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Toys for a 1-month-old Baby
Though it may seem like all your baby likes to do is drink milk, sleep, poop, pee and repeat, he is actually observing his surroundings and learning more about the world around him.
Keeping their developing senses stimulated helps babies develop better skills, so it is important to give them that opportunity. It is quite important for your baby to have the right materials and experiences at the right age in order to gain the most development during playtime. Here are some baby toys for 1-month-olds that you can consider:
Hand-held Toys
While he may not be able to hold the toy himself, having you hold it close to him gives him the chance to observe it.
How do they help?
Your baby is nearsighted right now and cannot really see things that are far away. He can only see things that are maybe 12 to 15 inches away from his face. Not only that, he won’t be able to do much and will appreciate something interesting to look at, especially if what he's looking at has a face.
Recommended Toys
Rattles
Stuffed toys
Dolls with different textures and embroidered faces
Musical Toys
Using musical toys is one of the best ways to soothe your infant, as babies love music. It is very helpful for calming your baby down whenever needed.
How do they help?
Music is something that is soothing for both adults and children as it can be very therapeutic. Not only does your baby enjoy a bit of good music, but it helps him relax as well. You can also play soft music on your phone or on the radio and see how he enjoys it!
Recommended Toys
Baby Mobiles
Wind chimes
Soothers
Also known as pacifiers, soothers are common toys that babies can use to help calm themselves down or just to keep themselves busy, as some babies have strong sucking tendencies.
How do they help?
Soothers are great for babies who are teething, and for those who depend on nursing for comfort a bit too much. They are far better than allowing your baby to suck on an empty bottle, and some mothers say the habit is easier to break than if your child develops the habit of sucking on his thumb.
Recommended Toys
Bracelet binkies
Orthodontic or flat pacifiers
Cherry Pacifier or soother
Soother toy clips
Infant Play Gym
These are often padded quilted mats with an arc fitted with fun attachments and toys for your baby to observe and play with.
How do they help?
Your baby may accidentally stumble upon an action that he may want to repeat, such as batting at a toy and seeing the result, teaching him the very basics of cause and effect. He also gains visual benefits from these toys as they are quite colourful. Your baby can have safe 'tummy time' on these play gym mats under your watchful eye as he grows older.
Recommended Toys
Basic playmat
Play gym with overhead arches and hanging toys
Play gym with lights and music
Portable Toys
Portable toys are great as you can carry them around with you much more easily; so if you have to go somewhere with your baby, you have something to keep him engaged.
How do they help?
They are great for stimulating your baby's various senses, whether visual, auditory, tactile and so on.
Recommended Toys
Rattle-teether toys
Squeaky toys
Stuffed animals
Sensory Toys
Toys that react when your baby touches them will help them develop their senses as they will begin to understand that an action of theirs resulting in something happening.
How do they help?
Some toys light up in bright colours and some play music; others simply move around when your baby touches it. Still others give your baby a chance to explore different textures, giving your child the opportunity to understand that his own hand can be responsible for making something happen.
Recommended Toys
Baby rattle bracelets
Squeaky toys
Toys with different textures
Balls
What Do Age Recommendation Labels on Toys Mean?
The age recommendations are there to help parents, and others buying gifts for babies, pick the right gift for the baby’s age. These are based on the following guidelines:
Safety
Development of the child
How children of the age group have been observed to play with toys
What parents have to say regarding the age-appropriateness of the toys
Safety Tips for Babies
Toys that are given to babies must be safe for their age to avoid any accidents such as choking or injuries. Here are things to keep in mind with regards to their safety:
Follow the age recommendations on the packaging as some toys will have small parts that can easily choke your infant.
Avoid small toys in general.
Make sure the toys are not easily breakable.
Avoid toys with strings or long parts that your baby can accidentally swallow.
How to Choose the Best Toys for Your One-month-old Baby?
Shopping for toys for your baby can sometimes be a bit difficult as there are a lot of things to keep in mind. You need to consider the following while shopping for toys for your little one:
Stuffed toys should be washable.
Any toys with paint should have lead-free paint.
Toys that are made from cloth or fabrics should be flame resistant.
Toys should not be too loud and damage a child’s hearing.
Toys should be in bright colours to stimulate their senses.
There are umpteen things that can be done by you to help with your baby’s physical and mental development, so do not lose out on the opportunity for some early learning. Remember that at this age, babies do not yet understand the concept of gender, nor are they able to play very complicated games. This makes worrying about specific toys for 1-month-old baby boys or toys for 1-month-old baby girls unnecessary as both boys and girls will need toys with the same functions. Just make sure that you engage in play with them so that they will learn how to play and interact!
