Effects of Alcohol on the Body

THE POTTY BOOTCAMP

Waiting till your child is ready

There's no magic age for being ready to start learning to use the potty. Most toddlers develop the necessary physical and mental skills between 18 and 24 months, while some kids aren't there until closer to age 3 or even 4. Keep an eye out for physical, cognitive, and behavioral signs that your toddler might be ready to give it a try.

If your toddler is facing changes such as a new school, a new sibling, or travel, you may want to wait till the seas are calmer before taking the plunge. Once you do start, if you've been trying for several weeks without success, that's a sign your toddler's not ready. Wait a few more weeks - or until you see signs that the time is right - and try again.

Making a plan

Before you even buy your toddler a potty seat, it's important to have a plan for the training process itself. Decide when and how you want to start, how to handle accidents, when to back off, and so on.

At the same time, prepare to be flexible. There's no way to know how your child will respond to potty training attempts or what techniques will work best. Keep in mind that as with most developmental milestones, success doesn't necessarily happen in a linear fashion - your toddler may make initial progress only to regress at one or more points along the way.

Discuss your plan with your child's pediatrician and daycare provider. They'll probably have plenty of experience and advice to share. Once you've decided on a strategy, be sure you and everyone else who takes care of your child sticks to it - barring unexpected setbacks and other potty training challenges, of course.

Taking it slow

Mastering the various steps of potty training can take a long time. Yes, some children will have it nailed in just a few days, but most need weeks or even months, especially when they're working on staying dry at night.

Don't push your toddler (or let others push him) to get through potty training faster than he's ready to. Let him take his time and get used to this new, multipart process. He'll move from one stage to the next at his own speed.

Of course, it's perfectly all right to try to motivate with gentle reminders and encouragement. If he balks, though, ease up.

Praising your child

Throughout potty training, your toddler will respond to positive reinforcement. Whenever he moves on to a new step or tries to use his potty (even when he doesn't quite succeed), tell him he's doing well and that you're proud of him. Compliment him now and then on his dry underpants or diaper.

But be careful not to go overboard: Too much praise might make him nervous and afraid to fail, which can lead to more accidents and setbacks.

Accepting that there will be accidents

It's likely your toddler will have numerous accidentsbefore being completely potty-trained. Don't get angry or punish him. After all, it's only recently that his nervous system has matured enough for him to perceive the sensation of a full bladder or rectum and that his muscles have developed sufficiently to allow him to hold in his urine and stool - and that's if he's on the early end of the developmental spectrum.

He'll get the hang of the process in due time. When your toddler has an accident, calmly clean it up and suggest (sweetly) that next time he try using his potty instead.

EARLY SIGNS OF PSYCHOPATHY: TODDLERS

A NEW STUDY OF TODDLERS IDENTIFIES ANTECEDENTS OF ANTI SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR

Study published in August 2007 issue of The Journal of Abnormal Psychology indicates that some traits correlating to adult psychopathy may be present as early as age 3. 

A twenty-five year study, published this month in The Journal of Abnormal Psychology, demonstrates that, as early as the age of three, there are temperamental and physiological difference between those who show psychopathic tendencies as adults and those who don't. 

What Is a Psychopath? 

Psychopathy, also known as Antisocial Personality (APD or ASPD), is a psychological personality disorder. Not only do psychopaths lack emotions of conscience and empathy, but research has shown that these individuals consistently display certain aspects of temperament including a lack of fear, lack of inhibition and stimulus seeking behavior. Psychopathic adults have also demonstrated physiological idiosyncrasies, such as a reduced physical response to negative stimuli, and indifference to the threat of pain and punishment (Hare 1999). 

Traits Predictive of Psychopathy 

The Journal of Abnormal Psychology (Glen 2007) recently published the first long-term study to examine very young children for traits predictive of adult psychopathy. The team of researchers hypothesized that psychopathic adults would, as young children, be expected to show less fear and inhibition and more stimulus seeking/sociable behavior than adults who did not develop psychopathy. The researchers also predicted that, since adult psychopaths show reduced sensitivity to negative stimuli, this response would also be apparent at an early age. 

