Care for child

One of the common worries of a mother is about the adequacy of her child’s diet. A child requires more calories and protein for growth and tissue repair. If the child does not get adequate nutrition during this period, overall growth of the child is affected. Eating habits are always set in the first few years of life. That is the time to ingrain a healthy eating pattern in children. Velocity of growth varies in different age and sex group. Child’s nutritional requirements do vary accordingly.

How to make eating enjoyable?

There must be regularity in meal times. In between munching must be discouraged. There is no need to worry about occasionally not eating a meal properly or about over eating. It is perfectly normal. There must be some changes in the menu and the environment, otherwise it will become monotonous. Try to make food more appealing by using appropriate flavouring agents and syrups. There is no point in forcing a child to eat; this will make a child rebellious. Try avoiding discussing about each ones likes and dislike regarding food while eating. The difficulty to make your child eat vegetables can be overcome by catering to the taste in colour and texture. When introducing new foods try offering one at time and give small amounts at first. It is a good idea to try out new foods at the beginning of the meal while a child is still hungry. A little imagination in preparation and serving can be very rewarding. When you do all this, you must be cautious not to encourage your child’s pranks.

Food for 0 – 3 months

The best food for the newborn baby is mother’s milk. Breast milk is free from contamination and adulteration and supplies nutrients in almost correct amounts and propositions needed by the infants. It also provides an opportunity for close contact and emotional satisfaction of both mother and child. Breast milk contains immunoglobulin’s (protective proteins) that protect the child to some extent against infections.

Some mothers practice giving boiled water, fruit juices or glucose water, which is not essential. With breast milk there are less serious illness and allergies. Babies who were breast-fed have lesser chance of developing asthma in later life. The infant of less than 34 weeks has poor sucking and swallowing reflexes. In such cases expressed breast milk can be given.

During the first 3 months the mother’s diet should be given great importance. She must have a well balanced diet. Major handicap of breast milk is deficiency of iron. Till three months of age iron store in the baby is sufficient for the requirement. After three months iron has to be supplemented.

Food for 3 – 6 months

Nutritional supplementation starts during this period .The infants diet pattern is gradually changed from exclusive breast milk to breast milk with cooked solid foods. One can start supplementation with cereal foods provided the food is cooked soft and mashed to a thin consistency.

The new foods should be first introduced at lunchtime and extended gradually to other meals. When you start any food item give for at least one week, if possible two weeks before starting any another food item. Initially there may be mild indigestion.

Ragi powder, suji, and raw plantain powder can be cooked in milk with sugar and can be given. Make sure not to feed these in bottles, which will delay the child to eat the solid food and have more chances to develop lose motion. Rice can be cooked soft and mixed with curd and can be given. When child gets used to this, khichdi (rice and moong dhal) can be given. Soups and strained vegetables and fruits may be gradually introduced during the supplementation period. The fruits and vegetables will correct the deficiency of iron in breast milk. Fruit must be fully ripe.

The well nourished infant doubles his birth weight by 5 months of age

Diet for Children (1 To 6 Years)

A balanced and adequate diet is required to supply the nutrients and energy needed for the growing child. The requirement of all nutrients is increased, but the pattern of increase varies for different nutrients in relation to their role in growth of specific tissues.

A child of one year old can eat most of the dishes that are prepared for the rest of the family. They require less spicy food. The appetite normally decreases during this period. Fuzzy eating starts at this time so make sure the food is interesting and attractive. They need five to six meals a day because of their smaller appetites. Healthy foods such as whole wheat bread, cereals, fruits and vegetables should make up the major part of the diet of the children. Foods such as meat, fish, soya products, milk, pulses and cereals will provide the protein necessary for this age group.

Under 5 year old children should not use skimmed milk to restrict on fat and cholesterol as they need the extra calories, but grilled and baked foods are always preferable to fried and fatty ones. The growth rate of the child is slow in this group.

Protein has a very important role in the diet of the preschool child because there is considerable increase in muscular development during these years. The requirements for essential amino acids are higher for children than adults. So protein should be selected from complete protein foods such as milk, egg and meat.

The calorie requirements are also increased due to the high cellular activity. Whole grains or enriched cereals increase the calories. Concentrated sweets and foods that are very high in fat should be avoided.

Vitamins and minerals must be supplemented adequately. Calcium and iron requirements are relatively greater during early childhood. Deficiency of calcium can affect the bones of growing children. Foods rich in calcium such as milk and milk products, ragi, green leafy vegetable and fish should be included in the diet of children.

