A mother s milk is said to be the most nutritious food for a new born baby. It contains the perfect balance of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals needed for your baby and changes to keep up with your baby s growing needs. However, the benefits of breastfeeding extend way beyond nutritional value. Breastfeeding is beneficial for both you and your baby. Ideally, a baby should be breastfed for at least the first six months. 

Here are 5 major benefits of breastfeeding.

Stronger immunity: Mother s milk is rich in antibodies and a number of unique compounds that help the newborn child s body fight bacterial and viral infections. No other form of baby food is as rich in these antibodies. Babies who have been breastfed have a lower risk of suffering from ailments such as ear infection, stomach upsets and respiratory problems. The first milk expressed by a woman s breasts after giving birth is known as colostrums. This milk coats the baby s digestive system and prevents the growth of harmful bacteria.
Fewer allergies: Breast milk is easier to digest than formula or cow s milk. This protects the gastrointestinal passages from inflammation and prevents undigested food from triggering allergic reactions. Being breastfed can also reduce the number of allergies a child may suffer from in their later years.
Healthy body weight: Breastfeeding makes a child less likely to suffer from obesity in their later childhood and adult years. This is because breast milk contains less insulin and more hormones as compared to formula. This helps regulate fat absorption. On an average, babied fed on formula put on weight quickly and are more likely to overeat in their later years.
Stronger bones: Breastfeeding is beneficial for both the child and the mother. When a woman is breastfeeding her child, her body s ability to absorb calcium increases. This helps increase bone density, especially as pregnancy can make bones weak.
Builds a strong mother-child bond: After 9 months of carrying a child to term, giving birth may lead to post partum depression and a mother may feel the connection between her and the child severed. Breastfeeding helps nurture this connection and provides emotional relief to both the mother and child. For the mother, this experience releases hormones that reduce stress and relax the body. For the baby, close physical contact is very important and this process provides the perfect opportunity to do so.

Breastfeeding - 5 Benefits of It!

ADHD, CDD, short-term memory loss, forgetfulness, insomnia and so many more terminologies we would have come across very often. They all seem to have evolved from a common origin and that is concentration issues. Have you pondered on these questions!! Why can t it be easy to concentrate? Why can t it be easy to remember everything? If yes, then read on to know more.
Concentrate! Focus! Pay attention! These are not just words but one huge and complicated process in itself. Many children and as well as adults often develop this issue wherein they find extremely difficult to concentrate.

Science behind concentration issues: When an individual performs a single task; for example reading a book, the image of what he is seeing hits the retina. From the retina, the nerve fibres carry the image to the brain which stimulates the brain cells to fire an action potential. The signal from here moves to the thalamus and proceeds to the visual cortex. This signal activates locus coeruleus which is a brain stimulant. It targets the particular area of the brain becoming the deciding factor as to how one responds to a stimulus, which in this case is an image. When there is deregulation of the locus coeruleus, it is then that a person develops disorders like ADHA, anxiety, depression, insomnia and others.

Factors influencing concentration:
Concentration is a skill that requires you to prioritize your senses while doing any work. It is an ability to block out distractions.

Dedication to the task
Interest in the task
One s ability to complete the task
Physical and emotional state
Conducive environment with few distractions.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and concentration deficit disorder (CDD)
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and concentration deficit disorder (CDD) are the two predominant concentration issues. The first one is more common among the children while the latter is observed in mostly the adults. Any individual with ADHD or CDD can show abnormalities in their behavior and social life.

ADHD individuals tend to be forgetful and face problems sticking to one task and may even display excessive fidgeting. CDD individuals tend to be lethargic, move slowly and have trouble in staying alert. Adults may become socially withdrawn and exhibit slow information processing.

