Valvar aortic stenosis, commonly called aortic stenosis, is a disorder which occurs when the aortic valve of the heart becomes narrow. The narrowing of the valve prevents its full opening, and hence, blood flow from the heart to the aorta is restricted. When the aortic valve gets obstructed, the heart has to exert much more effort to pump the blood. The heart muscles get weakened as a result. This condition is more common in children.

Diagnosis of valvar aortic stenosis-
Before diagnosis, we should know about the symptoms of valvar aortic stenosis in children. They include:

 Feeling breathless
 Angina or chest pain with a feeling of pressure or tightness
 Syncope of fainting
 Palpitations and enhanced heartbeats
 A steady decline in regular activities and energy levels
 Fatigue due to little exertion
 Not gaining weight
 Poor eating patterns
 Problems in breathing

The wall of the left ventricle also thickens muscularly, and the thick wall occupies more space in the lower chamber of the heart and hence, the room for adequate blood supply is reduced. This may lead to heart failure.

Echocardiogram-
The initial test that is recommended for patients with symptoms of valvar aortic stenosis is doppler echocardiography. This test enables the doctor to estimate the aortic valve region, peak or mean transvalvular gradients and the maximum aortic velocity. These primary measures are required to assess the severity of the disease. Echocardiography provides important information on the valve function, left ventricular filling pressure and disruptions in other valves.

Other major tests which help in the diagnosis of valvar aortic stenosis include:
 Mri or magnetic resonance imaging, which provides images of internal body structures with great detail.
 Ct scan or computed tomography where three-dimensional images are extracted.
 Chest x ray
 Cardiac catheterization where a dye is used to highlight blockages, if any, in the heart.

Treatment-
Usually, there are no medicines for fixing valvar aortic stenosis as the disease is not reversible. Medicines can be used to treat the problems, which are caused by the condition.

Replacement of the damaged valve by surgery is the best treatment for valvar aortic stenosis. The surgery performed is called valvuloplasty. This is a cardioscopic surgery where a tube with a small balloon is inserted into a vein. The tube is guided into the heart, and the balloon is inflated. The balloon and tube are removed after the valve is opened. The damaged valve is replaced by mechanical valve or the valve of a cow or pig by an open-heart surgery.

Valvar aortic stenosis is a severe heart condition in children, and the only permanent remedy for this disease is a valve replacement surgery.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Valvar Aortic Stenosis in Children

Early childhood is a time when the brain develops rapidly and nutrition is an important part of healthy brain development. It is important for children to eat a variety of foods that can provide them with the proper intake of carbohydrate, protein, good fats, minerals, vitamins and antioxidants. There is a very strong mind-gut connection; therefore focusing on the food you choose to complete the nutritional needs of your child can make a great difference in their brain function.

Certain foods are better for our brains than others, these brain foods may help boost a child's brain growth and even improve the memory and cognitive development.

During infancy, the amino acids and fatty acids in breast milk are ideal for optimal brain development. The brain continues to grow throughout early childhood and children who do no consume a balanced diet are at risk of developing mental retardation and behavioral problem.

10 brain foods to feed the mind and body properly:

1. Whole grains: Brain needs a consistent supply of glucose, thus foods those are high in refined sugars and carbohydrates leads to rapid fluctuation in blood glucose levels and the brain doesn't get the steady fuel supply and energy for proper functioning, therefore to nourish the most active part of body include whole-grain breads, oatmeal, roasted grains in the diet of children for regular release of glucose in body. Oats are also rich in vitamin-B, Vitamin-E, potassium and zinc.

2. Eggs: The protein and nutrients in eggs help kids concentrate because the egg yolks are packed with choline which boosts memory. Eggs are also rich in protein, which provides energy to help the brain stay alert longer.

3. Fish: Fish is a good source of vitamin D and omega-3s, which protect the brain from declining mental skills and memory loss. Salmon, tuna, and sardines are all rich in Omega-3s. The more Omega-3s we can get to the brain, the better it will function and the better kids will be able to focus.

4. Seeds: Packed with protein, essential fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. Seeds may boost mood and keep your nervous system in check. For example sunflower seed butter as they are rich in folate, vitamin E and selenium and are safe for nut-free zones.try to include seeds directly to the meals.

5. Iron is important for brain development: Preschoolers and toddlers typically eat less iron-rich foods than they did in infancy. In addition, the iron that children get is usually non-Heme iron (from plant sources,) which has lower availability than heme iron (from animal source).sources beef, nuts and dark leafy vegetable (spinach) and tofu.

6. Milk and Yoghurt: Milk and yoghurt contains healthy fats and proteins those are important for brain health. The majority of the brain is made up of fat, so it is no wonder healthy fat is important to feed the developing brain. Protein is important as it can help brain cells send and receive information effectively. Yoghurt also contains good bacteria that will help boost your child's immune system as well as aid digestion, children need higher dose of vitamin D, which is present in dairy and its products.

7. Organic Foods and leafy vegetables: These organic foods are free from pesticides and insecticides and preservatives and do not cause neurodevelopment problems in children, which will impair proper brain functioning. Green leafy vegetables are loaded with vitamin A and K; these keep inflammation at bay .e.g. Spinach, kale, lettuce.

8. Walnuts: The high level of antioxidants, vitamin and minerals in walnuts improves the cognitive health of kids and improve their mental alertness also.

9. Colorful veggies: Vegetables with a rich, deep color such as tomatoes, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, carrots, and spinach are the best sources of antioxidants that support brain health and keep brain cells strong. These foods can be given from weaning age.

