Month: March 2017

Despite so many advantages, the incidence of breast-feeding is declining and the use of commercial formulas increasing. Why?

1. Figure consciousness: In this modern age, the media hype and western norms have created a feeling of insecurity about a person’s physical characteristics in the minds of both men and women. Breast-feeding being touted as the cause for breast sagging, women may prefer bottle feeding rather than running the risk of their figure being spoiled.

Continue reading Child Care: Reasons for Mothers Not Feeding Breast Milk to Their Babies

1. Nature’s gift: Breast milk is the nature’s way of nourishing a child and what is natural cannot be wrong. Infant formulas have come into vogue recently, while breast milk exists from the very beginning of human race. When there were no infant formulas, all mothers used to breast-feed without giving it a second thought, but now with the presence of milk tins, the mother’s motivation to breast feed has decreased.

Continue reading Child Care: Advantages of Breast Milk

1. Milk is not enough? Read our article on breast feeding for guidance.

2. Sore or cracked nipples: It is usually due to a faulty technique where the gums of the baby apply undue traction on the nipples. The technique of feeding has to be modified. For cracked nipples, it is best to apply some milk over it and leave it open to air. Lanolin ointment can also be applied locally. But keep away from soap, boric acid and powders. The feeding should continue (for Charter periods and starting on the less sore side). If the problem is severe and causing excessive pain to the mother during suckling, then breast pumps should be used to empty the breast. If the breast is not emptied, not only will it lead to a decrease in the milk supply but will also lead to “breast engorgement”.

Continue reading Child Care: Common Problems in Breast Feeding

1. Putting an older infant (>5-6 months) to sleep with a bottle in his mouth is discouraged because it may lead to dental caries, as well as the potential for future sleep problems, because the child associates sleep with having the bottle in his mouth. Most parents can wean the child from a bottle to a cup at the age of 9-12 months of age.

Continue reading Child Care: Tips and Advice for Feeding Children

Weaning

It is the process by which the child is shifted from an exclusively milk diet to other foods. It is started at the age of 4 months when liquids other than milk (e.g. juices, soups) and semi-solid foods (e.g. dal, rice) are introduced in the baby’s diet. Of course he still consumes milk, but as he starts consuming more and more of other foods, his milk consumption gradually decreases.

Continue reading Child Care: Feeding of Child of Four Months and Above

Both (a slight built and a heavy built) are two ends of the spectrum of growth and development. Both ends are normal as long as they remain within the spectrum i.e. the weight is in a range, which is normal for that age. For example a child of 1 year is normal if he weighs 8-12 Kgs. Let us consider adults. Some adults may weigh 50 kilos; others may weigh 70 kilos. Some may be of slender constitution; others may have a heavy constitution. Some put on fat easily and so have a tendency towards obesity.

Continue reading Child Care: Why are Some Children Thin While Others are Chubby?

i. Introduce solids when your baby is most alert and happy.

ii. Be cheerful and relaxed. If your anxiety is obvious, your baby might refuse the new food.

Continue reading Child Care: Tips for Introducing Your Baby to Solids

❖ Amongst all vaccines, BCG is the least efficacious. It does, however, protect against the severity of the disease. The formation of the BCG scar may take 8-12 weeks.

❖ Polio: More doses than recommended can be safely given. Therefore, children can receive polio doses as a part of Pulse Polio immunisation, even if recently vaccinated.

Continue reading Child Care: Key Points to Know About Immunization for Children

1. Child is thin

Check whether the child’s weight is really below the expected for his age (e.g. is a 1-year-old child weighing only 6 kilos?). Don’t be carried away by your subjective impressions or what others say. Don’t compare your child with other children’s built and weight. Parents, who harbour anxiety regarding the thinness of their child, invariably find some child amongst relatives or in the neighbourhood who is stouter than their child. Every child including yours is unique and comparisons are superfluous.

Continue reading Child Care: How to Tackle Feeding Problems in Children?