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11 Proven Ways to Develop Better Memory & Concentration in Babies
In collaboration with Nestlé Start Healthy Stay Healthy.
Early parenthood is a memorable time as it is filled with witnessing your baby’s many firsts. His first smile, his first grimace, and even the first time he babbles something. But this may also lead you to wonder – does your baby remember these events?
As parents, this is one of the many questions you may have on your mind– when will my baby start remembering things? Is it right after birth or much later than this? Also, since babies learn to speak only around the time they turn one, it’s difficult to tell what your baby is thinking about and how good his memories are since he can’t communicate verbally.
Well, turns out he has already started! Your baby's memory is developing in multiple stages. There's no particular age at which it happens, and it's a gradual process. But memory in babies begins very early, in fact, even before they are born!
What and When Does a Baby Remember?
According to a publication by Dr. Sinead Mullally and Dr. Eleanor Maguire, babies recognise their caregivers by their face, voice, and smell within the first few weeks of birth. Newborns can recognise their mother’s voice at birth, while breastfed babies can recognise their mother's smell after one week. At three months, babies can remember new toys or pictures shown to them one to six days prior. By the time the baby is nine months old, he will remember more specific details, like where his toys are in the house. He'll also be able to copy actions he has seen as long as a week before. While memory is fragile in the first months of life, it improves with age.
Is There a Link Between Memory and Concentration?
Concentration is the ability to sustain one’s attention and focus on an event or task at will. On the other hand, memory is the ability to recall, preserve and obtain information that has happened in the past. In terms of concentrating and remembering information, these abilities are important to the infant’s development. Yes, there is a strong link between memory and concentration. If you cannot concentrate long enough to focus on the details, it is impossible to remember this information at a later stage correctly.
Ways to Boost Your Baby’s Memory
Here are the things you can do during your baby’s first year to help strengthen his memory skills.
1. Add new skills.
Introduce your baby to a new skill over short periods of playtime. For example, if a new toy requires a skill your baby hasn't learned yet, you can spread out playtime with that particular toy over the entire week. Teach your baby how to play with it, and then reintroduce the toy for five minutes at a time over a couple of days. This will help your little one remember the skill longer than him playing with the toy for a longer period for only a day or two.
2. Encourage consistency.
Keep your baby’s surroundings consistent and create daily routines. Make his playtime predictable for him. If he plays with the same toys at the same time and in the same room every day, he will remember the arrangement much longer than if playtime changes every day. Right now, your baby is only developing his short-term memory.
3. Talk to him.
Talk your baby through your actions to help him remember cause and effect. For example, when you flip the light switch down, show that the light comes on. When you flip it up, the light goes off. Say the words "Light off" and "Light on." These actions will help your little one learn simple laws and anticipate them the next time you perform the action.
4. Say his name.
Call your baby by his name as much as possible. By four months, he'll begin to recognise the sound of his name and associate it with your attention to him. When talking to him, saying his name aloud as often as possible will help him remember that the name belongs explicitly to him. Ensure you call yourself "Mommy" as much as possible to help him build the connection.
5. Make sure he’s getting rest.
Your baby will retain information better if he feels relaxed and rested. Don't try to force him to learn something at every point in time. Let him explore freely during playtime or simply lie with him on the playmat and spend time with him. Make sure you take multiple breaks as this will help your baby consolidate his memories and retain them for a longer time.
Ways to Improve Your Baby’s Concentration
You can try these effective tips to improve his concentration skills.
1. Play games with him.
Playing games with your baby that require him to concentrate is a fun way to help him develop. Simple age-appropriate jigsaws, peg puzzles, and even assembling coloured blocks will help him focus on a task while playing.
2. Focus on foods that can boost his brain development.
The first three years of your child’s life are critical for his mental development. Hence, during this period, the right nutrition, along with proper stimulus can work wonders for his brain development. This, in turn, will help him concentrate better.
3. Turn off unnecessary distractions.
This includes the television. Although concentration is mostly about ignoring distractions, turning off the television will allow your baby to concentrate more fully on you or the activity he’s doing.
4. Observe your baby.
Observing the way your baby chooses to spend his time will make you realise that he is not just lying there but actually doing something. He could be gazing towards a window, staring at the ceiling fan, or simply grasping at dust particles in the sunlight. Every time you interrupt your baby’s musings, you’re discouraging his concentration.
5. Don’t encourage distraction.
It is quite common and sometimes even advised to distract your baby with a toy on the diaper changing table to “get the work done.” But what this does instead is it trains your baby not to pay attention. Baths, diaper changes, and feedings are not unpleasant chores for babies. Your baby will want to be invited to participate in an activity as much as he can.
