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Stepping Reflex in Babies - What is it and How long does it Last?
Life outside the womb for a newborn is relatively new. It is too early for it to learn the tactics for survival. That is when their reflexes come into use. There are several reflexes like the sucking reflex, the palmar grasp reflex, the rooting reflex etc. that are innate in a newborn. One of these include the stepping reflex. In the first few months, a newborn does not know what to do but does things on reflex. These reflexes exist in the first few months in a newborn’s life when it is incapable to do things on its own. However, over a period of time these reflexes vanish.
What is Stepping Reflex in Infants?
The stepping reflex in newborns is something innate i.e. it is present from the time of birth and is said to be a primitive reflex. It is also called the walking reflex or the dancing reflex because a baby seems to be taking steps or dance when held upright with its feet touching a solid surface. Although infants cannot take in their own weight, they attempt to walk or put one foot in front of the other as if to walk when the soles of their feet touch a flat surface. It usually occurs in the first 6 weeks after birth and disappears once the baby turns two months due to an increased ratio of leg weight to strength. However, it again re-appears as a voluntary behaviour when the baby is around eight months to one year. This is the age when a baby begins to learn how to walk. The stepping reflex is categorised as a locomotor reflex since it resembles the voluntary movement of stepping.
Why do Babies have the Stepping Reflex?
Babies are said to have the stepping reflex in order to help or prepare a child to walk. It is said to develop the muscles of the leg and feet which help a baby to walk. Although, practically thinking, it has no real use just after a baby is born. It usually disappears after the baby becomes 2-3 months old only to re-occur later when the baby is 12-13 months old.
How Long does Stepping Reflex Last in Infants?
Stepping reflex at birth is normal. The babies show signs of stepping reflex when they are just about 2-3 days old and disappear when the baby is about 5-6 months old. It again re-appears when the baby is about 12-13 months old just before they start walking.
What does the Absence of Stepping Reflex Mean?
Stepping reflex in a baby is supposed to be innate; however, there may be no stepping reflex in some babies. The total absence of the stepping reflex as well as it’s continuance after 4 months of age in babies could be due to a number of reasons like motor nerve injury, severe neurological deficit during birth. It is also normal for some children like pre-term babies to have this reflex only after 6 weeks of age instead of having it 2-3 days after birth. The stepping reflex goes away 3-4 months after birth again to come back when the baby is about 12 – 13 months old. This helps the baby in learning to walk. However, babies with Cerebral Palsy or a condition known as the neonatal abstinence syndrome will have an absence of stepping reflex. This could be due to drugs which are taken by the mother like opiates and methadone during the time of pregnancy.
Stepping reflex in babies is something which is normal. However, in case your baby is a full term baby and the stepping reflex is absent, it is advisable to consult a doctor immediately to know about the underlying cause behind it.
Also Read:
Common Reflex in Babies
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Top 10 Realistic Family Goals You Should Have
Formulating realistic family goals is integral to ensure the building of stronger and closer family ties. It should include activities that help to develop harmonious and healthy relationships among family members. Both adults and kids can contribute to the list of goals, like one homogeneous family. Children, in fact, often come up with some of the greatest inputs! Family goals can be mapped out at any time of the year, to help change the family for the best. Also, you may be surprised to realise that the goals which are likely to cast the utmost impact are not tough to achieve. All it requires is the determination and resolve to work as a team.
Why is it Important to Set Family Goals?
It's easy to become busy and lose ourselves in the chaos of life, so much so that we may lose sight of the bigger picture. People tend to fall into a rut, and merely move from one day to another without considering things that may matter the most in life. It may be vital to draw up family goals for the following reasons:
A family that doesn’t plan for the future may not move forward or progress well. Conceiving family goals allows us to invest wisely in the family’success by taking concrete steps to attain common goals for every individual’s happiness.
Family goals can help strengthen family relations between husband-wife and parents-kids, so that the whole family may function as one unit to achieve together.
It can help create valuable teaching moments, wherein parents become true role models by presenting real-life examples for their children, to imbibe morals and values to shape their bright future.
Children may understand the worth of creating goals in life, develop team building abilities, and gain a sense of responsibility, as they feel valued and have a definite say in the functioning of the family team.
Children may learn key life skills, including the art of communication, self-discipline, perseverance, and commitment, as the family navigates and strives to complete the framed goals apart from being better prepared to face the challenges of life.
