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

Palak Vyas

Drooling is saliva coming out of baby’s mouth. Generally drooling in the early developmental stages of the child is completely normal. It is a part of physical development. It is common for baby to drool till 2 years. But if the child is drooling even after 4 years, it is not normal. Main causes of drooling:<ul><li>Teething: Drooling is common in babies during their teething periods.</li><li>Open mouth posture: Drooling happens when the baby does not have enough muscle control to contain the saliva that the body produces. The baby still has poor mouth and tongue control resulting in drooling.</li><li>Nasal congestion: When the child breathes through his/her mouth due to nasal congestion, (s)he starts drooling during sleep.</li></ul> Treatment:<ul><li>Usually the baby stops drooling by the time (s)he is 2 years.</li><li>Parents can work on improving child’s posture.</li><li>Try reducing nose blockage.</li><li>Medication can be given to help reduce the amount of saliva produced in case of excessive drooling.</li><li>Doctor can recommend injections or surgery depending upon the severity of the case.</li></ul>

Saliva drooling is very common among children and usually resolves by the age of 2 years.

Saliva drooling in children

Ravina Sewani

Practically, a child can be allergic towards any vegetable but the most common are asparagus, cabbage, potatoes, carrot, cucumber, spinach, avocado. Causes: Proteins present in the fruit that the child is allergic to. Symptoms: Symptoms usually show up minutes after a child has been exposed to a vegetable that (s)he is allergic to. Sometimes, the symptoms might show up after a few hours.The symptoms include:<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>Drop in blood pressure</li><li>Severe reactions include loss of consciousness, chest pain, turning pale, shortness of breath, trouble swallowing, or anaphylaxis</li></ul> Diagnosis:<ul><li>The first thing is to not self-diagnose. Always rely on a healthcare expert's diagnosis.</li><li>A healthcare expert will examine your child's symptoms, his/her health history, and conduct other tests if required, to confirm whether your child has an allergy towards particular foods or not.</li><li>The doctor might get a blood test or a skin prick test done for your child.</li></ul> Foods to avoid:<ul><li>Raw vegetable to which the child is allergic.</li><li>Vegetable soup.</li><li>Food dishes which contain the vegetable to which your child is allergic.</li></ul> Treating allergies:<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> Precautions:<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>

Not every child will have an allergy towards the same vegetable. Every child's immune system reacts differently towards different vegetables. The allergic reaction, however, is more or less the same towards any kind of vegetable.

Vegetable allergies

In an egg allergy, the body mistakes the egg proteins as a threat which triggers the immune system to produce an allergic reaction to those proteins. An allergic reaction to the proteins in egg white or yolk or both is possible.Studies have shown that 2 out of 100 children are allergic to egg but around 70% of them outgrow the allergy by the time they reach adulthood.Egg proteins are found in raw, boiled/parboiled, poached, baked, or powdered form of eggs.It is advisable to avoid egg-based foods as it is difficult to completely separate the white from the yolk. Traces of yolk might be present in a few commercially available 'egg-white products'.Children with egg allergy can be safely vaccinated for MMR and Flu vaccine.Eggs can be introduced into your child’s diet by a scientific approach called “egg ladder”. Egg Ladder is a specific scientific food chart designed for the easy reintroduction of eggs in the diet and to induce egg tolerance to combat egg allergy. 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:<ul><li>The first thing is to not self-diagnose and assume your child to be allergic to eggs. Always rely on a healthcare expert's opinion before avoiding egg-based products.</li><li>A healthcare expert will examine your child's symptoms, his/her health history, and conduct other tests if required, to confirm whether your child has an egg allergy or not.</li><li>Egg allergy has very mild symptoms and is not known to cause severe reactions.</li></ul> Foods to avoid:<ul><li>In breastfed infants, the egg proteins from mother’s diet may transmit to the baby via breast milk and cause an egg allergy to develop an egg allergy.</li><li>Eggs from birds like quails, duck, geese, turkey as well if your child has an egg allergy need to be avoided.</li></ul> Other foods to avoid:<ul><li>Mayo or mayonnaise</li><li>Nougat</li><li>Marshmallows</li><li>Ice cream</li><li>Parents are usually also concerned about giving baked foods to children who have milk or egg allergies. Research indicates that 70%of children allergic to milk or egg can tolerate baked food as high temperature baking can destroy the allergens in milk and egg. Introduction of baked food is known to increase the tolerance to whole forms of milk/egg.</li><li>Always consult your child’s paediatrician to look for alternate sources of nutrition as avoiding milk and egg based foods may develop nutritional deficiency.</li></ul> Treating allergies:<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> Precautions:<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> Egg allergy and vaccines:There are several contradictions revolving around developing egg allergies due to a few vaccines like the MMR vaccine, influenza vaccine and yellow fever vaccine. If your child is diagnosed with egg allergy, it is best to consult your child’s paediatrician and then get your child vaccinated.

