Baby bottle syndrome is a decay that affects the milk teeth in children who fall asleep with a bottle containing sugary drinks. Prolonged contact between the liquid and the surface of the teeth promotes the destruction of tooth enamel.

Causes and symptoms

The symptoms of baby bottle tooth decay are discoloration of the tooth (enamel), with the formation of yellow or black spots on the surface.

When a child falls asleep with a bottle containing sugary liquids such as milk, fruit juice, sugar water, or with a pacifier dipped in honey or syrup - bacteria present in the mouth, (streptococcus mutans to be precise) transform the sugar into lactic acid.

Normally, the saliva helps to neutralize this acidity, but its production declines during sleep. Thus, teeth are subjected to acid attacks that promote the formation of cavities. As milk teeth are weaker than permanent teeth, decay can be quick with enamel getting hit first, then dentin and finally the pulp in the centre of the tooth.

At this stage, the infection can spread rapidly to other teeth, causing significant pain when the dental abscess formation often requires removal of the damaged teeth.

Precautions

To avoid it, the first thing to do of course is to stop giving your child a sweetened drink at night or when putting the child for a nap. You should also brush your baby's milk teeth twice a day, especially at bedtime with a cotton swab and water and in a year - with a toothbrush and toothpaste.

In case, the teeth are already decayed or you have doubts about it (staining of the tooth that becomes pink or white can be the harbinger of decay), consult a paediatric dentist immediately. Decayed milk teeth may lead to deformation of the permanent teeth if not attended to immediately.

Causes and symptoms of Baby Bottle Tooth Decay

Play is an important way, through which a child learns about the world. Through playful activities, children learn to socialize and communicate with others, solve problems, and use language effectively. 

Play is a form of expression   it is fun and all-important to cognitive, social, physical, and even emotional development. Learning through play is gaining recognition as a way to improve social and communication skills in children.

What does a playful approach to learning mean?

Playful learning implies that when children engage in enjoyable activities that are meaningful and relevant, they are able to memorize things for longer and develop holistic skills at the same time for lifelong learning. This usually takes place in a setting where the child has opportunities to take risks, share their experiences with others, and imagine new things.

How does playfulness help while learning?

Children who are engaged in playful activities are empowered to use their strengths and take part in experiences that they find relevant to their interests. Internal motivation and self-efficacy is the key to the characteristics of playful learning. 

Research suggests that parents who respond to their child s playful behaviour   by describing, labelling, or asking questions about the events or objects that are of interest to the child   improve intellectual and communication skills in them. In turn, kids develop a large vocabulary arming them with the necessary skills that are needed to acquire to perform well in academics. 

Parents can take a playful approach by following these tips  

Allow your child to be creative   through music and art   and express his/her thoughts more clearly. Sit by their side and watch them learn using different colours, shapes, and forms. 

Encourage your child to play with puzzles, or paint a picture, as it will encourage their artistic skills

Find out what triggers a positive response in your child and what prompts disruptive, challenging behaviour in him/her

When you interact with your child, talking and listening, singing and reading together, you are helping them learn about spoken and written communication, language, as well as conversational skills, such as taking turns and listening. 





A Playful Approach To Enhance Communication & Social Skills In Children!

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?

Health advice for a breastfeeding mom

Breastfeeding mothers need to be conscious and aware of their diets. How the mother eats is how the child gets its nutrition. While they do not need any major changes from what they were eating during the pregnancy, a few adjustments are advised. A few basic adjustments in daily routine are enough. They are:

1. Eat very well - Eat a balanced diet to suit your health. Remember, first it is important to meet your nutritional needs. Only when you are eating well would the quality and quantity of your milk be ideal for your baby. Do not diet under any circumstance. We understand you wish to lose all the pregnancy weight soon, but remember, you child is your priority now. When you diet, your body will start drawing on its reserves. This will affect milk production. By dieting, you will also lack the amount of stamina you need to take care of your baby. Be aware that feeling extra hungry during breastfeeding is normal. Your body is working around the clock. Eat small meals at regular intervals to keep your hunger satisfied, your weight concern at bay and your body strong.

2. Don't count your calories - Not until you are breastfeeding. You need at least 500 calories more than you did when you were not breastfeeding. Don't let this shock you, your child will be feeding off you. There are other ways to regulate your weight and lose the extra pounds gained during pregnancy, do not compromise on food at all.

3. Do not rush to exercise - Consult your doctor and ask for suitable exercises for your body. You might have stitches which are yet to dry, so don't be hasty. Get your workout regime planned professionally and under guidance.

4. Do not avoid fats - Eat healthy foods and opt for good fats. Foods that are good for you and for milk production are a big yes. Foods which do not contribute in any positive way can be done without. They will only harm you in the long run.

5. Avoid alcohol - Stay away, and if you do want to indulge consult your doctor. An occasional drink is usually okay, still it is better you abstain altogether until you stop breastfeeding. And if you do have a drink, feed at least after two hours.