Solutions for concentration issues:
Concentration issues require a lot of time to be overcome. You can try to figure out what causes the distractions and avoid them as much as possible by refocusing your mind only on what you are doing. You can give yourself timers which comprise of  distraction time  and  focus time . This strategy helps if one s mind is actively processing other things. You may also create subtasks by listing the things you need to do and then ruling out one by one once you accomplish them. Always breathe better and try for long inhalation and exhalation. This helps to bring down your anxiety levels which hinder the concentration.

Though the above-mentioned strategies are just to help you improve your concentration they are not the ultimate cure for any of the issues. Every individual is unique and sometimes accepting oneself can solve many complications as it reduces the need for unnecessary thinking. Always bear positive thoughts in your mind as it will act as a driving source.

Concentration Issue - How Can It Be Managed?

It is nightmarish when your babies have cough, congestion and stomach aches – and they happen often. The littles ones can't express very well, but as parents you might be able to figure out. Here are common and highly effective home remedies to these baby ailments.
 
1) COLD & COUGH : Honey is highly soothing for temporary cough relief. You can prepare a warm drink with ginger, honey, and lemon juice to drink before bedtime. The ginger and lemon soothe the throat, and the honey loosens up mucus and also acts as a gentle cough suppressant.  Don't give honey to babies ages one or under, though, due to the risk of infantile botulism. For the really little ones, a hot steam vaporizer usually does the trick. 
 
2) NASAL CONGESTION: A stuffy nose is an added challenge with babies and toddlers, as they can’t blow their nose. Prepare a solution of salt in lukewarm water, put this saline solution into the nose, then let your baby lie down for a while, and use the aspirator to remove the loosened mucus. This remedy is safe for babies as well as toddlers.
 
3) STOMACH UPSET/VOMITING:  Stomach aches or infections are the most difficult to get around and can be highly uneasy for the child. Try giving light liquids like dal/rice and vegetable stock, the best that works for everything is breat milk. If you can't breast feed, try to boil fennel seeds (sauf) in milk to make the baby's stomach feel better. 
 
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3 Must-know Home Remedies For Every Parent

Post pregnancy, your first priority is to lose the extra weight you gain during pregnancy. Even though it is important to get healthy and toned again, it is equally important that you do not skip on nutrients. Your body is now using all its resources to produce breastmilk for your baby. What you eat doesn t always affect the breast milk s quality, but you do need to eat the right things to stay healthy.

Here are some diet tips you can follow - 

1. Stop counting calories: Generally, women who breastfeed need to eat 500 calories more than women who aren t. In other words, you need to consume 2000-2500 calories every day. However, you don t need to count calories throughout the day. Instead, you should eat when you are hungry. Also, the right number of calories depend on how your metabolism works, your weight and how regularly you breastfeed.

2. Lose the weight slowly and steadily: Honestly, pregnancy weight takes at least a year to get rid of. So don t rush, and give in to crash diets to lose weight. A sudden weight loss and calorie drop can affect your milk supply. Instead, focus on losing 1 pound every week.

3. Choose healthy foods: Complex carbs, vitamins and good fats are important for a healthy diet, since you need the nutrition and durable energy to sustain not only yourself, but also the newest addition to your family.

4. Eat fish-but carefully: Fish such as salmon is good for you, since it contains DHA (Omega 3 fatty acids) which has an important role in the development of your baby s brain and eyes. Limit your consumption however, since maximum fish contain mercury, which in high amounts, can harm your child.

5. Take your vitamins: Don t stop taking your prenatal multivitamin and mineral supplements. Calcium, vitamin D and DHA supplements can enrich your diet and help you nurse your baby better.

Foods That Improve Breastmilk Supply-

Fenugreek
Oats
Brewer s Yeast
Alfalfa
Garlic
Fennel
Sesame Seeds
Nuts
Lactation Cookies

Nutritional Requirements For Healthy Breastfeeding!