10. Berries: The color of the food tells the nutritional value of it. All the berries like strawberry, cherries, blueberries and blackberries have intense color are especially rich in vitamin C and high levels of antioxidants. Blueberries have high levels of Gallic acid, which boost memory by preventing degeneration of brain cells.

So, go ahead and try to include different food group to your Child's plate for a better performance.

Must Have Brain Foods for Your Kids!

What Causes Early Childhood Trauma? + How to Identify this Condition?

The problem of early childhood trauma refers to disturbing experiences that take place in children during 0-6 years of age. The traumas that young children experience can be the effects of natural disaster, war or accidents or that of intentional violence like sexual abuse, domestic violence or physical abuse.

What Does this Condition Impact Childhood?

Traumatic events have a significant impact on your child's life and can break his sense of safety. The problem has been linked with a decrease in the size of the brain cortex. This is the part of the brain that controls several complex functions like thinking, consciousness, memory, attention, awareness, and language. The changes that occur as a result can affect your child's IQ as well as his or her ability to control emotions. As a consequence, he or she may harbor feelings of danger and become more afraid or it may manifest in other personality issues which are not very obvious.

How do you identify this condition?

Generally, children who suffer from traumas face problems in regulating their emotions and behaviors.

They may display signs like:

- Fear of new situations
- Being clingy to their parent(s) or somebody close
- Become easily frightened
- Display aggressive and/or impulsive behavior
- Are difficult to comfort
- Display deterioration in behavior and functioning
- Easily forget newly attained developmental skills
- Difficulty in sleeping

Depending on the age during which your child may go through a traumatic event, he or she can exhibit signs relevant to his or her age.

For instance:

Children aged 0-2 years may also display reactions like poor verbal skills, memory problems, excessive temper, experience nightmares, etc.

On the other hand, children aged 3-6 years can face difficulties in learning as well as develop poor skill and learning disabilities, face problems in social interaction, may be unable to trust people and so on.

If this condition remains unattended or unresolved for longer, it may create personality issues and can deeply impact the individual's relationships, or equations in the society, as they grow up and even after they become adults. In fact, many behavioral problems can be traced back to childhood trauma.



What Causes Early Childhood Trauma? + How to Identify this Condition?

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?

Anger is a normal emotion. Children are as susceptible to anger as are adults. However, children may not understand how to deal with their anger properly. This can result in tantrums and violent behaviour. Telling a child not to get angry is not the solution to this problem. Instead, a child must be taught how to channelize his or her anger. Here are 5 tips that could help deal with aggressive behaviour.

Do not use physical punishments as a form of discipline: Children inculcate actions they see at home. While you may hit your child out of frustration when he or she does something wrong, the child may see this as an acceptable form of venting anger. Thus, hitting your child can indirectly reinforce a child s aggressive behaviour. Just as you do not expect your child to go about hitting other people, do not hit him yourself.
Develop a feeling vocabulary: A child s aggressive behaviour is usually the result of frustration at not being able to explain what he or she may be experiencing. Thus, encourage your child to develop a vocabulary to speak his mind. Teach them to use words like angry, frustrated, irritated and anxious. When your child says that he or she is angry, do not ignore him but encourage him to talk it out. You could also encourage them to find other creative outlets for their anger such as drawing and painting.
Praise good behaviour: All children seek appreciation. When your child deals with anger is a good way, praise him and reinforce the behaviour. This lets your child know that his behaviour is being noticed. Tell your child it is ok to be angry as long as it is dealt with in the right way.
Set firm limits: Children need limits to know what sort of behaviour is acceptable and what isn t. These limits should be kept very clear and consistent. The child s teachers and other caregivers should also be made aware of these rules along with the response to be given if the child breaks a rule. When a child does cross the limits set by you, they should be immediately reprimanded so that they understand their mistake.
Let your child cool off: It is no use trying to explain why something the child has done is wrong when they are in a state of anger. Instead, give them time to cool down by telling them to go to their room or sit down someplace. Once the child has cooled off, explain why his or her behaviour was wrong and discuss ways he or she could have dealt with the situation better. 

Aggressive Behaviour In Children - 5 Ways It Can Be Managed!

There are a number of conditions that may come to affect the delicate skin of newborn and growing babies. Some of them may be simple to diagnose and treat, while others may be slightly more serious. Intertrigo is an exceptionally normal inflammatory condition influencing those areas of skin that are naturally in contact with each other. For example, the groin, armpits and other skin overlays. These territories of skin that are in contact with each other are in contact to the intertriginous zones.

Infants and babies with intertrigo have red and sore skin in the folds of skin, under the neck, under the arm and in the nappy area. Dissimilar to nappy rash, the rash is most dangerous, if it is found inside the folds of the skin. In a nappy rash, the skin inside a fold is usually protected, but the rash is exceedingly bad in areas touched by the nappy.

In case you or your child has intertrigo, your doctor may propose just keeping the affected range dry and exposed to the air. You may control oozing of certain liquids with moist packs of an astringent called Burow's solution. Then air dry it and let it heal on its own.

The surface of the affected skin is exceptionally sensitive and hard. It should be dealt with delicately. Washing it with water can be difficult. Utilizing sorbolene to clean the skin might be a gentler option. Be careful so as not to rub the skin. Pat it dry softly and regularly. Keeping the skin fold as dry as possible is very helpful.

Creams or balms that shield the skin from dampness such as the ones that are utilized for nappy rash might be useful. Zinc creams, zinc and cod-liver oil creams can be helpful. Check with your doctor (drug specialist) for other valuable creams or salves. In case the rash is not improving or it is spreading, see your specialist as the contamination may require treatment. Thrush infections are normal. Utilizing a defensive cream like the ones used to counteract nappy rash are beneficial and effective.

Top Five Remedies For Intertrigo In Babies

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