The cry of an infant is a signal to the world for help. Learning to distinguish between these signals is part of the process of learning to be a parent. Most of the time babies cry because they are hungry. The golden rule for the breastfeeding mother is to put the baby to her breast… [ Continue Reading ]
The most likely reason for milk drying up is the inhibition of the ejection reflex (the mechanism by which milk is ejected from the breast). This reduces the production of milk and gradually stops it completely. Often, the drying up has psychological reasons behind it — when people ask the mother whether her milk has… [ Continue Reading ]
While rolling over, walking and talking are important developmental landmarks for all babies, getting them to sleep through the night is a critical step forward for parents. Haven’t we all experienced this – exhausted from the tasks of the day, the moment you snuggle under covers, ready to drop off, you hear a familiar sound… [ Continue Reading ]
A baby weighs about three kilograms at birth, and loses 150-200 g in the first three to four days. After that he grows rapidly and gains about 25 to 30 g a day for the first three months and a little less rapidly after that. The widely accepted formula that a baby doubles his birth… [ Continue Reading ]
Play and play materials are part of the basic needs of all children. If your child has enough stuff to play with, half your problems connected to the child are solved. It would keep him occupied and prevent boredom. A bored child develops a bad temper and becomes irritable. Thus toys are of great importance… [ Continue Reading ]
When the massage-woman started coming home after the delivery, I was a little taken aback. She was supposed to massage and bathe the baby and, hold your breath, the mother everyday. Though I didn’t mind removing bits and pieces of clothing to get massaged, which was actually quite painful, I did mind being bathed by… [ Continue Reading ]
Ameya’s parents were shocked. The doctor attributed the plump 12-year-old’s lack of concentration and attentiveness to malnutrition. How could a chubby-looking child from an upper class family be undernourished, they wondered? Obviously Ameya’s parents have mistaken their obese child to be healthy. And obese child usually grows up to become an obese adult. What are… [ Continue Reading ]
It sometimes seems amazing how infants pick up the threads of human language. Do you wonder how infants form their own patterns of speech? According to a report in the Hindu newspaper, babies have an innate ability to track the patterns with which sounds or syllables appear together in adult speech. The report, which is… [ Continue Reading ]
Physical development Your child’s growth rate reduces in the second year of life. Don’t get worried if her appetite also declines. She must have started walking by the first year, though this is not a hard and fast rule. Highly active, fearless infants tend to walk earlier; less active, more timid infants and those preoccupied… [ Continue Reading ]
Most babies suckle easily and naturally. They are born with the suckling reflex. To start the suckling reflex, a stimulus has to touch the baby’s hard palate. The stimulus is provided by the nipple, which has to be offered to the baby. But, occasionally a baby has to learn to suck. Especially in cases where… [ Continue Reading ]
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My friend’s four-year-old daughter, Tania, loves the daycare centre she goes to. She enjoys the home environment, the laidback...
You often hear the phrase ‘balanced diet’ and its advantages, particularly for pregnant mothers and growing children. What does...
You are feeling giddy and nauseus. Your menstrual cycle has been delayed. Things don’t seem quite right. You might...
While speaking of somebody with a visual impairment we would be referring to a person who is either partially...