Bronchitis occurs when the bronchial tubes become swollen due to an ailment or any kind of infection. These tubes are a part of the respiratory system and usually join the lungs. There are two types of bronchitis - acute bronchitis and chronic bronchitis. A virus or bacterium usually causes acute bronchitis. It shows up after a person has had a respiratory disease. The most common symptoms of this disease usually show up when a child has flu or cold. A blazing throat, a feeling of being sick and mucus draining from the sinuses usually describe the disease.

Homeopathy is a very effective treatment for bronchitis. In fact, it is the most effective treatment. Homeopathy has been successful in treating some exceptionally extreme cases of bronchitis. It functions admirably in both acute and chronic bronchitis. Here are a few treatments for acute bronchitis for kids that have proven to be beneficial over time:

Hepar Sulph is one of the best homeopathic medicines for bronchitis where a person experiences increased sensitivity to cold. Chilly air and exposure to the cold in any form is impossible to be tolerated by the patient. It energizes cough quickly. Hepar Sulph cures situations where even if a single part of the body is exposed to the cold like a hand or a foot, cough begins immediately.

Bryonia, on the other hand, is helpful in situations where a person feels extremely thirsty, yet may only have a few sips at a time. The mucous layers and the mouth become extremely dry. Even the cough is very dry in such cases. There is a pain in the abdomen and headache while coughing.

Pulsatilla is great in situations where the patient coughs up a lot of greenish or yellowish mucous. Cough is more irritable while resting and the person cannot rest or sleep because of the same. The patient is usually not at all thirsty in this situation.

Arsenic Album is one of the best homeopathic medicines for symptoms that include a feeling of weakness along with other signs of bronchitis. Extreme wheezing and cough increase after nighttime and makes it difficult for the person to sleep. Along with extreme weakness, restlessness may also occur. The patient feels parched and frequently drinks little quantities of water.

Antim Tart is useful when there is a lot of mucous in the abdomen and chest. Despite the fact that there is a lot of mucous in the abdomen, little is disposed off. Cough in this situation is aggravated while a person eats. However, Antim Tart tends to find relief from the same. Patients usually find it very hard to bring out the mucous in this situation.

Treat Acute Bronchitis In Kids With Homeopathy!

Cleft palate or palatoschisis is a common genetic abnormality that leads to a horde of problems and is presently a growing challenge to medicine practitioners. The major developmental stages affected due to this particular irregularity include feeding, speech development, dentition and maxillofacial growth which are rather important to the normal overall developmental pace of an individual. Even though the cleft palate deformity was defined centuries ago, no fixed management algorithm exists for patients suffering from the condition in the present day scenario.

Cleft palate may be successfully fixed using reconstructive surgery. Multiple specialists are involved in the reconstruction surgery including plastic surgeons, otolaryngologists, nutritionists, oromaxillofacial surgeons and speech pathologists. Some hospitals also consider psychological therapy for the patient and the family to help get through the emotional trauma and the issues faced due to developmental backlogs.

The treatment for cleft palate usually begins around 9 to 12 months of age. If left untreated, it may cause major deformities. It takes about some years before the whole procedure is completed although it depends on the type and severity of the deformity.

The process involves the administration of anaesthesia after which the palate repair closes the inner, middle and final layers and at the same time realigning of the palatal muscles in a technique called anintravelarveloplasty is conducted. This ensures that the muscles are adjusted in a normal position which facilitates the best functioning of the palate during feeding, swallowing and speaking. It is possible that the child might require more than one surgery to completely close the palate.

Some of the risks involved during the process include:
1. Abnormal reactions to the medications
2. Bleeding
3. Problems in breathing
4. Need for more surgery
5. Infection

Although complicated and time consuming, cleft palate must be given immediate attention to avoid serious developmental issues. The reconstruction surgery and therapy combined ensures a normal development for the child in the longer run, given the surgery was done at the correct time. The child would be required to remain at the hospital for about 5-7 days. Complete recovery takes a time period of 4 weeks. Keeping the wound of the surgery clean is of the utmost importance and it should not be strained.

How to Surgically Treat Cleft Palate

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