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Which children are not getting their needs for therapy or mobility aids met? A quantitive study was carried out to find out how many children have unmet needs and the reasons for why this is the case. The data was categorised into the age and sex of the child and the type of special needs diagnosis they had. Data was collected through surveys over the phone. Trained interviewers rang telephone numbers at random to ask were there one or more children in the home under 18 years of age. If there were children in the home interviewers then asked parents or guardians a series of questions about the children to establish whether they had special health care needs and if so were their needs being met. For example were their children on a waiting list for a mobility aid and or therapies. The study found that 1 in 5 children had unmet therapy needs and 1 in 10 children had unmet mobility needs. From the findings it was clear that financial barriers were the main reason that parents had to wait so long for their children to get access to the services they needed. This studies findings were clear however there could have been data collected that also included answers from the parents who’s children did have access to mobility aids and therapies and how they found these services. 

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Which children are not getting their needs for therapy or mobility aids met? A quantitive study was carried out to find out how many children have unmet needs and the reasons for why this is the case. The data was categorised into the age and sex of the child and the type of special needs diagnosis they had. Data was collected through surveys over the phone. Trained interviewers rang telephone numbers at random to ask were there one or more children in the home under 18 years of age. If there were children in the home interviewers then asked parents or guardians a series of questions about the children to establish whether they had special health care needs and if so were their needs being met. For example were their children on a waiting list for a mobility aid and or therapies. The study found that 1 in 5 children had unmet therapy needs and 1 in 10 children had unmet mobility needs. From the findings it was clear that financial barriers were the main reason that parents had to wait so long for their children to get access to the services they needed. This studies findings were clear however there could have been data collected that also included answers from the parents who’s children did have access to mobility aids and therapies and how they found these services. 

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Children at risk of obesity as parents bribe them with sweets and biscuits

Parents are bribing their children with unhealthy treats daily to ease difficult situations, a new report shows. The research, which was conducted by food safety watchdog, Safefood, found that over 40% of parents give their children an unhealthy treat at least once or more a day.

The research was carried out to coincide with the final year of Safefood’s three year campaign to tackle everyday habits which can lead to childhood obesity.

“As parents, we need to break the bad habits of giving these every day as it’s now become the norm and not really a ‘treat’ anymore,” Foley-Nolan added.

The report found that 73% of parents in Ireland didn’t consider foods like crisps, chocolates and sweets on a daily basis as a treat.

Safefood is urging parents to reconsider giving children such treats once or more a day.In the report, parents who reduced the amount of treats their children ate, found the most popular methods were cutting back to weekends only (30%), buying smaller sized treats (23%) and restricting treats to every other day (23%).

The report also found that 50% of Irish children five years and under are given unhealthy treats at least once or more a day.

With Safe food running television campaigns and posters their aim is to change the amount of unhealthy food that children eat.

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The effect of partaking in a baby swimming programme has on
a child

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The effect of partaking in a baby swimming programme has on
a child

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This article looks at what effect it has on a child if he/she takes part in a baby swimming programme. The studies carried out are on both children who completed the programme and children who never took part in order to see the difference it makes, if any at all.

Baby swimming is a programme that any child from as young as new born can partake in. The programmes usually run in terms of 6-12 weeks, and the child can continue on for as many terms as the parents decide. Studies shown that by taking part in a baby swimming programme the child will benefit from this in the years following the programme. A range of motor abilities were examined in 4 year old children, and it found that children who had taken part in the baby swimming programme had greater abilities in terms of prehension and balance. It also found that these children were less likely to be overweight if they had stayed active since the programme. Not only does it have these benefits for the child’s physical health, it also helps mental health, bonding between the parent and child, and confidence.

After results from the studies, it shows that by taking part in this programme there are many positives for a child which will help them in many ways for the years following the programme.

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This article focus’ on childhood obesity and shows how levels of childhood obesity may be levelling off but the level is still unacceptably high and obesity in children will remain an urgent priority for public policy in the future. This article aims to compile and synthesise all information on the prevalence of overweight and obese children aged between 2002 and 2012 that is available.

Studies were done on 200 children in the Republic of Ireland and collected between the year 2002 and 2012. Database and reference searching as well as contact with obesity experts were undertaken.

