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 in 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, fibers and minerals. All these nutrients provide energy to the child s body. 

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

D. Refined foods should be avoided, whole grain breads 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.

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

Behavior of a child should always be closely monitored during his/her early development. Sometimes signs of several personality disorders tend to show up early in life. Proper monitoring of the child's behavior helps to identify the signs and properly diagnose the condition if the child is suffering from any potential personality disorder. 

Here are a few facts you should keep in mind:

1. You might often find it difficult to differentiate between the normal and abnormal behavior of your child. You might consult the pediatrician in this case to compare the child's general behavioral patterns with that of other children in the same age group.

2. It is very important to understand your child's development process. It helps you to interpret his/her behavior and to identify signs of personality disorder.

3. There are a few common behavior patterns, which tend to act as a guide to understanding the behavior of your child. Some of these patterns should be encouraged as they lead to proper behavioral development of your child while patterns of negative behavior should be discouraged. 

4.  You should also consult a doctor if your child shows negative behavior persistently even after disciplining measures.

5. Being polite, doing chores on a regular basis, following instructions should be encouraged and rewarded as it helps in the proper personality development of your child.

6. Behavioral patterns like an inclination towards defensive, regressive and aggressive behavior should not be encouraged but can be tolerated in certain situations like illness or in times of stress.

7.  Behavioral patterns like an increased inclination to violence or an excessive competitive attitude towards their siblings should never be allowed. 

8.  Prejudice or racism, stealing or inclination towards substance abuse, angry outbursts point towards problems in the child's mental, physical or social well-being. You are also advised to take your child to a psychological expert to find out whether he/she is suffering from any sort of behavioral disorder. 

9.  Your behavior also plays a major role in development of your child and his/her behavioral patterns. It is often seen that if a child is subjected to excessive physical, mental or emotional abuse or is engaged in too many curricular and extracurricular activities, he/she is likely to develop several behavioral disorders over time.

Child Development and Behavior

Asthma is a respiratory disorder, which is characterized by the narrowing down and inflammation of the inner lining of the airways of the lung, resulting in excessive secretion of mucous. The airways are responsible for the passage of air from and to the lungs. Asthma can affect any person of any age group; however, the symptoms of the condition can vary. The symptoms of asthma include severe pain in the chest, coughing and problems in breathing, interruption in sleep due to breathing problems and a croaking sound during exhalation. Asthma, in most cases, tends to be chronic and can exist throughout your life with eventual changes in the nature of attack.

The most common causes of asthma are:

    Common cold and allergies from dust particles, smoke and minute insects might be catalysts for asthma.
    Suffering from severe anxiety might also cause asthma.
    Asthma might occur as a result of physical exercise and as a side effect of some medications such as ibuprofen and aspirin.

As of now, asthma is incurable. But medications can control the symptoms. Homeopathic preparations can also be useful for the treatment of asthma. Some common homeopathic remedies are as follows:
1. Arsenic album: If the symptoms include severe episodes of stress and nervousness, immense thirst but the inability to drink much water, severe attacks at night and intense pain in the upper right portion of the chest, Arsenic Album might be very useful to cure the problem.
2. Nux Vomica: If the attack is primarily caused because of gastric disorders or sudden outbursts of anger along with symptoms of dry cough, headaches and stomach aches, Nux Vomica might be used as a remedial medicine.
3. Carbo Veg: Carbo veg can be recommended if the symptoms include a pale face at the time of attack along with cold feet and hands and an itchy sensation in the larynx.
4. Kali bichromicum and Moschus: If the attacks become worse in the morning accompanied by yellow mucus discharge, the above mentioned homeopathic preparations are recommended.

Asthma: Breathing Made Easy with Homeopathy

Our teeth are most definitely, vital for our living. Our everyday choices, pertaining to our lifestyle would call for changes, adjustments and lots of sacrifices without them. Though, a number of replacement options are available for the people with missing teeth, the most recommended are dental implants. Ask why?

They are simply the ideal solution due to their look and feel, which is similar to the natural teeth.

What happens if replacement is not considered?
To prevent the nasty repercussions from occurring, it is necessary that any missing teeth are replaced in time. Though, the symptoms of problems due to missing teeth only appear to be superficial in the early stages, the long term effects may certainly prove to be quite severe.

Some of the short term consequences of missing teeth are as follows
People with missing teeth tend to feel self-conscious or even embarrassed at times, while they talk to others or smile.
Problem in speech is a common issue that may arise due to tooth loss.
When teeth are missing, people find it difficult to consume some certain food types. These may include ones which contain some essential nutrients, hence leading to possible malnutrition.
Increased wear or stress can also lead to the weakening of the teeth that are remaining.
People with tooth loss find it difficult to chew the food properly.
When teeth are missing, there is movement of the teeth that remain, to compensate for the gap places created. This leads to ugly looking gap teeth.