Aneamia, a common medical problem seen during this period is due to dietary lack of iron and / or by hookworm infestation. To meet this increased need for iron, iron rich foods, like rice flakes, green leafy vegetables, egg, and liver should be included in the diet. Preferably food must be given after children enjoyed his or her favorite activities such as TV programs or games to avoid them rush to leave the table.

Can a child eat Sweets and Candies

Let your children have occasional sweets. It is not going to cause much harm if taken in moderation. The draw back of excessive consumption of sweets and candies are it spoils the appetite and cause tooth decay. Sweet containing fermentable carbohydrate which adheres to the tooth surface is the major dietary factor influencing tooth decay. The greater cariogenic effect depends up on longer the sugar stays in the mouth. This is due to stickiness of the carbohydrate. Encourage children to brush their teeth before and after going to bed. Ice cream and cakes are marginally better than hard candies because there are at least some nutrients in the milk and grains.

Tips to help your child develop good eating habits

(1). Encourage your child to eat slowly and chew the food properly.

(2). Eat meals with the family as often as possible.

(3). Discourage eating while watching TV.

(4). Encourage Healthy Snacks.

(5). Include a variety of delicious healthy foods for meals and snacks.

(6). Set a good example for your children by eating a healthy and balanced diet.

(7). Don’t place your children on any restrictive diet with out proper supervision.

(8). Do not use food to punish your child.

(9). Occasional change of place and crowd will over come the monotony.

(10). Regularity in meal timing is essential.

(11). Tea and coffee should be restricted as they over stimulate the system.

(12). Salads can be made interesting for them by adding crushed peanuts or incorporating in sandwiches.

(13). Encourage children to enjoy fruits and vegetables by giving them different varieties from an early age.

(14). Do not add unnecessary sugar to drinks and foods.

(15). Don’t give skimmed milk to less than five year old.

(16). Don’t give whole nuts to children under four years old since they may choke.

It is important to realize that a healthy, balanced diet in childhood will go a long way in ensuring your child stays healthy later on in life.

The main causes for problems like high blood pressure are:

Poor Diet

Lack of exercise

What should your child eat? Your child should have foods rich in fibre. For breakfast, your child can have two toasted slices of wheat bread or brown bread with mayonnaise or any other topping your child prefers, along with a glass of milk. Try and use fresh ingredients always. Use homemade mayonnaise so you can make sure you use good excellence ingredients.

You could also alternate milk with a glass of lassie in the summer. Curd is better than milk, unless you are sure of the quality of the milk you are giving your child.

Physical development milestones

(1). Ability to lift and control the orientation of the head

(2). Crawling begins

(3). Walking begins

(4). Speech begins

(5). Voice lowers in pitch (especially noticeable in boys)

(6). Pubic hair appears

(7). Genitals and reproductive organs mature

(8). Menses begin (females)

(9). Body hair and facial hair appears

(10). Infant Feeding 0-4 months

What is the ideal food for babies?

Breast milk is the ideal food for your baby. The baby till 4-5 months of age requires no other food as breast milk is the only “standard” food for the infant.

What are the advantages of breastfeeding?

(1). It is safe, hygienic, and available to the infant at the correct temperature.

(2). It meets the nutritional requirements of the infant fully in the first few months of life.

(3). It contains antimicrobial factors that provide protection against diarrhoeal diseases and respiratory infections in the first months of life.

(4). It is easily digested and utilized by both normal and premature babies.

(5). Promotes bonding between the mother and infant.

(6). Helps development of the jaws and teeth of the baby due to suckling.

(7). Protects babies from obesity.

(8). Prevents malnutrition and reduces infant deaths.

What are the feeding patterns?

Introduction to bottle

Most babies do not need to be bottle fed at any stage. After exclusive breast feeding till 6 months a feeding cup or glass can be introduced.

Night feeding

The baby is breastfed on demand. After the age of 3 months usually around 5-6 kgs.weight, if the baby stops waking at night frequently sleeping often for 6 hrs. At a stretch. Once weaning starts and solids are introduced a baby may sleep for as long as 8-10 hrs at a stretch.

Weaning – 6 months onwards

This is the period of the introduction of foods in the child’s diet i.e. called the weaning process. Foods such as fruits, vegetables and pulses and cereals are introduced slowly, one food at a time.

When and how to start weaning?