Also Read: Best Travel Toys for Toddlers and Tips for Choosing
Read more
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Is Your Child Complaining of Ear Pain at Night? - Common Causes and Remedies
There is no doubt that earaches are usually troublesome for everyone and more so for kids. In instances where a child wakes up at night owing to severe ear pain, parents can feel helpless about not only providing relief but also in identifying the cause in the first place. However, there are ways that parents can help ease the pain and hold the fort till morning before they seek a doctor's assistance. Most types of ear pain do not warrant antibiotics. Home-based remedies can bring considerable relief.
What are the Possible Causes of Ear Pain in Children?
Some of the possible causes of ear pain in children at night can be:
Middle ear (area behind the eardrum) infection caused either by bacteria or viruses
Swimmer’s ear which is an infection of the ear canal lining
Common cold
Pain from another body part like a sore throat, an infected tooth, or a tonsil infection
Ear canal injury owing to a likely scrape from a fingernail or a cotton swab
Ear canal abscess which is usually an infection that develops in the ear canal
A blockage caused by a huge chunk of hard earwax
Pierced ear infections
Aeroplane ear when ear tubes get blocked due to a sudden rise in air pressure causing eardrums to stretch
How Can You Help Your Child Get through the Night When He Has Ear Pain?
Some useful tips which may aid your kid to pass the night in case of ear pain can be:
In case of ear pain at night, medicine can be a good option to bring some relief from the ear pain. You can offer your child an apt dose of any child-safe over-the-counter pain killer like Ibuprofen or Acetaminophen.
Home remedies include the use of a warm compress. You can use a clean, warm washcloth or a heating pad for this purpose. Apply it to your child’s ear to alleviate the pain and discomfort.
Elevating the child’s head and keeping the sore ear side facing upward may bring respite from child ear pain at night.
Provide plenty of fluids to your child or have him chew gum to support swallowing as it may unblock the Eustachian tube by draining excess fluid if it is present in the middle ear.
Applying tea tree oil as ear drops for ear pain can also be considered. Tea tree oil has potent antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic qualities which may prove beneficial in relieving ear pain. Be sure to mix a few drops of olive oil with tea tree oil before applying it.
At times ear pain can get triggered by some compression in the ear canal. Neck rotation exercises can significantly reduce the pressure and lessen the pain.
When to Call the Doctor?
Not all earaches need instant medical attention. However, you may want to call the doctor in the following cases:
If your child accidentally lodged some toy or object in his ear earlier in the day
If your child seems to have a stiff neck (unable to bend chin to touch the chest) and severe earache
If you notice swelling, redness behind the ear or on the skin
If your child is running a constant high fever
If you see blood or pus draining from his ear
If your child appears weak and very sick
Ear pain can give the entire household a sleepless night. It is important to note that an earache does not necessarily mean an infection. So, refrain from administering any antibiotics to your child unless recommended by your doctor.
Also Read:
Ear Piercing for Kids
Ear Pain in Children
Home Remedies for Ear Pain in Kids Read more
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Tongue Movement in a 14 Months Old
Parents often complain about their toddlers being too fussy and picky about what they eat. What most parents don't realize is that a lack of tongue lateralization in toddlers can be its root cause. However, this can be easily rectified with a few exercises. Find out how.
It's only after your child sprouts a few teeth when you start experimenting with different types of eatables. Sometimes, this can be a very trying experience, with your toddler refusing to take new types of textured foods. This phase occurs mainly because your little one's tongue isn't properly lateralized.
What is Tongue Lateralization in Toddlers?
Tongue lateralization refers to the sideways movement of the tongue inside the mouth. When we eat food, the bitten piece is first grabbed by the tongue and then moved to the side to be ground by the teeth. After the chewing is complete, the tongue brings back the food to the center of the mouth and then pushes it down the throat so that it can be swallowed. All this can take place only when there is proper tongue lateralization.
Children can find it hard to graduate from pureed food to textured food. Lack of oral motor developmental milestone is one of the main reasons why toddlers can be fussy about their food. They reject a particular food item not because they don't like it, but because their tongue isn't lateralized enough to maneuver it around their little mouth. You can help your child control his tongue movements with some very easy and fun activities.
Activities to Develop Tongue Movements in Toddlers
1. Mimicking Time
Your toddler will love this activity! When you help your toddler brush his teeth, look at the mirror and pull some funny faces that make use of tongue movements. Now ask your toddler to mimic these actions and make the same faces at you! This is a great exercise to develop tongue movements.
