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Activities for Baby’s Development
INFANT SIT-UPS
What to Do: This fun game is a good way to exercise neck muscles. Lay your infant on a soft blanket, facing up. Hold on to his hands and wrists, then count, "One, two, three, up!" Gently pull him to a sitting position. Gently lower him back down to the lying position, then repeat.
Skills Learned: Social development, trust, upper body strength
New Research Highlights How Babies Learn Speech
As a leader in Innovative Baby Products, MyRaZbaby is passionate about the health, safety, and wellness of babies. That's why we're always excited to find and share the latest research that teaches us more about this vital stage of human life.
NPR recently reported on a new study that explores one of the most vital developments in early childhood: how we first develop speech. As it turns out, infants begin practicing how to talk in their minds months before they verbally utter their first words.
Using what looks like a hair dryer from Mars, researchers from the University of Washington have taken the most precise peeks yet into the fireworks display of neural activity that occurs when infants listen to people speak.
They found that the motor area of the brain, which we use to produce speech, is very active in babies 7 to 12 months old when they listen to speech components.
"What we're seeing is that the babies are practicing because they want to talk back," says Patricia Kuhl, a speech psychologist at the University of Washington and the lead author on the paper, published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences.
Kuhl used a machine called a magnetoencephalograph, or MEG, that measures the brain's magnetic field from outside the head. Unlike MRIs or CTs, which require that patients be completely still, the MEG can scan images in moving patients, which works out perfectly for fidgety babies.
The researchers found that the motor part of the baby’s brain lit up when the baby listened to the sounds, indicating that they were trying to mimic or respond to the speech. Essentially, between seven months to a year, babies undergo a major transition in which they can begin to distinguish sounds from different languages; by age one, they can actually pinpoint the native language of their parents and tune out foreign speech.
The study’s conclusion was that "baby-talk" – the way parents typically speak to babies, as characterized by a higher pitch and slower pace – actually benefits them by helping to develop this vital but unsent social development. Other scientists suggest that this reinforces the importance of surrounding one’s infant with language in general, though not necessarily needing to speak “baby”.
While future plans call for research to further confirm this, the take-home advice is clear: communicate and engage with your baby as much as possible.
We hope you have enjoyed this fun and exciting bit of baby news. If you’d like to learn more about our products – including Personalized Pacifiers, fun-shaped teether, and more – call 1-877-298-6622 or email info@myrazbaby.com.
Recent Study Highlights Risk of Bed-Sharing for Infants
It goes without saying that babies need a tremendous amount of care and caution. That’s a big reason why MyRaZbaby has always strived to provide the most Innovative Baby Products on the market, in order to ensure the best health and safety for babies. It’s also why we’re eager to share the latest news and research in this area.
A new study reported in the Huffington Post drew attention to a fairly common and increasingly popular practice: bed-sharing, which the researchers defined as "the infant sleeping on the same surface with a person or animal" (which includes toys and other objects). Analyzing factors linked to sleep-related deaths for babies, it concluded that bed-sharing brings considerable risk to children four months and younger:
"Bed-sharing for 0-4 month old babies is extremely risky," Rachel Moon, M.D., a pediatrician and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) researcher at Children's National Health Hospital and an author on the study, wrote in an email to The Huffington Post. "In this study, this sleep situation presented the most important risk for infants in this age group."
Among babies between the ages of 4 months and 1 year, however, the predominant risk factor was rolling into objects in their sleep space.
"Although we always recommend that the infant's sleep area be clear of pillows, blankets, bumper pads, etc., many parents forget the importance of this message as the baby gets older," Moon said. "However, these items are equally dangerous as the baby becomes more mobile."
Note that this study did not factor in the use of a co-sleeper, a crib-like device that typically attaches to the side of the parents' bed. Moreover, while the researchers found a link between bed-sharing and deaths, they could not definitively determine that a high percentage of infants who bed-share will die.
Still, it is vital to be as safe as possible, and the American Academy of Pediatrics has thankfully provided clear guidelines for safe sleeping practices for babies. These include having babies sleep on a firm surface in the same room as their parents – but not the same bed – and placing babies on their backs to sleep every night until they reach at least one year old.
MyRaZbaby is more than happy to share such vital information with our customers. To learn more about our company and our many famous products (such as Personalized Pacifiers) contact us at 1-877-298-6622 or info@myrazbaby.com.
Check Out Our New Personalized Pacifier Designs!
At MyRaZbaby, we are ever improving on our Innovative Baby Products to provide new moms and their babies with the essentials! With our “Keep-it-Kleen” Personalized Pacifiers, you can give baby a safe and clean pacifier that is both functional and stylish! Expanding our already vast selection of designs, we’ve added two adorable new additions to our collection: the Personalized Pink Polka Dots and Blue Polka Dots.
Our pacifiers offer a revolutionary solution to a common infant care problem. Pacifiers are vital for reducing stress and improving the oral health of babies. However, it’s very common for them to be dropped, causing the nipple to contract dirt and become unhygienic and even dangerous.
With this problem in mind, our creative designers came up with the patented "Keep-it-Kleen" feature, which consists of a sturdy plastic clasp that instantly closes the moment a pacifier hits the ground. It’s a simple and convenient way to protect your baby’s health. Moreover, these pacifiers – like all of our products – are made only of high-quality materials sourced here in the U.S., without any BPA or other potentially harmful substances.
Furthermore, they provide a unique way to add a personal touch to your essential baby products. Add your little one’s name to one of our pacifiers for a totally unique and playfully stylish pacifier. We also carry sturdy pacifier holders that can also be personalized as needed.
These fun, affordable, and innovative pacifiers reflects MyRaZbaby’s dedication to providing the most high-quality and convenient infant care solutions in the industry. As an independent family company, we’re dedicated to offering only the most dependable and effective products to our clients. Many happy clients agree – these products are as good as they come!
To learn more, reach us at 1(877) 298-6622 or info@myrazbaby.com.