The Child Development Centre

15/12/2024

Happy Christmas to all, may you find space to focus on what’s important to you, and not what we are told should be during this festive period.
May you get to spend some downtime with your loved ones. 🎄❤️

15/11/2023

Screen time has become a much feared term of parents. But as always, it’s not that simple.
Instead of fear, let’s seek to be smart about application.

For clarity, outdoor play, physical and social interaction will always trump screen time. But correct use of screen time may have some benefit too.

This meta analyses concluded that it is less the amount of screen time, more the content (educational/appropriately cognitively stimulating) and whether it is shared or not (discussed with parent ).

Of course, there are other considerations too:

-Such as an excess of much screen time at a young age will impact eye development for life (myopia)

- posture when using screens is a concern, see image 2

- Tik tok and other short viral content (YouTube shorts, instagram reels etc) is my largest concern with the wiring of synaptic expectation of short instant dopamine hits. Exposure to this repeated hit, will make long term task focus (projects or goals) very challenging in the future teen and adult brain.
- Excess screen time, parents included, delays speech interaction.

As always, let us choose moderation and measured interventions, over general fear.

https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/research-kids-screens/?utm_source=luminate&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=defender&utm_id=20231114

14/10/2023

For near 40 years there has been scientific evidence suggesting that what takes place for a baby in the womb, impacts their entire life’s development.

Here a recent study suggesting that there is indeed consciousness at a far earlier age than previously thought.

Thoughts, emotions and experiences lead to physical responses in the body. These physical responses impact adults & our behaviour. The same is equally true for young children, babies and even perhaps foetuses in utero.

If you had a stressful pregnancy and or difficult emotional periods, pre or post conception and are curious if they may have had an impact, feel free to comment your questions below or reach out to us privately.

27/09/2023

New study suggests possible link between artificially sweetened beverage consumption in pregnancy and autism in male children.

Taken from the study
‘“These associations do not prove causality, but taken in concert with reports from earlier studies of increased prematurity and cardiometabolic health impacts among infants and children exposed daily to diet beverages and/or aspartame during pregnancy, our findings raise new questions about potential neurological impacts that need to be addressed,” said Raymond F. Palmer, PhD, senior author of the paper, and professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at UT Health San Antonio.’

However, we’d advise that people with ADHD and occasionally undiagnosed Autism, tend to self mediate with caffeine and perhaps socially are more likely to avoid sugar if drinking significant amounts of soft drinks. Thereby being more likely to drink diet soft drinks. In turn meaning a higher number of consumers perhaps being those already with a hereditary link to neurodivergence.

Interesting nonetheless.

https://news.uthscsa.edu/drinking-diet-sodas-and-aspartame-sweetened-beverages-daily-during-pregnancy-linked-to-autism-in-male-offspring/

22/02/2023

Did you know mould can affect your mental and physical health?

Alexander, Director of the Child Development Centre experienced this first hand. He's spent the past 5 years using clincal lab tests to understand how environments are affecting the health of the children he treats.

There is a proven link between mycotoxins (toxic compounds that are naturally produced by certain types of moulds) and autism - link can be found in our bio.

We uses OAT testing and Antigen testing to get a better understanding of how our patients are affected by their environment.

Find more information on this on our website here: https://www.thechildcentre.com/why-mental-health-therapy-requires-a-physical-environment-assessment/

If mould in the home and your child's development is of concern to you, please get in touch.
☎️ 0207 223 4321
📧 amanda@thechildcentre.com

Mould, Bacterial Infections and how they impact families Mental Health

14/02/2023

It is now widely accepted that bacterial, fungal and viral infections play pivotal, if not defining, roles in most major mental illnesses.

Our lifestyle and, importantly, our physical environment factor whether we are exposed and likely to contract and develop one of these life-impairing underlying infections.

The Child Development Centre uses several clinical lab tests, alongside home and environmental suggestions, to ensure the discovery and prevention of any potential root cause illness or pathogens affecting the family.

