Exposure to the family dog and more siblings reduced the risk of babies developing egg allergies, according to a Melbourne study.

Allergy experts from Melbourne's Murdoch Childrens Research Institute studied more than 5000 babies and found those with young siblings and infants exposed to a dog inside the home were less likely to develop an allergic reaction to egg, News.com.au reported

According to the study published in the journal Allergy, food allergies now affect up to 10 per cent of babies. 

It found 10.8 per cent of infants with no siblings were allergic to egg but as the number of brothers and sisters increased the incidence of egg allergy decreased.

Meanwhile, about 10 per cent of babies in households without a dog had an egg allergy compared to only six per cent of those with a dog.

Lead researcher Dr Jennifer Koplin said the risk of developing a food allergy seemed to be a combination of genetic and environmental factors.

She said the immune system evolved at a time when people were exposed to more bacteria in food and the water supply, and infections through crowding and larger families.

Dr Koplin said it was possible developing infants were now not exposed to the right environmental factors to teach their immune systems how to react appropriately.

"They are reacting inappropriately to something that they should be able to tolerate which is in this case, food allergens, or food proteins," Dr Koplin told a foreign news agency.

The research suggested the protective effect of a family dog on egg allergy could be due to exposure to endotoxin, a type of bacteria.

Dr Koplin said endotoxin stimulates the immune system to attack bad bacteria and in doing so, is distracted from attacking harmless things in the environment like foods.

The study also found babies with a family history of allergy and those with parents born in East Asian countries like China and Vietnam are at increased risk of egg allergy.

Dr Koplin said East Asian families, as well as being genetically at higher risk of food allergy, may be exposed to different bacteria in their home countries.

"When they migrate over here and the kids are born here, they don't have that same exposure that suppresses the development of allergy," she said. 

The ability to generate original ideas;  develop new possibilities; solve problems; learn from mistakes and use failures  to reinvent processes;  put your own “stamp” on a product, or service, to differentiate it from others are all at the heart of what it means to be a creative thinker and traits that are highly sought after. Children are the masters of thinking in creative ways, they are pioneers when it comes to inventing and creating. They are not bound by preconceived ideas, taking a risk is all part of the fun and a failure is not necessarily viewed as a setback, in fact, it is often embraced and opens doors to new ways of achieving a goal. Nurturing children’s creativity is essential and strengthening the ability to think in creative ways will result in gaining many beneficial skills that can be used throughout life. 
Nurturing children’s creativity is something that parents, carers and educators can do on a daily basis. One way to nurture children’s creativity is to provide creative prompts to encourage children to think in new ways. For example, shadows can be an excellent source of inspiration for young children when it comes to drawing. At night time, my children enjoy making shadows on the walls. I have been taking photos of their silhouettes as they perform various actions, for example looking up, down, with arms stretched out. I have printed these photos and glued one photo per page onto paper (if the silhouette image is looking up, be sure to glue the photo at the bottom of the page so children have space to draw at the top). Give children a sentence starter, such as the girl/boy looked up and couldn’t believe she/he was looking at………..(children then draw what they imagine could be above their heads). Another way to use shadows for drawing purposes involves drawing outside with chalk. Someone strikes a pose and others use chalk to draw something onto the shadow figure. Hands outstretched could be filled with chalk drawings of flowers, ice creams, all sorts of clothing can be drawn onto the figure as well as outlandish hats.

Creating with recycled materials lends itself to creative thinking as “working” with recyclables requires users to think of alternative ways to use the items and explore new possibilities which can often involve problem solving, lateral thinking and discovering through trial and error. The possibilities for creating with bottle top lids seem to be endless, for example, secure a piece of contact to a window (sticky side facing out) and use bottle top lids (as well as other craft supplies such as coloured paper, pens etc) to create a picture. Another idea is to set a creative challenge, for example plan a party for some favourite toys using recycled materials to create the decorations and cake. Old newspapers and magazines can be turned into party hats, scraps of paper could be used to make bunting and a box could be transformed into a cake (cover a box in white paper and for a mess free option secure some contact, sticky side facing out, to the box and encourage children to decorate the box with craft supplies (ribbon, pom poms, feathers or natural resources like flowers). Alternatively, children could use play dough to transform a box into a birthday cake.                                          

used to make bunting and a box could be transformed into a cake (cover a box in white paper and for a mess free option secure some contact, sticky side facing out, to the box and encourage children to decorate the box with craft supplies (ribbon, pom poms, feathers or natural resources like flowers). Alternatively, children could use play dough to transform a box into a birthday cake. 
Investing in children’s creativity is vital given the dialogue about creativity and how it is considered to be the currency of the future. This investment involves providing children with a diverse range of experiences that inspire them to problem solve, brainstorm, “think outside the box”, tinker, explore, discover, take risks and learn from mistakes. Children who have developed creative thinking skills at a young age will have a wealth of experiences to draw upon and valuable transferable skills that they can employ throughout their life.

