MyChildHealth

Apgar Test Score Of Newborns

admin — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 15:48:37 +0000

When a baby is born he is generally medically checked to know if all his organs are functioning in the right manner or not. This is a sort of a test that the newborn goes through, which indicates any kind of a problem at the time of birth so as to treat the ailment accordingly. Immediately after the initial five minutes of the child’s birth he is put through the apgar test to understand the physical anatomy. This test also helps the child in future when treating himself against any ailment.

The doctor evaluates the newborn child immediately after one minute of his birth. He studies him to know the various aspects including the baby’s color, respiration, heart rate, muscle tone and reflexes. The second part of the first evaluation takes place after the first five minutes lapse. This way the baby’s health condition is known immediately after his birth.

The apgar test is an excitement for the parents too, as this way they know whether their child stands in terms of having a healthy body. This test also enables them to take the right sort of care of their little ones in future so that they grow up to be in good health.

To start with, the doctors will first evaluate the newborn on the basis of the color of his body. If his body is healthy pink in color, he scores a two without a doubt while if he has blue colored limbs with a pink face, he scores a meager two. However, in any other cases, the baby gets a zero which means he isn’t in the right shape.

Respiratory test happens next where in the baby’s lungs are checked medically. Two points are given to the child who cries loud and clear which means his lungs are strong and healthy while the child who doesn’t cry that noisily scores a skimpy one point, as that indicates his weakness. In any other case the baby obviously scores a zero which means he needs immediate care for his not so strong lungs.

Heart beat is monitored in the next case where in the cardiac activity of the baby is checked under the apgar test. A baby who’s heart races through 100 beats in a minute scores a two without a doubt while in case of a baby who’s heart beats less than a hundred times in a minute scores a one. In any other situation, the baby gets a zero which means an emergency.

Muscle tone test comes next where in if the baby’s limb movement is way too much, he scores a two while if his movements are any less, the doctors will settle him for a one. In case the limbs fail to move at all, the little one gets a zero which means danger and immediate treatment.

Reflexes of the child are checked too. If the child cries and responds to the test, he scores an immediate two while in the other cases depending upon his reaction he scores the various marks which tell of his mental preparedness and alertness.

The total score of the baby in respect of the apgar test happens to be ten. Incase of babies who score a ten pointer, it only suggests they are in the pink of their health, while even a eight or a nine means they are healthy if not in excellent shape. But if the score turns out to be less than that it means the baby needs special care and attention.

Very few parents understand the meaning of the score so it is always better to ask the doctor to explain the score and the newborn’s health condition so that they know what their child needs for a better health.

It is imperative to get this test done immediately after your child is born. Make sure you consult your doctor before hand, so that they are prepared to medically examine the child once he is born. The apgar test is the best way to know where and how your baby stands in terms of good health.

Causes Of Bed Wetting In Older Kids

admin — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 14:40:17 +0000

Bed wetting is one of the most common ailments spread over a large number of kids all over the world. It sometimes is not a big problem especially when the child grows over it at the right age. Life becomes a living hell hole when this problem stays for long in children only to hamper their personalities as a result making them meek and spiritless.

The medical term for bed wetting is “enuresis”. If it gets better with time and at the right age of the child, it doesn’t pose a threat to his personality at all. But in reverse cases, where it stays on incurably, troubling the child by not allowing him to attend night out parties with his friends, camps etc, it becomes a living nightmare. There are many causes of bed wetting in kids.

Enuresis is also a hereditary ailment. You will notice that people who suffer from this have several cases going through the same state even in the past. For example one of the parents must have suffered the same during his or her childhood days. It could carry on for as long as even the ripe old age of sixteen years of the child if not more. As a result, the kid loses interest in his work very often, he becomes a daydreamer, lacks confidence to a great degree and is meek and timid most of the time.

Bed wetting is a sleep disorder just like sleep walking. An older child who sleeps so soundly that he doesn’t even realize that he needs to visit the toilet at night, is the one who suffers from this disorder. There are several stages of sleep. One of the types of the levels of sleep is the REM or the rapid eye movement state which induces us to dream. But part from the REM state there is a deeper level of slumber which doesn’t even allow the child to wake up when he wishes to go to the toilet, and this is the case of enuresis.

There are also several myths which are sadly associated with this ailment. They could be ranging from using alarms at night to help wake the child up, to the child having a weak or small bladder which causes this disorder. It is quite surprising to see how people look at this sleep related issue, there are times when they know nothing at all, yet they seem to be so confidently vocal about enuresis.