The first semi-solid foods are normally introduced at 6 months of age. It is important to make this transition to semi-solid foods an enjoyable one. The amount of food offered and swallowed in the beginning is a teaspoon or so. Patience is needed when babies are first introduced to semi-solids. While they are learning to eat this way, they may often spit out the food – this does not mean that they dislike the food or are not hungry. It is normal for your baby to bring the food out, as the ability to chew and swallow takes time to develop. Infants believe the food better, if not distracted by other activities while feeding. Try to have flexible feeding schedules. After the first few weeks, a healthy infant will develop a self-regulated feeding schedule. The number of total feeds a day will usually reduce significantly by the time the infant is six months of age.

What are the qualities of weaning foods?

Breast milk is a complete food for the infant. Weaning foods are used as an additional source of energy as well as to satisfy the increasing requirements for all essential nutrients. Particular attention should be paid to proteins, iron, vitamin A and C, as these are frequently found to be deficient in the diet of young infants.

Desirable qualities of weaning foods:

(1). should have high energy content

(2). should be easy to digest

(3). should be semi-solid in consistency

(4). should not be too thick

(5). should be fresh and clean

(6). should not be expensive and should be easy to prepare

What are the guidelines during weaning?

(1). Give solid food only once in a day when you start weaning.

(2). Introduce only one food at a time to permit the infant to get used to it.

(3). Give very small amounts of any new food at the beginning, 1-4 tsp.

(4). Allow the infant to become familiar with the food before trying to give another.

(5). Use a very thin consistency when starting solid foods, slowly thicken consistency.

(6). If, after several trials, that baby has an acute dislike for a food, omit that item for a week or two and then try again. If the dislike persists it is better to substitute it with another.

(7). The child should be encouraged to try new flavours. Variety in choice of foods is important.

(8). Infants may object to taking some foods but will take them willingly if it is mixed with another food.

(9). No added salt or sugar is needed if sweetening is necessary, sweeten with fruit puree.

(10). Food should not be forced on the baby.

(11). Salt should not be added or added to salty foods.

(12). Added salt may actually be harmful, before the age of one year.

(13). When the baby accepts one slid feed in good amount (usually by 7 months age) introduced second solid feed.

(14). Breast milk should be continued and a total of 5-6 feeds (solid milk)are feeded slowly increased texture should be tolerated. Do not puree foods.

(14). Maintain breast feeding throughout the first year.

What is a balanced diet?

A diet which contains all the nutrients e.g. energy, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals etc. required by a child for the proper maintenance of health and optimum growth is termed a ‘balanced diet’. Dals and beans have high contents of protein and a small amount of fat. Bread is rich in carbohydrates but poor in proteins.

What does the child need in his diet?

It is important that a child’s diet should be both good in quality as well as adequate in quantity. If his diet is deficient in nutrients and energy, it can adversely affect his weight gain and body growth. The child’s diet should supply him with proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients in adequate quantities.

How to provide a balanced diet?

Between 6-12 months of age solid food does not provide complete nutrition but as the infant approaches 9 months solid foods form a major part of the dietary nutrients. At this age a baby should be having 3 solid meals, a variety of foods containing proteins fats and carbohydrates with enough fibre. Milk should be given only twice or maximum 3 times a day a total intake of 500-600 ml of milk is sufficient.

Breast milk can be gradually decreased and discontinued by the age of 12-15 months. Food patterns are developed near the beginning in life and it is important that good food habits be developed early. An inadequate intake of calories will result in poor weight gain and vitamin or ion deficiencies can result in anemia rickets or other diseases.

A study has confirmed a previous finding that children, who have at smallest amount one depressed parent, are more possible to use costly health-care services, such as visits to the emergency room and specialists consultations. Dr. Marion Sills, lead author of the study and supporter professor of pediatrics at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver said that the study is dependable because the study is a larger one and the data is more reliable.

“We had a much larger study. This data is more reliable.” Marion said. Around 47 per cent of parents may suffer depression, which can adversely affect child behavioral, developmental, psychological and physiologic health. But previous studies pointing to this association have usually been small in size or suffered from other practical limitations.

For this study, Marion and her colleagues looked at health-care use patterns for almost 70,000 children, from infants to 17-year-olds, who were enrolled in the Kaiser Permanent of Colorado health plan between July 1997 and December 2001. More than one-third (25,000) of the children had at least one parent with a diagnosis of despair. The rest of the children served as a control group.

Dr. Jane Ripperger-Suhler, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral science at Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine said that the study has shown the importance of making treatment more nearby and ‘comprehensive’.

