The basic thing to follow in any kind of allergy is to keep your child away from the source of allergy. In case of jute allergy, keep him/her away from jute bags, jute clothes, or anything that's made up of jute. In case there is any sort of reaction, then consult a doctor as soon as possible. Allergies are usually accompanied by the following symptoms:<ul><li>Watery or itchy eyes</li><li>Coughing</li><li>Running nose</li><li>Sneezing</li><li>Irritation in throat</li><li>Skin rashes</li><li>Red skin</li><li>In more severe and sensitive cases, there is shortness of breath too.</li><li>If you observe such symptoms every time your child is near jute, it is time to consult your doctor.</li></ul>

Allergies usually require medications prescribed by a doctor. Hence, when you think your child has developed an allergy to something, it is advisable to consult your doctor.

Jute Allergy in children

Dengue fever is a disease caused by a virus. This virus lives in mosquitoes. The virus can cause fever, headaches, rashes, and pain throughout the body. Most cases of dengue fever are mild and go away on their own after about a week. When a mosquito infected by dengue virus bites a person, the person can get affected by dengue fever. The virus can't spread directly from person to person. In rare cases, dengue fever can lead to a more serious form of the disease called dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF). DHF can be life-threatening and needs to be treated right away. It can be fatal sometimes. Common signs and symptoms of dengue fever include:<ul><li>Symptoms of dengue fever are generally mild in younger children and those who have the disease for the first time.</li><li>High fever, possibly as high as 105°F (40°C)</li><li>Pain behind the eyes and in the joints, muscles and/or bones</li><li>Severe headache</li><li>Pink rashes over most of the body</li><li>Mild bleeding from the nose or gums</li></ul>Symptoms can start anywhere from 4 days to 2 weeks after being bitten by an infected mosquito, and typically last for 2 to 7 days. Diagnosis: If you think your child might have dengue fever, call a doctor right away. You should also call a doctor if your child has recently been to a region that has dengue fever and has a fever or severe headache. The doctor will ask about your child's medical history and recent travels, and send a blood sample for testing. Treatment:No specific treatment is available for dengue fever. Mild cases are managed with lots of fluids to prevent dehydration and getting plenty of rest. Pain relieving medicines can ease the headaches and pain associated with dengue fever. Most cases of dengue fever go away within a week or two and won't cause any lasting problems. If someone has severe symptoms of the disease, or if symptoms get worse in the first day or two, seek immediate medical care. Prevention:<ul><li>There's no vaccine to prevent dengue fever. The best protection is to prevent bites by an infected mosquito. Be sure to:</li><li>Use screens (mosquito nets) on doors and windows, and promptly repair broken or damaged screens. Keep doors and windows shut.</li><li>Have kids wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants, shoes, and socks when they go outside.</li><li>Use insect repellent as directed on kids.</li><li>Limit the amount of time kids spend outside during the day, especially in the hours around dawn and dusk, when mosquitoes are most active.</li><li>Keep surroundings clean. Mosquitoes breed easily when there is water around. They lay their eggs in water, so get rid of unclean water around you.</li></ul> Natural Remedies for Dengue Fever:<ul><li>Drink sufficient Water</li><li>Juice of Papaya Leaves</li><li>Chew Basil Leaves</li><li>Neem Leaves</li><li>Orange Juice</li></ul>

Here are Dengue Symptoms, Causes, Treatment, Prevention, Diagnosis, and Remedies.

