Kids Safety First

April 8th, 2009

Many mothers find that raising a child can cause too much worry and apprehension. The responsibility of keeping a child safe from all harms is the primary concern of the mothers.

Here are some helpful tips to keep children especially infants safe and comfortable  at home and outside:

  • Always keep the baby neat and clean.
  • Cut the nails properly with utmost care.
  • Wet nappy should be removed and parts should be cleaned with soap.
  • Take care of the genitals because fungal infection is common in that area. Parts should be kept dry.
  • Care of the scalp is very important.Fungal infections, dermatitis etc. can be prevented by proper cleaning.
  • Tight dress can cause irritation, hence dress should be loose and should allow entry of air.
  • Room should have sufficient light and ventilation. It should be free from dust and insects.
  • Separate bed preferably water proof is needed for kids. It should be arranged near mother’s bed.
  • Always keep some music making toys near the baby.
  • While carrying the baby support the head with hand. Since the neck muscles are weak sudden fall of head can be dangerous.
  • Mothers milk is the best nutrition for the baby,it also gives emotional attachment.Breast milk should be given as per the babies need preferably in mother sitting position.Proper cleaning of nipple is also necessary. Mother should take good nutritious diet throughout lactating period.
  • If there is some contraindication for breast feeding cows milk can be given.Feeding bottle should be cleaned with warm water and should be kept dry till next use.
  • Cows milk should be boiled and cooled. Some diseases like bovine tuberculosis spread through raw milk.
  • Some children are allergic to some substances like food,milk,dress,cosmetics etc.Try to find out the material causing allergy and avoid such things.
  • Mosquito nets should be used regularly.Diseases like malaria, dengue filariasis,yellow fever and etc spread through mosquito bites. Mosquito bite can also produce skin eruptions with some allergic reactions.It also disturbs sound sleep.
  • A calm atmosphere should be maintained for a good sleep.Compared to adults infants need more sleep.It is said that growth hormone secretion is activated during sleep.
  • Growth development,behavioral development,motor development,personal social development,language development etc. should be noted down in relation to age.  However parents need not be over anxious because slight variations are seen from individual to individual.
  • Assessment of growth by measuring height and weight is necessary.
  • In the early months of life infant may defecate after every feed.Proper toilet training should be given when the infant grows.The infant can be placed on the toilet seat by the age of ten months.
  • The toilet seat (potty seat) should be cleaned with antiseptic liquid before and after use.It should not be shared by other children.
  • If  the baby shows some signs of distress like excessive crying,convulsions,fever with rigor,stiffness of neck,frequent vomiting and diarrhea,bluish discoloration of the body, difficult breathing with grunting, ect pay attention and consult your doctor.
  • A first aid box should be kept in the room ,which should contain sterile cotton,dressing materials,antiseptic lotion and ointment and forceps.Separate book should be maintained to note down the phone numbers of doctors, ambulance,police etc.
  • Child’s medicines should be kept in separate box.Information regarding dose and mode of administration should be written in a paper and affixed on the box.
  • While driving keep the baby in separate seat belt.
  • When you are going out with the baby keep an identity card with your phone number and address inside his small pocket.
  • When the infant starts walking always accompany him to prevent a fall and injuries thereby.
  • In emergencies take the first aid measures and take the victim to nearby hospital.
    a. Choking- The baby may swallow some solid objects and cause obstruction.  Immediately make the baby to lie on the abdomen in head low position and press the abdomen backwards and towards the chest.  Stroking the upper back is also useful. If no result call a trained person to take the material with the help of forceps.
    b. Accidental poisoning- Try to takeout the poisonous substance and induce vomiting (except kerosene & acids).  Wash the body with water to reduce absorption through skin.Identify the poison and take the victim to the hospital.
    c. Burns- First of all remove the source of heat and put clean cold water.Burned clothes should not be removed immediately.  Cover the wound with sterile cotton and take to nearby hospital.
    d. Wounds- Clean the wound with clean water and stop the bleeding by compressing,raising the wound above the level of heart or use a tourniquet to compress blood vessels.  Then dress the wound with sterile cotton and bandage and consult a doctor.
    e. Drowning in bath tub- Take the baby immediately and keep in head low position ,press the abdomen gently or give a mouth to mouth sucking till the air way is clear.  Give mouth to mouth breathing and cardiac massage and take the victim to the hospital.
    f. Electric shock- Stop the source of current.  Then observe the victim,if no breathing give mouth to mouth breath along with cardiac massage and take to the hospital.
  • And the last but not the least, give your child maximum care, love and support to make him healthy and happy for ever.

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When Milk Teeth Appear

April 8th, 2009

Have you noticed your baby becoming restless and drools oftentimes? Maybe he’s developing his first set of milk teeth…

The first set of teeth or baby teeth as they are called are twenty in number. They usually appear in pairs, and those of the lower jaw generally comes before those on the top. The first baby teeth starts to come out  on the sixth or seventh month, and the last of the series at different times during the twentieth to the thirtieth months.This means that the  first teeth is estimated to be completed from a year and a half to two years. The process varies to different people, both as regards its entire duration, and the periods and the order in which the teeth make their appearance.