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Advice For A Breastfeeding Mom

Children have a more active life than adults which means they need to be fed every few hours for ensuring the intake of sufficient nutrients. It is advisable to avoid giving them sugary snacks like chips, biscuits or chocolates as they are high in saturated fats and low in nutrients. It is essential to give healthy snacks to your children that are rich in nutrients and keep them healthy.

Here are five healthy snacks that you can include in your children's diet:

1. Whole grain cereal
Whole grain cereal along with milk and fruits can be one of the healthiest snacks for your children as a bowl full of these contain vitamins and calcium. Whole grains also contain fiber which helps regulate the digestive system. In order to make it a tasty snack, you can add strawberries or sliced bananas to it, which will also add more flavors to it. You can also make oatmeal cakes which are delicious as well as healthy.

2. Smoothies
Children are fond of smoothies and milkshakes and you can make it healthier too. Use low fat yoghurt and blend it with frozen fruits like mangoes, pineapple or blueberries for a delicious treat. You can also make a milkshake with peanut butter and fruits which are packed with nutrients and fiber and experiment accordingly. Avoid making the smoothies sugary as they can be harmful for your child's health if they are consumed on a regular basis.

3. Cheese
Low-fat cheese is a healthy snack for children as it is rich in calcium and nutrients. Make it an interesting snack by but cutting cheese in fun shapes and making kabobs with fruits. You can also make healthy pizzas with vegetables like tomatoes, broccoli or bell peppers topped on whole grain pita bread. You can also make snacks out of salt-free pretzels which your child can have with low-fat cheese.

4. Healthy baked food
Sneak in the fruits and vegetables in the baked foods your kids love. You can make muffins with sweet potatoes which are rich in beta-carotene. You can also make banana bread which is a delicious treat for your kids. Moreover, crispy baked snacks out of oats and apples tossed together served with low-fat yoghurt on top can also be a good snack time idea.

5. Dry fruits
Dry fruits and unsalted nuts are really a great snack for your kids. You can serve raisin toasts to your children as they are rich in fiber and vitamins and more effective than other sugary snacks. You can make a creamy raisin mix and serve it with carrot sticks or sliced apples.


5 Healthy Snacks for Your Children

Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disorder that results in higher level of blood sugar in the body. It is assuming epidemic proportions and India has become the new diabetic capital with more than 50 million diabetic people. The main problem with diabetes is that it does not completely go away and there is a whole myriad of issues that it brings along with it. Heart attack, stroke, eyesight problems, delayed wound healing, nerve damage and impotence. Therefore, diabetes and by that we mainly mean blood sugar level has to be managed so that there is a delay in onset of the associated conditions and/or reduced in severity.

Ayurveda refers to diabetes as Prameha (excessive urination) and Madhumeha (sugary urine) and has identified close to 20 forms of the disease. According to Ayurvedic belief, each disease is caused due to imbalance in kapha, pitta, and vata doshas and diabetes is caused by all these, predominantly by kapha. With any stream of medicine, management of diabetes involves two tracks   one is lifestyle changes and the second is medications.

Lifestyle changes include the following:

    Diet: Reduce the amount of rice, sugar, potato, sweet fruits, maida, deep fried foods, and red meat. Protein-rich foods like lentils, soya, green leafy vegetables and fish should be increased. Diet plan should change to small, frequent meals instead of binge eating.

    Exercise: Include 30 minutes of regular exercise into your daily routine if you have a diabetic predisposition.

    Others: Avoid smoking and alcohol, ensure sufficient sleep, avoid sleeping during day time, improved foot and eye care, periodically check sugar levels and manage stress levels.

Medication

Ayurveda has a whole lot of home remedies which have proven to be very effective against diabetes:

    Jambhul: Eugenia Jambolana whether eaten raw or juice extract has been shown to have beneficial effects in managing sugar levels and cholesterol.

    Gymnema sylvestre: Used to manage diabetes for over 2000 years, it reduces sugar cravings and is being touted as the future for diabetes treatment.

    Bitter gourd (Momordica charantia): It has 3 components that give it strong antidiabetic properties. The charantin reduces blood sugar levels; the polypeptide has insulin-like effects; and lectin that again has hypoglycemic effects.

    Bel (Aegle marmelos): Also known as wood apple, leaves of the plant are shown to have antidiabetic properties. 5 to 10 leaves can be chewed on a daily basis to help control blood sugar levels.

    Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum graecum): Consuming 10 g of fenugreek seeds soaked in water increases the amount of insulin produced, thereby increasing sugar breakdown.

    Neem: Chewing about 4 to 5 leaves in the morning on an empty stomach helps to control blood sugar levels. Alternately, neem leaves powder is available which can be dissolved in water and consumed.


Diabetes - 6 Natural Remedies that Will Help You Manage it

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