jumping on the bed. Communicate — Beds are for sleeping and we might fall and get hurt. Target — We can line up some pillows on the floor for you to jump on now.

3. When—Then: This strategy will help you get your child to do things they don’t want to do, for example, “When you get your coat on, then we can go outside.”

The key is for the parent to practice …; practice …; practice. Once these strategies are in an adult’s repertoire, they are much easier to use when a challenging parenting situation arises. Along with specific strategies for teaching and positive discipline, building a bond with any child is very important as well as consistency in routines. Children need predictability to feel safe and need to understand what is expected of them to feel secure. If we challenge children in positive ways, they will rise to the occasion.

Given that all children differ in personalities and parents differ in styles of care-giving, finding the balance between these two is the key to success. Remember, parenting is a verb, an action word. It taps every skill imaginable and is one job and adventure after another. The rewards sometimes come in small packages and may sometimes seem few and far between. When parents keep looking, they will discover one treasure after another. (…)

Source: Portsmouth Herald News, NH
http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080819/LIFE/808190307

Guidelines for managing attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder have alarmed leading education researchers, who warn they will cause an exponential increase in children being labelled as having ADHD by schools chasing funding.

A group of 14 researchers in education, disabilities and ADHD from seven universities have written to the Rudd Government, criticising moves to instruct teachers to look out for ADHD and to allocate special funding to schools for students with the disorder.

The guidelines are being reviewed by the Royal Australasian College of Physicians at the request of the National Health and Medical Research Council. Draft recommendations were released for public comment.

In a letter to Education Minister Julia Gillard and Health Minister Nicola Roxon, the researchers say the recommendations will encourage over-diagnosis of ADHD and give schools an incentive to have children classified with the disorder to gain access to extra money.

“This risk is particularly acute for children from socially disadvantaged backgrounds.”

A survey of children’s mental health, conducted by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare in 1998, found almost 8 per cent of 12- to 17-year-olds were diagnosed with ADHD.

A study of South Australian children taking medication for ADHD in 1999 found rates highest among children from families with low incomes and high unemployment.

The lead signatory on the letter, Linda Graham from the University of Sydney, said yesterday resources would be better spent on giving teachers the skills and support to deal with a variety of children’s behaviours rather than singling out disorders.

Dr Graham said diagnosing a child as having ADHD was sometimes medicalising normal behaviour and should be a last resort, but it had become the first step in dealing with challenging children. “The diagnostic criteria for ADHD over the past 15 years has been expanding and it’s now almost possible to diagnose one of my cats,” she said.

The chairman of the group writing the guidelines, David Forbes, said between 5 and 10 per cent of children had the features of ADHD and might need special intervention to help them learn at school. He disagreed that training teachers to recognise ADHD would increase diagnosis of the disorder.

Source: The Australian, Australia
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24203785-5013871,00.html

Many parents in America today are familiar with the term ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) or ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder). All too frequently parents are approached by teachers or other similar professionals suggesting that their child has ADHD. Unfortunately many parents often take this concern at face value and proceed directly to their family physician. The family physician performs a brief exam and concludes that the child may indeed have ADHD and recommends some form of pharmacological intervention.

Many in the mental health profession agree that ADD or ADHD is often over diagnosed among children. The primary reason that this condition is over diagnosed appears to be the lack of a multidisciplinary approach. Basically this means that one professional whether it be a Psychologist, Social Worker, Counselor, Psychiatrist, or Physician diagnoses a child with the condition with out looking at the presenting problem from other perspectives.

What can a parent, who suspects that their child may have ADHD, do to ensure proper diagnosis and treatment? The parent should insist on a multi-disciplinary assessment of the child. This can often be accomplished by requesting an evaluation through your local public school. During this process a diagnostician should evaluate the child for any learning disabilities. A clinical social worker should evaluate the family and the classroom for any social dynamics that could be supporting the behavior of concern. A speech therapist evaluation should also be recommended. Finally once medical causes and social factors have been effectively ruled out a psychiatrist should be consulted for a formal psychological evaluation. A proper diagnosis is the best insurance that appropriate treatment and educational plans will be implemented.

If you find that you suspect your child may have ADD or ADHD please take that time to educate yourself about the condition. Parents who take the time to educate themselves about ADHD are their children´s best advocate. Children who suffer from ADHD or ADD need theur parents to be effective advocates.

If you would like to learn more about this condition please visit the Attention Deficit Disorder Association at www.add.org.

Source: American Chronicle, CA
http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/71477

The man who addressed more than 2,000 teachers and administrators Wednesday has extraordinary credentials.

Dr. Ben Carson is the pediatric neurosurgery director at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center. He is internationally-known for his work in separating conjoined twins. The author of three books, Carson received the Presidential Medal of Freedom - the nation’s highest civilian award - from President Bush earlier this year.

