Dr. R K Jain

Delayed speech: can it be autism?

Autistic spectrum disorder (asd) is a range of complex neurodevelopment disorders, characterized by social impairments, communication difficulties, and restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behaviour.

Very early indicators are-

• no babbling or pointing by age 1
• no single words by 16 months
• no response to name
• loss of language or social skills
• poor eye contact
• excessive lining up of toys or objects
• no smiling, greeting or social responsiveness.
   

Here are some symptoms of autism in children 

Symptoms of Autism
Hi! Good morning! This is Dr. Rakesh Jain. I’m a Pediatric Neurologist working at Fortis Hospital, Gurgaon.
Today, I’m going to talk briefly about autism which is very commonly seen nowadays, in children.  I would like to tell you what are the common symptoms and how would you identify autism in the early childhood.
A child at the age of one year who doesn’t do finger pointing, who doesn’t have good eye contact, doesn’t start uttering a single word, doesn’t have a joint attention or there are some other concern like child doesn’t mix up with the children of his own age, then, you must suspect either, there is some problem in hearing and accordingly you should go to a pediatrician to get him checked.

So, first of all, pediatrician would ask you to do a hearing test. If the hearing test is normal, then, we must think about the diagnosis of autism. It is called autistic spectrum disorder. It could be mild, moderate, severe. It may be associated with some other problems like some behavior problems, hyperactivity, poor attention, poor memory, epilepsy, so on and so forth. So, it is really important to diagnose this disorder as early as we can so that we can identify the cause of it and we can try to mend it accordingly.

And, there is no cure as such for autism. That’s the scary thing that there is no cure but having diagnosed it properly, early in life, we could do so many things, lots of therapies, for example, occupational therapy, speech therapy, sensory integration, psychological support and there are some medication as well to help with the comorbidities, not to treat the disorder as a core treatment .

If you want to know any further about it, and if your child is having any of the symptoms please, do contact your local pediatrician for basic screening and if you want to reach me, you could either visit me or you could connect me through Lybrate.
Thank you very much for your kind attention!
 

Iron deficiency is a common condition in children. It occurs when there is a scarcity of iron in the child's system due to malnutrition. Iron is an extremely important mineral that is required for growth and development in young ones. It is used in transporting oxygen through the bloodstream and is essential for the functioning of the muscles. If the child's diet lacks iron then the condition might worsen and turn into anemia.

Children need different levels of iron intake at different ages for proper development of all mental and physical faculties. As the child gets older and reaches the age of puberty, the requirement of iron and other minerals also increases. Deficiencies can lead to various nutritional disorders that may cause severe complications.

The primary cause of iron deficiency in children is an improper diet which leads to a lack of nourishment. There are a number of other causes of the problem, some of which are as follows:

• Low birth weight
• Excessive intake of cow's milk at less than 2 years of age
• Feeding exclusively on breastmilk beyond 6 months of age
• Lead poisoning
• Insufficient intake of lean meat
• Pure vegetarian diet
• Gastrointestinal disease or infection
• Improper diet of the mother during pregnancy
• Chronic diarrhea
• Infestation of parasites in the digestive system.

If the problem arises due to dietary deficiency, it can be easily solved by making simple modifications to the child's diet plan. If the condition stems from other factors or diseases, the child must be taken to a doctor immediately for a medical diagnosis and remedial treatment.

'Consult'.

Related Tip: Permanent Cure for Anemia - Only Through Homeopathy

What You Need to Know About Epilepsy And Seizures in Children!

Epilepsy is defined as a neurological disorder, which affects people of all age groups. However, the cases of seizures are found more in young children (likely to occur in as many as 4% of children) than in adults. It is still not known as to why a developing brain is more prone to seizures than a mature brain. A child is said to be suffering from epilepsy when they occur frequently. 

As parents your responsibilities are compounded if your child has epilepsy. You not only have to pay heed towards the normal concerns of his/her upbringing but also have to look into your child's emotional aspects, while dealing with the disorder in your day to day life.

You can help your child deal with the condition in the following ways:

1. It is quite likely that your child may feel resentful and develop emotional issues, such as depression or low self-esteem. Help your child cultivates positive attitude towards life and his/her disease.

2. Try to make your child come to terms with reality by helping him/her to understand that even though he/she may be different, he/she shouldn't look upon the condition as something that is abnormal. It is best to help your child concentrate on his/her strengths at such times.

3. Help your child participate in activities of his/her choice to instill positivity in life.

4. Make sure your other children understand their sibling's ailment and if he/she feels neglected try and spend more time with him/her. If need be, seek family counselling to make everyone understand how to deal with your child's illness.

5. Learn about your child's medication schedule thoroughly and also find out what he/she needs to do in case a dose of medication is missed.

6. Develop an environment where he/she feels comfortable and can easily share a concern or anxieties.

consult.