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

<ul><li>Most chemical head lice treatments aren't suitable for babies under two years old. So the best way to get rid of your little one's head lice is by wet-combing.</li></ul> 1. Make your child comfortable: Comb or brush any knots out of your child’s hair with an ordinary comb. Wet your child’s hair completely with plenty of water to straighten it so that the comb moves smoothly.2. Comb hair still using an ordinary comb.3. Change to a comb with fine teeth: Use a head lice comb and comb sections of your child's hair. Comb from the roots to the ends of the hair. Be careful while using lice comb so that it doesn’t hurt your child.4. After each comb, wipe the conditioner on to a paper towel or tissue. Check the tissue or paper towel for lice and eggs (a magnifying glass may help you to see them more easily).5. Repeat the combing for every part of the head, section by section. Comb each section at least 4 or 5 times before moving on to the next section.6. After you have combed the whole head, rinse out the conditioner.7. If you find lice or eggs, repeat these steps every day if you can manage it, but at least every 2 to 3 days. You can stop when you find no lice or eggs for 3 days in a row.8. Check the hair of everyone in the house twice a week for the next 2 weeks to make sure everyone stays clear. <ul><li>You can also use lice controlling medicated shampoos after concerning your paediatrician.</li></ul>

Children below 3 years usually do not suffer from hair lice. If they do, proper shampooing of their hair and an oil massage is helpful for them.

Treating hair lice

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

Palak Vyas

<ul><li>Massage helps your baby to develop mentally, socially and physically.</li><li>The baby stays relaxed and does not get upset. He/she cries less and sleeps better.</li><li>You may find that giving your baby a massage lifts your mood and helps you to feel more empowered as a parent. As you massage your baby, it comes naturally to chat with him/her and have plenty of eye contact. It strengthens your bonding with your baby. This is one reason why massage can help mums with postnatal depression, or who are at risk of depression.</li><li>Even the father can give massage to their babies so as he can bond well and feels better about parenting.</li></ul> Massage may be particularly good for premature babies resulting in:<ul><li>Improved weight gain, particularly if oils are used. Massage can improve digestion and bowel movement, helping your baby to gain weight.</li><li>A more stable heart rate. Massage improves the parts of the nervous system that regulate our organs. So massage can help to keep your premature baby's heart rate steady.</li><li>The baby shows calmer response to stress and pain.</li><li>There is more stable brain activity. Premature babies who are massaged tend to have brain activity that develops at a normal level.</li></ul>

Body massage helps in keeping your baby healthy and happy.

Baby Massage benefits

Congestion occurs when extra fluids (mucus) accumulate in the nose and airways. Congestion may give your baby a blocked nose, noisy breathing or mild trouble in feeding. Mild congestion is common and is not much of a concern. But if your child breathes 60 breaths per minute, (s)he is struggling to catch breath. In this case, take them to a paediatrician immediately. Symptoms of congestion:<ul><li>Coughing</li><li>Wheezing</li><li>Grunting</li><li>Thick nasal mucus</li><li>Discoloured nasal mucus</li><li>Noisy breathing</li><li>Sniffing</li><li>Trouble eating</li></ul> Causes of congestion:<ul><li>Allergies</li><li>Cold/flu</li><li>Asthma</li><li>Premature birth</li><li>Pneumonia</li></ul> Treatment of congestion:<ul><li>Give your baby a warm bath but try to keep it short for 5-10 minutes and once you are done quickly wipe the baby's body, apply moisturiser and dress your baby as soon as possible.</li><li>Keep feeding your baby regularly and monitor for wet diapers.</li><li>Add one or two drops of saline to their nostrils.</li><li>Use a humidifier in the baby’s room by the bedside to keep away the dryness in weather. It will add moisture in the air of the room and will help clear congestion.</li><li>Gently massage their nasal bridge, forehead, temples, and cheekbones.</li><li>Remove potential allergens or pollutants from the home's air by vacuuming up pet hair, not burning candles or incense sticks and not smoking.</li><li>Wipe away excess mucus with a soft, dry tissue or cloth.</li></ul>

Congestion can make a child uneasy and cause difficulty in breathing.

Dealing with the problem of congestion.

Circumcision is a small surgery where the skin covering the tip of the penis is removed surgically. The decision to get your baby circumcised depends on cultural, religious, medical or personal reasons. Let the paediatrician or neonatologist decide if the child is ready for circumcision or not.<ul><li>Your baby’s penis may be sore for a few days after the procedure.</li><li>You have to be careful while bathing and changing diapers until it heals completely. Do not use any bathing products. You can use warm water to clean the area.</li><li>Whenever you change the diaper, use a new dressing as per your child’s paediatrician’s advice.</li><li>Use a dab of petroleum jelly on the penis so that there is no friction with the diaper.</li><li>Healing after the surgery can take up to 7-10 days.</li></ul> Inform your child’s paediatrician if you see any of the following signs:<ul><li>Bleeding that continues</li><li>Fever</li><li>Infection</li><li>Redness that gets only worse</li><li>Pus filled blisters</li><li>If the child does not urinate within 12 hours after the circumcision.</li></ul>

Circumcision is not necessary but the decision depends on personal beliefs.