6. Let your baby choose.
Over time you’ll observe that your baby will be more interested in the things he chooses than the things you choose for him. Therefore, allowing your baby to choose what he can do in his play environment instead of directing him to your choice of activity will better engage his focus, interest, and heightened concentration.
Most of the memories during infancy are short-term memories. Hence a child can recall a memory or remember things from three years onwards. It takes time for a baby’s brain to form a long-term memory structure. As a parent, your role is crucial in your child’s memory development. You can thus enhance his memory development through various memory-boosting games and exercises like the ones given above.
In case of any questions or clarifications regarding your baby’s nutrition or development, do get in touch with your paediatrician.
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Frequency of Baby Poop – How Often Should Your Baby Poop?
Right from the time you welcome your child into this world, your mind will be filled with questions. A common question that bothers almost all new parents is regarding the pooping habits of a baby. Parents often have this common question in their mind - ‘How should the poop of a healthy baby be?’
The poop of a baby is an indication of his health, as a lot of diseases and disorders the child is facing can be identified by simply examining the colour of his poop. As a mother, you will go through a lot of diaper-changing episodes in the near future, so make sure to notice the frequency and colour of his poop to check if there is anything wrong with your baby.
Let us take a look at newborn stool frequency, and what it means in the early stages of his life so that you can take better care of your newborn.
How Often Does a Newborn Baby Poop?
The table below gives an indication of the minimum number of bowel movements expected of a child per 24-hour period in the first six months of his life.
Time Period
Minimum number of bowel movements
Texture and colour of the stool
Day 1
1
Tarry, black
Day 2
0 to 1
Tarry, black
Day 3
1
Transitional green
Day 4
4
Yellow or green
Day 5
3 to 4
Loose, yellow
Day 6
3 to 5
Loose, yellow
6 weeks +
Increases from 1 every 7 to 10 days to around 3 to 5 per day or even more
Loose, yellow
Pooping in babies is an indication that there are no problems with the digestive system of the child. You should be happy to see your baby poop in the first 24 hours of his life, since the absence of poop points to the existence of a problem in his digestive system.
During the first 24 hours, the poop of your baby is in the meconium stage. The poop will be black and sticky, and usually hard to wipe off. Your baby is expected to pass stools within 24 hours of birth. The poop mainly consists of the matter he ingested when he was inside the uterus, and is mostly made up of fluids and cells. Oddly enough, the poop will be odourless. This is because the friendly bacteria have not yet colonized his gut. The bowel movement occurs because of the colostrum he’ll feed on, which performs the function of a laxative to help push out the matter from the body of the child.
After that, the poop eventually becomes more watery and loose. This continues for around twelve more weeks because the digestive system of the child is still in development. It will not be absorbing the nutrients from the breast milk quite effectively, so much of it will simply go out of his body through his poop. The undigested sugar and milk in the body tend to act as a laxative, leading to frequent bowel movements. However, the stools become less watery and more predictable as the baby grows.
When your baby starts eating solid foods, you can expect poop that is much more adult-like. This usually occurs around the five-month mark, when you start feeding solid food to your child. The poop becomes firm and dark in colour and has a distinctly bad odour. Note that the colour of the poop is slightly dependent on the meal he would have had previously; this is completely normal and is indicative of a good digestive system. Sometimes, you may even find bits of veggies in his poop. This is because hard foods are usually passed on by the digestive system as they are not properly chewed, owing to the lack of molars.
In any way, a mother will be expected to make at least a thousand diaper changes in the first year of parenthood. So, observe the colour and texture of the poop for an idea about the health of your child.
How Many Times a Day Should Breastfed Babies Poop?
During the early stages of breastfeeding, your child may not have a strong digestive system to absorb all the nutrients he receives. This means that a lot of the milk is simply passed out of the body through stools, which leads to the stools being yellow in colour and having a loose consistency in the first few months. You can expect your child to poop at least four times a day in the first few weeks of his life. The frequency of pooping eventually increases as he grows. Most commonly, breastfed babies poop after every feeding, sometimes even twelve times a day or more.
How Many Times Does a Formula-Fed Baby Poop?
Compared to children who are breastfed, formula-fed babies poop far less. This is because of the lack of colostrum in their diet, which acts as a natural laxative and is present in high amounts in breastmilk. The frequency of the child pooping will be around three or four times a day, and the texture will be more solid compared to that of breastfed babies. The colour is less yellow and more greenish and darker.
As he grows, you will find that your baby poops only once a day, whether formula-fed or breastfed. This is an indication of the digestive system becoming healthier and does not mean that there is anything wrong with the baby.
