Noah’s 11 months old in today’s video and we decided to try and let Noah self feed today. As you can see he really enjoyed it (as we did his mommy and daddy.) I thought I’d share a little bit about our experience with allowing Noah to self feed for the first time for any of you getting ready to try this with your child.

It’s messy

I am not going to lie, my biggest fear with starting self-feeding with Noah was the MESS. I have seen this kid eat off a spoon and it isn’t pretty, so I could only imagine what he will do when he is in control. So the first step in deciding to let your child self-feed is getting a really good mop and lots of paper towels. It also helps to let them eat in only their diaper…your washer and dryer will thank you later. I have all but abandoned bibs as they only keep one section of him clean and Noah is able to target every area outside of that with excellent precision.

When to start

I quickly realized that I had no idea what I was doing or where to start. It is best to try self-feeding when a child is able to support themselves while sitting. Since this is sometimes delayed in children with Down syndrome I don’t think they need to be sitting on their own so much as being able to sit well when supported in a feeding chair or high chair. They also should be able to reach out and grab things and have fairly good aim at their mouth.

When they start doing this with toys, they should be more than willing to do this with food. They should also be making some chewing movements with their mouth, they don’t need teeth, but they do need to know what to do with a more solid food. Teeth will determine the consistency of the foods you will try. If your little one does not have teeth yet you’ll want to stick to easily mashed items. It’ll also be easier if they are interested in what is on your plate while you are eating. Continue Reading…

While I was studying for the Pediatric Board exam only one question I studied remains with me;

If language development is delayed or hindered due to other motor delays such as apraxia, then problem-solving is the best indicator of intelligence.

I have clung to that statement because I know that Noah’s language will be delayed; so I look for his ability to problem-solve every day.

Actions speak louder than words, literally.

There are various aspects of development and one of those is cognitive development which includes problem-solving as well as language. Problem-solving is the manipulation of objects to achieve a specific goal. Noah has figured out that by using his very flexible lower extremities that he can get things that are out of reach. Pretty cute right? We thought so. His curiosity and exploration of his world continues to amaze us.

He may not talk yet, but he is one smart cookie!

Cognitive development starts when a child is born. Some very smart people with PhD’s and MD’s have done the research to see how we can monitor cognitive development from the very first few weeks of life.  The very first sign is with a child’s eyes. Tracking is one of the very first milestones your baby will achieve. They will follow faces, followed by objects.  We have talked previously about how we waited patiently, ok, maybe not so patiently for Noah to stare at us. Typical babies are able to do this almost at birth, where as children with Down syndrome it may take a few weeks. Continue Reading…

[This post is a part of the "New Parent Guide To Down Syndrome" blog series. Be sure to check out the other posts in that series.)

Wearing a red nose isn't on the list...but it's a nice quality!

You may already have a pediatrician and hopefully they are the perfect fit for your family. Here are some qualities that are very important when choosing the best pediatrician for your child with Down syndrome. I’ve also included some questions under each quality to help you in your journey to choose the best doctor for your child.

1. They MUST Listen To You.

You know your child best and if you think something is wrong there is a good chance there is. If you have a doctor that blows you off, this is a red flag. You want a pediatrician that listens to your concern and is willing to either spend the time necessary to help you understand why they believe testing isn’t necessary, or is willing to do the proper testing to rules your concern out. This means that you have to listen as well and if you get reassurance and education you have to let go of your concern for the time being.

The biggest concerns are the ones that keep you up at night worrying. I will often ask parents if we don’t do XYZ test will you be able to sleep at night. If they say no, there is a high likelihood that I will do more testing. I call it treating parents  If it helps you sleep and feel better about your child, then let’s do it. Can I guarantee that your pediatrician will do that…no, but I urge you to let your pediatricians know what you are really worried about.

Let me use a common example (and one that we personally deal with) A lot of parents of children with Down syndrome have a fear of cancer. Our children will likely deal with congestion and fevers and typical stuff, but when it starts to happen frequently the cancer idea can often sprout in your head. Make sure to ask your pediatrician as this question can easily be answered and you can easily be reassured. Therefore you can sleep at night

If you are concerned about your child having cancer, here is one of the best thing you can ask your child’s pediatrician:

If I am concerned about something how do we best address those concerns, and if lab work or imaging is the only way to completely rule something out will you be willing to do that?

2. Comfortable Conversations

You have to feel comfortable talking with them and asking your questions because you will certainly have a few. Maybe even hundreds. If you are intimidated or fearful of asking questions you will most likely leave every visit a little dissatisfied and wishing you would have just asked that question you had in the back of your mind. One of the main purposes of a pediatrician is to answer parents’ questions, and if you don’t feel comfortable asking your pediatrician questions, you’re missing out. Even I have ran into a few doctors where I don’t feel comfortable asking all of my questions. I will also be the first one to volunteer that just as in the general population there are some not so nice doctors or ones with a little different personality. Continue Reading…