Undergoing circumcision in boys

Common spices allergies are of mustard, garlic, and coriander. Out of these, allergic reactions to mustard are the most common.Common seed allergies are of sesame, poppy and sunflower seeds.Allergy to mustard causes reactions in skin, lungs, and digestive tracts and affects sinuses as well.In the case of seeds and spices, there are two possibilities – true allergic reaction and non-allergic response. Hence it becomes important to distinguish between the two. True allergy is caused by an immune response to the proteins present in the spices or seeds and can be life-threatening.Non-allergic responses are rashes, teary eyes, runny nose, burning sensation in the mouth, and coughing after inhalation. This is usually self-resolving. 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:Get your child diagnosed by a healthcare expert. For diagnosis, the paediatrician will evaluate your child's medical/family history, existing conditions like asthma, eczema and other food allergies; along with a skin prick test, blood test or Oral Food Challenge. Precautions and treatments:<ul><li>Your healthcare expert may prescribe adrenaline auto-injector for children with a history of anaphylaxis. The paediatrician might also prescribe just medicines if the allergic reactions of your child are mild.</li><li>Avoid foods containing the seeds or spices to which your child is allergic.</li><li>Keep a habit of reading the food labels for ingredients.</li><li>Inform your child’s school about your child’s allergy problem.</li><li>Mustard may be used as a whole, in powdered/paste form or as a sauce in sandwiches and sesame may be used as whole seeds, as oil, or in cosmetics, and pharmaceutical products. Hence, be careful about these products.</li></ul>

Read the article to know what to look out for in case your child has seed allergy.

Seed allergy

Conjunctivitis in children is very common. Conjunctivitis causes red, irritated and sticky eyes. It is caused either by an infection (viral or bacterial) or due to allergies (irritants). Symptoms of conjunctivitis can last from 3 days to 3 weeks. If the child is younger than 6 weeks, consult a doctor immediately. Causes:<ul><li>Bacteria</li><li>Viruses</li><li>Allergy</li><li>Pollution</li></ul> Signs and symptoms of conjunctivitis:<ul><li>Redness of the white part of the eye</li><li>Irritation or itching in the eye</li><li>Bacterial conjunctivitis shows stringy discharge</li><li>More tears than usual</li><li>Swelling of the eyelids</li><li>Crusting of the eyelids or eyelashes</li></ul> Treatment of conjunctivitis:<ul><li>Viral conjunctivitis may last for one to two weeks and does not need medical treatment. It resolves on its own.</li><li>For bacterial and allergic conjunctivitis, see a doctor. Symptoms usually improve within 24 to 48 hours once treatment is started. Bacterial conjunctivitis is usually treated for five to seven days.</li></ul>You can use follow any of the following remedies to treat conjunctivitis in children:<ol><li>Salt water solution: Add 1/2 tablespoon of salt to pot of boiling water. Let it cool down. Then dip a cotton ball in this water, squeeze it a bit and keep it on both the eyelids of the baby.</li><li>Potato Slice: Peel the skin of raw potato. Wash it properly, Cut very thin slices and place them on both the eyelids of your child.</li><li>Chamomile oil: Add a few drops of chamomile oil in lukewarm distilled water. Dip cotton balls in this and place it on both eyelids of the baby for 5-7 minutes. Please note that this is not recommended for children below 1 year.</li><li>Consult an eye specialist if the problem persists for more than a few days.</li></ol> Prevention of conjunctivitis:<ul><li>Ask your children to wash their&nbsp;hands often throughout the day with soap and warm water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Wash your hands before and after using the eye drops. Also wash your hands if you come into contact with an infected person’s eyes, clothes, or other personal items.</li><li>Ask your child not to&nbsp;touch or rub his/her eyes.</li><li>Do not allow sharing of personal items such as towels, blankets, pillowcases, etc.</li><li>Wash bedding, washcloths, and towels in hot water after you use them.</li><li>Do not send your child to school or play if he has severe conjunctivitis with pus and sticky discharge.</li></ul>

Here are Conjunctivitis Causes, Symptoms, Treatment, and Prevention.

All about Conjunctivitis

If your baby has green, foamy or frothy, explosive stools and pain, it might be a case of lactose overload. Lactose overload can happen when your baby gulps a very large quantity of breastmilk either due to a long gap between the feedings or due to an oversupply of milk. Healthy babies are able to break down the lactose in normal volumes of milk. The presence of fat in the milk ensures the slow movement of milk through the gut. But if your baby consumes a lot of milk that is relatively low in fat, it can rush through the digestive system without being digested. This can cause the problem of gas causing pain and frothy stools. If you suspect lactose overload, try to check your baby's latch. Try different positions to feed your baby if you have a problem of oversupply of milk. Try frequent feeds as your baby to avoid build up of watery low fat milk. If the problem persists, you know what to do, head straight to your doctor.

one breast feeding health concerns

Following article(s) will help solve your concern.