Preventing the dreaded Lurgy

The season of change is upon us, the very first day of autumn we got a frost. I was a bit put out since we haven’t had the benefit of a summer worth mentioning so diving straight into autumn feels a bit rude to be honest. If I were older I’d be wearing my lavender comforter, curlers and shaking my fist at the sky. Okay well let’s be honest I’m doing it now.

Bugs, coughs and colds always seem to strike when the weather changes. There are a million and one home remedies to be tried when the dreaded lurgy hits but in my books prevention is better than cure. Your body has an immune system so use it! Here are some proven prophylactics which work by helping the immune system to function properly and do its job!

Echinacea
Echinacea will not significantly shorten the length of most upper respiratory tract infections, it does have an effect of 1-2 days but the real power of Echinacea is in prevention. The activity of Echinacea is to promote your natural killer cells and by taking a 12 week course through the bug season you can really up your chances of staying virus free. The dose has to be high though and from a reputable supplement maker as low doses or poor quality supplements will not work. Echinacea is not recommended in pregnancy but is not contraindicated during breastfeeding. In some cases echinacea may cause a rash in young children but stopping intake will clear the rash.

Vitamin D
Vitamin D is a vital supplement for our immune system and in NZ many people are not receiving optimal doses. This is in part due to our low latitude which prevents us from being exposed to enough sun in enough concentration. We exacerbate this a little with the whole slip slop slap concept and of course in winter everyone is dressed up from neck to toes. The best Vitamin D is free and the best way to get this is exposure to the sun, outside (not through glass) on large sections for skin for 15-20 minutes. If you bake for too long then your levels will actually decrease and if you only expose small areas of skin you won’t generate enough. If you spend a lot of your day indoors, you live in upper or lower latitudes and you use a lot of sunscreen or clothing then a Vitamin D supplement is a wise idea. Anything from 1000iu a day to 10,000iu a day is acceptable and is considered a therapeutic dose which is what you need for immunoprotective levels. Most people tend to sit in the middle at doses of about 2000iu.Vitamin D is rarely found in foods though it is available in oily fish, eggs and liver.
Studies show that Vitamin D triggers and arms the body's T cells, which are the cells in the body that seek out and destroy any invading bacteria and viruses. These cells rely on vitamin D in order activate and they would remain dormant, or‘naïve’ to the possibility of threat
In one of the largest and most representative studies of the association between vitamin D and respiratory infections, people with the lowest blood vitamin D levels reported having significantly more recent colds or cases of the flu.
Vitamin D passes through the breastmilk so if you are breastfeeding and taking Vitamin D your baby will receive the benefits. In the states Vitamin D drops are often recommended. However if your baby gets small doses of sun and plenty of booby milk from a mum well fortified in Vitamin D they are not essential, they can also be a bit of a booby trap.

Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin which means that we excrete it by peeing, this means that we can very easily run at sub-optimal Vitamin C levels if the amount we consume is less than what we excrete. Some studies show that up to 25% of children are lacking in Vitamin C. As vitamin C is also a powerful antioxidant it is a good idea to ensure Vitamin C levels are high. Studies have shown taking a daily dose of Vitamin C can reduce the chance of catching a cold but more significantly reduce the length of a cold. The most marked results were in people who are under high physical stress such as athletes and children. Kiwifruit is a fabulous natural source of Vitamin C and is absorbed more easily than supplements. Unfortunately at this time of year kiwifruit are usually imported, better sticking to kale, brussels sprouts, thyme parsley and broccoli. Not sure the kids would agree, luckily chewable Vitamin C is cheap and tasty. For nurslings, they will receive the benefits of Vitamin C through your breastmilk.