Psychopathy Assessment of Children 

Between 1972 and 1973, 1,795 three-year-olds, from the island of Mauritius, were enrolled in the study, and each observed and rated on several variables related to inhibited/disinhibited temperament, stimulation seeking/sociability and fearfulness/reactivity. Physiological reaction to stimuli was also assessed by monitoring skin conductivity (SC) in response to both neutral and aversive noise. 

Skin conductivity startle response is a well studied physiological reaction caused by sympathetic nervous system activation. This response corresponds to measures of emotion, arousal, and attention. In this study, skin conductivity was painlessly measured, with leads on the first and second fingers of the left hand. 

Psychopathy Assessment of Adults 

Twenty-five years later, the researchers were able to complete follow-up assessments on 335 of the adults who had been originally evaluated as children. The subjects were tested for psychopathic traits using the Self-Report Psychopathy Scale (SRP-II), a 60 item modified version of Dr. Robert Hare's Psychopathy ChecklistRevised (PCL-R). 

Born to Be Psychopaths? 

The investigators found that adults with higher psychopathy scores had marked differences as 3 year olds, being significantly less fearful/inhibited and more stimulus seeking/sociable than those adults who had lower psychopathy scores. With respect to physiologic response, the group with higher SRP-II scores had significantly reduced sensitivity to negative auditory stimuli as toddlers. 

Fear and Morality 

Kochanska (1993) has suggested that the normal fearfulness most children experience contributes to development of moral emotions like guilt, empathy and shame. Children who are more fearful are prone to remorse after doing wrong and are more concerned about the consequences of their behavior; a concern that typically deters them from future wrongdoings. The results of this study suggest that children with a low level of fearfulness may be more likely to develop antisocial personality as adults. 

Sociability and Psychopathy 

Sociability and seeking stimulation are traits often associated with the glibness, charm and manipulation shown by adult psychopaths, and this study did indicate that individuals testing psychopathic as adults had higher stimulus/seeking and sociability scores as three year olds. 

Negative Stimuli and Psychopathic Traits 

Lastly, the physiological reaction of longer skin conductivity recovery time, in response to negative stimuli, has been linked to impairment in a person's inclination to avoid harm or physical danger. This reduced sensitivity to negative stimuli is characteristic of adult psychopaths, and, in this study, was significantly more pronounced in the 3 year olds who developed psychopathic traits as adults (Glenn 2007). 

Therapist suggests: 

1. Look for a history of mental illness, especially if it is untreated, not medicated, and the child is destabilized. 

2. Watch for a pattern of violent acts, especially if they escalate from minor to severe over time. 

3. Thought, plan, intent: Have they verbalized thoughts about the violent act? Do they have an actual plan for said act? Do they intend to actually carry it out?

Psychiatrist suggests: 

1. Watch for mounting anger and behavioral aggression with a history of acting out.

2. Keep an eye out for increasing isolation, with disturbed thoughts and fixation.

3. Is your child not able to see things from another's point of view? Do they lack empathy? This is especially troubling when seen together with #1 or #2.

Mental Health Advocates suggest:

1. Intuition is perhaps the most often ignored indicator of whether a child suffers from mental illness. Parents frequently ignore their intuition, because they don't want to believe that their child is "different" or struggling with a mental illness. 

2. Communication is key. It's up to parents to communicate with their children, to know their children, so that they can recognize when things are off.

3. Watch for changes in behavior, dress, grades, friends, sleep-wake cycles, etc. 

If that is not sufficiently complicated, psychopathy has also been linked with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD or ADD). This diagnosis has changed somewhat over the years and new research is continuing to refine it. In many respects, it represents two separate problems, although they appear to be linked. Children may have ADHD—primarily inattention, ADHD—primarily impulsive/hyperactive behavior, or a mixed type incorporating attributes of both. Inattention is usually identified in children for whom almost anything will prove distracting. Disorganization is common and the child may lose personal items regularly. Even when spoken to directly, the child may not pay attention and will be unable to provide feedback when asked. Hyperactive children frequently get into minor difficulties in school.

