R K Hospital

At a young age, it is fairly common to be afraid of math. The rational nature of numbers, multiplication tables, addition, subtraction and all that in between can admittedly be a tough thing to get on with at a tender age. But in most of the cases, this difficulty tends to improve as one attains maturity. This can be attributed to a growing familiarity with the subject and a subsequent change in the way of understanding certain things. But if your child suffers from a problem with understanding math even at a grown age, chances are he/she might be suffering from Dyscalculia- a special type of learning disorder that is characterized by a person’s inability to grasp the concepts of math or the very concept of numbers itself.

Dyscalculia generally occurs due to genetic factors. However, it is also possible to encounter this disorder if your child had suffered from significant brain injury in the past or have problems with remembering things. It is also possible to have this disorder, if your child is already suffering from Dyslexia ( a learning disorder which makes your child unable to read or understand written words).

The symptoms of Dyscalculia are as follows:

1. Inability to recognize numbers and significant trouble while counting.
2. Significant problems while performing basic additions, subtractions or divisions.
3. Facing problems with how to use money or telling time.
4. The problem with memorizing mathematical formulae or tables.
5. Your child might be unable to discern exactly how to approach a math problem.
6. Your child will be increasingly reluctant to go to a math class or feel tensed before math examinations.
7. Inability to understand the basic functionality of numbers.

It is extremely important to remember that having this disorder does not necessarily mean your child has a bad academic record on the whole. Since this disorder can cause significant problems in the future for your child in terms of dealing with things in the real world, you should be extremely sensitive regarding its treatment.

The treatment of Dyscalculia might include:

1. You should encourage your child more and more if they tend to get immensely frustrated with their math problems. If possible, try to help your child with his/ her homework.
2. Strike a healthy relationship with your child. Make him realize that not being able to grasp the concept of numbers is not the end of the world. Explore his other skills. That might boost his lost confidence and might encourage him to approach math in a more efficient manner.
3. You should try to make your child learn how to tell time or use money with little home exercises. If possible, try to make him learn the basic of math with daily activities like counting the number of flowers while walking down the streets.
4. You must consult a specialist who will make your child learn numbers by following different modes other than writing. For example, the specialist might read a math problem to your child in order to make him understand the problem. 

Childhood obesity is a serious condition plaguing many adolescents and children these days. Obesity brings along with it a plethora of health scares such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes, all of which at a point of time were confined only to adults. Obesity in children also results in depression and self-esteem issues. Too much of calorie consumption accompanied by a sedentary lifestyle and other hormonal or genetic factors contribute to obesity in children.

Overcoming Childhood Obesity-

1. Healthy Eating: Consider opting for vegetables and fruits over high-calorie and fatty foods such as crackers, cookies or other processed foods. Cut out on the intake of sweetened beverages that makes your child too full to grab other healthy foods. Encourage sitting together for a family meal and initiating interaction rather than turning on the TV or other electronic gadgets. Allow your child to decide his/her proportion of food and never over feed. This habit should be inculcated in the child since the formative years.

2. Engaging in Physical Activity: Make sure and talk your child into not spending more than two hours sitting glued to the TV set or the computer on a daily basis. Rather, egg him/her on to go out in the open and enjoy the day underneath the sun. Try and start building in your child the habits of exercising and staying active right from the beginning. This will go a long way in deciding your child’s health and overall fitness in the future. Remember! Morning shows the day. And it’s up to you to structure out your child’s ‘morning’.

Quick Tips For Parents-

Encourage:

1. Play time or physical activities in ways that your child enjoys, such as going for a walk or hike, playing at the park, playing sports, dancing or going for a bike ride (and join them!)

2. Healthy home-packed lunches

3. Drinking more water and eating whole vegetables

4. Eating when you are truly hungry, not when you’re bored, mad, stressed, etc.

5. Eating together as a family

6. Decreased meal sizes

7. Focus on health rather than taste

Discourage:

1. Too much screen time

2. Eating while watching TV or other screens

3. Eating out

4. Negative food cues and triggers by removing them

5. Skipping meals if you are hungry

6. Eating if you are not hungry

7. Eating by the clock (you should eat when you’re truly hungry)

8. Too much sugary drinks (sodas and fruit drinks)

The hip joint is a ball and socket joint made up of the round head of thigh bone (femoral head) with the cup shaped socket (acetabulum) of the pelvis and Perthe’s Disease is an affliction of the hip joints in growing children. It is much more common in boys than girls, and occurs most commonly in children aged between 4 to 10 years. The cause of this problem is still unidentified.

In Perthes disease, changes affect the femoral head which can be seen on X-ray. These changes occur in three stages over 18 months to 2 years:

1. The blood supply to part of the femoral head is disturbed, causing loss of bone cells.
2. Softening and collapse of the affected bone
3. Re-establishment of the blood supply, repair and remodeling of the femoral head.

Limping is the most common symptom. The limp may become more persistent and pain may develop. Examination of the child by the orthopaedic surgeon generally shows restriction of hip movement. The nature of Perthes disease is variable. Severity depends on the child’s age, and the extent of femoral head involvement. Older children, girls, and those with greater involvement of the femoral head are likely to require more complex treatment. Treatment aims to reduce pain and stiffness, and prevent femoral head deformity.

All children need regular review by the orthopaedic surgeon through the duration of the disease. Not all children require active treatment. Many will make a good recovery with only symptomatic treatment. This may involve restriction of activity such as running and high impact sports. Swimming is encouraged. Some children may require exercise in slings and springs, or the application of plaster casts to the lower limbs. Some children will require surgical management.

Children with Perthes Disease are otherwise healthy, but may be affected by physical restrictions. By middle age, one third of those affected have no symptoms, one third have intermittent hip pain, and one third would develop arthritis requiring treatment.