Health benefits of papaya for babies

When babies graduate from liquids to semi-solids, their diet needs to be tasty as well as healthy. This is the time where immunities are built and how well they eat now will largely decide how fit they will be in the years to come. Selecting their diet is crucial. Papaya is one item which is highly recommended in a baby's diet. Here are the reasons why:

1)Eyesight - Papayas are good for eyesight as they have vitamin A. At a stage when your baby is developing his eyesight, a little help from what he eats will do wonders.
2)Blood Generation - Papayas are known to increase blood count.
3)Digestion - Papayas improve digestion. Since babies are mostly in sedentary position, digestion needs assistance. Mashed papayas are a good idea for this.
4)Skin Problems - Papayas control skin ulcers.
5)Brain - Papayas facilitate brain development which is very important for babies.
6)Bones - Papayas are good for bones. Apart from the oil massages and milk intake, this would also add to the benefit.
7)Muscles - Papayas strengthen the muscles as well.
8)Immunity Building - Papayas are a good source of vitamin C and folate. It strengthens your child’s immune system.
9)Intestinal Worms - Infants at times suffer with the problem of parasitic worms in their intestines. Small amounts of dried papaya seeds with honey can be useful in controlling these intestinal worms.

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Why Your Baby's Diet Must Not Miss Papaya

Cold and cough is caused by a viral infection, which can last for about two to four weeks. The symptoms include stuffy or a runny nose, coughing and sore throat. Many times, the infection may raise body temperature and the child may suffer from fever. Our body s immune system naturally fights with such infections. Depending on the type of cough and the symptoms, the virus can stay active in the body for about 4 to 6 weeks. It is quite painful to see the child suffering from cold and cough. The symptoms of this infection are worse during the first two days.

The child will experience pain and irritation in the throat with difficulty in swallowing, frequent coughing with mucous, breathing difficulty and high fever. Most parents rush to over the counter drugs for cold and cough to ease of their child s agony. However, most drugs/ cough syrups available over the counter only provide temporary relief. Medical evidence suggests that antibiotics do not kill viruses, thus, it is not advisable to treat cold and cough with antibiotics unless accompanied by another infection. So, what do parents do? Well, there is a lot that can be done.

Let s first understand the type of a cough your child might be suffering from:



Dry cough: Generally occurs due to infection in upper respiratory tract, cold or influenza. Children with asthma and allergies are also prone to this type of cough as dry cough is triggered by smoke or dust.
Croup Cough: A harsh barking and dry cough with swelling beneath vocal cords.
Wet Cough: Most commonly caused by cold. This is an infection of the lower respiratory tract characterised by mucous secretions.
Whooping cough: Characterised by fast coughing, breathing difficulties and a whooping sound while breathing.
Apart from this, If coughing starts suddenly along with choking, the child may have inhaled a foreign body. Immediate help may be required. For babies less than 12 months of age, cold cough followed by breathing difficulties may indicate bronchiolitis and require a paediatric attention. A normal cold and cough generally subside with two to four weeks. However, it is important to understand when to consult a doctor.

Chest pain or breathing problems
Cough lasting for more than 6 weeks.
A yellow, green or brown mucous indicating another infection.
Swollen glands, persistent high fever, rashes.
Body getting pale and symptoms getting worse.
Temperature higher than 38 degrees in the case of infants.
Precautions and diet that should be taken care of

Increase Intake of fluids especially hot liquids
Never stop breastfeeding the baby
Vapour rub applied on chest and back is an effective remedy
Inhaling steam provides relief to a sore throat and nose
Intake of crushed tulsi leaves with honey or hot turmeric milk is soothing and very helpful
There is little we can do to prevent viral infections. However, proper care and caution can ensure a smooth recovery.

