Puberty is a time when a girl's body begins to define itself in more womanly terms. This is the start of a process that will usher in decades of sexual activeness and child bearing years. The changes that a girl goes through during this period can be quite challenging with a play of hormones as well as physical changes, such as growth of hair in private parts and the development of breasts, among various other changes. When these changes come at an early age, it can be all the more challenging to cope and comprehend the process. The onset of early puberty is something that is becoming more and more common with girls between the age bracket of 12 &amp; 13. How can you help deal with early puberty? Here's a list of tips!

1. Self-Image: One of the most important side effects of early puberty remains one's image of the self, as this phase in life is characterised by the most dramatic physical changes that can leave a lifelong effect on the girl's mind. The reinforcement of positive self-image to help the girl grow more comfortable in her skin despite the wide array of feedback she may be getting from sources outside the home, will help in creating a positive impact on a lifelong basis.

2. Doubts: This is a time when the child goes through a number of doubts regarding looks and appearance as well as how well she may be able to cope with the onset of the new process. As parents, the best thing to do is to let the child explore this terrain even as you remain firmly in the background for hand holding when the child asks for it. This will help the girl become even more confident to take life's decision more efficiently and seriously.

3. Talking About It: The best thing to do is to talk things out. Once you start seeing the changes in the girl's appearance by way of hair growth and sudden sprouting of breasts and height, it is important to understand that puberty may be close by. So have a talk about menstrual cycles and the changes that the child will be seeing soon. This will help in mentally preparing the child and giving her the leeway to ask questions that you can answer over a period of time.

4. Opposite Sex: It would also be beneficial to discuss the changes in the behaviour of boys towards her, as this will help her blossom into a more confident lady in the years to come.

Remember to love and support your child through this important milestone of her life, as the way you reach can have a lasting impact on her.

How to Deal with Early Puberty

Conjunctivitis is a medical condition that is marked by redness in the eyes owing to the inflammation of the conjunctiva, which is the membrane covering the white part of the eye. The condition is further characterized by the discharge of yellowish pus fluid from the corner of the eye. This condition, which is essentially an infection, can occur to people of all age brackets. 

Causes and Symptoms 

Conjunctivitis can be caused due to several reasons namely allergies, irritants, bacterial and viral infections, among others. Apart from the redness in the eye, some other apparent symptoms of conjunctivitis are: 

    Thin and watery discharge in viral conjunctivitis 
    Thick, mucous like discharge ranging from yellow to green in case of bacterial conjunctivitis
    Sticky eyelids
    Increased reactivity to light 
    Blurred or foggy vision
    Nasal discharges 

It is difficult to distinguish between viral, allergic and bacterial conjunctivitis. Different fields of medicine prescribe treatments according to the cause of the condition. Although subtle differences, such as thick and thin discharges can be observed, in Homeopathy the cause is not that important. 

Homeopathic medicines are natural and highly effective. The medications, which are prescribed in Homeopathy can more than manage the discharges, swelling, the sandy sensation and redness in the eyes. Homeopathic medicines are effective when the condition causes the eye to get dry, red, congested and swollen. Bathing the eyes with sterilized salt water is also a popular method of treating the infection. In addition to these, Homeopathic doctors also provide tips to curb the likelihood of further complications. Removing your contact lenses while treatment and cleaning your spectacles on a regular basis, if you wear any, are duly recommended.

Treating Conjunctivitis With Homeopathy

A loss of tooth or teeth is one of the biggest dental problems that someone can face. The irony is that people consider loss of teeth to be very insignificant. But in reality loss of teeth can lead to not only cosmetic problems, but also functional problems and an unstable chewing mechanism.

