'Tara' Tips to Health

Growth & Development

  1. Take ‘healthy’ appointment for your child to focus on growth issues when he is not ill. – Tarakids: 0121-2650865
  2. Nails of children grow faster than adults, so they need to be trimmed very regularly, faster in children. Tarakids: 0121-2650865
  3. White spots on nails are due to nail matrix injury, not because of calcium deficiency. They disappear themselves by 8 weeks. Tarakids.
  4. Nails of hands grow 3 times faster than of toes, fastest of the middle finger and slowest of the thumb. Tarakids: 0121-2650865
  5. Children do not require shoes until walking age or shortly after (12-18 months). Tarakids: 0121-2650865
  6. Teething does not cause infection, fever or loose motions. It’s just a myth in all societies. Tarakids: 0121-2650865
  7. Parents incorrectly blame high fever,vomiting n diarrhoea on teething, delaying proper medical attention.These are not symptoms of teething.
  8. Teething time coincides with decline in maternal antibodies, making baby susceptible to recurrent infections. Tarakids:0121-2650865
  9. Wakefulness or night crying may be due to attention-seeking or separation anxiety, not at all because of teething. Tarakids: 0121-2650865
  10. Teething is a well-programmed natural phenomenon, and does NOT require any medicine. Tarakids: 0121-2650865
  11. It's a wrong assumption that complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) which parents give during teething are harmless. Tarakids.
  12. Tooth eruption is not a process of tooth cutting through the bone to come out, but a pathway formed through bone remodelling. Tarakids.
  13. Primary dentition (milk teeth eruption) is as benign as secondary dentition (permanent teeth) Tarakids 0121-2650865
  14. Breath-holding spells in 6 months to 3 year old kids are due to sudden frightening experiences. They are benign and children outgrow them.
  15. Breath-holding spells in 65% kids from 6 mo-3 yrs r due to iron & zinc deficiency. Use a wet cloth to wipe baby's face to break the spell.
  16. 33% of kids with breath-holding spells have abnormal EEG record, but do not require any anti-epileptic treatment. Tarakids: 0121-2650865
  17. Children grow at different rates at different times, so it is not always easy for you to estimate rate of growth correctly. Tarakids.
  18. Kids need 60 minutes of physical activity daily. Short 10 min sessions 5-6 times a day are good enough. Tarakids: 0121-2650865
  19. A pre-adolescent child's body is not ready for adult style gyming activities, like jogging, treadmill or using an exercise bike. Tarakids.
  20. There are 1440 minutes in day... Make 30 minutes of daily exercise a habit for lifetime. Tarakids: 0121: 2650865
  21. Mangoes and boils occur in summers in plenty....But crack the myth - Mangoes have nothing to do with boils at all. Tarakids: 0121-2650865
  22. Overweight kids move slowly, get less exercise, have low self-confidence, have social issues at school n eventually become overweight adults
  23. Measure your child's weight and height once a month, being careful not to express displeasure about them at once. Tarakids: 0121-2650865

