As the Bub Hub is now Australia’s most comprehensive online directory of pregnancy, baby and toddler services we have changed the format of our monthly electronic newsletter. Welcome to the first National Hubbub!
 

In our new format we have removed the Sales and Events section and replaced it with a link to a new ‘Sales & Special Offers’ page in the Going Out section in each state (see links on the right). We will still be providing 3-4 articles each month on various topics we feel may be of interest to parents and carers.   With more than 2,500 organisations listed on the Bub Hub we are able to organise articles that cover almost the entire parenting spectrum and we welcome feedback from our subscribers on topics for upcoming Hubbubs.

Click on the links below to visit the NEW Sales & Special Offers page for your state NSW    QLD    SA    VIC    WA

 
This months features are:
 
Water Affinity for Babies by Laurie Lawrence;
 
Tips for Strong Healthy Teeth from Dr Matthew Fracaro BDS MDSc;
 
Medicines Line a recent addition to our ‘Helplines and Support Organisations’ page
 

We have had a kind request from one of our newsletter subscribers for copies of our poster to be displayed at her place of work. If you feel that our site would be of interest to your work colleagues, childcare centre, playgroup or friends, we would be more than happy to supply you with a poster to display, or brochures to distribute. Posters are A4 and brochures are 1/3 A4 size. Both are professionally printed in colour. Please just email us with your mailing address and state whether you prefer a poster or brochures.   In less than two months the number of viewers and hits on the Bub Hub per week has almost doubled. We would like to thank all those who have helped to spread the word.

 
A reminder that Term 2 classes are starting later this month. Visit our Learning and Development section and the ‘Learn to Swim’ and ‘Learning through Play, Music Movement and Craft’ pages specifically for details of courses for your little one(s).
 
Lastly we would like to welcome our Daughter Rebecca Jane born on the 2nd of March to the staff at Bub Hub.
 
Best Wishes
 
Hilary & Brad Lauder
www.bubhub.com.au

One of the most popular pages on the Web site is our ‘Learning to Swim & Swim Schools’ page in the Learning & Development section. Many pools offer classes in the winter months. We have asked one of Australia’s most experienced swim coaches, Laurie Lawrence for some tips on easing baby into swimming, Part 1 of his response is below. The Bub Hub also has a page on ‘Outdoor Safety’ which is a must see for pool owners.
 
 

Having lived around swimming pools, swimming remains my passion, and, I’m a firm believer that all children should learn to swim as babies. As a swimming teacher and parent I would like to share with parents, grandparents and carers all over Australia some simple tips that will help their little champ grow to love the water. The baby has already spent nine months immersed in a watery environment the womb. These simple exercises will maintain that natural affinity with the water and condition them for their first underwater experience. This conditioning process will prepare them for their first big-pool swimming lesson without fuss or trauma and one day may even save their life.

 
The first few months of babies swimming life involves much of the same. Each bath time becomes very important in the pre-conditioning process for submersion. Trigger words with water pouring become very important in the conditioning process. This process is described below. The old adage rings true “Practice makes perfect.”
 

CONDITIONING STEPS 1. Take a cup of water 2. Sit your baby upright in the bath 3. Say “the child’s name! Ready Go!” e.g. “Jack! Ready go!” 4. Wait one second then pour the full cup of water quickly on the child’s forehead, allowing it to run smoothly and evenly down the child’s face 5. Always use the “trigger words.” “Your child’s name! Ready go!” 6. Do at least ten or twelve pours over the course of every bath 7. If the baby shows any distress by crying, stop immediately, and cuddle and comfort the baby

 

TIPS • Make sure you keep “the trigger” rhythmical and constant! • Remember to smile laugh communicate with your baby. It will help them to relax and enjoy    their bath/swimming lesson. • Relax! If your baby appears tense or frightened it will not be from natural fear of water maybe    inadvertent transfer of parental anxiety to the child. • Other possibilities for tenseness or fear communicated by crying are: tiredness, wind, hunger,    or maybe, as they get older, teething problems. • Use coloured toys as a possible stimulus or distraction for any accidental swallowing or sniffing    of water. Squeeky ones are very helpful. • Note take a break if the child is distressed in any way. • Place mobile toys in your bathroom or over the small baby bath. These useful novelties add greatly    to the baby’s entertainment and relaxation. The more colourful the more stimulating for your baby. • Never leave a baby unattended in the bath. • Take phone off hook, full attention is required. Don’t answer the doorbell.