2. Mealtime Activity
While feeding your toddler, take two pieces of soft food and place these on either side of his mouth. This way, your child will have to use his tongue to get the food, chew it, and then push it down the throat. Practicing this daily will enhance your toddler's tongue lateralization.
3. Sticky Food Time
Play a game with your toddler using some sticky foods like chocolate spread or peanut butter. Dab this on your little one's lips and ask him to lick it off.Alter the place where you dab the food so that your toddler uses his tongue in several directions. Of course, you might have to demonstrate this to him first.
4. Finger Foods
Place finger foods like carrot, cucumber sticks, or chips on the molar of your toddler. This will prompt the child to use his tongue to chew the food and then swallow it.
You can also use a gum massager to push your toddlers tongue sideways. His reflexes will definitely encourage him to push your finger with his tongue. This is a good exercise to enhance tongue movement in toddlers. What did you do to improve tongue lateralization in your child? Share your thoughts with other mothers who might be in this phase. Read more
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False Negative Pregnancy Test
The first question that pops up is that can you get a false negative pregnancy test? Having missed your period and noticing certain signs, you might have taken the step to undertake a pregnancy test, only to get a negative result. Maybe you are relieved or dejected. But not having your periods even after that, can always hint towards you being pregnant and can be quite a shock to most people.
What is a False Negative Pregnancy Test?
If your pregnancy test yields a negative result but is incorrect, it is termed as a false negative pregnancy test but pregnant. This means that the test indicated that you are not pregnant, when in fact, you actually are. This occurs mostly with the home pregnancy test kits. These kits are built to read the presence of the human chorionic gonadotropin hormone in the urine. When it fails to read proper levels of the hormone, it terms the person to be not pregnant.
Are False Negative Pregnancy Tests Common?
A false negative urine pregnancy test then begs one to understand what chances of false negative pregnancy test really are. Generally, false negatives tend to be more common than false positives, with the likelihood of it being approximately 10 percent. Most home pregnancy test kits are usually accurate, with a percentage of 97.4% when they were conducted in clinical trials. In real life with everyday people, the accuracy tends to fall.
Reasons for False Negative Pregnancy Test
In trying to discover what can cause a false negative pregnancy test, there are a number of reasons you may encounter that results in such. In some cases, doctors might themselves know what medications can cause a false negative pregnancy test and try to look for chances of that happening with you.
Checking the result before the required time: The home pregnancy kit requires some time to react to the urine and depict the result as accurately as possible. Checking before time might give you a negative result when it truly is positive. It is best to follow the instructions on the kit to the letter and wait for around 10 minutes for the result to appear.
Conducting the test quite early: Many women tend to conduct the pregnancy test by themselves a bit too early than necessary. In the initial stages of pregnancy, the hormone that the kit detects, the hCG, is very low in quantity and is barely discernible. Blood tests are known to fail at these stages so the kits naturally fail to detect it, too.
Failure to follow the kit instructions : The kit has very specific instructions mentioned on it in order to get an accurate result. If the strips of the kit are not saturated properly with urine, or if the strip gets diluted with water or so falling on it, the result is bound to lose its accuracy. The time itself is of key importance. Checking too soon or checking it hours later may change the original accurate result.
Test kit sensitivity : Home pregnancy test kits also vary across their sensitivity levels. Certain kits are highly sensitive and can detect extremely low levels of hCG as well, equivalent to a blood test or so. However, other kits might not be as sensitive as that. Therefore, the chances of an inaccurate result might be higher if the kit you use is of low sensitivity and you test it before the hCG levels reach the required level.
Urine dilution : Since kits purely function on the constituents of the urine, any impurities present in it could cause the kit to give an inaccurate answer. The test should be conducted using the first urine of the morning. It is highly concentrated and has the best chances of containing good levels of hCG if you’re pregnant. This would reduce the chances of a false negative.
Expiration of the pregnancy kit : It is extremely important to note the expiry date mentioned on the kit prior to purchasing it. If the kit has expired, there’s no guarantee of the result being accurate.
Ongoing medicines : Certain medicines, specifically those for allergies, or for preventing convulsions in cases of epilepsy, diuretics and so on, have a tendency to cause the kit to deviate from its accurate result. These mostly result in a false negative.
Ectopic pregnancy : This is rare and usually happens to women who are more than 35 years old. In an ectopic pregnancy , the foetus forms inside the fallopian tube and not the uterus. Therefore, the pregnancy kit fails to detect the hCG levels and gives a false negative. This condition in itself is fatal and such pregnancies need to be removed immediately.