From this research they found that childhood overweight rates had remained stable but national obesity rates dropped from a 7% to 4% after 2008. One in 50 children was shown to be morbidly obese, but there was no significant change in the prevalence of morbid obesity.

The studies carried out in this article show prevention strategies need to be put in place or intensified to tackle the issues with childhood obesity which has not been done in recent years. Although some of the findings did show childhood obesity in Republic of Ireland were stabilising still one in four Irish children are obese, which shows childhood obesity will remain a priority in the future.

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The main aim of this study was to examine the effects swimming has on babies.  It is an enriching experience for everyone involved. Not only does it teach vital life skills, but it also enhances the way babies and toddlers learn other skills, too.

Research has shown that it promotes bonding with parent and baby, it boosts confidence, preventing them having a 'fear' of water, it builds their strength and develops their coordination. Being in the water helps improve co-ordination and balance. For example, a 2009 study by the Norwegian University of Science & Technology found that babies who swim have better balance and can grasp objects more easily.

The study involved comparing 19 baby swimmers against a control group of 19 children who had not participated in baby swimming. The only factor that separated baby swimmers from the control group was swimming. All other factors, such as the parents' education, housing and economic status, were the same.

The baby swimmers had participated in swimming classes for two hours a week from the age of 2-3 months until they were about 7 months old. A typical session might involve helping the baby do a somersault on a floating mat, having the baby dive under water, jump from the pool edge, and balance on the hand of a parent while reaching to pick up floating objects.

At approximately age 5, both baby swimmers and the control group were tested with similar exercises. The exercises included walking on tiptoes, balancing on one foot, skipping rope, rolling a ball into a goal and catching a beanbag. The results were crystal clear, the researchers say.

From this study it is evident that the skills learnt within the baby swimming programme stay with the child in later years. The only limitation is that if a child stops swimming would they forget all the skills learnt if they go back when the are 5 years old to swim. Its like anything you need to kept practicing for it to stick.

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Working Irish parents on sending their children to childcare settings.

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Working Irish parents on sending their children to childcare settings.

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This study sought to explore and examine if the provision of full day care improves the quality of life for children and their parents.

There are now 60.8% of women employed in the workforce (CSO, 2008). This means there are now many changes for children, parents and families.

This research article used qualitative methods to find their results. Twenty seven childcare managers in the north west of Ireland were interviewed. Also, three hundred and twenty five questionnaires were completed by working parents.

Babies as young as four months are being cared for in childcare facilities from 6.45am until 6pm daily, five days per week. Some children are spending up to eleven hours per day in childcare facilities.

The study concluded that full day care can have both positive and negative effects for children. Childcare facilities are providing good quality childcare encompassing various services but many parents are finding it difficult to manage a work life and home life balance.

Two hundred and thirty five (73%) parents reported being stressed. The study also found that three hundred and fifteen (97%) of the working parents feel that the government is not doing enough to support working parents.

However, on a positive note, two hundred and forty one (74%) parents said that they are happy, in general, with the quality of life for them, their family and their children.

A limitation in relation to this study is that this study only took place in the north west of Ireland. Therefore, it can not be said whether parents in other areas of the country feel the same. The article also does not state how many children each family has, nor how old the parents are. This could also have a knock on effect on how parents feel about having their children in childcare facilities.

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Early Intervention in Children 0-6 years with a rare developmental disability 

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Early Intervention in Children 0-6 years with a rare developmental disability 

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This study proposed to address the lack of information by exploring the occupational therapists role in early intervention for children who have a rare developmental disability in Australia.
A survey was distributed online to eligible occupational therapists currently used by the Disability and Community Care Service throughout Queensland in Australia. Occupational therapists that carried out the survey  were working with children between the ages of 0-6 years, there was also two phone interviews taken place within this survey.
Occupational therapists have been acknowledged as leaders in promoting and providing early intervention services to infants and young children with a disability across a range of settings.
Eleven participants who have previously worked with children with a rare developmental disability participated within the survey. One of the participants who done the survey wanted a follow up interview and also a speech and language therapist was interviewed to gain a different perspective. The most common areas that required intervention was play support with 85.3% agreeing within the survey, also communication, gross and fine motor skills and activities of daily living at 79.4%
This survey overall showed that occupational therapists play an important role in early interventions and that play therapy and individually tailored programs for children with rare developmental disability are most important. It also showed that further research is needed to develop more evidence based practice with particular rare developmental conditions.