Loss of teeth can lead to many problems. Some of them are:
1. Supra eruption of opposing teeth
2. Compromised efficiency of chewing
3. Adjacent teeth might drift into the space created by missing teeth
4. Food tend to accumulate between teeth, which have moved
5. Food accumulation also leads to periodontal disease and caries
6. A lopsided chewing pattern as there is loss of equilibrium in the mechanism of chewing
7. The extracted area might reveal a loss of bone height
8. Problems of the temporomandibular joints, like closed bite and tmj osteoarthritis
9. The existing functional teeth might lead to problems due to overload
10. There are increased chances of cheek biting due to collapse of the cheek in the missing space, thus leading to functional and cosmetic problems
11. The frequency of tongue biting and ulceration might increase in the area of missing teeth or tooth
When missing teeth are replaced, one can easily restore the healthy look of the teeth and also prevent any other dental problems which are due to the missing teeth.

While replacement of the missing teeth it is of utmost importance that the equilibrium is maintained with the distribution of the forces caused by chewing. Care is also taken that the cosmetic outlook is also maintained in the treatment. 

Ideally the teeth when extracted or lost should be immediately replaced. This is because the replacement prevents the bone resorption or bone loss in the area and also retains the good bone. But a drawback is that such an immediate replacement might lead to limitation. Immediate treatment is usually done with the help of implants which easily fit in the sockets created by extraction. But even for this an analysis of the bone and gum health is necessary, thus leading to only a few instances for such replacements. Other alternative is that immediate removable dentures can be prepared and these can be replaced once the gums of the area have healed. The time period for this is usually 3 months. If these need to be fixed permanently then a waiting period of 3 months is mandatory for the settling and healing of the gums and bone of the area.

The 3 basic ways of fixing missing teeth are through implants, fixed bridgework (bridges and crowns) and dentures, which can be removed.

Missing Teeth and Problems Associated With It

Cradle cap is a slick, yellow scaling or crusting on a child's scalp. It is regular in children and can be effortlessly treated. Cradle cap is not a part of any ailment and does not indicate poor care of the child. It is the usual development of sticky skin oils, scales, and sloughed skin cells. It is not harmful to your child and generally leaves by an infant's first birthday. Some of the recommended ways to treat cradle cap are listed below:


Baby shampoo: Shampoo might be the absolute best approach to treat cradle caps in babies. Regular shampooing can get rid of a flakey scalp and make it a smooth one. Abstain from getting the shampoo in your child's eyes. In case you are uncertain about using it, ask a doctor or specialist for guidance. Do not utilize shampoos that contain groundnut oil or shelled nut oil on children under five years of age.
Olive oil: Olive or almond oil is regularly used to heal cradle cap. Try rubbing it on the infant s hair and give it a chance to sit for some time, then delicately rub with a soft toothbrush. 
Coconut oil: Every mother uses coconut oil for many reasons. It is the most effective treatment. It smells astounding as well. Put a little on your child's head every evening and wash it over the next morning with an infant brush. 
Vaseline: A considerable number of mothers use Vaseline. Apply it on the hair around evening time and by morning, the cradle cap will be a little improved.
Fine-toothed comb: This is a lice brush and is very useful. However, with a little oil, this is most likely one of the least demanding and quickest approaches to evacuate those flakes. 
Shea butter: Applying Shea butter on the scalp is a great approach. Rub it on the hair, then brush it off gradually. It brings about the ideal result, as indicated by a few mothers. 
Home treatment is normally all that is required for support. Here is how one needs to do it:
An hour prior to shampooing, rub your child's scalp with infant oil petroleum gel to lift the coverings and flakey scales. 
Before applying the shampoo, first get the scalp wet, then tenderly rub the scalp with a delicate swarm brush (a delicate toothbrush would work too) for a couple of minutes to remove the scales. You can attempt to tenderly remove the flakes with extreme attention to detail. 
At that point, wash the scalp with baby shampoo, flush well, and tenderly towel dry. 
In case that your child's cradle cap gets to be swollen or infected, a course of anti-infection agents or an antifungal cream or cleanser such as ketoconazole might be recommended by a specialist. A gentle steroid cream such as  hydrocortisone may likewise be suggested for an irritant rash.

Infant Cradle Cap - How You Can Get Rid of Them?

A missing tooth can be responsible for causing different health issues. Along with these, a person loses his ability of chewing with missing teeth, develop problems related to speaking and his overall facial appearance also gets affected.

