Food Chart for babies

 Baby Food Chart Month by Month For Indian Babies From 1 to 12 Months

 The most common question of parents about food is what to offer, when to offer and how much to offer. Every child is different and every parent is unique.

Some people introduce semi solid food to their baby after 6 months, some other start semi-solid food diet after completion of 4 months and a few people prefer to start it after 7-8 months. It is always advisable to discuss with your pediatric regarding your baby diet chart, before introducing any new food item to your baby.

Before knowing what to offer, watch this video to understand which food items are dangerous for your baby.

Age group is divided into 6 sections for your convenience.

#1. Newborn Baby Food Chart

#2. 1-3 Months Baby Food Chart

#3. Baby Diet Chart After 5 Months

#4. Food Chart for 6-8 Month

#5. Baby Food Chart for 8-9 Month

#6. Food Chart for 10-12 Month

Baby food chart month by month

Newborn Baby Food Chart

What to feed

Only Breast milk or Infant Formula milk is the only recommended food for new born baby and is sufficient to meet all her nutritional and growth requirements.

Recommended milk is breast milk only. You should start giving formula or any other substitute in case breast milk supply is not sufficient for the baby or she feels hungry even after having mother’s feed.

Feeding Tips

You should increase baby’s diet as baby’s digestion system is developing. Stomach size is the size of baby’s fist.

Baby Food Chart for Breastfeeding Kids

Age(Months)	Time (Hours)	Feeding(ml)
Birth to 1 month	Every 2 hours	60–120 ml
1 to 4 months	Every 2 to 3 hours	120-210 ml
5 to 6 months	Every 3 to 4 hours	107-125 ml

1-3 Months Baby Food Chart

Starting Solid food for 3 months baby is very risky as babies who are introduced to solids this early are more prone to get food allergies in future than babies who are exclusively breastfed until six months of age. Breast milk is the only nutritious and safe food option for a 3-month-old baby.

If you are concerned by your low milk supply you can feed formula milk as a substitute for breast milk. But one should never switch to formula milk that easier as it won’t solve either of the purposes. The best way to increase your milk supply is to continue feeding breast milk to your baby and having an adequate diet. In case you still choose to feed your baby with formula milk, given below is the chart for formula fed baby from birth to 3 months of age.

Food chart for formula fed baby

Age(Months)	Time (Hours)	Feeding(ml)
Birth to 1 month	Every 2 hours	60-120 ml
1 to 3 months	Every 2  to 3 hours	120-150 ml
3 to 4 months	Every 2.5 to 3.5 hours	150-210 ml

Baby food chart for 6-9 month old

Introductory Baby Diet Chart After 5 Months

At this stage, your infant’s milk or formula intake will increase (up to one litre in a day). You will also notice that your baby will start showing the signs “momma, I am ready to eat solid foods”

You should watch for signs

• Baby’s neck is stable
• Can sit with back support on chair
• Showing interest in food (staring at your food)
• Seems hungry after sufficient breast feed (crying, uneasiness, thumb sucking)
• Put a spoon in her mouth and see if she can open and close mouth around the spoon.

What to feed

• Breast milk or formula milk
• Mashed banana and apple
• Well cooked, pureed and strained carrot and sweet potato
• Pulse soup after boiling pulse in sufficient water (water of moong dal)

Feeding Tips

The first food must be a single grain food. You should keep a gap of at least three days between two new foods. Test with small quantities.

Watch out for any type of allergies.

If you see any allergies then discontinue that particular food and talk to pediatric regarding possible remedies of allergy. If your baby refuses to eat whatever you are offering then don’t force, just try it next day.

Semi-solid food for 6, 7 and 8 months baby

By this time your baby’s first teeth will emerge. At this stage, your baby starts crawling.

Her digestive system is developing. You should introduce new foods while your baby is busy in exploring the world. She is doing more physical activities, so she needs more solid foods along with milk.

What to feed to baby

• Breast milk or formula
• Iron-fortified cereal like rice, oats mixed with milk
• Fruit Pureed like banana, peaches, pears, plum, mango. Mix two fruits together to taste it better.
• Vegetable pureed (completely cooked) like sweet potato, carrots, squash, beans and potato.
• Pulse soup after boiling pulse in sufficient water.
• Rice water after boiling rice in clean and filtered water. Give your baby just strained water.
• Unsweetened yogurt from low-fat milk (very small quantity)
• Small portion of Tofu or cheese

Feeding Tips

Introducing solid foods into your baby’s diet doesn’t mean to stop breast milk or formula; these are the most important source of nutrients for your baby.

Never force your baby to eat a little more. Solid intake will increase gradually, it depends when you started giving her solid food.

Solid food for 8 & 9 months baby

Your baby already started crawling and sitting without support. She is more active and engaged in her plays.

She might refuse to eat her foods because she has more important activities to do like pulling pillows
down, tearing newspaper and opening drawers or kitchen racks. This is the time when parents need to be more alert and active. You can’t leave your baby alone even for a second.

What to feed

• Breastmilk or formula
• Introduce new grains and millets in your baby’s diet. Try with rajgira(amaranth), jau(barley), ragi(finger millet), til (sesame), pasta along with rice & oats.
• You might like to introduce wheat, kuttu(buckwheat) at this stage. (If your baby has any kind of food allergies then talk to your doctor)
• Fruits: Apples, banana, dates, grapes, mango, kiwi, plums, peaches, pears, litchi.
• You can mash any soft fruit (banana or apple).  You can cut grapes into small pieces and give it to your baby. Don’t ever give her whole grapes. It may choke in her throat.
• Vegetables: completely cooked/steamed: Carrots, beans, broccoli, onion, peas, sweet potatoes and cauliflower and onions.
• Try foods like tofu, cottage cheese, fish, egg yolk.
• Fish and eggs can be allergic. So whenever you introduce it into your baby, monitor your child for any signs of allergic reactions. In the case of any allergies, talk to her pediatric immediately.