All about dengue

In an egg allergy, the body mistakes the egg proteins as a threat which triggers the immune system to produce an allergic reaction to those proteins. An allergic reaction to the proteins in egg white or yolk or both is possible.Studies have shown that 2 out of 100 children are allergic to egg but around 70% of them outgrow the allergy by the time they reach adulthood.Egg proteins are found in raw, boiled/parboiled, poached, baked, or powdered form of eggs.It is advisable to avoid egg-based foods as it is difficult to completely separate the white from the yolk. Traces of yolk might be present in a few commercially available 'egg-white products'.Children with egg allergy can be safely vaccinated for MMR and Flu vaccine.Eggs can be introduced into your child’s diet by a scientific approach called “egg ladder”. Egg Ladder is a specific scientific food chart designed for the easy reintroduction of eggs in the diet and to induce egg tolerance to combat egg allergy. Symptoms:<ul><li>Nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing or dry cough</li><li>Eczema (a dry, itchy rash) or hives (reddish, swollen, itchy areas on the skin)</li><li>Redness of the skin around the mouth or eyes</li><li>Itchy mouth, ear canal or lip swelling, odd taste in the mouth</li><li>Nausea or vomiting, diarrhoea or stomach pain</li><li>Severe reactions include loss of consciousness, chest pain, turning pale, shortness of breath, trouble swallowing, or anaphylaxis.</li></ul> Diagnosis:<ul><li>The first thing is to not self-diagnose and assume your child to be allergic to eggs. Always rely on a healthcare expert's opinion before avoiding egg-based products.</li><li>A healthcare expert will examine your child's symptoms, his/her health history, and conduct other tests if required, to confirm whether your child has an egg allergy or not.</li><li>Egg allergy has very mild symptoms and is not known to cause severe reactions.</li></ul> Foods to avoid:<ul><li>In breastfed infants, the egg proteins from mother’s diet may transmit to the baby via breast milk and cause an egg allergy to develop an egg allergy.</li><li>Eggs from birds like quails, duck, geese, turkey as well if your child has an egg allergy need to be avoided.</li></ul> Other foods to avoid:<ul><li>Mayo or mayonnaise</li><li>Nougat</li><li>Marshmallows</li><li>Ice cream</li><li>Parents are usually also concerned about giving baked foods to children who have milk or egg allergies. Research indicates that 70%of children allergic to milk or egg can tolerate baked food as high temperature baking can destroy the allergens in milk and egg. Introduction of baked food is known to increase the tolerance to whole forms of milk/egg.</li><li>Always consult your child’s paediatrician to look for alternate sources of nutrition as avoiding milk and egg based foods may develop nutritional deficiency.</li></ul> Treating allergies:<ul><li>The best way to prevent allergies of any sort in children is to avoid the source of the allergen.</li><li>In allergies, paediatricians usually prescribe antihistamine medicines for mild allergic reactions. Whereas for severe allergic reactions like anaphylaxis, your child’s paediatrician will prescribe an adrenaline auto-injector (AAI).</li></ul> Precautions:<ul><li>Develop a habit of reading the food labels for ingredients and allergy information.</li><li>Teach your child to mention about the allergy whenever (s)he goes to visit someone.</li><li>Inform your child’s school about your child’s allergy. You can also give the medicines prescribed by your child’s doctor to the school which they can use in case of sudden allergic reactions.</li><li>Be careful about the possibility of cross-contact; especially when visiting a restaurant.</li><li>Always keep the allergy medication handy for your child.</li></ul> Egg allergy and vaccines:There are several contradictions revolving around developing egg allergies due to a few vaccines like the MMR vaccine, influenza vaccine and yellow fever vaccine. If your child is diagnosed with egg allergy, it is best to consult your child’s paediatrician and then get your child vaccinated.

Egg allergy is one of the most common allergies among all.

Egg Allergy

Samiksha Choithani

Cleft is a split in the lip that can be immediately identified during the birth of a baby. A cleft lip is a split in the lip. Cleft lip and cleft palate can affect one or both sides of the mouth. Cleft lip and cleft palate can occur independently of each other or can occur together. A cleft lip is caused due to many reasons - it can be hereditary, exposure to substances like cigarettes, alcohol or medications, diabetes or obesity during pregnancy. Babies having cleft lip can breastfeed comfortably, however babies with a cleft palate may have difficulty in sucking.&nbsp;Consider this while feeding a baby with cleft lip (Without cleft palate):<ul><li>The baby may find it difficult to seal nipple with the mouth. If there is a hissing sound, it indicates that air is entering in the mouth.</li><li>Try to reposition the breast and baby’s mouth to form a vacuum.</li><li>The nipple should be behind the tongue; this will help the baby to hold the nipple in its mouth.</li><li>You can adjust and change positions to identify the one that works the best for your baby</li></ul> A cleft palate is a split or opening in the roof of the mouth. A cleft palate can involve the hard palate (the bony front portion of the roof of the mouth), and/or the soft palate. Consider this while breastfeeding a baby with cleft palate:<ul><li>Hold your breast in such a way that baby can get a good grip and latch properly.</li><li>The cleft can be repaired with surgery after 6-12 months but before that do not stop breastfeeding your child.</li><li>Breast milk is very helpful as it does not cause irritation on delicate tissues of the nose and throat and can help to reduce ear problems. Try to avoid formula milk.</li><li>Take help from nurses or specialists to feed the baby with a cleft palate. There are alternate methods like bowl and spoon-feeding, use a breast pump to get the milk in a bowl and feed the child with a spoon.</li></ul>

A cleft occurs because the tissues of the baby’s face and mouth don’t fuse (link) properly.