Elise Ellerman is the founder and owner of Creative Play Central and provides several different services to assist parents and educators to provide innovative play ideas and highly creative experiences for young children. The newest service that Creative Play Central is offering (as of August 6) is Imagination Creations which are classes for children aged 3 -10. In these unique classes that have been carefully designed to encourage creative thinking, children use creative prompts to inspire them to think and create in new and original ways. For more details about Creative Play Central’s services as well as details regarding days, times and location for classes please visit the website: www.creativeplaycentral.com.au. Follow us on Facebook for more ideas to nurture creative thinkers.   

WITHOUT doubt, one of the hottest naming trends of the moment is the choice of a unisex name. 

From Alex to Spencer or Angel to Skye, dual-gender names are often seen as a way of giving a stylish and modern name that breaks the boundaries a little, providing your child with an identity that lets them stand out from the crowd.   
Many names have fluctuated between being predominantly male or female through the years – Ashley, traditionally a girl’s name is now on the rise as a boys name, whereas Reece is becoming increasingly popular amongst girls. And with more and more unisex names continually being added to the mix, if you are thinking of choosing a gender-neutral name, the options are getting bigger by the day.
 
Why choose a unisex name?There are a variety of reasons you might consider a unisex name for your child: 

• Unisex names are a great way to pass on a family name.
• You might have a name you have always liked and want to use it regardless of gender the baby is born
• You can choose a single name during pregnancy, without needing to know the gender 
• A unisex middle name can provide a great alternative for them to their first name, if they want something a little different when they get older

Pros and cons of a unisex nameChoosing a unisex name carries a number of pros and cons that are worth bearing in mind.

 Pros:

• For girls in the professional world, having a name that could be thought of as gender neutral might give them an advantage on paper, as they can prove themselves on their work ethic and skill instead of being judged initially on their gender
• It is a name that they themselves will be able to pass down for generations to come, regardless of the gender of their children
• It steps away from tradition and gives your child something a little different

 
Cons:

• Having to clarify your gender could pose difficult situations in a child’s life
• Choosing the wrong name could lead to schoolyard teasing, particularly for boys: for example, it is more accepted for a girl to have a traditionally male name such as Billie, than a boy to have a traditionally female name such as Vyvien! 
• Though a name might be trending towards one gender when chosen, it could sway back to being the opposite gender by the time they are an adult, creating more and more situations where they have to clarify their gender in their adult life

Considering a celebrity unisex name?Celebrity popularity is one of the many influences fuelling this gender-neutral trend. Cameron became popular amongst girls once Cameron Diaz shot to fame in the 1990’s, whilst Kelly became increasingly prevalent as a boy’s name after Kelly Slater emerged as a surfing legend. Taylor shot up in the choices for both boys and girls since Taylor Lautner hit our screens in Twilight, alongside Taylor Swift topping the charts. And now recently, Harper, traditionally a male name, is starting to trend for girls since Harper Beckham arrived. 
 

TV characters have also contributed to the growing proportion of girls being given traditionally male names - Gilmore Girls with Rory, Grey’s Anatomy with Addison, Gossip Girl with Blair - whilst Quinn, another traditionally male name, is predicted to be popular amongst girls this year thanks to Glee success.
 
Many celebrity parents are also now opting for unisex names for their babies:

• Reiley: daughter to Stella McCartney
• Billie: daughter to Rebecca Gayheart & Eric Dane
• Bailey: daughter to Melissa Etheridge
• Dylan: daughter to Robin Wright & Sean Penn; son to Catherine Zeta Jones & Michael Douglas
• Angel: son to Kirk Hammett

 
Still unsure?If you like the idea of a unisex name, but are unsure about making the leap completely, there is always the option of going for a classic feminine name with unisex nickname – Charlotte becomes Charlie, Bernadette becomes Bernie, Samantha to Sam and Josephine to Jo. 

Yet if you like the name, but are concerned about the ambiguous gender implications, many names offer a female/male spelling to clarify the gender - Sidney/Sydney, Robyn/Robin, Kerrie/Kerry… or simply make up your own! 

A leading Perth paediatrician is urging WA parents to  reduce their kids’  “screen time”.


THE NATURAL environment is being replaced by a digital world for today's children and is at risk of never being re-discovered, a prominent Perth doctor has warned.

Dr David Roberts said the increasing reliance on technology as entertainment for children had seen a rapid, disturbing decline in outdoor play.

Dr Roberts, chief executive of Nature Play WA, said parents were also partly to blame by restricting their children's outdoor activities out of fear that they may come to harm.

QUEENSLAND’S dynamic new premier Campbell “Can-Do” Newman will tackle the nuts and bolts of how he is implementing his 100-day plan in relation to parents in his electorate at a special Mums Brunch in Ashgrove.

The Mums Brunch, hosted by West Brisbane parents’ publication the KindyNews, will be held at the Marinara Café and Restaurant in Latrobe Terrace on Friday, July 27, 2012.

“We are very honored and excited about having the premier as our special guest in July,” KindyNews spokesman Karen Jackman said. “We are looking forward to hearing him articulate and outline his “Can-Do” plan to parents in his electorate. Our readers support and respect his energetic and positive approach to facing up to a very difficult challenge. This is going to be a must-attend event for Ashgrove parents.”