Cold and Cough in Children - Precautions that Parents Must Take

The early childhood period is considered to be the most important developmental phase throughout the lifespan.  This period focuses on the physical, social/emotional and language/cognitive domains of development of a child, which have direct effects on their overall development as an adult in the future.
Physical Development
Physical developments of a child are associated with the motor skills and physical growth of the child. As a child grows and his or her nervous system become more mature, the child becomes more capable of performing increasingly complex actions such as walking, running, balance, and coordination which involve the larger muscles like arms and legs, as well as, some more intricate skills such as drawing, writing, grasping objects, throwing, waving, and catching, involving the smaller muscles in the fingers, toes, eyes, and other areas. Physical growth follows a directional pattern, such as the body's core, legs and arms develop before the small muscles in the fingers and hands.  The muscles in the center of the body become stronger and develop before those in the feet and hands. Development goes from the head to the toes. 
Cognitive Development
Cognitive abilities are associated with memory, reasoning, problem-solving and thinking that continue to emerge throughout childhood. There are four Stages of Cognitive Development:
Stage
Age Period Between
Milestones
Sensorimotor Stage
Birth to age 2
Respond to sensory stimuli by simple motor skills.
Preoperational Stage
Age 2 to 6
Learn to use language, but do not understand logic or mentally manipulate information and understand others' point of view.
Concrete Operational Stage
Age 7 to 11
Begin to think logically about concrete events, but have difficulty understanding abstract or hypothetical concepts.
Formal Operational Stage
Age 12 to adulthood
Able to think about abstract concepts and develop skills such as logical thought, deductive reasoning, and systematic planning.
 
Language Development
It is the most remarkable development in children. According to several researches, it is found that language development begins at fetal level, as the fetus is able to identify the speech and sound patterns of the mother's voice and by the age of four months, a child can distinguish between sounds and read lips. Infants are able to differentiate between speech sounds from all languages; however, around the age of 10 months they lose this ability and begin to recognize their native language only.

What Is Early Childhood Development?

In many cases; divorce and separation leads not only to bad blood between the parents, but also in a child alienating himself from one parent. Insulting or belittling one parent without justification or under pressure from the other parent is known as parental alienation syndrome. Parental alienation involves one parent undermining the other and interfering with the child s relationship with the other parent by limiting contact with them, bad mouthing them, forbidding discussion about them etc. This can have a very negative effect on the child s emotional state.

1. Self hatred: For children, hatred is not inborn, but developed by the situations they are in. By bad mouthing a parent and teaching the child to hate the parent, the child himself is harmed. With time, he begins to internalize this hatred and believe that there is something wrong with him that made the alienated parent not want him.

2. Low self esteem: When a child is not allowed to speak his mind and has to bottle up his thoughts, he becomes socially withdrawn. Often the child begins to feel that he is the cause for the rift in the family and makes himself responsible for the separation. This intensifies with time and makes the child lose confidence in himself leading to low self esteem.

3. Lack of trust: When a child is suddenly pulled away from one parent and told how that parent is not a  good person  the child is likely to feel betrayed. This creates a sense of doubt in the child s mind and makes it difficult for him to trust other people. As he grows up, this can affect his own adult relationships as well.

4. Depression: Depression is a commonly seen in children from broken homes and this is intensified in cases of parental alienation. It is rooted in the child s feeling unloved by either one of the parents and built up by the separation. Not being given a chance to speak about their feelings or talk about the situation makes them more depressed and they begin to withdraw into themselves. In many cases, it is noted that alienated children have strained relationships with their own children as well.

5. Substance abuse: Depression is one of the most common triggers for substance abuse. Alienated children often feels trapped and that they have no outlet to vent their feelings and frustrations. This often makes them turn towards drugs for relief and can make them victims of substance abuse.

Effects of Parental Alienation Syndrome on Children

Breastfeeding is best for the baby and its benefits extend well beyond the paradigm of basic nutrition. Breast milk contains all the vital vitamins and nutrients, which a baby needs in the first six months of life. It is fully loaded with disease fighting substances, which protect baby from illness. Many international paediatric organisation recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months and recent research reports have proven that breastfeeding is good for both mother and the baby.

Breastfeeding protects the baby from a long list of illnesses, such as ear infections, lower respiratory illnesses, stomach disorder and meningitis and are less severe when they do happen. Breast milk adapts as the baby grows to meet the changing needs. Breastfeeding builds a strong emotional bond between the mother and the baby and it has long term benefits lasting right into adulthood.

The first milk of the mother contains high concentrations of secretory immunoglobulin A (IgA), which guards against invading germs by forming a protective layer on the mucous membranes in baby's intestines, nose, and throat. Mother's body responds to pathogens (virus and bacteria) that are in her body and makes secretory IgA, which is specific to those pathogens, creating protection for the baby based on to whatever mother is exposed. 