Feeding Tip

At this stage, your baby may start to refuse food. Don’t force. Just try it again after some time.

Complete food for 10 to 12 months baby

Now your baby’s taste buds are developing. She will love to try new food and flavors.

Preparing your baby’s food will be easier as no more pureeing and mashing. At this time, you will better understand your baby’s tastes. You will know what she likes and dislikes. But don’t give only her favorite food. Babies love different shapes, colors, textures. Try same food in different forms. It is also the time to introduce spices that we Indians love.

What to feed

Fruits: banana, pear, apple, peach, papaya, melon, grapes, kiwi fruit, mango, plum, litchi

Vegetables: potato, sweet potato, carrots, squash, peas, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, onions, tomato, spinach, capsicum

Cereal and grains: Jowar(sorghum), bajra(Pearl millet), oats, rice (white/brown), ragi(finger millet), jau(barley), wheat, kuttu(buckwheat), rajgira(amaranth) and pasta

Pulses: Rajma(kidney beans), White Channa(chickpea), green peas and lentils

Dairy: Low fat yogurt and cheese

Non-veg: Fully cooked egg yolk, egg white, fish and meat

Little bit of spices

You can make khichdi by mixing rice & pulses together

Feeding Tip

Your baby will be able to digest anything after one year of age. You can start offering the same food to your baby that you have prepared for your meal.

 

Autism in Babies – Symptoms, Screening and Treatment

Autism is a developmental disorder that could affect the child’s ability to socially interact or communicate like other kids of his /her age. This could be even there from birth or within the first 3 years of life.The kids would be a bit different in the way they sleep, eat and talk or for that matter for any of their day-to-day activities.

Initial screening of autism in babies and toddlers:

When we discuss the symptoms, I would like to request you not to panic at all.Kids are fussy at times and so don’t confuse yourself with the symptoms mentioned below.The symptoms mentioned here comes from the autism checklist and it doesn’t mean that any of these symptoms showed once confirms autism in babies.

Most of the countries have a screening test for the kids by the age of 18 months. Though they don’t call it as the Autism test, the pediatricians are supposed to check whether the kid has achieved his milestones correctly.

If they find that there is a delay in the milestones being achieved rightly then they would recommend for an actual autism screen test.

Early symptoms and signs of autism in babies and kids: 

An autistic toddler,

▪ Won’t get along with other kids of his age or his siblings

▪Won’t notice what is happening around, even if guests or anyone else comes home

▪Won’t be comfortable getting kissed or hugged by parents

▪Won’t know how to hand lead as to show objects or toys

▪Won’t have eye contact

▪One of the most common symptoms noticed is lining up of things. It could be anything, may be his toys or any of the kitchen stuff

▪An unusual repetitive behavior is also found in a few cases – like staring at the ceiling fan for a long time, obsessively doing other stuffs like rocking himself, throwing stuffs etc

▪Motor developmental skills also could be an issue in some cases. Most of the kids with Autism lack the motor coordination and they might walk lately, or ride a tricycle much lately when compared to other kids

▪Might not adjust with the surrounding noises or music if it’s new to them

▪Might not respond at times

▪Head banging, pulling one’s own hair and self-biting are all additional symptoms noticed in a few cases

▪Won’t be aware about the fear factor and hence might not know what to be afraid of and what not to be. For e.g., they might not have any sense of fear for fire or height

▪Sleeping pattern won’t be regular. They might sleep throughout the night or might just be very cranky most of the times

▪Could be extremely sensitive to food and might be constipated at times or might have diarrhea or food that was not digested properly.

Checklist used in autism screening:

The mentioned checklist is based on UK’s HANS (Help Autism Now Society) and is now thoroughly being used in the UK. The child could be at Autism risk if he/she doesn’t do the following by about his 18 months screening.

▪ Imagining or pretend play

▪Points objects to you while showing them

▪Looks in response while you show something or points out a toy or anything similar

Treatment for autism in kids: 

The type of autism might vary from child to child and hence the treatment method chosen is different in each case.The earlier we diagnose, the better treatment can be provided. Treatment could be in terms of improving the child’s overall ability and not complete cure.

We pediatricians  try for the following steps to be achieved as a part of their treatment.

▪ Better communication skills

▪Better motor co-ordination

▪Developing social skills to interact in a better way in a community

▪Teaching the parents on how to handle their child, how to be patient and how to get along in the social circle with ease

▪Better sleeping pattern

A team including occupational therapists, speech therapists along with psychologists and developmental disorder experts work together for the best result.

Also studies have proved that taking prenatal tablets containing folic acid would reduce the risk of Autism to some extent.

Let’s do our part and remember every child is unique and precious.

Things All Parents Need to Know about Autism in Kids

A few years ago, the ratio of autism in kids was 1:110, now it is 1:60. In India 1 to 3 percent of autistic children are in the age group of two and nine.

So what exactly is autism?

What are the symptoms that parents can watch out for?

Is autism reversible?

What are the things parents can do to promote the behavioral development in autistic kids?

#1. What is meant by autism?

In simple words, autism refers to a neurological condition where in the child faces social, communicational and behavioral difficulties.

#2. What is the reason for autism in kids?

According to science, the main reason for autism is unknown. Still research is happening extensively to figure out the main cause.

#3. How can a parent or a mother look for the symptoms of autism in the early years of her baby?