We uses OAT testing and Antigen testing to get a better understanding of how our patients are affected by their environment.

If mould in the home and your child's development is of concern to you, please get in touch.
☎️ 0207 223 4321
📧 amanda@thechildcentre.com

09/02/2023

This week is Child Mental Health Week.

Since the pandemic, anxiety has become a real issue for children. It is thought that 1 in 6 children in the UK have experienced problems with their mental health.

We want to help you and your family when anxiety becomes an issue. Anxiety can show up in many different ways, such as...

😴 Difficulty sleeping, waking in the night, bad dreams or bed wetting
😢 Being irritable, tearful or clingy
🌪️ Finding it hard to concentrate and focus on one thing
😡 Angry outbursts that can be unpredictable and seemingly come out of nowhere
🍲 Problems eating, being fussy or picky
🤢 Tummy aches / feeling sick
🏫 Avoiding things such as not wanting to go to nursery or school

This blog post from Mini First Aid has great advice for coping with anxiety and building resilience to help make lasting, healthy connections with our children.

https://www.minifirstaid.co.uk/blog/children-s-mental-health-anxiety-and-resilience?mc_cid=c191e8e1c6&mc_eid=0ab4770a9e

05/01/2023

Are you looking to create something new for your family this year?

Our CEO, Alexander, has spent the past almost 3 years creating a family programme that aims to open your mind, develop your family's skills, strengthen your body, empower you, foster growth and connection and inspire the whole family.

9 Life Skills are covered, from Emotional Intelligence, to Resilience. Breathing and nervous system regulation to Sleep hygiene.

Let Kinship teach you the essential life skills that aren't taught in school that will set you all up for success in whatever you put your mind too.

Kinship launches this year - head over to the page and give us a follow and to the website to sign up and be the first to hear when we launch!

20/12/2022

A little reminder that our children are their own person and as parents, we must try to understand them as themselves, not as an extension of who we are.

At The Child Development Centre we work with a variety of different methods and a hugely important one is Dance Movement Psychotherapy with Constance Novis.

If you're interested in finding out more, pelase do get in touch today.

☎️ 0207 223 4321
📧 amanda@thechildcentre.com

07/12/2022

Are they a little clumsy? Do they feel unbalanced when they shake their head?

The ATNR is the Asymetrical Tonic Neck Reflex and a common symptom of a residual or retained ATNR is issues with balance, especially when the head is moved to either side.

Does this sound like your child?

Please get in touch with The Child Development Centre today to discuss your concerns and see how we can help your child.

☎️ 0207 223 4321
📧 amanda@thechildcentre.com

01/12/2022

The vestibular system, is a sensory system that creates the sense of balance and spatial orientation for the purpose of coordinating movement with balance.

When the moro reflex is retained past 4 months old it can cause issues with the vestibular system.

This can include things like
- Motion sickness
- Poor balance
- Poor coordination particularly seen during ball games

Does this sound like your child?

Please get in touch with The Child Development Centre today to discuss your concerns and see how we can help your child.

☎️ 0207 223 4321
📧 amanda@thechildcentre.com

22/11/2022

Did you know that you can be over or under sensitive to stimuli?

Let's take a look at some of the symptoms of both...

Children may be oversensitive if they:
- Think clothing feels too scratchy or itchy.
- Think lights seem too bright.
- Think sounds seem too loud.
- Think soft touches feel too hard.
- Experience food textures make them gag.
- Have poor balance or seem clumsy.
- Are afraid to play on the swings.
- React poorly to sudden movements, touches, loud noises, or bright lights.
- Have behaviour problems.

Children may be under-sensitive (sensory-seeking) if they:
- Can’t sit still
- Seek thrills (loves jumping, heights, and spinning).
- Can spin without getting dizzy.
- Don’t pick up on social cues.
- Don’t recognise personal space.
- Chew on things (including their hands and clothing).
- Seek visual stimulation (like electronics).
- Have problems sleeping.
- Don’t recognise when their face is dirty or nose is running.

Source: familydoctor.org

Do you associate any of these with your child?