Childcare - Know Facts About It!

Hi, I am Dr. Suresh Keshan, Pediatrician. Today I will be speaking on general childcare and the things which parents mostly have questions about while they visit our clinic. It will not be a technical medical session but informative session which will inform the parents about the common anxiety questions that parents have theirs in mind. The first and foremost I want to tell all the parents that natural love and affection that you give to your child is priceless and precious and nothing can substitute that. Today in the digital world, a lot of literature is available because of which parents are a little bit confused that what should they to for child upbringing. The main thing they need to remember is as long as there is love and affection from the parents for the child and family atmosphere is loving and caring, the child care can never go wrong. So, they don't have to put extra efforts, no need to read a lot rather whatever comes naturally to them is the best care for the child. I am now talking about the pregnancy and birth of the child. The thing which faces is an inclination towards a baby boy of the parents. It can be because of the culture present in India. Now in the modern era, the female child is also getting acceptance in India. Mindset is getting change in India over a period of time.

The main thing I want to tell you that the gender of the child totally depends upon the father. Because he is the one who passes the chromosome that is Y and X which determines the gender of the child. Mother just take care of the child in the womb. Another common problem which parents face when the child is born, they feel it is very gentle, fragile, delicate. The newborn is very strong, its defense mechanism is very well developed. So, the parents should never have the anxiety in the mind that the newborn is delicate or require some special care or requires to be kept away from infections and to be kept in a sterile place. We just need to follow the normal hygienic rules. Breast milk is the thing which is encouraged so that the baby can get the optimal nutrition from the mother and it also helps the baby in building immunity. Once the baby is born, the next step is vaccinations. In India, vaccination acceptance has become very good. The parents themselves come and ask about the various vaccinations. In India, we have hardly seen the cases of measles, chickenpox, tetanus and this is happening because of the success of vaccination. So, we advise the parents to go to the Dr and get the child vaccinated. Parents often ask about like my kid is of 5 years and the vaccination is for 2 years old kid, so is my child can take this vaccination or not. There is no cut off for the vaccination. At any age, you can give the vaccination. Now I will speak on parental expectations from the child. In this competitive world, parents think that their child should always be on top. The child should excel in every activity.

So, they need to see that these expectations are realistic in nature and does not put unnecessary pressure on the child to live upon the parent's expectations. So, just take the things at ease and let the child develop on its optimal potential. Another problem we face is working parents where both the parents are working. This mainly causes a lot of guilt in mother because as per our Indian culture a female should always look after the home and kids. So, they should not be much worried as the caretaker are always available for the child to take care of them. The caretaker can be from your home or you can hire someone from the outside. Studies have also shown if the mother is working, the child is no way hampering the mental, emotional and psychological development. In fact, it is proved that if the parents are working then the child is more autonomous, free, good in nature. independent and faster. Because this is how a kid learns to manage to do and learn the things themselves. Another common concern is the feeding of the child. So, what is homemade and you are giving to the child is best. The child should not be dependant on outside food. Homemade food always gives the best nutrition to the child.

The child will never suffer from any malnutrition or decrease in the immunity. The child will also not suffer from any growth factor lacking. So, whatever you are eating at home, are all balanced. Another problem we face in the clinic that parents say that their child is a poor eater. The child always refuses on taking anything. They think that the child is starving. 2 important things are there. 1st is that this thing is created by parents themselves by putting the pressure on the child to eat. Because if we see in villages, mothers are not much bothered about her child. They see that whatever they offer to the child, he eats. No complaint from any mother who is living in a village. But the mothers who all are living in urban areas, are complaining that her kid is not eating. Because the mother always pays a lot of attention to child eating. Another example, if you see that your child went to the neighbor's house or your friend's house, they will eat everything. But when he is in your home, he will not eat. So, the reason is that pressurized feeding makes it unenjoyable for kids. So, let the child enjoy the meal. Another concept is that what is the healthy weight and height. Parents feel that their kid is slim. In today's world, nutrition factors are a burning issue. The child should never be overweight. Because it may lead to obesity. They should see whether the child is healthy or not. Never compare your child with any other child. The common problem which parents feel about is a fever. Fever in a child is mostly viral in nature. Most of the fevers go in 3-5 days. Parents start monitoring the fever. So, don't be much worried and take the child to the Dr. All the fevers are benign in nature and nothing will happen to the child. Another problem parents often face is crying of the child. And parents are not able to understand what they need to do about.

The baby's sleep pattern is mot adaptive to the sleep pattern when he was inside the womb. During the pregnancy, the mother remains active in the daytime and because of this baby feels comfortable in the daytime. But in the night total opposite happens. And this is the only reason that the baby sleeps more in the daytime and less in the nighttime. Sleep patterns correct after 3 months of baby birth. Crying in the baby is mostly due to hunger which parents tend to recognize very fast or it can also be because of wet diapers. But one more thing happens when a baby cries for a prolonged period in the evening. This is a benign condition and may take 3-4 months to get corrected. So, at this time parent need to counsel themselves and this period will also pass soon. Another ques is how much a baby should sleep. A newborn baby should sleep for about 14-18 hours a day. Slowly and steadily it gets decreases. I will try to summarise the problems that parents are facing. The purpose is to solve the common problems of the parents and I hope you have enjoyed and gained information from this particular talk. Thank You!