Social/Kiddies
How To Prevent Heart Damage Among Children
Experts have identified constant mobility as a key way of preventing heart damage in children.
They have come up with a study that indicates that the accumulation of inactive time is related and results to heart damage, even if the weight of the body and blood pressure is normal.
The study which was presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress in 2023 and published by Science Daily in August 2023, also indicates that, hours of inactivity during childhood could be setting the stage for heart attacks and strokes later in life.
According to the study author, Dr. Andrew Agbaje of the University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland, long hours before screens by young people may add up to a heavier heart which leads to heart attack.
” All those hours of screen time in young people add up to a heavier heart, which we know from studies in adults raises the likelihood of heart attack and stroke. Children and teenagers need to move more to protect their long term health”, he said.
This study was conducted as part of the Children of the 1990s study, which began in 1990/1991 and is one of the world’s largest cohorts with lifestyle measurements from birth.
For the study, at 11years of age, the children wore a smart watch with an activity tracker for seven days. This was repeated at 15 years of age and again at 24 years of age. The weight of the heart’s left ventricle was assessed by Echocardiography, a type of ultrasound scan, at 17 and 24 years of age and reported in grams relative to height (g/m 2.7).
The researchers analysed the association between sedentary time between 11 and 24 years of age after adjusting for factors that could influence the relationship including age, sex, blood pressure, body fat, smoking, physical activity and socio economic status.
The study included 766 children, of whom 55% were girls and 45% were boys. At 11years of age, children were sedentary for an average of 362 minutes a day, rising to 474 minutes a day in young adulthood (24 years of age).
This meant that sedentary time increased by an average of 169 minutes(2.8 hours ) a day between childhood and young adulthood.
The study also indicates that each one minutes increase in sedentary time from 11 to 24 years of age was associated with 0.004 g/m2.7 increase in left ventricular mass between 17 to 24 years of age which could lead to increased risk of heart disease.
Dr. Agbaje said that, “Children were sedentary for more than six hours a day and this increased by nearly three hours a day by the time they reached young adulthood”.
He said that this development can lead to heart damage during adulthood.
He, however, advised parents to encourage children and teenagers to move more by taking them out for a walk and limiting time spent on social media and video games.
Other reports indicated that this development is more with children in urban centers, who rarely go out to play or engage in physical activity.
It analysed that, with the growing dependency on technology and change in lifestyle, children are less active as compared to the earlier generation.
This, according to reports poses risks to their health that may not be noticed immediately. The adverse effects may show up later in life and can be a long term, if changes are not made easily.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a sedentary lifestyle could very well be among the 10 leading causes of death and disability in the world.
Another study by Kaiser Family Foundation found that, the average child in the 8-18 years age group is spending an alarming seven hours in front of the screen (television, mobile, laptop) every day.
Yet, in another study, “Physical activity in childhood may be the key to optimizing lifespan skeletal health”, published by the National Center for Biotechnology information in 2013, an hour of outdoor play or engaging in a physical activity everyday is extremely important for children. It also stated that this may not be at a time but can be beneficial when done in stages. It however, helps them burn energy, tone the muscles and also help stimulate the brain.
It added that the human body is meant to move, so any lack of physical activity deteriorates and weakens the body, sags the muscles, stiffens the joint, and causes pain.
Other studies suggested that there is a relationship between inactive lifestyle and the increased risk of cancer. The risk is not different in children as in adults. It is associated with an increased risk of more than 10 types of cancer.
It is also linked to 25% higher chance of feeling low and depressed, thereby displaying mood swings leading to depression. When active, the body releases endorphins and serotonin which leads to the feeling good factor and in turn reduces the risk of depression and anxiety too.
Many recent studies have shown an incremental decline in children’s physical activity over the last two decades with the digital world playing a major part by replacing the physical time for children to play before now.
A research done at Essex University comparing the results of children now with results from children 30 years before indicated that it takes 90 seconds longer for children today to run a mile than it did before.
It also indicated that 95% of children years ago can run more than children today. Also, children before had a 26% greater arm strength, they also had a 7% stronger hand grip. And that children 30years ago could do 27.1% more sit ups.
Another research indicated that just 24% of children aged 6 to 17 participate in 60 minutes of physical activity every day, which is optimum for that age group.
These upsetting results indicate that children are indeed becoming less active and this issue carries certain risks for their health.
It is , however, important to note that a developing child grows their cells much faster than an adult. Some cells form only when we are young and science shows that physical activity is one of the most important factors in determining how both our bodies and minds develop.
Once we get older, the core muscle and bone structure will remain similar to what we have developed at young age. Therefore, when children lead unhealthy lifestyle, they set a bad foundation that leads to health issues in the future.
It is the duty of parents to set examples as positive role models for their children to follow. Planning regular family trips to places close to nature which may lead to running, swinging, swimming and climbing is important. This would help the child get sound sleep at the end of the day and get healthier.
Also, enrolling the child in a sport that he or she enjoys or activity like dancing is a great way to get the body moving and learn more things as well.
By: Ibinabo Ogolo
It is the idea of God that family should exit. Children form part of the family. God loves family so much that Jesus was born into the family of Joseph.
Everyone’s family is good and important. Children should not look down on their family whether they are rich or poor.
Children should respect and honour their family and foster love among their siblings. They should work together and make peace in the family. They should always stand in the gap. It is good for family members to carry all along since everyone may not be doing well.
The Christianity that children learn is practised in family. Faith-based organisations do a great job in moulding children’s character. Those are the behaviours that children exhibit towards siblings in family.
Every child born in a family is there for a purpose. A baby born into a family is supplying something. It may be joy, wealth and so on. Everyone is important in a family.