The first signals of autism can be seen as early as 6-9 months of age.

Some initial signs are:

▪Unusual ways of communication with people around

▪Socially non interactive

▪May/may not like to play with toys or play in a specific manner.

▪Limited /No eye contact

▪Repetitive body movements

▪Limited / no response to name call

#4. What are the steps that you can take in the early years as a mother/ parent of a child with regards to autism?

As a mother, you are with the child from the time of conception and throughout the growing years of a child.If you find any signs or symptoms in terms of communication/behavioral delays- a professional help and guidance should be sought at the earliest.

#5. Can autism in kids be reversed?

Definitely yes! Autism is not curable but treatable through early diagnosis and intervention.Early intervention is addressing Autism symptoms from early in the child’s life. This is done among kids using an integrated holistic cognitive behavior therapy approach. Autism can be reversed functionally, with early intervention.

#6. Until which age can autism be reversed?

Autism can be reversed if the early intervention and detection is being done within a golden period of first 5 years.

#7. Is being dull a sign of autism in kids?

No. Autistic children could be dull or hyperactive.

#8. How can I look out for the symptoms of autism in toddlers and kids?

▪ Playing with the same toy for quite a long time

▪Repeating the same phrase

▪Repeating the same sound

▪Singing the same song again and again

▪Pulling down books, toys and screaming when left with a group of kids

▪Sit in isolation at times when they feel like

▪Limited / no eye contact

▪Limited / no interaction

▪Poor sitting tolerance

▪Poor compliance

#9. What is the role of behavioral therapy in reversing autism?

Behavioral therapy consists of two parts.

  ▪ Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) – which helps in functionally reversing Autism through early intervention

  ▪ Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) – which helps in training the child with daily living skills in cases of severe autism

Summary:

Autism is not a disease; it’s a behavioral disorder which can be completely reversed. First 5 years is the golden period for early detection and intervention.The lack of awareness of autism has led to fear and not to mention the stigma associated with it. Parents should always be aware about what autism is along with the early symptoms.If the right professional guidance along with the behavioral therapy is provided, autism in kids can be reversed.

All About Teething in Babies You Need To Know

What is Teething in Babies?

Tooth erupting through the gum line which occurs between the ages of four months to nine months is called teething. Babies tooth development begins when they are in the womb. Each baby is different; some will develop at early around four months while others develop very late around one year or so. It all depends on genetic transition.

It is said that “if you or your spouse had an early teething/late teething your child may also have the same teething time”

Babies have their full set of 20 baby teeth (called by other names like primary teeth/deciduous teeth/milk teeth) by the age of three years. Normally, two lower central incisors appear first, then the upper central and upper side ones.

Common Signs and Symptoms of Teething in Babies:

There are judgments like teething cause pain, common cold, fever and diarrhea, but there is no scientific evidence to support any connection between these symptoms and teething.

Some of the most common symptoms of teething in babies are:

▪ Sore gums

▪Drooling

▪Rubbing face or pulling hair

▪Not eating properly

▪Trying to bite on everything they can get in their hands

▪Irregular sleep

▪Rashes on cheeks/chin

Safe Home Remedies For Teething in Babies:

1 Clean fingers or washed cloth:

Gently massage the sore gum with your clean fingers or a soft washed wet cloth.

2 Sugar free teething rusk or biscuits:

Offer your baby some rusks/biscuits which provide relief for your baby’s sore gum.Go for homemade rusks or the organic teething rusks and biscuits available in the market.

3   Chopped and chilled vegetables/fruits:

Offer chilled and cubed apple, banana, carrots, cucumber etc. to your baby to munch on.

  4  Cold spoon:

Clean a steel spoon, keep it in freezer for a few minutes. Give this

to your baby to bite.

5 Wipe the excess saliva:

Wipe the saliva with a clean cloth or tissue which drools out from your baby’s mouth frequently otherwise red rashes will appear on their cheek and chin.

6   Baby  teether:

Give your baby some a good quality teether to bite upon. Wooden teethers, rubber teethers, silicone teethers and so many varieties of teethers are available in the market. Go for a good brand when it comes to teether.

10 Simple and Effective Ways to Encourage Talking in Toddlers

Children have their own pace to grab words but that shouldn’t stop us and our efforts to make them express language.

1  Maintain Eye Contact:

The young baby needs a lot of attention, love and care. Make it a point to talk to your baby as much as you can. Have a good eye contact while you talk and be clear in your speech.

2 Pay Attention:

As you start talking, your baby also responds. Pay attention when your baby calls you, talks to you and after your baby completes, repeat the sentence. Ask a question with the same sentence and emphasize on the main characters.

Example:  When the baby says “I want Keem” then  question her with “You want Cream?” Keep your expressions clear too.

3 Read Aloud:

Read aloud from picture story books and make your baby acquainted to the images in the book.

Example: Choose a picture book and point to CAT. Read aloud C-A-T and then join to say C-A-T CAT pointing to the image of the cat.

Benefit: The image of the cat along with the reading of the letters combined to form the word CAT helps the child to visualize the cat. So next time when he sees a cat in real, he would point out to say CAT.

4 Learning On the Go:

Go out for evening walks in the garden, in your locality. Show her the things around – like Car, Scooter, animals and familiarize her with their names and then ask her questions accordingly.

Example: Show her a car and tell it’s a car. The next day again show her another thing around her and get her familiarized with its name.

Benefit: Helps a toddler to get familiarized with the things around him like cars, birds, animals etc. easily.

5 Role of Neighborhood:

Go and talk to the neighborhood kids along with your baby, invite them home and let them play with your little one.

Example: Toddlers pick up words easily from other kids. Hence it’s good to let him mingle with neighborhood kids.

