Babies, Parenting, Child Health, Infant Nutrition

Baby Development – Newsweek Reports: But I Did Everything Right!

08.14.2008 | 5:08:55 pm | Posted by mummums

By Colleen Hurley, RD, Certified Kid’s Nutrition Specialist

Current technology can provide modern parents with more than ample parenting advice. Since the first parenting book arrived in 1811; thousands of books, DVD’s, and websites attempt to provide insight into “best” parenting practices the minute a new child development study is revealed. Yet despite a parent’s best efforts, sometimes kids just don’t turn out as expected. As a Newsweek story this week discusses, parenting skills may have to compete with genetics.

baby development, parenting One aspect of parenting all child development experts agree on is that kids learn best when allowed to make their own mistakes. As your toddler repeatedly tumbles while learning to walk, parents must learn to let go of her hand so that she can master walking on her own. As she enters preschool, mom hopes all the healthy snacks she’s had around the house will help her little one make better food choices when she is at school. The freedom of letting kids learn from their setbacks, like when your toddler experiences a tummy ache from eating too many sweets, will help them to not repeat the same mistakes.

This method does indeed work for some kids, but apparently not all of them. The coils of about 30% of kids’ DNA carry a glitch; one that leaves their brains with decreased dopamine receptors. Small numbers of dopamine receptors have been linked to a person’s inability to control self-destructive behavior. One denominating factor of children with this genetic variant is that it they are unable to learn from their mistakes.

Genetic variations have become the basis of a large number of studies trying to determine why it is kids do what they do. Researchers attempt to make child-rearing a literal science assuming that although every child is different, there are some universal touchstones most kids experience like the “terrible twos”. While significant amounts of children do behave in the way research has indicated, there are always anomalies in every study. While these child anomalies have been ignored, scientists are now beginning to take a look at what those kids might tell us about child development.

Of the most counteractive findings, recent research found that fussy babies are more likely to absorb the lessons their parents teach; while sweet natured children are less likely to do so. Basically, good parenting doesn’t necessarily stick to good natured kids, but neither does bad parenting. A baby’s temperament can be easily observed, but what about how they will respond to parenting? If atypical behavior is due a glitch in DNA, they may be candidates for genetic testing for the gene variations related to:

whether or not a child learns from their mistakes

protection from bad parenting

whether a baby’s brain development can be encouraged by breastfeeding

What You Can Do
The quandary of nature versus nurture in regards to the type of adult your child will become will not resolve anytime soon, and neither will routine genetic testing for your child. Psychologists and behavioral scientists alike believe that genetics play only a minute role in child development banking on the idea that genes do not determine destiny. However, geneticists and scientists feel behavioral study is largely anecdotal. It appears both extremes-that genetics are everything and that proper parenting can create a “perfect” child- are actually incorrect. So if you are feeling despondent that all your efforts to provide the best parenting you can are for naught, don’t despair. Science is ever-changing so if you feel perhaps you should just let nature takes its course; don’t throw in the towel just yet. One child-rearing concept has and will continue to stand the test of time: just do the best that you can.

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The Baby Mum-Mum blog discusses everything to do with babies and parenting with a focus on child health and child development. Baby Mum-Mum is a healthy, easy to digest baby rice snack that is enjoyed by babies and mothers around the world for its portability, gluten free ingredients and great taste. Baby Mum-Mum is a division of Want-Want Holdings, a manufacturer of healthy snack foods, beverages and related products since 1962.

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