Egg allergy is one of the most common allergies among all.

Egg Allergy

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

Jaundice is a liver-related condition that causes a yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes. Jaundice is the result of the build-up of a substance called bilirubin in the bloodstream. It’s an orange-yellow substance that usually passes through the liver and is excreted from the body.When there are abnormally high levels of bilirubin in the blood, jaundice develops, and colour of the skin and eye change. Types of jaundice:In newborns, jaundice usually occurs because an infant’s liver isn’t fully developed enough to properly break down and excrete bilirubin.<ul><li>Obstructive jaundice: this results from blockage in the bile duct between the pancreas and the liver.</li><li>Hepatocellular jaundice: this results when there is a liver disease or damage.</li><li>Hemolytic jaundice: this develops when there is an abnormal breakdown of red blood cells, leading to excessive levels of bilirubin in the blood.</li></ul> Symptoms:FeverAbdominal painNauseaFatigue Causes in Newborns:<ul><li>Physiological hyperbilirubinemia</li><li>ABO incompatibility</li><li>Rh incompatibility</li><li>Haemorrhage</li><li>Intrauterine infections</li><li>Metabolic causes</li><li>Breast milk jaundice</li><li>If your baby is born premature, jaundice is common. This is because the liver is still developing and the bilirubin isn’t flushed out of their system. This should correct itself in a few weeks.</li></ul> Causes in Children:<ul><li>Malaria</li><li>Sickle cell crisis</li><li>Thalassemia</li><li>Drugs or other toxins</li><li>Autoimmune disorders</li></ul> Diagnosis:Usually, a doctor can tell whether your baby has jaundice or not just by looking at your child. To further confirm about the jaundice, your child’s doctor may ask for a blood test or a urine sample. Treatment:In many cases, jaundice goes away on its own in 1 to 2 weeks. Your doctor will decide whether your baby should wait it out or start treatments like:<ul><li>Extra feedings: Taking in more breast milk or formula milk will help your baby poop more often, which can help clear out bilirubin from the body.&nbsp;</li><li>Photo-therapy: In this treatment, the baby is put under blue-green lights. This helps in elimination of bilirubin from the body via urine. Your baby will be made to wear eye patches to protect his eyes.</li><li>Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg): If your baby's jaundice happens because he has a different blood type from yours, your doctor may need to give a blood protein through an IV that helps stop the breakdown of red blood cells in your child.</li><li>Exchange transfusion: If your baby has severe jaundice that isn't getting better with other treatments, (s)he may need a blood transfusion called an exchange transfusion. In this process, your doctor draws small amounts of your baby's blood and replaces it with blood from a donor. It's rare for babies to need this level of treatment for jaundice.</li></ul> Prevention:Typical newborn jaundice cannot be prevented usually but you can feed your baby well to make sure your child recovers soon. If you're breastfeeding, aim for 8-12 feedings a day in the first days of your baby's life. For older kids, following tips will help prevent jaundice:<ul><li>Make sure your kids stay hygienic.</li><li>Ensure your kids drink mineral or bottled water or boil the water before drinking it.</li><li>Eat fresh food, and have a balanced diet.</li><li>Ensure your kids get their vaccines on time.</li></ul>

Here are Jaundice Types, Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention.