It makes mental power to me for a lot of reasons, and I think that we’ve been connecting parental depression to lots of different kinds of problems in children for a long time, and it’s huge to have a really big study to hold that. The course of action is, first of all, let’s treat parents and, second of all, maybe we need to make that treatment easier to access and fuller, Live Science quoted Jan.

In this piece of writing we’re going to talk about one of the most dangerous things your child can run into at a daycare center, disease. Let’s face it. There are more germs in this world than we know what to do with and none of us lives in a bubble. So the threat of disease is always there no matter where we go. Unhappily, this is an even worse problem at a daycare center for a number of reasons.

To start with, the numbers of things a child can run into at a daycare center are sky-high. A short list includes diarrhea, diphtheria, food borne diseases, mumps, measles, chicken pox, and the list goes on and on. Just pick up a medical dictionary. At a daycare center your child has a good chance of getting it.

The question is why?

The answer is compounded by several factors. For starters, most children who go to daycare come from poorer families where both parents contain to work, or even single parent homes. These families don’t have the finances or the medical coverage to get their children properly immunized against certain childhood diseases. Others simply don’t have the money or time to take their child to the doctor when they catch a cold. Left untreated, these mild problems soon become more serious problems. With all these children uncovered to each additional, the chance of someone passing along a nasty bug to your kid is pretty great. Many times you will hear of epidemics breaking out in these centers because of this very problem.

Another factor is that most children who go to daycare don’t get the proper nutrition that they need. This lowers their resistance to disease because their solid systems aren’t as strong as they should be. Again, this all goes back to the parent not having the funds needed to properly feed their child.

And lastly, the last factor is the daycare center itself. Many are poorly heated because of funding problems. Also, because of low salaries it is hard to find able caregivers. Most of these people are working for lowly amount wage and need the money. So if they get sick, because many of these places don’t have benefits, they have to come to work or they don’t get paid. These workers end up passing along whatever it is they have to your child.

Unluckily, there is not really a lot you can do to protect your child against getting sick while in the care of a daycare center. The best advice anyone can give is common sense counsel. Feed your child as well as likely given your financial plan. Make sure your child at least has had all the standard vaccinations. If your child gets sick, bring him to the doctor right away. Don’t wait until things get worse.

As far as the daycare center itself, try to find one that has a good track record. Ones that are sufficiently funded have a improved chance of keeping your child well because their workers will have sick benefits and won’t have to come in when not well and the surroundings itself will be better since most likely it will at least be properly heated.

No, we don’t live in a bubble. But by taking some ordinary sense measures we can at smallest amount give our child the best chance of not coming home from daycare with some terrible illness.

It keeps your insides from lessening out. It helps you warm up when you’re cold and can cool you off when you’re hot. It lets you sense things by touch. It protects you. What is this astounding stuff? Your skin, of course! And what does your skin ask for in return for all the magnificent things it does? Just a little care and thought. So let’s learn how to take good care of the skin you’re in.

Why be good to Your Skin?

Like the heart, abdomen, and brain, your skin is an organ. In fact, it’s the largest organ in your body, but it’s still easy to take skin for granted. Unless there’s a problem, you may not think about your skin very much. But skin has an important job to do.

Your skin is continually protecting you. Your skin keeps infections out of your body and keeps you from getting ill. When you take care of your skin, you’re helping your skin do its job. And taking care of your skin today will help put off future problems, like wrinkles and even skin cancer.

Clean Skin Is Happy Skin

One straightforward way to take care of your skin is to keep it clean. Keeping your hands clean is especially important because your hands can spread germs to the skin on other parts of your body.

When washing your hands, use water that’s contentedly warm. Wet your hands, and then lather up with a mild soap. You should lather and rub everywhere, counting the palms, the wrists, between the fingers, and under the nails. Rinse well, dry thoroughly with a clean towel, and you’re done!

You’ll also want to use water that’s warm, not too hot, when you take a shower or bath. Use a gentle soap to clean your body. Don’t forget under your arms and behind your ears! Your face needs attention, in particular as you enter puberty and the skin on your face gets more oily. It’s a good idea to wash your face once or twice daily with warm water and a mild cleanser.

If you look in the drugstore, you’ll see shelf after shelf of skin care products, but kids don’t typically need anything more than a gentle soap. Talk to a parent or your doctor if you have questions about what to use on your skin.

If you have dry, flaky, or tickly skin, you might use a moisturizing lotion or cream. When choosing a moisturizer, pick one without a lot of colors and perfumes. Petroleum jelly can work for some kids. If you are worried about pimples, look for a moisturizer that is non-comedogenic (won’t cause pimples).