Myths about enuresis

Emotional stress at school and home which is causing the child to urinate in his bed at night, irrespective of his age.
Bribing the little one to get some positive results which is a mind boggling idea if nothing else.
Avoiding fluids at bed time which never helps in such a situation.

Hence in case there is anyone at home including kids, suffering from enuresis, make sure you consult the right doctor for help. Homeopathy has some of the best medicines to combat this problem without fail. But instead of taking this sleep disorder lightly, one must act sooner for a better future of his or her child.

Is Your Toddler Picky Eater?

admin — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 07:27:10 +0000

Many toddlers throw up tantrums while eating foods. While some kids want to eat only their favorite stuffs, other just come up with various excuses for not eating and start messing up the place by throwing them around. All these acts shows that your child has picky eating habits. Here are few ideas on how to deal with such picky eaters.

It’s a good idea to consult a pediatrician and check with the pediatrician whether it’s just picky eating or something more serious and if any vitamin and supplements are required to make the situation better.

As a rule of thumb, parents must be never stresssed while meal time. The stress would also pass on to toddler and result would be tantrums. Meal time would be disliked by both parents and child.

It’s always hard to judge what the child to like to eat. So its good to try different types of foods and let the child choose what they want. For older children, the choices could be given orally and they should be asked to choose from it. This way children would feel they have got what they wanted and parents are also relieved of the stress of forcing the child to eat. Even if the toddler is a picky eater but he takes complete nutritious diet of food what he likes, then it’s not a matter to worry about.

Some toddlers like crunchy foods like tempura, chicken fingers, and fish sticks with cruchcy coating. While others like soft food items. Some like to dip their food and eat it. They could be served sauce, ketchup, ranches etc to dip their food. To make the food attractive, decorate in an appealing manner.

Those parents, who believe their child is choosy about food, should always carry packed food while going out for lunch/dinner. If it wasnt possible to carry food, then its better to not to go to such places. As if the child doesnt eat then crackiness would set in and there would be no scope of enjoyment and only frustration and stress would remain. Therefore, it’s best to avoid such unpleasantness.

If toddlers or children don’t like to eat certain food items its better not to force it through their throat by bribing, shouting etc. Most adults don’t eat everything in their diet. When the adults have a choice to say ‘no’ to certain food, then why force the child. As the kids grow older, they overcome their pickiness. Even if they carry on, there is nothing wrong about it as everybody has to the right to say ‘no’ to what they don’t like.

Learning Tools For Kids

admin — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 06:37:54 +0000

Children always very inquisitive and have lot of questions like why, what, how etc. These questions should be answered and they should be encouraged to ask more. These are the ways through which they would enhance their knowledge. There are many such questions they have even with regard to their academics, but the teacher many not be able to address them due to various reasons. The parents can help in their quest for knowledge through learning tools. These tools would help in learning, cognitive, reasoning and perception too. Following are some easy learning tools for kids.

Interactive Television

Every child enjoys watching television. Watching television can be made more productive by getting them to watch educational programmes, cartoon character that give education messages. All these features have been in interactive television’s edutainment section. This feature is gaining popularity as it’s an ingenious way to make the children learn. Just watching educational programmes is not sufficient. Parents must sit with the child and discuss it with them.

CDs as Learning Tools

Gone are the days when fat and heavy encyclopedias had to be read by the kids to know about various stuffs like animals, solar system etc. Today there are a plenty of CDs on almost all topics under the sun interesting differnt age groups. They are skillfully done to maintain the interest. They are attractively packed and contain graphics and images that would make it easy for the child to learn and understand.

Websites for Kids

Internet has galore of information on all topics. There are lots of websites meant for the kids. They can learn maths, language, spellings, and quizzes, enhancing logic, stretching imagination through creative writing and story telling and a lot of problem solving. But the kids should never be allowed to access internet on their own without parental guidance.

Exposure to all these tools in measured quantities will help the child learn a lot more than they would otherwise. Also, as they grow up they become biased to certain subjects due to various reasons. If the children are exposed these tools at a young age, they could very well use these to learn though subjects they find ‘difficult’ or ‘dislike’.

