Benefits of eating blueberries

Blueberries are rich in antioxidants that help you stay away from several diseases. Not only are they tasty but they're also low in fat.

1) Blueberries have little sugar and a lower glycaemic index value compared to many other fruits, making them a healthy option.

Regulates blood sugar: Those having type 2 diabetes can have a problem in regulating their blood sugar levels. Studies suggest that blueberries can help such patients as they maintain the blood glucose levels.

2) They are an excellent source of disease-fighting polyphenols and vitamins C and K, along with manganese.

Reduces Cancer risk: Blueberries help attack cancer-causing radicals and can even block tumour cells from forming. Researchers have suggested that the fruit can act as a therapeutic agent for the early stage of prostate cancer.

3) Their purported health benefits range from helping to protect against heart disease and some cancers, as well as working to help improve your memory.

Vitamin C: Blueberries contain Vitamin C, which builds your immune system. It decreases the chances of developing various eye problems that damage the optic nerve. Hence, doctors often prescribe blueberries in your diet.

4) Blueberries are a good addition to your diet, but a mixture with other berries is even better.

Fights Urinary Tract Infections: Urinary tract infections are caused by bacteria. Blueberries contain compounds that prevent bacteria from sticking to bladder walls. Hence, blueberries are highly recommended for those with such infections.

5) A study showed a one-third reduction in the risk of heart disease among women who ate a mixed bowl of blueberries and strawberries three times a week.

Boosts brain health: According to scientists, blueberries help brain functions. In fact, studies performed suggest that adults who were given blueberries did well on memory tests. It is also said that blueberries act as a preventive method for cognitive decline.

Kids Develop self-esteem even before they turn five

Children may develop a sense of self-esteem even before they begin kindergarten, reveals an interesting research.

"We found that by as young as five years of age, self-esteem is established strongly enough to be measured using sensitive techniques," said lead study author Dario Cvencek, research scientist at University of Washington.

Researchers created a Preschool Implicit Association Test (PSIAT), to measure how strongly children feel positively about themselves.

To make the task appropriate for preschoolers, a mix of 234 boys and girls of five-year-old from the Seattle area, replaced words related to the self ("me," "not me") with objects. They used small unfamiliar flags, and where told about "yours" and "not yours".

Using buttons on a computer, children responded to a series of "me" and "not me" flags, using words and pressing the buttons.

The results showed that the five-year-old associated themselves more with "good" than with "bad", and this was equally pronounced in both girls and boys.

A gender identity task assessed the children's sense of whether they are a boy or a girl, called a "gender in-group preference".

Children with high self-esteem and strong sense of gender identity showed preferences for members of their own gender.

"Self-esteem appears to play a critical role in how children form various social identities. Our findings underscore the importance of the first five years as a foundation for life," Cvencek said.

Avoid cosmetics during first 3 months for a Healthy Baby

Expectant mothers in their first trimester should avoid certain cosmetics, cleaning agents and medicines, to protect the  developing fetal brain from chemicals that can trigger autism, suggest health researchers from York University in Canada.

"The products that we use on a daily basis, such as creams and cosmetics, contain chemicals that could potentially affect a developing baby during pregnancy," said one of the researchers professor Dorota Crawford.

Besides cosmetics and lotions, the list of products that expectant mothers should avoid during first trimester, according to the researchers, include - cleaning solvents, pesticides, non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as acetylsalicylic acid, misoprostol (a drug used for inducing labour), poly-chlorinated bisphenyls used as industrial lubricants, polybrominated diphenyl ether found in wood and textiles, phthalates in PVC flooring, and children's toys.

Aside from the type of chemical a pregnant woman is exposed to, the duration, the frequency and the concentration level also impact a developing brain at the prenatal stage, the researchers said.

According to the researchers, prenatal brain development undergoes constant changes and its normal functioning depends greatly on the presence of specific genes at any given time.

Since environmental factors influence the expression levels of these critical genes, it is important for an expectant mother to be aware and cautious of exposure to these factors.

Average Height and Weight of Girls at different ages

Age		Weight(Kg)		Height(cm)
Birth		3.2		49.9
3 months		5.4		60.2
6 months		7.2		66
9 months		8.6		71.7
1 year		9.5		75
2 years		11.8		84.5
3 years		14.6		93.9
4 years		16.2		101.9
5 years		17.7		108.4
6 years		19.5		114.6
7 years		21.8		120
8 years		24		126.4
9 years		28.5		132.2
10 years		31.4		138.3
11 years		32.2		142
12 years		37		148
13 years		40.9		150
14 years		48		155
15 years		51.5		161
16 years		53		162
17 years		54		163
18 years		54.5		164

