Tag: Parenting

Dealing with a colicky baby can be frustrating but there are many simple things you can try to soothe your little one. Swaddle the baby and limit stimulating factors like loud sounds, bright lights, and visitors. Rock your baby, play some white noise, and try a gentle massage to calm them. Probiotics, lemon balm, chamomile, and fennel can help too.

Hair loss in babies is completely normal, especially in the beginning few months. In a few cases, it could be caused by a medical condition. After your baby turns 6 months and is still experiencing hair fall, it's time to see a doctor.

To keep your baby’s skin clean, bathe them thrice a week when they are young and daily after they start crawling. Light cotton clothing can keep heat rashes in check. Natural plant oils like coconut or sunflower oil can combat dry skin and eczema. Change diapers frequently and use chamomile and coconut oil to clear a diaper rash.

If your baby is reacting to milk, it could be either lactose intolerance or milk allergy. While lactose intolerance causes stomach aches, vomiting, or diarrhea, milk allergy can also cause rashes and breathing difficulty. Avoid giving cow's milk to children below 1 and avoid it yourself if your child is breastfed and shows allergy symptoms. Your doctor can help adjust your baby’s diet to tackle lactose intolerance.

Children with good self-esteem grow up to be emotionally resilient adults who are prepared to handle whatever life throws at them. Show affection to your child, encourage them to freely express themselves, and listen to them. It is also important to love your child unconditionally, let them do things on their own, and praise their accomplishments.

Earwax protects your baby’s ear canal from water, infection, and foreign objects. It typically moves out of the ear on its own and doesn’t need to be cleaned. If your baby has excessive earwax, your doctor may suggest ear drops or oil or use irrigation to remove it.

Many people underestimate the importance of physical activity in the well being of a child. According to studies, students who get regular physical activity perform better academically. The benefits of exercising often include better attention, memory retention, performance on standardized academic tests, problem-solving skills, enhanced reaction time, creative thinking, and much more. And this applies to college students as well.

Asthma affects between 4 and 12% of pregnant women but it doesn’t cause any significant risk when it’s well controlled. Take asthma medication as prescribed by your doctor to keep the condition under control and to avoid potential risks to both you and the baby.

Your baby may need between 11–17 hours of sleep a day and getting enough sleep is extremely important for their growth and development. Sleep helps with physical growth, neurosensory development, and brain development. It also helps babies learn better and may impact their temperament.

A vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is usually triggered by poor nutrition or health problems that interfere with its absorption. VAD can cause eye diseases such as night blindness, Bitot's spots, corneal xerosis or ulcers, and keratomalacia,. Anemia and poor skin and hair health are also common as are frequent infections. Young children and pregnant women are especially vulnerable.

Whether you can give birth to fraternal twins depends on your genes. Other factors that raise your chances include age above 35 years, a higher BMI, a diet rich in dairy products, and multiple pregnancies. IVF is known to hike the chances too. Do note, however, that the factors responsible for the conception of identical twins remain unknown.

If your baby has eczema, use coconut or sunflower seed oil to moisturize and ease symptoms. Also try adding colloidal oats, rice water, or chamomile oil to your baby’s bath to soothe the skin and prevent itchiness and inflammation. Moisturizing the skin frequently, avoiding irritants, and using anti-scratch mittens can help. Give your baby probiotics to ease eczema linked to food allergies.

While your baby's favorite toys must be cleaned every week, visibly stained toys or toys used during your baby's recovery from a cold or an upset tummy need immediate cleaning. Hand wash fabric toys, wash metal toys in the dishwasher, soak bath toys in a white vinegar solution, give plastic toys a soap soak, and wipe down wood toys. Use natural cleaning agents like mild castile soap, tea tree oil, and vinegar.

Children manifest stress through sudden changes in behavior. A stressed child may suddenly throw temper tantrums, or have a meltdown over simple tasks, or show apathy toward everything. Their eating and sleeping patterns too may change, and they may complain more frequently of headaches and stomach aches. They may even show tic disorders like excessive blinking or throat clearing.

Chubby kids are the cutest, with all the baby fat making them even more adorable. But, what most parents don't know, or don't want...