The development of the first set of teeth  is a natural process. But still it is  a painful and difficult process, for errors in the management of the regime and the health of the child, before the coming of the teeth, and during the process itself.

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Top Reasons Why Babies Cry

March 15th, 2009

Crying is a normal event in the lives of all babies.When baby leaves the womb the first thing to do is crying.By the first cry he will take some air in the lungs for the first time in their life.After delivery if the baby does not cry then it should be initiated by slightly pinching or slightly stroking the feet.From this, it is clear that the healthy baby should cry and it is a normal physiological event, sometimes it can upset the mother or family members.

We all know that the baby can not tell his needs or problems in words. The only way for him to communicate with other is crying.Babies show other signs like feet kicking, hand waving and head turning etc. But the best way to take the attention of others is crying.

Excessive crying may not have a firm definition because the crying habit changes from baby to baby and some babies can be calmed easily but some are difficult to sooth. If crying is distressing for the mother and home nurse it can be called excessive. Many times baby is silent by giving breast milk or by carrying with a gentle rocking. Sudden onset of excessive crying means baby is distressed and needs attention. The causes of crying extends from simple reasons to life threatening conditions. Hence crying of a baby should not be ignored.

Most of the time, it is difficult to find the cause of crying. The causes are discussed here for awareness.

The most common reasons why babies cry include:

  1. Hunger: A hungry baby will cry until he gets his milk. Here comes the old saying true’crying baby gets the milk.
  2. Wetting:  Urination and defecation causes some discomfort and results in crying till its parts are cleaned and dry.
  3. Company: Majority of the kids need someone close. If they feel lonely, they cry.When their favorite doll slip away from the grip they cry for help.
  4. Tired: When the baby is tired after a journey and unable to sleep just cry simply.They feel tired and uncomfortable due to unhealthy climate sourroundings.
  5. Heat and cold: If they feel too hot or too cold they become restless and cry. The child is comfortable in a ventilated room.
  6. Tight clothing: Tight clothes, especially during warm climate, is intolerable for kids.Tight elastic coat of pain can also occur in the hip region.
  7. Dark room: When the baby wakes up from sleep he needs some dim light. If there is darkness, he will disturb the sleep of parents by crying. Of course, he will be irritated by strong light resulting in cry.
  8. Mosquito: Yes, these creatures disturb the sleep by their blood sucking and make the baby crying.
  9. Nasal blocking: A child may not be able to sleep when there is cold and go on crying till the passage is open.
  10. Phlegm in throat: This also causes difficult breathing resulting in a cry.Often a typical sound can be heard at each breath.
  11. General aching: Generalised body pain with restlessness is seen in flu and prodromal stages of some infectious diseases can result in continuous cry.
  12. Habitual cry: Some babies cry without any real cause ending the parents in agony.Many times doctor is called for help.
  13. Diaper rash: If a tight and wet diaper is kept for a long period results in this condition.  Rash may also be due to an allergic reaction to the elastic material in diapers. When the rash appears, it causes pain and child become sleepless and cry. All other skin lesions such as eczema, ecthyma, candidiasis, etc. also cause problems.
  14. Ear ache: Ear infection is common in wet climate. The infection may spread from the throat. Ear infection can result in rapture of ear drum causing discharge of pus. Ear ache usually becomes worse at night when lying down. Child will become restless with cry and may not allow you to touch the ear. Some children with earache rub the affected ear frequently.
  15. Colic: When the baby cry continuously most of us as diagnosed it as colic.This diagnosis is still a subject of debate because exact cause for colic is unknown and diagnosis is also difficult to confirm.Colic may  be associated with distention of abdomen.Child often feels better when the child lying on abdomen.Some children may not allow you to touch the abdomen. I the child cries continuously, doctors help is needed.
  16. Infections: All cases of infection type of pain or irritation resulting in cry. Infection may be anywhere in the body.  Usually is associated with fever, redness and swelling.
  17. Reactions to certain foods:  It is said that one man’s food of man is another man’s poison. Some foods can produce allergic reactions. Allergy is manifested in the form of redness, breathlessness, gastric symptoms and continuous cry.
  18. Hard stool: Constipated babies with hard stools may cry when they get the urge to stool.Some children hesitate to pass stool because of pain.
  19. Gastro esophagial reflex:  Here baby cries with spilling of food after feeding. If this continuous it may be due to gastroesophageal reflex. This is due to failure of the lower part of esophagus to close after food causing regurgitation from the stomach. It is difficult to diagnose this condition and can be confirmed by antireflex medicines.
  20. Dentition: During dentition child becomes restless with crying.Often associated with stomach upset and diarrhea.