In case of a missing tooth or several missing teeth, it is best advised to get dentures fitted. Dentures are false teeth, which are fitted in the oral cavity in place of lost natural teeth.

Here are several reasons why it is important to fill up a missing tooth:
1. Shifting of tooth: when a tooth is lost, the surrounding teeth start drifting or moving in the open gap where the lost tooth used to be. The surrounding teeth are shifted out of the alignment. This affects the appearance of your face, and your teeth seem crooked and misplaced. It is necessary to replace a missing tooth with dentures in order to restrict the shifting before it is too late.
2. Tmj syndrome: after a tooth is lost and the surrounding teeth start shifting, the alignment is changed. This gives rise to problems with biting and creates issues with the jaws. The upper jaw and the lower jaw fail to meet correctly, and this causes strain and damage to the jaw joint. This phenomenon is called tmj syndrome.
3. Decay of tooth and gum diseases: after the shifting of surrounding teeth when a tooth is lost, the teeth alignment changes. This makes it difficult for a person to reach several areas in the gum with a toothbrush or floss. This makes plaque and bacteria accumulate in that area and they cannot be reached or cleaned. Tooth decay and gum diseases or periodontal diseases that are likely to affect those spots. These diseases and disorders cause further tooth loss.
4. Alteration in facial appearance: a missing tooth should be replaced properly and a dentist must make sure that the root of the missing tooth is removed. In case the root is not removed totally, bone deterioration is likely to occur. Bone loss occurs in the jaw area, and this may result in a change or alteration in your facial appearance. A timely replacement of a missing tooth will prohibit bone loss from the jaw area, and you will be saved from any kind of alteration in your facial appearance, which might affect your looks and self-esteem greatly.

A missing tooth should never be ignored and in case you lose a tooth, you should see a dentist as soon as possible. By filling up a missing tooth, you will be able to save yourself from several issues related to the mouth and gums.

Why to Fill Up a Missing Tooth?

If your child has become increasingly addicted to sweets and other sugary items, this addiction can lead to certain behavioral problems (like mood swings, irritability, anger, etc) in children. Moreover, a high sugar intake can lead to your child falling prey to serious diseases and conditions, including diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular diseases. 

Here's what you can do to break your child's indulgent habits and wean him from ill-health causing culprits like cakes, ice creams, candies, chocolates and rich and creamy desserts etc.

1. Practice what you preach -
In order to develop healthy eating habits in your child, it is imperative for you as a parent to lead by example. When it comes to weaning your child from sugary foods and sweets, you yourself should limit your intake. So, if you tell your child to avoid sweets but love sweets yourself, you'd be setting a bad example by eating them yourself and not letting your child have them. The best thing to do is to be a role model to your child as children learn everything from their parents. 

2. Curb consumption of sugar by deferring intake to a later date -
Instead of depriving your child completely, it would prove to be more useful to tell them that they could have sweets on some other day. This is because if you deny him his indulgence, your child would invariably go on an eating spree the moment an opportunity arises. A study on a group of restrained eaters and non-diet individuals revealed that restrained eaters were found to consume more food than the non-dieting individuals. Not knowing when they could have their favourite foods again, they went on an eating spree.
Make frequent yet small offerings of sweets while explaining to him the importance of moderation and why he/she shouldn't overindulge but space out sugar intake.

3. Try the 90/10 rule - 
Teaching older children the 90/10 principle is another sure-shot way of breaking your child?'s addiction to sweets. The rule calls for 90% of the diet to be made up of healthy food with the remaining 10% being devoted to foods your child wants to indulge in such as junk food, sweets or foods with high sugar content. The total calorie intake that arises from consumption of about 10% or 1-2 fun foods is only about 100-200 calories everyday. 

4. Present your child with healthy alternatives to sugary items -
The next time your child wants to indulge in his sugar craving, instead of giving a processed sugary food, give healthier sweet foods like dates, honey or a fresh sweet fruit. 



4 Excellent Ways to Break Your Child's Addiction to Sweets

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