Samiksha Choithani

Try the following and see which one works out the best for you and your child: Laid back breastfeeding: Laid back breastfeeding is also known as biological nurturing which means that your baby's natural instincts will guide your position.You just need to make yourself comfortable, support your back, shoulder, neck and arms with pillows and bring your baby close to your skin. Rub your nipple on your baby's lips and your baby will open its mouth widely and start to latch. This is a natural instinctive way of nursing and you will be able to do it with ease. ﻿Cradle hold: Hold your baby in one of your arms wherein his/her head rests in the crook of your elbow and support rest of his/her body with the same arm. Cup your breast with your other hand and using your thumb and index finger, place your nipples along with areola into your baby’s mouth and ensure that the baby latches properly. To be specific, position your thumb on top and fingers below the nipple. The entire areola (dark circle around the nipple) should be in the child’s mouth. Football hold (Clutch or underarm hold): This position is especially useful if you have had a C-section, large breasts, premature baby or twins. This is a position where you hold the baby on the same side as the breast you are nursing from, tucking your baby’s legs under your arm just like a football. Hold your baby’s head in your palms and support his/her body with your arm. Cup your breast and latch your baby the same way you would do for the cradle hold. Sleeping or side-lying: Lying position is comfortable for mothers who have had C-section. Use your arm to comfortably position the baby’s head and hold the baby’s buttocks in the palm. Use the other hand to your breast. Use a blanket to cover the little one and your breast to help the child feel warm and safe.

For starters, most mothers find it difficult to stick to one position for breastfeeding. But with time, it gets better.

Breastfeeding positions

Palak Vyas

In younger infants, there can be multiple reasons for reflux:<ul><li>Overfeeding</li><li>Weak abdomen muscles</li><li>Immature esophageal sphincter muscles</li><li>Slow digestive system</li><li>GERD - a digestive disease where the fluids and foods from the stomach come back up to the oesophagus</li></ul> Sleep solutions:<ul><li>Do not put your infant to bed immediately after feeding.</li><li>Make them burp.</li><li>Wait for 30 minutes before lying down your baby on bed for a nap or night sleep.</li><li>While you wait for 30 minutes, be sure to hold him/her upright.</li><li>Keep rocking your baby in standing position till (s)he sleeps naturally.</li><li>To avoid acid reflux, give your baby small but frequent feedings.</li><li>In case you are feeding with a bottle, take a closer look at the nipple size. It should not be too small or too big. If the hole is too small, the child keeps sucking hard and instead of milk (s)he sucks in air. If the hole is too big, (s)he won’t be able to take that much amount at a stroke.</li></ul>

Many children have a problem of reflux (spitting/vomiting out the food) when they go to sleep. Certain sleep positions will help with this problem.

