Colostrum: Your baby’s first vital food

We all know the importance of breastfeeding. Mothers all over the globe try their best to breastfeed their babies soon after the birth – difficult labour, painful C-section, episiotomy – notwithstanding. But did you know that despite all the wisdom about breastfeeding that you gained, its colostrum what actually your body prepares as your baby’s first feed. Also known as pre-milk, colostrum is a yellowish, creamy substance that acts as your baby’s first complete food before mature milk is produced by the body.

Though it doesn’t exhibit the colour and character of mature milk and is less dense than breast milk, it has a host of health benefits and can do wonders to your baby’s developing systems. To reap the benefits of colostrum it is important that the mother is allowed to breastfeed the baby right after the delivery. Know more about how to kick start breastfeeding successfully. 

What is colostrum?    

Colostrum is the pre-milk your body starts to produce about three or four months into pregnancy. If you have leaky breasts during pregnancy, its colostrum that makes its presence felt that early and not breast milk. In some women the colostrum is a clear-fluid like liquid and in some it appears to be a deep-golden and thick creamy substance. The production of colostrum is very subjective and depends on your physiology and the needs of your baby.

During the initial days after birth your body produces enough colostrum for your baby’s requirements. On an average it is believed that a woman produces 50 ml of colostrum in the first 48 to 72 hours after birth. This small quantity is ideal for your newborn for relatively smaller feeds, which is what your baby would need during the initial days.

Busting the myth

There is this myth surrounding the production of colostrum that since it’s not milk it’s not what the baby needs and so it should be expelled, especially in many sects of the society in India. Doctors and experts say it is a myth and actually consider colostrum as ‘liquid gold’, a powerhouse of essential nutrients and antibodies necessary for the baby’s immature systems.

As the baby’s appetite increases colostrum is replaced with an abundant supply of breast milk. Do not restrict your baby from these pre-milk feeds, as production of the breast milk depends a lot on the suckling your baby does at the breasts during those initial days. Also read how comfort suckling helps in the mother and baby bonding.

Apart from being heavily loaded with antibodies and essential nutrients colostrum is:

• Low in fat content

• High in proteins

• High in carbohydrates

• High in vitamin K

• Easy to digest

How does colostrum benefit the baby?

It acts as a natural vaccination: Colostrum has a lot of antibodies in it, higher in comparison to that of mature milk. These antibodies help your little one’s body build immunity and fight against a host of infections. Colostrum is also high in leucocytes or white blood cells that help to protect the baby from bacterial and viral infections. It also protects your baby from respiratory infections such as pneumonia, bronchitis, as well as stomach infections and ear infections, till your baby’s own white blood cells are produced.

It acts as a storehouse of energy: The sugar present in the colostrum provides energy for the baby’s developing needs.

It acts as a complete food: Being your baby’s first feed colostrum is easy to digest and the perfect food for your newborn. Many experts believe that the protein content in the colostrum provides a full feeling to the baby enabling a longer sleep time.

It helps in better growth and development: Colostrum is rich in nutrients like zinc, calcium and vitamin A, B6, B12 and K, all these are essential for your baby’s overall growth and development. Also the high cholesterol in colostrum helps in the growth and development of the nervous system of the baby.

It helps prepare the immature intestine: Being the baby’s first feed colostrum prepares the baby’s digestive system for the mature milk consumption that’s about to begin, sensitizes the baby to foods taken by the mother, it seals the permeable holes of the gastrointestinal tract to prevent foreign bodies from entering the intestines.

It acts as a laxative: Colostrum feeds builds a newborn’s immunity and helps to pass the first tarry stool called the meconium, also expelling bilirubin in the process and limiting the chances of your baby suffering from infantile jaundice.

How to make sure your baby gets the colostrum-feed

Though many mothers want to start breastfeeding right after the birth, but there can be a number of reasons that can put a halt to this natural process. If you are keen to give your baby the pre-milk feed of colostrum, make sure of these:

You talk to your doctor beforehand. Write it in your birth plan and demand for a breast crawl after the birth to give your baby the much needed benefits of this ‘liquid gold.’ Know the benefits of a breast crawl. 

To work around your situations. In case of a premature delivery where your baby might be kept away from you in the care unit for good reasons, ask your doctor if you can express colostrum and feed your baby. This healthy pre-milk will boast your premature baby’s health for sure.

You figure out what works best for you and the baby. If you are recovering from a painful C-section or episiotomy look for a position with help from the staff or a family member that is comfortable for you and your baby to feed.  In case of a C-section you can try to feed your baby after six hours when the effects of anesthesia start to wade off. But to make sure your baby’s first feed is your colostrum, express your milk before you are wheeled into the OT. Talk to your doctor about it beforehand.

References: 

Importance of colostrum and your baby’s developing GI tract. (http://www.publish.csiro.au/)

Immune globulin levels in colostrum and breast milk. (http://ebm.sagepub.com/content/122/4/1098.short)

You may also like to read:

• Decode your baby’s motions


• Which of these 9 reasons are making your baby cry?


• Is your baby teething? Here’s what you should expect  


• 10 ways to keep your baby’s eyes safe


• Try these tips to put your baby to sleep


• 5 reasons why crying is good for your baby


• How to manage your baby’s colic


• 8 important weaning foods for your baby


• 12 super foods that boast immunity in kids


• 5 tips to prevent diaper rashes  


• 10 things you should not buy for your baby

For more articles on baby care, visit our pregnancy section. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest updates! For daily free health tips, sign up for our newsletter. And to join discussions on health topics of your choice, visit our forum.