When to Consult a Paediatrician
When your little one poops, it could sometimes cause you alarm just to see the different expressions on his face and the sounds he’ll make - groans and frowns throughout. However, this needn’t be considered a problem. Your baby’s digestive system is just developing and it’s normal for him to go through some strain to pass stools. Such things don’t call for medical attention, but trust your motherly instincts to decide when you have to pay the doctor a visit. The signs below will give you an indication that something is amiss with your baby’s digestive health:
If the stool of the baby is showing traces of blood or if it seems oddly coloured
If your baby seems constipated
If his poop is filled with mucus or water, meaning that your child might be having some sort of allergy or infection
If your newborn’s stools are still black in colour, i.e., after day four of his birth
If he passes more stools than what is usual for him
If his stools are white or grey in colour
The poop of your baby can give you an insight into his health, so it’s important that you always take note of the frequency and consistency of his bowel movements in the early stages. Since your baby won’t be able to communicate any problems or discomfort at such a young age, you should definitely pay attention to his poop so that any diseases or problems can be recognised immediately.
References and Resources
Healthline
Also Read: Baby Poop: What’s Normal & What’s Not Read more
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Diet Plan for 13 Month 2 Week Old Toddler
Introduction
At 13 months of age, your baby’s growth and increasing activity levels will demand more nutrition, in terms of quality and quantity. He may become picky with food or may even be dealing with teething issues that make eating certain foods challenging. Don’t worry about the unpredictability of his eating habits; it’s only natural. However, offering him a variety of choices at mealtimes can help acquaint your baby with different tastes. And this meal plan for your 13-month-old should do just that!
Food Menu & Schedule for 13 Month 2 Week Old Toddler
Diet for a 13 Month-Old – Week 2, Day 1
Breakfast
Rajgira(amaranth) puff milkshake with chopped anjeer(fig)
Mid-morning
Palak(spinach) dhokla
Lunch
Ragi(finger millet)-wheat roti + methi(fenugreek leaves)- besan(gram flour) sabzi + a few cherry tomatoes
Evening
Mosambi(sweet lime) segments
Dinner
French beans and peas dalia with curd
Diet for a 13 Month-Old – Week 2, Day 2
Breakfast
Boiled egg yolk or homemade paneer(cottage cheese)
Mid-morning
Mashed potato with poha(flattened rice) powder
Lunch
Rajma( kidney beans) chawal with pudina(mint) soup
Evening
Cucumber cubes with dahi(curd) dip
Dinner
Palak(spinach) dhokla
Diet for a 13 Month-Old – Week 2, Day 3
Breakfast
Besan(gram flour)-jowar(sorghum)-coriander chilla made with curd
Mid-morning
Carrot-beetroot soup with mashed murmura(puffed rice)
Lunch
Roti + dal + a sabzi of choice + a few slices of cucumber
Evening
Pineapple sheera
Dinner
Grilled paneer(cottage cheese) sandwich with palak(spinach) soup
Diet for a 13 Month-Old – Week 2, Day 4
Breakfast
Oats- strawberry smoothie
Mid-morning
2-3 paneer(cottage cheese)-anjeer(fig) ladoo
Lunch
Multigrain roti + dal + a sabzi of choice + a few slices of boiled beetroot + hand pounded rice
Evening
Mashed cheesy potato
Dinner
Peas and potato sabzi with paratha
Diet for a 13 Month-Old – Week 2, Day 5
Breakfast
Scrambled egg
Mid-morning
Papaya and pear cubes
Lunch
Roti with paneer(cottage cheese) bhurji
Evening
Ragi(finger millet) ladoo
Dinner
1 small cup of chole(chickpeas) + 2 small puri + 1 small glass of lassi
Diet for a 13 Month-Old – Week 2, Day 6
Breakfast
Seviyan(vermicelli) upma + kesar(saffron)- elaichi(cardamom) milk
Mid-morning
Coconut barfi
Lunch
Roti + dal + a sabzi of choice + a few slices of cucumber
Evening
Sliced apples
Dinner
Bajra(pearl millet)- moong dal(yellow split gram) khichdi
Diet for a 13 Month-Old – Week 2, Day 7
Breakfast
Ragi(finger millet) satva with 1 tsp of almond powder
Mid-morning
Palak(spinach) + grapes + apple juice (strained)
Lunch
Mini idlis and sambar
Evening
Pineapple raita
Dinner
Roti + dal + a sabzi of choice + a few slices of cucumber
Conclusion
A growing child needs to have a healthy and balanced diet, filled with essential nutrients. Try and cover most food groups while introducing new foods to your baby. Also, apart from feeding him baby foods, it would also be a good practice to get him acquainted with the same food you’re preparing for the rest of your family. Meanwhile, for more ideas for the following week, you can click here! Read more
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My child's Care, Development, and Improvements - How My Husband Supported Me
My due date of delivery was April 17th but my son was born on March 28th. The previous night my water broke and I was taken to the hospital. The next morning my labour was induced. It took many hours to deliver my baby due to sudden water breakage, and his heartbeats were low. He didn't cry after being born. At night he suffered fits and for the next five days, he had been under observation for fits in the NICU and proper medicines were given to him. He kept on sleeping continuously due to high dosage of medicines. I took my milk and fed him.
