Sexual abuse of children may sound very scary and degrading, but the truth is it is a very prevalent problem. As much we may not want to believe, the number of boys and girls who are sexually abused, and that too by close family and friends is very high. This may be difficult to digest, but is the truth. The sexual abuse in male and female children is 50% in each group which is again unbelievable but true.

What is considered child sexual abuse?

Child sexual abuse includes touching and non-touching activity. Some examples of touching activity include:

touching a child's genitals or private parts for sexual pleasure.
making a child touch someone else's genitals, play sexual games or have sex putting objects or body parts (like fingers, tongue or penis) inside the vagina, in the mouth or in the anus of a child for sexual pleasure.
The thing to ponder, however, is that people who abuse children have a deeper problem. This could be due to a combination of social and psychological issues that the person is facing. Often helping identify the underlying problem could be a solution to the problem too, but this is rarely done. If you think a child could be subjected to abuse, look out for the following symptoms.

A feeling of guilt or shame.
Irritability and anger with minimal reasons.
Mood swings, often uncommon in children.
Feeling very isolated and sad.
Very anxious and angry.
Symptoms of withdrawal, not wanting to be left alone.
Sleeplessness.
Fatigue and pain in the back, legs.
Loss of energy, appetite.
Bruises (look out for these, which may not be in visible areas).
How to handle?

Given the fact that the offender is in close family and/or friends circle, the suspicion levels are quite low.

The first step, therefore, is to open up and talk with either your parents or someone close.
Look for support groups which can be very helpful.
Do not be isolated though the urge is very strong.
Build a daily schedule to ensure your routine continues (studies, work, etc.).
Focus on exercise or other passions as they help you deviate your mind.
Be sure to not be alone with the offender, stay in a group.
Give out a strong message saying it is not acceptable, and do not keep quiet.
Homoeopathic remedies:

Homoeopathy can come rescue of the offender all well as the victim. If we see according to the point of view of who committed the crime, many reasons may come to the light and we can be treated accordingly. Usually, these criminals have a very painful and sad childhood. This could lead them to commit a crime like child abuse. 

The following are the medicines to treat such people with anti-social behaviour-

Aur.
Bar-C.
Hyoscyamus.
Stramonium.
Merc.
Tarentula.
Med.
Nux V.
Syphilinear.
There are certain homoeopathic medicines which are helpful in the treatment of children who are victimized. The most common symptom is nightmares.

Calc.carb. 
Aloes. 
Phosphorous. 
Cechris. 
Sepia. 
Staphysagria. 
For treatment for actual physical and mental symptoms of the victim child, following homoeopathic medicines may help:

Aconite. 
Ignatia. 
Arnica. 
Staphysagria. 
Calendula. 
Nat. mur. 
Homeopathy is a safe and effective way to treat the victims as well as the culprits of sexual abuse. It focuses on the way patients have reacted to events and the personality of the patient. It helps to bring complete harmony of physical, mental and social well being.

Sexual Abuse In Children

What is ADHD?

ADHD refers to attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, which is a brain-related condition found among preschoolers, children, teenagers and in many cases extends well into adulthood. These individuals have significant impairment in academics as well as social situations and interpersonal relations. The child has difficulty sustaining attention, phases of hyper activeness and cannot control his/her impulses which make their day to day life at school and home difficult.

ADHD Symptoms

The symptoms of this disorder among children can be categorized under three headings.

1.Hyperactivity which includes

- Fidgets often
- Restlessness
- Inability to stay at one place runs around and tries to climb things
- Trouble playing quietly
- Excessive talking

2. Inattention, which can be divided into symptoms like

- Getting easily distracted
- Tendency to loose things
- Daydreaming
- Facing problems related to organizing things
- Not listening carefully
- Forgetting about daily activities, carelessness

3. Impulsiveness

- Interrupts others as they speak and talks out of turn
- Answers questions without listening to what has been asked
- Not being able to wait for their turn to come

Prevalence :

10-12% of school children before puberty are affected by one or more types of ADHD. ADHD especially hyperactivity is more prevalent in boys than in girls, with the ratio up to 9:1. Inattention and poor concentration are more commonly seen amongst girls. The rate of ADHD in parents and sibling of children with ADHD is 5-10 times higher than in the general population.