Sleep solutions for babies with reflux or GERD

Ravina Sewani

Causes of deafness:<ul><li>Otitis media: middle ear infection</li><li>Premature birth</li><li>Diabetic mother</li><li>Genetic make-up</li><li>Smoking or consuming alcohol while pregnancy</li><li>Nervous or brain disorder</li><li>Illness of injuries - meningitis, encephalitis, measles, chickenpox, flu</li></ul> Look for these signs to make sure that your child's hearing is developing continuously: From birth to four months, your infant should:<ul><li>Startle at loud sounds</li><li>Wake up or stir at loud noises</li><li>Respond to your voice by smiling or cooing</li><li>Calm down at a familiar voice</li></ul> From four months to nine months, your infant should:<ul><li>Smile when spoken to</li><li>Notice toys that make sounds</li><li>Turn its head toward familiar sounds</li><li>Make babbling noises</li><li>Understand hand motions like the bye-bye wave</li></ul> From nine to 15 months, your baby should:<ul><li>Make various babbling sounds</li><li>Repeat some simple sounds</li><li>Understand basic requests</li><li>Use its voice to get your attention</li><li>Respond to name</li></ul> From 15 to 24 months, your toddler should:<ul><li>Use many simple words</li><li>Point to body parts when you ask</li><li>Name common objects</li><li>Listen with interests to songs, rhymes and stories</li><li>Point to familiar objects you name</li><li>Follow basic commands</li></ul> Hearing loss Symptoms:<ul><li>No reaction to loud noises</li><li>No response to your voice</li><li>Child makes simple sounds that taper off</li><li>Pulls or rubs an ear</li><li>Be constantly cranky for no clear reason</li><li>Stops paying attention</li><li>Has little energy</li><li>Does not understand directions</li><li>Often asks for the TV or radio to be louder</li><li>Has a fever</li><li>Has ear pain</li></ul> Diagnosis: Hospitals usually check newborns' hearing before they are sent home. Some others are particularly tested where deafness is known in the family. Types of Hearing Loss:<ol><li>Conductive hearing loss: It is caused by something that stops the sounds from getting through the outer or middle ear. This type is usually treated via medicines or surgery.</li><li>Sensorineural hearing loss: It is caused because of the functionality problem either of the inner ear or hearing nerve.</li><li>Mixed hearing loss: It is due both the conductive and the sensorineural hearing loss.</li><li>Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder: The sound enters the ear normally but because of the defects in either the inner ear or in the hearing nerve, the brain does not understand what the sound is.</li><li>Unilateral or Bilateral hearing loss: Hearing loss in one ear (unilateral) or both the ears (bilateral).</li><li>Symmetrical or Asymmetrical: Hearing loss is the same in both the ears (symmetrical) or different in both the ears (asymmetrical).</li><li>Congenital or Acquired: Hearing loss from birth (congenital) or develops later in life (acquired).</li></ol> Treatment:<ul><li>Conditions like otitis media go away on their own. So if your child is diagnosed of otitis media, in time (s)he will be able to hear soon. An ENT doctor will guide you for the same. The doctor may prescribe antibiotics for this condition. If otitis media does not improve, an ENT doctor might suggest getting the ear tubes surgery done.</li></ul>Other treatments include:<ul><li>Hearing aids: Children as young as 1 month old can use this device. Consult an ENT doctor to choose the right device for your child.</li><li>Implants: These are electronic devices which are placed in the inner ear to help with the hearing. These are a second resort when hearing aids don't work.</li></ul> Prevention:<ul><li>Maintain healthy lifestyle during pregnancy.</li><li>Make sure the child gets all the vaccines.</li><li>Keep your child away from excessive loud noises.</li><li>Wear ear protection like earplugs or earmuffs if you are going to be around very loud noises for more than a few minutes.</li><li>Remove excessive earwax.</li></ul> Raising a child with hearing impairment:Hearing impairment can be either congenital defect, due to some injury/disease or due to exposure to loud noises after birth. Raising a child with hearing loss can be quite challenging. It is altogether different. It will demand more patience and more understanding with loads of love.Depending upon the level of deafness, parents can select a kindergarten or school where a child's special needs are met. There are special schools and educators for such differently-abled children. With certain children, hearing is possible with surgery or a hearing device. But sometimes this defect is irreversible and can’t be cured. In all cases, the child and parents can learn different ways of communication to understand each other better. Lip reading skills, written or printed texts and sign language, are the ways for communication with such children.&nbsp;There are important aspects that parents can work on:<ol><li>The most important of all is a child's self-esteem. As a parent, you can always boost their confidence by praising their little efforts and continuous smiles.</li><li>Motivate them throughout the process.</li><li>Usually parents tend to overlook and forget to acknowledge their child’s immense effort in coping with the situation.</li><li>Do not treat them as weak. Support them but at the same time let them learn to be independent.</li><li>Let them have their own battles and own victories. Do not talk on their behalf. Unless they ask you, stay away and let them deal with friends and people on their own.</li><li>Be around whenever they need help but do not impose yourself all the time and everywhere.</li><li>Gradually the child as well as people around develop understanding and learn to communicate with each other.</li><li>Stay consistent with your behaviour. Sometimes the parents start pitying their child. Avoid over sympathising with them. As a parent, you give them the liberties which you would not otherwise if they could hear. So do not do this. Raise them firmly and with the right kind of attitude. Do not compare your hearing-impaired child to another child who can hear properly.</li><li>There should be same rules and regulations for all the kids in the house.</li><li>Instil qualities of self-control, behavioural management, cooperative skills and positive responses to people.</li><li>Good communication is the basis of good bonds in the family. Be patient with such a child and let them have their time to communicate. Give them a fair chance to express in everyone’s presence.</li><li>You, as a family, can learn the sign language or develop a system to communicate with your child. Playing games using sign languages can enhance his/her communication skills.</li><li>Family support is the strength of such a child. Be sensitive and supportive of them. Help them feel normal, natural and strong.</li></ol>

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

All about Deafness

Begin brushing your baby’s teeth from the time they start appearing. Even in the absence of teeth you can wipe their gums with soft clean cotton cloth carefully. Brush their teeth with clean small soft bristled toothbrush using small circular movements. Change their brush every 3 months. Cause of bad breath could vary:<ul><li>Sometimes, infections can cause bad breath. If your toddler has an infection at the back of his throat, such as tonsillitis, this can make his breath smell foul. Other symptoms of tonsillitis include a sore throat and coughing. Your toddler’s bad breath will disappear when the infection clears up.</li><li>It’s also possible that the smelly breath is because your little one has a blockage in his nose. That could be because he has a cold or sinus infection.</li><li>If your toddler sucks or chews on a blanket, or sucks thumb, it could lead to developing bad breath.</li><li>If your toddler has persistent bad breath, take him for a check-up at the dentist.</li></ul>

It is important to maintain proper oral hygiene since day 1. Bad breath is an indication of poor oral hygiene.

