The Effects of Sugar on the Growing Human Body Did you know that the daily maximum amount of added sugar that the American Heart Association recommends for children ages 2 to 18 years old is 6 teaspoons or 25 grams? That is equivalent to 1 mini can of coke (7.5 ounces), 3 regular-sized Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, or half to three-fourths cup of Cinnamon Toast Crunch. You also might be surprised to hear that the American Heart Association recommends that children and teens should not have more than 8 ounces of sugar-sweetened drinks per week. Why does this matter?  Here are three repercuss ..read more

Should You Be Worried About Gross Motor Delays in Your Child? Your pediatrician tells you that your newborn is at risk for gross motor delays. What are gross motor delays?   A gross motor delay refers to the large motor movements of the body and the ability to move through space. In practical terms, this is how your infant learns rolling, sitting, crawling, standing, and walking.  Why are gross motor delays important?  No doubt, someone will tell you “all babies develop at their own pace.”  While this is true to some extent, more and more research is linking the milestones ..read more

We understand that starting any pediatric therapy at Kids Place is challenging and slightly intimidating. Parents and children alike are nervous. This is normal – and ok! To better prepare you for your first visit, let’s talk more about what you can expect at your first pediatric therapy session. What to Expect at my Child’s First Pediatric Physical Therapy Session First, your therapist will begin with a conversation with you and your child. During this portion, we will ask background information such as medical history, current medical conditions, timelines for meeting gross motor skills like ..read more

Letting Your Child Fall Safely During Developmental Play by Abby Thompson, PT, DPT Pediatric Physical Therapist at Kids Place West Your child is now pulling themselves into standing, but they haven’t quite figured out how to lower themselves from a standing position. What should you do? Is it okay to let them fall or should you move them back into a sitting position? This is a question we often receive from parents. It can be scary to let your child fall when they are playing, and ensuring safety and preventing injuries is a priority for all children. However, here are some of the benefits of ..read more

3 Simple Home Exercises to Help Your Baby Walk By Jeanette Cartafalsa, DPT Kids Place West Pediatric Physical Therapist Are you concerned that your baby is not walking? According to the CDC, most babies should be taking a few steps on their own by 15 months old. The most common reasons we see for your child not walking but have good standing balance are difficulty with weight shifting and postural control in all planes of motion. When a child is developing new skills, we first learn to move in the sagittal plane. This is the plane we move in when we go from sitting to standing or squatting. Ba ..read more

Supporting Healthy Media Use For Children Media, including TV, computers, smartphones, tablets and video games, can affect how your children learn, feel, think, and behave. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) encourages you to help your children develop healthy media use habits. “Nudges” to consider that help with healthy media use: Media Diet Ideas TV-free rooms (e.g., no TVs in the bedroom, kitchen) Media-Free Mornings Screen-Free Sundays Digital-Free Meals No screens after 6 P.M. for better sleep Decreasing/eliminating background TV Physical Movement screen time (e.g., yoga videos, d ..read more

14 Gift Ideas to Promote Child Development It’s that time of year to start shopping for your little ones! Are you looking for gift ideas to promote child development? Let us make it a little easier for you. Read on to to find the best gifts for gross motor skills, crawling, walking, endurance, and more! Gifts for General Developmental and Gross Motor Skills Play Mat Soft surface perfect for tummy time, rolling, crawling, and playing! Can later be used as a hopscotch or for building to promote coordination and motor planning skills. Find on Amazon Tummy Time and Rolling Mirror with High Contras ..read more

What to Expect During Your Baby’s Pediatric Physical Therapy Evaluation Your doctor recommends a pediatric physical therapy evaluation for your baby. We understand this can feel overwhelming. We hope this blog will help calm your fears so you can approach your evaluation with less anxiety and stress. Your licensed physical therapist will begin the evaluation with questions regarding your child’s medical and social history. This may include information about your pregnancy, any surgeries your baby had, who lives in their home, and how your child is developing. Your therapist may ask if it is ok ..read more

Does My Baby Need Knee Pads for Crawling? by Nicole Campbell, PT, DPT The short answer – probably not! While as an adult, it can hurt to crawl on hands and knees due to pressure on the patella (commonly called the ‘kneecap’), a baby’s patella is made of cartilage, which is soft and flexible. This allows for a baby to crawl without pain on their knees. Some babies do not like the texture of surfaces on their knee, which may explain why they may lift their knees off the ground. However, while a baby’s patella is still soft, it is not painful to crawl on hands and knees. Between the ages of 3 and ..read more

  Potential Benefits of Aquatic Therapy for Specific Diagnosesby Morgan Wilhelm, Student Physical Therapist Below we look at specific diagnoses that have benefitted from participating in aquatic therapy. This is, of course, not an exhaustive list. There are many adults and children who can benefit from therapy in an aquatic environment. Follow this link for more information on other benefits. In this blog, we will focus on the benefits of aquatic therapy for Autism Spectrum Disorder, Cerebral Palsy, and Neuromuscular disorders. Autism Spectrum Disorder Improved water safety skills found ..read more