Adolescents who have graduated from school but may not be contributing financially can do one or two things at home. You can engage in preparing meals at home while parents are away for a job or business. Contributing in house chores will go a long way to relieve parents of stress after a day’s job.
What do you contribute to your family, especially during holidays both in nuclear and extended family?
The family you were born is constant but friends are temporary. You can decide not to continue in friendship but you cannot cut off your family. No matter how bad you think your family is and you decide to leave home, you must surely return. Your friends can harbour you for a while.
The child’s first identity comes from the family. What the child learns first comes from the family.
Family is the centre of love and care. People have started playing down on marriage because of neglect on basics of family. Marriage starts today and and the next few months, it is threatened. Respect for family plays a crucial role in marriage.
No child grows without parental control and influence. If a child refuses to grow without taking instructions from parents, he may grow up being wild. There are consequences when children do not obey their parents. There are those who want to be rebellious against their parents. They should know that their length of days are tied to their parents.
Your bioligical parents know you more than every other person. There is the wisdom and knowledge your parents have that you do not so it is proper to listen to them before choosing carriers both in academics and job. A young man or woman can choose who to get married to, but a greater role in the choice of who to marry and the marriage proper comes from the parents.
They know what is best for you. No matter how modern trends will influence you and prove it wrong, parent is the key. No one can love you more than your parents because they are your blood.
A lot of parents have been traumatised due to the fact that children they nurtured and trained turned their back on them at older age. Children should not abandon their parents for any reason.
As you grow up, situations may arise in marriage when you decide it is over with your spouse, but no matter the level of provocation with your parents, they will not despise you. Parents will also play a role in that regard. Problem arises in every family but how it is handled matters a lot.
Some children honour their mentors more than their parents. Although there are parents who shy away from their responsibilities. It is important that parents take full responsibility of their children. You cannot bring a child to the planet earth and refuse to perform roles as a parent. But parents may not quantify what they spent from childhood to adolescence. That is a blessing children cannot get from another person.
There are people who have attributed their failure in life to the fact that their parents, especially mothers are witchcraft. It is wrong to feel that your mother is instrumental to your failure in life. The only way to success is hardwork.
Let money not determine the level of love for your parents. Wherever a child goes, family is constant.
Eunice Choko-Kayode
Naturally, when a child is born, it is the role of the father and mother to decide a suitable name for the child. The husband and wife normally discuss and suggest the English or vernacular name of the baby.
But sometimes, when a baby comes into a family, grandparents hearts are usually filled with joy to the extent that they want to answer present, by giving their own names not minding the fact that the biological parents have given theirs.
This happens mostly when the marriage is an inter-tribal one. It also happens even in intra-tribal marriage. Grandparents want equal representation as far as naming a child is concerned. They also have special names as a result of circumstances surrounding the birth of the child.
This is still happening till date.
A lot of people have viewed this in different ways but there is nothing wrong about it. The most important thing is that the child bears as many names as he or she can. But one thing is certain, the child must bear one name in school.
Should circumstance determine a child’s name?
Women who are more emotional are always eager to name their children considering the circumstances surrounding the child’s conception and arrival.
The issue of grandparents naming a child comes up mostly when it is the first of the family.
In naming children by some parents in the olden days, they named their children according to the days in the week in which they were born, like Sunday, Monday, Friday and so on.
You may be shocked to hear that whether a child is given 10 names by parents or grandparents, when he or she grows up, will decide to change. There are several cases where some persons decided to change especially when they feel that the names given by their parents and grandparents do not give them joy. If they are not doing well in life, they may claim that their misfortune is caused by the name their parents.
Competition among children in schools be it primary, (kindergarten) and secondary come in different forms. It can be Mathematics , debate, quiz, spelling bee,competition, from organisations like Cowbell, multi-national companies, faith-based organisations among others.
They are organised mostly for selected intelligent ones, the best among their peers to represent a class, school or group. Prizes are normally set aside for the best as well as consolation prizes for runners-up at the end of each session.
The question is, are children willing to accept defeat when they fail? As parents, guardians, can you encourage your children or wards to accept defeat instead of shouting and comparing them with others who may be performing better either in schools or outside.
Some parents may be blaming their children for not doing well in competitions. They will like to tell their children if others who may perform better have ten heads. Those group of parents blame their children for every failure.
For your children to do better in competition, the parents too must have emotional intelligence. When you continue to blame your children for failure, how intelligent are you?
Some parents always want their children to be in the 1st position and unhappy whenever they secure 2nd position. There were instances where children smashed their trophies because they never got the position they wanted to get and their parents supported them.
Children should be able to accept it whether they win or not. They should be encouraged for every performance. Discourage the issue of “shame, shame, shame, shame”.
A parent says she always tells her children to win even if they will fail. Always give them the mentality that they can win. Children should be given the impression that they can win prizes and laurels in every competition.
Parents should not isolate their children from others in the neighbourhood. Allow them to play with others. Don’t threaten your children that you may not pay their schools fees if they fail. Comparing them with others may encourage or discourage them.
Coming first or getting award as a first class student from the university sometimes does not mean that the person is the best. And if the child does not merit any award in the lower classes, does not mean that he can not merit first class also.
It should be noted that coming first in academic competition may not really mean that the competitor will be the best at work place or business.
Accepting defeat is a way to move higher. Even if a child who competed with others did not come first, there are consolation prizes for runners-up. When you advise the child to accept defeat, you are encouraging her to win in next competition.
Remember all children cannot be on the same knowledge level Their learning abilities defer.
Eunice Choko-Kayode