There is always a sense of anxiety, whenever we tend to start off with something new, as people are resistant to change. It is more so in the case of young children. School refusal refers to the refusal of children to attend school as a result of emotional distress. This school refusal can wreak a kind of havoc on families.

Elaborate on symptoms a little more and causes

Symptoms

There are certain symptoms related to the refusal of children to attend schools. They include:

Often it comes in the form of tantrums
Frequent complaints of stomachaches, vomiting, nausea, exhaustion, headaches or diarrhea
There could be loud meltdowns in an overwhelming manner, which include their refusal to leave the house, running down the street to avoid getting inside the car or on the school bus
Children might even become aggressive and lash out at their parents with physical blows
Child feeling fearful of being alone in a room or dark


Causes

Some of the primary causes include:

It arises out of students having a feeling of separation from their parents and homely atmosphere, hence, leading to anxiety
It comes out of an emotional attachment which children tend to have with their parents, especially mothers
Children tend to feel scared with the thought of getting into an unknown atmosphere all of a sudden.
Consistent fear of criticism, ridiculing, confrontation or punishment by the teacher or any other person in the school
Having learning difficulties
Being afraid of qualifying the tests
Not feeling comfortable with school activities like singing, playing or attending school assembly
Fear of being ridiculed due to appearance, clothes, weight, etc.
Fear of being bullied by a class or schoolmate
How Can Children be Helped to Get Rid of this Problem?

The ideal treatment to help all those children struggling with school refusal includes a team approach. It will be beneficial to have a strong team which includes the class teacher, family and if possible, a mental health professionals. The steps include:

1. Assess: The very first step is to complete medical and psychological examination. Given the fact that school refusal is usually linked to an underlying anxiety or depressive disorder, it is necessary to get to the root of the problem and begin there. This would include both family and teacher questionnaires for interviews.

2. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: This is a very structured form of therapy, which helps children to identify their maladaptive patterns of thought and also learn replacement behaviours. It would help children to confront and work through their anxiety.

3. Desensitization in a Systematic Manner: Those children who struggle with school refusal, need a graded approach to return to school. They can return for a some increased amount of time and then gradually build upon it.

4. Training for Relaxation: This is extremely essential for all those children who struggle with anxiety. Some of the relaxation strategies include deep breathing, guided imagery and mindfulness, which kids practice at home and also utilize in school.

5. Plan for Re-entry: The treatment team even creates a plan to help children re-enter the classroom. The plan includes contingencies to help the student during anxious moments throughout the day.

6. Routine and Structure: Children who are anxious can even benefit from routines at home that are predictable. Establishing healthy sleeping habits and a regular sleep cycle during holidays and on weekends can yield positive results.

School Refusal - Symptoms, Causes & Treatments Of It!

Being a mother is the greatest gift to womankind. With the most amazing feeling of being a mother, comes big challenges and responsibilities. The first and foremost being, keeping the baby safe and healthy. Providing babies their best start begins with breastfeeding. Doctors around the world recommend exclusive breastfeeding to begin within the first hour of a baby s life and continue until six months.

A mother s milk has no substitute. It is packed with amazing nutritional benefits, the absence of which can lead children at risk of malnutrition and various diseases. Breast milk is often being termed as complete food with added antibodies, enzymes, hormones and fatty acids extremely vital for a delicate immune system of an infant. Babies build their immunity in the first few years of their life and breast milk is critical to developing immunity.
UNICEF working on child s rights and well-being world over promotes breastfeeding schemes across many countries. 

According to UNICEF reports, a non-breast fed child is 14 times likely to die within first six months than an exclusively breastfed child. An estimated 8,20,000 children under the age of five could be saved each year with increased breastfeeding. However, Only 38% of infants globally are breastfed. Looking at India s state, Malnutrition continues to be one of the greatest challenges. One cost effective, safe and smart intervention to curb malnutrition and decrease infant mortality is breastfeeding.

Let s now look at the benefits of breast milk for infants and mothers:

Breast milk is found to reduce the risk of respiratory tract infections, diarrhea, asthma, food allergies, leukemia, diabetes and celiac disease.
Psychologists have long established the positive effects of mother s touch in the emotional development of babies. In addition to this, breastfeed has positive effects on child s cognitive development.
Breastfeeding has amazing benefits for mothers. It is found to aid weight loss post pregnancy. It promotes better uterus shrinkage and delays menstruation. Lactating mothers naturally avoid pregnancy till they breastfeed. It reduces the risk of breast cancer, cardiovascular disease and rheumatoid arthritis later in life.
Considering the benefits of this super natural milk, many countries have now adopted an international code of marketing of breast-milk substitutes. The code promotes breastfeeding and restricts marketing of infant formula milk. India along with many other countries signed it.
India has also begun with a baby friendly hospital initiative where hospitals educate new mothers regarding breast feeding and strictly discourage infant formulas wherever possible. The myth of feeding newborn babies with honey, water, sugar does more harm than good. Thus, it is vital to exclusively breastfeed the baby at least for six months before introducing other foods. 

