As the parent of a child who lives on grilled cheese sandwiches and chicken nuggets, developing healthy eating habits in children has always been a mystery to me. Nutritionists tell us that the senses of taste and smell are developing even in the womb, and parents can begin to support their children's nutritional health by eating a healthy diet throughout their pregnancy, and by breastfeeding – whenever possible – for at least six months.
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According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), vision problems are the single most prevalent disabling condition among American children. By the time they reach school, a quarter of American children suffer from a vision problem. This means that almost 12.5 million school-age kids may be unable to see the blackboard.
The next few editions of Research to Policy focus on the early childhood development of the senses: hearing, vision, taste, touch, and smell. These senses are critical to the developmental well-being of children. In the current issue, for example, we focus on the sense of hearing.
In a recent article in The New York Times, Nicholas Kristof reported on a landmark policy statement just issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the leading association of American pediatricians. Based on several decades of scientific research, the Academy has identified “toxic stress” as the most widespread peril facing young children. What does this mean? Exposure to high levels of toxic stress early in childhood has been shown to result in a range of poor physical, social, emotional and cognitive outcomes.
More than a month before Christmas, the stores already are filled with Christmas displays and holiday Carols play over the sound system. Meanwhile, topping the wish lists of children between 5 and 16 is the Apple iPad, followed closely by a half dozen other high-tech – and high-dollar – gadgets.
Last week, Memphis hosted the 57th annual Tennessee Association for the Education of Young Children conference. Early childhood educators, researchers and clinicians from across the state came together to learn about early brain development, best practices in early childhood education, and child development from experts in a broad range of fields.