Taking care of Bad breath

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

<ul><li>Dust mites are very small bugs which live in humid environments and feed on scales shed by human skin. Dust mites need around 80% humidity and so as soon as the humidity falls, they die.</li><li>A protein present in the wastes of dust mites is usually found in the beds, carpets, furniture and when your child inhales such air, an allergic reaction is triggered.</li><li>Dust mites are the most common culprits behind your child's asthma. So it is very important to clean the furniture in the house properly at regular intervals.</li><li>The growth of dust mites can be prevented by dust-proofing your house using vacuum cleaner and washing pillows and mattresses in hot water time to time.</li><li>The growth of dust mites and hence the allergic reactions can be reduced by installing dehumidifiers to reduce the percentage of humidity indoors. You can also use HEPA filters in the air purifiers of your house.</li><li>Avoid carpeting in your house if your child is allergic to dust mites.</li></ul> Symptoms:<ul><li>Itching</li><li>Rashes</li><li>Vomiting</li><li>Diarrhoea</li><li>Swelling of the lips or tongue or face</li><li>Throat constriction</li><li>Difficulty in breathing</li><li>Allergies may sometimes also cause a life-threatening reaction called anaphylaxis which constricts the airway passage and requires immediate medical attention.</li></ul> Diagnosis:<ul><li>Always get your child diagnosed by a healthcare expert and never on your own. Never self-assume that your child has peanut allergy. Commercial home test kits for self-diagnosis are not recommended as they may not be of the required standards.</li><li>Your child’s paediatrician may recommend that your child undertake tests like skin prick test, blood test or food/drug challenge. It is important that these tests are performed under medical supervision as these tests might trigger an allergic reaction. Along with these tests, your child’s paediatrician will also examine your child's medical/family history, existing conditions like asthma and eczema.</li></ul>

Allergy to dust mites is usually caused by the carpets used in the house. The best way to make your baby safe is to keep your surroundings clean.

Dust mites allergy

<ul><li>Adding certain foods to their diet can promote hair growth — and give children the nourishment their bodies need.</li><li>Peanuts, corn, and spinach contain Vitamin E, which stimulates hair growth.</li><li>Folic acid, found in foods like peas and citrus fruits, will help promote hair growth by strengthening strands so they don’t break off prematurely.</li><li>Drinking water—four to six glasses a day—will keep hair hydrated.</li><li>Vitamin B produces keratin, a protein that strengthens strands. Found in bananas, whole-grain cereals, rice and eggs.</li><li>Dairy products like skim milk and yogurt—as well as broccoli and strawberries–are great sources of calcium, an important mineral for hair growth.</li><li>Trimming hair regularly helps too.</li><li>Washing hair at least twice a week maintains hygiene of the scalp and hair which maintains strength of the hair.</li><li>Massaging hair and scalp with oil is equally necessary.</li></ul>

Children tend to get careless about taking care of their hair. Proper diet and hygiene helps a long way in healthy hair.

Enhancing hair growth

The feeling of blocked or clogged ears is either due to water or sir getting stuck in the ears. Water in the ears:When water enters in an ear due to any reason, the ear feels clogged/blocked. If there's too much water in the ears, surrounding sounds also get muffled. It is important to remove the water from ears because otherwise it can cause infections. You can get the water out of your child's ear, these are a few steps to follow:<ul><li>First dry out your child's ear using a soft towel. Do not push the towel deep into the ear canal.</li><li>Ask your child to tilt their head on the side of the ear which has water stuck in it and let gravity to do the work. Slightly pull their earlobes; this will straighten the ear canal helping in draining the water.</li><li>If the clogging of the ear persists, you can get ear drops prescribed by your child's doctor.</li><li>Do not use cotton swabs as they will push the dirt deep into the ear. Warn your children to not stick their finger in their ear.</li></ul> Air in the ears:The ears tend to feel full and clogged when a person is sick, or when altitudes change. To relieve from this feeling, one needs to pop their ears. Here is how you can help your child:<ul><li>Yawn: Instruct your child to yawn as many times as possible as yawning helps in opening up the ear canal hence helping the ears to pop.</li><li>Swallow: Give water to your child or a candy to suck on as swallowing activates the muscles that open up the ear canal.</li><li>Valsalva maneuver: Take a deep breath and pinch your nose shut. Keep your mouth closed and gently exhale through the nose. If your child is too young, this technique to pop the ears is not advised as it carries a minute risk of rupturing the eardrum.</li><li>Toynbee maneuver: Pinch the nose shut and with your mouth closed, try swallowing. If your child has difficulty doing this, a mouthful of water will help in swallowing.</li><li>If nothing works, consult your child's doctor.</li></ul>

The feeling of blocked or clogged ears is either due to water or sir getting stuck in the ears.

respiratory problems health concerns

Following article(s) will help solve your concern.