Palak Vyas

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is also known as cot/crib death. As per the name, it is a sudden unexplained death of a child under 1 year of age with no explainable reasons after a thorough biopsy. SIDS is more likely to occur between 2 to 4 months of infants. SIDS is more prevalent in boys. Most SIDS deaths occur in the winter. Causes: The cause of SIDS is unknown. Researchers believe that low levels of oxygen or a build-up of carbon dioxide in the blood might be the reason behind SIDS. When babies sleep face down, they may re-breathe exhaled carbon dioxide and so the CO2 levels rise in the blood. Risk factors of SIDS:<ul><li>Sleeping on the stomach.</li><li>Being around cigarette smoke while in the womb or after being born.</li><li>Soft bedding in the crib.</li><li>Multiple birth babies (being a twin, triplet, etc.).</li><li>Premature birth.</li><li>Having a brother or sister who had SIDS.</li><li>Mothers who smoke or use illegal drugs.</li><li>Being born to a teen mother.</li><li>Short time period between pregnancies.</li><li>Late or no prenatal care.</li></ul> Diagnosis: A baby is determined to have died from SIDS if no cause of death can be identified. Treatment: There is no treatment available for SIDS as of yet. Preventive measures:<ul><li>Put your baby to sleep on his back.</li><li>See that you don’t put extra pillows, blankets or bumper pads in the bed with the baby.</li><li>See the baby doesn’t get too hot.</li><li>Always use a firm sleep surface for baby’s the bed.</li><li>Keep your baby away from smoke and smokers.</li><li>Use of pacifiers reduces risk of SIDS, although the reason is unclear.</li></ul>

Here are SIDS Causes, Risk factors, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention.

All about Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)

Dr Ajab Primuswala

<ul><li>The first question is whether the child has been diagnosed with dyslexia or not. So without diagnosis, it could be just a lazy lethargic child who doesn’t want to read or write or is “not interested in writing or reading”.</li><li>“Not interested in reading or writing” means the child does not want to read or write at all. On the other hand, dyslexia is a disorder in which the child wants to read or write but does not have the capability of doing so in a perfect manner. If the diagnosis is done, then there are specific measures which have to be taken care of.</li><li>To bring it to your notice, dyslexia is not the only type which is a reading or writing difficulty. There are dyscalculia, dysgraphia and many more.</li><li>In dyslexia, the child cannot comprehend the red blue coordination of linings which becomes difficult for them to keep up with upper case and lower case letters of the English alphabet.</li><li>Here, you can use a broad red blue line notebook to train them to have them follow the concept from red to blue, blue to red and for middle case only blue lines. This can be a great help which any parent can do irrespective of whether you are trained in it or not.</li><li>You can also look through multiple resources available for dyslexia training and practice it yourself and help your child to read and write in that particular manner.</li><li>Dyslexia is not something that comes alone; it comes with a combination of other learning difficulties. The child will have to go to a special educator who is specifically trained in dealing with reading and writing difficulties in children with dyslexia. Trained educators usually design different programs for different children as every child has a different learning methodology. You can work on the special program which your child’s educator has designed.</li><li>You can also ask for support from your child’s school. Whichever material is going to be provided by the school, the child can get it prior and practice it at home. So when they are in school, it can be easier for them to cope.</li><li>As parents, you have to be more open. Being observant is what you can do for your child. You also need to be patient with your child as not get irritated for their slow pace of learning.</li></ul>

Children with dyslexia can be trained with professional help to cope with their reading and writing difficulties.

Caring for children with dyslexia

Samiksha Choithani

A child gets nutrients and oxygen through the umbilical cord when the baby is in the womb but after birth the umbilical cord is not needed and hence it is tied (clamped and snipped) leaving behind a short tail like rod. This too will dry and fall off. Until then take a little extra care:&nbsp;1.)&nbsp;&nbsp;Keep the cord dry, you can use the powder that your paediatrician has suggested2.)&nbsp;&nbsp;If you are not comfortable in keeping it dry while bathing, you can go for sponging for first few weeks3.)&nbsp;&nbsp;Do not try to pull it off, let it dry and fall off.&nbsp;Sometimes it may bleed when the cord falls off that are normal do not worry about it.

A child gets nutrients and oxygen through the umbilical cord when the baby is in the womb but after birth the umbilical cord is not needed. Read more to know how you can take a little extra care.

