Little B Baby Clinic

19/03/2024

10/03/2024

I get asked about probiotics all the time, and my answer is pretty much always the same - we really don’t know, but the evidence we have so far says taking a probiotic likely has no impact on children’s health. There are a few conditions with a touch more evidence - premmie babies are often given specific high quality probiotic products to protect their very delicate gut, and very unhappy breastfed babies MIGHT feel better (studies are so inconclusive!!) with a strain of probiotic called Lactobacillis Reuteri - but they’re few and far between. Probiotic products are not stringently tested for safety, quality, or effectiveness, so it’s a big gamble to just buy something off the shelf. My advice is typically to try to focus on good food, exercise, fresh air, and fun - all of these are known to positively influence the gut microbiome (referring to the population of bacteria living in the gut) and should be gentler on the hip pocket!

11/12/2023

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/unr31eBo2UJBqxuT/?mibextid=I6gGtw

There’s an article online at the moment that is promoting the idea of the ‘best’ formula milk for your baby. It’s basically an advertising piece and includes some of the most expensive formulas suggesting they are better for your baby.

I’m not going to link to it (and am 😵‍💫 it’s been published under advertising laws) but wanted to remind anyone who is worried that they can’t afford the ‘best’ formula for their baby or is feeling pressure to afford it, that there’s simply no evidence that more expensive milks are better for your baby.

All infant formulas suitable from 0 - 12 months are nutritionally equivalent and there’s no evidence that any provide better nutrition or outcomes compared to the others. They are all regulated to have very similar ingredients and the ones on sale for £9 (or whatever the lowest price is this week) will support your baby in the same way that the ones double the price will.

When you look at the ingredients list of different priced formulas they are very similar. The companies openly admit in published research to targeting different worries in their advertising of their products ie making parents think that some milks are more scientific and developed than others even though they know that this isn’t true.

Please buy whatever milk suits your budget, is most most easily available or even suits your kitchen colour scheme - which is more relevant than any advertising claims are!

05/11/2023

Iron definition is the most common micronutrient deficiency worldwide (as per the World Health Organisation). Iron is critical to an enormous array of bodily processes, the most well known being the making of the blood cells which carry oxygen all around our body. We have access to lots of different iron-containing foods, but they aren’t all created equal: haem iron sources are more easily absorbed, but that doesn’t make the non-haem iron foods irrelevant! A balanced diet should contain a wide variety of all these foods where possible. Supplements are available, and will be prescribed for those with deficiencies, but nothing beats quality real food 🥦🫛🍗🥩🥗🥜🫘

01/11/2023

Catnapping could be the answer to better baby sleep. Here's some information on catnapping and how it can achieve better baby sleep.

24/10/2023

Language development is extremely variable, with most kids just needing time to build their skills, but it can be worth being aware of the general red flags which could suggest a need for further assessment and intervention, such as these. Your GP or Child Health Nurse would be good starting places to discuss any concerns, there’s also some great online resources (such as those listed) to check what the normal language milestones are at each age.

15/10/2023

Families are often pressured by relatives, friends, daycare teachers, and even their own expectations to toilet train before their child is ready. This can have big health consequences - most commonly constipation - as well as anxiety and behavioural challenges. It’s not a race! Each child comes with unique skills and challenges and develops at different rates. If you’re not sure how or when to start, there are plenty of great support people to ask (GP, child health nurse, paediatrician, occupational therapist, paediatric psychologist, etc) and some great online and print resources to use. Be patient and be open to abandoning the attempt and trying again later if it’s not working out.

13/10/2023

It’s so hard to have a fussy eater! It’s normal though for children of all ages to exert their independence in their food choices. If food fussiness is impacting nutrition or growth, you’ll need a specialist medical team involved, but otherwise there’s likely to be a number of steps to try at home using these suggestions and others from the resources provided. Kids respond very poorly to any pressure or coercion to eat, so taking all that pressure off is the first big step to take. Kids need to be able to comfortably choose how much they eat to build confidence, but their caregivers must be in charge of what is served and when. Clear boundaries around food, positive associations with eating, and a no-pressure approach will go a long way towards achieving confidence in eating. It’s a long road though, which usually requires a lot of patience on the part of parents and carers! 💗

08/10/2023

“Babies are not meant to sleep through the night. Their sleep fluctuates a lot throughout the first two years of life. It does not get consistently better with every month as society expects.
Night waking is normal.
Times of increased waking is normal.
We need to be educated on this topic and normalise the science of infant sleep to help manage parental expects, not keep regurgitating out of date information. “

06/10/2023

Parents are absolutely bombarded with conflicting advice from the moment they announce a pregnancy! Some of it is helpful, some is not. Parents, my advice is, listen to and do what works for you. Take every piece of advice, every book, every social media post, with a big old chunk of salt - there’s no one ‘right’ way to do this baby-rearing thing. Experiment, enjoy the journey, and trust yourselves 💗

30/09/2023

25/09/2023

This is so rare! Call today!

Eat Talk Play currently has availability for Occupational Therapy appointments.

If you would like to book an appointment please email us at contactus@eattalkplay.com.au

Please not appointment times are limited.

20/09/2023

Love Dr Kyla’s work! She’s created an amazing set of resources, and her Chewsday Reviews are always brilliant and appropriately ‘bite-sized’ for busy parents!

Is it a food? Is it a supplement? Is it the world’s most expensive vegetable powder??! Nutra Organics’ Veggie Hero claims to be a solution to fussy eating (Uh-oh, I might be out of a job!) but just how does it fare when placed under the microscope. Check out the link in my bio to find out my thoughts.

Read the review: https://mealtimes.com.au/chewsday-reviews/