INFANT COOING BABBLING LINKED TO HEARING ABILITY

Infants' vocalizations throughout the first year follow a set of predictable steps from crying and cooing to forming syllables and first words. However, previous research had not addressed how the amount of vocalizations may differ between hearing and deaf infants. Now, University of Missouri research shows that infant vocalizations are primarily motivated by infants' ability to hear their own babbling. Additionally, infants with profound hearing loss who received cochlear implants to help correct their hearing soon reached the vocalization levels of their hearing peers, putting them on track for language development.

"Hearing is a critical aspect of infants' motivation to make early sounds," said Mary Fagan, an assistant professor in the Department of Communication Science and Disorders in the MU School of Health Professions. "This study shows babies are interested in speech-like sounds and that they increase their babbling when they can hear."

Fagan studied the vocalizations of 27 hearing infants and 16 infants with profound hearing loss who were candidates for cochlear implants, which are small electronic devices embedded into the bone behind the ear that replace some functions of the damaged inner ear. She found that infants with profound hearing loss vocalized significantly less than hearing infants. However, when the infants with profound hearing loss received cochlear implants, the infants' vocalizations increased to the same levels as their hearing peers within four months of receiving the implants.

"After the infants received their cochlear implants, the significant difference in overall vocalization quantity was no longer evident," Fagan said. "These findings support the importance of early hearing screenings and early cochlear implantation."

Fagan found that non-speech-like sounds such as crying, laughing and raspberry sounds, were not affected by infants' hearing ability. She says this finding highlights babies are more interested in speech-like sounds since they increase their production of those sounds such as babbling when they can hear.

"Babies learn so much through sound in the first year of their lives," Fagan said. "We know learning from others is important to infants' development, but hearing allows infants to explore their own vocalizations and learn through their own capacity to produce sounds."

In future research, Fagan hopes to study whether infants explore the sounds of objects such as musical toys to the same degree they explore vocalization.

Fagan's research, "Frequency of vocalization before and after cochlear implantation: Dynamic effect of auditory feedback on infant behavior," was published in the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology.

INFANT BRAINS DEVELOP YEARS FASTER THAN WE THOUGHT

Scientists from the University of Louvain have discovered that a key element of infant brain development occurs years earlier than previously thought.

The way we perceive faces -- using the right hemisphere of the brain -- is unique and sets us apart from non-human primates. It was thought that this ability develops as we learn to read, but a new study published in the journal eLife shows that in babies as young as four months it is already highly evolved.

"Just as language is impaired following damage to the brain's left hemisphere, damage to the right hemisphere can impair our ability to distinguish faces so it is critical to understand how it develops," says co-author Bruno Rossion, Principal Investigator at the University of Louvain.

Researchers used a cap fitted with electrodes to monitor the brain activity of 15 babies as they sat on their mothers' laps and watched a rapid succession of images over 20 seconds. They were shown 48 images of faces that differed in viewpoint, colour, lighting, and background, interspersed with 200 images of animals, plants, and human-made objects.

Each image was shown for only 166 milliseconds, the same rate used for adult studies. Compared to other images, the appearance of a face was shown to coincide with a specific spike in stimulation of the right hemisphere of the brain. The difference between the right and the left hemisphere was even more pronounced than in the same study with adults, confounding previous assumptions.

"Given the enormous resources devoted to digital face recognition, the babies' brain accomplishment is not trivial," says Rossion. "The success of this research method in babies demonstrates that it can be used in all ages to improve our understanding of how we develop the ability to perceive complex images."

Humans far outperform computer algorithms in categorizing natural visual images. The face is such a frequent and socially important stimulus in human development that it is ideal for studying how we develop the ability to visually categorise objects.

A fundamental element of face perception is our ability to tell individuals apart. The authors can now use the same methods to define when this emerges and how it develops with age.

"Parents and carers are already aware of how quickly babies' brains develop but, until now, gathering evidence has been hard due to the limitations of the methods used," says Rossion.

HOMOEOPATHIC REMEDIES FOR INFANT JAUNDICE

Infant jaundice is a yellow discoloration in a newborn baby's skin and eyes. Infant jaundice occurs because the baby's blood contains an excess of bilirubin , a yellow-colored pigment of red blood cells.

Infant jaundice is a common condition, particularly in babies born before 38 weeks gestation (preterm babies) and some breast-fed babies. Infant jaundice usually occurs because a baby's liver isn't mature enough to get rid of bilirubin in the bloodstream. In some cases, an underlying disease may cause jaundice.

Treatment of infant jaundice often isn't necessary, and most cases that need treatment respond well to noninvasive therapy. Although complications are rare, a high bilirubin level associated with severe infant jaundice or inadequately treated jaundice may cause brain damage.

Causes--Excess bilirubin (hyperbilirubinemia) is the main cause of jaundice. Bilirubin, which is responsible for the yellow color of jaundice, is a normal part of the pigment released from the breakdown of "used" red blood cells.

Normally, the liver filters bilirubin from the bloodstream and releases it into the intestinal tract. A newborn's immature liver often can't remove bilirubin quickly enough, causing an excess of bilirubin. Jaundice due to these normal newborn conditions is called physiologic jaundice, and it typically appears on the second or third day of life.

Other causes

An underlying disorder may cause jaundice. In these cases, jaundice often appears much earlier or much later than physiologic jaundice. Diseases or conditions that can cause jaundice include:

·         Internal bleeding (hemorrhage)

·         An infection in your baby's blood (sepsis)

·         Other viral or bacterial infections

·         An incompatibility between the mother's blood and the baby's blood

·         A liver malfunction

·         An enzyme deficiency

·         An abnormality of your baby's red blood cells that causes them to break

Symptoms-- Yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes is a sign of infant jaundice that usually appears between the second and fourth day after birth.