Disease – Prevention and Cure

  1. As saliva production falls to just 10% at night, bedtime brushing is a must to prevent dental caries. – Tara Kids: 0121-2650865
  2. Best treatment for kids focuses on prevention than cure. It’s not an expense but an investment. Tarakids: 0121-2650865
  3. Repeated handwashing during the day for a minimum of 30 sec each time reduces day -to-day illnesses by 30% - Tarakids: 0121-2650865
  4. Cold and cough in kids are due to viral infections, and invariably last from 1-3 weeks. – Tarakids: 0121-2650865
  5. Diarrhoea in kids lasts for 5-7 days, and treatment lies NOT in stopping loose motions but in preventing dehydration. Tarakids: 0121-2650865
  6. Besides dengue and malaria, mosquitoes also cause deadly brain fever. Do protect your kids from mosquito bite. Tarakids – 0121-2650865
  7. Fever in kids is mostly viral lasting for 5-7 days. Whole body sponging with lukewarm water is better than adding more anti-pyretics.
  8. Nothing should be given to eat or drink in 20 min before taking body temperature with thermometer by mouth. Tarakids: 0121-2650865
  9. Temperature of your child should not be taken immediately after bathing, or when he is bundled in clothes. Tarakids: 0121-2650865
  10. Rapid rise of temperature in children can lead to fits, so it’s important to first control fever before treating the cause. Tarakids.
  11. Whole body sponging with lukewarm water & plenty of oral fluids are as important to control high rise of fever, as much as antipyretics.
  12. It‘s normal to have 10-12 viral infections in a year with or without fever in young kids upto 4 years. Tarakids: 0121-2650865
  13. Consumption of unpasteurized milk products like icecreams may lead to typhoid in children. Tarakids: 0121-2650865
  14. Green-colored vomitings are an alarming signal, but green-colored stools are of no value. Tarakids; 0121- 2650865
  15. To prevent mosquito bite, keep your child fully covered, use in-house repellants, and roll-ons ‘n sprays outdoors. Tarakids: 0121-2650865
  16. Best nutrition, appropriate vaccination, good hand hygiene, checking mosquito bite & avoiding overcrowded places, prevents recurrent fevers.
  17. A tooth has three exposed surfaces. Teach your child to brush all the three. Tarakids: 0121-2650865
  18. Best therapy for asthma is inhalation therapy, and inhalers are milder and inexpensive replacement of nebulization. Tarakids: 2650865
  19. Inhalers relieve asthma symptoms with action only on lungs, sparing healthy organs. There is no habit formation with inhalers. Tarakids.
  20. Inhalers are not a strong medicine for asthma, in fact, many times milder than oral drugs and as good as nebulizer. Tarakids: 0121-2650865
  21. Asthma in children are of 3 types: Frequent, Infrequent and Persistent, so treatment is not the same for all the groups. Tarakids: 2650865
  22. Most of the children outgrow their asthma symptoms with advancement of age, as their airway size gets bigger with increase in height.
  23. Those children who respond to nebulizer, shd be better treated with inhaler & spacer, as it's lesser drug at minimum cost with same efficacy.
  24. Nail polish beautifies nails externally by masking bacteria and germs, so nails of working hands should always be trimmed. Tarakids.
  25. Nail-biting affects 30% of kids btwn 7-10 yrs and 45% of teenagers. They outgrow this habit when they became conscious for their appearance.
  26. Effective sponging to reduce fever means sponging from head to toe with water of normal temperature(not cold) with fans on and windows open.
  27. For fever, whole body sponging with lukewarm water reduces temperature for a longer period of time than cold water. Tarakids: 0121-2650865
  28. Do not rely on bottle cap for giving syrup medications to children. Use a measuring spoon, or else it leads to under-dosing. Tarakids.
  29. Widal test is only suggestive of Typhoid Fever, but does not confirm it. It should only be done after 7 days of fever. Tarakids.
  30. Fever is our friend. It helps to make more antibodies against infection. So focus on treatment of the cause, rather than fever itself.
  31. For combating colds & flu in children, they need to be taught to wash hands more often. Tarakids: 0121-2650865
  32. Handwashing does not imply just washing hands under water. They shd be washed with soap for at least 30 sec to get rid of infectious germs.
  33. Handwashing is very important for prevention of disease, so whenever it’s not possible, hand sanitizer must be used. Tarakids: 0121-2650865
  34. Babies under one r most vulnerable to viruses & bacteria, so suffer from tummy upset. Learn to keep their hands n feeding equipment clean.
  35. Throw away your baby's feeding bottles and nipples at the first sight of damage,weakness or scratching, as they can't be sterilized anymore.
  36. Min time for boiling baby's bottle is 10 min at 80 deg n above, but nipples get damaged sooner with boiling than other ways of sterilization
  37. Tap should be left running for 30 sec before use, to reduce risk of lead in the water. Tarakids
  38. Salt is no longer used to clean silicone nipples of bottles. Throw away split or cracked nipples as damaged surfaces harbour infection.
  39. Do not force a baby to finish the bottle. It can lead to vomiting, and also set up a habit of over-eating throughout life. Tarakids.
  40. Mosquitoes breed more in rainy season, increasing mosquito-borne illnesses. Apply repellants on child's body whenever sending him outside.
  41. Throughout history, no other insect has been a more significant contributor to human discomfort, disease and death than a MOSQUITO! Tarakids
  42. There is no effective vaccine for Dengue or Malaria fever. The only way of preventing them is avoiding mosquito bite. Tarakids: 0121-2650865
  43. Boils spread like wildfire on child's skin as it is very sensitive and delicate, so treatment should be availed at the first boil. Tarakids
  44. Clean boils in children with Pinky powder first, then apply antibiotic cream or ointment. Tarakids: 0121-2650865
  45. When cough is associated with wheezing in children, do NOT try treating it yourself. Consult your Pediatrician immediately. Tarakids.

