Yoga for Children

Allergies (Treatment, October Babies)

Asthma, 2

Bullying

Brain health/Intelligence

Children's Day

Development

Family Life

Fitness

In Utero (Nutrition)

Immunity (Springtime,

Naps

Obesity

Play

Smart Phone
Teens

Weightloss

Resources:
Cosmic Kids

Taking fish oil during pregnancy could lower child’s asthma risk 懷孕時攝取魚油可降低孩童罹患氣喘風險

TODAY’S WORDS
今日單字

1. asthma n. 氣喘 

2. placebo n. 安慰劑 

3. wheeze v. 喘鳴 

4. incidence [of a disease] n.發病率 

5. inflammation n.發炎 

Women who took fish oil during the last three months of pregnancy significantly lowered the risk that their children would develop asthma, a study in Denmark has found.

Among children whose mothers took fish-oil capsules, 16.9 percent had asthma by age three, compared with 23.7 percent whose mothers were given placebos. The difference, nearly 7 percentage points, translates to a risk reduction of about 31 percent.

But in the study released on Dec. 28 last year, the researchers say they are not ready to recommend that pregnant women routinely take fish oil.

Before doctors can make any recommendations, the study should be replicated, and fish oil should be tested earlier in pregnancy and at different doses.

Doctors are eager to find ways to prevent asthma, a chronic disease that causes wheezing, coughing and breathing trouble, and that sends many families to the emergency room again and again.

The incidence has more than doubled in developed countries in recent decades.

Previous research had suggested that fish oil might help prevent asthma. The idea is plausible, because inflammation in the airways and lungs plays a major role in asthma, and fatty acids in fish oil are thought to prevent inflammation. The richest sources in food include fish like herring, sardines, mackerel, eel and salmon.

■ This article is an edited version of a piece that originally appeared in the New York Times

(New York Times / Denise Grady)

一項丹麥的研究發現，婦女在懷孕後期三個月攝取魚油可顯著降低孩童未來罹患氣喘之風險。

母親懷孕時服用魚油膠囊的孩童有百分之十六點九在三歲前罹患氣喘；而對照組母親懷孕時服用安慰劑的孩童，罹患氣喘的機率則為百分之二十三點七。其近七個百分點的差異，可換算出服用魚油將使罹患氣喘之風險減少約百分之三十一。

但在這份去年十二月二十八日發表的報告中，研究人員說他們尚不會建議懷孕婦女定期攝取魚油。

在醫師做出任何建議之前，研究應再經多次實驗驗證，並且應就懷孕較早期和不同劑量的變數再做測試。醫師亟欲找出預防氣喘之道。氣喘是一種會造成喘鳴、咳嗽和呼吸困難的慢性疾病，並造成許多家庭不斷出入急診室。

在近幾十年中氣喘在已開發國家的發病率已增加了一倍以上。

先前已有研究顯示魚油可能有助於預防氣喘，這看來是很合理的，因為氣管及肺部的發炎是造成氣喘的主要原因，而魚油中的脂肪酸則可預防發炎。最富含魚油的攝取來源包括鯡魚、沙丁、鯖魚、鰻魚、鮭魚等魚類。

■ 本文為編輯後的版本，原文已於紐約時報刊登。

（台北時報編譯林俐凱譯）

Are smartphones making young people emotionally stunted? 智慧手機使年輕人 情緒感受遲鈍嗎？

A visitor tests a smartphone on display at the IFA Consumer Electronics Show in Berlin, Germany on Sept. 5.
一名訪客九月五日在德國柏林消費電子展上試用一台智慧型手機。

Photo: Bloomberg
照片：彭博社

It is the generation that can understand exactly how you are feeling through a few simple emoticons.

But now researchers claim that children are so engrossed in their phones, they are unable to accurately read how people are feeling in real life.

This is the result of less face-to-face time interaction, according to the study, which found young kids are glued to electronic devices for nearly five hours each day.

The finding was made after testing the ability of 11 to 12-year-olds to recognize the emotions of people pictured in photos.

“Many people are looking at the benefits of digital media in education, and not many are looking at the costs,” said study author Patricia Greenfield, professor of psychology at the Children’s Digital Media Center, part of the University of California, Los Angeles.

