Dr. Pani Bushan

Although the cause of over 60% of birth defects are not known, there are things that you can do to help ensure optimal health for your baby.

There are a number of things you can do to increase the probability of having a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby. Some are more challenging than others because they may require that you break bad habits, but it is worth your effort.

Here are a variety of tips you can use to prevent birth defects as you contemplate starting or adding to your family:

1. The first and foremost tip is maintaining preconception health; eating well balanced and nutritional meals, and taking a multivitamin daily that includes the recommended 400 mcg of folic acid.
2. If you are sexually active and pregnancy is a possibility, make sure you take a multivitamin daily, which includes the recommended 400 mcg of folic acid and other essential B vitamins.
3. Avoid all activities that could potentially lead to birth defects, including alcohol, tobacco, illicit drugs, and caffeine.
4. Seek an annual gynecological and wellness exam.
5. Obtain genetic counseling and birth defect screening, particularly if you have any family history of birth defects or if you are 35 years of age or older. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a Gynaecologist.

Having a child is one of the most physically and emotionally trying situations that a couple will go through? This is especially true for a mother. The mother goes through a roller coaster of emotional and physical changes as well as other changes in her job and relationship. So, if you are going back to work after having a baby, read this article to gain some perspective!

1. Deciding When: Timing is the first thing that matters in such cases. Remember to discuss this aspect with your partner and get some much needed advice from someone who will be sharing the child's responsibilities with you. Also, emotionally the mother has to be ready to leave the child for that duration in order to go to work and be productive. Feelings like guilt and helplessness may overwhelm you at first, but you have to have your coping mechanisms in place when it comes down to it.
2. Coping Mechanisms: Speaking of coping mechanisms, let us discuss what all you can do to make a smooth transition from new mother to working mother. Finding support is crucial to begin with. The babysitter or family members who will be the caregiver for the child in those hours when you working, should be someone who you can trust implicitly. It may help to interview and spend time with a new nanny or babysitter before the child is born. This will help in setting a pace, understanding expectations and adjusting to each other even as you build trust. Another coping mechanism includes having someone you can talk to a friend, your parents, your spouse or a co worker. It can be anyone who will be willing to listen and offer you advice when you are feeling overwhelmed.
3. Breastfeeding: If you do plan to continue breastfeeding your child, it would be best to discuss this with your boss or a counsellor at your place of work before you decide to get back to work. Ensure that you are given a separate room that is hygienic and well lit so that you can carry your breast pump and operate it there. Or, you can opt for day care within the office premises so that you can see your child and breastfeed him\her at regular intervals.

The choice of going back to work or staying at home after having a baby may not exactly be an easy one to make, but knowing your options and working your way around them with the right coping mechanisms and support can help you in gaining the right perspective that will help you focus on both areas with vigour and love. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a Psychologist.

Bed Wetting is a phenomenon in which a child urinates, involuntarily, on bed when fast asleep at night.

A. The Secret Problem

A child gains bladder control at night, but it varies with age. After attaining the age of five, 15% of the children continue bed wetting and after the age of 10, only 5% are found to be still bed wetting. The incidences of bed wetting in boys are twice as compared to girls. Bed wetting can often lead to extreme embarrassment and social awkwardness for the parents. For parents to deal with such inevitable child problems, they must know the causes that lead to bed wetting.

B. The Bedwetting Gene

Your own DNA may be the chief contributor to your child’s bed wetting; research states that in 75 percent of the cases, this problem is found to be hereditary. However, parents should deal with this problem with sensibility and sensitivity, so as not to alienate their children in any way.

C. Causes

1. Delayed Bladder Maturation: In such cases, the communication between the bladder and the brain is delayed.
2. Lower Anti-Diuretic Hormone (ADH): Inadequate secretion of such hormones causes the kidneys to produce lesser urine during the day, thus increasing chances of bed wetting at night.
3. Deep Sleeping: With deep sleeping, the brain fails to get the signal that the bladder may be full.
4. Constipation: With constipation, the problem is that there may be uncontrolled contraction of bladder due to the bowels being full all the time.

When is it a concern?

There is nothing wrong with bedwetting during childhood, especially when the child is less than 2 years of age. However, it might be a concern if the child happens to gain bladder control at night but the condition relapses. Also, if psychological stress happens to be at the root of the child’s bedwetting, it could be considered to be a cause for concern.

Homeopathic treatment for bedwetting in children

Homeopathy is a very effective natural treatment for enuresis. The homeopathic remedies for bedwetting are perfectly safe. These natural homeopathic remedies do not have any side effects at all. Safety of the medicines is a major issue when you are to give any medicine to your child. Therefore it is of utmost importance that the medicines should be completely safe. Homeopathic remedies are known to be perfectly safe and have been tried by millions of patients all over the world over the last 2 centuries.

5 Best Homeopathic medicines for bedwetting in children

Homeopathy has been found to be very successful in treating bedwetting. The aim of Homeopathy is to strengthen the nervous system of the body. This allows the child to gain control over the urinary bladder. The same child who had been urinating in the bed for years is able to keep the bed dry within a matter of a couple of weeks. Homeopathy offers the best way of treating bedwetting. The embarrassment of the child as well as the parents vanishes quickly like magic. Here are the 5 best homeopathic medicines for bedwetting that help in working this magic-

1. Causticum
2. Kreosote
3. Cina
4. Acid Phos
5. Equisetum

It is important to mention here that the above mentioned 5 best homeopathic medicines for bedwetting are by no means the only medicines for bedwetting. There are many other medicines that are also used to cure enuresis. The exact selection of the right medicine depends upon the detailed symptoms of each individual patient. So, it always recommended to consult a specialized homeopath before going for any medication.

Quick tips

1. Ensure that your child urinates right before hitting the bed.
2. Limit your child’s fluid intake after having a thorough discussion with the doctor.
3. Set an alarm for the child to wake up and go to the toilet in the middle of the night.
4. Bladder stretching exercises increase the bladder’s capacity and thus the quantum of urine that can be held by the child’s bladder.
5. Medications, as would be prescribed by a pediatrician.
6. Use a plastic sheet over the bed.
7. And finally, don’t panic. Usually, the problem resolves on its own.