Lena Fokina practices something strange and bizarre called baby yoga, which has been causing outrage among parents everywhere and the strange ritual could be lapping Britain’s shores now, which is causing fresh consternation.
Baby Yoga?
Seeing the footage could make any parent wince in sympathetic agony as the baby cries pathetically being flung this way and that, being held by the leg, arm and being swung up and down and around much as you would swing a club! When the videos of this supposed baby yoga were first seen online on video sharing sites, many were banned after an outcry that this was tantamount of promoting child abuse.
For her part, Fokina claims that this is helpful for babies and that it helps the baby’s muscles grow stronger. She claims that the method was originally created for babies with skeletal or muscular problems but that it is suitable for other babies as well. She claims that her techniques could help babies develop faster; being able to read, talk, sing and swim earlier.
It is pointed out that the moves she engages in look positively dangerous which seem likely to cause serious harm and even perhaps some permanent damage or in cases prove fatal. However Fokina claims that her techniques are safe in spite of the babies often screaming in what must be pain and fright; in cases even throwing up.
Fokina claims that it was Dr Igor Charkovsky, the original proponent of baby yoga whom she follows; who is known for propagating other rather extreme techniques such as ‘water rebirth’ that involves repeatedly submerging young babies in water.
Parents should beware of shaken baby syndrome
The supposed benefits of the so called baby yoga are certainly doubtful, and the possible dangers are far more evident. Experts have long warned that inflicting unnatural and very vigorous movements on young babies can in fact be very dangerous and can be classified as child abuse.
We know that Shaken Baby Syndrome is a condition that can be caused by intentional shaking of a baby. It can cause internal bleeding of the brain and/or the retina, swelling of the brain, visual impairment, motor impairment and even cognitive impairment to varying degrees.
The type of injury to a baby from shaking is quite distinct from injury that occurs due to falls, trauma or impact, and will typically have no outer signs of the injury but the kind of damage that can occur can be fairly extreme and could even be permanent.
