Less than one per cent of new mums-to-be are aware of the condition ‘plagiocephaly’, more commonly known as ‘Flat Head Syndrome’, despite the fact it is estimated to affect around half of all babies under the age of one year.
Recent research from Wilkinet baby carrier shows that awareness of the condition is incredibly low and the company is now supporting a campaign to help prevent plagiocephaly.
Dawn Telfer from Plagiocephalycare, a support group set up to help those affected by the condition, said: “One of the best ways of preventing and treating plagiocephaly is by using an upright baby carrier like Wilkinet because it avoids pressure on the skull. Using the helmets, one of the iconic images of plagiocephaly is always a last resort.”
The vast majority of cases can be prevented with a little bit of information and advice. Plagiocephaly Care is campaigning for the NHS to raise awareness of the condition and, in severe cases, to fund treatment, such as a Cranio Remolding Helmet, when repositioning, the initial treatment, has not been successful.
Dawn says, “As soon as your baby comes home from hospital, you should allow your baby some time each day to play on their tummy. Tummy Time is important for normal development as well as preventing Plagiocephaly. Babies should always be placed on their backs to sleep but their heads should be moved to the side, alternating each night.”
Babies can be born with Plagiocephaly or can develop it in their first few months but repositioning techniques can often resolve it in a matter of weeks. Plagiocephaly Care has been campaigning for checks to be made both at birth and six weeks with information on repositioning given routinely to parents.
Showing posts with label baby sling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label baby sling. Show all posts
Friday, March 28, 2008
It's official – being a mum is back-breaking
A leading osteopath has confirmed what many new mums know too well - being a parent can be back breaking work!
Research into back pain both during and after pregnancy shows that more than 70 per cent of mums with children under two suffer from aches and pains. And over half of these suffer most when carrying their children in their arms.
The Wilkinet survey also shows that nearly all the mums (97%) love cuddling their children but nearly half can’t do so as often as they would like because of back ache.
Martin Grundy, a leading Osteopath from Whitley Bay, says that back ache is a natural result of pregnancy, when hormonal changes soften the joints, but that many of us make it far worse by the way we cuddle our children or carry them in slings not designed to support both baby and parent.
He says: “After a natural delivery every new mother has a slightly dodgy pelvic floor! If you use a clip fastening sling to carry baby or hold baby in a way that puts pressure on your shoulders and lower back you have a recipe for either burst stitches or numerous longer term low back problems”.
Martin also advises: “A well designed baby carrier transfers the weight directly onto the pelvic bones, your hips, and from there to the legs, so none of the baby's weight has to be carried through the spine, so there is hardly any load placed on the spinal column at all.”
Martin has been working with Wilkinet, a baby carrier celebrating its 25th anniversary. Designed by mum of eight Sally Wilkins, with the help of osteopaths, it is good for baby – making sure their weight is not carried on their tiny pelvis, simply supporting them on the thighs and bottom, and also good for mum - sitting low on the waist putting weight on the pelvic bones instead of the lower back The Wilkinet survey also showed that more than half the mums suffered from back ache at least a few times a week, with 17 per cent suffering some sort of pain all the time.
Martin and Wilkinet want mums to be more aware of the vulnerability of their backs at this crucial time in their lives and have come up with their top tips to protect both mum and baby.
Research into back pain both during and after pregnancy shows that more than 70 per cent of mums with children under two suffer from aches and pains. And over half of these suffer most when carrying their children in their arms.
The Wilkinet survey also shows that nearly all the mums (97%) love cuddling their children but nearly half can’t do so as often as they would like because of back ache.
Martin Grundy, a leading Osteopath from Whitley Bay, says that back ache is a natural result of pregnancy, when hormonal changes soften the joints, but that many of us make it far worse by the way we cuddle our children or carry them in slings not designed to support both baby and parent.
He says: “After a natural delivery every new mother has a slightly dodgy pelvic floor! If you use a clip fastening sling to carry baby or hold baby in a way that puts pressure on your shoulders and lower back you have a recipe for either burst stitches or numerous longer term low back problems”.
Martin also advises: “A well designed baby carrier transfers the weight directly onto the pelvic bones, your hips, and from there to the legs, so none of the baby's weight has to be carried through the spine, so there is hardly any load placed on the spinal column at all.”
Martin has been working with Wilkinet, a baby carrier celebrating its 25th anniversary. Designed by mum of eight Sally Wilkins, with the help of osteopaths, it is good for baby – making sure their weight is not carried on their tiny pelvis, simply supporting them on the thighs and bottom, and also good for mum - sitting low on the waist putting weight on the pelvic bones instead of the lower back The Wilkinet survey also showed that more than half the mums suffered from back ache at least a few times a week, with 17 per cent suffering some sort of pain all the time.
Martin and Wilkinet want mums to be more aware of the vulnerability of their backs at this crucial time in their lives and have come up with their top tips to protect both mum and baby.
