If you notice that your baby is not gaining weight according to standard figures or peeing quite often, it could be&nbsp;that the child is not getting enough breast milk. The good news is that most women produce one-third more breast milk than their babies will drink, so there’s nothing to worry about it. In case your milk supply is running low. There are ways to increase your milk supply:<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Use a breast pump regularly.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Breastfeed often</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Make sure the child is latching on properly.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Feed from both breasts (one by one after completing from one side)</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Don't skip feeding times</li></ul>

The beginning is always tough, but it does get easier with time. Find out more in the full article.

How can I improve my lactation?

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

Ravina Sewani

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

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.

Underweight child

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

Squint eye or strabismus is misalignment of the two eyes where the eyes do not look in the same direction. This means that a child with squint eye(s) may not focus on an object (s)he is looking at. When a child is looking straight ahead, one of the eye may turn either inwards, outwards, upwards or downwards. Some babies are born with a squint (strabismus), and some babies and children develop a squint later. Acquired squints are sometimes caused by the eye trying to overcome a vision problem, such as short-sightedness, but in many cases the cause is unknown. Rarely, a squint may be caused by a condition in the eye itself. In most squints one eye turns inwards or outwards. Less often, it may turn up or down. The misalignment in some cases is constant while in other can appear only at some particular times. Squint eye is also associated with weak eyesight. Types of squint:<ul><li>An eye that turns inwards is called an esotropia.</li><li>An eye that turns outwards is called an exotropia.</li><li>An eye that turns upwards is called a hypertropia.</li><li>An eye that turns downwards is called a hypotropia.</li></ul> Causes:<ul><li>Trauma</li><li>Lesions in the brain</li><li>Staring screens for long hours</li><li>Imbalance in the eye muscle</li><li>Aberration in the nerve supply</li><li>Decreased vision in one eye</li></ul> Symptoms:<ul><li>A family member, teacher, or a health care provider notices that the eyes of a child are not straight.</li><li>Kids usually don’t complain for vision problems although some kids may complain of double vision (seeing two objects when there's only one in view) or have trouble seeing things in general.</li><li>Younger kids who cannot fully talk may squint a lot and turn or tilt their heads in an attempt to see more clearly.</li></ul> Diagnosis:Squint can be diagnosed when a child is taken to an ophthalmologist for routine check-up. Tests to find a squint can involve covering and uncovering each eye in turn. This often shows which eye has the squint and how it moves. The pupils of the eye can be checked with a torch, to check that they become smaller (constrict) with light and widen (dilate) when the light is removed. Very occasionally a scan of the eye or the brain may also be needed. Treatment:<ul><li>The correction of squint eye can be done by an eye specialist only. The first is that your child will be prescribed glasses to wear. After the prescription of the glasses, the doctor usually assesses the squint again.</li><li>The doctor will either advise patching of the eye or the use of dilating drops depending on the type of squint. The eye specialist might also suggest some eye exercises to strengthen the eye muscles.</li><li>In a more complicated case of squint eye, the doctor might also suggest a surgery to be done.</li></ul>

Many a times, squint eye resolves on its own but if it does not, it needs correction and treatment.

