Palak Vyas

Choking occurs when your baby takes more milk into its mouth than (s)he can swallow at a time. Excess milk spills into the airway and blocks the flow of air, which leads to choking. It can be a frightening sight for any mother to see her baby coughing and sputtering milk while struggling to breathe. Reasons behind choking during breastfeeding:<ol><li>Milk oversupply- When a mother produces excessive milk, the milk releases from the milk ducts in a forceful and almost explosive manner. This is called Milk Ejection Reflex. The baby is not able to swallow that much amount easily and starts choking up.</li><li>Improper latch</li></ol> You might be producing excessive milk if you notice:<ul><li>The baby is choking, gagging.</li><li>The baby is trying to clamp the nipple to slow down the flow.</li><li>The baby is trying to pull away from the breast.</li><li>The baby is refusing to nurse and is spitting up frequently.</li></ul> What to do:<ul><li>When you find your baby choking on milk, there are methods that can dislodge the milk from blocking the airway. Since babies have delicate bodies, it must be done with caution.</li><li>Turn your baby upside down and give them intermittent back blows and chest thrusts combined with gentle taps to the back, to open up the airways. The chest thrusts should be given with two or three fingers on the lower half of the breastbone, while supporting the head with the other hand. This should be continued until the block is removed.</li><li>It’s important to note that if the baby doesn’t recover and becomes unconscious, (s)he should be rushed to the nearest hospital, while still continuing the dislodging procedure.</li></ul> Prevention:<ul><li>Try and slow down your supply: Say if you are nursing with the right breast, then press your left nipple of the left breast with your right hand’s palm toward ribs and count till five. This signals your body to slow down the flow.</li><li>Stick to a single breast for a few feeds: This way one of the breasts gets fully emptied and this also slows down the flow in the other breast.</li><li>Baby’s latch: Ensure that the baby is latched properly. If the baby is latched properly, the milk should directly get into the baby’s throat and not his mouth. So when the latch is not proper, there is more risk of the baby’s mouth getting filled up with milk more than it can take and that is when your baby might end up choking.</li><li>You can recline on a surface and then feed the baby in your arms. This is a good nursing position.</li><li>While breastfeeding, if the other breast feels uncomfortable, you can express some milk from it and apply a cool compress to relieve the discomfort. As you continue this procedure, express lesser milk, until there is no need to do so.</li></ul>

A breastfeeding child chokes when (s)he takes more milk in mouth than (s)he can gulp down.

Choking during breastfeeding

Headache is the pain or discomfort in the head. Just like stomach aches, headaches can also be of 2 types: pathological and functional.Headaches can be functional or pathological in nature. Pathological pain can be due to tumour or any other complexities, but this is rare in small children. Children usually do not get headaches. But if they do, these can be the basic reasons behind headaches in children:<ul><li>Inadequate hydration</li><li>Skipping a meal or breakfast</li><li>Not getting enough sleep. Sound sleep for a minimum of 10-12 hours is needed.</li><li>Stress due to studies pressure or any emotional conflict can also cause headaches.</li><li>Vision problems like nearsightedness or farsightedness</li><li>Constant use of screens</li><li>Family history</li></ul> Symptoms: fussiness, crankiness, problem in sleeping Types of headaches: <ul><li>Tension headaches: These are due to emotional stress or tiredness. This is the least serious of all. It can be due to family conflicts or problems in the school</li><li>Congestion headaches: These are due to cold or flu and usually stop when the illness is over.</li><li>Headaches after an injury: Headaches are followed by head injury for a while. With the doctor’s help, it can be cured. If your child has had an injury in the past, headaches might occur even after many years.</li><li>Migraine headaches: It is a more serious kind of headache and requires medication prescribed by a doctor. A child is susceptible to develop migraine headaches if they run in the family. Visit your child’s paediatrician for the same.</li></ul> Diagnosis: Your child’s doctor will look into your child’s headache history; carry out a physical exam and in some cases neurological exam. In very rare cases, your child’s doctor might suggest for a MRI or CT scan.&nbsp; Treatment: For children, doctors usually do not prescribe medications unless the situation is serious. Usually following remedies work for children quite well:<ul><li>Lay your child down on a bed with his/her head slightly raised, in a cool, calm, quiet and darkroom. Put on the curtains.</li><li>Apply a cold compress (a cold wet washcloth or ice wrapped in a washcloth) on the head or nape (backside of the neck). Or ask your child to take a cold-water bath.</li><li>Apply heat. Apply warm (not hot) wet washcloth on the head or nape or ask your child to take a warm-water bath.</li></ul>Note: See what works the best for your child – cold compress or heat.<ul><li>Place a cool, moist cloth across your child’s forehead and eyes. Ask your child to relax and take easy and deep breaths.</li><li>Make sure your child follows a regular sleeping and waking time daily.</li><li>Make sure that your eats on time. Low blood sugar may sometimes cause a headache.</li><li>Make your child drink sufficient water.</li><li>If your child is old enough, you can give over the counter medication after consulting the doctor.</li><li>For pain management without medication, you can ensure your child is stress-free. Make your child do exercises that help him/her relax.&nbsp;</li><li>Avoid any trigger that can cause headaches like extreme heat, insufficient sleep, hunger etc.</li></ul> When to visit the doctor:<ul><li>Daily headaches interfering with a child’s life</li><li>Headaches when coughing, sneezing, running or during a bowel movement.</li><li>Sudden headache for the first time with numbness and vomiting.</li><li>Headaches with a stiff neck and fever</li><li>Headaches after a head injury that keep coming back.</li><li>Headache accompanied by fits, fever or tiredness.</li><li>If the child is drops things from hands</li><li>Sudden deterioration of performance in school</li><li>Headaches along with pain in eyes and ears.</li><li>Headaches similar to any of the family members.</li></ul> Prevention:<ul><li>Make sure your child gets plenty of rest.</li><li>Fixed eating schedule</li><li>Make sure your child hydrated at all times.</li><li>Encourage your child to openly talk to keep stress at bay.</li><li>Observe if your child is allergic to certain foods. If so, visit the paediatrician or you can give those foods at a minimum.</li></ul>