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The Effects of Baby Massage on Attachment between Mother and their Infants
The topic of discussion in this article is the attachment theory which is most important to a child’s development. The attachment between a mother and baby begins during pregnancy and continues right after delivery. If the attachment between a mother and baby is a positive experience, this is important for the baby to lead a physical, spiritually and healthy life. However, if the attachment is inadequate, this may lead to severe developmental and psychological problems. This study was conducted to test if the attachment between a mother and baby is strengthened when using baby massage.
A quasi-experimental design was used between two groups. One group contained 57 experimental mothers and 60 in a control group. The experimental mothers carried out the baby massage. This test lasted between June 2008 and February 2010. All mothers in the groups had to follow 10 criteria which were set out by the experimenters which included, the mothers had to be graduated from at least secondary school, babies had to breastfed and only mothers who had given birth to a single baby could take part. The data was then collected using the instrument MAI which measures the maternal affectionate attachment.
The results show that the babies in the experimental group who were massaged every day for 38 days had a stronger attachment towards their mothers in comparison to the babies in the control group. The main flaw to this study is the criteria which must have been followed in order to take part in the study is irrelevant.

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Early childhood infectious diseases and the development of asthma up to school age.

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Early childhood infectious diseases and the development of asthma up to school age.

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The objective of this article was to investigate the association between early childhood infections and subsequent development of asthma. Several authors have reported that infections may enhance the development of asthma particularly infections with respiratory tract viruses, this raised questions and lead to investigate prospectively the association between different types of early childhood infections and the development of asthma.

The longitudinal research study took place in five children’s hospitals in five German cities. The research article included 1314 children born in 1990, followed from birth to the age of seven years. 499 of these new-borns were at risk for atopy (tendency to be hyper-allergic) or at least two atopic family members and 815 of these were without any risk factors. This gave the study a clear indicate on whether this had an effect or not.

The study was assessed longitudinally by parental questionnaires, along with a bronchial histamine challenge at age seven years.

The results were compared with children with 1 episode of a runny nose before the age of 1 year, than those with 2 episodes were less likely to have a doctor’s diagnosis of asthma at age 7. Similarly the results showed that having one viral infection of the herpes type in the first 3 years was associated with asthma at age 7.

Results suggest that repeated viral infections other than lower respiratory tract infections early in life may stimulate the immature immune system.

This research article assessed its information very early in life via parental reports which is possible that the data collected may be incorrect or incomplete.

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Effectiveness of a culturally adapted strengthening families program 12–16 years for high-risk Irish families.

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Effectiveness of a culturally adapted strengthening families program 12–16 years for high-risk Irish families.

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This artical was done to look into Evidence-based programs (EBPs) which are targeting effective family skills are the most cost effective for improving adolescent behavioural health. Cochrane Reviews have found the Strengthening Families Program (SFP) to be the most effective substance abuse prevention intervention. The aim was to see if the programme would help families.

They questioned 250 high risk youth and families were asked to do an SFP and its parent questionnaire. This light touch adaptation process involved gathering process and program ﬁdelity feedback from SFP group leaders at the end of each session by using the group leader session rating form during a number of implementations in Cork and Kerry.

All 21 measured outcomes had statistically signiﬁcant positive results. Larger effect sizes were found for the Irish families than the USA families: ( 0.57(IRL) vs. 0.48(USA) for youth outcomes,  0.73 vs. 0.65 for parenting and d = 0.76 vs. 0.70 for family outcomes). Over and covert aggression, criminality and depression decreased more in Irish youth, but the USA youth improved more in social skills.

This study suggests that SFP 12–16 is quite effective in reducing behavioural health problems in Irish adolescents, improving family relationships and reducing substance abuse.

It shows that this has helped young people to become better and to improve themselves.
Negative was that they only did this once would be nice to see if they had done another group to compare the results.