The antibodies in breast milk gives a baby's immune system a boost and also helps children avoid type 1 and type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol and inflammatory bowel disease that strike later in life. Babies who were not breastfed run the risk of developing Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

Breastfeeding boosts child's intelligence. Surveys have shown that premature infants with extremely low birth weight who receive breast milk shortly after birth improved their scores of mental development at eighteen months when compared with premature infants who weren't given breast milk. The emotional bonding happening during breastfeeding contributes to some of the brainpower benefits. Breastfeeding lowers the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). It reduces a child's risk of becoming obese as a teen or adult as the breast milk contains less insulin, which stimulates creation of fat. The high content of leptin in the milk regulates appetite and fat.

Breastfeeding triggers the release of the hormone oxytocin that promotes relaxation and nurturing. Oxytocin released while nursing also helps your uterus contract after birth, resulting in less postpartum bleeding. It reduces stress level and the risk of postpartum depression. Research studies show that breastfeeding results in changes in breast tissue and lactation reduces the production of oestrogen, which reduces the risk of breast and ovarian cancer. It also reduces the risk of osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease.

Benefits of Breastfeeding for Baby & Mother

Child nutrition from age 6 months to 5 years growth and development of a child depends on the nourishment received by the child right from birth. Healthy diet and proper eating habits are essential to be inculcated in a child as early as possible. A balanced diet given to the child at the earliest provides all nutrients required for adequate growth and development. Nutritional value of every food item introduced in the child s diet should be gauged prior and then given to the child.

Nutritional requirement of children varies in accordance to the age group. It is necessary that the parents should have knowledge about the age-specific requirements of the diet, which will benefit the child in their growing years.

Following is the ideal child nutrition ranging from the age group of 6 months to 5 years.

1. 6 months to 12 months

A. Right from the birth of a newborn child, it is necessary to begin breastfeeding for the baby. It should begin within an hour of the child s birth. It is the ideal way of providing proper nutrition to the child.

B. Breastfeeding is beneficial by providing nourishment and also by improving the immunity of the baby.

C. From birth to 6 months, only breastfeeding is advised. It is a critical source of nutrition for the child even during illness.

D. After the baby turns 6 months old, solid food can be introduced in the child s diet.

E. Breastfeeding can be continued and supplemented with other food items.

F. Usually, fruit juices are introduced first in the diet.

G. Feeding bottle should be avoided and the child should be fed with a spoon and cup. Proper hygiene and good handling of the food is required.

H. It is necessary to wipe the gums and developing teeth clean with a wet gauge to prevent any decay that can be caused by sticking of the food on the teeth surfaces fed to the child.

2. 1 year to 3 years

A. Children in this age group can tell when they feel full after feeding. It is necessary to listen to their demand for food and also avoid overfeeding children.

B. This age group requires children to eat all types of nutrients, so parents should focus on providing a variety of food items to replenish their child s nutritional requirements.

C. Children in this age group require fat-rich foods and should be given dairy products for calcium requirements.

D. Processed foods should not be given to children at this age. Calories intake should be monitored to the optimum level.

E. Since children at this age are involved in activities like walking, running around and playing it is essential to keep feeding them at regular intervals to maintain the energy levels of their bodies.

3. 3 years to 5 years.

A. Children belonging to this age group require to eat a well-balanced, nutrient rich diet.

B. Grains should be included on a routine basis. They provide the child with carbohydrates, fibres and minerals. All these nutrients provide energy to the child s body.

C. Inclusion of whole wheat grains provides fibres in adequate quantity.

D. Refined foods should be avoided, whole grain bread should be included in the diet.

E. Fruit intake should be increased, as they are an important source of various vitamins. Fresh fruit should always be preferred over juices for growing children.

F. Sugar intake should be kept to a minimum quantity since refined sugars do more harm to the child s health than any good.

G. Vegetables should form a considerably greater part of the child s daily diet, with the inclusion of a variety of vegetables.

H. Protein sources of food include meat, poultry, pulses, beans and nuts. Along with protein, these food items also provide iron, zinc and minerals to the body.

Apart from the above specified food items, daily intake of milk is necessary for children of growing age. It provides the body with sufficient calcium to facilitate bone growth in growing children. Also, nuts like walnuts, almonds, cashews are advised to be given to the children daily.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult a specialist & get answers to your questions!

Nutrition Tips For Children From Age 6 Months To 5 Years!

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