What Can You Do If You Get False Negative Result?
Here are a few things to do after a false negative result.
Repeat the test : If the first test you conducted turned out to be negative, and your periods failed to commence post a week after the test, then it is time to take the test again. A duration of 7 days is good enough to raise hCG levels within your body if you’re pregnant, which will be easily detected by the kit.
Talk to the doctor : In case your result was negative and you didn’t have your periods post that, consult with your doctor and get a professional opinion. He may recommend an ultrasound or a blood test and get a highly accurate idea of the pregnancy status.
Reset the menstrual cycle : It might so happen that the pregnancy kit is right and you aren’t pregnant, but you still might not have your periods. In such cases, check with your doctor or gynaecologist. Once confirmed about the absence of pregnancy, work towards setting the menstrual cycle to normalcy.
Difference Between False Negative/Positive Test & True Negative/Positive Test
False Negative/Positive Pregnancy Test
The kit shows negative, when in fact, you are actually pregnant.
The kit shows that you are pregnant, when in fact, you are not.
True Negative/Positive Pregnancy Test
The kit shows that you are not pregnant, and you really are not pregnant at all.
The kit shows that you are pregnant, and truly, you are pregnant!
What Could Be Other Reasons for Missed Periods?
A false negative pregnancy test after missed periods can be checked with the doctor and confirmed. But if you truly are not pregnant, there could be other reasons for having missed your periods.
Stress at home or office can affect the health and lead to changes in the menstrual cycle.
Previous instances of irregular monthly cycles can result in missed periods later, too.
Gaining or losing weight excessively leads to an imbalance of hormones, which affects your periods.
Illness, erratic food patterns, all result in affecting your body and menstrual cycle.
If you’re on birth control, these are known to disturb your periods.
Women at higher age and closer to menopause generally face erratic periods.
Working out excessively affects the balance of hormones and delays menstruation.
Travelling across long distances and time zones, atmospheric changes, erratic sleep cycles and meal times, affect your period days.
Lifestyle choices, exercises and movements, all in all, have an effect on your menstruation.
Some women suffer from a prolactinoma, which reduces estrogen and delays periods.
PCOS, known as polycystic ovary syndrome, causes improper ovulation and hormonal problems. This further delays your periods.
Seeing a negative result on the kit might cause you to be disheartened if you’ve been looking ahead to your pregnancy. Don’t fret and wait out for a few days to try out the test again. With luck, the previous one would have been a false negative and the subsequent one will give you what you need to start your journey in pregnancy.
Also Read:
False Positive Pregnancy Test
Homemade Pregnancy Tests Read more
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Dr Ghouse has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
8 hours ago
Q. ninth month mein kab tak delivery ho sakti hai
Dr Ghouse
Paediatrician
8 hours ago
A. anytime after full term ok. 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
Guardian of 0 children
8 hours ago
Q. my last period date Dec 26 pregnancy test date January 31 check panen apom 37 days ipom enaku evlo weeks and days what ?..
Rashmi
Mom of a 9 yr 7 m old girl
8 hours ago
A. I don’t understand your language can you please post your question once again in English or Hindi whatever language you are more comfortable with because anybody on this only we can give you response on that
Dr Ghouse has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
8 hours ago
Q. which good formula milk or baby food for 4 months old baby
Dr Ghouse
Paediatrician
8 hours ago
A. no complementary foods below 4 months can use any branded formula milk. 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
Dr Ghouse has added a new answer
Expecting Mom due this month
8 hours ago
Q. Iam 9month pregnant and having very painful condition due to constipation and gastric issues
Dr Ghouse
Paediatrician
8 hours ago
A. during pregnancy better not to take medicines for constipation take lot of water green leafy vegetables seasonal fruits you can try suppository if the problem is more o k o k
Dr Ghouse has added a new answer
Expecting Mom due in 7 months
6 hours ago
Q. hi Doc,
eating raw mango, chapathi or any heat producing foods cause miscarriage during first trimester?
Dr Ghouse
Paediatrician
6 hours ago
A. no relation ok c. 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
Dr Vandan H Kumar has added a new answer
Expecting Mom due in 7 months
5 hours ago
Q. Hi Doc,
I'm getting cramps on my right side of lower stomach. is this normal or do I have to visit doc?
Dr Vandan H Kumar
Paediatrician
5 hours ago
A. without examination it is difficult to tell proper treatment as well as advice so you should visit the doctor5 for health assessment as well as examination.
whether any investigations is required or not will be told by the doctor5
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