Vaccination

  1. After DPT booster, there is no need of tetanus injection for cuts and wounds, until 5 years of age. Tarakids: 0121-2650865
  2. Typhoid Vaccine is given to children 2 years onwards and should be repeated every 2 years. Tarakids: 0121-2650865
  3. Chickenpox vaccination needs to be repeated at 5 years of age to get optimum benefits.Tarakids:0121-2650865
  4. MMR vaccine should be repeated at 5years of age to get best protection for mumps and measles later in life. Tarakids:01212650865
  5. Flu is a family vaccine. It should be given to all members above 6 months of age. Tarakids: 0121-2650865
  6. There is recent change in chicken pox vaccination schedule,the second dose being after 6 months of the first dose.Tarakids;-0121-2650865

Feeding & Diet

  1. White flour (Suji/Maida) products are good to taste but carry poor nutritious value, so plan out a balanced diet. Tarakids: 0121-2650865
  2. Teach your child to eat for health, not for taste - Tarakids: 0121-2650865
  3. Join hands with us to make your child slim and tall, not fat and short. Happy Holi - Tarakids: 0121-2650865
  4. Texture of an eatable is more important than taste. It takes 15-20 exposures to get used to a certain food. Tarakids: 0121-2650865
  5. Best diet for loose motions – boiled potato, mashed banana, stewed apple, sweetpea, khichdi & dalia. A big NO to softdrinks & juices.
  6. Weaning just doesn’t mean introducing semisolids to your baby’s diet, rather it’s the beginning of your control over him. Tarakids: 2650865
  7. Incidence of wheat allergy is high in North India, so introduce wheat in your baby’s diet after 6-7 months of life. Tarakids: 0121-2650865
  8. Right time to wean babies is 6 months onwards, and best food to start weaning with is lauki water. Tarakids: 0121-2650865
  9. During fever, the child’s appetite is naturally reduced to one-fourth of daily intake, so do not force him to eat more. Tarakids: 2650865
  10. An apple a day keeps cholesterol, triglycerides and diabetes away. Tarakids: 0121-2650865
  11. Soaking ‘n sprouting of pulses, legumes and nuts makes their iron & protein more bioavailable, so make it part of your child’s daily diet.
  12. Healthy heart from start – Use whole grain instead of refined cereals from childhood. It protects your heart and keeps weight in control.
  13. Tomatoes are an excellent diet – a rich source of Vitamin A, C, E & B complex as raw, and lycopene as an anti-oxidant as cooked. Tarakids.
  14. Skimmed milk has 8 gms less fat than whole milk i.e. saving 70 calories per glass, without losing nutritional value. Tarakids: 0121-2650865
  15. As skimmed milk is not v tasty, it could be initially be mixed with whole milk to mask its taste, & then amt of whole milk gradually reduced.
  16. Skimmed milk is not appropriate for kids under 2 yrs, has no role in diarrhea, & is most appropriate for obese kids n adults of all ages.
  17. Bottle propping and putting baby to bed with bottle, can lead to earache and baby bottle tooth decay (BBTD), i.e. inviting dental caries.
  18. Mix milk powder into hot boiled water in a feeding bottle, n not cooled boiled water, as powder itself is not sterile. Tarakids.
  19. To help child give up the habit of bottle feeding, start mixing water in milk and increase qty of water and reduce that of milk gradually.
  20. Tap water is better than bottled water, as it contains fluoride while bottled water does not. Tarakids.
  21. Eating right begins with stocking healthy food in your pantry or refrigerator well in advance. Tarakids: 0121-2650865
  22. Children have a tendency to put everything into the mouth. If mouthing persists evn beyond 24 months of age, it is abnormal and called PICA.
  23. Cow milk feeding is major cause of low Hb (anemia) in 6 month old baby, as it is rich in Calcium which suppresses iron absorption. Tarakids.
  24. Green vegetables, fruits & nuts are rich sources of iron. Vit-C of citrus fruits enhances iron absorption, while tea decreases Fe absorption
  25. Imbibe in your child the importance of fruits & vegetables for a lifetime, they are never advertised on television as chips n chocolate...
  26. Buy and serve more fruits and vegetables (fresh or frozen, canned or dried). Let your child choose himself at the store.
  27. Kids who skip breakfast soon begin feeling weak and tired, finally looking for less healthier food during the day. Tarakids: 0121-2650865
  28. Promising dessert to a child for eating vegetables, gives a wrong message to the child that vegetables are of a lesser value than a dessert.
  29. Let your child always feel in charge of her eating, and your job is to help him learn the healthiest eating habits. Tarakids: 0121-2650865