Average Height and Weight of Boys at different ages

Age		Weight(Kg)		Height(cm)
Birth		3.3		50.5
3 months		6		61.1
6 months		7.8		67.8
9 months		9.2		72.3
1 year		10.2		76.1
2 years		12.3		85.6
3 years		14.6		94.9
4 years		16.7		102.9
5 years		18.7		109.9
6 years		20.7		116.1
7 years		22.9		121
8 years		25.3		127
9 years		28.1		132.2
10 years		31.4		137.5
11 years		32.2		140
12 years		37		147
13 years		40.9		153
14 years		47		160
15 years		52		166
16 years		58		171.1
17 years		62		175
18 years		65		177

IAP chart on Length,Weight and Head circumference for Boys from 0-36 months

Indian kids more affected by their fathers' behaviour

Indian children, whose fathers display negative parenting traits such as detachment, intrusiveness,lax enforcement of discipline and controlling behavior, are likely to have lower self esteem,suggest a new research. This is because  children's self worth is linked to the behavior of dominant parent and in Indian culture, fathers generally play the central role-both within and outside the household.

"Mothers and fathers play different roles in different cultures--these findings highlight the importance of these distinct gender-based power structures on a child's self-worth," 

In contrast, in Western cultures, although still somewhat patriarchal, mothers have more central roles than fathers within the home and are often responsible for routine care and discipline.

Study found that English children,whose mothers displayed more negative parenting traits,reported lower self-esteem.But for Indian kids, the father behavior had more impact.

In India,traditionally the father is considered to be the Head of the family,in terms of power and their role as disciplinarian.These difference often remain even after families migrate to other countries.

"Parenting literature is still dominated by mothering, reflecting Western norms. 

Home Remedies for Stopping Bedwetting

Wetting the bed can be an embarrassing issue among kids, but it's actually very common.Bedwetting can damage the child's self-image and confidence. The best way to prevent this is to be supportive. Parents should reassure the child that bedwetting is a common problem that has a strong genetic component and that they are confident that the child will overcome the problem.

Causes

• Comparatively smaller bladder
• Imbalance of hormones
• Stress
• Infection of urinary tract
• Acute constipation
• Excessive production of urine
• 
  

Home Remedies for Bedwetting

1. Cinnamon : Cinnamon powder is one of the most effective ways that can make your child stop wetting the bed at night. Make your child chew cinnamon bark once in a day

2. Indian Gooseberries : Indian gooseberries, popularly known as amla, are extremely helpful in treating the problem of bedwetting in your child. Crush gooseberries and pour some honey over them and sprinkle a pinch of turmeric. Serve it in breakfast to your child.

3. Olive Oil :  Heat some olive oil and gently rub it on the lower abdomen of your child, massaging gently over and around the lower abdomen. The heating effect will restrain the urination by your child in bed, during the night.

4. Walnuts and Raisins : Children enjoy eating dry fruits and nuts as a snack. Give a handful of walnuts and raisins to your child before he/she is heading to sleep and continue to do so for a few months.

5. Honey :  Give a tablespoon of honey to your child, every night. You can even put a tablespoon of honey in his/her glass of milk, instead of sugar, to cure the ailment.

6. Banana : Feed your kid 2-3 bananas, each day. It will help you to treat the problem of bedwetting in your child.

Tips to Prevent Bedwetting

The below given preventive measures will help your child to stop wetting the bed.

• Avoid giving fluid to your child during the night, especially before bedtime.
• Make it a habit of your child to go to the bathroom before sleeping.
• Reward your child or appreciate him/her with something for being dry whole night.
• Ask your kid after an interval of time if he/she wants to go to the bathroom for passing the urine.
• Make sure the child has easy access to the toilet.
• Monitor your child’s bowel movements. Constipation can interfere with the complete and efficient emptying of the bladder.

Home Remedies for Ear Pain

Ear infections are the second most common illness of childhood behind colds.There may be no common pain worse than an earache.

There are many possible causes for an earache. Cavities, sinus infections, earwax, tonsillitis, and teeth grinding are some of the most common.
Other causes include the common cold, wax in the ear, blockage in the nasal passage, physical damage to the inside of the ear, an increase in air pressure and so on. Earaches occur more commonly among small children than adults.

Simple earache can be taken care of easily at home with natural remedies.Here are some

1. Olive Oil

Olive oil can provide fast relief from an earache. It serves as a lubricant and helps get rid of an infection in the ear. Olive oil can also be helpful in stopping buzzing sensations inside the ears.

• Put 3-4 drops of lukewarm olive oil as ear drops into the ear canal.

2. GARLIC.

Antibiotic properties of garlic can help reduce earache caused by an ear infection.

• Heat one teaspoon of minced garlic in two tablespoons of sesame oil. Cool and filter the oil. Put 2-3 drops of this garlic oil in the aching ear.
• Another option is to extract the juice out of a few cloves of garlic and put it into the ear that hurts.