With pimples, you might think that scrubbing your face is the way to get rid of them. But actually, your skin will be smaller amounts likely to break out if you clean it gently, using your fingertips, not a bumpy washcloth. If you have trouble with pimples, talk with your doctor about which cleansers are best to use.

Allergies to Skin Care Products

Sometimes when you use a new kind of soap or other skin product, your skin may get irritated or you may get an allergic reaction. If you get a rash or if your skin feels itchy, hot, dry, or like it’s burning, tell an adult. Stop using the product and don’t forget that it caused a reaction. You don’t want to use it again or buy a product with the same active ingredient.

To test a new product, place a tiny bit of it on the inside of your wrist or arm. Watch for any redness or impatience over the next 24 hours. If your skin becomes red or irritated, don’t use the product. Sometimes, your skin is fine with a new manufactured goods the first time, or few times, you use it, but then your skin gets red or irritated later on. You’ll want to stop using the product whenever redness or irritation occurs.

Screening Your Skin from Damage

There is one product that everyone needs: sunscreen. Even if your skin is naturally dark, you still need to use a sunscreen. Protecting your skin from the sun prevents sunburn, which hurts and is a kind of skin injure. Sunscreen also can help prevent wrinkles when you get older and can decrease the risk of skin cancer, which is caused by exposure to the sun’s harmful rays.

Choose a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or 45, and apply it evenly. Try not to miss any spots, such as your neck or the middle of your back. Have a friend or your parent help you with the hard-to-reach spots. Follow the directions on the sunscreen, which often advocate reapplying it, especially after swimming or sweating.

Because sunscreen cannot protect your skin completely from the sun, it’s also a good idea to wear a brimmed hat and use a lip balm containing sunscreen. If you need more protection from the sun, wear long sleeves and pants. Also, avoid the sun between 10 AM and 2 PM.

Soothing Skin That’s Sore

Everybody gets little scrapes and cuts on their skin. When this happens to you, be sure to wash the area with warm water and a mild soap. Talk to one of your parents about whether to use an antibiotic (say: an-tie-bye-ah-tik) cream or ointment. This can kill germs at the site of the cut and prevent an infection. Covering a cut with a bandage helps keep it clean.

When you have a more serious cut, you may need to go to the doctor or the emergency department. A deep cut might need stitches to heal properly. Instead of stitching a cut together with special thread, in some cases, doctors can use a special kind of glue.

Hot Stuff

Burns are another serious problem for your skin. Prevent them by staying away from fire (such as matches, candles, and fireplaces) and steering clear of stoves, irons, and other sources of heat. If you accidentally get burned, tell a grown-up so he or she can get you the care you need.

Solving Skin Problems

Bug bites, bee stings, and poison ivy are all common skin problems. Try not to scratch! Scratching can tear your skin and is another way for germs to get in there and possibly cause an infection. Your mom or dad can help you by applying an ointment or cream to fight the itch.

If it’s chickenpox that’s making you itch, your mom or dad can help you apply some calamine lotion. Taking a bath with a little oatmeal in it – or an oatmeal-based bath powder – also can make you more comfortable. Scratching chickenpox can cause infections. Scratching also can cause scars where your chickenpox was.

Eczema is another itchy problem. You’re more likely to have this dry skin condition if you have asthma, hay fever, or other allergies. If a moisturizing cream doesn’t work, you may need to see your doctor or a dermatologist (say: dur-muh-tah-luh-jist), a doctor who specializes in skin care.

Urticaria, also known as hives, is a type of skin rash that causes red blotches or bumps that itch. Hives can be caused by an illness, or an allergic reaction to an insect bite, or amazing you ate, breathed in, or touched. Your mom or dad might give you medicine, such as an antihistamine, to decrease the swelling or itching related to the hives. If someone has hives and other symptoms, such as trouble mouthful of air, the person needs to go to the emergency department.

You may not think of it as skin, but you have skin on your scalp, where your hair grows. Sometimes, this skin can get peeling and fall off. This might be dandruff, the little white flakes you can sometimes see if you are very tiring a dark-colored shirt. Talk to your mom or dad about this and they can buy you a special shampoo, or talk to the doctor about getting a medicated shampoo to control dandruff.

Super Skin!

We’ve been talking a lot about the problems your skin can have, but don’t forget how super your skin is. Your skin has astounding remedial ability. bear in mind the last time you had a cut? What happened to it? Let us deduction – your skin completely healed or left only a small scar? See what we mean? Your skin is just skintastic!