How to take care of my child’s umbilical cord?

Choking occurs when your baby takes more milk into its mouth than (s)he can swallow at a time. Excess milk spills into the airway and blocks the flow of air, which leads to choking. It can be a frightening sight for any mother to see her baby coughing and sputtering milk while struggling to breathe. Reasons behind choking during breastfeeding:<ol><li>Milk oversupply- When a mother produces excessive milk, the milk releases from the milk ducts in a forceful and almost explosive manner. This is called Milk Ejection Reflex. The baby is not able to swallow that much amount easily and starts choking up.</li><li>Improper latch</li></ol> You might be producing excessive milk if you notice:<ul><li>The baby is choking, gagging.</li><li>The baby is trying to clamp the nipple to slow down the flow.</li><li>The baby is trying to pull away from the breast.</li><li>The baby is refusing to nurse and is spitting up frequently.</li></ul> What to do:<ul><li>When you find your baby choking on milk, there are methods that can dislodge the milk from blocking the airway. Since babies have delicate bodies, it must be done with caution.</li><li>Turn your baby upside down and give them intermittent back blows and chest thrusts combined with gentle taps to the back, to open up the airways. The chest thrusts should be given with two or three fingers on the lower half of the breastbone, while supporting the head with the other hand. This should be continued until the block is removed.</li><li>It’s important to note that if the baby doesn’t recover and becomes unconscious, (s)he should be rushed to the nearest hospital, while still continuing the dislodging procedure.</li></ul> Prevention:<ul><li>Try and slow down your supply: Say if you are nursing with the right breast, then press your left nipple of the left breast with your right hand’s palm toward ribs and count till five. This signals your body to slow down the flow.</li><li>Stick to a single breast for a few feeds: This way one of the breasts gets fully emptied and this also slows down the flow in the other breast.</li><li>Baby’s latch: Ensure that the baby is latched properly. If the baby is latched properly, the milk should directly get into the baby’s throat and not his mouth. So when the latch is not proper, there is more risk of the baby’s mouth getting filled up with milk more than it can take and that is when your baby might end up choking.</li><li>You can recline on a surface and then feed the baby in your arms. This is a good nursing position.</li><li>While breastfeeding, if the other breast feels uncomfortable, you can express some milk from it and apply a cool compress to relieve the discomfort. As you continue this procedure, express lesser milk, until there is no need to do so.</li></ul>

A breastfeeding child chokes when (s)he takes more milk in mouth than (s)he can gulp down.

Choking during breastfeeding

Preterm birth usually affects a child's respiratory system and brain development. The effects of preterm birth on a baby’s development depend on how early the baby was born before its full term. Preterm birth can have short term and long term effects on a child’s development. Short term effects of preterm birth:<ul><li>Preterm babies are born with serious breathing problems. Sometimes they have to be put on ventilators to breathe.</li><li>These babies are at higher risks of developing asthma in the later stage of life.</li><li>As mentioned earlier, they are likely to develop brain impairments, because the brain is the last major organ to develop even after birth. So when the baby is prematurely born, its brain has to keep growing in an abnormal environment that is outside the womb. So even though the brain develops post-birth, for premature babies, the development is slow as they have spent less time inside the womb.</li><li>In short, the kind of growth that happens easily inside the womb is difficult for preemies outside the womb.</li></ul> Long term effects of preterm birth:<ul><li>Life-long effects include cerebral palsy, mental retardation, visual and hearing impairments, and poor health.</li><li>Babies, who are born a few weeks early, say at 34-36 weeks, may have behavioural, social and emotional problems.</li><li>They are likely to develop learning difficulties.</li><li>Increased risk of ADHD</li><li>Increased risk of SIDS</li><li>Chronic diseases such as heart disease, hypertension and diabetes.</li><li>The other important thing to keep in mind is the birth weight. The less your baby weighed when (s)he was born, the more likely (s)he is to have health problems that could affect his/her growth. Mostly the preemies born with very less weight than normal a child are kept in the hospital under observation. First year can be a bit problematic but gradually they cope up.</li></ul> The other general effects found in preemies are:<ul><li>They may look different than full term babies.</li><li>Their bones and muscles are fragile. In the last few weeks of pregnancy, lots of minerals like calcium and phosphorus needed for baby’s growth are transferred from mother to baby. And because premature babies are born before full term, they cannot get enough of these minerals. They need extra care while handling.</li><li>Language development may be delayed. These babies might have more trouble speaking and understanding the language.</li><li>Their teeth may develop abnormally or may have late teething than full-term babies.</li><li>There are chances of vision impairment, squint eyes, farsightedness or nearsightedness.</li></ul>

Premature babies are prone to more health risks than full-term babies.