Probiotics
There is plenty of evidence which shows that prophylactic doses of probiotic foods and supplements can stave off bugs. Probiotics form part of one of your largest immune system organisms the gut intestinal tract. People who have had antibiotics or who are in poor health, benefit from taking probiotics to help bolster their immunity. If you find probiotics expensive then some naturally probiotic foods are yoghurts, kefir, miso, tempeh and special probiotic cultures such as scoby (Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast). All of these foods can be cultured at home for reasonable costs and a little care and attention. Studies have shown even children as young as 6 months benefit from probiotic intake. Younger infants will receive the benefit of probiotics indirectly via breastmilk, this is by increasing the immunoprotective qualities of the breastmilk. In one double-blinded, placebo-controlled study of 62 mother-infant pairs, it was shown that administering probiotics to the pregnant and lactating mother increased the immunoprotective potential of breast milk, as assessed by the amount of anti-inflammatory transforming growth factor in the milk. It is not recommended to feed probioticsdirectly to your baby if they are under 6 months as there are no studies showing safety or efficacy.

Zinc
Zinc is an essential trace element for immunity and it is also a nutrient that many people are deficient in. You can test for deficiency by placing some liquid zinc on your tongue, if you cannot taste it then it is likely you are deficient. Zinc plays an important role in the production of immune substances made within the thymus gland. Taking a regular dose of zinc has been shown to reduce instances of common illnesses and antiobiotic dependency. The best form of zinc supplementation is in oral lozenges or liquid zinc though it can be found naturally in pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds and (gasp) dark chocolate. The best way to protect zinc levels in infants is to have sufficient zinc whilst pregnant and during breastfeeding. It's important to note that bottle fed infants may have lower levels of zinc than breastfed infants.

Garlic
Some studies have shown an almost 60% reduction in colds when garlic is taken on a regular basis.The component responsible for the distinctive garlic smell is called allicin, this is also the component that has been attributed with bug busting capabilities, which means it is vital you do not purchase deodorised garlic supplements. The best way to take garlic is crushed and raw or lightly cooked. This releases the largest amounts of allicin and sulphur compounds. Garlic is a powerful antimicrobial, antifungal and antibiotic. It also lowers cholesterol which is a lovely adjunct to lurgy prevention. Luckily garlic is delicious and can be added to many foods. If anyone tells you that taking garlic will put baby off of your breatmilk you can tell them that's a load of hooey, a study has shown that babies PREFER garlicky milk. If taking garlic is a chore for you then you can make this garlic honey. If garlic breath is an issue you can always chew a bunch of parsley which freshens your breath and is rich in Vitamin C.

Honeyed Garlic

Peel 1 whole head of garlic

Cut into slices

Put into sterile container

Cover with liquid honey

After 2-3 weeks the garlic will have 'cured'

This mix has a shelf life of approximately 3 months

You can use the honey in hot drinks or simply have it by the spoonful, the garlic slices can be swallowed like tablets. This option is easier on the palate and the gut than taking whole cloves raw.

Hydration
This may seem elementary but since hydration not only keeps your mucosal zones moist and functioning well, it is also essential for cellular processes and the excretion of toxins from your body. A hydrated body is a well defended body.

This may seem elementary but since hydration not only keeps your mucosal zones moist and functioning well, it is also essential for cellular processes and the excretion of toxins from your body. A hydrated body is a well defended body

HygieneThe main barrier against infection is our skin, the weakest areas are the mucosal openings where bacteria can enter our systems. Think nose, mouth, eyes and.. well you can figure out the rest. One of the main roles of these mucosae are to stop bacteria viruses from entering the body and infecting us.
People often think that hygiene means sterilising everything, I personally am not a big fan of sterilising everything as I think for the most part bacteria is a natural part of our existence and that it helps us develop healthy immune systems free from allergies. However when it is bug season a little extra vigilance in hygiene is a good idea. This means washing your hands with hot soapy water after each toilet trip or after journey out of the house. Washing hands before meals is also advisable. Normal soap and hot water is fine, don’t bother with antibacterial soaps. Not only are they no more effective than soap and water but they also help breed resistant bacteria, they are also bad for you and the environment.