Benefit: The pronunciation and the lip movements are easily learnt from other kids; hence grasping power increases.

6 Sing and Play along with Videos:

YouTube is flooded with educational videos, nursery rhymes etc. Show her and do the actions along.

Example: Songs like – Ringa Ringa Roses, I hear Thunder, Twinkle-Twinkle, Row-Row-Row your boat, Old McDonald had a farm, Chubby Cheeks, 5 Little Monkeys, Johnny-Johnny, etc are evergreen and ever loved songs by kids. Play them again and again, do the actions, do the dance.

Benefit: This will encourage them to sing and play on their own too memorizing the song and dance.

7 Show and Tell:

When you introduce new words in your dialogues, show her the new things too.

Example: If you say “Plate” then show the plate and say what you intend to do.

Benefit: Demos, actions make a greater impact and she will remember them well.

8   Focus on ONE Language:

Don’t mix up several languages in your conversation. Stick to one or at the most two – maybe your mother tongue and a common language so that she is able to communicate to outsiders also.

Example: If your mother tongue is Tamil, try to converse to your child in Tamil all the time. No mixing of languages.

9 Letting Free to Explore:

Expose her to new things and give her the freedom to explore those things.

Example: Let her explore everything and ask you questions like ‘What is this?’.

Benefit: This will get her to thinking and subsequently ask questions pertaining to the same.

10. Be Motivated:

“Lastly, never get de-motivated if your child doesn’t talk like other kids. Remember God has made every child special.  Each child has his own pace of development”

When do Kids Start Talking????????????????

When do kids start talking?

When do babies start talking clearly?

What can you do to help your child learn how to talk?

From the time a child is born, there are many milestones as they grow. And with milestones, there are many firsts….

The first time they smile at you. the first time they start talk, the first time they start walking and many more.

When do kids start talking: A general timeline

Just because they aren’t saying complete sentences doesn’t mean that they can’t talk to us. They do, in their own ways, according to their age. It could be a gesture or expression but even babies can communicate.As they grow older, their vocabulary grows and babbles become words and slowly become sentences. These can be considered as speaking milestones.

Now let us look at how kids communicate at various ages.

▪ 0 to 3 months:

This is the time when the communication is mostly in the form of cries when the baby is hungry or wants to be cleaned up. Kids will start responding to loud noises by the time they are a month or so and thus trying to communicate.

0 to 3 months is the time when babies are observant of what is happening around them, who is around them, they will slowly start recognizing your voice and some even start responding to your voice as early as 3 months. They are learning how to respond. Some babies even start cooing at this age. However always remember, each child is different and will have different milestones.

▪ 3 to 6 months: The first sounds

Somewhere during this time, most babies start smiling. Smiling is a way of communicating that they are happy and it’s during this time they cry when they are not happy or comfortable. For e.g., if a friend of yours has come visiting and picks up your baby, she might cry or smile just conveying how she feels.

There is a lot of babbling that must have begun by now. They start making some sounds like ‘ba’, ‘ma’ etc. which are easier on the tongue. These are the easiest of the sounds to pick up and your little one loves to listen and respond, when you talk to them, in words making similar sounds.

▪ 6 to 9 months: Combining sounds

At this stage your baby would have started to join two sounds. So you might hear a lot of  ba ba or ma ma. Your little one might even respond to her name and might even bring to your attention, things that she needs, by either pointing it out or making some sounds. At times, there are some sounds, that are used for specific things.

▪  9 to 12 months: Language basics

Your little one is getting ready to pick up a language. This will be the language that you speak at home. They will pick up and start responding, so if you say ‘ball’ they know what that is, in most cases.

Some babies reach these milestones a little later.

▪ 12 to 18 months: Language lessons

Your child has become a keen listener and will try to talk in their own little way. Sometime you will hear them saying words that you use in your day to day often and say things that rhyme with it. That is a sign that the language basics are being developed.

▪ 18 to 24 months: I can talk!

By now some kids would have learnt many words and they would even be using them to get things done. There would be a lot of talking that doesn’t really make much sense. This is because they are trying to imitate how adults talk. So it would just sound like it and not make sense.It would be something that only you as parents might be able to understand. At about 2 years, they would learn to form mini sentences and here on everything you talk is being absorbed.

10 Tips to encourage your child to talk:

You are the first teacher of your child. Babies learn to talk from you. They observe you and try to imitate you.So parents can play a great role in when their kids start talking. Yes, the average age for babies to talk can be affected by a lot of things – including the level of efforts from the parents’ side.

#1. Talk, talk and talk

Yes, sometimes it’s insane.

You are talking to somebody who might or might not be interested. But the key is to respond and talk to your baby. So when they cry, it is natural for you to say ‘Don’t cry, mummy is here’ or if you are in the other room and your baby wakes up, don’t you say ‘mummy is coming? ’They listen to you talk and respond in their own way.They cry, smile, coo, babble, utter words. all this is because someone is talking to them.Talk to them when you feed them, when you bathe them or when you dress them. They love listening to you and are keen observers.

#2. Respond

One of the most important things that will encourage your baby to talk is to respond. It comes naturally to us when they are babies. However, as they grow and when they learn to pick up words, that is the time you have to respond.

Sometimes you are engaged in some other work and your 1-year-old comes to you with something that she learned,some new word and if you ignore, it might just get forgotten and will be pushed away into a corner of their minds. If you respond and try to find what is it that they want to convey, they would have registered a new word.

#3. Mind your tone

Since you are the language guru of your child, it will help if you can talk to them in the right tone and in fact talk to people at home in the right tone. There is someone watching you all the time and they might just pick up the wrong traits.Talk to them in a sweet tone that they understand. Patience is the key.

