The wonder drug saving premature babies

It seems that the number of premature babies is on the increase with around 10% of babies born in New Zealand being born prematurely, ie before they reach 37 weeks gestation.

However their chance of survival is a lot greater than it used to be thanks to perhaps one of the most important medical breakthroughs of our time developed by a New Zealander, Graham "Mont" Collingwood Liggins.

Liggins was responsible for discovering a life-saving treatment for premature babies, after showing that foetal lung development could be speeded up by giving steroids to women experiencing early labour, enabling premature newborn babies to breathe independently and survive.  His research has changed medical practice and in turn saved hundreds of thousands of lives worldwide.

Graham Liggins was born in Thames in 1926, the fourth son of a doctor. His pioneering discovery was born out of a lengthy observation of lambs on his neighbours’ farm. He noticed that the lungs of premature lambs normally sank in water because they had failed to fill with air. However, if the ewe had been given corticosteroids prior to delivery, the lungs inflated normally and floated – the steroids had stimulated production of a soapy substance, surfactant, which was vital for lung aeration.

He knew that premature human babies also lacked surfactant, and could develop a frequently fatal condition known as respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). Over several years Liggins and Ross Howie, a paediatrician colleague, randomly allocated steroids or placebos to more than 1,000 women in premature labour in a bid to prove their theory. Both RDS and mortality fell dramatically in the experimental group.

Liggin’s treatment was not accepted overnight, being rejected on the grounds that it would be of little general interest!  However after lengthy campaigning, those in authority eventually saw sense and this simple treatment now saves the lives of many thousands of premature babies every year. What’s more, it only costs a few cents to administer!

Article written by the team at Under 5s www.under5s.co.nz. Check out our other article on premature babies - Premature Babies - Born Too Soon? - Learn about pre-natal complications, neonatal intensive care, early challenges and learning and development issues.

Photo: Wellcome Trust  

 

Make your own clay at home

The kids will have hours of fun playing with the clay and making their own creations.

Follow this easy recipe to make your own clay at home:

Ingredients:

- 1 cup corn flour

- 2 cups baking soda

- 1 & 1/2 cups water

- Old saucepan

- Cling film

- Optional: add a few drops of food colouring for more colourful clay

How to make:

- Mix all the ingredients (including the food colouring if you're using it) in an old saucepan and cook over a medium heat. Stirring constantly until the mixture is too hard to stir any more.

- Let the clay cool for 15 minutes.

- Remove the clay from the saucepan and knead it until it is smooth.

- Wrap the clay up in the cling film to keep it moist until you're ready to use it.

- When you're ready unwrap the clay and help the kids make all sorts of creations.

- Once they're finished, leave them to dry and harden. It will take approx 1 day for the clay creations to harden.

Compiled by the team at Under 5s www.under5s.co.nz.  Don’t forget to check out some of our other fun activities for kids and easy things to do at home.

Source: idea from make-stuff.com.

Hints and tips on fitting toddlers first shoes

Our friends at Bugalugz have written a great article about the importance of footcare, including handy tips on buying and fitting your little ones first shoes.

The article covers:
- the importance of barefeet
- measuring your child's feet
- buying the right size shoes
- what to look for in a quality pair of shoes

Your child’s feet have to carry the weight of their body throughout their lifetime, and the shoes they wear in childhood can make (or break) their future foot health.
 
Neglecting foot health invites not only future foot problems, but also problems in other parts of the body, such as the legs and back.
 
Head over to the Under 5s website for a full copy of the article: Fitting First Shoes - helping your kids put their best foot forward.


Compiled by the team at Under 5s www.under5s.co.nz


 

Win a free term at Mini Sports Clubs Auckland!

Hurry be quick! You could be 1 of 5 very lucky winners. The competition closes on 8 February 2013.

Mini Sports Club is a fun sports club for preschoolers, giving them the opportunity to try a range of sports at a young age. Being involved in physical activity is so good for their growth and development. The classes are run by qualified coaches who will also teach kids how to follow instructions, wait their turn and how to work with others.

Mini Sports Club has 5 prizes to give away - 1 prize for each of the 5 Mini Sports Club locations around Auckland.

Mini Sports Clubs are based in Takapuna, Panmure, Howick, Henderson and Parnell. 

The prize at each location is for a term of Term 1 classes for a child under 5 years old. Classes start on 16 February 2013 for 9 weeks (no Easter class). For more information visit the Mini Sports Club website: www.minisports.co.nz.

To enter, Subscribe to Under 5s and in the Promo Code field enter your preferred location - Takapuna, Panmure, Howick, Henderson or Parnell. Existing Subscribers are also eligible to enter, just email us at info@under5s.co.nz with your preferred location in the Subject line - Takapuna, Panmure, Howick, Henderson or Parnell. Entries close at midnight 8 February 2013. Terms & conditions apply.

Compiled by the team at Under 5s www.under5s.co.nz

Weekly Sales & Discounts

Each week we bring you a selection of the latest sales and discounts being offered by the great NZ small businesses we have on board.

Everything from seasonal sales, one off sales and discounts just because you're an Under 5s Follower!

Check back regularly and don't forget to tell your friends!

For the latest sales and discounts head over to the Under 5s website now.


Article written by the team at Under 5s www.under5s.co.nz

Early Language Development Research Study

The University of Canterbury is conducting a nationwide study of the early language development of kids living in NZ.

If you’re a parent of a child between the ages of 16 and 30 months and live in New Zealand, you’re invited to take part in a nationwide research project on children’s early language development.

All you need to do is complete an on-line questionnaire about your child’s language development and answer some questions about your child and family/whānau. It’s easy to do and should take no more than 15 to 30 minutes.

Your answers will be anonymous and will eventually be combined with the answers of other parents across the country. This will enable the University to get an accurate picture of the early language abilities of children living in New Zealand and establish a national norm, something which currently doesn’t exist.

Their aim is to have more than 1000 parents take part in this project by completing the questionnaire.

To take part visit and for more information visit their website.


Article written by the team at Under 5s www.under5s.co.nz