Family Goals That You Must Set for Your Family
Here are a few family goals ideas that you may wish to take up for your family:
1. Daily Goals
You may like to start with making daily family goals like waking up early and retiring to bed on time. You can incorporate daily pray or meditation time for the whole family. You can devise simple routines like try and eat at least one meal together, prepare ahead for the next day, nightly story time, or simply sharing stories about the day spent with each other before calling it a night.
2. Health Goals
Health can be one of your yearly family goals. The entire family can work hard together to improve their health by indulging in healthy activities. You can do so by creating time each day with your kids to play sports like playing football or badminton in the backyard. Parents can go for walks while kids cycle or play in the park. You can opt for healthier meals by making better food choices. Consider changing activities or including new ones every two weeks, to prevent things from becoming monotonous.
3. Financial Goals
Managing finances of the family can be quite challenging, given the rising inflation and cost of living. Therefore, strategising finances can be one of the long-term family goals. The family must sit down to compose ideas for a budget, to keep track of the income, expenditure, and savings. The family can plan family activities better like kid’s education, vacations, sports, and unexpected expenses, by viewing the earnings and spending.
4. Becoming more Organised
You may like to ponder over inventing a system for chores at home, to ensure that they happen smoothly. For example, there can be a place fixed for putting the car keys or collecting dirty clothes to be washed. Getting organised as a family can take off the pressure that may arise due to managing daily chores. If the family members are clear about their responsibilities and duties, like an older kid may be assigned the task of taking out the garbage, younger children can help with cleaning of the house, setting the table for meals, etc., life can be a breeze.
5. Relationship Goals
Adults tend to put all their energy into their children, often leaving very less time for themselves or anything else. Coining family relationship goals can help you make time for your partner and socialise with your friends and relatives. You can always plan a night out or a movie date with your friends, a romantic dinner date with your partner, or family dinners for relatives. Nurturing the various relations can aid you in fortifying those bonds, thus enabling you to strengthen your support system.
6. Downtime Goals
Our busy schedules stop us from spending quality time together like a family. One parent may be dropping off one kid to the sports complex, while the other parent may be taking the second child for his tuition, simultaneously. Conflicting schedules can pull the complete family in different directions, depriving them of any bonding time. Thus, designing downtime for the family becomes crucial, where the outside world is shut off totally, to have meaningful interactions with each other.
7. Vacation Goals
Hatching family vacations yearly is important for the overall happiness quotient of the family. Explore all possibilities and go in for doable family trips, taking into consideration the money aspect and time factor. Family holidays can be a wonderful way to gift your children beautiful memories and amazing experiences. It may also help children get a different and wider perspective on things in general.
8. Academic Goals
Lay down academic goals based on kids' academic strong points and weaknesses, which may assist in improving performance, increasing confidence and motivating them to do better in the future. You can enlist the help of teachers in designing academic goals. Also, don’t forget yourself! Get enrolled in the class or workshop you had planned on taking up, but could never find the time to do. It's time you take charge and stop putting off your academic goals.
9. Reassess Electronics Time
Have you noticed how much time you and your family members spend with your respective gadgets, playing games, checking messages, or surfing social media, instead of interacting with each other? It's usually quite a lot in this day and age. The fact is, the time spent on devices can cause the family to miss out on premium family time. Thus, it may bear well to form gadget-free time zones, as one of the weekly family goals, where all family members can focus on simply being together.
10. Serve Together as a Family
You may like to look for means where the family, as one, can participate in opportunities to help people, the local community, and society at large as part of family monthly goal ideas. It can be any activity, something as simple as de-cluttering and cleaning the neighbourhood, donating stuff to an orphanage, or volunteering at a local hospital. It may not only help develop feelings of compassion and empathy in children, but also aid in expanding their outlook towards life.
Things to Remember While Setting Family Goals
Keep these things in mind when you set goals for your family:
Each family member should be completely involved in the process of defining, setting, and reaching goals. In case the kids are quite young, you may want to think of creative ways to let them help and get included in the scheme of things.
Avoid having many goals at the same time. It is sensible to compose achievable targets, instead of being ambitious and going overboard, which can overwhelm everyone and leave them frustrated.
Choose your own pace and time for family goals. It doesn’t have to coincide with a new year or a special date. Select a time which may be suitable and ideal for your family.
Be SMART which stands for being Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound, while drafting family goals.
List down your family goals and paste them in an easily visible place for all the family members to see, like the refrigerator or message board around the house. Regularly review the progress and address any concerns or setbacks to keep things on track.
