How do I wean my baby with milk intolerance? Many infants will be growing out of their cow’s milk protein allergy (CMPA) towards the end of their first year. Weaning starts at 4-6 months and there are some very nice substitutes to tide this period.
We are vegetarian. How do I ensure my baby’s diet is adequate?
More and more people are moving away from the heavy meat diets we were used to as children ourselves but lots of us worry about ensuring adequate nutrients when we do that - for ourselves as well as for our babies and children. Millions of people in the world have been vegetarian for generations so all we really need is a bit of education and information.
Why has my previously normal 4 year old started to stammer?
5% of children develop stammering (synonym: stuttering) and 80% grow out of it. It tends to come on around the age of 3 or 4 on the background of normal language development up until that point. It seems that it occurs at the time that language acquisition becomes more complex.
What causes tummy ache in children?
Much of the time we don’t know is the honest answer. Most children do not need blood tests or other investigations but many get them anyway. We are seeing more coeliac disease (sensitivity to gluten which is a protein found in wheat) now that we are looking harder for it but in the majority of cases, if the history is not worrying, any tests done are normal.
My baby has sticky eyes. Does he need antibiotics?
If his eyes are very red with copious amounts of pus coming from them and he is less than a month old you should seek medical advice urgently.
The majority of babies however just have a blocked duct which does not require antibiotics. to clean your baby’s eyes. You should massage the sac between the corner of the eye and the nose 6 times per day and clean with cool boiled water. 90 – 96% of cases resolve by one year of age.
Is it normal for children to have “bow legs”?
Children tend to have slightly bowed legs (“varus” in medical terminology) when they start to walk which should straighten up around the age of 2 and may then “overshoot” into knock-knees (“valgus”) for a couple of years which then settle down into whatever sort of position is common in their family by about 8 years.
Children who walk early (before their first birthday) may have bowing of their legs up to the slightly later age of 3 but you should seek medical advice if your child’s leg bowing goes on longer than that or if only one side is affected or if their legs are painful. Severe vitamin D deficiency can lead to rickets in the under 3s which needs high doses of vitamin D under the care of a doctor to rectify as it is not only the bones that are affected when things get this severe. Take your child to see your doctor if their wrists and knees are swollen, they are not growing properly, seem to be reluctant to walk, have bow-legs and seem generally miserable.
What is “sleep myoclonus”?
Some children briefly jerk – usually their hands and feet – while sleeping. If it only happens when they are asleep and they are otherwise growing and developing normally they need no investigations and no medications.
Babies and children who have unusual movements while awake or who are not developing as one might expect for their age do need to see their paediatrician.
What is colic?
If only we knew…
Colic is a general term used when a baby cries for more than 3 hours a day for more than 3 days a week. We are not entirely sure what causes the crying though there are many theories about it. About 1 in 5 babies have it. The important thing is that the baby is otherwise thriving.
How do you catch head lice?
Head lice are transmitted through direct, prolonged head-to-head contact with an infested person. This is especially common during play or sport at school and with close contacts at home.
Transmission is possible through infected clothes, combs, brushes or towels, but extremely unlikely.
My child bangs his head and shouts and stamps his feet. What should I do?
These are temper tantrums. They are normal. Almost two- third of 2-3 yr olds throw tantrums.
Management
• Remain calm.
• Distract your child.
• Do not bribe your child by giving chocolates to stop the tantrum. This will only encourage him to throw more tantrum.
• At the end of the tantrum discuss with the child about the tantrum. Try to laugh about it.
How do I discipline my child?
As a parent, it is up to us that we teach the children the difference between acceptable and unacceptable behavior. Discipline means ‘teaching’, not punishment.
The first goal of discipline is to protect your child from danger. Another goal is to teach your child an understanding of right from wrong. Reasonable limit setting keeps us from raising a “spoiled” child.
The ways to do these are-
• Reinforcement-Reward their good behavior by verbal praise, a touch or an approving look.
• Model behaviours for the child-Parents need to be conscious that they provide the first role models for their children.
• Time-in- this refers to the time spent with the child where the child is made to feel lovable and capable.
How do I bring down my child’s fever?
Keep the child lightly clothed. Avoid woolens and blankets unless the child is feeling cold. Offer extra fluids to prevent dehydration.
Sponge the child to rapidly bring down the temperature. Do not put ice or cologne in the water.
You can use Paracetamol syrup every 6 hourly to get the fever down.
When do I start toilet training of my child?
Normally most children achieve bowel control and day time urine control by 3-4 years of age. Even after your child is able to stay dry during the day, it may take months or years before he achieves the same success at night.
Toilet training of urine is started around 6 months. An infant is taken to the toilet as soon as waking up from the nap and after every 45 minutes to the potty. At these times most infants pass urine in any case. Over a period of time, the infant learns to associate the experience of sitting on a potty with passing urine. Soon this turns in to a reflex and they soon learn .
