Dear Doctor; My one-year-old child is showing all the signs of being left-handed, but family elders are not impressed by it. They have said a lot of cultural things about being left-handed that even scares me. Is there a way I can deliberately change this scenario before the child grows up, as in aligning the twig before it is dry? Emma Kwibuka, Kabeza. Dear Emma, Left handedness has been a topic of much interest, debate and studies. About 15 per cent of people world over are left-handed, while majority are right handed. The theory was that in right-handed persons, the left cerebral hemisphere determining speech and writing is more developed and maybe vice versa. But later on several studies have proved that in individuals using left hand both sides of the brain may also be developed well. There are strong underlying genetic factors underlying lefthandedness. Some children pick it as a habit maybe by watching another child or grown up using left hand. Whatever the cause for using a left hand for work it is certainly not a disease and there is nothing wrong in it, whatever cultural beliefs or traditions say against it. Many people start using both hands for working or writing by practice and do it efficiently. This helps stimulating both sides of the brain making them more focused and sharp in working as compared to their peer. Some individuals use left hand for writing but right hand for other