Squint eye in children

ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Syndrome. As the name suggests, children with ADHD lack attention, are hyperactive, and in some cases impulsive as well. Symptoms:<ol><li>They are in constant motion</li><li>They do not seem to listen</li><li>Trouble playing quietly</li><li>Cannot finish a task</li><li>Are easily distracted</li><li>Often talk excessively</li><li>Interrupt others</li><li>Squirm or fidget</li></ol> Causes:<ol><li>Pregnant woman exposed to drugs</li><li>Mothers smoking during pregnancy</li><li>Genetics</li><li>History of ADHD in family</li></ol> Diagnosis: Mental disorders like ADHD need to be diagnosed by an expert (psychologist or psychiatrist) and should never be self assumed. <ul><li>There is no specific test which can confirm ADHD. Also, symptoms of ADHD are similar to other disorders of Autism Spectrum Disorder, hence a careful and repetitive diagnosis by an expert is necessary. It is difficult to identify symptoms in children under the age of 5.</li><li>Mostly all children are hyperactive. The only difference between a child suffering from ADHD and a normal child who is hyper is that a child with ADHD will have aggression issues along with lots and lots of prangs. Theses prangs can include causing damage to properties, breaking things in the house, getting hurt themselves or hurting others.</li><li>&nbsp;&nbsp;A child suffering from ADHD is unable to concentrate even in the activities (s)he enjoys. (S)he gets hyperactive all the time and fidgets a lot. But this is not the only diagnosis for ADHD. If you want to find it out for sure then you have to go for a full diagnosis, either by a developmental paediatrician, a psychiatrist or a psychologist. An expert will give a diagnosis out of the following three:</li></ul>-whether the child has ADHD issues-whether the child is hyperactive-whether the child just has attention issues<ul><li>Your child's doctor will identify your child's symptoms in a span of 6 months or more. If your child shows 6 or more symptoms in the months of observation, the doctor will diagnose that your child has ADHD. The doctor will need your help, as well as the help from your child's schools.</li><li>Your child's psychologist might also suggest a physical exam and a brain scan.</li></ul> Prevention:<ul><li>There is no way to prevent ADHD but there are ways to help children with ADHD feel and do their best at home and at school.</li><li>One thing to keep in mind is complications during pregnancy are linked to ADHD. If you are healthy throught your pregnancy, the chances of your child having ADHD reduces greatly. A healthy diet and regular doctor visits are important. So is avoiding the use of alcohol and drugs.</li></ul> Types of ADHD:<ol><li>Hyperactive or Impulsive type: The child shows hyperactive and impulsive behaviour but is attentive for the most part.</li><li>Inattentive type: The child here is not overly active hence sometimes the symptoms cannot be diagnosed early on. Such children have a very little attention span.</li><li>Combined type: Children here are both hyperactive and inattentive. This is the most common form of ADHD.</li></ol> Treatment:There is no cure for ADHD but the condition can be improved. The main treatment of ADHD is medicines. Along with medication, psychosocial intervention like psychoeducation, academic organization skills remediation, parent training, behaviour modification in the classroom and at home, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), and social skills training can be done. Behaviour therapy: Behaviour therapy is a collective term for several types of therapies used to treat mental health disorders. The treatment focuses on unhealthy behaviours and aims to change them. Behavioural therapy can be used to treat depression, anxiety, panic disorders, anger issues, autism, ADHD, etc. The several types of behavioural therapies are – cognitive behavioural therapy, cognitive behavioural play therapy, aversion therapy, system desensitisation.&nbsp;Cognitive therapy: It is based on the concept that the way we think about things affects us emotionally. It is based on present thinking rather than past experiences. Social Skills Therapy: Social skills therapy work on improving communication with friends, family members, at school, and more. Your child's psychologist might arrange group therapy for this particular skill development. Medications, along with the above therapies have shown the best results in ADHD children. Depending upon your child's ADHD intensity, your child's psychologist will layout the treatment plan for your child. Safety precautions at home for children with ADHD:<ul><li>Use sturdy furniture at home. ADHD children have excess energy and are constantly moving without keeping much attention of the surroundings. So, it is important to use the furniture of strength and ones which have no pointed ends or something which can harm the baby.</li><li>Secure the bedroom, kitchen, bathroom. A small gate at the bedroom doorway will help a lot. Shelves/wardrobe cupboards should be fastened to the wall and out of reach of small kids. Windows should not be near to bed.</li><li>Lock all the cabinets in the bathroom. Do not keep any sharp object lying around in the bathroom. Never leave your child alone in the bathroom.</li><li>In the kitchen, keep sharp objects/lighters/cleaning materials locked away in a cupboard. Keep the electric cords out of reach of children.</li></ul> FAQs regarding ADHD: Can ADHD be cured?In 40 to 50 % of children, it can be cured. In other cases, some symptoms (mainly attention deficit symptoms) stay on for a lifetime. Are there any side effects of medicines for ADHD?There are some side effects but not serious ones. Low appetite, headache and sleep disturbance are the common side effects. When medicines are given under proper guidance of a psychiatrist, with proper monitoring and Drug Holidays, side effects do not have any major impact on life. Is there any alternative to treat ADHD without medicines?There is no alternative to curing ADHD without medicines. Very mild cases of ADHD can be treated with psycho-social interventions like psycho-education, academic organisation skills remediation, parent training, behaviour modification in the classroom and at home, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), and social skills training. However, in the majority of cases, such interventions should be secondary. The primary mode of treatment should be through medication because it is only after medicines that a child can be involved in such psycho-social interventions. Does ADHD mean low IQ?NO. Children with ADHD have normal or more than average IQ. If the IQ is low and a child shows ADHD symptoms then the primary diagnosis will indicate towards Intellectual Disability. Is ADHD is a genetic problem?Yes, there are pieces of evidence that genetic factors are involved in the aetiology of ADHD but it is not the only factor. There are neurochemical and neurophysiological factors involved as well. What kind of behaviour therapy is there for ADHD?Therapy for ADHD includes a multidimensional approach. It includes psycho-education, parent training, behaviour modification in the classroom and at home, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), academic organisation skills remediation, and social skills training. How to handle a child with ADHD?A child with ADHD should not be beaten or punished for his/her shortcomings. Positive reinforcement techniques can be used. It means that when a child follows instructions or commands, (s)he can be rewarded with say an ice-cream or chocolate.

Here are ADHD's Symptoms, Causes, Treatment, Precautions, Prevention, Diagnosis, and FAQs.

All about ADHD

Eczema is a non-contagious chronic skin condition wherein the child suffers from severe itching, redness, scaly rashes on arms, legs, hands or face. Eczema is also known as atopic dermatitis. Family history of allergic diseases like asthma and hay fever increases the chance of eczema in children. Causes:It is not known that what exactly causes eczema. It might be due to the difference between how each individual's body reacts to things. Symptoms of Eczema:<ul><li>Rashes on the body or in just a few areas. They may be oozing or dry.</li><li>In babies, rashes are found usually on the face and scalp.</li><li>In young children, rashes are found in the folds of elbows and knees.</li><li>Children tend to rub their skin against the bedding to relieve itching.</li></ul> Prevention:<ol><li>Use fragrance-free moisturiser. Do not let the child’s skin dry out. Apply moisturiser as often as needed. Once the child takes a bath, pat dry the child and apply the moisturiser on damp skin.</li><li>Avoid irritants. Use chemical-free detergents and soaps for your child’s clothes and bathing respectively.</li><li>Prefer 100% soft cotton fabric for the child.</li><li>Short baths at room temperature are advisable compared to long hot-water baths.</li><li>Do not use dyes or perfumes.</li><li>Avoid using fabric softener on a child’s clothes.</li><li>Look for any food/pet/pollen/dust allergies. These too can trigger eczema.</li><li>Overheating temperature, sweating and stress can also worsen the situation.</li></ol>&nbsp;Diagnosis:There are no specific tests to confirm eczema. Doctors usually examine rashes, rule out skin allergies, ask for child's and family's medical histories to conclude eczema. Treatment:Doctors can prescribe two types of medication:<ol><li>Topical: cream and ointment</li><li>Oral: pills in liquid medicine</li></ol>

Here are Eczema causes, symptoms, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.

All about Eczema

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.

tongue tied health concerns

Following article(s) will help solve your concern.