A family with a drive and purpose can prove beneficial for every family member’s overall growth and enhancement. Taking the time and effort to put together family goals is definitely worth the investment, to produce a more worthwhile and meaningful life.
Also Read:
Importance of Maintaining Healthy Family Relationships
Advantages and Disadvantages of Living in a Joint Family
Role of Family in Child Development Read more
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Prevent Dental Decay With These Easy Tips
Most people tend to take oral health for granted, which is why dental troubles are quite prevalent among all age groups. But did you know gum ailment and dental decay are also one of the most easily preventable diseases? Dental decay occurs when the tooth enamel gets eroded, leading to holes or cavities in the teeth. If not treated in a timely manner, these cavities can further deteriorate to compromise the entire tooth, gum or even the root canal. However, the good news is that it is possible to thwart dental decay with reasonable and straightforward means.
How to Avoid Tooth Cavity?
Some ways of preventing tooth cavity include the following:
1. Proper Oral Care Regime
Adopting the correct oral care routine can go a long way in safeguarding your teeth against bacteria and plaque build-up which are detrimental for the health of your teeth. Brushing teeth twice every day, both in the morning and at night is a vital step in oral care. Make sure your brush reaches all the crevices, surfaces, pockets and corners of your teeth. Also, remember to clean your tongue gently with a tongue scraper or toothbrush as it can harbour bacteria as well.
2. Flossing
Flossing daily at least once can avert the occurrence of tooth cavity and other periodontal diseases as it helps to remove any leftover food particles from under the gums, thus halting bacteria from establishing itself in the teeth. Also, floss can get to tiny crevices that brush bristles may not be able to reach.
3. Mouthwash
Using mouthwash to maintain a clean mouth can be an added boost for oral hygiene. Plaque and bacteria usually develop in small spaces between the teeth and along the gum line, giving way to tooth cavity. The antibacterial abilities of mouthwash can help eliminate any residual bacteria, thus protecting teeth from premature decay. Therefore, rinse your mouth with mouthwash after brushing your teeth.
4. Restrict Intake of Sugar
Avoiding sugary foods like juices and aerated drinks which contribute to tartar development may play a significant role in promoting healthy teeth. Sugar can react with bacteria present in the mouth to generate an acid which may erode tooth enamel and ensue tooth decay and cavities.
5. Use of Fluoride Toothpaste
Many people may like to know how toothpaste prevents tooth decay. You may benefit by using toothpaste which contains fluoride as it can help support the tooth enamel to fight against excessive plaque accumulation which most often causes cavities.
6. Incorporate Healthy Eating Habits
Apt modifications in eating habits can not only arrest tooth decay but may also reverse it. It is certainly a good idea to reduce frequent snacking. Eating or drinking throughout the day can subject your teeth to constant attack, particularly from starchy and sugary foods. Instead, drinking water regularly, as in, having sips between bites can prove helpful.
7. Opt for Tooth-healthy Foods
Diet can impact the welfare of the body on the whole, including oral health. Eating foods rich in calcium like collards, kale, broccoli, dairy, etc. can nurture strong bones and teeth. Avoid excess of processed or junk food like chips, cookies, etc. Integrate fresh vegetables and fruits like Brussels sprouts, peas, bananas that encourage salivation in your diet so that bacteria are unable to stay on your teeth. Foods high in probiotics like kefir, kombucha and fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, etc. can stimulate the growth of good bacteria that may seize plaque expansion and dental decay.
8. Schedule Fixed Visits to the Dentist
Make regular appointments with your dentist for check-ups and dental cleaning even if you think your teeth appear healthy. Take note of any inflammation in the gums, bleeding while brushing, or pain and consult your dentist right away to avoid possible complications later on.
FAQs
Some of the frequently asked questions about tooth decay are:
1. Why Do Teeth Decay?
Tooth decay may happen for several reasons -
Having a dry mouth (less saliva) as saliva helps in washing away harmful bacteria that can destroy tooth enamel
Frequent snacking on sugary stuff
Lack of oral cleanliness
Lack of regular dental screening and check-ups
2. How Are Cavities Formed?
Cavities generally form due to food and bacteria. The bacteria responsible for plaque formation tend to thrive on sugar found in drinks and foods to produce an acid which leads to the creation of bacterial plaque. With time, this plaque hardens and becomes a convenient place for bacteria to multiply. In due course of time, plaque starts eroding the tooth enamel (outer protective coating of teeth) to make small holes in the enamel. When the enamel gets destroyed, the bacteria begin to attack the dentin, subsequent layer of teeth. The acid and bacteria may continue to eat into the teeth structure, ruining the pulp, blood vessels, nerves and eventually causing a tooth abscess or cavity.