 

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10 things you should think about before buying for your baby

So your new born has arrived and you have made a comprehensive shopping list to get all the baby essentials at one go. But before you start to splurge, wait and think. Does your baby need all that is there on offer at the baby store? If you don’t have a definite answer read on to know about things you should never buy for your newborn or at least limit its usage. These products though make life a lot easier but come with some perils.

Here goes your ‘not-to-buy’ list.

Walkers: Did you know that prolong use of walkers can hamper the bone development in the legs and hips of your growing baby? ‘Your baby doesn’t need a walker but instead vitamin D from the sun and calcium from foods to develop strong bones and limbs to start walking soon. Babies start to walk without any support by 13 months of age. From around nine months onwards they can stand holding on to the sofa or the bed and take their first baby steps with some help. Parents often rush to buy a walker at this stage to make the process easy and fast. But putting your child into a walker is going to cause harm than any good as mentioned before,’ cautions Dr Rohit Agarwal, past president of the Indian Association of Pediatrics attached to Chandrajoyti Children’s Hospital, Mumbai. In fact due to the hazards these walkers pose to baby’s natural development many countries in the west like UK, Canada has banned the use of walkers for babies.

Pacifier: ‘They can lead to nipple confusion; hinder development of the oral cavity and teeth alignment in future, lead to colic and a host of other infections,’ says Dr Agarwal. Before you pick up this product just ask yourself why you need it. If you are picking up a pacifier because you want to free yourself from the demands of comfort suckling or soothe baby during teething it isn’t a very bright idea. A pacifier can help your baby soothe the aching gums and suckle for comfort but it has some hidden dangers attached to it with those instant solutions. Know how to deal with your baby’s colic.

Feeding bottles: Mommies don’t freak out at this. But believe us feeding bottles do a lot of harm to your baby than any good. Though there are recent studies that suggest that they aren’t as harmful as thought by the experts, but they still aren’t the best substitute of your breast. ‘One reason that you should not give the bottle is that your baby would suckle in large amounts of air along with the feed, which can then lead to colic. Also there is always a chance of infection with bottle feeding in case the bottles aren’t sterilized properly or the feeding nipple is contaminated,’ says Dr Agarwal. If at all you need to use feeding bottles make sure they are BPA-free and limit the usage to one or two feeds while you are out with your baby. Know the top 10 reasons why breastfeeding is better than bottle feeding.

Electronic gadgets: They can cause damage to the cells in the brain. Sure you are not going to buy your newborn a mobile but limit its exposure to your baby. For the same reasons don’t use a tablet or iPad to read poems or short stories, invest in baby books. Limiting your own usage of gadgets at home especially around your baby will help them learn more from the environment sans the interference of harmful rays.

Gripe water: Many parents swear by this but not all doctors recommend using gripe water, even for a baby with colic. ‘Parents should refrain from using gripe water for babies, the ingredients used in the gripe water or also janam gutti, a traditionally used mixture for treating colic can in fact irritate the baby’s innards,’ says Dr Agarwal. If you are still optimistic on using gripe water for your baby talk to your pediatrician before buying one over the counter. Try not to give newborn babies gripe water unless advised by your pediatrician.

Kajal or kohl: Whether applying thick kajal or kohl under your baby’s eyes will ward off evil spirits is not known scientifically but it can cause those delicate orbs great damage. ‘Chemicals in these cosmetic products can cause allergic reactions in the eyes and interfere with your baby’s eye health,’ says Dr Agarwal. Read 10 ways to keep your baby’s eye safe. 

Diapers: Wondering how another of the baby essential item made it to this list? Well what experts suggest is that it would be ideal to keep baby off diapers and toilet train naturally. The mess would be bothersome for mothers, but being off diapers will help baby breathe easy and help keep painful diaper rashes at bay. ‘Practically this isn’t possible. So at least keep your baby off diapers while at home,’ says Dr Agarwal. Know what causes diaper rashes. 

Stuffed toys: We aren’t telling you to ban them totally. But keep it off your newborn at least. The fur shed by these toys can give rise to breathing problems in babies and can also lead to SIDS (Sudden infant death syndrome). Keep stuffed toys away from your toddler while sleeping to avoid any incidence of suffocation by accident. Know more about what causes SIDS.

Expensive fancy clothes: Cotton jhablas are the best bet for your babies. Do not get tees or dresses that need to be worn over the neck of your new born. Even with all your care and attention there can be unavoidable accidents.

Baby toiletries: Babies smell good by birth naturally. Don’t lather baby lotion or be tempted to use too much baby powder. The powder, if inhaled by your baby can reach the lungs and result in breathing troubles or irritation. Similarly lotions even with herbal ingredients can trigger skin rashes or allergies. As a thumb rule stay away from baby products that are high on fragrance, they are bound to be heavy on chemicals and allergens.

You may also like to read:

• Decode your baby’s motions


• Which of these 9 reasons are making your baby cry?


• Is your baby teething? Here’s what you should expect  


• Try these tips to put your baby to sleep


• 5 reasons why crying is good for your baby


• How to manage your baby’s colic


• 8 important weaning foods for your baby


• 12 super foods that boast immunity in kids


• 5 tips to prevent diaper rashes  

For more articles on baby care, visit our pregnancy section. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest updates! For daily free health tips, sign up for our newsletter. And to join discussions on health topics of your choice, visit our forum.

