Ravina Sewani

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

Palak Vyas

<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

A 'tongue-tie' (also known as ankyloglossia) limits the tongue's mobility due to an unusually short/thick frenulum (a piece of skin) that connects the tongue tip to the floor of the mouth. As the mouth parts develop in the fetus during the 1st trimester, a failure of the frenulum to separate completely from the base of mouth results in tongue tie. The severity ranges from being mild to a complete loss of mobility of the tongue. Causes: The causes of tongue tie are still unknown. Symptoms:<ul><li>Baby can’t latch well</li><li>Baby tends to chew more than suck</li><li>Baby doesn’t gain weight</li><li>Baby is fussy when trying to feed</li><li>Baby makes a clicking sound while feeding</li><li>Tongue can’t move far from side to side</li><li>Tongue can’t reach the upper gums or roof of the mouth</li><li>Tongue can’t stick out past the gums</li><li>Tongue has a V shape or heart shape at its tip when it’s sticking out</li><li>Older children may have difficulties pronouncing certain words with 't; 'th; 'd', 'dh', 's', 'Z', 'r', or 'II in it.</li><li>There is a higher possibility of dental problems (tooth decay, gingivitis, space between the bottom front teeth) in older children.</li><li>Gagging or choking on foods as your child starts to eat solids.</li><li>A hard time with basic things, like licking an ice cream cone.</li></ul> Diagnosis:A physical exam is all it takes to see what’s going on. The doctor will:<ul><li>Ask how feeding is going.</li><li>Check your child’s tongue, mouth, and teeth.</li><li>Use a tongue depressor, which is like a big popsicle stick, to look under your child’s tongue and check the range of motion.</li><li>The doctor may ask older kids to move their tongue around and make certain sounds, like of an r or l</li></ul> Treatment:The lingual frenulum generally loosens over time and it can be cured on its own most of the times. But if the problem persists, a lactation consultant can help with breastfeeding and a speech-language therapist can help with speech therapy. If there is any severe complication, then your doctor may suggest some surgical procedures like frenectomy or frenuloplasty. Frenectomy: This is a simple surgical procedure wherein the doctor uses sterile scissors to cut the frenulum free. It is a quick procedure. The baby hardly feels any pain during or after the surgery as there are few blood vessels in the lingual frenulum. The procedure can be done with or without sedation. Frenuloplasty: If the lingual frenulum is too thick, the doctor might need to do some additional repair and this is an extensive procedure known as Frenuloplasty. General anaesthesia is given by the doctor. The wound is usually closed with sutures. Complications are similar to frenectomy - Bleeding, infection, damage to tongue or salivary glands. In this procedure, the doctor will:<ul><li>Give your child drugs so they sleep through the whole thing</li><li>Use special tools to cut the frenulum</li><li>Put in a few stitches that dissolve on their own as the wound heals</li><li>After the surgery, the doctor might suggest a few tongue exercises to increase the movement of the tongue.</li></ul> Prevention: Tongue tie cannot be prevented.

Here are Tongue Tie Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention.

All about Tongue tie

Few allergic reactions are known to worsen existing conditions like asthma and a few are known to cause asthma problems.Not all children develop asthma due to allergies. Children with a family history of asthma or children with eczema are at a higher risk of developing asthma.Asthma is a chronic inflammatory condition of the smaller air passages in the lungs. The common triggers of asthma:<ul><li>Cold or flu</li><li>Allergens like dust or pollen</li><li>Cigarette smoke or other irritants</li><li>Gastrointestinal reflux</li><li>Stress, continuous crying or laughing, physical activities are also known to trigger an asthma attack.</li></ul> Diagnosis of asthma is based on symptoms, family history and medical history of your child, previously known allergies, etc. followed by medical asthma tests which may include x- ray, blood tests or allergy tests. Please note, it is important to get your child diagnosed of asthma problem only by a healthcare expert. Symptoms of Asthma include:<ul><li>Coughing</li><li>Wheezing</li><li>Shortness of breath</li><li>Uncomfortable tightness in the chest</li></ul> Seek medical attention immediately if you notice these symptoms in your child:<ul><li>Gasping for breath or trouble speaking</li><li>Deep breath/inhalation that shows the abdomen sucked in</li><li>Increased rate of breathing</li><li>Given the close link between allergies and asthma, it is important to identify the source of allergy and manage it effectively.</li><li>Allergy shots (Immunotherapy) may be advised if your child's asthma is due to allergens like pollen or pet dander.</li><li>Asthma treatment is based on the severity and frequency. An inhaler with a holding chamber/spacer may be prescribed by your child’s paediatrician for a quick relief during an asthma attack. Always seek medical help if you think your child might have asthma.</li><li>According to studies, omega 3 fatty acids from fish oil are known to reduce inflammatory conditions like asthma in children. For children with fish allergies, an alternative source for omega 3 fatty acids is algae.</li></ul>

Asthma and allergy are closely related hence it is important to take proper precautions.