“Decreased sensitivity to emotional cues — losing the ability to understand the emotions of other people — is one of the costs.”

Lead author Yalda Uhls said that emoticons are a poor substitute for face-to-face communication: “We are social creatures. We need device-free time.”

(Courtesy of Liberty Times)

這是個只要透過幾個簡單的表情符號就能了解你感受如何的世代。

但是現在研究人員宣稱，現在孩子花太多時間在他們的手機上，以至於無法精準解讀真實世界中人們的感受。

根據這份研究，這是較少面對面互動的結果。這項研究發現孩童每天有將近五小時的時間3C設備不離手。

這項發現是經測試十一到十二歲者辨識照片中人們情緒的能力所得出。

「許多人看的是數位媒體在教育中的好處，審視必須為此付出何種代價的人不多，」研究報告作者洛杉磯加州大學兒童數位媒體中心心理學教授派翠希亞．葛林菲爾說。

「對情緒訊號的敏感度降低，即失去理解他人情緒的能力，就是其中的代價之一。」

報告第一作者亞爾達．烏爾斯說，表情符號不能取代面對面的溝通，「我們是社交動物。我們需要有拋開電子器材的時間。」

（自由時報提供／翻譯：管淑平）

TODAY’S WORDS
今日單字

1. stunted adj. 遲鈍的；發育不良的 

(例: The poor diet resulted in stunted brain development.

(飲食不均衡導致腦部發育遲緩。)

2. engross v. 使全神貫注 

例: Benny is engrossed in his Internet business.

(班尼全心投入他的網路事業。)

3. cue n. 暗示；提示；訊號 

例: The bus bombing was the cue for a more wider terrorist attack.

(這起巴士爆炸案表示一場更大規模的恐怖攻擊開始了。)

Afternoon naps aid children’s learning 午睡幫助孩子學習

A vendor selling watermelons naps as he waits for customers at a market in Taiyuan, in China’s Shanxi Province on July 17.
一位小販七月十七日在中國山西省太原市一處市場等待顧客上門時，小歇片刻。

Photo: Reuters
照片：路透

Getting young children to take an hour-long nap after lunch could help them with their learning by boosting brain power, a small study suggests.

A nap appeared to help three-to-five-year-olds better remember pre-school lessons, US researchers said.

University of Massachusetts Amherst researchers studied 40 youngsters and reported their findings in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The benefit persisted in the afternoon after a nap and into the next day.

The study authors say their results suggest naps are critical for memory consolidation and early learning. When the children were allowed a siesta after lunch they performed significantly better on a visual-spatial tasks in the afternoon and the next day than when they were denied a midday snooze.

(Liberty Times)

TODAY’S WORDS 今日單字

1. nap n.

午睡 (wu3 shui4)

例: Grandpa usually takes a nap after lunch.

(阿公吃過午飯後通常會睡個午覺。)

2. persist v.

持續 (chi2 xu4)

例: The cold weather is set to persist throughout the week.

(這一週都將是寒冷的天氣。)

3. deny n.

拒絕 (ju4 jue2)

例: I was denied the opportunity of learning French at school.

(我在學校沒機會學法文。)

一項小型研究顯示，讓小孩子在午餐後打盹一小時，可能有助他們增強腦力，幫助學習。

美國研究人員說，小睡一番似乎能幫助三到五歲的小孩更能記住學齡前的功課。

麻薩諸塞大學阿默斯特分校的研究人員觀察四十名小孩，並在美國國家科學院院刊報告他們的發現。午睡的好處持續整個下午到隔天。

研究作者說，他們的研究結果顯示，午睡對鞏固記憶力與早期學習至關重要。小孩子要是可以在午餐後睡個午覺，他們在下午與隔天的視覺－空間工作表現，會比不能午睡時明顯較好。

（自由時報／翻譯：自由時報國際新聞中心）

Observe children’s use of electronics to understand their minds: psychiatrists 觀察孩子玩3C 了解內心世界

Regarding whether parents can truly comprehend what their children are thinking, psychiatrists say that with kids nowadays so enthralled with IT products, there is very little interaction and communication going on between parents and children, causing many things to remain bottled up and left unsaid. Can parents actually gain any insight by observing what video games their kids like to play? Which TV shows they enjoy watching? Which characters they like? If you want to understand a child’s inner world, there is no harm in talking and playing with them while they play with the IT products.