 

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Why is my baby refusing formula feed? (Query)

I breast feed my baby boy up till 3.5 months of age. I want to try formula now. I have started to give a particular brand of formula milk. After 6-7 hrs of having the milk my baby vomits (projectile vomiting) even if he has only 2 to 4 table spoons of it. Secondly, my baby refuses to take the formula milk whenever I try to give him, which we think he dislikes, as he has got used to breast milk. I want my baby to take formula milk whenever required (if I am not available) so is there any formula milk in India which tastes good (similar to breast milk) and easy to digest? Why is he refusing it?

If you have noticed that your baby is refusing formula often, then you have guessed it right – he dislikes the taste of formula and it’s not going too well with his systems. Unfortunately there is no formula food in India or elsewhere in the world that is similar to the taste of breast milk. Neither can any formula mimic the properties of breast milk. Breast milk is produced in the mother’s body as per the need and requirement of the baby. Know formula food is an artificial food for your baby. At three or four months of age your baby’s digestive system is still developing and can be averse to anything other than breast milk. Breast milk is also therapeutic. It boosts your baby’s immune system, help fight internal infections, helps in brain stimulation, is easy on the baby’s stomach and aids better digestion leading to satiety and good health.

Experts advise to breast feed babies for at least six months from birth, and there are good reasons for this. If you are worried about your baby’s hunger pangs while you are away. Try using a breast pump. Store adequate amount and keep it for such times. This is the only way you can be sure that you are giving your baby the best while you are away. Know 10 reasons why breastfeeding is better than the bottle. 

Remember babies would take time to adjust to any food that’s introduced. If giving formula each time lead your baby to vomiting stop the brand you are using immediately. If you are still an optimist with formula food try offering him the same after a month. If the signs still persist, try a different brand. But don’t keep on experimenting. This will only add stress to your baby’s already developing digestive system.

You can try breast pumps to store breast milk when you are not available to breastfeed.

You may also like to read:

• Decode your baby’s motions


• Which of these 9 reasons are making your baby cry?


• Is your baby teething? Here’s what you should expect  


• 10 ways to keep your baby’s eyes safe


• Try these tips to put your baby to sleep


• 5 reasons why crying is good for your baby


• How to manage your baby’s colic


• 8 important weaning foods for your baby


• 12 super foods that boast immunity in kids


• 5 tips to prevent diaper rashes  

For more articles on breastfeeding, visit our pregnancy section. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest updates! For daily free health tips, sign up for our newsletter. And to join discussions on health topics of your choice, visit our forum.

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7 vital tips to take care of your newborn

Once your newborn is home it might be little overwhelming for you. From bathing your baby, to dressing up, feeding and attending to all its needs you might seem like a big task. Often new mums are perplexed with the little human being in their lap and even basic chores like cleaning your baby might seem like a horrendous task. Here we show you ways to get going with the basics.

CLEANING YOUR BABY’S EYES: At times your newborn might have a sticky white or yellowish coloured liquid present at the corner of the eyes. It may appear in both the eyes together or in one eye at a time. Don’t rub, smudge or try to pull it off with your fingers. Instead use cotton swabs dipped in warm water to clean the orbs. Press the swab with your palms to drain excess water and with the wet swab clean your baby’s eyes moving from inside out. Do this in a gentle manner, first moving the swab on the upper eyelid and then on the lower eyelid. Don’t press; just use your finger tips to do the job. This will make the grime come out easily. In case you notice any redness or constant flow of tears from your baby’s eyes this could indicate a need to check the status of your baby’s eye health with a paediatric ophthalmologist. Read to know how to keep your baby’s eyes healthy.

CLEANING YOUR BABY’S NOSE: A newborn’s nostrils are usually clean, but common cold can give rise to a blocked nose, which is quite a common occurrence among newborns. It not only makes them irritable, but can hamper sleep cycles and come in the way of general wellbeing. Don’t try to insert a finger into those little nostrils to clean. Neither will you be able to clean them nor will your baby feel comfortable. Instead use paediatric nasal drops. If you have visited your doctor you would be prescribed one. Put one drop on each nostril. Wait for some time, when the solution loosens up the hard mucous, use cotton buds to pull the filth out.

CLEANING YOUR BABY’S EARS: Never use cotton buds or ear buds to clean your baby’s ears. Newborns might have thick brown wax inside their ear. Don’t be tempted to clean them. That wax is in fact good for your baby; it protects the ear from external infections. The best way to keep your baby’s ears clean is to wipe the outer ear with a wet cloth after a bath. It’s a common Indian practice to rub the newborn’s ears with oil, that actually is a dangerous practice. If the oil reaches the insides of the ears it can lead to infection and interfere with hearing. It’s better to refrain from such practices.

CHOPPING YOUR BABY’S NAILS: Believe it or not, those little fingers have nails that are sharp and strong. You need to cut them so that the baby doesn’t hurt itself or you! The best time to do it is while your baby is sleeping after a bath. Though many experts say that while your baby is asleep, comfort suckling at your breast.  That’s when you should chop off those nails, as it gives you a better angle to check on the nails. When feeding on the right cut the nails on the left hand and vice versa. Push the cuticles inside and use a baby nail clipper to cut the nails straight.