Effects of preterm birth on growth and development of babies

Ravina Sewani

If your baby has green, foamy or frothy, explosive stools and pain, it might be a case of lactose overload. Lactose overload can happen when your baby gulps a very large quantity of breastmilk either due to a long gap between the feedings or due to an oversupply of milk. Healthy babies are able to break down the lactose in normal volumes of milk. The presence of fat in the milk ensures the slow movement of milk through the gut. But if your baby consumes a lot of milk that is relatively low in fat, it can rush through the digestive system without being digested. This can cause the problem of gas causing pain and frothy stools. If you suspect lactose overload, try to check your baby's latch. Try different positions to feed your baby if you have a problem of oversupply of milk. Try frequent feeds as your baby to avoid build up of watery low fat milk. If the problem persists, you know what to do, head straight to your doctor.

Lactose overload happens when the milk is not digested properly.

Lactose Overload

Lip tie is a condition where the underside of the upper lip tethers to the top of the gum with a skin tag. The piece of tissue behind your upper lip is called the frenulum. When these membranes are too thick or too stiff, they can keep the upper lip from moving freely. This condition is called a lip tie. Lip tie isn’t dangerous for babies, as long as they’re gaining weight according to their paediatrician’s guidelines. But lip tie, once diagnosed, is easy to correct. A baby with a tongue tie may not necessarily have a lip tie. Babies with lip tie may face challenges to breastfeed or bottle-feed, as it restricts the baby from stretching the lips to open the mouth wide. Causes: The causes of lip tie are still unknown. Lip tie symptoms:<ul><li>Difficulty in breastfeeding is one of the most common indications that your child may have a lip tie or tongue tie.</li><li>Struggling to latch on to the breast</li><li>Difficulty breathing during feeding</li><li>Making a clicking sound while nursing</li><li>Falling asleep often during nursing</li><li>Acting extremely fatigued by nursing</li><li>Slow weight gain or lack of weight gain</li><li>Colic</li></ul> If a child has a lip tie and you’re a breastfeeding mother, you may experience:<ul><li>Pain during or after breastfeeding</li><li>Breasts that feel engorged even right after nursing</li><li>Blocked milk ducts or mastitis</li><li>Fatigue from breastfeeding constantly even though your child never seems to be full</li></ul> Babies who have a severe lip or tongue-tie may go on to have difficulty eating from a spoon or eating finger foods, according to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Lip ties don’t have as many complications later in life. Some paediatricians believe that an untreated lip tie can lead to a higher likelihood of tooth decay for toddlers. Diagnosis: A lip tie is diagnosed through a physical exam. Most paediatricians can diagnose a lip tie based on its appearance. Treatment:A lip tie can be treated on the basis of the class of lip tie. Whether it is a class 1, class 2, class 3 or class 4. It can also be fibrous, fleshy, thick or thin depending upon the texture of the skin fold. Manual treatment: For class 1 and class 2 lip ties, the baby doesn’t need any formal treatment. Parents have to gently slide the finger underneath the upper lip to stretch frenulum tissue. This type of manual practice can gradually release the tightness of the tissue and the child will have normal mobility of the upper lip. Frenectomy: This is a small surgical procedure where the frenulum is cut through an operation. A frenulum is a small fold of tissue that prevents an organ in the body from moving too far. Doctors usually use laser technology to cut the frenulum and so it is called laser frenectomy. General anaesthesia is not used; instead, a local topical numbing agent is applied to the frenulum. In this procedure, a child may or may not require stitches. The procedure hardly takes a few minutes to complete. Babies can experience mild pain post the procedure. Stay vigilant for any signs of swelling or bleeding from the lips and contact the doctor immediately. Prevention: Lip tie cannot be prevented.

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

All about Lip tie

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

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

Tooth decay - Symptoms, Causes, Treatment and Prevention

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.

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