Breastfeeding a child with cleft lip/palate

Ravina Sewani

Eyestrain is a symptom, not an eye disease. Eyestrain occurs when eyes get tired from intense use, such as driving a car for extended periods, reading, or working at the computer. Causes:<ul><li>Looking at digital device screens</li><li>Reading without pausing</li><li>Being exposed to bright light or glare</li><li>Having an underlying eye problem, such as dry eyes or uncorrected vision (refractive error)</li><li>Being stressed or fatigued</li><li>Being exposed to dry moving air from a fan, heating or air-conditioning system</li></ul>In children, the most common cause of eyestrain is the prolonged use of screen in day-to-day life. Effects of excess screen time on children's eyes:<ul><li>Blurry vision</li><li>Watery, dry, itchy, or red eyes</li><li>Double vision</li><li>Headaches</li><li>Sore or tired eyes</li><li>Burning in eyes</li><li>Sore neck, shoulders or back</li><li>Increased sensitivity to light</li><li>Difficulty concentrating</li></ul> Remedies to soothe eyes after excessive screen time: Adjust the lighting: When watching television, keep the room softly lit. When reading printed materials or doing close work, try to position the light source behind your child and direct the light onto the page or task. Take breaks: Ask your child to take occasional breaks and ask them to rest their eyes by looking away from the digital screen. Try the 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes, encourage your child to look at something 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. Blink often: Children get so engrossed in screens that they blink less than usual which can contribute to dry eyes. Blinking produces tears that moisten and refresh eyes. Keep reminding your child to blink often. Reduce glare: Place an anti-glare cover over the screen so that the screens are easy on your child. Cut down your child's screen use an hour or 2 before bed. Keep distance: Ask your child to keep the screens 20 to 28 inches away from their eyes. Computer use glasses: If your child is facing extreme irritation in his/her eyes, get them to wear computer-use glasses which will protect their eyes from the screen's glare.

The digital age has taken a toll on the eye health of children. We can completely avoid the use of screens but we can keep it in check.

Eyestrain and eye care after a prolonged screen time

Palak Vyas

Premature babies need extra care, attention and warmth. Here are some things to do in the early days to help your baby thrive:<ul><li>Limit visits: Visits outside the home should be limited to the doctor's office for the first several weeks, especially if your baby is discharged during the winter months. Because doctors' offices commonly have several kids with viral infections, try scheduling your appointment as the first of the day or request to wait in an examining room instead of the main waiting area. Ask the doctor how limited your baby's contact with other kids and adults should be during these first weeks.</li><li>Avoid public places and some visitors: Most doctors recommend not visiting public places with premature babies. Limit visitors to your home: anyone who is ill should not visit, nobody should smoke in your home, and all visitors should wash their hands before touching the baby. Talk to your doctor about specific recommendations.</li><li>Put your baby to sleep on the back: Babies' success at feeding and sleeping is important to their health. Expect your premature baby to sleep more than a full-term baby. All babies, including preemies, should be put to sleep on their backs to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).</li><li>Practice kangaroo care: Take advantage of these quiet weeks together to enjoy skin-to-skin contact, also known as kangaroo care. In a warm room at home, dress your infant in only a diaper, then place the baby on your chest and turn your baby's head to one side so that his or her ear is against your heart. Research shows that kangaroo care can enhance parent-child bonding, promote breastfeeding, and improve a premature baby’s health.</li></ul>

Premature babies require more care in their upbringing at least for the first few years.

Care of premature babies

Eating excess junk food like pizza and pasta can cause constipation as they are made of refined flour. The child, who is already suffering from constipation avoids going to the toilet because it is painful. Because of this, the stool stays in the stomach and gets harder and it gets more painful when the child goes to the toilet next time. This cycle continues. Make sure the child eats enough fibrous foods like fruits and vegetables so the stool gets softer and passes out easily. . For 0-1 year:Constipation among infants is not a serious problem. The child is constipated when (s)he misses passing the stool for less than thrice a week or when they pass thick/hard stool. Babies who are exclusively breastfed may not pass bowel movements every day. So, do not worry much. If your child is happy, does not cry much and does not have a gas problem, be rest assured about constipation. If you feel that your child's belly is very firm than usual, it could be a sign of constipation. In that case, you can try the following:<ul><li>Adjust your diet so that the baby gets healthier breast milk.</li><li>If your baby is below 6 months, gently massage the his/her stomach and gently move his/her legs in the bicycle movement.</li><li>If your baby is older than 6 months, you can try giving him/her semi-solid foods and fruit juices to improve bowel movements.</li></ul> Also, do not worry about the variance in the colour of the potty. The colour of the potty changes during the first year due to diet and the introduction of new foods to babies. The colours of potty may vary from black, mustard yellow, green, orange. If the colour is white or grey or chalky, it indicates the baby is suffering from liver problems and in this case, you should consult a paediatrician. For 2-6 years:If you are a parent of a toddler, keep a check on potty routine. At times children skip potty as they are more interested in playing or watching their favourite cartoon and hence avoid going for potty. Even change in routine makes them uncomfortable about going to potty. If constipation persists, you can try the following:<ul><li>Give them a glass of warm water once or twice a day if they regularly skip potty.</li><li>Give them carrot and green leafy vegetable soup.</li></ul>Also, give your child proper potty training. Set a fixed time of the day when they are supposed to go for potty. This will help maintain a regular bowel cycle. If constipation persists for more than a week, it is better to consult your child's paediatrician.