Less common reasons why babies cry include:

  • Bowel obstruction: Bowel obstruction is associated with pain and vomiting. Abdomen is distended with rumbling sound. Baby is constipated with absence of flatus.
  • Sepsis: Invasion of pathogenic micro-organisms in the blood is called septicemia.Fever is associated with this condition.
  • Torsion of the testes of male children: When a male baby cries continuously scrotum must be examined.Torsion testes produce pain that is aggravated by touching affected testes.When testes is pressed upwards pain is relieved. If  it is not treated properly, it can damage the affected testes due to lack of blood.
  • Meningitis:  Initially, there may not be a  fever, hence crying baby with alternate vacant stare and irritability should not be ignored.Fontanel is bulging. Neck rigidity and seizures may appear later.
  • Retention of urine:  Children with retention of urine will have agonizing pain be making them restless.
  • Major injuries:  Major injury to any parts of the body causes pain. Occasionally children will fall while arrying and results in head injuries. Head injury is associated with reflex vomiting and convulsions.

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Exercise During Childhood

January 23rd, 2009

When the child has acquired sufficient strength to hold exercises, it can hardly be overemphasized in the open air, the more he will be accustomed to this, the more he will be able to withstand the vicissitudes of climate. Children, too, should always be allowed to enjoy the pleasure, because they usually take this type and degree of exercise that is best able to promote growth and development of the body. In the unrestrained indulgence of their youth sports, all the muscles of the body, comes in for its share of active, free and growth, vigor, and health are the result.

However, if a child is fragile and strumous and too weak to take sufficient exercise on foot, and a kind of breathing a fresh air and exercise are essential to improving health , and without them all other efforts will fail, riding on a donkey or pony is the best substitute. This kind of exercise will always find an infinite service to delicate children, it amuses the mind, and exercises the muscles of the whole body, and yet so soft as to induce little fatigue.

The exercises of horseback, however, are most particularly useful when there is a tendency in the constitution to pulmonary consumption, either hereditary or accidental causes. It is useful here, and its influence on the overall health, as more directly on the lungs themselves. There is no doubt that the lungs, as the muscles of the body, acquire power and health function. Now, during a trip it has been obtained, and without much fatigue to the body. The free and the constant enlargement of the lungs in full inspiration, necessarily takes place, which keeps the structure of their health, keeping all the air passages open and permeable, it prevents congestion in the pulmonary circulation, and even provides more time to complete the necessary chemical action on the blood, changing with each act of respiration, a sufficient proportion of the whole air in the lungs, all objects of great importance, and all capable of being promoted, more or less, by these means.

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Teaching A Child To Walk

December 13th, 2008

Exercise is essentially important to the health of the infant. Its first exercise, of course, be in the arms of the nurse. After a month or two, when it begins to sleep less during the day, it will delight to roll and kick on the sofa: it will make free use of its arms, with the realization outdoors is all the exercise they need at this time. By and by, however, the child will make his first attempts to walk. Now, it is important that none of the numerous plans that were designed to teach a child to walk, should be adopted as go-cart, the last strings, etc, their tendency is mischievous, and the flatness of the chest , confined lungs, distorted spine, and deformed legs, are all evils that often come from such practices. This is because the bones in childhood is relatively soft and flexible, and if prematurely subjected by these contrivances to carry the weight that results as an elastic stick bending under a weight, and as a natural consequence become curved and distorted.

It is highly necessary that the young and experienced mother should remember this fact, for the early efforts of the little one to walk are naturally viewed by her with as much pleasure, it is likely to encourage and extend its attempts, without thinking of the mischief they may occasion , more than one parent has had to mourn the strain on which it has itself created.

It may be as well here to point out that if such distortion is timely noticed, it is capable for correction, even after evident curvature has taken place. It must be remedied by the use of these resources that are part of boost and promote the general health of children (daily plunge into the cold bath, cold or sponge with salt water is clearly effective), and avoiding the cause of the distortion does not allow the child to get to his feet. The only way to accomplish the latter intention, is to put both legs in a high density, which effectually answer this purpose, while at the same time, it does not prevent the free and full exercise of the muscles legs. After some months pursuing this plan, limbs are no longer deformed, the bones have acquired firmness and strength of muscles, and the Child may be allowed to get back on its feet, no risk of perpetuating or renewing the evil.

The best method of teaching a child to walk, is to let him teach himself, and what he will do it quite easily. He will first crawl: it exercises every muscle in the body, it does not fatigue the child, throws no weight on bones, but gives the force and strength, and is therefore very useful. After a while, have the power, he wants to do more: it will seek to raise on his feet with a chair, and if it fails, again and again in his attempts, he will always persevere until done. In this, he learned, first, to raise himself to the floor and, secondly, to stand, but not without keeping a hand on the object on which he seized. Then, it will balance itself without holding, and proudly and laughingly show that it can stand alone. Fearful, however, not yet of movement of its limbs without support, he will take a chair or something close to him when he had the audacity to advance as regards to the limits of his support. This little adventure will be repeated day after day, with increasing joy, when, after numerous tries, he feels confident of its power to balance himself, and he will be alone. Now is the time required for this gradual self-teaching, during which the muscles and bones become strengthened, and when finally called upon to support the body weight, are perfectly capable of doing so.

ByCredit Cards

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