Vision Problems Symptoms In Children

admin — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 04:27:58 +0000

Vision is one of the most important tools for the child to function normally and be on par with children of their at home and otherwise. If a child is not able to see clearly then the performance will be naturally affected. Studies have proved that ability to see clearly with eyes without trouble is the key element of learning process of children up to the age of twelve. The main vision skills required at school are

Near vision: Ability to view image that is relatively close (at a distance of 10 to 13 inches).
Distance Vision: Ability to view image that is relatively far (at a distance of 36 inches /beyond arms length).
Binocular coordination: Coordination of both eyes.
Eye movement skills: The eyes should be able to aim accurately at an object, move away smoothly, quickly and comfortably and look at another object.
Focusing skills: Ability to change focus from one object to another with change in length.
Peripheral awareness: The awareness that there are images on the sides while looking straight ahead.
Eye/hand coordination: The hands and eye should be able to move together at the same time.

If kids face any of the problems then the performance is most likely to be affected. The child will have to work harder and would develop headaches, fatigue and eye strain problems.

Here is a list of symptoms to help the parents recognize that the child is facing vision related problems.

Symptoms of eye problems in children

Inability to complete writing assignment in time
Inability to read continuously and having to repeat what is already to continue further
Losing attention while doing work which involves viewing at close quarters
Skipping words while reading
Copying down notes from the classroom board with lots of mistakes
Holding the books to close to the eyes while reading
Rubbing eyes frequently
Performing below the potential

If any of the above symptoms are noticed, it’s advisable for the parents to take the child to the Optometrist at the earliest so that it could be corrected. Delay would only compound issues and not make them any better.

Although all schools have eye examinations throughout the year, it’s important for the parents to all get their kid’s eyes checked up from when they are 6 months old. The American Optometric Association (AOA) suggests the child’s eyes should be checked first at 6 months, then at the age of 3 and 5. This should be followed by a check up once in every 2 years.

Sibling Rivalry In Children

admin — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 14:18:48 +0000

There are several cases of sibling rivalry which begin from the day the child feels inhibited by the presence of a new member in the family, irrespective of his age. It could begin as early as when you are expecting or even as late as when the baby finally comes home. Every age has its own peculiar way of expressing jealousy in terms of sibling rivalry. For instance if your first child is a toddler he would fail to comprehend where the new comer came from and if he would ever go away or not. This is such a difficult feeling that it doesn’t even spare the teenagers sometimes making them upset for their baby brother or sisters sudden presence. If this agonizing and distressing stage isn’t understood and tackled, it could lead to very serious repercussions like in several cases.

Make sure that the household is prepared to welcome the new born without the slightest confusion or problem. Keep your first born informed about his sibling so that he doesn’t feel left out in any way. Ask him to decorate his room with toys and cute baby posters so that he gets involved like the rest and feels at home.

The first born is equally important, hence have all the elders at home understand and follow the same. While each and every one is admiring the little one, the first born should also be pampered and loved to make him feel a part of the family, unlike in many cases. Have one of the parents attend to his requirements.

Make the grown up kids responsible by asking them to take care of their younger brothers and sisters for instantaneous positive results. When they feed, play and sometimes even put their siblings to sleep, they form a thick bond with each other helping them come close for good.

Never neglect the older ones for any reason and if you think you need to be patient for this, it’s true. You have to juggle the two children, first and the second born, without losing your sense of endurance at all. Listen to him every time he demands your attention for that will make him feel secure irrespective of his age.

If your child is not asking for anything and quietly playing in bed you must spend that time with the elder one so that he doesn’t feel left out one bit. Help him complete his homework like you always did even when the younger one wasn’t born at all so. Giving weight and attention to your elder child will ensure positive results for you wouldn’t let him lose his confidence in you. He would know he hasn’t lost his parents to the new arrival. Instead he will soon begin accepting the little one as a part of the family.

Plan from the beginning of the conception. When you think of having a second or third child, begin showing your kids baby pictures to tell them they were like that once upon a time, so that they know what having a baby at home actually means. Ask them to decorate their sibling’s room with cute teddies and dolls to involve them in bringing their sibling home happily.

Understand their insecurities and don’t be harsh at all. It doesn’t pay to be insensitive parents for that might ruin the situation completely. There are times of indelible distress when children even try hurting the new comer for steeling their parents away from them. In such cases try making them understand very thoughtfully that just like them their sibling’s also a part of the family. They should be taught to love and respect their baby brother or sister from the very beginning to make life easy for all.

Lastly, never give up on your faith and patience. Be good but also sensible parents each time you think prudence is required. Children always take time to learn, but once they know you care for them, they just don’t give into you.

Healthy Solid Food Ideas For Toddlers

admin — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 09:58:34 +0000

When your baby begins to grow enough to eat solid food, one must be extremely careful about a lot of factors. Make sure you ask your doctors whatever it is, that you should offer the toddler for this is a very delicate situation. Make sure you do everything required in your view and under your supervision so that you can easily avoid any major mishap from happening.

