Dr. Karishma

From terrorism to natural disasters, there are a number of traumatic events that constantly hurl themselves at us. Given the amount of stress it causes an adult, imagine how a child can process this information. Often traumatic events that occur in childhood can trigger phobias and anxiety disorders that last a lifetime if not dealt correctly.

Each child responds to trauma in a different way depending on the circumstances and their age and personality. What is common is that all children turn towards their parents and teachers for support in these situations. Hence, it is important to understand how to help your child deal with traumatic events.

Here are a few steps you should follow:

1. Provide comfort: The first thing to do in a traumatic event is to reassure and comfort the child. Reinforce your child's sense of security by following a normal schedule and maintaining regular eating and sleeping habits. Encourage your child to talk and ask questions and discuss the situation with them in a way appropriate to your child's age and concerns.
2. Accept their needs: Children show the need for reassurance in different ways. For some, it may be the need for extra physical contact in the form of hugs while for others it may be ensuring that their favourite teddy bear is with them constantly. Be patient with children and indulge their needs in such situations.
3. Limit the amount of information available: Media often magnifies a traumatic event making it all the more difficult for a child to apprehend. Children can often be mislead or frustrated by media coverage of a traumatic event. Thus, it is a good idea to limit the use of television, radios and internet. As far as possible do not let your child watch the news alone.
4. Stay in touch: If your child goes to school, his or her teacher is the parent figure at school. Stay connected with your child's teachers and the other adults in their life to monitor changes in behavioral patterns.
5. Create distractions: If left alone with nothing to do, a child's mind will dwell on the trauma. Encourage them to find a hobby to cope with the negative emotions. Music and art are two good outlets for stress. You could also play board games, read or play outdoors to distract them.
6. Get professional help: Sometimes you may need help to deal with a traumatic event in your child's life. If your child shows signs of behavioral changes, academic problems, emotional outbursts, anxiety, depression, insomnia or social withdrawal; you should consult a professional counselor.

The word colic directly refers to the colon. Colic pain is a sharp abdominal pain followed by bouts of crying usually occurring in infants below the age of one year. The pain only last for a short period of time ranging from a few weeks to a couple of months. Very few number of babies will cry endlessly indicating towards an underlying condition.

It is mainly characterized by sharp crying for supposedly no apparent reason, irregular sleep patterns, and restlessness or owing to deviation from normal postures. The apparent causes of colic pain include indigestion and negative reaction of the sensitive gut to the breast or formula milk, although no concrete cause of the state has been discovered.

Doctors often suggest home remedies such as swaddling, pacifiers, holding and comforting the baby and more frequent feedings to reduce the condition. Since it is so common among infants and relatively less harmful, no proper medication is usually given. Physicians suggest mothers to reduce the content of caffeine, alcohol or spice in their diet. Sometimes a warm bath, burping the baby or going on more frequent walks is useful. Background music draws the attention of the baby and hence drives their focus, away from the abdominal pains.

Colic pains are mainly treated by care rather than medicine. The baby is made to feel comfortable and the distress is reduced just by being around the infant. The primary care giver plays an important role in consoling the child and helping them get through the sudden pain which further plays a significant role in personality development. Colic pains are extremely short lived and probably one of the first few challenges of parenthood. They are primarily dealt with care and feeding except in extreme cases where medicinal cures such as lactase drops and simethicone drops are used to treat the abdominal pain. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a doctor and ask a free question.

Having a baby is a beautiful experience and it is important for first time parents to learn the ropes of taking care of a newborn. A mother should consider getting help after the birth of the child as that particular time period can be overwhelming and hectic to take care of the baby all alone. You can get started by nursing your child by taking assistance from specialists and nurses who tell you how to change the clothes of the baby, hold the baby and how to take care of your baby.

How to take care of a newborn
You can hire a maid who can help you look after your baby. If you have relatives, you can request them to help you out. It is important to keep the following things in mind while taking care of a baby.

1. Babies are susceptible to infection quickly and hence it is necessary that we wash our hands properly with a hand sanitiser before carrying the baby.
2. Make sure you carry the baby properly by providing the infant with proper support below the neck and head. The same rules apply while laying the baby down in the cradle.
3. Do not shake the baby vigorously, even by mistake, as it can cause bleeding in the brain of the baby, which can cause death.
4. Any member of the household should not throw the baby in the air or try any rough play as a newborn baby is not ready for it.
5. Sponge bath should be given to the baby until the umbilical cord falls off and only after the navel heals totally. It can take about 1–4 weeks for this to happen.
6. It is very vital that you use clean diapers for your baby, and if the diaper is wet, it must be removed immediately to avoid any rash in and around the genital area. It is important that the genital area is cleaned well by the use of cotton balls and water.
7. In case you are using cloth diapers, then it is advisable that you clean it with detergents that are fragrance free.