 
During the first four months pre-conditioning for submersion is the most important step that parents can take in the learn to swim process.
 
Babies are unique little individuals and are born into the world virtually helpless. They are totally reliant on their parents and the people around them for existence. Their early communication with the parents is simply crying. In this way they indicate they are hungry, or uncomfortable. Astute parents soon learn the different crying sounds of hunger, wind, nappy change, or pick me up I want a cuddle. Babies have to learn about our world from their parents and the people who care for them.
 

Laurie Lawrence Laurie Lawrence Swim Schools 284 Millers Rd, Underwood ph: (07) 3341 7260 Rugby Lane, Helensvale ph: (07) 5573 5797 Robert Street, Mudgeeraba ph: (07) 5530 5288 Martin Street, Nerang ph: (07) 5578 1976     Laurie is also spokesman for Kids Alive Do The Five! and we urge all parents to take five minutes to visit their website and consider ways they can help to reduce the risk of drowning, the greatest cause of accidental death for kids under five in Australia.

 

One of the pages that many Bub Hub parents are interested in is the 'Sight, Hearing & Dental Checks for Infants' in the Health & Safety section. Professionals used to dealing with children can make the experience significantly easier for both children and parents. We have asked Dr Matthew Fracaro, a Paediatric Dentistry specialist, for some pointers on early tooth development and care.

 

These are very dangerous times for kids teeth due to the ever increasing amount of hidden sugars and food acids present in our highly processed diets. Encourage sweets at meal times when the opportunity for decay is minimal. Your child can have treats every now & then, but not all the time. Once or twice a week is plenty. Encourage water only between meals and drink from a cup not a bottle. A bottle prolongs the exposure to the teeth where as a cup puts the liquid down in the tummy where it should be. The popular “pop-tops” act in much the same way.   Parents should also offer water to children as a thirst quencher during & after sport or exercise. Most kids don't need sports drinks which are generally heavily sugared and contain high amounts of acids, both of which are hazardous to teeth. During & after exercise we tend to have dry mouths which means there's not much saliva to fight decay. Diet is, however, only part of the

story. Regular tooth brushing and regular visits to the dentist are the other ingredients which together help put your child on the road to life-long dental health.

 
Visiting the dentist

• Start visiting the dentist when the child's first tooth appears and continue every six months
• Don't make the visit the high point of the day. Mention you are going to the dentist but leave it at that
• Make an appointment for the time of day when your child's less likely to be tired, irritable or cranky.
   This means earlier in the day is preferable
• Try not to let any anxiety you have about dental visits rub off on your child. Dentistry is a lot different
   now and most experiences are pleasant, fun ones.
 

Cleaning teeth • Begin as soon as the first tooth appears preferably using a toothbrush. When baby’s gums are sensitive because of teething, use a soft cloth or washer • Brush twice a day. Straight after breakfast and just before bed • Always use a soft brush with a small head • Use a pea-sized amount of low fluoride (children’s) toothpaste • Squeeze toothpaste into the bristles to stop a child from licking the paste off • Until the age of six or seven parents should brush their child's teeth and should always supervise after that • Be systematic & consistent. Always start & finish the same way so your child learns a routine • Spend one minute on the top teeth and one on the bottom • Clean in a gentle circular motion with the brush's bristles aimed towards the gum line • An electric toothbrush, used properly, will do a better job than a manual brush

 
Diet

• Minimize snacking between meals
• Always offer drinks in a cup not a bottle
• Encourage only water between meals
• Encourage the transition from bottle to cup as early as possible
• Never send a child to bed with a bottle
• Beware of hidden sugars - muesli bars, dried fruits & fruit juices are very high in sugar
• Think “fresh is best” rather than “healthy is best” as many so-called healthy foods and drinks are
   naturally very high in sugar and are also often sticky and adhere to teeth easily for long periods
• Eat plenty of dairy where possible. Dairy contains many of the key tooth elements such as calcium, in
   addition to casein, a decay fighting agent, but beware of flavoured milks or yoghurts
 