Lam Pok, an attending physician at Miaoli Wei Gong Memorial Hospital’s psychiatry department, says that back before 3C (computer, communications and consumer electronics) products existed, children and parents had more opportunities to talk with each other. Children used to vent their emotions by playing outdoor sports and also talked to their parents more about their feelings. With the proliferation of electronic products, video games have become the main way that children express their feelings. Characters in television dramas have also become objects for children to obtain emotional sustenance, making them less fond of talking to their parents about personal matters.

Lam says the theory of psychological projection explains why adolescents and young people often enjoy playing video games — the opponent that they are fighting is not actually the enemy in the game, but rather more likely to be someone in real life who makes them feel incredible pressure. It could be a classmate, a teacher or possibly parents. The same principle applies to watching the plots on TV or in films. Children who lack true love from their parents will easily be moved to tears when they see an alien savior come on the screen, Lam says.

When parents see their child playing video games or watching TV, it is best to get closer to them to make observations and show more concern for the child. Lam suggests that parents find an appropriate time to ask the following three questions. The first should be about which character they like the most. Liking a particular character is usually because that character has similar personality traits or has suffered in similar ways as the child. The second question should be about which character they wish they could be. This will be the person that possesses something that the child is lacking but aspires to be. The third question asks the child which character they loathe the most, which can represent someone who has probably hurt the child or gives them stress, Lam says.

(Liberty Times, Translated by Kyle Jeffcoat)

家長是否真的了解孩子在想什麼，精神科醫師表示，現在的孩子喜歡3C產品，與父母互動溝通少，以致很多事都放在心裡不說，其實家長可以透過觀察孩子喜歡玩什麼電玩遊戲？看什麼類型的電視節目？又喜歡哪個角色？想要了解孩子的內心世界，不妨利用孩子玩3C產品時，跟孩子多談談與多溝通。

苗栗為恭醫院精神科主治醫師林博說，在以前沒有3C產品的年代，孩子與父母說話的機會較多，孩子除運動宣洩情緒外，也比較會告訴父母，但在3C產品普及之後，電玩往往成為孩子發洩情緒的方法，電視劇中的角色也成為了情感寄託的對象，讓孩子較不愛告訴父母關於自己的事情。

林博指出，從學理上的「投射理論」，可以看到青少年喜愛打電玩，往往是在對打速度感中發洩內在的不滿及痛苦，對打的對象其實不是遊戲中的敵人，而可能是生活中壓得他喘不過氣的人；這個人可能是同學、老師也可能是父母；看電視或是電影劇情也是相同的道理，缺乏父母真愛的小孩看到外星來的拯救者，會激動地流下眼淚來。

當父母看到孩子在打電玩或是看電視時，最好能走近觀察與關心一下孩子。林博建議，父母可以適時問三個問題，第一個是「你最喜歡裡面的誰？」因為會喜歡一個角色，是因為角色個性、遭遇和自己相似；第二個問題則是「你想當裡面的誰？」因為這正是孩子自己缺乏但卻十分嚮往的人；第三個問題則是「你討厭裡面的誰？」因為這個人可能曾經傷害過他或是造成壓力的人。

（自由時報記者魏怡嘉）

Children get sick more easily with unpredictable spring temperatures 春天乍暖還寒 兒童易染病

Above and below: Children and parents wait in the pediatrics department of a hospital in Greater Taichung on Jan. 2.
兒童與家長一月二日在台中市一所醫院的小兒科候診。

photos: Tsai Shu-yuan, Liberty Times
照片：自由時報蔡淑媛

• 1
 
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It is easier for children to get sick in the spring due to highly unpredictable weather and temperatures as well as children’s lower resistance to infection. Chang Tao-tse, a pediatrician at Miaoli County’s Da Chien General Hospital, says there have been many cases of colds, bronchitis, mycoplasma pneumonia, and croup recently. He reminds parents to pay more attention when a child is not feeling well and to seek immediate medical attention.

Chang says that the common cold is the most frequently seen illness among children in the springtime. Usually a cold passes simply by drinking more water and resting, but if a high fever persists there is the possibility that it will bring about tympanitis or sinusitis. Parents and teachers should teach children to wash their hands often, avoid visiting public places, and wear masks if they do have a cold so that the virus does not continue to spread.

