Baby Talk: Resources to Support the People Who Work With Infants and Toddlers
Issue No. 40, September 2014
Look at Me! Using Focused Child Observation with Infants and Toddlers This video podcast introduces viewers to using focused observation with infants and toddlers and gives them an opportunity to try out some of the techniques. A companion information sheet with discussion questions is available at the same website. http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/tta-system/ehsnrc/cde/saeo/LookatMeUsing.htm?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign =OHS+SR+Series+-+Infant+and+Toddler+Caregivers+-+August&utm_content=OHS+SR+Series+-Infant+and+Toddler+Caregivers+-+August+CID_3e0cc0ef827f5fe8bcfbb74ec2be2ff4&utm_source=CM%20Eblast&utm_term=Look%20at%20Me%20Using%20 Focused%20Child%20Observation%20with%20Infants%20and%20Toddlers Early Experiences Build the Brain – Foundations of School Readiness Explore how the connections within the brain are created, organized, and evolve during the first few years of life. This newsletter describes how early experiences can shape brain architecture from birth and lay a foundation for children’s learning. http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/tta-system/ehsnrc/docs/nycu-brain-development.pdf New Data Confirm Safety of Childhood Vaccinations A new systematic analysis of tens of thousands of studies confirms, yet again, that childhood vaccinations are overwhelmingly safe for use. Click below to read more about how researchers conducted a new systematic review, which involved gathering together large amounts of data on the topic, selecting studies from it based on quality and other criteria, and then synthesizing an impartial overview. http://www.care2.com/causes/childhood-vaccines-are-safe-and-we-have-even-more-data-to-prove-it.html#ixzz36mnA0FgA Baby’s Brain Rehearses Before First Words New research shows that speech sounds stimulate areas of an infant’s brain that coordinate and plan for the physical movements needed for speech. Infants can tell the difference between sounds of all languages until about 8 months of age when their brains start to focus only on the sounds they hear around them. It’s been unclear how this transition occurs, but social interactions and caregivers’ use of exaggerated “parentese” style of speech seem to help. The study suggests that baby brains start laying down the groundwork of how to form words long before they actually begin to speak and this may affect the developmental transition. http://www.futurity.org/baby-rehearse-speech-brain-733962/ Sleep Environment Risks for Younger and Older Infants A report published by Pediatrics found that 69% of the 8,207 sleep-related infant deaths studied occurred when the infant was sharing a bed with an adult. The authors also noted that in 35% of all infant deaths, the infant was placed on its side or stomach. http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/134/2/e406
Baby Talk is a free, one-way listserv that is distributed each month. Each issue features one or more resources, the majority of which are available to download at no cost. To join the listserv, send an email with no message to subscribe-babytalk@listserv.unc.edu. To suggest resources, please contact Camille Catlett at camille.catlett@unc.edu or (919) 966-6635.