Links Worth Reading - Technology's Negative Effects On Children and Babies

Psalm 78:2-4 I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old: Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done. 

Some time back my husband and I were eating in a local restaurant. A mother came in with her daughter who appeared to be around 8 years old. They ordered and were waiting for their food. The girl had crayons and a coloring book or paper. The mother was glued to her smart phone. At some point the daughter after trying to communicate with her mom and being ignored or rebuffed started to cry. The mother told her in a harsh voice that was too loud for the situation that this was, "unacceptable behavior" and ordered her to stop crying. The mother was obviously highly annoyed to be interrupted in whatever she was doing on her phone by her daughter's need for attention. Dear reader, I wanted to get up and go over to that table and tell the mother that her behavior was "unacceptable." She shouldn't be loudly rebuking her daughter and that she should be paying attention to her daughter instead of being totally engrossed in the cyber world. Then maybe the girl wouldn't feel like she had to cry to get her attention! I didn't do it, but I have to admit that I was angry inside seeing that little girl be treated that way by her mother, and I am still sad for her.

This article is really worth reading. It addresses a serious problem with technology in many areas relating to childhood. I recommend it to anyone who is a parent, grandparent, aunt, sibling, or in any other way associated with children - pretty much all of us.

Excerpt: "Today’s children are being deprived of the fundamentals of a healthy childhood, such as:

• Emotionally available parents
• Clearly defined limits and guidance
• Responsibilities
• Balanced nutrition and adequate sleep
• Movement and outdoors
• Creative play, social interaction, opportunities for unstructured times and boredom"

Read it here: The Silent Tragedy Affecting Today's Children

----------------------------
----------------------------

Is Ultrasound a safe option during pregnancy? I had heard some things in the past about the possibility that ultrasound was not as safe as it is reported to be. One man I know said that if they had children his wife was not getting any ultrasounds. Some situations may warrant one for safety purposes, but recreational, gender identification, and entertainment factor ultrasounds are highly questionable, and often repeated ultrasounds for "diagnostic purposes" should be avoided if at all possible. Some folks like to blame all the autism and various other problems on one source - often vaccines. I feel that there are multiple reasons for why children are suffering from so many disorders that were much less common in the past. One that people often don't think about, and I seldom hear mentioned is ultrasounds.

This article is informative and thought provoking, and it is written by a doctor who practices integrative medicine.

Perils of Peeking Into the Womb: Ultrasound Risks

Excerpt: "This recent study suggests that the seemingly benign practice of obstetrical ultrasonography is one practice that deserves urgent reassessment. Researchers exposed pregnant mice at 14.5 days gestation (a neurologically vulnerable window) to 30 minutes of fetal ultrasound and assessed the pups’ behavior at 3 weeks of age. They found that the exposed pups were significantly less interested in social interactions and had significant levels of behavioral hyperactivity, in the presence of an unfamiliar mouse."