My paediatrician said observe him keenly for the first 6 months. l could not say that he was perfect nor could I say abnormal. My in-laws started to ask why was he not normal during that time. They asked me "Why was he not laughing like others infants in their 3rd month? Is there any problem?" Those words hurt me, but I didn't lose hope on him. Basically, I am an optimistic person, so regularly I cradled him and said, "you are a very good boy with an active brain. Your heart lungs and all parts of your body are good. You can walk you can talk well. I am eagerly waiting to play with you."
Now he is a very active and good observer. He can understand my words easily. My paediatrician praised him that he was perfectly alright and he is an intelligent boy. He appreciated me for his improvement and he said that my son became normal because of me. A mother has more power to cure a baby than the doctors. Not only mother alone can do everything but a father also, because without my husband's support and encouragement I may not have faced those hurdles alone. He boosted me when I felt low; he made me feel that l can do it. So, dear parents, be positive with your children and don't lose hope. We can mould them well with our positive words and attitude towards them.
Disclaimer: The views, opinions and positions (including content in any form) expressed within this post are those of the author alone. The accuracy, completeness and validity of any statements made within this article are not guaranteed. We accept no liability for any errors, omissions or representations. The responsibility for intellectual property rights of this content rests with the author and any liability with regards to infringement of intellectual property rights remains with him/her.
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Dr Ghouse has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
1 hour ago
Q. #asktheexpert hello mam I m 6 month pregnant nd I m having dry cough what medi should I take
Dr Ghouse
Paediatrician
1 hour ago
A. during pregnancy medicines to be taken strictly under supervision of the treating doctor. 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
Nikitha has added a new answer
Mom of a 4 m old child
1 hour ago
Q. #asktheexpert
my baby boy is 4months old now. his night sleep has been reduced..before he used to sleep 3hrs in one stretch but he wakes up every one hour sharp in the night by crying and taking 5min feed and sleeping back then.. likewise from 9pm to morning 9am every one hour he wakes up . I'm completely exhausted and lost my sleep. how to overcome this. he is also teething and going poop in green colour.. help me from this struggle.
Read moreNikitha
Mom of a 9 yr 5 m old boy
54 mins ago
A. hello the sleep cycle of the babies can vary especially firts few months and just try to avoid the baby sleeping late in the evening and then you can slowly try to set a routine and this can help your baby have a good sleep and absolutely nothing to worry
Nikitha has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
38 mins ago
Q. #asktheexpert
mam what is the schedule of scan during the pregnancy?
Nikitha
Mom of a 9 yr 5 m old boy
37 mins ago
A. hello first scanning is done around 2.5 to 3. months vary depending on the individual conditions so it would be better to check with your doctor and she will be able to guide you accordingly and absolutely nothing to worry about and not a problem
Dr Vandan H Kumar has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
33 mins ago
Q. my baby girl is crying because of gas. can please tell how to relieve gas?
Dr Vandan H Kumar
Paediatrician
32 mins ago
A. from your history it appears that your child is having colic pain due to gas in abdomen
in colic pain you can give anti colic medicines like colicaid 0.5 ml to the child and this medicine can be given maximum three or four times per day but to prevent this problem kindly do regular burping for 15 to 20 minutes.d
do not kee ep the child back on the bed after one burping (all gas is not removed with one burping)
during the cdolic episode you can do stomach massage and limb cycling movements and if the child is more than 2 months of age you can give tummy time also.
advisable to learn more about it from your doctor.
Dr Vandan H Kumar has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
33 mins ago
Q. my baby girl is not sleeping at night.
Dr Vandan H Kumar
Paediatrician
32 mins ago
A. the sleeping pattern of the child changes from time to time and will improve with increasing age of the child. if the growth and weight gain of the child is proper along with proper urine stool then there is no need to worry regarding the sleeping pattern.
you have to just see that the child is not having any disturbance during the sleep because it can occur due to gas as well as due to digestion problem. aldso see for the comfort of the child and see the bedding on which the child is sleeping.
try to prevent temperature variations around the child that is from hot to cold and cold to hot weather because that also can cause disturbance in the sleep. d
Dr Sameer awadhiya has added a new answer
Trying To Conceive
11 mins ago
Q. #asktheexpert ozone face wash toner and hydrant use kar liya mera face khurdura ho gya kya kare bahut itching hoti hai jalan bhi
Dr Sameer awadhiya
Paediatrician
10 mins ago
A. For the query asked needs consultation with doctor for proper guidance so it is better that the doctor will guide you the correct way .
Online consultation can also be taken abfccnd the expert will give you the proper answer .
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