3. HOT COMPRESSES.

Putting moist heat around an infected ear can work as a great pain reliever. Simply wrap a hot water bottle in a towel and press it against the aching ear for a few minutes.

4. Onion.

Onion is one of the most readily available home remedies for an earache. The antiseptic and antibacterial properties in onions work well in treating the problem.

• Extract one tablespoon of onion juice from grated onions and heat it over low heat. Then put 2-3 drops of the juice into affected ear 2-3 times a day.
• Crush a fresh onion and wrap it tightly in a piece of clean cloth. Hold the cloth over the infected ear for about 5 to 10 minutes. Repeat the process several times a day.

5. BREAST MILK.

If you’re breastfeeding, breastfed babies have a much lower rate of ear infections than bottle fed infants, and even just a few drops of breast milk offer relief.

Keep in mind that none of these remedies are a replacement for a doctor’s advice. Always consult your physician if you suspect an ear infection.

How to control Childhood Obesity

Increasing cases of childhood obesity have become a major concern for parents all over the country.But Eating eight kind of food, along with exercising ,can tackle this issue to a great extent.

Together You can !

The best way to inculcate healthy habits in your children is to involve the entire family by increasing physical activities.How you can achieve it.....

• Do what you preach.When your children realize that you are physically active  and having fun ,they would be more active and stay active for the rest of their lives.

• Remember to plan family activities that provides everyone with exercise.So go for walking,biking or swimming together and let the kids know that it can be so much fun.

• Many a time ,overweight children feel uncomfortable about participating in some activities .So be sensitive to your child's needs.As a parent , it is important to help your child find physical activities that they enjoy rather than making them do something that they find embarrassing or too difficult.

• Make a conscious decision to reduce the amount of time you and your family spend on sedentary activities like watching TV,surfing  the Net or playing video games.

Things that should keep in mind during use of Diaper or Huggies

• You can keep huggies/ diaper on baby for long time maybe for even 6-7 hours during daytime and rest depends on baby someday he pee little then other day so u can check after every one or two hours .

• Choosing the Correct Size Huggies

      

Diaper Size	Age of Baby
Small	up to 1 year
Medium	1-3 years
Large	3-4 years
Extra Large	4-5 years

• You shouldn't keep a wet diaper on a baby more than 2 hours at a time. Even if there is only a little urine. It can cause infection and a rash when it sits against the skin for a long time.

• Investigating Huggies Size Options correctly according to the baby weight before buying huggies for baby.

• As far as night time, if the baby sleeps thru the night and doesn't seem uncomfortable or get a rash, just change him/her in the morning immediately.

• Always clean the area well with clear water after taking out Huggie.

• For a newborn, you'd need to change it every two hours or when the baby wakes up.

How to overcome BreastFeeding Challenges

Yesterday I was going through a useful article in newspaper .So try to share that with all Moms and Moms-to-be. It is highly worth reading.

As you know from time restraints to lack of suitable services ,New moms who choose to breastfeed are faced with various challenges. Even we know breastfeeding has huge benefits for both baby and mother,but unfortunately ,in Today’s loud, demanding and fast moving world, finding the opportunity to breastfeed is not easy.

MORE TOUCH.MORE EYE CONTACT.MORE TIME TOGETHER.

- Breastfeeding within one hour of delivery.

- Skin to skin contact improves mother-infant interaction,bonding.

- Babies who are fed nothing but breast milk from birth through their first 6 months of life get the best start.

BREASTFEEDING IS SO MUCH MORE ! 

Here are some Tips to Breastfeeding Moms

AT HOME

Although having a whole new person living under roof may throw your old routines into chaos ,organization is the key to successful breastfeeding.If you try to multitask,your feed is likely to be slow,so try to dedicate time to it and make sure your baby takes as much milk as is needed.

When choosing a breast pump,remember that your comfort is very important. Whether a natural delivery  or a c-Sec, chances are would have a pain in your lower back. And pumping milk takes 15-20 mins .So Try to be relax,The more comfortable you are,the more milk you express.

AT WORK

Being a breastfeeding working mom is a challenge.It takes military organization to have the time at work.Here are three tips to express success.

1.  Make sure you have quality ,comfortable breast pump, whether manual or electric.So Choose what works better for you.
2. Ask your workplace if you can have a dedicated area to express in private and a freezer to store your milk.
3. Just as at home,establishing a routine is key to making sure you’ve refrigerated your milk correctly and provided enough milk for your baby.

IN PUBLIC

Knowing that some people are uncomfortable with public breastfeeding puts most breastfeeding Moms in an awkward position when they choose to feed their baby outside their home.

There is simple solution;

Make sure you have a scarf,wrap or swaddle sheet on hand that you can drape over your shoulder.