Here are Headache Symptoms, Causes, Types, Treatment, Prevention, Diagnosis, and Remedies.

All about headaches

Ravina Sewani

Breastfeeding after having a C-section delivery can be difficult due to the painful wound. Your healthcare provider will guide you about the positions that are most comfortable for you. Breastfeeding positions which you can try are the under-arm hold where your baby lies on your side under your arm. In this position, support your back and the side with cushions. Another position which you can try is side-lying hold, where you lie on one side, support your head and back with pillows with your baby closely tucked to you and facing you. You can read about these positions in detail in our Breastfeeding positions article. While breastfeeding, use a pillow over the wound to protect it and then ask someone to pass the baby to you. Make the best use of your hospital stay to get the needed guidance to breastfeed your baby effectively.

Breastfeeding after having a C-section delivery can be difficult due to the painful wound.

Breastfeeding after a C-section

<ul><li>Earaches in children are common. An earache may affect one or both ears, but the majority of the time it’s in one ear. Earaches can be constant or come and go, and the pain may be dull, sharp, or burning.</li><li>Kids below 5 years are at a higher risk for ear infections. Young children with ear infections get fussy and irritable. They may also tug or rub their ears.</li></ul> Symptoms:<ul><li>Ear pain (when chewing, sucking, or lying down)</li><li>Redness of the ear</li><li>Swelling of the ear</li><li>Pulling or rubbing the ears</li><li>Leakage from the ear</li><li>Trouble hearing</li><li>Ear fullness&nbsp;</li><li>Ear popping</li><li>Fussiness</li><li>Vomiting</li><li>Headache</li><li>Fever</li><li>Loss of balance</li><li>Difficulty sleeping</li></ul> Causes:<ul><li>Ear infections - outer, middle, or inner ear</li><li>Change in pressure, such as when flying on a plane</li><li>Earwax buildup</li><li>A foreign object in the ear</li><li>Sinus infection</li><li>Shampoo or water trapped in the ear</li><li>Use of cotton swabs in the ear</li><li>Referred pain - when the pain is felt somewhere other than the infection or injured site. For example, pain that originates in the jaw or teeth may be felt in the ear.</li></ul> Diagnosis:Your child's doctor will use an otoscope to look at the ears, throat and nasal passage. (S)he will might also listen to your child breathe with a stethoscope. Sometimes, doctors might use a Pneumatic otoscope to diagnose an ear infection. The doctor might perform other tests if there is any doubt about a diagnosis.<ol><li>Tympanometry: This test measures the movement of the eardrum.</li><li>Acoustic reflectometry: This test measures how much sound is reflected back from the eardrum.</li><li>Tympanocentesis: An instrument to drain the fluid from the middle ear. This fluid is then tested for viruses and bacteria.</li></ol> Visiting the doctor:<ul><li>If your child has a persistent fever of 104º F (40º C) or higher, seek medical attention.</li><li>For an infant, seek medical help immediately for a fever higher than 101º F (38º C).</li><li>You should also seek immediate medical attention if your child has severe pain which stops suddenly. This could be a sign of the eardrum rupturing.</li></ul> Treating earaches at home:<ul><li>Place a warm compress carefully over your child's ear for approximately 20 minutes.</li><li>Apply a cold washcloth to the ear.</li><li>Avoid getting the ear wet.</li><li>Sit upright to help relieve ear pressure.</li><li>Feed an infant to help them relieve their pressure.</li></ul> Medical treatment:<ul><li>If your child doesn't have too much discomfort or a high fever, the doctor will likely wait 24 to 48 hours (1 to 2 days) to see if the ear infection gets better on its own.</li><li>Your child's doctor will prescribe oral antibiotics or ear drops if the earache does not resolve on its own. In some cases, (s)he can prescribe both.</li></ul> Prevention:<ul><li>Make sure your child gets the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) and the flu vaccine, which may reduce their odds of getting middle ear infections.</li><li>Do not clean ears with cotton swabs or sharp objects.</li><li>Dry the ears after swimming or bathing.</li><li>Avoid secondhand smoke.</li><li>Make sure your child has a habit of washing his/her hands.</li><li>Don't give a bottle when your baby is lying down.</li><li>Ask the doctor if earplugs and special ear drops are a good idea if your child swims a lot.</li></ul>