Also common in the spring is bronchitis, the initial symptoms of which resemble the common cold — coughing and a runny nose, but usually the patient recovers in one to two weeks. High fevers and labored breathing occur in serious cases, possibly leading to hypoxia, which requires hospitalization and is a situation that must be taken very seriously.

Chang says that mycoplasma pneumonia is often seen in school-aged children. Its initial symptoms include headaches, fever, sore throat, and lethargy. After two to five days, coughing begins, and sometimes non-respiratory symptoms such as vomiting, abdominal pains, conjunctivitis, and skin rashes also appear.

Croup occurs when a child’s voice suddenly becomes hoarse, with a “barking” cough, stridor, and breathing difficulties, during which time parents usually do not know what to do. Chang says the symptoms of croup usually appear late at night or early in the morning. Breathing warm steam can mitigate the symptoms, but it must not be taken lightly in cases of epilottitis, high fevers, short-temperedness or difficulty swallowing, or if it leads to an acute obstruction of the airways.

Other illnesses that are frequently seen in the spring include chicken pox, enterogastritis, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, and enteroviruses. Some viruses are picked up at school, so teachers must also help in protecting children’s health by letting parents know when a child is not feeling well and arranging for them to see a doctor.

(Liberty Times, Translated by Kyle Jeffcoat)

春天氣候多變、乍暖還寒，兒童的抵抗力比較弱，因此容易生病，苗栗大千綜合醫院小兒科醫師張濤澤表示，最近常見的有感冒、支氣管炎、黴漿性肺炎與哮吼等，請家長多留意，發現孩子身體不適應趕快就醫。

張濤澤指出，感冒是兒童在春季最常見的流行疾病，一般感冒只需多喝水、多休息，但如果高燒不退，有可能併發中耳炎、鼻竇炎等，家長、老師應教導小朋友勤洗手，避免出入公共場所，如果感冒應戴上口罩，以免擴大傳染。

支氣管炎也好發於春天，初期症狀像感冒，有咳嗽、流鼻水，大多數一到二週可痊癒，但病情嚴重時會合併高燒與嚴重的呼吸窘迫、甚至缺氧，必須住院治療，不可不慎。

他表示，黴漿性肺炎常見於學齡期的兒童，初期症狀包括頭痛、發燒、喉嚨痛、全身無力，二到五天後出現咳嗽，有時也會有嘔吐、腹痛、結膜炎與皮膚疹等非呼吸道方面的症狀。

哮吼是指幼兒突然聲音沙啞、咳嗽像狗吠聲，吸氣有喘鳴聲及呼吸困難，常讓家長們不知所措。張濤澤說，哮吼常發生在夜間和清晨，吸入濕熱的蒸氣可減輕症狀，但如果併發細菌性會厭炎，會出現高燒、煩躁、吞嚥困難，甚至持續惡化阻塞氣道，不能大意。

兒童在春季的常見疾病還包括水痘、腸胃炎、過敏性鼻炎、異位性皮膚炎、腸病毒等，有些疾病是在學校被同學感染造成，因此小朋友的健康也需要老師協助守護，發現學童身體不適應立即家長反映，安排就診。 （自由時報記者傅潮標）

TODAY’S WORDS 今日單字

1. pediatrician n.

小兒科醫師 (xiao3 er2 ke1 yi1 shi1)

例: Your child should see a pediatrician instead of a family doctor if they have a complex medical issue.

(如果你的孩子有比較複雜的醫療問題，應該看小兒科醫師不是家庭醫師。)

2. hoarse adj.

沙啞的 (sha1 ya3 de5)

例: The coach’s voice was very hoarse after yelling at the players during the game.

(教練因為比賽時對球員喊叫，聲音變沙啞。)

3. chicken pox n. phr.

水痘 (shui3 dou4)

例: Chicken pox usually occurs during childhood and is highly contagious.

(水痘通常好發於孩童時期，且傳染性頗高。)

Resources:

http://www.indiaparenting.com/alternative-healing/12_4039/yoga-for-improving-immunity.html
http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/yogasutra/yoga-to-build-immunity/214995