CLEANING YOUR BABY’S LITTLE MOUTH: Many mothers use a cloth dipped in honey or glycerin to clean the insides of the little mouth. But rubbing the tongue can in fact make the mucous dry up and also cause infection. Foreign ingredients like honey and glycerin are also not advisable to be given to infants. Instead just wipe the insides with a soft wet cloth. Ideally a newborn’s mouth doesn’t need much attention. Its only when the teeth erupt should mothers be more vigilant. Did you know nighttime feeding can give rise to dental carries? Read here to know more.

CLEANING YOUR BABY’S FACE: You would get a number of face tissues retailed in the market, choose one and buy a pack. Instead of using a soap which in fact isn’t permissible, just gently wipe your little one’s face with a wet cotton wipe. Alternatively you can also clean your baby’s face with a wet clean cotton cloth.

 CLEANING THE PRIVATE AREA: Don’t be harsh there and clean the area gently. Infections in the genital area are quite common, particularly among baby girls. Always clean the privates of your girl from the front to back, as this reduces the chance of infection. Don’t push the foreskin of your baby boy’s penis higher up while cleaning because the foreskin’s meant to protect your baby’s penis. Even after cleaning with wipes, if you are using them, make sure you clean the area with lukewarm water too.

You may also like to read:

• Decode your baby’s motions


• Which of these 9 reasons are making your baby cry?


• Is your baby teething? Here’s what you should expect  


• Try these tips to put your baby to sleep


• 5 reasons why crying is good for your baby


• How to manage your baby’s colic


• 8 important weaning foods for your baby


• 12 super foods that boast immunity in kids


• 5 tips to prevent diaper rashes  

For more articles on baby care, visit our pregnancy section. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest updates! For daily free health tips, sign up for our newsletter. And to join discussions on health topics of your choice, visit our forum.

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Formula feeding for babies — 6 things to consider before opting for it

Experienced mothers, doctors, childcare practitioners, and lactation experts everyone advised you against formula feeds. Being a doting mother you dutifully adhered to your baby’s breast feeding demands. But if you are contemplating formula for your baby, keep these points in mind.

When to start: Do not be tempted to switch to formula feeds anytime before your baby is six months of age. Breastfeeding has a lot of benefits and one of them is to save your baby from stomach infections or allergies due to foods other than breast milk. Even if demand feeding is stressful don’t just give up.

How to prepare: Before you opt to give formula have all the essentials ready. Buy feeding bottles that promise to stick to the guidelines of FDA. To be sure read labels if they say they are BPA free. BPA also known as Bisphenol A is a carcinogen used to harden plastics and can be harmful to your baby’s health.  So be sure that you pick bottles that are baby friendly. Also check for the nipples which fit and are comfortable for your baby’s little mouth. Though this can only be done through trial and error method. Also know 10 reasons why breastfeeding is better for your baby than bottle feeding. 

Selecting the formula feed: Speak to your doctor before selecting the formula for your baby. Though you can find a number of them in the market get the one most preferred by peadiatricians. If you are doing it on your own and know what to look still keep in mind not to pick up a formula that might have ingredients that contains traces of cow’s milk. The protein in these ingredients can be hard on your baby’s little kidneys.

Be ready to put in effort: Remember unlike breastfeeding formula feeds would need you to put in more work. You will have to be ready with boiled water cooled down to room temperature before you start making formula. Read the instructions carefully before you start. Know how many scoops you need to add to the water to make a feed. Don’t try to dilute or make a concentrated mix unless the labels say so. Remember they are already tailor-made for your baby’s needs.

Check the flow: If you are buying the bottle and nipple of the same brand, you can presume that it fits to the bottle perfectly and can ensure smooth flow of the feed. If not be sure that your baby is able to have enough feed while suckling. Do not pierce the nipple to maximize flow. Instead check it you have put the cap tightly and you are holding the baby right to ensure a good flow of feed. Take care that your baby is having enough of the silicone nipple inside the mouth which would restrict intake of air along with the feed. More air intake with feed can give rise to unpleasant stomach aches or colic. Know how to manage you baby’s colic.

Never keep the leftovers: Even though formula feed can be convenient and easy, but it doesn’t permit consuming leftover feed. You need to make a feed and finish it at one go and discard the leftover. Also remember to put a lid and cover the bottle in case your baby decides to take small breaks between the feeds.

Sterilize the bottles well: Didn’t we say giving formula was more work? Follow the sterilizing routine religiously. Your baby can pick up a host of infections from just that bottle than the formula. Remember to change the nipple once you see the signs of wear and tear. If the need be change the bottle too frequently.

Monitor your baby closely: If your baby shows any signs of distress like vomiting, loose motions, unnecessary bouts of crying probably you should stop the formula feed and try breastfeeding. If your baby refuses to formula it can mean either the food is irritating the immature systems or your baby has a dislike towards the taste. Try switching to a different brand and check.

You may also like to read:

• Decode your baby’s motions


• Which of these 9 reasons are making your baby cry?


• Is your baby teething? Here’s what you should expect  


• 10 ways to keep your baby’s eyes safe


• Try these tips to put your baby to sleep


• 5 reasons why crying is good for your baby

For more articles on baby care, visit our pregnancy section. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest updates! For daily free health tips, sign up for our newsletter. And to join discussions on health topics of your choice, visit our forum.

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7 ways to bathe your baby right (Gallery)

7 ways to bathe your baby right

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Babies smell good and look fresh all the time. But that’s no reason why they should miss out on a good bath. It’s not their fault; often new mums are scared and anxious when it comes to offer a newborn a bath. Sure your newborn doesn’t need all that scrubbing or cleaning like you every day. But they do need a bath to feel fresh and clean. Bathing also has a lot to do with your baby’s wellbeing and the hidden reward is it enhances the mother-baby bonding. Here’s how to do it right.