In an education summit sponsored by community businesses and organizations and coordinated through Public Education Partners (PEP), Carson spoke to educators from the Aiken School District, USC Aiken and Aiken Technical College.

In a real way, Carson credits his success to the poverty he experienced as a child, because it “put a fire in my belly” to move beyond it. His mother, one of 24 children, married at 13. She later divorced her husband, a bigamist. There was never any money for anything. When Sonya Carson took Carson and his brother into grocery stores in Detroit, the boys would ask to get a penny candy. But they saw such pain in their mom’s eyes that they stopped asking.

Teachers helped Carson in very real important ways when he was growing up. But his young, remarkable mother made the difference for him. Sonya Carson worked a number of domestic jobs to keep from going on welfare. In those homes, she noticed that education was valued, that the families spent time reading.

Carson’s mother proceeded to turn the television off and made her sons check out library books. They had to give her written reports, not realizing that their mom, with a third-grade education, couldn’t read.

“After a number of weeks, I started to enjoy reading,” Carson said. “We lived in a horrible environment, but I could go anyplace with books. I learned how Booker T. Washington was born a slave. It was illegal for him to read, but he taught himself and ended up as an advisor to presidents. Through reading, I could have complete control of my life.”

By then, no book was safe from Carson’s hands. He had thought he was dumb and his classmates thought so too. One day his fifth-grade science teacher asked the class to identify an obsidian rock. Carson not only did so, he began to describe its characteristics in detail. The teacher was delighted and said so, and Carson realized he was no dummy. He had gotten the answers from a book.

In his inner city junior high school where most kids weren’t interested in school, teachers were thrilled when Carson sought them out. He excelled in band and got a scholarship to the prestigious Interlochen summer arts camp; his music teacher urged not to go, fearful his prize student would forego his academic efforts. He joined the ROTC in high school and the instructor made it possible for Carson to attain the rank of colonel in record time and receive an appointment to West Point.

Carson turned down the appointment and enrolled at Yale University. Still another teacher helped him land a summer job at Ford Motor Company to have some spending money for college.

“Teachers are dream managers,” Carson said. “They can tell you why you can do something, not why you can’t.”

He frets that China is producing 392,000 engineers a year and the U.S. is providing just 60,000 annually, of which 40 percent are foreigners. America has to change this equation, has to build up the intellectual firepower needed to succeed. In the 21st century, Carson said, it’s hard for teachers to keep up with keep up with ever-changing information and technology so they can inspire their children to go into a variety of career paths.

“We have to start thinking of teachers as educational quarterbacks,” said Carson, “who can draw from other sectors and develop contacts to the guy who invented the catalytic converter and to provide the kind of tools that will get kids excited.”

But educating the next generation in a technological society is not a turf war, he said. It’s a job for business, industry, higher education. Everybody has to be involved with it.”

Following Carson’s speech, a short PEP video aired. Each time a scene from a county school hit the screen, teachers from that school cheered — much like a pep rally, as Aiken Superintendent Dr. Beth Everitt said.

“Isn’t it great to be here with everybody,” she said. “We’ve received an inspiring message of hope and determination. To our teachers, principals and staffs, this was all for you and shows how much (the business community) appreciates your hard work and what you do for children.”

Redcliffe Elementary School teacher Denise Broome called Carson’s speech “a great way to start the year, It was inspiring and showed me why I became a teacher,” she said. “I had stayed home with my children and volunteered in the schools, where I saw the impact the teachers were making on my children. I wanted the opportunity to make that kind of impact.”

Source: Aiken Standard, SC
http://www.aikenstandard.com/0814-ben-carson

Although a good night’s sleep and a healthy breakfast can prepare your child for a day of learning, experts are finding other smart ways to beef up the brain.

“Neuro-science is growing so much because of new technologies,” says chartered psychologist Deb Skaret.

“We’re finding that there are lots of things that parents can do to help facilitate the health and overall intellectual development and curiosity of their children.”

Skaret, who holds a PhD in educational psychology from the University of Alberta, has long been a student of the brain and cites the latest research into how exercise benefits the muscle between your ears.

“We’re learning how exercise is critical for brain development. It’s like a spark,” she says, adding that lack of physical activity can be connected to children with attention problems. She says American physician John J. Ratey tested junior high school students by running them on a treadmill before morning classes and found they were more alert in school.

Scientific research shows that exercise increases the fitness level and development of brain cells, and benefits the hippocampus (a seahorse-shaped brain structure) which is vital for memory and learning.

“I’m concerned about a child playing a lot of computer games and not having a balanced, recreational lifestyle. It’s just a hypothesis, but I think we’ll see greater challenges with kids holding down a conversation in the classroom. They’re used to flashy stuff, and maybe it will be hard to sit down and enjoy a book,” says Skaret, who jokes that the thumbs of future generations will be longer because of increased video games use.