Donald R. Lynam seems to have done the most extensive work with this population. He showed that psychopathy has much in common with ODD, CD, and hyperactivity. He believes there is a neurological deficit that manifests as a lack of behavioral restraint, such as with hyperactive and impulsive children. Those with psychopathic personalities were shown to be stable offenders who were prone to the most serious offenses. Childhood psychopathy has also proven to be the best predictor of antisocial behavior in adolescence. Lynam advocates the need to continue to work on the concept of childhood psychopathy because if there is a stable construct, then it can be measured reliably and can offer more predictive value.

EBOLA VIRUS- SOUTH AFRICA

Ebola VIRUS: SA airports equipped with special

Scanners

Stringent measures have been put in place at South African airports to identify passengers displaying symptoms of the deadly Ebola virus and help prevent its spread, The National Department of Health has said.  

This follows concerns that the deadly Ebola virus is spreading beyond West Africa and is at risk of becoming the latest disease to be spread by international air travel.

Once identified, the travellers will be assessed by medical officials at the necessary facilities available, with special attention being given to patients with a travel history to West Africa.  

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) as well as the health ministry were alerted to the outbreak of the disease in West Africa as early as April and started addressing the challenges posed immediately.  

An alert was circulated shortly after the outbreak, prompting all Port Health officials to be aware of the EVD outbreak and have a high index of suspicion for travellers displaying symptoms.  

Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi has confirmed that necessary steps have been taken to detect and treat the disease should it arrive in the country, and that South African citizens had no need to panic.

 The deadliest outbreak of Ebola to date has been exacerbated by the death of a 40-year-old Liberian Finance Ministry employee Patrick Sawyer after he was able to board a flight from Liberia to Nigeria while clearly displaying various viral haemorrhagic fever symptoms. 

Authorities say Sawyer, who boarded a flight in Liberia, had a stopover in Ghana, changed planes in Togo, and then arrived in Nigeria - died a few days later from Ebola. 

International Civil Aviation Organization Secretary General Raymond Benjamin said, "Until now (the virus) had not impacted commercial aviation, butnow we're affected."

Earlier this week, Airports Company South Africa spokesperson, Unathi Batyashe-Fillis confirmed that The National Department of Health is monitoring all ports of entry into South Africa.

Here's what travellers need to know about the Ebola Virus as detailed by WHO  

- Ebola virus disease (EVD), formerly known as Ebola haemorrhagic fever, is a severe, often fatal illness in humans.  

- EVD outbreaks have a case fatality rate of up to 90%.  

- EVD outbreaks occur primarily in remote villages in Central and West Africa, near tropical rainforests.

 The virus is transmitted to people from wild animals and spreads in the human population through human-to-human transmission. The disease is not spread through the air like the flu virus but through bodily fluids.  

- Fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family are considered to be the natural host of the Ebola virus.  

- Severely ill patients require intensive supportive care. No licensed specific treatment or vaccine is available for use in people or animals.  

- Containing the virus is extremely important as a single case can quickly turn into an epidemic.  

- Symptoms will develop about 21 days after infection and include fever, headache, muscle pain and weakness.  

- Other symptoms may involve a rash, nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Internal/external bleeding occurs in some cases, which can lead to shock and massive hemorrhage.  

- Travellers heading to this area should keep abreast of where the affected areas  are and avoid direct contact with people who are sick.  

- Administer strict hygiene conditions by regularly washing hands and avoiding contact with infected humans, if necessary were protective clothing and gloves.  

Ebola Virus

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) said on its website that given the frequency of travel between southern and western African countries, risk of Ebola being imported into South Africa is possible, “but overall it is low”.

Currently there are no special WHO precautions or directives for commercial flights, passengers or crew departing on flights bound for or returning to Guinea, Liberia, or Sierra Leone – other than a yellow fever vaccination medical certificate.

“We are confident that the Port Health officials based at our airports are monitoring the situation and processes are in place,” said Batyashe-Fillis.

The department of health has advised its officials to strengthen its surveillance for viral haemorrhagic fevers, particularly Ebola.  

“There needs to be a high index of suspicion for viral haemorrhagic feversfor persons who have travelled to Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and surrounding countries, including: malaria, dengue fever, Lassa fever and other endemic diseases (e.g. typhoid fever).”

If necessary health workers have been instructed to do the appropriate tests and institute appropriate therapy as a matter of urgency.