Here are Earache Symptoms, Causes, Treatment, Prevention, Diagnosis, and Home remedies.

All about earaches

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

As per the doctors’ recommendations, a child shouldn’t be given anything till 6 months. Child should only be breastfed till 6 months. This is applicable for masses. But this can be customised depending upon a child’s health and under parental supervision; a child can be introduced or can be given liquidised food and water from 5 or 6 months. Liquid foods should be those which are culturally acceptable. These include – fruit juices, vegetable soups, daal or moong water, non-veg soup, etc. Children should be encouraged to drink adequate amounts of fluids. While introducing new foods, parents should keep 2 things in mind: <ol><li>Never introduce 2 foods at the same time. If you are giving daal water today, do not give fruit juice on the same day. It helps in identifying any consequences/allergic reactions or adverse effect due to new foods. Let the child get habituated to a new thing for at least a week and then introduce a new food item.</li><li>The quantity also matters. On the first day start with 2 spoons of say daal water, on second day 4 spoons, likewise keep increasing quantity gradually for a week and if the child is able to digest it all well. In the second week you can introduce fruit juice along with daal water. Keep the quantity in check and ultimately know how much is enough for your child.</li></ol> Please note:<ul><li>Children’s appetites may vary, not only from day to day, but also from one meal to the next.</li><li>Children have smaller stomachs than adults so it is important to consider portion size when plating food.</li></ul>

Introducing food at the right age will make your child habituated with eating all kinds of food.