Also read: 

• A new mum’s guide to bond with the baby better 


• 5 benefits of comfort suckling 


• 10 reasons why breast is better than the bottle 

For more articles on pregnancy, visit our pregnancy section. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest updates! For daily free health tips, sign up for our newsletter. And to join discussions on health topics of your choice, visit our forum.

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5 hidden benefits of comfort suckling or nursing

Breastfeeding is important for your baby. It nourishes nurtures and helps your baby bond with you. But at times some babies tend to suckle more than the usual, even if their hunger is satisfied. Many term this prolonged suckling as comfort suckling or comfort nursing.

Comfort nursing is often noticed during the initial days after the birth. Many doctors’ advice mothers against such a practice and to limit the duration of the feeds. But there are also practitioners and experts who believe that comfort suckling is as important for the baby as it is to breastfeed.

Just like breastfeeding helps your baby to get all the vital nutrients and food, comfort suckling helps your baby to receive all the emotional support needed to feel secure out of the womb. Here are reasons why comfort suckling is as important as quenching your baby’s hunger.

It helps the baby to trust and interact: You might sometimes notice your baby suckling on his little fingers. This indicates his need to suckle. If you have already fed your baby and still notice this suckling offer a feed again. Because suckling a mother’s skin rather than his own little fingers would provide your baby with the trust that the mother is always there to check on his needs. Responding to such a need also helps your baby to interact well with you from a very early age.

It helps to initiates bonding: Idle sucking is not all that bad. It helps in more skin to skin contact with the mother and the baby and hence helps to bond better. This in turn also helps in better breastfeeding and boasts immunity. But if idle suckling really bothers you try putting your baby in a sling. Being close to you will lower your baby’s anxiety levels and help lessen the need for comfort suckling. That’s also why a breast crawl helps an infant to connect with the mother. Read to know how a breast crawl helps. 

It helps the baby to relax: Studies have shown that comfort suckling decreases the baby’s heart rate and helps him to relax and calm down. An important aspect in the baby’s well-being.

It helps in facial development: Though this can be achieved by breastfeeding alone, but more suckling at the breast helps in better mouth and jaw development.

It helps the baby to sleep well: It is very common that mothers find it easier to put the baby to sleep feeding a little longer than required. It is also a comfort factor for babies to feel asleep at the breast. Though nighttime feeding isn’t a good idea, but comfort suckling can help babies lull into sleep during those initial days when sleep cycle is not established in a baby. Know the perils of prolonged night time feed.

Even though comfort suckling might be tiring and time consuming for the mother but it definitely has hidden benefits. Don’t be tempted to use a pacifier to do the job for you. In this way you would be missing on the bonding time with your baby and this could probably make your baby take less feed from the breast. So allow your little one to suckle with all the joy and know this would pass as you start on the process of weaning.

Also read: 

• How to counter diaper rashes 


• 10 ways to keep your baby’s eyes safe


• A new mums guide to bond with the new born 

You may also like to read:

• Decode your baby’s motions


• Which of these 9 reasons are making your baby cry?


• Is your baby teething? Here’s what you should expect  


• Try these tips to put your baby to sleep


• 5 reasons why crying is good for your baby


• How to manage your baby’s colic


• 8 important weaning foods for your baby


• 12 super foods that boast immunity in kids


• 5 tips to prevent diaper rashes  


• 10 things you should not buy for your baby

For more articles on baby care, visit our pregnancy section. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest updates! For daily free health tips, sign up for our newsletter. And to join discussions on health topics of your choice, visit our forum.

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10 ways to know if your child is lying to you

Mothers can be mind readers of sorts when it comes to their kids. To a child who is unaware of this universal fact, lying may seem like a convenient escape route to trick parents and get off scot-free! While the slightest glance at your child’s face is usually enough for you to gauge your child’s sincerity, at times you may need a little extra help. Here are some signs that your child might be trying to lie to you.

No eye contact: If your child finds it difficult to make eye contact with you while talking or finds it difficult to look into your eyes for more than a split second, then that should be a good enough indication of his/her sincerity. Children are naturally innocent, but they’re also growing into adults and they will start to test your limits, your lie-detection skills included. This tussle actually makes it difficult for the little one to concentrate on the eyes while talking, which is generally a dead giveaway.

Trembling hands and legs: Telling lies is not easy, especially if your child is a novice at such acts. What makes the hands and legs tremble is the fear and impending consequences of their actions. They know punishment is inevitable if caught, but can’t help themselves out of fear, or in the hope that they might get the better of you. Even for adults telling lies is an act that disrupts the harmony between the body and the mind. It is definitely more difficult for children to cope with such psychological discrepancies, hence the tremors.

Change in tone and intonation: When your child speaks to you she is most comfortable. But when she lies to you it’s just the opposite. Her tone will change with a lie. While she speaks, her vocal chords will stiffen and either the words will be spoken in a tone different from her usual one or in a harsh pitch. It also makes it difficult for her to maintain uniformity in the pitch or there would be a great deal of fluctuation in her intonation as she speaks. The underlying fear in her voice would also be hard to miss. The inconsistent tone is further accentuated because of the her nervousness that causes her swallow air or saliva that builds up. 