Parents should encourage a balance of recreational activities and limit time on computer games, encouraging interaction and conversation with others.

Skaret also recommends parents monitor stressors in their children’s lives.

“A little bit of stress is good. Hey, you got an assignment due, nothing like stress to help you get it done. But chronic stress, such as family fighting, and you get a child with constant anxiety,” she says.

“Chronic stress creates cortisol which inhibits memory. If a child is sitting in school worrying, they can’t concentrate or they learn something and it just falls through.”

Cutting edge research still touts the benefits of sleep and adequate nutrition.

“Basically, when your brain doesn’t have the nourishment it needs, you’re foggy and fatigued. It’s hard to stay focused,” says nutrition specialist Theresa Riege of the Calgary Health Region.

Riege stresses the importance of a breakfast that is a combination of several food groups, particularly protein and whole grains, which will take longer to digest and help students keep their energy level up throughout the morning.

“Avoid that sweet sugar rush in the morning. It will get them going faster, but they’ll lack energy by mid-morning and will inhibit their function from a thinking, and even play, perspective.”

The Calgary Health Region, Nutrition and Active Living, has published a school nutrition guide book for schools, teachers and parents which is available on their website at http://www.calgaryhealthregion.ca/programs/nutrition/services/school nutrition.htm.

“It will give parents some food options and outlines some strategies for packing lunches and snacks,” says Riege.

Source: Calgary Herald, Canada
http://tinyurl.com/5vsjd6

If Your Child is Born With Perfect Hearing - Don’t Take It For Granted

It is estimated that over eighteen thousand children - 2% of all children in New Zealand, have some form of hearing disability. Early detection of hearing loss in children allows for timely treatment and prevents social and learning difficulties.

There are two types of hearing problems.

Sensorineural hearing loss is generally permanent and affects the inner ear. It is usually present at birth due to congenital abnormality, heredity factors and viral infections during pregnancy eg. rubella. For prevention of sensorineural hearing loss, efforts should concentrate on a safe pregnancy labour, delivery and on immunisation in particular rubella, mumps, measles and haemophilus influenzae type b.

The other major type of hearing loss is conductive hearing loss. This occurs as the result of problems in the middle ear or because of blocked ear canals e.g. glue ear, a major problem in New Zealand still. Glue ear can be prevented by breastfeeding or a reduction of environmental factors such as tobacco smoke and housing dampness.

WellChild/Tamariki Ora paediatrician Marguerite Dalton says “children often develop hearing problems as they grow older. Some of these hearing problems may be genetic but can also be caused by illness or injury. In some cases parents may not even be aware that hearing loss has been caused. Early detection is the key to minimising the adverse effects that hearing loss can cause”

Children can suffer permanent hearing loss from head injuries or childhood infections such as meningitis, measles or chickenpox. Certain medications such as the antibiotic streptomycin and related drugs can also cause hearing loss. Ear infections are also a common cause for temporary hearing loss.

Dr Dalton says “while you can’t protect your children from all illnesses or their genetics, you can protect them from injuries and some infections. Make sure your children’s ears are cleaned properly that they are protected from the elements - such as the wind, rain, and snow, etc. You can do this by making your children wear ear muffs or hats during bad weather. You should also protect yourselves from loud and constant noises by wearing ear plugs in loud environments like rock concerts and industrial work places.”

It’s important that children protect their ears appropriately when participating in sports such as swimming, football, boxing, fencing, ice hockey, rugby and all other sport that has physical contact. Make sure your child wears the correct protective equipment and do not allow them to take the ear guards off from their helmets. It is essential for their future hearing that your children know the causes and effects of hearing loss as well as how to protect their hearing.

There are many tests that you can do to see if your child has hearing loss. As a young newborn you can check if your baby jumps, blinks or cries at loud noises. As they get older you can check to see if they respond to their own name or understand “no.” A toddler should be able to understand most words, find you when you call them from another room, and will ask lots of “why” and “what” questions. If your child has trouble with some of these tasks then they may have hearing problems and they should be tested.

At three, four and five years, your child will have hearing tests at their pre-school / early childhood education centre / kindergarten / kohanga reo (and school). If your child doesn’t attend any of these, you can ask your WellChild provider or general practice team where you can call to make a free appointment with a hearing and vision technician.

Source: Scoop.co.nz, New Zealand
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE0808/S00065.htm

For many adolescents, “screen time” is almost a full-time job that could lead to obesity, diabetes and other health issues, a Canadian researcher says.

Adolescents now spend an average of six hours a day in front of some type of screen, whether it’s a television or computer screen or one of the many portable devices now popular with young people, studies done by Dr. Ian Michael Janssen show. “They spend more hours daily in front of a screen than they do in a classroom in a given year,” said Janssen, a researcher at Queen’s University in Kingston, Canada, who is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

Even if they are still playing with friends, children are increasingly likely to be engaging in more passive activities like playing video games, one reason why only half of Canadian children aged 5 to 17 get as much physical activity as they should each day, according to the Health and Stroke Foundation.