Food at the right age

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

Fever in itself is not a disease. Instead, fever is the body’s immunity fighting against a virus or bacteria which has invaded the human body. So when a pathogen attacks our body, our immune system activates and increases blood circulation in the body. The activation of the immune system and increased blood circulation leads to a rise in the body’s temperature. This is how our bodies are naturally designed to fight against diseases whenever there is any external attack on the body. Fever is not our enemy, it is our friend. Toddlers and infants easily catch fever because they are always in contact with germs. If your child is eating fine, sleeping for appropriate hours, and urinating 7-8 times a day, then there is nothing to worry about. The fever will come down easily after 2-3 days. If the fever lasts for more than a week, and your child does not eat, sleep, and urinate properly, it is advisable to visit your child’s paediatrician. Sometimes, infants and toddlers might suffer from fits during high fever. This is when it becomes very much essential to bring down the fever. Children also feel pain or ache during fever due to which it is important to lower down the fever in children by giving medication. Common Causes of Fever:<ul><li>Respiratory tract infections</li><li>Flu</li><li>Tonsillitis</li><li>Cold and cough</li><li>Ear infections</li><li>Teething in infants</li></ul> How to be sure whether a child has fever or not?<ul><li>Most of the parents touch their child’s forehead and if they find it a little warm, they consider it as fever. Scientifically this is termed as delusion of fever.</li><li>Delusion of fever might result due to several reasons:</li></ul>- Mother’s hand being cold because of working with water on and off. Also, hands are usually cold as they are quite away from our hearts.- As infants barely have hair on their head, their head feels a little warmer than adults.- As a child’s brain is developing, there is blood circulation going on and that is the reason their head can feel hotter compared to the rest of the body.<ul><li>If the temperature of a child's head is 98.5 or 99 degree Fahrenheit and if mother’s hands are at 90 or 92 degrees Fahrenheit, then too the mother can find a child’s forehead way hotter even if the child’s temperature is actually normal.</li><li>So never assume there is fever just by touching your child’s forehead, always use a clinical thermometer to stay assured.</li></ul> Diagnosis:Thermometer reading:<ul><li>Digital thermometers are the most reliable and the easiest to use. Place it in the armpit of your child for 1-2 minutes and it will clearly show temperature readings. There is a beep sound that comes when the temperature stops rising. Take that reading and you would accurately know your child’s temperature.</li><li>Scientifically, if the axillary (armpit) temperature reaches 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or is more than that, it is considered as a fever.</li></ul> Treatment:Medicine for children having fever:<ul><li>Safest option for relieving a child’s fever is paracetamol. Paracetamol is easily available in the market. Choose any medically acclaimed brand which has a good taste so that the child can easily take it. Or you can simply ask your child’s paediatrician.</li><li>Dosage is usually mentioned on the bottle. Dosage depends upon the age and weight of the child. Paracetamol comes in two different preparations. One is the regular preparation and the other is DS- (double strength) preparation.</li><li>Regular paracetamol syrup contains 120-125 mg of paracetamol in 5 ml. Whereas DS paracetamol syrup contains 240-250 mg of paracetamol in 5ml.</li><li>Usual dose that needs to be given is 10-15 mg of paracetamol per kg of a child's weight.</li><li>For example, if your child is say 8 to 10 kgs in weight, 5ml of regular paracetamol is enough. As the weight increases, dosage should also be increased.</li><li>For every 2kg of weight increase, 1ml of syrup should be increased.</li><li>For a child who is 12 to 14 kg, 5 ml of DS paracetamol can be given. Otherwise the child will have to take 7 to 8 ml of regular paracetamol which is more than required.</li><li>Paracetamol is considered the safest medication for children. Certain reports say giving 20 mg per kg of child’s weight is also allowed in a few cases. In a whole day, giving 60 to 80 mg of paracetamol per kg is also considered harmless.</li><li>If it is required, you can give paracetamol after every 4 hours. There are certain diseases in which the fever subsides for 10 to 12 hours, once you have given paracetamol. In such cases there is no issue. But there are other types of diseases where the fever keeps coming back frequently. Here, once you give the medication, the fever subsides for a while but there are toxins in the blood therefore as the effect of medicine subsides; there is rise in temperature again. In such a case you need to give paracetamol after every 4 hours as per required.</li><li>It is very rare that the child’s fever doesn’t subside after taking paracetamol. In most cases children respond well to this medicine yet there can be a few cases where a child’s fever is not affected at all even after taking paracetamol. In that case, you will have to give some other fever medication after consulting your child’s paediatrician.</li><li>If paracetamol does not seem to work for your child, you can try either of these two combinations:</li></ul>i. Combination of paracetamol and ibuprofen. It is commercially known as ibugesic plus or Combiflam.ii. Combination of Paracetamol and mefenamic acid. At times when giving Paracetamol doesn’t show any improvement, you can use mefenamic acid - Meftal, which is also a very popular medicine for fever. <ul><li>Apart from medicines, you can also use cold packs to decrease your child’s temperature.</li><li>Keep in mind to not use cold refrigerated water cold packs for fever, instead use normal tap water. Soak the cloth in the water, drain excess water and place it over the child’s hands, legs, and forehead. Temperature will eventually subside.</li></ul> Home Remedies:<ul><li>If the temperature is below 102˚ F the fever is normal, just give plenty of fluids (liquid) and extra rest.</li><li>If the fever is between 102˚ F to 105˚ F give a warm bath or sponge your child with lukewarm water, this will help to reduce the temperature.</li><li>Make the child wear light clothes and use a light blanket.</li><li>Complete rest and good sleep can help the child recover soon.</li><li>Increase the water intake as much as possible.</li></ul> Prevention:<ul><li>Make sure your child(ren) wash hands properly and regularly.</li><li>Make them to avoid touching their mouth, eyes, and nose constantly.</li><li>Maintain hygiene in your child's surrounding.</li><li>Avoid sharing cups/glasses/spoons.</li></ul>

Here are Fever Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, Home remedies, and Prevention.

All about Fever

Itching can result due to various reasons:<ul><li>Skin allergies</li><li>Food allergies</li><li>Dandruff</li><li>Skin disorder</li></ul> <ul><li>It is advisable to consult your paediatrician or doctor for itching before you apply any skin products to your child.</li></ul> Remedies for itching:<ul><li>Avoid scented soaps, lotions, and bubble baths.</li><li>Change out of wet or damp clothing immediately after exercising or swimming.</li><li>Moisturising the skin with a good moisturiser.</li><li>See a doctor when the itching persists for more than 2 weeks, when there is inflammation and when itching affects the entire body.</li></ul>

Itching, if not treated at the right time can intensify and irritate a child. It is better to consult your paediatrician at the right time.

mental disorders health concerns

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