ADHD Causes

The probable causes of ADHD among children are,

1. Neurodevelopmental changes - Poorly developed activity of the brain particularly in the areas that control attention and concentration cause ADHD. This causes an imbalance in the neurotransmitters or the chemicals important for brain functioning and development.

2. Genetic Factors - genetic studies show that ADHD is largely hereditary in nature with a heritability of 75% approximately.



What are the Causes and Symptoms of ADHD?

Diabetes is something which has become so common over the past few decades and this is said to be a cause of worry as most people don't understand how to prevent and manage it. This has led to some myths, gaining more than their fair share of popularity. So, wouldn t it be a good idea to get to know a little more so as to separate the myths from the facts?

Weight & watch: One of the most common myths when it comes to diabetes is the belief that a person is going to have his or her life adversely affected if he or she is overweight. While it is true that being overweight happens to be one of the risk factors related to diabetes, it is important to keep in mind the fact that there are other risk factors which are responsible, as well. Some of these factors are age and family history, as well as the ethnicity of the person. Taking this into account, it should not come as too much of a surprise to know that there are quite a few people who are not overweight, but are still fighting diabetes.
Packaged tricks: Considering the rise in the number of people who are suffering from diabetes, this has led to food being marketed specifically for their consumption. However, in reality, whatever represents a healthy diet is sufficient for a person who is diabetic. So a diet which does not have a high amount of saturated fats and trans fats and does not go overboard with starch and sugar, but features a fair amount of lean protein works well too. All the fancy diabetic food, which a person buys, is only likely to drive a great hole in the wallet and not have any additional health benefits. Therefore, the extra spending is nowhere close to being worthwhile and should be avoided.
Fruits punch: Many people are of the opinion that it is the processed and sugary food items, which cause diabetes and this is true to a significant extent. However, some people are of the view that since fruit is natural, diabetics can eat as much of it as they like. This is where the thinking gets dangerous. Some fruits are rich in carbohydrates and so it should be consumed in a reasonable quantity, as part of the daily meal plan. After all, too much of any good thing is bad!

Diabetes - 3 Myths Decoded!

Did you know that there are certain foods that increase your child's height naturally? Foods that are rich in essential nutrients such as Vitamins, Calcium, Zinc, Magnesium etc can prove to be highly instrumental in adding extra inches to your child's height. Read on...

1. Whole Grains - Whole grains are rich sources of Zinc, Magnesium and Vitamin B, which play a very vital role in promoting your child's growth during his/her budding years. Additionally, whole grains also contain calories and carbohydrates, which ensure the maintenance of proper weight in your child, imparting him/her with the requisite energy to go on throughout the day. Feed your child whole-grain breads, cereals and pastas to make him healthier and taller.

2. Milk - Milk contains calcium and Vitamin D, which help in bone development during the growing years of a child, besides increasing his/her physical strength. Milk also helps in assimilating different proteins making it one of the best foods to be consumed by your child for attaining a good height. Three servings of milk, or milk products such as cheese or yoghurt, each day will suffice your child's Vitamin D and calcium requirement.

3. Fruits and Vegetables - Fruits are excellent sources of Vitamin A, which is instrumental in ensuring an enhanced rate of bone growth in your child, consequently making him/her taller. You can include carrots, mangoes, sweet potatoes, spinach etc. in your child?s diet to aid his/her height growth. It's advisable to provide him/her with 3 to 5 servings of fruits and vegetables every day.

4. Eggs - To ensure that your child grows taller naturally, providing him/her with a protein rich diet is very crucial. Eggs contain ample amount of protein needed to keep your child energetic throughout the day and help him/her grow taller. One to two eggs per day is considered to be the ideal intake amount for a child.

5. Soybeans - Soybeans are rich sources of protein and help in enhancing the growth of bones and muscles of your child, which in turn adds to his/her height during the budding years. You can cook various soybean dishes or you can add ground soybean powder to the dough while making rotis to make soybean a part of your child?s diet.

Although a child's height is also dependent on his/her genes, a well balanced diet containing these super-foods will increase your child's chances of growing to the fullest to attain a good height.



5 Foods That'll Help Increase Your Child's Height Naturally

Parents sometimes tend to neglect their children due to various reasons. However, this negligence influences the children severely. It can affect the development, personality, relationship traits of the children. Every child needs care and love. Parents are naturally the closest people in a child s world. Negligence from the closest people can lead to destructive character traits in their personality.