To check for infant jaundice, press gently on your baby's forehead or nose. If the skin looks yellow where you pressed, it's likely your baby has mild jaundice. If your baby doesn't have jaundice, the skin color should simply look slightly lighter than its normal color for a moment.

Examine your baby in good lighting conditions, preferably in natural daylight.

Risk factors- Major risk factors for jaundice, particularly severe jaundice that can cause complications, include:

·         Premature birth. A baby born before 38 weeks may not be able to process bilirubin as quickly as full-term babies do. Also, he or she may feed less and have fewer bowel movements, resulting in less bilirubin eliminated through stool.

·         Significant bruising during birth. If your newborn gets bruises from the delivery, he or she may have a higher level of bilirubin from the breakdown of more red blood cells.

·         Blood type. If the mother's blood type is different from her baby's, the baby may have received antibodies through the placenta that cause his or her blood cells to break down more quickly.

·         Breast-feeding. Breast-fed babies, particularly those who have difficulty nursing or getting enough nutrition from breast-feeding, are at higher risk of jaundice. Dehydration or a low calorie intake may contribute to the onset of jaundice. However, because of the benefits of breast-feeding, experts still recommend it. It's important to make sure your baby gets enough to eat and is adequately hydrated.

Complications-

High levels of bilirubin that cause severe jaundice can result in serious complications if not treated.

Acute bilirubin encephalopathy

Bilirubin is toxic to cells of the brain. If a baby has severe jaundice, there's a risk of bilirubin passing into the brain, a condition called acute bilirubin encephalopathy. Prompt treatment may prevent significant lasting damage.

The following may indicate acute bilirubin encephalopathy in a baby with jaundice:

·         Listlessness or difficulty waking

·         High-pitched crying

·         Poor sucking or feeding

·         Backward arching of the neck and body

·         Fever

·         Vomiting

Kernicterus

Kernicterus is the syndrome that occurs if acute bilirubin encephalopathy causes permanent damage to the brain. Kernicterus may result in:

·         Involuntary and uncontrolled movements (athetoid cerebral palsy)

·         Permanent upward gaze

·         Hearing loss

·         Improper development of tooth enamel

HOMOEOPATHIC REMEDIES

3LUPULUS 0-Lupulus is one of the most effective Homeopathic medicines for jaundice in newborns, also known as neonatal jaundice. The symptoms  are yellow pigmentation of the skin and a slow pulse.

LYCOPODIUM CLAVATUM 30—Lycopodium is another effective remedy for infantile jaundice. It is prescribed when the babies are irritable and constipated. The belly rumbles and is full of gas. The irritability  and colic are worse from 4 pm to 8 pm.

ARNICA MONTANA 30-Arnica Montana is indicated for jaundice caused by difficult traumatic birth. The baby is bruised or swollen . Give Arnica immediately after a difficult to prevent jaundice from developing.

ACONITUM  NAPELLUS 30-Aconitum napellus is used for jaundice that appears acutely and suddenly . It is used especially if mother  and/ or baby are suffering shock after a difficult or unexpectedly short labour .

CHAMOMILLA 30- A specific remedy for infant jaundice. Jaundice immediately after birth.

CHELEDONIUM MAJ. 30-Cheledonium majus is a prominent liver and jaundice remedy in which there is marked lethargy and sluggish bowels.

MERCURIUS SOL 30-Merc sol is an effective remedy for infant jaundice. It should be given when the jaundice is not cured within one week

CHINA 30-Chica is another good remedy for infant jaundice. It should be given after Merc. sol

HOMOEOPATHIC REMEDIES FOR INFANT DISEASES

It is hard when your baby is sick. Common health problems in babies include colds, coughs, fevers, and vomiting. Babies also commonly have skin problems, like diaper rash or cradle cap.

Many of these problems are not serious. It is important to know how to help your sick baby, and to know the warning signs for more serious problems. Trust your intuition - if you are worried about your baby, call your health care provider right away.

HOMOEOPATHIC REMEDIES

AETHUSA CYN 30--Milk is not digested and vomited out. Troubles , worse in hot weather. Ill effects of overfeeding babies

ALOE SOC 30- Involuntary stools. Child cries soon after feeding, as if feels uneasy and has pain in the liver region

BENZOIC ACID 30-Diar rash with urine smelling like ammonia

BORAX 30- Aphthae. Painful whitish blisters in the mouth which bleed easily

CALCAREA ARS 30- Enlarged liver and spleen, specially if the child had malaria

CALCAREA PHOS 30- Infant wants to nurse all the time and vomits easily. Complaints during teething. Diarrhea , stool green, slimy, hot and spluttering, undigested with foul smelling gas

CHAMOMILLA 30- Diarrhea . Stools green, watery, slimy and fetid and contain yellow mucus. Soreness of the anus. Colic and restlessness

CINA 30- Stool contains pieces like popcorn. Colic before passing stool. Child touch his anus frequently , as it itches. He is restless and wants to be rocked.

PULSATILLA NIG 30- Ill effects of eating rich , fatty, non vegetarian food, chocolates etc

SANBUCUS NIG 30- Cold. Cannot breathe easily. Nose blocked. Loose cough which can choke

SENNA 30-Lot of wind. Child appears  full of wind.Enlarged liver. Constipation with colic. Loss of appetite

SULPHUR 6, CALCAREA PHOS 6X- If a woman repeatedly gives birth to babies who die soon after birth or in early infancy, give these medicines, one dose each, daily during the last two months of pregnancy. The child shoul be given Alfalfa Q – drops , three times  a day for several months before 10 minutes of each feeding