Unusual behaviour: If you notice that your child suddenly ate all the veggies or has started to study, forgoing his TV time, this should raise your suspicion levels. Especially if he has told you something that you suspected to be a lie. All these acts are just a mere attempt to please you and keep your mind off the lie.

Starts fidgeting: Along with the changes in tone and tremors, your child might start to fidget with something that is nearby, either the curtains, the pencils, the table or anything that she can lay her hands on. This act is an attempt for your child to find comfort in something than can reduce the burden and stress of telling a lie.

Inconsistencies in statements: The best way to figure out if your child is lying to you is to make her repeat the whole incident again. You will instantly notice a lot of inconsistencies.

Changes in body language: If you notice your child telling a lie, very often the entire body goes into a spasm due to the fear and the knowledge that the act is not acceptable or correct. Nail biting is also often observed in kids when they lie and facial expressions also tend to betray their emotions.

Defensive or aggressive behaviour: A young child who is lying will often be defensive about his statements and get aggressive if you attempt to make any accusations. During the course of a casual conversations such behavioural changes can easily go unnoticed.

Image source: Getty images

You may also like to read:

• Decode your baby’s motions


• Which of these 9 reasons are making your baby cry?


• Is your baby teething? Here’s what you should expect  


• 10 ways to keep your baby’s eyes safe


• Try these tips to put your baby to sleep


• 5 reasons why crying is good for your baby


• How to manage your baby’s colic


• 8 important weaning foods for your baby


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Friendship Day 2014: Is your child with the right set of friends?

Parenting is not an easy job and it has never been easy. Just when you think that you have managed to do a decent job by incorporating good habits in your child, taught the basic rules of discipline and mannerism, and paved the foundation to be an independent thinking individual, your child might show signs that can indicate that all your meticulous planning and hard work for years has gone down the drain. Because no matter what you teach and tell your child about life and healthy living, peer pressure and the influence of friends has a large role to play in shaping your child’s personality. The company your child keeps always matters. Bad company might just ruin all the character building exercises that you had been practising for so long. Though your child won’t be in the position to differentiate the right from the wrong, here are some signs that can be a total give-away:

Change in behaviour: The tell-tale signs of bad company will usually reflect in drastic changes in your child’s behaviour. Is your otherwise well-behaved and well-mannered child showing disrespect towards you or the elders in the family? Is he being arrogant and rude to his siblings? These can be the traits that he is picking up from other children at school or the park, while enjoying their company. Remember children can find it hard to tell good behaviour from bad. Children learn a lot by imitation and they will also imitate the behaviour and actions of children they interact with, without realizing the consequences. If not checked or corrected right at the start, this could continue and lead to other behavioural problems in the future.

Falling grades: Not all back-benchers are dull, unintelligent and rebellious, so don’t discourage your child from interacting with specific groups of children. But if your child has fallen in the company of those back-benchers who possess undesirable traits that are beginning to rub off on your child, it can pose a problem. Your child may begin to experience difficulties focussing on studies like he did before, as other activities will keep vying more for his attention. Falling grades for no other particular reason should arouse suspicion about his company at school and elsewhere.

Loss of interest in activities previously enjoyed: With bad company comes a host of bad habits too. These habits drain your child’s energy so much that he has little or no interest left for the activities he once enjoyed the most. If at all your child mingles with the kids who have bad habits, he could even get involved in activities like stealing, bullying, tearing books, teasing others etc. Because these activities are new to him, it might keep him more occupied than the other hobbies that he loved in the past.

Rebellious or secretive behaviour: Despite their innocence and naivety, children do have some understanding of what is good and what isn’t expected of them. Children are in fact more attuned to their conscience, as they haven’t yet learned to silence feelings of guilt, as many adults do. This gives rise to an unusual feeling of discomfort within. Since they hardly know how to deal with such feelings of guilt and fault, they can often rebel to defend their actions or become secretive about their activities with parents, closing all channels of communication. When your child stops talking about his usual activities of the day and keeps numb that should be warning enough that all isn’t well.

Picks up vices: Responsible parents avoid smoking or drinking around their children, so its unlikely for such habits to be picked up at home. Only if your child has seen you indulge in these vices can it create an interest for him. Children are naturally curious and will try to experiment with such vices if they find themselves in the company of friends who do. If you find that your child has picked up any of these vices, it should be obvious that he isn’t keeping good company. Its important to educate your child on the danger of such habits, as this will help your child to make better informed choices. 

Has a new set of friends: If your child has suddenly stopped interacting with the old friends and has picked up new friends, who are known to cause trouble, there is a good chance that your child has picked up a lot of their character flaws and behavioural traits that are changing his personality altogether. In such a scenario it’s important that you intervene and get to the root of the problem soon.

What you can do?

Just doling out advice to your child about right and wrong might not help here. You will need to do a little hard work to help your child get back on track. Here’s what you can do:

Talk to your child: Be specific about the subject and make it clear that you are talking about his friends and why you disapprove of them. Its extremely important that you are tactful and not too aggressive with your approach as children are very defensive about their choice of friends and might not like adult interference. Pick out the specific traits about his friends that you dislike the most and explain why such behaviour is not acceptable and expected out of your child.

Teach good values: The importance of teaching good values from a very early age cannot be emphasized enough. A firm grasp over good values early will help your child avoid the wrong ones.

Be more patient: Remember, changing behaviour and changing friends (especially the bad ones) isn’t going to happen overnight. Be patient and try to talk and reason with your child instead of losing your temper or outright forbidding certain behaviours. 

