Archives: Reads

Let me begin by saying that I am blessed; my son had an almost painless teething cycle (a tad slow, though).On a bright, summer morning, of the 10th of july,2010, the Sun shone gleefully on my son and his beautiful first tooth.

A significant fact that we need to know is that our baby’s tooth buds start to develop even before she is born. The other important point is that there is no rigid timeline for the first tooth to appear. Now, I am known to be a hyper mum amongst my friends; someone who worries about anything and everything related to my son (yes, true that! Even a small change in the eating pattern freaks me out). So me being me, by the 6th month, I was all perturbed, because my precious baby had not flaunted even a single one of his pearly whites.

Consequently, like all over- anxious, first-time-mothers, I, too, did my fair share of research and discovered the following information-

1. Teeth tend to sprout over a period of months, generally in a specific order. In most cases, teething tends to occur between months 3 to 7. Our babies grow 20 teeth (primary or ‘milk’ teeth that we often call them), till the age of 3. The left and right teeth normally develop at the same time.
2. The lower, central incisors appear between months 5 to 10. The upper central ones between months 8th to 12th.
3. The lower, lateral incisors grow between months 9th to 16th. The upper ones develop between months 10th to 16th.

Next in line are the molars and canines. Our baby’s third birthday usually welcomes her last teeth.

Here, I would also like to include a few’ tell- tale’  signs that our baby has finally started teething:

1. Swollen gums- raw and painful (unfortunately, teething is ever so painful for most babies).
2. Excessive salivation, drooling.
3. The baby can seem ill, with mild fever and runny nose. But do be careful and observant; not all fevers are due to teething. Use your parental instincts, ALWAYS.
4. There may be a decrease in appetite. Again caution needs to be exercised; tummy infections cannot be ruled out.
5. Babies tend to be irritable and cranky; an expression of their discomfort.
6. Our baby’s gums feel sore, leading to a need to gnaw. I remember how I had got used to being bitten almost every single day by my son, when he had started to teethe. ☺
7. A few babies may acquire facial rash. I would like to reiterate the fact that we should not confuse all symptoms of ill health or discomfort, as those related to teething. Follow your gut at all times.

Though we really cannot do away with the physical pain associated with teething, we can try and alleviate it to some extent. Allow me to share a few tried and tested soothers. Mums, you can gently rub your baby’s gums, with clean fingers, exerting slight pressure. Try to give her something to chew on. Cold carrot worked best for my son.

Most important, love the baby to the moon and back ☺.

A change in season invariably results in our children falling ill, with cold and cough and flu. The regular signs are a runny nose, an itchy throat, sneezes and fever. Our baby is miserable (and so are we).  Let’s address each of these individually.

1. Cold:

The Rhinovirus is the most common cause of cold. Cold usually lasts between 5 to 10 days. Our child, at the onset of the illness, tends to feel unwell and then has a sore throat. Cough is one of the closest ‘friends’ of cold.

• Cold is super contagious. So our child can get it from his best friend.
• He can get sick by coming in contact with a germ infested surface, a door knob, a chair and so on.
• The best form of defense is personal hygiene and washing hands frequently. You need to inculcate this habit in your child. My son, for instance knows that he needs to wash his hands before eating, each time he visits the restroom, when he gets back home after playing and so forth.
• If your child has a cold, it is best not to send him to school so that other children do not catch it. Moreover, your baby is weak and prone to infections, so it is best for him, too.  It would be great if you could teach your child to cover his mouth while sneezing and use a tissue. Try to avoid over the counter medication and consult your paediatrician if your child’s symptoms worsen.

2. Cough:

The sound of my son coughing makes me want to cry, a feeling shared by all mums, I am sure. Well, addressing the cause can help our child:

• Allergies- These can cause irritable cough, a bad throat and so on. These allergens can include food items, pollen in the air and dust. Speak with your child’s paediatrician and take the necessary medication.
• Infections like flu and cold result in our kids coughing continuously. If your baby is asthmatic, it might cause cough.
• Acid reflux is also a common cause of cough. You can speak with your paediatrician about this. You can also remove food that causes acidity in your child, like chocolate (identify it). Give your baby dinner at least a couple of hours before his bedtime, to aid digestion.

Self medication is again not advisable for your baby. In case, the severity of cough increases or if your child has difficulty breathing, rush to your doctor.

3. Flu:

Flu is also referred to as Influenza. It is an infection that targets our child’s respiratory system. It tends to be more severe than cold as it can develop into pneumonia. Our child feels awful the first couple of days after the onset of the illness.

• Three types of viruses cause Influenza- Types A and B cause the annual flu and type C causes the random outbreak.
• Since flu is contagious, it is spread through respiratory secretions.
• Our kids tend to get it most obviously from school or their play group. They decide to share a milkshake, or hug or maybe exchange a ‘yo’ with the boy who has the flu (and who just rubbed his nose with his hands).
• Children can spread the virus a day before their actual symptoms surface and continue to do so for almost a week after they fall ill.
• The best way to avoid the flu is to get the vaccination done for your child. I do it every year for my son.

Mums, make your child rest and give him lots of fluid. Stay healthy!

How many times have you come back worried about your child’s weight after your regular pediatrician visit? I did. Most toddlers after being weaned off breast milk tend to become underweight for their age and size. You might also come across a stage when you observe and think- “have they stopped growing” or “does he have worms again?”

While I went through this phase with my son when he was about two I took the help of few of the rich foods my mother fed me while I was growing up. I also must emphasize here that don’t make weight a parameter to declare your child as healthy or unhealthy. Sometimes they may weigh less but the sparkle in their eye tells the whole truth of about their health.

Even though an apple a day, keeps the doctor away, bananas are the best source of calorie intake as well as nutrition. And bananas and milk is a super healthy combination. Try giving mashed bananas with milk in breakfast meals. Remember the goal here is not to increase their weight, but just to reach the healthy weight according to their age and daily activity. So anything in excess is a complete no-no.

Whole/full cream milk is also an alternative that can be continued till your child turns older. I would not suggest high protein shakes that are available in the market which are greatly advertised on television. They just add on to the weight in no time, which does not solve the purpose.

Cheese is another source of protein and is highly energy dense. Include cheese in various forms like adding in paranthas, cheese breads with soups, or even a cube of cheese at times to satisfy their hunger.

A balanced diet is as important for an underweight child as much it is for healthy kids and adults. Have 4-5 portions of fruits of vegetables every day. Include lentils, pulses, fish, eggs and meat. Avoid saturated oils and switch to unsaturated oils wherever possible.

The deal with underweight kids could also be fussy eating habits. I’ve heard many mothers complain that their child does not even want to experiment with their food. So that’s where the job becomes tougher. So make it interesting that they enjoy their meal time. Make it family time, talk and be happy. Talk about the day and get their mind off the plate.

Keep a count of the daily calorie intake of your child until they reach their healthy weight.   Introduce foods that are high on calories like potatoes, milk puddings, dairy products etc. Don’t feed on the junk items just so to increase their weight.

Even if you child is underweight, keep him /her active in physical play. That would help them developing their bones and muscles and making them stronger. There is a difference between underweight and weak. So identify what you are dealing with.

After all these are challenges of childhood that most parents face and patience is the key.