Asthma and Allergy

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

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

Cavities are tiny openings or holes that develop in the hard surface of the teeth. Cavities are also called tooth decay or caries. The main cause of tooth decay in children is unhealthy food habits. Causes:<ul><li>Excess intake of sugary food</li><li>Retaining sweet food for a long time in the mouth</li><li>Bacteria in the mouth</li><li>Not keeping teeth clean</li></ul> Symptoms of tooth decay or cavities:<ul><li>Toothache, mostly spontaneous</li><li>Tooth sensitivity</li><li>Mild to sharp pain when eating or drinking something sweet, hot or cold</li><li>Visible holes in the teeth</li><li>Brown, black or white staining on any surface of a tooth</li></ul> Diagnosis: Your child’s dentist can often diagnose tooth decay based on:<ul><li>A complete history of your child</li><li>An exam of your child’s mouth</li><li>Dental X-rays</li></ul> Treatment:Routine dental check-ups are very important because your child might not complain about the pain until the cavity has spread too much. So if your child feels fine about his/her teeth, take them for routine check-ups. In case your child experiences a toothache or mouth pain, see your dentist at the earliest. The dentist will suggest the treatment for your child depending on the intensity of the tooth decay. Your child's dentist may suggest one of the following: <ol><li>Early-stage treatment: If the tooth decay gets detected in its early stage, a fluoride treatment can restore the tooth enamel and prevent further decay.</li><li>Tooth fillings: A dentist uses a drill and removes decayed material from the tooth. The dentist will then fill the tooth with a substance, such as silver, gold, or composite resin depending on what is appropriate.</li><li>Crowns: For more severe decay, the dentist will place a custom-fit cap over your child's tooth to replace its natural crown.</li><li>Root canal: When tooth decay causes the death of your nerves, the dentist will perform a root canal to save the tooth. They remove the nerve tissue, blood vessel tissues, and any decayed areas of the tooth. If there is any infection, the dentist will apply a medication. Finally, they fill the tooth and place a crown on it. Root canals are usually very painful hence it is better to take precautions early on.</li></ol> Precautions:<ul><li>Reduce the frequency of sugary acidic foods, limiting it to mealtimes.</li><li>Opt for fresh fruit instead of dried fruits which are high in sugar.</li><li>Avoid feeding drinks containing sugars, including fruit juices, between meals.</li><li>Choose to give water or milk over sugary drinks.</li><li>Avoid adding sugar to their drinks/food while introducing your baby to solid food.</li><li>Avoid giving sugar-laden processed baby food.</li><li>Cleanse baby's teeth regularly to help prevent cavities.</li><li>Ask them to gargle regularly and drink enough water.</li><li>Develop the habit of brushing the teeth twice a day.</li></ul>

Tooth decay or cavities are very common among kids and teenagers.

Tooth decay - Symptoms, Causes, Treatment and Prevention

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

A balanced diet for a young child means having variety of foods.&nbsp;From the age of two, a child should be moving towards a diet that is similar to the rest of the family.Follow below mentioned measures to increase weight of your underweight child in a healthy manner:<ul><li>Your child should have at least five portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day.</li><li>The meals should be based on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates.</li><li>Some dairy or dairy alternatives (such as soy drinks and yogurts). Choose lower-fat and lower-sugar options.</li><li>Some beans and pulses, in case you prefer non-vegetarian food, fish, eggs, meat and other protein. Aim for two portions of fish every week – one of which should be oily, such as salmon or mackerel.</li><li>Plenty of fluids such as water, milk, fresh juice making up to – 6-8 cups/glasses a day. Energy-dense foods such as whole milk, yogurt, cheese and oily fish can also be given.</li><li>By the time your child is five, they should be eating a healthy low-fat diet. There are a few steps you can take to increase your child's calorie intake until they reach a healthy weight, while still providing a healthy diet.</li><li>Bulk up mashed potato by putting milk or cheese in it</li><li>Put grated cheese on beans on toast</li><li>Make milk puddings</li></ul> Try not to give more of:<ul><li>Sugary drinks and foods – It's not recommended to give your child high sugar drinks and foods. The longer and more often sugar touches your child's teeth, the more damage it causes. If your child does have sugary foods or drinks, it's best to give them at mealtimes to minimise damage to their teeth.</li><li>Saturated fats – These are unhealthy fats, such as those contained in burgers, sausages, pies, biscuits, cake and cheese. Try not to give these too often.</li><li>Whole grains – Wholegrain foods, such as wholemeal pasta, bread and brown rice, can be high in fibre and may fill up your child before they've taken in the calories and nutrients they need. After the age of two, you can gradually introduce more wholegrain foods.</li></ul> Note: It’s normal to worry that your child is not getting the food that he or she needs to grow. But kids are more than capable of knowing whether they are hungry or not. Unless your doctor tells you that your child isn’t getting the nutrients that he or she needs, you should not worry about the lack of food intake. As long as your child's weight is fine, (s)he is sleeping well and has normal bowel movements, there is no need to worry that whether your child is eating enough or not.

Underweight children require foods and diet that can provide them with enough nutrition and sufficient calories.

tongue tied health concern

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