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This journal article focuses on childhood obesity. The main issues raised in the article is the causes of childhood obesity and why this certain issue is on the rise. It has been stated that childhood obesity has increased dramatically between 1990 and 2011.

This article used a quantitative research method. A survey of children was conducted; this took place in 2012 and the children ranged from 5-17 years old. The survey was carried out to compare male Vs females and what percentage of children were either overweight or morbidly obese. This study also examined social, economic and lifestyle factors.

The Australian health survey released results that revealed 25.3% of children were overweight and 17.7% were obese. The survey also stated that females in the 5-17 age group measured to be a higher percentage for obesity as opposed to males. Results also shown that children with a low or medium household socio economic status, no or infrequent consumption of breakfast are most likely to suffer with obesity.

This studies in this article have highlighted the importance if tackling childhood obesity at an early stage in life. Findings also demonstrate the strong association of childhood obesity with family background and socio economic statuses.

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The main purpose of the research article was examined that does ‘play’ plays an important role in children’s life? As some people stated that ‘play’ is an essentially unimportant activity for children because play could not even contrast with ‘work’. There are four main question that researchers are trying to investigate which are the definition of play and its distinction from other activities, the benefits of play, play and the curriculum and what is the role of adults in children’s play.

Researchers had been doing an experiment to investigate the four main questions and children are involved. Researchers do this experiment by observing children when they are having outdoor and indoor play. From the experiment, researchers stated that play brings a lot of advantages for children’s cognitive development and it is also important for ‘educational tool’. And, researchers have also stated that children will learn when they are giving an informal play and it defined as play if they are free. For example, when children play without adults’ controlling. Researchers have observed that play gives opportunities for children to develop language and social skills, gross and fine motor skills through play and the more important thing is play also related to children’s self-esteem, emotional wellbeing and resilience. Research has stated that play cannot be completely separated from learning and adults should not only see the results but adults should value the process. Studies had indicated that video games actually bring benefit for children’s physical benefits. Children tend to have quickened reaction time and video games can increase children’s tolerance to frustration. Some researchers stated that the full potential of play can only be unlocked by adults while the other researchers stated that children’s play does not need adult supervision because researchers believed that children will learn something, for example, decision making when adults do not supervision them.

Researchers have stated that play does really play an important role in both children’s life or later life as play is one of the highest achievements of human species, alongside language, culture and technology. And, it is true that without play, none of the achievements would be possible.

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Play based learning and intentional teaching in early childhood contexts

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Play based learning and intentional teaching in early childhood contexts

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This paper is an analysis of teachers' talk of play-based learning and intentional teaching of mathematics. The participants in the study were two teachers in a pre-Prep program. This is also known as the year before school. The teachers in this study talk about how they engaged in the interplay between children's play and the use of intentional teaching practices to introduce mathematics concepts formed the data set to be analysed. Conversational interviews and stimulated recall (research method that allows participants to recall their existing thinking during an event when prompted by a video sequence or some other form of visual recall) were used to gather data. Critical analysis of the teachers' talk suggests that socially and culturally constructed ways of being an early childhood teacher are both enabled and constrained by discourses of play and intentional teaching.

This is a qualitative study.

The first conversation interview with each teacher began with the researcher asking the teacher  to comment on play. Play was spoken of by the teachers in ways that positioned children as active constructors of their learning
The second conversation with each of the participants focused on their responses to watching the video of their work with the children as they engaged with the mathematics activities. The role of the researcher was to ask the teacher what was happening in particular video segments. The teacher was able to identify the way in which children were able to incorporate the mathematical knowledge and skills experienced through the direct teaching element of the introduction of the games into their play.

The study does not claim to have found the truth or to suggest that all early childhood teachers would respond in the same manner. However this study does argue that these teachers' talk of play indicates that it is possible for engagement in teaching practices related to mathematical concepts that do not negate the provision of play-based programs and that place intentional teaching as an essential element of a pedagogy based on learning through play.

This paper has highlighted that further work is needed in the fields of early childhood education and mathematics with a focus on how early childhood teachers construct themselves as both advocates for play-based pedagogy and practitioners of intentional mathematics teaching.