 #4. Listen

Sometimes things that your little one talks, doesn’t make much sense. A new song that they have heard or something that they heard someone talking. But listen to them. If you listen, they will be motivated to speak more and thus helping them in their speech development.

#5. Read

Read out from board books when they are babies. They love to see colors and identify objects from their day to day. As they grow up, start reading short stories and as you do show them the pictures and what are they called. So if you are talking about a flower, show them how a flower looks like, by pointing to the picture in the book. Or if it’s a story of a dog, show them how a dog looks like and the next time you spot one in your neighbourhood, somewhere in the back of their minds they would know that it’s a dog.

#6. Language

If you talk to them in a multilingual way, they might start doing the same. So if you say a sentence, which is a mix of English and Tamil, at home, your child might pick that up.

#7. Audio

Like pictures talk more than words, similar audio has a lasting impression on language. If you recite their favourite nursery rhymes to them every night before bed, they will slowly start picking up that rhyme. Audio CDs are a good way for language development.

 

#8. Teach them new words

Toddlers take a keen interest in stories. So every time you tell them a story, use a new word and tell them the meaning. They will be excited to use their new found vocabulary.

#9. Activities

Instead of TV or some other gadgets, invest in some activity kit or make your own. Something that has pictures of fruits / animals etc and they will need to tell you what is it. Play with them. Appreciate and clap for them when they are right.

#10. Never mock your child

Some children do have some speech problem. At times, they aren’t clear when they talk or they stammer. Ensure that you never mock  your child for these and also take care that no one else does that. This can hurt them and delay their speech development.

Like I said earlier, not all kids reach the language milestone at the same time. Some are late speakers.

So when should you hit the panic button?

If your child responds to things and communicates with you about all that he need and wants to show you things around, there is no worry. However, if you see issues in communication like no eye contact or no response to sounds etc, talk to your paediatrician once.

Brain Boosting Fun Activities for Babies (Month-wise)

Although the tiny ones are unable to communicate, we come across phenomenon that make us feel they are very similar to the adults and that is also true with the feeling of boredom.We do a lot of things to keep ourselves occupied, to keep boredom at bay. Babies too need to be occupied with some activity or other to keep their brains busy.

 

Are fun activities for babies important?

Playing with your babies not only relieves boredom but also play a significant role in their skills, growth and development.

▪ It helps better bonding between you and your baby

▪It also aids to develop communication, language and social skills

▪Your baby feels loved and happy

▪It is good for baby’s motor skills and physical development

▪Fun time with your little one gives him/her ample of opportunities to get imaginative and creative

Fun activities for babies below 6 months:

These are the group  who are least mobile. Imagine yourself lying down at the same place all the times; the same happens with these little ones. They need to be entertained by one or other activities to remove monotony.

#1. Catch the ribbon

You can make your little one lie at one place and play with her ribbon. Hold the ribbon in front of her at a height and swing the ribbon.  Give your baby opportunity to catch it. As soon as she holds the ribbon, let her play with it for some time. After few minutes of playing when she gets bored again, continue the game.Your baby will love this. This would also increase her hand- eye coordination and help your baby to sense touching different objects.You may also tie a soft toy to the ribbon and also hang rotating toys to give treat to her eyes. But remember to supervise your baby when she is playing with the ribbon and toys hung within her reach.

#2. Mimic your baby

At this age, babies are unable to speak but they can babble. To encourage them babbling, you may repeat the sounds made by your baby.  After she understands that you are mimicking her, change the patterns of the sounds you are making and encourage her to mimic you too.

For example, when she makes the sound ‘ba’ you may repeat and introduce the familiar but different sound like ‘baa’ or ‘baah’ and encourage her to mimic you.This fun activity will help your baby to add few more sounds to her babbling ability.

#3. Make massage time a fun and joyful experience

If you massage your baby, it is the great opportunity to turn this time into fun activity. Instead of silent massage time, make it a funny and joyful experience to you and your baby. You can do this by making different funny sounds during giving massage to your baby. Tickle her in between while massaging. Chat with your baby while giving massage and exercise.This will give your baby a positive feeling about massaging and she will start enjoying one of the best bonding activities for mom and baby.

#4. Play ball for her

While she is lying at one place, entertain her by playing ball for her. For some reason, balls are close to every baby’s heart.Your little one will also love watching you playing with this round object.

#5. Let her watch you doing different activities

Everything is new for them and they learn something by viewing everything. So while you are busy in different activities also, place your baby in the place where she can watch you doing various activities.This will keep her busy and she will not get bored as some activities are going around.

Fun activities for babies from 6 to 12 months:

This is the age group when your baby gets more mobile than previous and so gets hyper curious. She may also speak few words. You have multiple options of fun playing with your baby at this stage, which would also boost their curiosity and imaginations.

#6. Play with water

Babies love to play with water and bubbles. You can give your baby chance to play with water while bathing time. If your baby is able to sit, get a tub or pool in which she can sit and play with water.You also join playing with her while giving bath like sprinkle water at her, show her the foam formed from the bath soap. Form bubbles from the soapy water. Take precautions that soap does not get into her eyes.This activity would also get them explored to the world of imagination.When playing with water, never leave a kid unattended even for the shortest time. Always supervise kids when they play with water.

#7. Get her some colorful books 

Although they cannot understand yet, get them colorful books. It may be storybooks, animal/ birds’ book or any other interesting things. Show them different pictures in it. Talk with her about the pictures/tell the stories. Even though she is unable to understand your words, your baby loves to hear you. This activity would please you both and add a lots of words to her developing language skills.

