The small pieces of dead skin that are found in hair, which normally result in white flakes or even itchiness, is called dandruff. Causes:<ul><li>Improper shampooing</li><li>Malnutrition</li><li>Sensitivity to hair products</li><li>Eczema fungus</li><li>Dry skin</li><li>Stress</li></ul> Symptoms:<ul><li>Visible dry white flakes on your child’s scalp or outfits</li><li>Continuous itching of the scalp area</li><li>Red patches on the scalp</li><li>Dry scalp</li><li>Itchy scalp</li><li>Hair loss (temporary)</li><li>An oily area on the scalp</li></ul> Treatment:<ul><li>Medicated Shampoo</li><li>Keep your child hydrated</li><li>Proper nutrition</li><li>Separate combs and towels for your child</li></ul> Following are a few suggestions which might help to reduce dandruff in your child's hair:<ul><li>Avoid overusing chemical shampoos: Over use of shampoo or baby wash can lead to skin problems. It can build up on their scalps and cause dandruff.</li><li>Gentle exfoliation: Gentle exfoliation may be appropriate to help shed the scalp of excess skin. First, apply a small amount of gentle baby shampoo and massage it into the scalp and then exfoliate with the soft bristle brush once in a while when you wash their hair.</li><li>Baby oil/ Lotion: Rubbing a few drops of mineral oil or lotion into the scalp and letting it sit for a few minutes before brushing and shampooing the child's hair will be helpful. Try and keep baby’s scalp well hydrated with baby oil/lotion.</li><li>Dandruff shampoo: In some situations if the dandruff persists, talk to your baby’s paediatrician and as per his/her guidance you can use any mild dandruff shampoo for your baby.</li></ul> Home Remedies:<ul><li>Tea tree oil</li><li>Aloe Vera</li><li>Coconut Oil</li><li>Lemon juice mixed with coconut oil</li><li>Mixture of yogurt, egg yolks, and honey</li><li>Baking soda mixed with water</li><li>Oiling the scalp</li></ul>

Here are Dandruff Symptoms, Causes, Treatment, and Home Remedies.

All about dandruff

Ravina Sewani

Wheat allergy is an allergic reaction to foods containing wheat. Allergic reactions can be caused by eating wheat and also, in some cases, by inhaling wheat flour. Wheat is found in many foods, including some you might not suspect, such as soy sauce, ice cream and hot dogs. Wheat allergy sometimes is confused with celiac disease, but these conditions differ. Wheat allergy occurs when your body produces antibodies to proteins found in wheat. In celiac disease, a specific protein in wheat — gluten — causes a different kind of abnormal immune system reaction. Symptoms of wheat allergy:<ul><li>Swelling, itching or irritation of the mouth or throat</li><li>Hives, itchy rash or swelling of the skin</li><li>Nasal congestion</li><li>Headache</li><li>Difficulty breathing</li><li>Cramps, nausea or vomiting</li><li>Diarrhoea</li><li>Anaphylaxis</li></ul> Causes:Exposure to a wheat protein triggers the body's immune system for an allergic reaction. Your child can develop an allergy to any of the four classes of wheat proteins — albumin, globulin, gliadin and gluten. Sources of wheat proteins:<ul><li>Breads and bread crumbs</li><li>Cakes, muffins and cookies</li><li>Breakfast cereals</li><li>Pasta</li><li>Semolina</li><li>Soy sauce</li><li>Meat products, such as hot dogs</li><li>Dairy products, such as ice cream</li><li>Natural flavourings</li><li>Modified food starch</li><li>Vegetable gum</li><li>Cosmetics</li></ul> Risk factors:<ul><li>Family history: The chances of your child being allergic to wheat are higher if there is someone in the family who is allergic to wheat.</li><li>Age: Wheat allergy is most common in babies and toddlers, who have immature immune and digestive systems.</li></ul> Difference between Wheat Allergy and Celiac Disease:Wheat allergy involves an allergic response to any of the four proteins in wheat. Whereas, celiac disease is caused by gluten (a type of wheat protein). Celiac disease does not cause an immune response but rather causes a problem with the absorption of food in the intestines. Diagnosis:Symptoms of wheat allergy and celiac disease are overlapping hence an allergist can determine whether an allergy is present or not. You will be required to give your child's medical history, family's medical history combined with a skin-prick or a blood test. Prevention:<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> Treatment:<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>

Some children can develop allergic reactions towards wheat and need to be fed on a different cereal.