The result is a rise in obesity rates among adolescents. Twenty-six percent of Canadian children are overweight or obese, according to a government health committee report, representing a 15-percent increase over 30 years. In the United States, the obesity rates for preschool-aged children and adolescents has more than doubled over that time period, and more than tripled for children aged 6-11.

Unfortunately, fixing the problem isn’t as easy as simply cutting down screen time, Janssen cautions. While a sedentary lifestyle has been associated with childhood obesity, as reported in the Canadian Medical Association journal, Janssen says that physical activity and screen time are separate behaviors in children.

“Decreasing screen time will not automatically increase physical activity levels,” said Janssen, whose research examines how the two are related and what effects screen time may have above and beyond those on physical activity. Some active kids also spend a lot of time in front of television and computer screens, and some kids who have low screen times also have low levels of physical activity, he points out.

The long-term risk for children is that behaviors and health outcomes tend to track over time, Janssen said. “An obese youth is very likely to become an obese adult.” And because obesity-related health problems take time to develop, the longer a person has been obese, the worse off they’re likely to be. A 50-year-old who only recently became obese is in a better position than one who has been obese since childhood, he said.

Janssen’s real worry about the rise in childhood obesity rates is not that there are now rare cases of type 2 diabetes in kids, where once there were none, but the health problems these children are likely to face in the future as adults, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol and cardiovascular disease. When today’s obese children are adults, baby boomers will all be seniors, he pointed out, placing a huge burden on the health care system. “That’s when I’m really frightened.”

Source: Reuters
http://features.us.reuters.com/wellbeing/news/FD5592F0-64B8-11DD-AA35-6CC02BCD.html

Just one in 50 teachers of the youngest schoolchildren in England is male, figures revealed.

Only 2% of staff in nursery and reception classes - teaching under-fives - are men, Department for Children, Schools and Families figures show.

Critics say men are deterred from working with young children because of the idea that it is women’s work, the low wages and fears they may be branded paedophiles, the Daily Telegraph reports.

Anastasia de Waal, head of family and education at the think-tank Civitas, told the newspaper: “It is very important for children, particularly young ones, to see men as teachers.

“Seeing men as role models is very important.

“The idea that men are afraid of being seen as paedophiles is very serious. Obviously we want to protect children but we don’t want to get to the stage where we are harming them because they dont see any men in schools.”

A Department for Children, Schools and Families spokesman said: “Male childcare workers act as positive role models for children, which is why we launched a campaign to attract more men to the sector last year.

“The campaign challenges the stereotypical view that childcare is a woman’s role.

“Also, several of our recent early learning partnerships projects focused specifically on engaging fathers in their children’s early learning and our Children’s Plan called on all public services to take account of the needs of both parents.”

Source: The Press Association
http://ukpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5jtHGZzALO6_KynChwlehtUDnc3fg

Participation in a childcare program appears to increase the likelihood that a child will be obese when he or she shows up for the first day of kindergarten, researchers report in the journal Pediatrics.

Moreover, the report indicates that the type of childcare makes a difference. For instance, children who receive care from a relative, friend, or neighbor, held at least occasionally in the child’s own home, were more prone to obesity than those who received care at a daycare center or nursery school.

Latino children, however, seemed to be the exception. While they were found to be at greater risk for obesity than kids of other races, they were less likely to become obese when enrolled in a childcare program rather than spending the week with a parent.

The study, conducted by Dr. Erin J. Maher, from Casey Family Programs in Seattle, and colleagues, involved nearly 16,000 first-time kindergartners who had or had not been enrolled in childcare, defined as spending at least 10 hours per week in care not provided by a parent.

Childcare was subdivided into four types: 1) paid or unpaid care by a relative, friend, or neighbor, held at least occasionally at the child’s home; 2) paid care by a non-relative family outside the child’s home; 3) Head Start; and 4) care at daycare center, nursery school, preschool, or pre-kindergarten. Children were considered to be obese if their weight was in the 95th or higher percentile for height.

Overall, kids in childcare were more likely to obese than children not in childcare. Of the various childcare types, care by a relative, friend, or neighbor was most strongly linked to obesity. Compared with other racial groups, white children were less likely and Latino children more likely to be obese.

“Our research points to the need to better understand how the specific features of childcare environments may promote or protect against the development of obesity,” Dr. Maher’s team concludes. “This understanding can then lead to the development of targeted interventions to reach children and families in childcare settings.”

Source: Canada.com, Canada
http://www.canada.com/topics/bodyandhealth/story.html?id=3e896b07-81ae-4289-a60a-c40f9dee0896