Friday, January 06, 2006

Spot the Problem I have

with this article!! Kristina does this remind you of anything??

The Vulnerable Child

What is the Vulnerable Child Syndrome?

Sometimes parents continue to think of their former preemie as fragile and susceptible to problems even though the child is physically and developmentally healthy. They become overly protective, worry excessively, and unknowingly slow or change their child's development. The former preemie may fail to develop self confidence and/or a sense of independence.

How can I prevent the Vulnerable Child Syndrome?

First, try to interact with this child like you would if s/he had been born at term. Encourage socialization and age-appropriate activities.

When considering expectations and when to introduce activities in the first two years of life, use the child's "corrected age", his/her age corrected for the number of weeks of prematurity. For example, if your baby is ten months old and was three months premature, your expectations should be that for a seven month old. After age two, you do not need to correct for prematurity.

Things you can do to prevent the vulnerable child syndrome:

Encourage interactions with other children their age
Let them do things by themselves when they can
Let them have opportunities to make decisions; give them choices
Find play experiences outside your home, such as at parks, play groups
Give words of praise when they do things independently
Don't be too quick to intervene in trial and error learning
Set appropriate limits and be consistent with them
Establish consistent routines so they know what to expect and can develop independence in following the routine
Don't speak for them if they are capable of expressing themselves
Talk to them in age-appropriate language, (not baby talk to a 3 year old)

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