Wheat allergy

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

Unlike dengue or other viral fever, malaria has specific medication. If your child has been diagnosed with malaria then you should consult a doctor. Malarial germs do not die on their own. Our body can’t fight these germs so it is mandatory to give medication as soon as malaria is diagnosed. Symptoms:<ul><li>Drowsiness</li><li>Poor appetite</li><li>Trouble in sleeping</li><li>Chills</li><li>Fever (it might reach up to 105˚ F)</li><li>Fast breathing</li><li>Headache</li><li>Nausea</li><li>Body ache</li><li>Seizures in case the infection reaches the brain</li></ul> Causes:Malaria is caused by parasites carried by female mosquitoes. Congenital malaria is the infection of malaria to a child in the womb from mother. Malaria also spreads through blood transfusion, organ donation, or shared needles. Diagnosis: Diagnosis is based on physical symptoms and blood tests. Treatment:<ul><li>Take prescribed anti-malarial drugs by the doctor.</li><li>Take proper care and see that the child rests well.</li><li>Give sufficient fluids so there is no dehydration.</li><li>In case if the child is young enough and can’t take oral medication there are injections available too.</li><li>If the child doesn’t eat or drink or have any other complications after taking the medication, the child should be hospitalised.</li></ul> Preventive measures:<ul><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>

Here are Malaria Symptoms, Causes, Treatment, Prevention, and Diagnosis.

All about malaria

Samiksha Choithani

Uneven supply of milk totally depends on mother and child’s comfort, if the baby is comfortable in feeding on one breast, the body naturally produces milk in the same breast. It is upon the mother and the child to decide whether they are comfortable feeding from one or both the breasts. If both of you are comfortable, continue the process. But, if you are willing to have even milk in both the breasts, here is something you can try:<ul><li>Babies tend to suck the breast that produces more milk; you can try to feed your baby from the slow side/less productive side. Encourage this habit to have an equal supply for future feedings.</li><li>Massage the less productive breast.</li><li>Try to pump the less productive breast after each feed.</li><li>Try new feeding positions that could be comfortable for baby while feeding on the less productive breast.</li></ul>

Do not worry about this as it will only make this problem worse.

When only one breast produces milk

Milk production is in abundance during the early days, which is good. But as soon as the baby settles in – in most cases – the flow regulates on its own. Sometimes though, the breastmilk volume may still be high and there may be a very forceful spurt of milk with a forceful let down. This may cause problems for you and your baby. Usually babies develop a breastfeeding pattern within the first month. If after a month, your baby is still restless during the feeding, or pulls off your breast, coughs, chokes, gulps quickly, has painful cries, holds on to your nipple with a bite like hold, oversupply might be the issue here. You, on the other hand, might experience engorgement, have bouts of mastitis, or you may feel a strong let-down, and leaking breasts. Due to oversupply, a condition called Milk Ejection Reflex occurs in which the milk is released from the milk ducts in a forceful and in an almost explosive manner. Oversupply could be either due to your body making more milk, or when you don’t empty your one breast fully before offering the other, or thyroid. You can handle this situation by trying a reclined position while you breastfeed, you can try using nursing pads, and express little milk before feeding. You can use breast pumps and store the milk. Just be careful that your child does not choke while breastfeeding. If none of the methods work, you should consult your lactation consultant.

It is possible to have an oversupply of milk.