3. How Do You Know If Your Teeth Are Decaying?
More often than not, you may not experience any noticeable symptoms of decaying teeth. However, with the decay worsening you may start to feel a toothache, tooth sensitivity while drinking or eating something cold, hot or sweet. Visible holes may appear in teeth. You may also notice black, brown or white stains on the surface of the tooth.
4. Can You Reverse Tooth Decay?
Reversal of tooth decay may depend on the extent of the damage. If it is detected early on, remedial measures can be undertaken to rectify it. However, if a cavity has formed, your doctor may put a filling after removing the decayed material.
5. How to Prevent Child Tooth Decay?
You can prevent child tooth decay by:
Introducing your child to a good oral hygiene routine
Ensuring that he brushes and uses floss every day
Providing him with healthy foods
Keeping a check on his intake of sugary products
6. Which People Are More Prone to the Risk of Tooth Decay?
People who smoke, follow poor oral care routine amounting to the absence of brushing and flossing teeth on a daily basis, or consume sugary foods or carbohydrates in large quantities may be more prone to the risk of tooth decay.
Oral health is an essential part of our overall well-being. Most people, age notwithstanding, are susceptible to developing cavities. It is never too late to take charge of the situation and take concrete steps to protect and restore your oral health and stop dental problems.
Also Read:
10 Effective Natural Remedies for Whitening Your Teeth
Natural Remedies for Teeth Sensitivity to Deal with the Pain Read more
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Dr Disha Patel has added a new answer
Expecting Mom due in 2 months
21 mins ago
Q. #asktheexpert my daughter hardly eat any fruits I have to juice them to include them in her diet how to offer fruits in the diet
Dr Disha Patel
Ayurvedic Physician
17 mins ago
A. dear mom.
its ok.
offer her fruits in any way she likes..
equalky encourage her to eat whole fruits. eat witb her, u may make fruut custard, fruit chaat..
ok
Niharika Pandey has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
19 mins ago
Q. #asktheexpert
my baby is 7.5 months old and still not teething
What to do about it
Niharika Pandey
Pediatric Dentist
13 mins ago
A. Hi
its okay.
kids sometimes show a little delay in getting their first milk teeth.
maximum upto the age of 18 months kids can get their first milk teeth so wait
Rashmi has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
18 mins ago
Q. #asktheexpert hello doctor ! I am 5 months pregnant I don't know I am feeling very emotional nowadays i always want my husband to sit with me if that didn't happened I am crying like a baby. so if cry that will effect my baby also?
Read moreRashmi
Mom of a 9 yr 7 m old girl
18 mins ago
A. Oh well as per if we go out traditional believes yes it does but it is not good for you to cry because your emotions lead to those emotions to your child i understand your concern because you’re going through hormonal change and which is normal because when you are in this stage you really want the closest person to be with you and that’s your husband talk to your husband about it still if he’s not understanding then take a consultation with your gynaecologist along with your husband she’s going to give counselling and understanding to your husband and I think the situation should change after that
Dr Sameer awadhiya has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
16 mins ago
Q. Hello Doctor,
can vaccination be delayed for 2 months old baby ? if yes, how long can we delay ? please advise
Dr Sameer awadhiya
Paediatrician
16 mins ago
A. yes further you can contact with your doctor and you can get the the solution for this by discussing with him he will guide you for more details ighf required .
Its always better to take the guidance by the concerned person with the geniune advice ...
Dr Ghouse has added a new answer
Expecting Mom due in 2 months
15 mins ago
Q. 31 weeks pregnant doctor suggested gestakind two times, refka tablets 1 time at night, iron capsule 2 times, and calcium tablet 1 time after lunch
is this okay? and how to take all this medicine??
Dr Ghouse
Paediatrician
5 mins ago
A. okay follow as per the doctors advice. if there is no relief it is better you see your doctor for proper examination particularly physical examination if there is need for doing investigations to find out the problem and treatment ok
Rashmi has added a new answer
Expecting Mom due this month
11 mins ago
Q. when can i start massage after c section delivery and which body part massage is not suggested
Rashmi
Mom of a 9 yr 7 m old girl
11 mins ago
A. Just on the tummy area where you have stitches rest you can start with it not a problem but just make sure tell your muscles to keep a very light hand and also keep it away from your stitch area rest you can go ahead with getting a massage done there is no problem
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