#8. Play tickle songs

I am sure your babies would love this activity. Play “round and round the garden” or any other songs you know with your baby.You can also play tickling with her simply by counting stretched “ooone, twwwo, threee”. Tickle her gently from the toes to the fingers. Count her fingers and open and close her hands finger while playing this.This is a real fun time with your baby which would also help them to increase their memory by memorizing the rhymes heard repetitively.

#9. Dance with her

Find out her favorite tune and dance on that tune. Seeing you dancing she would also start dancing moving her hands and clapping singing ‘Aa, aa, aa, aaa’. 

#10. Play with ball

Now as your baby can sit, play ball with her instead of playing ball for her. Throw the ball with slow pace at her and ask her to throw it back to you.You can enjoy with her playing ball as it would also improve her hand- eye coordination.

#11. Go for a walk/take her to park

Hold your baby and take her for a walk. Go to park and show your baby the various objects on the way like passing by vehicles, shops, trees etc. Make it a joyful walk to the park. Sit with the group of playing kids in the park. Your baby would love to see other kids playing.You may also carry her toys/ ball and play with her in garden. This fun time will also increase her social skills.

While playing these activities with your 6+ months baby, you may continue certain activities of the under 6 months also like mimicking her, fun time massage, watching you doing various activities of your house hold work etc.

Fun activities for babies from 12 to 18 months:

Now that your babies have crossed many milestones like sitting, crawling, standing and may be even walking, she is ready to explore her creative and imaginative world. Spend even more time with her and play a lot with her with the following learning activities for babies.

#12. Open and close activities

Give your baby different types of small boxes/jars with screw able lids or simply the closing lids. Show her how to open and close the lids. Do this with her. By observing you, she will also give herself a try on this activity.

As soon as she learns this, give her even more colorful dabbas with various designs. Mix the lids and dabbas and let her find out which lid matches each box/tin. This is a little difficult for many but they will learn eventually. Play this open and close the lids activity with her and appraise her when she is able to open and close the lid or match lid and box.This activity will also increase her motor skills.

#13. Play with puzzle blocks

Get attractive puzzle blocks and play this game with her. Play with her locking and unlocking puzzle blocks and make different objects out of the blocks or build a tower of it.This activity doesn’t just keep your little one busy for hours but also improves her observation and motor skills.

#14. Hide and seek

Play this traditional game with your baby. Your baby doesn’t require to be walking for this, you may have fun playing hide and seek with your crawling baby also.

Hide in a place in front of her to begin with and call her so that she gets to know that she has to seek you. Then slowly explore other hiding places where your baby will come and find you. Applaud her and say “oh!! You got me” when she comes to you.This will be fun with your baby to learn a new game with her dearest mommy.

#15. Get crafty

You can introduce crafting to your year old baby where both of you are involved. Few of the crafts with one year old are water painting, painting with baby friendly colours etc. Have fun doing crafting with your little one recollecting your own childhood.

#16. Catch me if you can

Play “catch me if you can” you used to play in your childhood with your friends. While she is crawling or walking and chase her slowly (your baby is going to love this totally opposite reaction as it is her who chases you always) and catch her making sound “caught” and give her a smile.

In turn you also run and call her to chase you and catch you. See that your little one doesn’t injure herself while playing. Play this in open area with no/least furniture.This would give her enormous joy and physical exercise. Also she is getting ready to learn new games with you.

These fun time activities would also teach your baby new things everyday and in bonus she is going to love you more and more day by day.Playing with babies, adding interactive activities not just develops skills but also minimize crankiness. They love being involved, so make sure to play different games each day so that they don’t feel lonely.

Remember as they always say, “They will be little, for just a little while”. So spend quality time with your little ones . Cherish the precious moments with your little love.

8 Warning Signs To Seek Medical Attention for Babies and Kids

In case you notice something unusual or there is any accident, please DO NOT PANIC. Let us never forget that babies get sick but they also recover fast.

Do keep contact details of doctor, hospital or pediatricians handy.

If possible, write and paste the details on a place where family members can easily see them. For instance – on the first aid box,

refrigerator door or near the landline telephone.

8 Warning signs that signals the need of medical emergency for babies and kids:

Certain situations required immediate medical care and there are a few situations where we can wait for upto 2 hours. See the doctor immediately if you notice the following signs or symptoms in each case mentioned.

#1. Trouble breathing or visible change in breathing pattern

When: During travelling, after a tiring day, during cold or cough

Signs or Symptoms:

▪Having problem in breathing or is breathing heavily

▪Has sudden wheezing

#2. Change in color of skin / lips

When: After introducing a new food item, after eating outside or seafood

Signs or Symptoms:

▪ Any purple, blue rashes or change in skin color

#3. Bleeding profusely out of a cut or seizure

In case of falling from heights and hitting lips, teeth or head, clean the cut with water. Use a clean cloth, gauze or cotton and apply pressure to stop the bleeding.

Signs and Symptoms:

▪ If the cut continue to ooze or bleed

▪Immobility of the affected parts like hands/ legs

▪Continuous crying due to the pain indicating a fracture/swelling

#4. In case child has something struck inside the nose or throat

Please avoid forced removal of the object by yourself as it may make the matter worse.However you can take the baby/ kid and make him pat on his back making a bend position to spit out the object from throat if possible.

When: After eating solids, chunky foods, mouthed choking toys

Signs and Symptoms:

▪ Trouble breathing

▪Finds choking in the throat, uncomfortable breathing

#5. Decreased responsiveness or is unconscious

When: Child has a head injury

Signs and Symptoms:

▪Headache

▪Diminished attentiveness

▪Nausea

▪Vomiting

▪Difficulty in hand or leg movement

▪Co-ordination issues

#6. Uncontrollable fever

When: Temperature rise during fever

Symptoms and signs:

Please refer to the table below for the temperature limits above which one should consult the doctor as soon as possible.

