| HomeschoolingResourceCenter.org Home | Search | About Us | Contact Us |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Neurodevelopment Teaching Tip of the Month January 2011 |
This time of year it’s not unusual for young children to come down with ear infections. These infections can cause problems in learning far beyond
just interrupting the schedule and daily lesson plans. More and more research is pointing to the effects on language development, learning, and even
hyperactivity.
Surprisingly, the first culprit is not the infection itself but the antibiotics used to counter the infection. Besides attacking the detrimental bacteria, they also eat away at the myelin sheath – the covering that overlays the brain connections used in learning. The protein-based sheath acts as an insulator, reinforcing the connections so they can fire correctly. When the sheath is undermined by the antibiotics, the connections can “short out,” causing inconsistencies in learning. One day the child seems to know the material; the next day it’s as if the child never heard of the skill. Not content to mess up the brain, another side-effect of repeated use of antibiotics is that they eat away at the good bacteria in the intestinal tract. This throws off the child’s entire digestive system, which results in an irritated nervous system. The downward spiral continues as the body reacts and changes the composition of the chemical bath surrounding the brain connections. This in turn inhibits attention and learning. Finally, the infection and the inflammation of the ear can damage the cilium, the tiny hair-like structures of the ear that vibrate when struck by sound waves. In other words, the mechanism used to hear. Repeated infections can cause so much scar tissue that hearing is impaired, which in turn affects the child’s ability to hear the sounds of the language so necessary for phonics, reading, speech, and language development. There are a variety of vitamins and supplements that can alleviate some of these side-effects, as well as alternative forms of fighting infections. Please consult a nutritional expert, physician, or chiropractor if you suspect your child’s learning and behavior is being impacted. 324 Words To view more 'Teaching Tips' Articles please 'Log In' and visit the 'Achives' page. |