Ensure your child s right to a healthy life through breastfeeding!

Breastfeeding - Its Benefits for both Mother and Baby

Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic disorder that is known to affect some of the vital organs of the body including the lungs, digestive system to name a few. For long it was believed that cystic fibrosis affects a person in their childhood. However, various research and studies suggest that adults are also susceptible to this inheritable disorder. In this article, we will discuss the cause and symptoms associated with cystic fibrosis.

Cause
The epithelial cells that line the stomach, nasal cavity and lungs, are responsible for the production of the digestive fluids, sweat, tears, mucus. The Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR) gene codes for a protein called the CFTR protein. The CFTR protein, a membrane protein plays a pivotal role in transporting the chloride ions of the epithelial cells inside and out of the cell. This regulation of the chloride ions goes a long way in ensuring that the mucus produced is free-flowing and thin.

In the case of Cystic Fibrosis, the CFTR gene that codes for the protein undergoes a mutation. With the CFTR protein unable to perform its function, sticky and thick mucus builds up and clogs some of the major systems of the body including the digestive system, reproductive, and respiratory system. There is also a higher salt content in the sweat of the affected person.

For a person to be affected by cystic fibrosis, he/she must inherit a copy of the mutated CFTR gene from both the parents ( Autosomal Recessive Disorder) at birth.

Symptoms
The symptoms associated with cystic fibrosis depends on the organs and systems affected.

The thick mucus formed can clog the digestive tract resulting in incomplete absorption of the essential nutrients from the food. This may have an impact on the overall growth and development of the body.
- There may be stunted growth or no weight gain.
- The stool may appear greasy and foul smelling. Some may also suffer from constipation.
- Newborns and infants may suffer from an intestinal blockage.
Cystic fibrosis, left unattended can lead to diabetes, intestinal blockage or obstruction.
- The mucus can also block the bile duct triggering a host of problems including liver disorders.
- At times, the obstruction or blockage can occur at the junction where the large and the small intestine meets (Distal intestinal obstruction syndrome).
The thick mucus can also affect the lungs and the respiratory system by blocking the tubes that act as a passage carrying the air inside and out of the lungs. As a result,
- A person may suffer from lung infections frequently.
- There may be difficulty in breathing, stuffy and blocked nose, or wheezing.
- Some people may also suffer from a chronic cough with a thick sputum.
Left untreated the complications can worsen resulting in

Nasal polyps, Chronic infections, Hemoptysis (there is blood while coughing), and Pneumothorax (air fills up in the space bifurcates the chest wall from the lungs).

In severe cases, there may be a respiratory failure.

Cystic fibrosis can also trigger fertility problems (both in males and females).

Cystic Fibrosis- Causes and Symptoms!

As a parent, we all love our children deeply. And most of us will agree that these days parenting is very demanding and exhausting instead of pleasurable and joyous process. What has changed? It is not that children are any different. The difference is in the environment around them with stronger social influences; and this also affects the way we parent. In today's more democratic and egalitarian world; 'Do as I say and not as I do' style of parenting does not work. But, 'I will do as I see you doing' phrase from kids define our parent child relationship.

With change in social environment and influence, our strategies for correcting their behaviour and impart discipline has to undergo adaptation! When there are so many confusing and conflicting signals reach to our kids from their environment, whether we like it or not, we are still their role models. How positive parenting style will help? The core principle of positive parenting is to accept your child as an individual. We are in a democratic society and family is a small yet important part of society. Democracy does not mean allowing disrespectful and irresponsible behaviour; rather to effectively help kids change their behaviour and create harmonious and cooperative relationship with them. It also means that we as a parent need to learn to think, act and react in a different way.

Through, positive parenting, you will learn respectful disciplining methods, which would work better than demanding compliance. Through these principles and tips you will get your child to listen without screaming, nagging, reminding or evoking rebellious behaviour. More importantly this is all about building stronger relationship bond with your children and nurture them through early childhood to teen age years as they become independent, responsible, capable, kind, happy and successful young adults.

Tips to get you started:

1. Everyone deserves to be treated with respect and dignity, including children.

2. When your kid misbehaves instead of shouting or hitting, control your anger and respond in a calm and respectful way. Calmer but firmer tone and lower voice, yet not giving into their repeated demand, is much more effective as a discipline tool compare to nagging.

3. Understandable that you have a lot on your plate, such as work, managing and keeping the home in order, managing meals and other outside responsibilities, kids sports or extracurricular activities, family obligations and so on. It is easy to get lost in all these 'have to do' activities. Parenting shouldn't be just one more task to deal with. Reconnecting with your parenting goals and aspirations periodically will help take the stress out of it and add fun into it. Spend some time daily (10 minutes will do as well!) to just listen and enjoy your child (without correcting them or giving them suggestion to improve!).

4. Let your love for them be the driving force. Shift your internal conversations from 'have to' to 'Want to'. As you do enormous things for your child each day, think how you are supporting their ambitions. How you are helping them become independent and strong. How you are nurturing qualities like compassion and deep listening by extending yourself.