Age Group

Temperature limit

Less than 3 months

100.4 F

3 months – 6 months

101 F

6 months and above

102.2 F

#7. Vomiting & Dehydration

When: Vomiting, passing stools frequently

Signs and symptoms:

▪Vomited blood

▪Stains of blood in cough or stools

▪Looks visibly dehydrated

#8. Any other accidents

 When: Electrical shock or burns

Signs and Symptoms:

▪ Burns bigger than 3 inches with blisters

▪Becomes scared or shocked

▪Convulsions

Swine Flu – How to Avoid the Infection in You and Your Baby

 

How is swine flu transmitted?

Is my family at risk?

Is there any reliable swine flu treatment available?

Influenza caused by different strains of virus is a cause of concern for most of us.Swine flu is the influenza or flu caused by a new strain of influenza virus A.

Causes of swine flu:

Swine flu is an infection caused by different strains of influenza virus. For example, the present outbreak of the disease is due to the virus known as influenza A or H1N1 pdm09.

Modes of transmission:

Swine flu spreads from person to person by different modes.

▪Inhaling the virus from contaminated air

▪Touching nose/mouth/eyes followed by touching contaminated  surface

▪Infected droplets expelled in air through coughing or sneezing

Symptoms of swine flu:

H1N1 flu symptoms are observed generally after one to three days after the entry of virus in the body.

Following are the symptoms of swine flu

▪Fever more than 100 Fahrenheit

▪Cough

▪Runny nose

▪Sore throat

▪Fatigue

▪Headache

▪Body pains

▪Diarrhea

▪Chills

▪Nausea and vomiting

Diagnosis of swine flu:

If you find any symptoms of flu in you or your baby, it is better to get diagnosed and start the treatment at the earliest.Swine flu is diagnosed with the specific technique called PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) for viral genetic material.

Are you at high risk of getting infected?

Following is the population at higher risk of being infected by swine flu.

▪Children from age of 6 month to 4 years

▪People of age 50 years and older

▪Children and adults with chronic pulmonary, renal, hepatic, neurological and metabolic disorders

▪People with decreased immunity (e.g due to drugs, diseases like HIV) irrespective of their age

▪Obese people (BMI>40)

▪Health care professionals during treating patients

▪Pregnant ladies

If you or your child are at high-risk zone of swine flu and show the symptoms of the disease, you need to take few of the following precautions and preventive measures.

Precautions:

You can help prevent the spread of the disease by taking following precautions.

▪Cover your nose and mouth while coughing or sneezing. Inculcate this habit in your kids too.

▪Maintain good hygiene by washing your hands more often with soap or sanitize with alcohol-based sanitizer. Get baby sanitizers for your little ones.

▪Stay away from crowds especially if you fall under high risk population as mentioned above

▪Stay home if you are sick; avoid touching others to prevent other family members from getting infection

▪Avoid contact with the infected people

Prevention of swine flu:

If you develop signs of any types of flu, you should take following preventive measures to prevent worsening of the condition.

▪Drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration.

▪Take sufficient rest to boost your immunity to fight against disease.

▪If you have severe pain, consider taking painkillers after consulting doctor.

▪If you are getting medicines for your baby/ kid, ask doctor to prescribe safe medicine/ pain killer for babies.

The vaccination is considered as the best preventive measure. It is the only medical advice for the people with high risk of getting infected.

Swine flu treatment:

Treatment is generally by taking medicines in both adults and children. For children, mostly, doctors advise the safe and low dose medication with the same compounds in drugs as in adults.Drugs like paracetamol are prescribed to reduce fever and pains. Other general medicines suggested in swine flu are antiviral drugs, antibiotics (to combat few bacterial infections which may increase the complications).It is necessary to consult your doctor if you develop any symptoms. Start any medication only after a qualified doctor’s prescription and advice.

Wheezing in Babies and Kids – What as a Parent You Should Know

Is your little one wheezing?

Does it happen that every 3 weeks, you rush to the doctor and he prescribes inhalant nebulizers?

What is wheezing?

Wheezing is a whistling sound that can be heard as your child breathes caused due to narrowing of airway. Due to certain triggers or diseases, the airway gets swollen making the passage confined to breathe properly.Wheezing can start with runny nose, mild fever, productive/unproductive coughing and worsen in later days.

Wheezing at night time generally peaks.

Causes of wheezing in babies and kids:

It becomes really hard to make out the causes of wheezing. The causes can range from simply seasonal changes to chronic diseases.

A few possible causes of frequent spasm are early asthma, food allergy, inhalant allergy and a positive mantoux.

#1. Early asthma

Asthma is one strong cause of wheezing. If there’s a family history of asthma, the possibility becomes stronger. Without a second doubt, consult your child’s doctor to figure out if your child is asthamatic.

Fall in safe hands and update yourself about dealing with child showing early signs of asthma. An expert will be able to make a list of things that your kid should avoid; medicines to be followed and prescribe pump for critical situations.

#2. Food allergy

Some of you might be shocked to hear that protein rich milk, eggs, milk products, chick peas, vitamin rich fruits like banana, apple etc could be highly allergy triggering foods to a little kid. Excellent foods for growing children could be the main allergens.  I suggest you to get the allergy test done from a certified laboratory or a laboratory  that  specializes allergy tests.

#3. Inhalant allergy

Another prime cause of wheezing could be inhalant allergy.