Another pro tip is to avoid nose picking, now everyone does it (don’t lie you do) but if you’re trying to avoid getting sick then sticking germy fingers up your nose can introduce germs which now have direct access to your upper respiratory system. Nose picking can also upset the mucosal system and in some cases open up the skin making you more susceptible. Use a tissue or if you absolutely must, wash your hands before having a good old dig. For the brave of heart you can use a netipot to clean your nose out. For little children this is the equivalent of washing the nose out with saline. Here is a video of neti pot use, yes it looks alarming but as a recent convert to ‘netipotting’ I can seriously say it helps a lot. People who suffer from seasonal allergies also swear by them. You just can’t do it parked at the intersection in your car.


Oral Hygiene
This gets its own subheading because it is worthy of note. How do germs enter the body? One major route is through the mouth. One way of preventing a virus from making its way past first base is to keep the mouth clean. This means promoting good oral health, brushing your teeth is a good start and using salty mouth washes to rinse and gargle with. Flossing regularly and oil pulling help keep your mouth free from breeding bacteria. And no kissing! (just kidding)

The dreaded tickle
So what happens when despite your best efforts you wake up one morning with the dreaded tickle? If you are taking Echinacea or Vitamin C you can increase the dose, most good brands of Echinacea will have a prophylactic dose and a therapeutic dose. Your body can only absorb a limited amount of Vitamin C at a time, when faced with an impending cold most naturopaths will recommend of taking 500-1000mg of Vitamin C hourly until you reach bowel tolerance. This is a really nice way of saying when your need to poo becomes a little more urgent. You certainly won’t get a dire rear but you will notice a difference. Another option is to take a booster dose of Zinc as soon as you feel the tingle.

Live manuka honey
Using honey for a sore throat has been time honoured technique to soothe the scratchies and stave off the bugs. All honeys contain an enzyme that produces hydrogen peroxide which is a proven antiseptic with antibacterial properties. However in New Zealand we have Active Manuka honey which differs from normal honey because of the additional existence of non-peroxide antibacterial activity (The Unique Manuka Factor) which doesn’t lose it’s potency when exposed to heat and light (which other honey does). Manuka honey is a powerful antimicrobial, antibacterial, antiinflammatory and antiviral. As such it is an excellent first line defence when you get that little tickle which tells you a bug is coming. It also helps soothe a super sore throat. Honey is not recommended for children under 12 months of age as their gut flora is not developed enough to defend against botulinum spores. However infant botulism is very rare with zero reported cases in NZ. The New Zealand recommendation is no honey under 6 months of age. If you wish to know more about botulism risk in NZ this document is a great read

Salt and turmeric gargle
Turmeric is an ayurvedic remedy and is a strong anti-inflammatory, in addition to this it has antiseptic and antibacterial properties. Applied topically it can instantly soothe a sore throat and kick back any germs which are lingering in the throat. A home made gargle made with 1 tsp of turmeric and 1 tsp of salt to ½ cup of warm water is your best defence once you realise you have been exposed. This can be quite tingly and not particularly tasty, but a gargle done every hour on the hour can stop a throat infection in its tracks. It can also be very soothing on sore throats.

If all else fails and you feel that the lurgy is on the march leaving you defenceless, you can always try my super nutritious chicken soup guaranteed to knock most bugs on their butt.

Sian’s Super Soup

Bake some chicken frames or pieces of chicken in the oven

Saute 2 grated carrots

Add 1 cup red lentils

Add 1 fist full of thyme, more if available

Top up with water - about 3 litres

Boil.

In a separate pot boil the bones of the chicken (pull the meat off of the chicken pieces first and use in sandwiches or add to the soup just before serving) with a little apple cider vinegar. This helps to draw the minerals out of the bones.

Pour the chicken stock into the soup and simmer for a short while.

Season to taste with Himalayan rock salt

Just before serving stir in at least 3 heads of garlic crushed and a couple of cups of parsley.