Know the right age when you should start giving your little one solid food to eat. Ask your elders or read the concerned books to confirm that your child is old enough to start eating solids. Preferably one must begin solids when the child has completed teething and is able to bite comfortably. Biting and breaking the food particles before swallowing makes a lot of difference. Until that is done, the baby won’t be able to digest the solid food. So clear up this aspect before moving ahead with chalking the right food chart for him.

Try giving him everything that is healthy and clean. Before starting make sure that your hands have been washed. Also do not leave the little one alone while giving him any solid food, from the safety point of view of choking, you wouldn’t even know. Make sure every step taken in your presence so that you could avoid any accident.

Chalk out a healthy food chart for your toddler and follow it diligently. But that doesn’t mean you should force all the items mentioned in the chart down the baby’s throat. Give him soft and palatable eatables which are not difficult to swallow and digest for him. Go slow while making him chew on it so that he is able to digest everything he eats without getting constipated.

Lentil soup, toasted bread, vegetables, buttered toast, jam, popcorn including all the fruits should be definitely given to the child. He should be given everything that is healthy and nutritious. Do not feed him on oily and spicy food for that might trouble his stomach a little. So be very careful about your baby’s eating habits. Juices and shakes which are not too cold could also be given to him so that he gets all the required nourishment.

Incase of non vegetarian food items make sure the food is easily chewable allowing the little one to nibble without any problems. Chicken soup or stew could prove to be quite beneficial. But one must realize that only the food items that can be easily digested by babies should be given and not anything else. Biting into a carrot or a radish could be perfect for their dental health too. In times of teething it really helps to bite on the aforementioned foods as the juices they secrete give nutrition while biting into the solid portion gives relief to the paining gums and teeth.

Starting solid food for your little toddler is a very important phase. Always remember that the food habits instilled during this time stay with them forever so make them eat the right food. Do not give them any aerated beverage or fast food to tamper with their food habits. Make sure you give them all that will help them eat a balanced diet.

The earlier you inculcate sound eating habits in your children the better it will be for their over all growth and development. It is imperative for parents to make their children eat the right food so that their mental physical development is not hampered one bit.

Tips For Baby Nursing In Public

admin — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 05:54:59 +0000

Motherhood is virtually incomplete without the joyous practice of nursing the little one. Every mother enjoys and has been enjoying the practice for centuries without a doubt. Nursing a child is healthier as compared to bottle feeding him. A huge number of women are hesitant to breast feed their children in public only because they feel awkward or shy doing so. And that’s exactly why many begin bottle feeding their little ones way too early in time which is something that shouldn’t be done. Breast feed gives the required nourishment to the babies which isn’t possible in cases of the top feed at all.

Clothing always makes a difference when it comes to feeding mothers. They must make sure they wear the right attire while feeding their child so as to be comfortable and respectable both at the same time. Comfort automatically comes when one is feeding in the privacy of their home but respect gets endangered when they have to do the same in the open especially, when they are not properly dressed for the purpose. Hence wear a front buttoned shirt with something to cover while feeding the little one so as so maintain your respect even when in public.

Pullovers or front buttoned tops are very comfortable when thinking of feeding little ones out in the open. All you need to do is open the buttons and help the baby suck while covering yourself with a drape so that you are not exposing your self to the outsiders.

In case you need more covers to feed your child outside in public, carry some baby blankets to be comfy under. Keep your cool and cover yourself with the blanket each time you have to feed the baby. Do not panic when faced with such situations to understand that there are some things that you just cant do without. So stay under cover and feed happily.

Mentally prepare yourself to be smart enough to face the public now that you have a responsibility to take care of. Do not be over shy or inhibited by the onlookers for that will make you weak and negative. So understand that the world has always been this way and that you have to feed your child whether in public or at home depending upon his feeding time. So be strong and mentally organize your self to be able to handle such a situation.

Look for corners when in public so that you could sit facing a wall while feeding your child for some privacy. If ever you have to feed your little one out in the open please do not panic one bit. Instead try locating the safe zones for your privacy and comfort and if you locate any just plant yourself right there and help your little one drink his bit. The whole idea is to find solutions which are good for you and your baby’s health rather than resorting to bottle feed at a early age.

Maintain your body’s hygiene while feeding your baby for that is of utmost importance. Cleaning yourself each time you feed, your baby keep all the germs at bay saving your little one from a lot of illnesses in the deal. Stay clean and keep your baby safe for that’s what matters at the end of the day.