Oversupply of breastmilk

Relactation is when you resume breastfeeding after you have stopped it either due to medical reasons or due to separation from your baby.&nbsp;Relactation is the process of building up the milk supply after it has stopped. The younger your baby, the better are your chances of succeeding at relactation. If the baby is under 3 months old you have the best chance of succeeding. Also, if you have previously breastfed your baby, your baby will be more willing to resume the breastfeeding. The key here is to focus on your emotions of satiation and keep a positive attitude rather than worrying about not being able to build up enough milk supply. Relactation can produce enough milk to cater to your baby’s need if you are determined about it. Relactation could produce enough breastmilk to supply all of your baby's needs. In some cases, supplements may be needed. Start by putting your baby to your breast; the skin to skin contact suckling action would stimulate your hormones to produce milk. Try this skin to skin contact for at least 12 times a day with each session lasting up to 20 minutes. As your milk builds up, you still to supplement your baby with formula milk or solid foods depending on the age of your baby. If your baby is not willing to suckle an empty breast, try tube feeding with a tube attached to your nipple. You can try breast pumps too as they stimulate your body. Your doctor may prescribe medications in cases when enough milk is not being built up. Do not be discouraged if you relactation procedure was not successful. Remember, it is not your fault. You can still bond well with your baby and your baby is going to be fit and healthy.

Relactation is when you resume breastfeeding after you have stopped it because of any unavoidable reasons.

Relactation

Squint eye or strabismus is misalignment of the two eyes where the eyes do not look in the same direction. This means that a child with squint eye(s) may not focus on an object (s)he is looking at. When a child is looking straight ahead, one of the eye may turn either inwards, outwards, upwards or downwards. Some babies are born with a squint (strabismus), and some babies and children develop a squint later. Acquired squints are sometimes caused by the eye trying to overcome a vision problem, such as short-sightedness, but in many cases the cause is unknown. Rarely, a squint may be caused by a condition in the eye itself. In most squints one eye turns inwards or outwards. Less often, it may turn up or down. The misalignment in some cases is constant while in other can appear only at some particular times. Squint eye is also associated with weak eyesight. Types of squint:<ul><li>An eye that turns inwards is called an esotropia.</li><li>An eye that turns outwards is called an exotropia.</li><li>An eye that turns upwards is called a hypertropia.</li><li>An eye that turns downwards is called a hypotropia.</li></ul> Causes:<ul><li>Trauma</li><li>Lesions in the brain</li><li>Staring screens for long hours</li><li>Imbalance in the eye muscle</li><li>Aberration in the nerve supply</li><li>Decreased vision in one eye</li></ul> Symptoms:<ul><li>A family member, teacher, or a health care provider notices that the eyes of a child are not straight.</li><li>Kids usually don’t complain for vision problems although some kids may complain of double vision (seeing two objects when there's only one in view) or have trouble seeing things in general.</li><li>Younger kids who cannot fully talk may squint a lot and turn or tilt their heads in an attempt to see more clearly.</li></ul> Diagnosis:Squint can be diagnosed when a child is taken to an ophthalmologist for routine check-up. Tests to find a squint can involve covering and uncovering each eye in turn. This often shows which eye has the squint and how it moves. The pupils of the eye can be checked with a torch, to check that they become smaller (constrict) with light and widen (dilate) when the light is removed. Very occasionally a scan of the eye or the brain may also be needed. Treatment:<ul><li>The correction of squint eye can be done by an eye specialist only. The first is that your child will be prescribed glasses to wear. After the prescription of the glasses, the doctor usually assesses the squint again.</li><li>The doctor will either advise patching of the eye or the use of dilating drops depending on the type of squint. The eye specialist might also suggest some eye exercises to strengthen the eye muscles.</li><li>In a more complicated case of squint eye, the doctor might also suggest a surgery to be done.</li></ul>

Many a times, squint eye resolves on its own but if it does not, it needs correction and treatment.