Though, these were the short term issues, the major consequence of not getting any lost teeth replaced is the gradual bone loss. Our teeth are firmly embedded in the jaw bone. Chewing and biting are the constant uses, which are required by the jaw bone to remain hale and hearty as well as active. You may believe it or not, be it at the beginning or at the end; the major focus is not on the teeth, but on the bones.

Maintaining form as well as density of the bone requires regular stimulation, coming from the teeth, as mentioned above. The contact with teeth causes small stresses, which the periodontal ligament transmits to the bone and prompts its continual rebuilding as well as remodelling. When any missing teeth are not replaced, it leads to the gradual deterioration in the jaw bones, over time. This not only results in facial shape changes but also will eventually burn a huge hole in your pockets, as increased complications will also lead to increased costs required for rectifying the problems.

So, now it's up to you. Choose healthy and wise. Go for teeth replacement at the earliest, if and when, need arises.

Consequences of Unreplaced Missing Teeth

Bathing  the newborn baby is a pleasurable experience both for the mother and the baby. It can also be defined as a process through which the mother and child bond. A mother understands the requirements of the child and the baby adapts itself to the cleanliness regime of the mother.
When should I start bathing my new born baby?
According to guidelines of WHO, initial bath for a term newborn weighing more than 2.5kg should be given 6 hours after birth. In the term low birth weight babies weighing less than 2.5kgs, only sponge bath is to be given, till the weight crosses 2.5kg.
Dip baths can be given once the umbilical cord falls off i.e. by 7 -10 days. Till then sponge baths are to be given.
How should I bathe my baby?
The room should be warm and free from draught of air as a wet baby can easily catch the chill. Check the temperature of the bath water before placing the baby in the bath tub. The depth of the water should be 5 cms upto the hip of the baby. Eyes can be cleaned by using one sterile water-soaked cotton swab for each eye. The Head should be washed last and dried first to prevent exposure due to large surface area. Pay special attention to skin folds of the neck, behind the ears, underarms, and diaper area. Also wash between the fingers and the toes.
What cleanser/ soap should I use for my baby?
Do not use soap for the first 1 month of life. After that, use any mild unmedicated soap or liquid cleanser with acidic/ neutral pH, that maintains the pH of the baby's skin. Avoid scented soaps and bubble baths.
How frequently should I bathe my baby?
In summer months, daily baths can be given. In winters, dip bath may be given twice/thrice a week and rest of the days, it is preferable to sponge the baby.
Hair wash can be given twice  a week.
A word of caution:
Never leave your baby unattended  to in the bath tub.Bath tub should be disinfected after use.

How Should I Bath My Baby

Epilepsy is a form of chronic disorder and it is characterized by recurrent seizures. The episodes of epileptic seizures may differ from person to person. These seizures could be a result of genetic disorder or a result of trauma or stroke. During a seizure, a patient may also experience symptoms of neurological disorders and sometimes lose consciousness.

Medical help for epilepsy
Epilepsy itself cannot be cured using medication, but proper medicines help in eliminating recurrent seizures. These medicines stabilize the electrical activity within the brain preventing seizures.

How effective is the medication for epilepsy?
The success of controlling seizures using medicines depends on the type and severity of the epilepsy. Medicines for epilepsy are usually very effective and may fully keep seizures under control. However, controlling seizures caused due to brain problems may be more difficult. Usually, epilepsy medicines can control seizures for a long period of time when they are taken regularly.

When is medical help needed?
The decision about when to start medicines for epilepsy is a tricky one. This is because a first seizure cannot confirm whether a person has an on-going epilepsy problem. A second seizure may occur after many years or may not happen at all. Prediction of seizures is also quite difficult.

The severity of seizures also indicates when to start medicines for treatment. In case a first seizure is quite severe, medication should be started at once. Some people have very mild seizures even though they may be recurring in nature, and medication can be avoided in this situation.

All the pros and cons must be thought over before starting medications for the treatment of epilepsy. It is advisable to wait for a second seizure and then start medications for treatment. In most cases, medication is started after a second seizure occurs, twelve months within the first seizure. You should always consult a doctor to know when you need to start taking medicines to treat the condition.

For making the most out of the medicines to control seizures, you should follow certain steps:
1. You must take medications exactly as your doctor has prescribed.
2. Before switching to generic versions of your medicines or before taking other prescribed medicines, you must consult your doctor.
3. You should never stop taking the medicines.
4. In case you experience enhanced depression, mood swings and suicidal thoughts, you should talk to your doctor immediately.
5. In case you have migraine, you should let your doctor know so that he can prescribe you anti-epileptic medicines, which also prevent migraines.

Medicines cannot treat the underlying cause of epilepsy, but these help in controlling seizures and this is the most common symptom of epilepsy. Medication should be started at a proper time and must be continued without stopping.

When to Seek Medical Help for Epilepsy

Don't wait any longer, manage your Baby Doctor online with a Lybrate doctor today

Consult for Baby Doctor - Online and Easy!

FilterClear All

COMMON SPECIALITIES

COMMON ISSUES