- Ask an osteopath or physiotherapist for appropriate gentle exercises during pregnancy and the early weeks after childbirth. Or visit the ‘Love your back’ page on www.wilkinet.co.uk
- While pregnant, lying on your side in bed, place a pillow under ‘the bump’ to provide much needed support. Also put a pillow between your knees to prevent back strain.
- Seek professional help as soon as pain begins to help your body adapt to the changes and prevent future problems.
- Using an appropriate baby carrier after birth is easier on your back than carrying children in your arms – it also frees your hands for all those jobs you need to do!!
- Make sure all equipment is at a comfortable height for you – changing tables, pushchair, pram etc
- When breastfeeding use cushions to support a good posture. Avoid twisting and slouching as you may need to stay there for a while as baby gets his or her fill!
- Don’t over fill a one-shoulder baby bag – the spine starts adjusting to carry a heavy load and can cause strains.
- Take care when lifting or carrying children. Don’t carry children on one arm for too long.
- Try a sacro-iliac belt or baby sling like Wilkinet, which wraps tightly around the waist to support and realign your pelvis in the early weeks after child-birth.
Why do Parents choose one shop over another?
The Wilkinet Survey – The voice of the consumer
First Published: 01 May, 2007 in Nursery Industry Magazine, for more information visit: http://www.nursery-industry.co.uk/news/search.php?_FB%5Bq%5D=wilkinet
As part of my role at Wilkinet I often have the opportunity of visiting nursery shops. Several of them mentioned the first few months of 2007 have been slower than expected (compared to this time last year or the last quarter of 2006).
What makes parents choose your shop over any other? And what can you do to convince more of them to walk through your door?
In our survey of 280 parents and pregnant women, their biggest reason for shopping at the local independent retailer was for the "chance to find something different" (42%). Other important reasons include being able to have a "Convenient shopping experience" (33%) and finding "Better prices" (32%).
This presents the independent retailer with a challenging balancing act. To help you compete with the nationals like Mothercare and Argos you need to offer something different – whether it’s a specific niche or hard-tofind products that you’ve discovered.
At the same time, the big brands sell. If possible, you may need to offer some of the well-known names and accessories to get people through the door. Some retailers chose to be a specialist for one specific brand, offering a wide range, advice, parts and accessories.
Apart from competing on product range alone – we’ve identified other methods for attracting customers.
Certain items in the list aren’t possible for some independent retailers. If you have a smaller shop that is short of space it could be a challenge to offer changing facilities or places to sit down, relax or feed baby (but if you can – mums chat with other mums, so your personal referrals would be likely to increase). Financial resources and floor space can also restrict whether you’re able to offer a wider range of products.
If you knew you were going to get more return customers could you offer parents a small loyalty discount or perhaps a rewards scheme? If that would be too difficult to administrate – then perhaps combining several baby essentials for a set fee could help entice more customers.
Home delivery and set up is also a popular option – again, if it’s something you wouldn’t have time to do, perhaps a friendly ‘man-with-van’ could work with you
With competition from national and internet retailers, setting yourself up as being known for either selling or doing something different is a way of standing out from the crowd and increasing your customer base.
Gideon Wilkins
First Published: 01 May, 2007 in Nursery Industry Magazine, for more information visit: http://www.nursery-industry.co.uk/news/search.php?_FB%5Bq%5D=wilkinet
As part of my role at Wilkinet I often have the opportunity of visiting nursery shops. Several of them mentioned the first few months of 2007 have been slower than expected (compared to this time last year or the last quarter of 2006).
What makes parents choose your shop over any other? And what can you do to convince more of them to walk through your door?
In our survey of 280 parents and pregnant women, their biggest reason for shopping at the local independent retailer was for the "chance to find something different" (42%). Other important reasons include being able to have a "Convenient shopping experience" (33%) and finding "Better prices" (32%).
This presents the independent retailer with a challenging balancing act. To help you compete with the nationals like Mothercare and Argos you need to offer something different – whether it’s a specific niche or hard-tofind products that you’ve discovered.
At the same time, the big brands sell. If possible, you may need to offer some of the well-known names and accessories to get people through the door. Some retailers chose to be a specialist for one specific brand, offering a wide range, advice, parts and accessories.
Apart from competing on product range alone – we’ve identified other methods for attracting customers.
Certain items in the list aren’t possible for some independent retailers. If you have a smaller shop that is short of space it could be a challenge to offer changing facilities or places to sit down, relax or feed baby (but if you can – mums chat with other mums, so your personal referrals would be likely to increase). Financial resources and floor space can also restrict whether you’re able to offer a wider range of products.
If you knew you were going to get more return customers could you offer parents a small loyalty discount or perhaps a rewards scheme? If that would be too difficult to administrate – then perhaps combining several baby essentials for a set fee could help entice more customers.
Home delivery and set up is also a popular option – again, if it’s something you wouldn’t have time to do, perhaps a friendly ‘man-with-van’ could work with you
With competition from national and internet retailers, setting yourself up as being known for either selling or doing something different is a way of standing out from the crowd and increasing your customer base.
Gideon Wilkins
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