1. Attachment problems: One of the primary and direct effects of parental negligence towards children can lead children to be less attached with family. If a child does not get the warmth and care from parents, he automatically detaches from the family bonding and even does not develop the love and compassionate feelings for the family. This pattern hardly changes over time, and it can even lead to problematic relationship of the child in the future. The child may not be able to be close to his own children later.

2. Brain development: Children are tender and sensitive, just like floral buds. Every stimulus has an action. For instance, a child who is affected by malnutrition suffers from weak neural cells. This can be a reason behind weak brain functions. The basic pillars of brain processes, that is, thinking and logical thinking, everything is affected due to parental negligence. It may lead to low level of self-confidence, depression, frustration, anxiety, troubled thoughts and emotional distortions.

Signs of parental negligence in children

1. Eating Disorders

2. Disrupted Sleep

3. Withdrawal from family bonding

4. Aggressive attitude

5. Bed wetting

6. Missing out school

7. Obsessive traits in behavioural patterns

8. Nightmares

9. Sudden change in attitude and behaviours

10. Depression

11. Violence

Every child seeks complete attention and love of his or her parents. However, parents may neglect them due to work stress, social obligations, personal problems and other such reasons. But parents should be considerate about the developmental barriers that could be posed due to this type of negligence. Some children also show eating habit changes, abusive attitude, violence or sometimes even plunge into complete isolation. While children require free scope to let their emotional and mental development boost with social activities, neglected children can withdraw themselves from social activities.

This means no friends, no social activity in life. This is a major reason for depression, suicidal attempts, deformed thought processes and misled lifestyle. As a parent, you can offer your optimum care and affection to your child to avoid such mental distortions, which can be avoided with love and warmth.

How Neglect from Parents Affects Your Child?

A genetic disorder, Down s Syndrome is caused due to extra genetic material during cell division. It is the faulty arrangement of chromosomes which results in the Down s Syndrome. It approximately affects one in 800 births around the world, across a wide spectrum of race, gender, region, and socio-economy. Since it is a naturally occurring condition whose underlying cause cannot be controlled or regulated, there is nothing one can do to undo this condition. Instead, people with Down s Syndrome, because they are generally socially and intellectually underdeveloped, are equipped with learnings and interventions related to life-skills from very early in life and striving towards making them independent. Various therapies can be incorporated for improving the overall quality of life of the people born with Down s Syndrome.

Occupational Therapy and Down s Syndrome -

Development of motor skills is delayed in the children born with Down s Syndrome. This is due to their certain physical characteristics like low muscle tone (hypotonia), loose ligaments or ligamentous laxity making the joints extra flexible, and decreased strength.

The aim of the Occupational Therapy for children born with Down s Syndrome is to facilitate or enable the development of movement patterns optimally, as against accelerating the rate of development which is a general assumption. It helps in achieving developmental milestones in an efficient manner. Occupational Therapy hence helps children in developing a good or correct posture, aligning their foot properly for proper balance and movement, improving their walking pattern, and helping them generally through developing fine and gross motor skills for carrying out daily activities.

Moreover, Occupational Therapy helps in teaching self-care skills like getting dressed, eating, toileting writing, using a computer, etc. For teenagers, Occupational Therapy helps in identifying suitable skills, careers, jobs, and vocations to match with strengths, capabilities, and interests. Sensory integration activities help in teaching the child to produce an appropriate response to any situation, and in developing attention and concentration.

Occupational Therapy Assessment -

Children with Down s Syndrome have delayed gross and fine motor skills, and lack basic cognitive and communication skills among many other issues they face due to their condition. Occupational Therapy addresses all these shortcomings of development for comprehensive management of the disease.

Occupational Therapy checks the sensorimotor components like muscular tone, strength, endurance, coordination, balance, range of motion, hand function, and posture. It also checks the perceptual and cognitive components like memory, attention, figure-ground, and directionality. For checking social skills, areas like peer relationship, verbal and non- verbal communication, and group interaction are assessed.

According to the assessment results, intervention strategies and fun activities are devised for the child to promote optimal function of motor senses.

Take Away -

Down s Syndrome cannot be cured but can be managed through methods like Occupational Therapy which helps in teaching basic life skills for making the patients confident and independent to face the world on their own.

Down Syndrome - Know How Occupational Therapy Can Help!

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