Also a key speaker at the brunch is the chief executive of Queensland’s largest and longest established kindergarten provider.

C&K Preschooling Professionals’ Barrie Elvish will speak about “Children’s Right to Childhood”.  In particular, Mr Elvish will outline how C&K plans to action this view at its newly acquired Ashgrove premises: 

“We have just purchased part of the old Ithaca TAFE at Ashgrove and we intend creating an outdoor environment which challenges not just the existing regulations and future regulations, but also the perceptions of what might be safe and unsafe environments for children,” he said.

KindyNews’ Mums Brunches are held periodically for parents of young children as a relaxed forum for social engagement and the discussion of community issues relating to parents and carers of young families.

Event: KindyNews Mums Brunch
Theme: Letting Brisbane Kids Be Kids
Speakers: State Premier and member for Ashgrove Campbell Newman, Chief Executive of C&K Preschooling Professionals Barrie Elvish
When: 10am-12 noon Friday July 27, 2012
Where: Marinara Café and Restaurant, 34 Latrobe Tce, Paddington
Contact: Karen Jackman
Telephone/Email:  (07) 3870-3234 / 0406 2222 59  media@kindynews.com
RSVP: ASAP

FOR the first time, a woman  is set to join The permanent Wiggles line up, as a new generation of the acclaimed children’'s entertainment group is unveiled.

Kylie Minogue was named an honorary "Pink" Wiggle in 2009.

Emma Watkins, a 20-year-old backup dancer with the current group, will become the new yellow Wiggle.

Pictures: History of The Wiggles

Old hand band members Jeff Fatt, Murray Cook and Greg Page will retire at the end of 2012, making way for new faces, who are all current backup dancers.

Anthony Field is the only original Wiggle who will remain as part of the show.

Anthony, Greg, Jeff and Murray - The Wiggles –  today announced that 2012 would be their final year of touring together and unveiled exciting plans for the future of the world famous children’s entertainment group. 


The Wiggles will embark on a Celebration Tour at the end of the month with shows planned for Singapore, the UK, USA, Canada and New Zealand. The group will head home for their final Australian tour in November and December.  
Jeff, Murray and Greg will then hand over the purple, red and yellow skivvies to a new generation of performers to instead take on backstage creative roles.
Anthony will continue on stage as the Blue Wiggle alongside Emma Watkins, Lachlan Gillespie, and Simon Pryce, who have been handpicked by the group to become the Yellow, Purple, and Red Wiggles.   
“ We’ve bee n entertaining children around the world for 21 years and it’s important that we  plan fo r the future so that T he Wiggles can keep wiggling in the years to come,”  said Murray .  
“ The touring and performing over the past 21 years has  meant that we’ve spent  a long time away from our own families and friends. We miss them and want to spend more time at home which is a major reason why three of us decided it was time to hand on our skivvies to a new generation.’’
“Singing, dancing and performing for children and their parents around the world has been such great fun-we have been so lucky to do something that we love for so long,”  said Greg.
“When The Wiggles asked me to return to the group last year I was excited at the thought of performing with the three guys that I started the group with 21 years ago.  With Murray and Jeff’s decision to  stop performing at the end of the year it’s a nice sense of closure to  also  end my  time on stage during the final tour with all the original members of the group.”  
 “ It’s bee n so  great  hav ing Greg back with us so far t his y ear, an d to finish our time on stage all together again seems so  fitting,”  Jeff said.
“ We want to thank all our Wiggly fans– it’s bee n a  great ride in our big red car.  We are really looking forward to saying farewell and having one last dance with everyone during t he tour.”  
Emma, Lachy and Simon will join the original members of The Wiggles ‘on the road’ for their Farewell tour.  After that they will pull on the yellow, purple, and red skivvies and join Anthony on stage so that The Wiggles can continue to entertain and delight a new generation of children.  
“ Lachy, Simon and Emma all have  wonderful singing voices and are experienced children’s performers.  They  have worked with us for several years, playing various characters including Wiggly dancers, Dorothy the Dinosaur, Captain Feathersword and Wags the Dog,”  said Anthony .
Emma said it was a huge thrill to become the Yellow Wiggle and the first female skivvy-wearer in the group’s 21-year history aside from Kylie Minogue, who was made an honorary Pink Wiggle in 2009.

RUMOUR has it that The Wiggles are set to make some major changes to their lineup, and might even be breaking up!

While we're not exactly sure at the moment what's going on, The Sydney Morning Herald has reported that a press conference is currently being organised for an official announcement on Sunday!
Asked if some members were retiring, a spokesman for The Wiggles said: "They always said they'd have to hang up their boots at some point." He also confirmed that there would be changes to the line-up.

The changes will come just four months after Sam Moran was asked to resign as yellow Wiggle, to make way for the return of the original Wiggle Greg Page who had taken leave due to illness.

The band members - Anthony Field, Jeff Fatt, Murray Cook and Greg Page - have openly expressed their concerns about continuing to tour in recent years, with the oldest member Jeff, approaching the age of 60!

What do you think their announcement is? Hopefully the group will continue, even if the members change!