How to train your Toddler for toothBrush

It is Good to brush your kid's teeth for nearly two years.But As he grows older he wants to do the same by himself.Here are few tips for parents who want to train their toddler for brushing.

• Let your toddler pick the Brush. Take your toddler to the Shop and let him choose his own toothbrush and toothpaste. Let him pick the toothpaste too.Check the packaging for fluoride levels to make sure you're buying the right toothpaste for your baby.

• Brush along with him. You should also brush your teeth with your toddler while he brushes his teeth. This activity will encourage him and he will do this with interest.Kids love to copy their parents.So he will notice the techniques of your brushing and try to apply the same.

• Praise your child for brushing himself.

• Don't force .Your child probably won’t be cleaning the teeth properly in starting days.Once the baby will get used to,he or she will learn the correct technique also.No need to force him.

Start cleaning your baby's teeth twice a day . If you start early, your baby will get used to having his teeth cleaned.

When you've finished, make sure your baby spits out the excess toothpaste.

Home Remedy to grow thick and healthy hair on your little one's head

These home remedies are easily obtained and are very easy to process. These helps to increase the length of hair and grow thick hair naturally .

Coconut milk

Massage coconut oil on her head and leave it on. After you wash her hair, put coconut oil on her hair and leave it until you wash her hair. Do it constantly.

Olive Oil

Since the first ancestor, olive oil has been believed to be efficacious treatments for hair care. Olive oil not only can smooth the hair, but it can increase the hair growth process.

Curd

Apply 2-3 spoons curd on baby's hair and leave it for 15-20 mins.Then wash the hair with baby soap.When done regularly, it can be seen significant results in hair growth.

Proper Diet

Give your kid proper diet for growing healthy hair.you ensure that your child gets all the major food groups, essential nutrients, and vitamins.

Home Remedies for Loose Motions

Hydration – Remember feeding your child with the ORS in every 20 – 25 minutes. You can make the solution at home by mixing 8 tea spoons of sugar and 1 tea spoon of salt to 1 liter of water. 

Breastfeeding –If its a breastfed baby, breastfeed as and when the baby demands. It helps to restore the water lost from the body.

Diet – Infants who have started solid food can be given a mixture of carrot and banana. Soups in which sugar and salt are mixed should be given. You can give banana, rice, yogurt, buttermilk and small amount of apple juice.

Gripe Water – This is a certified remedy. Make sure the gripe water is certified and organic.

Lemonade - Lemon juice has anti inflammatory properties that will help in easily clearing the stomach. Extract the juice from one full lemon. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and a tablespoon of sugar to it. Mix it well.Now consume this lemonade every hour .

Pomegranate - Pomegranate is a fruit that will help in reducing the loose motion problems . It is very good in controlling loose motions.

Boiled potatoes - Eat Boiled potato.

Honey - Honey is a natural medicine and very effective in fighting loose stools.

No to Animal Milk - If the child is drinking animal milk, stopping milk for about 12 hours may be preferable.

Take Rest - If loose motion is due to food poisoning, then it is advisable that take complete rest.

Papaya - Raw papaya is found to be effective in treating loose motions. It will help in easing stomach pain as well as reduce stomach cramps.

How to Control Diarrhea Fortnight

 Following are the pictures which I clicked from newspaper as I found it very useful for parents.

Precautions :

Things to remember :

Home remedies for Constipation

Constipation in a toddler can be caused by:

• not eating enough fibers diet or doesn’t include enough liquids (or both)
• not drinking enough fluids
• drinking too much milk and not enough water
• lack of exercise and activity
• Side effects of certain medications

Constipation Symptoms:

· Stomach pain and bloating
· Bleeding with bowel movements

Home remedies for Constipation

• Fruit juice –You can give certain fruit juices to treat constipation. This includes prune, apple, or pear juice (other juices are not as helpful). 
• Dark corn syrup – Dark corn syrup has been a folk remedy for constipation for hundreds of years. Dark corn syrup contains complex sugar proteins that keep water in the bowel movement. 
• High-fiber foods – If your infant has started eating solid foods, you can substitute barley cereal for rice cereal. You can also offer other high-fiber fruits and vegetables .Also offer fruit juice with fibers.
• Sat-EsabGol-Give 1-2 spoon sat-esabgol in warm milk.This will help in smooth bowel movement. 
• Exercise your baby’s legs in cycling motion in between feeds. It will put pressure on the stomach and help the baby to expel gas.

WHEN TO CALL THE PEDIATRICIAN

1. Call your child's doctor or nurse immediately (during the day or night) if your child has severe abdominal or rectal pain.
2. You see blood in your child's bowel movement or diaper
3. Your child has repeated episodes of constipation
4. Your child complains of pain with bowel movements