This soup is a reprise of the traditional chicken soup with the added punch of the minerals from the chicken bones, allicin from the garlic, antimicrobial properties in the thyme and Vitamin C in the parsley. Thyme is a fabulous remedy for upper respiratory tract infections as it helps move mucous as well as a power anti microbial to fight infection. Thyme inhalations are a great way to fight persistent coughs. If you want the soup to pack a bit of extra punch then you can sprinkle some chili flakes on top or add a pinch of cayenne.

Delish.

There is no doubt in my mind that prevention is better than cure when it comes to the common cold, however immune systems don’t work if they don’t get a chance to. Becoming obsessed with avoiding colds may do more harm than good. While they may be inconvenient and uncomfortable the common cold can help boost your overall immunity.

Cute Names for my Kids

Every blogger has them, but I am stumped. What do I call my kids to protect their relative anonymity? Until recently I had been going with wee man and baby boy both of which are not really that great, far too non descriptive and generic. I was thinking of going for first initial – that works well for my first son, I get to call him Master C, but with my second son we end up with Mister T. Which is a little corny. Plus the whole thing is a little bit 'done to death'

I live in envy of my friend and fellow blogger who writes about composing music and sustainable living. Her children are D major and D minor. Too perfect for words. I thought about copying but C major and T minor isn’t going to work no matter how cute it sounds.

Then there are the various bloggers who have cute little nicknames, which invariably have an ‘awwwwww’ response. Except my sons don’t have cute nicknames, at least not blog appropriate ones and they change every other week so it doesn’t really work for me. My husband suggested Drop-bear and marshmallow, I almost died of cute but I’m not quite sure.

I guess I could use their real names, two of my favourite bloggers do, The Feminist Breeder and Donnelle. But I don’t know if I can do that, while I realise that the world of blogging is anything but private I feel I owe my sons some modicum of their own identity. Besides which I don’t know if I am up to being criticised by random internet strangers for Ruining Their Lives Forever.

I toyed with the idea of naming them as per their favourite activity, so for my 3yr old that would be ‘dragun slayer’ and for my 5 month old that would be ‘boob eater’, though these things are bound to change and then do I update them? Could they become lego-man and bike-rider or even door-slammer and tantrum-lord.

I have been toying with Longshanks and Shortstack but worry that describing them will limit them somehow. It’s not like shortstack is going to be short for the rest of his life and it seems a bit unfair to label them with physical attributes they may outgrow.

Thing 1 and Thing 2 crossed my mind but I dismissed it almost immediately for lack of originality, Wocket and Sneetch got dismissed for almost identical reasons, though Lorax is appealing.

I asked my 3 year old what the names should be, he rattled off his full name and address and this his brothers full name with alacrity. Apparently my husband has been teaching him to do this in case he gets lost, I love my husband, especially when he thinks of things like this. Now we just have to hope our wee man doesn’t go declaring his full name and address to kiddy snatchers or burglars. At least he didn’t get the middle names quite right which would make it harder for someone to steal his identity, turns out his middle name is ‘Jacket’ and his brothers middle name is ‘Brick’ could these work? I don’t know

Maybe you could help me out?

The Power of Touch: Infant Massage

The simple action of touching someone is a powerful thing, right from when baby is born we are encouraged to have skin to skin contact with them. This is because something as simple as a touch can have a potent effect on how our babies do. Babies who are enabled to have direct skin to skin contact with their mothers after being born have more stable temperatures, more consistent heart beat and breathing rates and a more stable blood sugar. Many hospitals are now instigating kangaroo care as part of their premature baby care because being close to mother has a positive effect on baby’s vital signs and improves their ability to thrive. 

Touch can also benefit the mother enabling her to bond via release of oxytocin and promoting the instinct to nurture. Oxytocin is not just essential in labour it is also responsible for bonding, love and milk let-down. Because of this this skin to skin contact and touch has been shown to have a positive impact on breastfeeding, both in initiation to breastfeed and to the promotion of longer duration in the breastfeeding relationship. Touch is one of the key elements to promoting and protecting the parent/child dyad.