Spend ample amount of time: Usually a child falls into bad company when there is a dispute or disharmony at home, so check on the peace-quotient you share at home. A lot of emotional bonding and understanding will help your child stick to his own values and interests rather than picking on habits that are disapproved of.

Get help: If you notice that your child cannot extricate himself from the company he keeps and that its having a detrimental effect on his character and well-being, opt for counselling to help solve the problem. You can also consult his teachers and authorities at school for advice and help. 

Image source: Getty images

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10 ways to tell if your child is being bullied at school

Bullying is a deliberate act in which a child exerts power and control over another child of the same age or younger. This isn’t an extension of power or strength; this act instead signifies that the bully needs help to deal with some core difficulties that often cause children to act in an overly aggressive and dominating manner. While this is an unhealthy trait and will affect the development and personality of the bully, it can be a lot more damaging to the victim. Children often suffer in silence and are unable to express themselves and seek help or are simply afraid to do so. In such situations, it’s important to pay heed to any signs that indicate that your child may be a victim of bullying:

Loss of stationary or supplies: This is a prime sign that says your child is being bullied at school, especially if not usually in the habit of losing things. A bully will always pick on your child and try to snatch away stationeries and other necessities that your child might posses. This is not due to the fact that the bully is in need of such things, but depriving your child from his or her goodies gives the bully immense pleasure. This in fact hurts your child deeply, knowing that he isn’t able to defend or protect himself. This feeling of despair makes him more vulnerable to the bully. So check your child’s school bag meticulously to know if everything is intact. Missing stationary or supplies may be a sign that you need to investigate the matter a little deeper. Don’t hit the panic button every time your child loses something, but be cautious and try to gauge the situation thoroughly.

Severe mood swings: If your child was always a playful, bundle of joy and suddenly transformed into a quiet shy kid, who prefers to retreat into his own little world, this is a definite give-away. Remember, with children sudden mood swings aren’t to be ignored. Especially if you notice that your child is very withdrawn after coming home from school. With an introvert it may be a different story altogether. An introvert child when bullied can turn out to be a bubble of energy at home. But these energies aren’t channelled in the right direction and would usually be expressed in bouts of aggressive and violent behaviour.

Sleep troubles: Check on your child’s sleep timings and routine. Stress is a major factor that hampers sleep. Being a victim at school, a place where he spends most of his time, stress levels are only going to soar. This can affect his sleep greatly. Too little or too much sleep is an obvious sign of distress. A child who is victimised by bullying can be traumatised and suffer severe stress and anxiety making sleep unthinkable. On the other hand long sleep hours don’t always indicate restful sleep and could instead be a form of escape for your child.

Feels lonely and is without friends: Being a mother, it is natural that you will be aware of your child’s activities and the company he keeps. If you notice that your child’s list of friends has begun to dwindle and he has fewer or no friends to fall back on to, it could be a sign that he is being bullied at school. This may be because your child’s friends are too few or are simply not in a position to stand up for him or are simply scared that they may be the next victims.

Has low self esteem: One of the worst things that bullying does to a child is to erode his self esteem completely. If not addressed swiftly, this can have a lasting effect on his personality. The inability to defend one’s self and the accompanying feeling of helplessness can severely affect one’s ego and self-esteem, more so with a child. Such an experience can also alter a child’s perception of the world around.

Wants to skip school or avoids the playground: If you notice that your child goes cold in the hands and feet as soon as it is time to go to school or the playground and stubbornly resists when you try to move him out, you should know that all is not fine. Sometimes children aren’t able to express their feelings of despair in words, so it is important for parents to pick up on such non-verbal cues. If your child gets scared when you take a familiar route or gets clingy when you want to leave him at the playground, it would be wise to talk to your child and get to the core of the problem, rather than trying to discipline him at the time.

Loss of interest in the usual activities: Extracurricular activities are a great way for your child to express, learn and grow. If your child shows the slightest sign of a loss of interest in otherwise pleasurable activities, then it’s an obvious sign of worry.

Starts to bully siblings or others at home: A victim of bullying can at times take to reversing roles. Kids often tend to express themselves in ways that appear strange to adults, but it really isn’t uncommon for children to lash out in this manner by demonstrating the same aggressive bullying streaks that have been causing them such discomfort. If that isn’t a usual trait of your child, get to talking and find out what is happening in his life.

Physical marks of abuse: Cuts, bruises and other physical marks of abuse should be a sign enough that your child is being bullied at school and the incidents need adult intervention soon.

Deteriorating health: Headaches, stomach aches, frequent fevers, tremors, all can be a result of constant bullying happening at school. High levels of stress can have a weakening effect on the immune system making your child prone to sickness and ill-health all too often. 

Image source: Getty images

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Sharing bed with your baby can be fatal for the newborn

While it is a good idea to keep a watch over your baby when she sleeps it might not be a good idea to share the same bed with her. However, this simple act of parenting has its set of proponents and opponents. Many believe that sharing a bed with a newborn increases bonding between the parents and the baby, ensures better sleep and gives the baby a sense of security and comfort.

Emotional and psychological reasoning apart one should know that bed-sharing with infants has its perils, a study noted. The study also concluded that bed-sharing with parents can lead to infections and other health risks. Bed sharing constitutes to be the biggest risk sudden infant death syndrome or SIDS, the third leading cause of infant mortality in the US.

