One of the most important parenting tips is to not be afraid to touch or hold the child. However, the parent must be very careful when doing so. Never pull on the child's arms or legs or bend the limbs into an awkward position. The best way to hold a young breakable child is to grab them gently around the middle.
With some types of OI it is best to put one hand under their buttocks and the other hand gently in the middle of their back. However, with an OI baby, put one hand between their legs on their buttocks and the other supporting the head and neck.
Even if the child may attain injury when being handled, the caretaker should not feel badly. Injuries are a common part of the disease. There is a slim chance that the parent did something wrong. Always follow the doctor's directions and parenting tips or seek parenting tips and advice of a therapist who is experienced in working with individuals with brittle bones.
Parents of children who have this genetic disorder should avoid smoking because the child might have asthma or other repertory problems due to complications resulting from the restriction of their lungs being in a smaller than normal sized ribcage.
When the child goes to school, they should not be sent to a special school. A very important parenting tip is to understand that there is nothing wrong with the brain, (unless they have broken their skull and there was some brain damage), just the bones. This is a physically limiting disability, not a mentally limiting disability.
An important parenting tip considers is when the child is at school; have them explain to other peers what the disease is.
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