The problem of constipation in children worries a lot of parents. There are a few ways in which you can address this problem.

Constipation among infants and toddlers

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Breastfeed your baby as much as (s)he wants. In the early days and weeks, your baby will wake and feed frequently, day and night.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">When your baby is a newborn, their stomachs are tiny. Babies can physically take only small amounts of milk. They can digest breast milk easily and it soon gets absorbed it into their system. That's why babies might demand constant feeding.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">After the first few days, most young babies feed at least 8 to 10 times in 24 hours. This means your baby could be asking for a feed every 90 minutes to two hours.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">It's worth keeping an eye on the number of feeds the child has, and offering them your breast, even if the baby not asking. By breastfeeding often, you're building up your milk supply. The more your baby feeds, the more milk you will produce. This is called responsive feeding. And your baby will love snuggling into you, whether or not they are hungry.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Do check that your baby is latched on well. Otherwise, (s)he may be nipple-feeding, rather than breastfeeding. This can make your nipples sore, and your baby may be unsettled, because they can't get a good amount of milk. Get advice from your elders or paediatrician if you're worried that your baby isn't feeding well.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Your baby needs to open wide and take a good mouthful of your breast. Once they have latched on, the chin should be touching your breast, the nose should be clear and baby's lower lip should be evened.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Your baby may want to feed more often, or for longer, at night. This is normal, because your body produces more prolactin, the hormone that makes milk, at night. By feeding often at night, your baby stimulates your body to make more milk.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Over the next few months, your baby's feeding pattern may become more predictable. This can take a while to establish, though, so try not to be disheartened.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Always keep the weight of the baby in check, to track their physical development. The track of baby’s weight will also help you to understand whether your baby is feeding enough or not.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">It is recommended to JUST breastfeed your baby until the age of twelve months and it can be continued till the age of four depending on mother's and child's comfort.</li></ul>Signs that your child is adequately breastfeeding:<ol><li class="ql-align-justify">Frequent urination up to 6-7 times a day.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Adequate weight gain.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">A sleepy baby post breastfeeding.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Let down reflex (Milk comes out from the other breast while baby feeds from one breast).</li></ol>

Worried about whether you are feeding the child enough? Look for the signs that your child gives.

Breastfeeding Schedule

Type 1 diabetes in children is a condition where the child’s body is unable to produce an important hormone called insulin. Without this hormone, the sugar in the blood cannot travel to the cells causing high blood sugar levels. This condition is also known as juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes. Insulin deficiency in the body has to be replaced by insulin injections. It is hard on both the parents and the kids when the child is diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. This is because after the diagnosis, the child has to be given regular insulin injections and his/her sugar intake has to be limited as well. Parents and the child have to be extra cautious all the time.&nbsp;Symptoms:<ul><li>Increased thirst</li><li>Frequent urination, bed-wetting even if the child has been potty trained.</li><li>Too much hunger</li><li>Drastic weight loss</li><li>Fatigue</li><li>Irritability and changed behaviour</li><li>Fruity smelling breath</li><li>Girls may also develop a yeast infection.</li></ul>&nbsp;Causes:<ul><li>The first and foremost reason could be a family history of this disease. The child having parents or siblings having the same condition is at a high risk of developing it.</li><li>Genetics play a major role here.</li><li>It is said that exposure to various viruses can trigger the autoimmune destruction of the islets cells (cells that produce insulin).</li></ul>&nbsp; Diagnosis: Blood glucose level is measured before and after food and by observing for symptoms of diabetes. Complications associated with type 1 diabetes in children:<ul><li>This condition affects the major body organs of the child.</li><li>It narrows down a child's blood vessels, causes high blood pressure, heart disease and can cause stroke issues in later stages of life.</li><li>Basically it affects blood vessels which in turn damage the kidneys, eyes, and nerves.</li><li>Type 1 diabetes reduces bone mineral density causing a risk of developing osteoporosis in later stages of life.</li><li>DKA- Diabetic ketoacidosis is a leading cause of mortality in children with type 1 diabetes. When insulin levels are very low, the body cannot use sugar to produce energy. So it starts breaking down fat for energy. This leads to ketones production, which is toxic at high levels. When the levels are high, it results in DKA, where the body becomes acidic.</li></ul> Treatment: The only treatment for type 1 diabetes is the use of insulin tablets or injections. Prevention:<ul><li>This condition cannot be prevented. Research is still going on in this direction. All you can do is control the damage.</li><li>Maintain blood sugar levels.</li><li>Ensure your child has healthy food.</li><li>Regular exercise routine</li><li>Regular examination and monitoring by the doctor.</li></ul>

Here are Diabetes Symptoms, Causes, Treatment, Prevention, Diagnosis, and Complications.

breastfeeding health concerns

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