5. Give promises and keep them. As your children grow they need much more than your words to trust and rely on you. Keeping your promises, letting them know if you need to change the plan, taking their opinion in appropriate matter will go a long way.

6. Seek to understand and do not impose yourself on your child. Especially when they are in their teenage, as a parent you have lot of worries, you are afraid of them making mistakes and of course you want to protect them from vices. Listening to them while keeping your focus on genuinely understanding them is the only way to go, when they know you understand them and they can trust you, the street between both of you turns two way street! They will be open to your wisdom and suggestion when they are at the cross road.

7. Last but not the least, 'be a role model'. Don't preach. If they see you disrespecting others, they will not respect you. If they see you hooked on your smart phone; that is their license to keep theirs in front of their eyes 24/7. If you are hooked in front of the TV till late night and haven't picked up a book in last 6 months. Advice about reading is going to fall on dumb ears. In short, be the change you want to see in your children.

8. Have family nights at least once in a week, play cards, board games or go for a walk together. Talk and listen. Just be there and listen without judgement and criticism, without thinking about how to correct them. Just enjoy each other's company and see how they are changing their opinion about you. Positive parenting doesn't mean you will never have problems in your family. You will? if you are alive and growing family. Positive parenting style will open up the avenues to keep communication alive; it will open your children to your influence. Isn't it something that we all wish for!!

Positive Parenting

Necrotizing enterocolitis is a disease that causes inflammation of the tissues present in the intestines and results in damaged tissues. It initially affects the inner lining which ultimately results in thickening of the intestine. It may also lead to a hole in the abdomen resulting in bacteria entering the intestine, thus resulting in infection.

Symptoms-
The symptoms of necrotizing enterocolitis are:

You may experience symptoms of bloating in the abdomen
The abdomen may be discolored
You may experience diarrhea and vomiting
You may not feel hungry
There may be presence of blood in your stool
You may have a fever and constantly feel lethargic
Causes-
Lack of blood and oxygen in the intestine causes it to become weak and increases the chances of necrotizing enterocolitis. It may result if oxygen levels drop during a difficult delivery. If the intestines are weak, then they are at a higher risk of getting infected by bacteria. If you have an excessive supply of blood cells in your body or other stomach condition, then it may lead to this disease.

Diagnosis-
Usually the doctor conducts a physical exam to detect the symptoms of this disease. If babies are born with this condition, then they may suffer from weak immune system and problems in blood circulation. The doctor may also recommend x-rays to get detailed images of the intestine in order to probe for symptoms of inflammation and damage.

Treatment-
The treatment of the disease depends on few factors such as:

The child's age
How far has the disease progressed?
Health of your child
It is recommended to stop breastfeeding. Feed the baby through intravenous methods. The doctor may also recommend antibiotics and oxygen support if the child has breathing problems. In severe cases, the child may require surgery to treat this disease.

If the treatment occurs early, then the child may recover. However, complications such as a narrow and damaged bowel may persist. This may cause problems in nutrient absorption in the intestine leading to other disorders.


All About Necrotizing Enterocolitis

4 Simple ways to lose your baby weight naturally

Having a baby brings about a number of changes in your life, including a change in the way you look. The nine months see you putting on additional weight, which you try to shed off once you deliver. To help you get back into shape, here are some very effective and simple ways that you can follow:

Losing weight doesn't mean you need to get started on a vigorous exercise regimen; even a simple walk around your apartment block can help you to lose your baby weight. Whether it's going up and down the stairs for 15 minutes or pushing the stroller for about 30 minutes, such activities can bring your body's calorie-burning capacity back on track.

Breastfeed to burn about 600-800 calories everyday

Breastfeeding is not only good for your newborn but also for you. Breastfeeding your child can help you to lose weight considerably as it's a great way of burning off all the baby fat.

Lift weights to speed up your body's metabolism

Lifting weights can aid in improving your body's metabolism, thereby helping you to lose your baby weight effectively. By adding weight training to your fitness regimen, you're in fact helping yourself to build muscle mass and losing weight in the process. To do this, you don't need any gym equipment, for instance, you can do lunges while taking your baby around in a stroller. Or do them while holding your child close to your chest.

Always snack healthily

Having healthy snacks in place of high-calorie sugary foods can help you to get back your post-pregnancy shape. Studies show that yogurt and low-fat milk can help in weight loss as the calcium content present in these two foods block a hormone that assists the body in storing fat. Moreover, consuming foods high in fiber like raisins and figs can help in improving your digestion.

Get adequate sleep

Sleeping is another way in which you can shed off those extra kilos. Try to sleep whenever you get the time as it'll help to keep you from binging on junk foods as well as keep your energy levels in check.



4 Simple ways to lose your baby weight naturally

Don't wait any longer, manage your Pediatrician online with a Lybrate doctor today

Consult for Pediatrician - Online and Easy!

FilterClear All

COMMON SPECIALITIES

COMMON ISSUES