Behaviour and Study Related Problems

  1. Spending time with your child – playing, singing, reading or even talking – enhances his brain development. Tarakids: 0121-2650865
  2. Select toys bigger than the mouth of your child to prevent choking hazard. Tarakids: 0121-2650865
  3. Kids struggling wid Maths shd be screened for Dyscalculia which is as common as Dyslexia. Early detection is useful for treatment. Tarakids
  4. Dyslexia in kids is the difficulty to read, write or spell, despite adequate intelligence, proper schooling & equal opportunities.
  5. Children not doing well in studies should be ruled out for Dyslexia, before scolding or insulting them. Tarakids: 0121-2650865
  6. Dyslexia is not rare...7 percent. That means 7 out of every 100 kids are dyslexic, in all populations across the world. Tarakids.
  7. Dyslexics see and hear normally but have difficulty in recalling what they saw or heard, i.e they have problems with perception. Tarakids.
  8. Dyslexics r often perceived as slow learners or lazy, while they r quite intelligent. They in fact have problems wid processing information.
  9. A 9 month old baby understands what he wants, but can't express verbally. So develop a sign language for him to communicate. Tarakids.
  10. Research reveals that babies who learn sign language at the age of 6-9 months have higher IQ at the age of 8 years. Tarakids: 0121-2650865
  11. Babies begin recognizing signs long before they can make them. Start teaching them signs like Milk, More, Eat, Bath, Sleep and Diaper change
  12. Sign language gives babies a way to communicate and express what they are truly thinking, feeling or needing. Tarakids: 0121-2650865
  13. Once baby learns the first sign of sign language, he's eager to take up more n more,creating a playful interaction btwn infants n parents.
  14. Babies are happier if they are taught to express themselves in the right way. Happy babies turn into happier toddlers...Tarakids: 2650865
  15. Children who used baby sign language as infants and toddlers have better verbal and reading skills. Tarakids: 0121-2650865
  16. Baby sign language stimulates intellect way beyond infancy, increasing interest in books...The ultimate need after attaining growth. Tara.
  17. A child's image of himself depends on how he feels his parents think about him, so make your child feel very special. Tarakids: 0121-2650865
  18. Overweight children know better than others that they have a weight problem. They just need support and understanding from their parents.
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