Most health carers and scientists tend to agree, there isn’t anything bad that can be said about touch.  In fact touch is a key part of human development which is why baby or infant massage can be such a positive part of the parent/child relationship. Diane Ackerman, the author of 'A Natural History of the Senses,' says, "Touch is a sense with unique functions and qualities ... Touch affects the whole organism." and this has been shown time and time again to be true. Tiffany Field,  who is a leader in the field of touch, found that premature newborns receiving just three 15-minute sessions of touch therapy each day for 5-10 days gained 47 percent more weight than premature infants who had just received standard medical treatment alone. Even as adults we do not thrive well without touch as this article shows. 

I did a baby massage course of with a group of lovely ladies from my antenatal class when my first son was just little. It was such a lovely way to bond with him. It can be hard as a new mother to know what to do with your child when they are brand new. Often it becomes a cycle of sleep cry feed cry change cry cuddle jiggle and you feel like you lose touch with your baby. Infant massage is an ideal way to find a little place of peace in the maelstrom of new motherhood – for both of you, and don’t under estimate the benefit massage can have for fathers and their newborns, it’s the ultimate way of bonding. While mothers and fathers both respond to oxytocin and have equivalent amounts, men have different oxytocin triggers, touch being one of the primary ones. Massage is a potent tool that can help promote sleep and reduce fussing and crying.

Baby massage as we know it now has its founding ayurvedic principles, though there is evidence to show it is a key part of infant rearing in many cultures, in fact the practice of massaging babies is an art passed down from generation to generation and has been evidenced in parenting dating back over 3000 years and in regions as diverse as India, Africa, Asia, and  even in New Zealand in Rongoa Maori. The art of touching your child in a healing way is lovely to watch in practice and witnessing the response in your child is a powerful communication.

Here are some key reasons to give baby massage a go:

• Relaxing. Loving touch lessens tension, fussiness and irritability. Massage is also a wonderful way to lessen stress in parent and baby.
• Digestion. Digestion is aided  by massage as it can provide relief from gas and colic.
• Bonding. Touch conveys nurturing and love, the essential ingredients for emotional and physical growth and well being. It also releases oxytocin which is the bonding hormone.
• Growth. Studies have shown increased weight gain and immune function.
• Communication. Parents become more aware of baby’s nonverbal cues. One-on-one communication instills a baby with confidence of love and security.
• Sleep. As your infant learns to relax and release stress, sounder and longer sleep is often the end result.

Here are some of the techniques I learnt. It’s important to note that I am not an infant massage expert and am offering this information only as an introduction to the skill. The key thing is to remember that infant massage is about the touch and not any therapeutic manipulation.  Most strokes are done with an open hand and are gentle broad manoeuvres.

It is a good idea, though not necessary to use an oil or massage balm, almond oil or olive oil are both good though almond is to be avoided for children with a history of nut allergies in the family. I prefer my own homemade balm made out of beeswax and olive oil because it doesn’t drip and takes longer to absorb so you use less. It is also warmer on the skin.

Before beginning it’s important to ask permission of your baby, people who are not familiar with the concept of communicating with your child even at very young ages  might feel awkward or a little dorky doing this (I don’t need a lot of help in this area) but it is amazing how quickly a baby will pick up on your cues and respond. My way of asking would be to rub my hands together as I warmed up the balm and verbally ask if he would like a massage. Whenever he saw me do this he would relax and coo. If you signal your intent to massage and your baby turns their head away or protects their body with their arms or even cries then now is not a good time. Try again later.

Notice the eye contact that baby is making

You also want to set the mood, gentle music or quiet is preferable as well as dim lights and a warm room. Try and block off any drafts as baby can get cool very quickly when they are naked. The basic principles of baby massage are to start from the feet up and to use gentle non invasive strokes.  You can do as little or as much as you want to while baby enjoys it.

Legs – leg massage is a great entry point and is very non threatening for baby, these techniques also translate well to older children who might get growing pains or stiffness from sport and play. It is a lovely way to reconnect with older children.

1.       Indian Milking: Start at the legs and move your hands down from the thigh down to the ankle twisting as you go, much like you would wring water from your hair. Your hand will be in a ‘C’ shape and one hand will follow the other, as one finishes at the ankle the other is starting at the top. This is known as Indian milking. You want to imagine the stress and tension moving down and out of the legs.

2.       Rolling: Then you want to release the legs by cradling them in your hands and roll them gently like you would roll out a playdough snake and then gently rocking them to encourage baby to relax.

3.       Stroking the ankles: Moving on to the ankles you can use your finger tips to gently use little strokes up  across the foot and towards where the ankle meets the foot, this area has a growth plate and can be sore so this is a really lovely relaxing stroke for growing babies.

4.       Piggies: Next up you can wiggle each on of the toes and sing the little piggy song, you can sing whichever song you want but this one lends itself nicely to toe wiggling

5.       Walking fingers: On the sole of the foot use your fingertips to gently knead  wand walk them over  the whole foot pad.

6.       Hooked finger: Then using the crook of your finger stroke the sole of your baby’s foot, this can stimulate the plantar reflex.

7.       Swedish milking: Finish up the legs with Swedish milking which is identical to Indian milking but instead moves from the ankle to the hip, as a rule all Swedish massage moves from the extremities to the heart and this promotes lymph movement which is a passive system generally.

Stomach – stomach strokes are fantastic for trapped lower wind, colic and fussing. They are beneficial for constipation and bloating. Because of the positioning of the large intestine it is vital that all of the strokes follow a clockwise direction otherwise any gas issues can be exacerbated. Gentle clockwise strokes can help move everything in the right direction.

1.       Waterwheel: Using the sides of your hands, make paddling strokes on baby’s stomach, one hand following the other, as if you were scooping sand toward yourself. Start below the ribs and move into the lower abdomen. Stroke hand over hand with a gentle but firm pressure.

2.       Thumb stroking: With your thumbs at the level of baby’s bellybutton, stroke out to the sides. Be gentle and do not poke.

3.       Sun and Moon: Your left hand begins by making a full circle on baby’s stomach, moving clockwise. Your right hand makes a half circle or crescent moon in a clockwise direction, then lift your right hand up and over your left hand making the continuous circular ‘sun’ strokes.  Repeat the sun moon pattern.

4.       I Love You: This is a three-part stroke, which spells out the message ‘I love you’ to the baby. Baby loves a gentle voice saying ‘I love you’ as you share this stroke. To make the I move the hands down the left hand side of your baby’s torso (their left not yours) then an upside down and backwards L shape that runs across the bottom of the ribs and follows the path of the I. The last stroke is a U shape that goes up the right side of baby’s torso, across the bottom of the ribs and then down the left side.

5.       Palm roll: Putting the heel of your palm on the right lower side of baby’s chest slowly roll the hand like you are placing a palm print on their belly applying a gentle but firm even pressure as you rock the hand over.

Torso - often baby will protect their chest with their folded arms, this is a natural response.  Hopefully the leg massage will have relaxed them sufficiently but if they haven't yet relaxed you can help them by starting with the open book stroke.

1.       Open Book: . Stroke from the center to the side of baby’s chest, following the rib cage, as if you are smoothing the pages of a book using the flats of your hands. Bring your hands around in a heart-shaped motion to the center again and repeat the stroke.

2.       Butterfly: Begin with both hands at baby’s sides, at the bottom of the rib cage. Move your right hand across baby’s chest diagonally to baby’s right shoulder. Massage the shoulder very gently. Move your hand down across baby’s chest to its original position. Repeat with your left hand moving up and across to baby’s left shoulder. Follow one hand after the other, rhythmically crisscrossing baby’s chest.

Arms – the arms are much like the legs, most of the techniques are identical, though babies may not be as relaxed letting you rub their arms so approach it gently and with respect

1.       Indian milking: Do as you did for the legs, starting at the upper arm and moving down to the wrist

2.       Rolling: Roll the upper arm gently between your hands and then carry the weight of the arm and gently jiggle to release

3.       Stroking the wrist: Gently using your fingertips stroke the top of the hand towards the wrist

4.       Fingertips: Using your fingertips gently stroke from the base of baby’s fingers to the tips, using a gently pincer grasp to get both sides.

5.       Palms: Using your thumb trace circles on baby’s palm

Back – baby has to be comfortable on their tummy to use these strokes, brand new babies may not enjoy this . Some alternatives to lying them on the floor are to lay baby across your knees or lie back with them on your stomach.  While your baby is on their stomach you can talk to them to reassure them you are there.

1.       Back and forth: Begin with both hands together at the top of baby’s back. Glide your relaxed hands back and forth, in opposite directions, going down the back to the buttocks, then up to the shoulders, and back down again.

2.       Swooping: Cup baby’s bum with one hand. Beginning at baby’s neck, your other hand glides down smoothly to the buttocks. Repeat the swooping stroke several times

.

3.       Long swooping: Support the baby’s feet with one hand and repeat the swooping strokes with your other hand moving all the way down the legs to baby’s feet.

4.       Circles: Use your fingertips to massage small circles on both sides of baby’s spine moving all over the back. Be sure to massage small circles on baby’s hips and buttocks, too. Avoid doing these circles directly on the spine.

5.       Combing: With your hand open and fingers spread apart, gently comb baby’s back starting at the neck and moving to the bum. Your strokes become gradually lighter each time. Repeat several times. End with a very light feather touch. You may also begin with baby’s head and stroke down the back. Be aware that with very little babies they should not be given light touch massage as it can be over stimulating . Keep strokes firm and in full contact until baby is older at around the 5-7 month mark.

Finishing – finish whenever baby tells you they are ready. Whether that is by starting to fuss, turning their head away or closing their body up.

1.       Finish by picking up your baby and cuddling them. Be careful as they can be quite slippery! 

I I hope this helps you establish a loving communication of touch with your baby. Enjoy.

Pediculosis capitis – say what now?

Headlice are ‘orrible. They are the bane of any parents with children who engage in social activities. They are very small parasitic wingless insects that live on the scalp of human beings. They have six legs, each with strong claws to hold tightly to the hair or scalp and range from near transparent white to dark brown. Head lice lay eggs called Nits.  The Nit eggs are yellowish white and oval-shaped.  Nits are attached to the shafts of the hair close to the scalp so they are kept warm in order to incubate. Ewwww. The eggs of head lice hatch in about 7-10 days. The egg-to-egg cycle is about 3-4 weeks. The eggs are resistant to most treatments and cannot be washed out – you can see what we are up against. 

Headlice, not the next great toy

Treating once will only kill the live nits and because they transfer effectively from head to head contact, clothing and linen, a deep infestation can be almost impossible to clear.

A little note came up at preschool a few weeks ago, ‘WARNING WE HAVE NITS’ and they even helpfully put up a laminated example of a real nit and a real louse.  I instantly got the heeby jeebies. I felt itchy right away but couldn’t itch myself for fear of looking like a lice infested hobo. My head had been itchy anyway due to the 3 month post partum moult but now with every itch I imagined a horde of shiny little bodies crawling over my head. Every night I badgered my husband to check me for lice and I have been watching my son like a hawk to see if he itches.

With lice, prevention is always ALWAYS better than cure, but before you assume all the louse ridden children are poor, undernourished and unclean you should know that headlice prefer clean scalps and nice juicy children (okay I just invented that last supposition but it makes sense). Since my son is clearly nit free I can safely assume he has a nice grubby scalp

How do you prevent headlice?

Aside from having dyed hair (not an option for most kids) and leaving your hair dirty (probably a preferred option with most kids) there are a couple of things you can do to make your childs head less tenable. With short hair, putting gel or product in it before your children are likely to be in head lice contact is a cunning move and with long hair, tight plaits or tied up hairstyles with hairspray are effective too. Another tactic is to make sure children are not sharing hats or hairties.

Here is a recipe for home made, louse resistant, chemical free hairgel/spray you can make for pennies.

Manuka Hair Gel Recipe

2 teaspoons of powder gelatine (not heaped)
300ml warm water
1 tablespoon white vinegar
12 drops of manuka oil – you can also use teatree and add some lavender oil if you wish.

Mix the water, vinegar and gelatine together until dissolved and wait until it has set. Once it has set put it in your blender and blitz it whilst adding your essential oil. It should come out smooth like hair gel. To make it into a hairspray dissolve ½ a cup in 300ml of water approx and put into a spritzer bottle.

Ideally this will stop the lice in their tracks but assuming the lice are more persistent than that and you end up with an infestation you can still get rid of them without something toxic or nasty. In past days children would have been simply lined up at school and had their head dunked in a bucked of kerosene This is not to be recommended and can seriously burn the scalp.

First off how do you know if your child has lice?

Sometimes it can be hard to know. Most kids will be itchy and irritable, there may be red spots on their scalp which can become infected.It’s also possible for your child to have a headache, general malaise and even a rash or allergic response such as hives. In many cases however there may be no obvious signs of an infestation.

To check for lice you will need a comb and a bright light such as daylight or a torch to check the scalp. The nits or eggs are little white dots that sit on the hair shaft and the lice are little brown critters that dash across the scalp. Wetting the hair immobilises them and can make it easier to spot them. My mum used to sit me out in a sunny spot and check my scalp and pop any lice she found. All we needed were chimp suits. As an interesting note, girls are more prone to headlice than boys are. 

So what do you need to kill the headlice?

Some white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
Some coconut milk (optional)
Some oil, olive or almond are best
Some teatree oil or manuka oil.
A nit comb

To treat headlice you need to commit to doing a few treatments over a 12 day period, this is because any nits or eggs you miss will hatch and start the whole cycle again and it’s easier to get them all in one fell swoop than to wait for each successive reinfestation. You also need to do every one in the house and you need to do the bedding and recently used clothes as well.

The first step of the treatment is to douse the hair in vinegar and leave for about half an hour, either with a spritzer bottle or using a flannel soaked in vinegar. A headband around the forhead and over the ears like a skier is a good way to stop drips from getting in eyes. It can stink like billy’o! Vinegar breaks down the glue which holds the nits onto the hair and can also help weaken or kill the lice.

The second step of the treatment is to mix 1 part coconut milk with 1 part oil and some drops of teatree oil and smother the whole head in this mix. The coconut milk makes it smoother and easier to comb later on. You need to leave this mix in for as long as possible. You can glad wrap it overnight if your children are a bit older and will tolerate it but for little children you may just have to deal with a goopy head for as long as you can manage. Even a little hat can hep the mix stay on. This blend smothers the lice and immobilises them.

The third step is to patiently comb all of the nits out using a nit comb, the easiest way is to divide it up into sections and comb it out piece by piece using an absorbent towel to collect the oil mix and hopefully the dead lice. Once this is completed it’s time for a nice hot hair wash and condition with a final rinse of vinegar (which makes you hair lovely and soft anyway).

If you don’t have oil and coconut milk you can use conditioner with a few drops of teatree or manuka oil in it. This is easier to comb and is just as good at smothering, but it is not terribly natural. It depends entirely on what hair regime you have.

Another tip is if your child has long hair and you have a straightening iron you can use the hot iron to straighten their hair and sizzle all of the headlice. You have to know that your child can sit still though… I cannot stress how important that is.

The fourth step is just as important, and that is to wash all of your linens, preferably on a hot wash with some teatree or manuka oil and then out through a hot cycle in your dryer or hang on the line for at least 2 days. Anything that can’t be washed can be bagged up and sealed which starves the little critters to death.

You can also get electric combs which zap them to death, which is significantly less fussing and bother especially with little children. However they don’t kill the nits so you will need to do it every couple of days for a fortnight and they are also expensive!

I forgot to mention the last part of the cure, a glass of wine to help soothe your nerves after the ordeal. This is possibly the most essential step.