Squint eye in children

Intellectual disability (ID), previously known as mental retardation is characterised by below-average intelligence or mental ability and a lack of skills necessary for day-to-day living. Children with ID can learn new skills but at a slower pace than children without ID. There are varying degrees of intellectual disability, from mild to profound. Intellectual disability affects mental abilities in two areas:<ul><li>Intellectual functioning (such as learning, problem solving, judgement)</li><li>Adaptive functioning (activities of daily life such as communication and independent living)</li></ul> Symptoms:<ul><li>Achieving milestones like rolling over, sitting up, crawling, or walking later than children without ID</li><li>Talking late or having trouble with talking</li><li>Slowly mastering things like potty training, dressing, and feeding themselves</li><li>Difficulty remembering things</li><li>Inability to connect actions with consequences</li><li>Behaviour problems such as frequent tantrums</li><li>Trouble with problem-solving or logical thinking</li></ul> Causes:<ul><li>Genetic syndrome such as Down syndrome or Fragile X syndrome</li><li>Head trauma</li><li>Exposure to toxins such as lead or mercury</li><li>Premature birth</li><li>Severely malnourished child</li><li>Brain malformation</li><li>Maternal diseases</li><li>Environmental influences (alcohol, drugs or other toxins)</li><li>Problems during delivery</li></ul> Diagnosis:Intellectual disability is identified by problems in both intellectual and adaptive functioning. Intellectual functioning is usually assessed with an exam by a doctor. A full-scale IQ test might be suggested by your child’s doctor as part of a standard diagnosing procedure. However, the IQ score should not be the only basis of confirming intellectual disability of a child. Once the IQ tests hint towards intellectual disability, your child’s doctor might suggest further genetic tests to determine the cause of intellectual disability. During the diagnosis, three areas of adaptive functioning are considered:<ul><li>Conceptual – language, reading, writing, maths, reasoning, knowledge, memory</li><li>Social – empathy, social judgement, communication skills, ability to follow rules and the ability to make and keep friendships</li><li>Practical – independence in areas such as personal care</li><li>Adaptive functioning is assessed through interviews with family members, teachers and caregivers.</li><li>Intellectual disability can be mild, moderate or severe. Delays in language or motor skills may be seen by age two. However, mild levels of intellectual disability may not be identified until school age when a child may have difficulty with academics. In general, the milder the intellectual disability, the later it’s diagnosed.</li></ul> Treatment:<ul><li>Intellectual disability is a life-long condition and cannot be treated or prevented. However, early and ongoing intervention may improve functioning and enable the person to thrive throughout their lifetime.</li><li>After the diagnosis, the focus then shifts to looking at the child’s strengths and needs, and the supports he or she needs to function at home, in school/work and in the community.</li></ul> Tips for parents:<ul><li>Learn about your child’s disability.</li><li>Connect with other parents of children with disabilities.</li><li>Be patient and accept that your child will learn things slowly compared to other children.</li><li>Encourage independence and responsibility.</li><li>Look for opportunities in your community for social, recreational and sports activities.</li></ul> Prevention: Intellectual Disability cannot be prevented. FAQS about Intellectual Disability:What is intellectual disability?Intellectual Disability is also known as "Mental Retardation". It is a congenital disorder in which the child is born with low intelligence (low IQ – less than 70). Parents can observe a delay in milestone achievement of an intellectually disabled child in comparison to their sibling(s) or other children. Intellectual Disability includes deficit in intellectual functions, such as reasoning, problem-solving, planning, abstract thinking, judgement, academic learning, and learning from experience. Can IQ be increased with anything?Not at all. IQ can never be increased as it is a birth defect. Can a child with low IQ study in a normal school?Children with low IQ should be taught in a special school as different interventions and different approaches are needed to teach such children. If the parents are very hard-working, a child with mild intellectual disability can be sent to a normal school. From where I can do check the IQ of my child?You can consult a clinical psychologist for the IQ assessment of your child. Can a child with low IQ live a normal life?Only a child with mild intellectual disability may live a normal life if trained well. Otherwise, children with low IQ are always dependent on others for their basic needs of life.

Here are Intellectual Disability Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, FAQs, and Prevention.

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