Besides, this is the best part of motherhood and instead of hating it one must make an effort to enjoy the stage. Keep your calm and help the baby get the right nourishment. Find solutions rather than resorting to easier methods of bottle or top feeding. Slings also help in this respect but one must practice using them often to attain proficiency.

Characteristics Of Gifted And Talented Children

admin — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 16:24:49 +0000

Every child possesses an area of expertise. Whether it has to do with academics, sports or even science and technology, a gift is a boon. Parents of such kids should take a lot of interest in polishing the exceptional skills their kids have which will eventually aid them to do well in life ahead. There are some children who start late while there are those who begin rather early in time. Parents should keep track of their activities to find out if they have any inborn talent or aptitude for anything so as to help train them in the desired field for a better tomorrow.

Gifted children generally show their true colors from the tender age of six months. They project the various talents that they possess through the activities they perform everyday. If parents keep track of their daily actions they would know their additional capacity only so they could brush it up for a brighter future. If you notice that your child is a fast learner, boost his morale irrespective of his age by giving him time and support in every way possible. Ask him to assemble toys, identify colors or even rattle the alphabets so that if he possesses any extra gift you’d know by his performance.

Pre-school or play-way is yet another way of gauging your child’s potential. Once kids starts attending the play pan or the nursery school around, be sure of keeping in touch with his teachers to know how smart or fast learner your little one is, so that you could continue training him in the skill that he is good at even at home. There are several children in a class with whom your child will face comparison every now and then, as a result of which you would get to know where he stands and how good he is. If he is good in drawing, make sure you push him even at home to excel in the art. Music could be just another of the many talents that he may have. Hence, spend time with your child to know what he has, only to help him do better ahead.

Keep an account of his school records. Ask the teachers about his daily activities. In case you think he isn’t too good in academics like the rest, don’t get bogged down. Try to analyze his positives and you will soon realize how talented your child is. Find out from his mentors if he really is talented so that he could be given certain level of tests to confirm the prodigy. These tests are often called as the aptitude tests which allow us to gauge a child’s level of intelligence in a particular field of know how.

In case you find that your child possesses any talent, start training him with the various programs available in the market as soon as possible for the faster he picks up the better it is for him.

Spend time with your child. Take him for educational tours to museums, historical places, libraries where he would be stimulated to learn more, only so his talent enhances with time. Gifted children are a rare phenomenon, so one must handle them with all the interest and notice. Don’t let them waste their talent. Instead help them know what ever they are capable of achieving ahead in life.

How To Make Your Child To Drink Milk?

admin — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 10:26:39 +0000

It is a very common phenomenon to have a child saying no to a glass of milk. Many children develop a hatred for this health drink during their course of growing up. Problem arises for their mothers when they try to coax and cajole their tiny tots to sip away the hated glass, but all in vain. As they just don’t budge sometimes even frustrating the parents to the hilt.

Some parents even try visiting their doctor for help for all they want is their child should drink milk like the rest. It isn’t an easy task to take the horse to the water and make him drink like they say in the books. So the first thing that you as parents should bear in mind is to be calm and patient. Once you are cool enough all solutions would automatically come to you.

Change the taste of milk to make it tastier so that your child develops a liking for it and enjoys having it every day. You could experiment adding some chocolate to your child’s milk in a bid to make him like it. All children prefer chocolate to anything in the world so if he does too, he will definitely love drinking more and more milk every day.

Strawberry works when chocolate fails. This goes for the children who detest the taste of chocolate. So try giving them a blend of strawberry and milk. Strawberry syrup adds a good taste and color to the milk making it tempting enough for anyone in the world who hates milk.

If nothing works then just give your kids milk to drink. Don’t allow a choice. If you don’t give them an alternative they will have to drink the milk.

This one never fails. Make a fruit drink with the milk. You can add bananas, strawberries, pears or another fruit to the milk to make a fruit drink that your child will enjoy. Using a blender will aid you in this.

You could even try giving him goat or cow milk. Sometimes a change of taste helps and aids children to choose between the various types of milk to relish. If they like the goat milk, go ahead and get him to have it for that is also very healthy.

The last resort is to give your child a substitute that doctors say is better than milk. Curd is the key word. Many kids, who hate milk, somehow love curd. So try giving him curd and all your problems will eventually end. A bowl of curd has the same amount of calcium or sometimes even more than a bowl of milk.

So happy helping your children drink a glass of milk and don’t sulk if they aren’t for there is always a bowl of curd to your rescue.