All about Jaundice

There are different types of thermometer available in the market:<ol><li>Glass thermometer with mercury</li><li>Glass thermometer without mercury</li><li>Digital thermometer</li></ol> Glass thermometer can be of two types depending upon its usage - rectal thermometer and an oral thermometer. There are several ways to take your child’s temperature: Rectal Method (by the rectum or buttocks):<ul><li>Use a thermometer with a stubby tip.</li><li>Put a diaper or other cloth across your lap. Put your child over that diaper or cloth on his/her stomach or back; whichever way is comfortable for the child.</li><li>Put a little amount of petroleum jelly on the tip of the thermometer.</li><li>Insert the tip gently without giving any pressure, into the rectum. Do not try to force it at all.</li><li>The silver tip of the thermometer is half an inch. If your child is less than 3 months old, insert only half an inch, that is just the silver tip of the thermometer.</li><li>If your child is above 3 months, insert as deep as 1 inch, not more than that.</li><li>Hold the thermometer in place. A digital thermometer makes a beep sound in 30 seconds. Glass thermometers take longer, approximately 3 minutes. Take the thermometer out and read the temperature.</li><li>Measuring the temperature via the rectal method is a bit tricky hence it Is advisable to be done only by healthcare experts, not at home.</li></ul> Oral Method (by mouth):<ul><li>Use an oral thermometer, the one with a thin long tip.</li><li>Do not give anything hot or cold to the child for 20 minutes before measuring the temperature.</li><li>Place the tip of the thermometer in your child’s mouth, under the tongue and close to the mouth.</li><li>You will have to hold a thermometer for him/her. A beep sound comes in 30 seconds with a digital thermometer. For glass thermometers, hold in place for 3 minutes. Take the thermometer out and read the temperature.</li><li>If your child is very young, this method is not advisable as they might bite on to the thermometer and hurting themselves.</li></ul> Axillary Method (under the armpit):<ul><li>Here, you can use an oral thermometer.</li><li>See that your child’s underarm is dry, or else wipe it dry first.</li><li>The tip of the thermometer is directly placed in the armpit.</li><li>Press the child’s upper arm against his chest to keep the arm still and the thermometer in place.</li><li>Digital thermometers may take longer than 30 seconds before beeping when using this method. Using glass thermometer can be tedious because it takes 7-10 minutes which is too long for a child to be still.</li><li>This is the safest method to use at home.</li></ul> Temporal artery Method (forehead):<ul><li>Temporal artery thermometer is an infrared device that scans the temporal artery and shows temperature.</li><li>Put it straight across the forehead, to the temporal area and not down the side of the face.</li><li>Remove, read and record the temperature.</li><li>The device used here is expensive compared to a digital thermometer.</li></ul> Tympanic Method (in the ear):<ul><li>If your child has been outdoors on a cold day or is overheated because of playing, he needs to be inside for 15 minutes before taking the temperature this way.</li><li>Slowly pull your child’s ear backwards to straighten the ear canal (back and up if your child is over 1 year old).</li><li>Gently put the tip of the thermometer in the ear until it stops. The tip should point to the space between the eye and the ear on the other side of the head.</li><li>Within two seconds you will hear a beep sound, take it out and read the temperature.</li><li>This is also a risky method as children tend to move a lot and might get hurt in the ear.</li></ul> Whenever you are using any type of thermometer or whichever the method you use, always be careful and hold the thermometer in place until you get the reading.

There are several thermometers available and different ways to measure the temperature during a fever.

Different types of thermometer to measure a child's fever

Samiksha Choithani

Newborns and infants cannot inform when they are hungry. Some of these signs are subtle hints that will tell you when the child is hungry:<ul><li>The baby is putting fingers in mouth</li><li>Sucking lips or tongue</li><li>Making little crying sounds</li><li>Getting restless</li><li>Avoids other family members and only wants to be with mother</li></ul> Some babies are too sleepy and do not show any signs of hunger, but wake them up and feed the baby at least 8 to 12 times in 24 hours. Babies often get hungrier than usual (every hour) during the growth spurt. Growth spurt is the time when the baby is physically growing; it lasts for 2-3 days. Growth spurts occur periodically, within 7-10 days of birth, 2-3 weeks, 3 months, 4 months, 6 months and 9 months.

Irritability is probably the most common signs among babies that indicates a child is hungry.

Signs that indicate babies are hungry

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.

teeth cleaning health concern

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