Protecting baby teeth is important

• Baby teeth are smaller, the protective enamel layer thinner & the nerves bigger than adult teeth so
   decay tends to spread more rapidly
• They reserve the place for permanent teeth: the last baby tooth exfoliates at 11 to 12 years of age
• Poor dental health or loss of teeth early can create bite or cosmetic problems for a child later
• Teeth are needed for speech development, as well as playing an important role in a child’s
   psycho-social development
 
Dr Matthew Fracaro BDS MDSc
location: 80 Stamford Rd, Indooroopilly
ph: (07) 3720 0144
 

The Medicines Line is a national service offering telephone advice on prescribed and over-the-counter medications - a service which pregnant or breastfeeding viewers may find particularly useful. This is just one of more than 90 organisations available to parents on the ‘Helplines & Support Organisations’ page in our Parenting Resources section. This page has details of practical and (often) free support available for carers in areas such as; children with special needs, help for parents, feeding concerns, bereavement & grief, young parents and many more. Please contact us if you know of a support organisation that you feel should be added to this page.
 

1000 callers per month: Medicines Line meets a growing need for information about medicines.   The new National Prescribing Service (NPS) Medicines Line is receiving more than 1000 calls a month and the number is steadily increasing.   Medicines Line is the only service of its kind in Australia and offers consumers independent information about medicines for the cost of a local call.

 
“Callers telephoning Medicines Line are enquiring about subjects such as vaccinations for children, doses, complementary medicines, hormone replacement therapy, safety issues and medicines during pregnancy and breastfeeding,” said Dr Lynn Weekes, CEO of the National Prescribing Service (NPS).
 
“Interestingly preliminary indications show that up to a quarter of the callers are calling to ask questions on behalf of another person and that most callers are women. Lately callers are also reporting that they contacted Medicines Line following a recommendation from their GP or local pharmacist,” said Dr Weekes.
 
“Medicines Line has been a part of our longer term plans since our inception in 1998. I think it fills a gap in the services previously available and we are very pleased to be behind this kind of initiative,” Dr Weekes said.
 
Medicines Line gives consumers confidential information on prescription medicines, over-the-counter medicines and complementary medicines including herbal and natural therapies. Callers can ask a qualified pharmacist • how your medicine works • how to take your medicine • doses • side effects • interactions with other medicines • medicines, pregnancy and breast-feeding • medicines and children • storage • medicines in the media.
 
Medicines Line can be contacted by telephoning 1300 888 763 between 9am and 6pm Eastern Standard Time (EST) for the cost of a local call.
 
A consortium, including the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) and Mater Pharmacy Services, operates Medicines Line and the staff taking the calls are experienced drug information specialists and clinical pharmacists.
 
A management committee oversees the operation of the Medicines Line and members include representatives from Consumers Health Forum, Pharmaceutical Health And Rational use of Medicines Committee (PHARM), Australian Medical Association, Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) and Medicines Australia.
 
Medicines Line is endorsed by a number of peak health bodies including • Health Consumers of Rural and Remote Australia • Australian Council of Social Service • Australian Pensioners and Superannuants Federation• Carers Association of Australia • Council on the Ageing • National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation • Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine • Australian Nursing Federation • NSW Therapeutic Assessment Group • Pharmacy Guild of Australia • Royal College of Nursing Australia • Rural Doctors Association of Australia • Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia • Australian Healthcare Association • Australasian Society of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacologists and Toxicologists • Department of Health and Ageing • Australian Self-Medication Industry.
 
Medicines Line complements a similar NPS telephone medicines information service provided for health professionals - Therapeutic Advice and Information Service (TAIS). TAIS was launched in September 2000 and has since had 11 000 calls.
 
The NPS is an independent, non-profit organisation working to improve the health of Australians through promoting and advising on appropriate prescribing and use of medicines.
 
Medicines Lines
ph: 1300 888 763 Monday-Friday between 9am and 6pm Eastern Standard Time (EST)
website: link

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