However, the study says that co-sleeping would still be a better practice than bed-sharing. Though both these terms are interchangeable, but they do not mean the same.

What is co-sleeping?

 Co-sleeping means sleeping in the same room as your infant in proximity explains researcher Trina Salm Ward from the University of Georgia in the US. That means while sleeping, having your baby put in a bassinet, cradle or crib close to your bed in the night.

What is bed-sharing?

Bed-sharing is when you sleep on the same surface as the baby. In her research, Salm Ward discovered the main reasons mothers chose to bed share included breastfeeding, emotional comfort and reassurance, monitoring, better sleep for the infant, family traditions and bonding. However, this isn’t recommended by the experts.

Here are some sleep safety methods a mother should follow to ensure proper sleep for her baby:

• If you are going to place your infant in a crib or a cradle make sure it is placed right next to your bed, so that you can attend to your baby’s needs faster even in the dead of the night.

• ‘Ditch the ultra soft baby mattresses and get one which is firm and doesn’t have any foam or strings coming out of it. A firm mattress is what your baby’s delicate back would need to rest on, says Sonali Shivlani, an Internationally Certified Pregnancy, Lactation and Child Nutrition Counsellor.

• If you co-sleep, take care to avoid the occurrence of any unnatural accidents and make sure you provide your baby with enough space. Be sleep alert so that your hand, leg or pillow doesn’t harm your baby in any way.

• Do not keep a pillow for your baby to sleep on; it can lead to suffocation if your baby’s delicate head sinks in.

• Make sure that the crib you use has firm railings on the sides and the spacing is less than 2 inches so that your baby’s hand or leg doesn’t get trapped in between the gaps.

• To avoid flat head syndrome, make sure you take enough care so that your baby isn’t sleeping facing in one direction for too long. ‘Mothers need to be more attentive here and keep changing the side of the baby’s head. Even keeping your baby straight for too long can make the back of the head flattened,’ says Sonali. 

• Remember to remove all the stuffed toys from the crib or cot before you put your baby to sleep to avoid incidences of suffocation.

•Always try to put your baby to sleep on the back to avoid SIDS or sudden infant death syndrome. Know more about SIDS.

• ‘Never keep anything under your baby’s head or on the bed that can elevate the neck during sleep. For the same reason give the pillow and also the horse shoe pillow a miss,’ says Sonali.

• Always keep the baby’s bedding, bedsheet clean. Dust, mite and milk can trap germs and give rise to infections.

The study appeared in the Maternal and Child Health Journal.

With inputs from ANI

Image courtesy: Getty Images 

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Jessica Simpson feels ‘sexier’ as a wife and mum

Singer Jessica Simpson has two children with husband Eric Johnson and she says she feels sensuous post-marriage. The couple got married in July this year and is on cloud nine. ‘Being married, for me, it defines so much more than even having kids. We still feel like we’re on a honeymoon,’ eonline.com quoted her as saying. 

Her wardrobe has gone through a few changes, which now includes more short-shorts, wispy-thin skirts and waist-cinching dresses. ‘(Marriage) has actually changed my style. I’m really into slip-dresses and everything a little bit,’ she said. ‘I feel sexier as a wife and a mom,’ she added.  She has a 2-year-old daughter Maxwell and 14-month-old son Ace.

Source: IANS

Photo source: Getty images

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Want your child to study well? Ensure a good night’s sleep

If you want your kids to do well in school, make sure that they get adequate sleep as researchers have found that lack of sleep increases the risk of failure in school. Adolescents who suffer from sleep disturbance or habitual short sleep duration (less than 7 hours per day) are less likely to succeed academically compared with those who enjoy a good night’s sleep, the findings showed.

The study involved more than 20,000 adolescents aged between 12 and 19 in Sweden. ‘Another important finding of our study is that around 30 percent of the adolescents reported regular sleep problems,’ said lead researcher Christian Benedict from the Uppsala University in Sweden.

‘Similar observations have been made in other adolescent cohorts, indicating that sleep problems among adolescents have reached an epidemic level in our modern societies,’ Benedict added.

The study appeared in the journal Sleep Medicine.

Source: IANS

Image courtesy: Getty Images

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Baby cooing, babbling linked to hearing ability

A baby’s cooing or babbling may indicate his/her sound hearing ability, says a study. The reason why the amount of vocalisations often differ between hearing and deaf infants is that vocalisations are primarily motivated by their ability to hear their own babbling, the findings showed.

The researchers also found that cochlear implants can help infants with profound hearing loss to correct their hearing. Cochlear implants are small electronic devices embedded into the bone behind the ear that replace some functions of the damaged inner ear. ‘Hearing is a critical aspect of infants’ motivation to make early sounds,’ said researcher Mary Fagan, an assistant professor at the University of Missouri in the US.

‘This study shows babies are interested in speech-like sounds and that they increase their babbling when they can hear,’ said Fagan. Fagan studied the vocalisations of 27 hearing infants and 16 infants with profound hearing loss who were candidates for cochlear implants. She found that infants with profound hearing loss vocalised significantly less than hearing infants. However, when the infants with profound hearing loss received cochlear implants, the infants’ vocalisations increased to the same levels as their hearing peers within four months of receiving the implants. ‘After the infants received their cochlear implants, the significant difference in overall vocalisation quantity was no longer evident,’ Fagan said.

‘These findings support the importance of early hearing screenings and early cochlear implantation,’ Fagan noted. The study was published in the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology.

Source: IANS

Photo source: Getty images

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