Ger: Mongolian Homes

ger sweet ger

welcoming you into a ger

 

for a little glimpse of mongolian traditional homes

 

 

cooking stove:

always the center of the ger

spiritually and physically

beautiful doors

 

although most gers have sinks inside,

 

some can be found outdoors

kitschy miniature ger that i refuse to purchase;

they are EVERYWHERE!

if i could, however, i would buy a real one and have it shipped to chicago!

 

 

 some model gers for sale

Baby Massage Parlor: Rickets Prevention

 in mongolia, rickets affects one in every four children under the age of one

there is a higher prevalence in urban areas with more symptoms of severe rickets*

building a temporary baby massage parlor

lucky little ones get a nice oil massage

while other lucky ones play in the sand for a few hours

and they get treats full of vitamin D and calcium

sponsored by world vision

food: 

great incentive to keep moms coming back for more sun and fun

studies suggest that rickets in mongolian children is vitamin D deficiency, 

probably of multifactoral origin, 

with both low oral intakes and limited ultraviolet sunlight exposure being involved

also calcium deficiency, in particular, 

may be contributing to the development of vitamin D deficiency*

i still think that swaddling could be a huge contributing factor to rickets in mongolia

despite what one study concludes....

http://www.publichealthjrnl.com/article/S0033-3506%2806%2900132-6/abstract

*UNICEF & WHO

Bundles of Joy

it gets boiling hot in mongolia: high 90's

there's no air-conditioning in the clinic

we're lucky when we have electricity

 (and running water)

yet babies come to the clinic bundled in layers

layer after layer after layer

baby 1

unveiling:

baby 2

swaddling:

baby 3

all wrapped and ready to go!