Do you have a pet? A dog or a cat? Dog dander also could be a reason that triggers allergic symptoms.A test can be carried on to know which inhalants your child should be kept away from.Unfortunately, there is no specific treatment for allergy, but to avoid the foods and keep away from inhalants that give rise to allergic symptoms. It is also true that in most of the children, allergy subsides after a certain age.

#4. A  positive  mantoux

A child facing on and off, on and off coughing, productive or unproductive, worsening with passing days and subsiding with medicinal treatment could be at mild risk of Tuberculosis. Mantoux Test is nothing but a determination whether a tuberculosis bacteria exists in the body. This can be spread merely through air. Get Mantoux skin test done. After 48-72 hours an expert will be able to determine if it is positive, negative or borderline!

Basic precautions to be taken to avoid frequent wheezing in babies and kids:

Prevention is better than cure. Take necessary precautions if your child has a history of wheezing.

1 Constant climatic changes are natural. Optimum precautions should  be  exercised at such times.

2 Use heaters in conditions such as winter, sudden drop in temperature, non-seasonal rainfall and whenever required.

3 Do not allow your child to have cold items like ice cream, cold drinks etc.

4 Keep warm, put on socks, take warm bath.

5 Wash hands every now and then.

6 As already suggested earlier, avoid giving foods that trigger wheeze.

7 Plenty of fluid intake is suggested.

8 Avoid exposure to cigarette smoke, mosquito repellents, agarbathis, perfume and other strong odors.

9 Encourage your little one to use a handkerchief all the time

10 Use special hypoallergenic pillows and bed covers

11 Use vacuum cleaner or clean the house with damp cloth instead of broomstick so as to make sure that the dust doesn’t end up settling on bed sheets, curtains and furniture.

12 Change AC filters regularly. Wash the AC dust shield at regular intervals.

Home remedies for wheezing in babies and kids (First aid for wheezing)

1 Make the child sit right straight in case of a sudden attack or breathlessness

2 Warm water gives soothing effect. Make sure to give warm water every time.

3 You can make turmeric paste and apply on your child’s chest, it is highly beneficial as it contains anti-inflammatory properties

4 A few drop of mustard oil taken with dark brown jaggery also helps for older kids.

5 You can train older kids with breathing exercises and yoga asanas that help relieving spasm

6 Taking half a teaspoon of honey helps for children above 1 year.

7 Soak fig in water overnight and give it to the child in morning.

8 Steam inhalation also helps for older kids.

Do not form negative thoughts and do not form an impression that you can never come out of chronic disease situation. Take a second opinion if required! Consult a doctor at the earliest and do the needful if you suspect wheezing in babies and kids.

Age wise Height and Weight Chart for Babies

Age wise Height and Weight Chart for Babies

Is my baby’s weight right for his/ her age?

Why is my baby not chubby?

Is my baby eating enough?

Ever asked yourself any of the above questions?

Let me bring to you the age wise height and weight chart for babies, toddlers and kids.

Weight of your baby! This is a very common worry for almost all moms.Every time I face the parents, they make it a point to ask me, to weigh their daughter, measure her height and check her head circumference. Despite assurances given by me,they get worried from time to time  regarding their little one’s height and weight.

Why is my baby losing/ not gaining weight? 

Keep in mind that each baby / kid is different and has different developmental phases.As long as your baby is active and healthy, there is no need to panic if he/she is not weighing as per this chart.

▪ Pre- term babies or premies tend to have lower weight and a slower weight gain than their full term counter parts. So if your child is a pre-term baby, ask your pediatrician for guidance in terms of his/ her weight and height.

▪Bottle fed babies usually have no issues catching up with the weight milestones, this is because they don’t lose weight in the initial days like the breast fed babies.

▪Girls and boys have different milestones when it comes to height and weight.

▪Babies above 8 months of age generally tend to lose weight as their activities increase and they tend to have a constant weight / lose weight as they grow older.

▪Babies/ kids suffering from fever could lose weight, so there could be a difference there as well. Not just that, there are several other reasons for a baby to lose weight.

▪The genes inherited by the baby can play and important role in the physical constitution of your child. If anyone from your or husband’s family (maternal/paternal) is on the leaner side, your baby could be on the leaner side too.

Why do you need to consult a chart?

How many of you have been ridiculed by your parents regarding your baby’s weight?How many you have heard your parents and in laws saying this to your kid – “Oh! Look at you, my poor thing, your mom is not feeding you properly, right?”

Let’s face it, the grandparents will always think that your little one is too weak and thin. This holds true not just for your kids but you too! So with all that, it is normal to feel tensed about your baby’s weight and height. That’s why you have these charts. They provide you with an unbiased estimate of your baby’s height and weight as per his/ her age. Apart from that, a growth chart will help you understand if  your baby is healthy and is achieving his weight and height milestones.

How to read the chart?

While it is great to have a ready reckoner regarding your child’s weight and height, it has caused sleepless nights for mommies as well. They end up following the chart blindly and end up worrying if the values don’t match. Do remember, the charts available provide you with an estimated height- weight as per the standards. While it can be used as a guideline, please don’t go by the exact weight and  height for your baby / toddler / kid as mentioned in the chart.

Be realistic when it comes to your baby’s weight:

Keep your baby’s birth weight in mind before you set weight goals for your child. Do not just concentrate on the weight aspect, ensure he/ she is growing too. A lot of us make the mistake of ignoring the average height by age. It is important that your baby is maintaining the correct height to weight ratio or you may be making your kid obese rather than healthy.And do not forget the genes, they too play a vital role in determining your baby’s height and weight!

Agewise height and weight chart for babies, toddlers and kids: