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

Chewing may start around 6-9 months. By 10 months, your baby should be given textured food and opportunity to chew. Babies can do light chewing till 1.5 years as they still lack molar teeth. There can be several reasons behind a child not chewing its food properly:<ul><li>Late introduction of food</li><li>Delayed development of motor skills (jaw, tongue, swallowing)</li><li>Disinterest in food because of test, texture, or flavour</li><li>Boredom of same food</li><li>Allergy</li><li>Consumption of milk three times</li><li>Big portions</li><li>Distraction</li></ul> Please refrain from the following behaviour:<ul><li>Generally, parents put on child's favourite cartoon or TV programme and feed their child. For parents, the only concern is to make the child eat sufficient amount of food so as soon as this is done, they think that their part of duty to feed the child is over.</li><li>This is where children get into the bad habit of eating while watching T.V. When a child eats in front of the screen, (s)he does not know what (s)he is eating. The child will also not chew the food properly.</li><li>If a child observes that his/her parent is taking a sandwich in their hand while going to office and eats moving around the house or watches television while eating, the child will learn the same. The child models their parents’ behaviour and thus (s)he doesn’t chew properly. Either they eat too slow or just gulp without chewing.</li></ul> For improvement, take the following steps:<ul><li>When a child eats food on their own, proper chewing habit develops easily. This way the child becomes independent and learns to do his/her own thing. So encourage them to eat their food on their own.</li><li>Make it a point to have a family meal time where everyone eats together.</li><li>Vary the type of food, food's texture to keep the food interesting for your child.</li><li>Instead of a screen, tell them stories or talk to them while feeding them.</li><li>Make sure there is sufficient gap between meals. When the child is not hungry, (s)he does not chew the food properly. Take this as a sign that your child is not hungry.</li><li>You can constantly keep telling them about the importance of chewing process and help them develop this habit by following it yourself.</li><li>Eat with them, but in a different plate. When a child watches you eating calmly and properly, (s)he learns the same.</li></ul>

Kids tend to skip chewing and try to swallow the food directly. Do not get angry, try to be patient and address the problem.

Helping child to chew food properly

If your child develops a swelling or a rash or any other allergic symptom due to medications, then it could possibly be an allergic reaction to the drug.A “true drug allergy” and “drug side effects” are both different. Side effects are usually mentioned on the packaging or on the label of the drug.A drug allergy is an immune response to a drug induced by its components which the body perceives as a threat and triggers an allergic reaction. Mild drug allergy symptoms are:<ul><li>Hives</li><li>Rash</li><li>Itchy skin</li></ul> Severe drug allergy warning signs can include:<ul><li>Swollen face</li><li>Throat tightness</li><li>Trouble breathing</li><li>Light-headed</li><li>Blisters</li><li>Reddened skin</li><li>Whole-body shock with life-threatening low blood pressure</li></ul> Side effects of drug are usually:<ul><li>Nausea</li><li>Lack of energy</li><li>Muscle aches</li><li>Hard to sleep</li><li>Coughing</li><li>Headache</li><li>Stuffy nose</li><li>Stomach cramps</li><li>Diarrhoea</li><li>Constipation</li><li>Ringing in the ears</li><li>Easy bruising</li></ul> <ul><li>Your child can develop a drug allergy even without a history of any other allergy.</li><li>It is also possible that your child may develop an allergy to a drug to which (s)he was not allergic before.</li><li>Your child’s paediatrician will diagnose your child's allergy to a drug through clinical diagnosis and allergy tests like SPT (for penicillin) or a Drug Challenge (similar to an Oral Food Challenge) under medical supervision.</li><li>For mild reactions to drug(s), your child may be given an antihistamine or a topical cream prescribed by your child’s paediatrician.</li><li>Severe reactions to a drug could be life-threatening. If you suspect a drug allergy in your child, discontinue it until further advice and seek immediate medical attention.</li><li>Make a note of the drugs your child may be allergic to and keep it handy each time you visit a doctor in the future.</li><li>If the drug your child is allergic to is essential for the child, then your child’s paediatrician may perform a rapid 'drug desensitisation' under medical supervision.</li><li>Vaccine-related drug allergy is rare and largely due to certain components in the vaccine. Alternatives will be recommended by your child’s paediatrician if your child is allergic to a component.</li></ul>

Drug allergies are not very common but it is important to stay aware.

Drug allergy

There is a difference between an overweight child and a child who overeats. Overweight leads to health problems but over eating does not always leads to heath issues if your child is active. If your child is overeating:Accept that children come in all shapes and sizes and their appetites also vary. You should trust your child to be able to feed himself/herself. If your child is extremely active physically, his or her appetite may be larger. This is completely normal. Remember that your kid is constantly growing and (s)he needs food to support their development. But if your feel that your child is an over-eater and is not very active physically, then in this case, overeating may lead to your child being an overweight child. In case of an overweight child:As a parent stop blaming your child for unhealthy eating habits. Shouting and forcing them never works. Instead of stopping it altogether, you can reduce it gradually and simultaneously increase healthy food intake. Parents can also make healthy food interesting by either using colourful utensils, or different shaped plates, dressing food in an interesting way, creating a back story associated with the food. On a standard Body Mass Index (BMI) chart, kids ages 2 to 19 fall into one of four categories:<ul><li>Underweight</li><li>Normal weight</li><li>Overweight</li><li>Obese</li></ul>Depending on your child's BMI and health, the doctor may refer you to a registered dietitian or a weight management program. Here are 5 key ways you can help your child maintain a healthy weight:<ul><li>Be a good role model – A child is going to follow what he/she sees so have healthy eating habit and the child will follow.</li><li>Encourage physical activity. Make time for a little walk or play a small game wherein the child has some physical movements.</li><li>Keep to child-sized portions.</li><li>Eat healthy meals, drinks and snacks.</li><li>Less screen time and more sleep.</li></ul> Overweight children soon cross the mark of obesity hence it is important to keep a check on their eating habits. Obesity leads to several health problems in later life such as:<ul><li>Type 2 diabetes</li><li>High blood pressure</li><li>High cholesterol</li><li>Bone and joint problems</li><li>Shortness of breath that makes exercise, sports, or any physical activity more difficult</li><li>Restless sleep or breathing problems at night</li><li>Liver and gallbladder disease</li></ul> Obese kids might also deal with emotional issues like low self-esteem, and may be teased, bullied, or rejected by peers. Kids who are insecure with their weight can be at risk for:<ul><li>Unhealthy dieting and eating disorders</li><li>Depression</li><li>Substance abuse</li></ul> Reasons behind obesity:<ul><li>Diet habits: high consumption of fat-filled, processed or packaged foods.</li><li>Lack of exercise: older kids and teens should do moderate to vigorous excerise for atleast one hour.</li><li>Genetics: Genes help determine body type and how the body stores and burns fat.</li><li>Some medication</li><li>Endocrine problem</li><li>A combination of the above</li></ul> Preventing Obesity:<ul><li>Make healthy eating and exercise a family affair.</li><li>Take them along when you go grocery shopping.</li><li>Teach them how to make good food choices.</li><li>Cut down on TV, phone, computer, and video game time and discourage eating in front of a screen (TV or otherwise).</li></ul> Encourage healthy eating habits. There’s no great secret to healthy eating. To help your children and family develop healthy eating habits:<ul><li>Provide plenty of vegetables, fruits, and whole-grain products.</li><li>Include low-fat or non-fat milk or dairy products.</li><li>Choose lean meats, poultry, fish, lentils, and beans for protein.</li><li>Serve reasonably-sized portions.</li><li>Encourage your family to drink lots of water.</li><li>Limit sugar-sweetened beverages.</li><li>Limit consumption of sugar and saturated fat.</li><li>Remember that small changes every day can lead to a recipe for success!</li></ul>

For overweight children, you cannot just take away interesting food altogether. It needs to happen gradually over the time.

Overweight Child

Samiksha Choithani

Usually the reactions stay for a few days after the vaccination. If your child has taken a vaccination in the past few days you can expect these reactions:<ul><li>Low-grade fever</li><li>Redness and Pain around the leg or arm where the vaccination was given</li><li>Slight swelling</li><li>Trouble in sleeping</li></ul> Here are some tips to ease the pain:<ul><li>Feeding works wonders when babies are in pain, breastfeeding more often after vaccination can help the baby keep hydrated and take the mind off from the pain.</li><li>Apply ice pack in the injected area, you can also soak a soft cotton cloth in cold water and place it on the injected area.</li><li>Swaddle the baby immediately after vaccination.</li><li>Swing them in arms.</li><li>Do not massage in the injected area for a few days.</li></ul> If the reactions persist for more than 2-3 days, it is better to consult your child's paediatrician.

Almost all vaccinations have mild reactions post vaccination; this means the vaccine is working.

Common reactions after vaccination

If your baby cries for excessively for too long and cries frequently despite your best attempts to soothe or console, your child might be having Infantile colic (I.C). Infantile colic starts at about 3 weeks of age and self-resolve by 6 months. Do not feel guilty about not being able to soothe your child because more children than you would assume have infantile colic. Colic and crying are different. All babies cry but not all are colicky. When babies cry it is to grab your attention to matters like hunger, wet diapers, tummy troubles, teething, or an underlying illness. And this is not colic. Ideally a colicky infant cries for more than 3 hours a day, for more than 3 days a week, and for over 3 weeks. Babies with colic are healthy, gain weight normally, and do not have digestive complaints or other known ailments. Other symptoms of colic are flushed red face when the babies cry, fussiness with arching back, drawing knees to the stomach, or clenching fists. The exact reasons for colic are still a mystery. The digestive system of infants is immature and this can lead to colic. Your child’s doctor will diagnose colic based on the symptoms, intensity and duration of the crying episodes. Managing my colicky baby:<ul><li>Ensure that your baby is not hungry or cold. Make sure to change the diapers regularly.</li><li>Always hold your baby upright while feeding and burp your baby after feeding. This prevents swallowing of air.</li><li>Bathe your baby in warm water, while gently massaging your baby's stomach.</li><li>Identify the time your baby gets fussy determine if anything seems to trigger or relieve the crying baby. Talk about your diet with your doctor, the doctor may suggest to skip some gas-producing foods from your diet.</li><li>Try new positions with your baby, swaddle them tight or massage may help. Try to turn your baby on your lap, make them sleep on stomach, and gently massage on back.</li><li>You can also try some sounds, a car ride or take them out in a pram. Sometimes changing the surroundings and outdoors may do the magic.</li><li>Take turns with family members to handle a the baby when they fussy.</li><li>When the baby is crying cradle or rock your baby in your arms. The comfort of your arms might calm your baby!</li><li>Sometimes, your child’s doctor might prescribe colic drops for your baby’s relief. But mind well that colic drops should only be given to a child after a doctor’s prescription.</li></ul> Seek immediate medical help if your baby develops other complications like breathing problems, turns pale, refuses to feed and vomits green fluid, or has traces of blood while passing motion.

Crying and colic are not the same thing and so it is important to identify the difference and address it.

Crying & Colic Symptoms & Solutions

Babies who are prematurely born may have complications as some of their organs haven’t yet fully developed. Premature babies can have complications in the first few days, weeks or months and so are first kept in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for survival and to provide optimal environment for growth. Kangaroo care (skin-to-skin contact) is a unique practice where a baby is taken care of outside the incubator. The baby is positioned directly on the mother's bare chest after birth and is covered with a warm blanket. Care should be taken to not move the baby too far away from the incubator as the machine is connected with tubes and wires. There are several benefits of Kangaroo care. They are:<ul><li>Kangaroo care regulates baby's body temperature and heart rate.</li><li>It promotes baby's digestion and improves oxygen levels for the baby.</li><li>It helps babies sleep longer, thereby promoting growth and protection from infections.</li><li>Kangaroo care releases hormones that support breastfeeding and increases the volume of volume that contains antibodies.</li><li>It is a great practice to develop the bond between the mother and the baby.</li></ul>

Kangaroo care is a method of holding a baby that involves skin-to-skin contact with the mother.

Kangaroo care for children

ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Syndrome. As the name suggests, children with ADHD lack attention, are hyperactive, and in some cases impulsive as well. Symptoms:<ol><li>They are in constant motion</li><li>They do not seem to listen</li><li>Trouble playing quietly</li><li>Cannot finish a task</li><li>Are easily distracted</li><li>Often talk excessively</li><li>Interrupt others</li><li>Squirm or fidget</li></ol> Causes:<ol><li>Pregnant woman exposed to drugs</li><li>Mothers smoking during pregnancy</li><li>Genetics</li><li>History of ADHD in family</li></ol> Diagnosis: Mental disorders like ADHD need to be diagnosed by an expert (psychologist or psychiatrist) and should never be self assumed. <ul><li>There is no specific test which can confirm ADHD. Also, symptoms of ADHD are similar to other disorders of Autism Spectrum Disorder, hence a careful and repetitive diagnosis by an expert is necessary. It is difficult to identify symptoms in children under the age of 5.</li><li>Mostly all children are hyperactive. The only difference between a child suffering from ADHD and a normal child who is hyper is that a child with ADHD will have aggression issues along with lots and lots of prangs. Theses prangs can include causing damage to properties, breaking things in the house, getting hurt themselves or hurting others.</li><li>&nbsp;&nbsp;A child suffering from ADHD is unable to concentrate even in the activities (s)he enjoys. (S)he gets hyperactive all the time and fidgets a lot. But this is not the only diagnosis for ADHD. If you want to find it out for sure then you have to go for a full diagnosis, either by a developmental paediatrician, a psychiatrist or a psychologist. An expert will give a diagnosis out of the following three:</li></ul>-whether the child has ADHD issues-whether the child is hyperactive-whether the child just has attention issues<ul><li>Your child's doctor will identify your child's symptoms in a span of 6 months or more. If your child shows 6 or more symptoms in the months of observation, the doctor will diagnose that your child has ADHD. The doctor will need your help, as well as the help from your child's schools.</li><li>Your child's psychologist might also suggest a physical exam and a brain scan.</li></ul> Prevention:<ul><li>There is no way to prevent ADHD but there are ways to help children with ADHD feel and do their best at home and at school.</li><li>One thing to keep in mind is complications during pregnancy are linked to ADHD. If you are healthy throught your pregnancy, the chances of your child having ADHD reduces greatly. A healthy diet and regular doctor visits are important. So is avoiding the use of alcohol and drugs.</li></ul> Types of ADHD:<ol><li>Hyperactive or Impulsive type: The child shows hyperactive and impulsive behaviour but is attentive for the most part.</li><li>Inattentive type: The child here is not overly active hence sometimes the symptoms cannot be diagnosed early on. Such children have a very little attention span.</li><li>Combined type: Children here are both hyperactive and inattentive. This is the most common form of ADHD.</li></ol> Treatment:There is no cure for ADHD but the condition can be improved. The main treatment of ADHD is medicines. Along with medication, psychosocial intervention like psychoeducation, academic organization skills remediation, parent training, behaviour modification in the classroom and at home, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), and social skills training can be done. Behaviour therapy: Behaviour therapy is a collective term for several types of therapies used to treat mental health disorders. The treatment focuses on unhealthy behaviours and aims to change them. Behavioural therapy can be used to treat depression, anxiety, panic disorders, anger issues, autism, ADHD, etc. The several types of behavioural therapies are – cognitive behavioural therapy, cognitive behavioural play therapy, aversion therapy, system desensitisation.&nbsp;Cognitive therapy: It is based on the concept that the way we think about things affects us emotionally. It is based on present thinking rather than past experiences. Social Skills Therapy: Social skills therapy work on improving communication with friends, family members, at school, and more. Your child's psychologist might arrange group therapy for this particular skill development. Medications, along with the above therapies have shown the best results in ADHD children. Depending upon your child's ADHD intensity, your child's psychologist will layout the treatment plan for your child. Safety precautions at home for children with ADHD:<ul><li>Use sturdy furniture at home. ADHD children have excess energy and are constantly moving without keeping much attention of the surroundings. So, it is important to use the furniture of strength and ones which have no pointed ends or something which can harm the baby.</li><li>Secure the bedroom, kitchen, bathroom. A small gate at the bedroom doorway will help a lot. Shelves/wardrobe cupboards should be fastened to the wall and out of reach of small kids. Windows should not be near to bed.</li><li>Lock all the cabinets in the bathroom. Do not keep any sharp object lying around in the bathroom. Never leave your child alone in the bathroom.</li><li>In the kitchen, keep sharp objects/lighters/cleaning materials locked away in a cupboard. Keep the electric cords out of reach of children.</li></ul> FAQs regarding ADHD: Can ADHD be cured?In 40 to 50 % of children, it can be cured. In other cases, some symptoms (mainly attention deficit symptoms) stay on for a lifetime. Are there any side effects of medicines for ADHD?There are some side effects but not serious ones. Low appetite, headache and sleep disturbance are the common side effects. When medicines are given under proper guidance of a psychiatrist, with proper monitoring and Drug Holidays, side effects do not have any major impact on life. Is there any alternative to treat ADHD without medicines?There is no alternative to curing ADHD without medicines. Very mild cases of ADHD can be treated with psycho-social interventions like psycho-education, academic organisation skills remediation, parent training, behaviour modification in the classroom and at home, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), and social skills training. However, in the majority of cases, such interventions should be secondary. The primary mode of treatment should be through medication because it is only after medicines that a child can be involved in such psycho-social interventions. Does ADHD mean low IQ?NO. Children with ADHD have normal or more than average IQ. If the IQ is low and a child shows ADHD symptoms then the primary diagnosis will indicate towards Intellectual Disability. Is ADHD is a genetic problem?Yes, there are pieces of evidence that genetic factors are involved in the aetiology of ADHD but it is not the only factor. There are neurochemical and neurophysiological factors involved as well. What kind of behaviour therapy is there for ADHD?Therapy for ADHD includes a multidimensional approach. It includes psycho-education, parent training, behaviour modification in the classroom and at home, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), academic organisation skills remediation, and social skills training. How to handle a child with ADHD?A child with ADHD should not be beaten or punished for his/her shortcomings. Positive reinforcement techniques can be used. It means that when a child follows instructions or commands, (s)he can be rewarded with say an ice-cream or chocolate.

Here are ADHD's Symptoms, Causes, Treatment, Precautions, Prevention, Diagnosis, and FAQs.

All about ADHD

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.

conjunctivitis health concerns

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