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20 Healthy Foods for Toddlers to Gain Weight
It is essential for parents to be on top of their game to see if the growth chart of their baby is showing a significant rise as per their age and gender. You may find your toddler eating well, but not gaining too much weight. It is not a cause for concern. Some children have a high metabolic rate and burn calories faster. So, it is important to supplement their diet with food rich in vitamins and minerals that will sustain their active lifestyle. Undernourished children tend to suffer from fatigue, irritability and slow development. A nutrient-dense diet can help them put on weight and also get the required vitamins, minerals, and proteins for steady growth. On the other hand, being overweight could lead to obesity, which could further lead to several lifestyle illnesses at a young age. Fat is necessary for a child’s diet, but it is the right kind of fat that aids the development of their brains and hormones.
Foods to Increase Weight in Toddlers
Toddlers will get increasingly fussy with their diet as they get independent in their ways. Parents will often find themselves dealing with picky eaters as they want variety in their diet. Food served to toddlers must cater to their developing taste buds while providing them with the necessary nutrients to stay active and achieve a healthy growth rate. Here are a few tips to help you include different kinds of nutrient-rich food to your toddler’s diet to ensure that he remains healthy.
1. Breast Milk
Breast milk is the best food for a baby until the age of six months, and even a year. Breastfeeding is needed up to six months for the child to get maximum nutrition and gain weight. To feed a baby, a mother must eat food rich in protein, vitamins and minerals to increase milk supply. A lactating mother is recommended to have a powder made of cumin and fennel seeds with desi ghee, fenugreek leaves and dill leaves.
2. Cereals/ Chapattis /Boiled Vegetables
At about two years of age, you can start with finger foods that your child can eat by himself. Try feeding some breakfast cereal like cornflakes soaked in milk. You can also serve some chapati or stuffed vegetable paratha spread with ghee and cut into small pieces. If you eat meat, serve with some shredded pieces of chicken.
3. Fruits
Banana, chikoo (sapota), mango, custard apple are some great choices of food that can be given as cut fruits or added to milkshakes, custard or ice cream. You can make smoothies with these fruits sprinkled with honey powdered nuts and curds. Bananas are a natural source of energy and carbohydrates, containing 105 calories.
4. Vegetables
Add a lot of green leafy vegetables to your child’s diet. Spinach, fenugreek leaves, carrots, pumpkin, beans, and others are a rich source of minerals and vitamins. Try to include one serving of each of these vegetables every day. Peas are rich in vitamins and dietary fibre and a great source of food for high calories.
5. Eggs
Eggs are rich sources of protein and beneficial in terms of adding calories, too. Eggs can be served boiled, fried or made into an omelette. Another great way to add eggs to your diet is by adding them to custard, pancakes or fillings for chapati rolls. French toast is another great option for the intake of carbohydrates and calories.
6. Fish/Meat/Poultry
Fish is a great source of Omega 3, which is highly beneficial for brain development and hormone production. They are rich in proteins and vitamins. Chicken is rich in cholesterol, niacin, magnesium, phosphorus, Vitamin B6 and B12. Fish can be added to curries, dosa or sandwiches. Chicken can be served as a stew or soup or added to rice in the form of curry.
7. Paneer & Cheese
You can make thick paneer at home with whole milk. Chop these into bite-size pieces and offer as finger food to your child. An ideal snack to eat without any accompaniments, it can also be added to parathas as a filling or in curries with rice. Cheese is another food that is rich in calcium and also helps kids put on some healthy fat. Cheese can be had by itself or added to sandwiches, chapatis or pasta and makes a wonderful combination of taste and nutrition.
8. Dried Fruits and Nuts
Nuts are great snacks and energy boosters, benefiting your child’s growth in many ways. Walnuts, peanuts, almonds, raisins, black currants, dates, and dried apricots are great options to include in your child’s breakfast. Try offering them nuts or dried fruits as an alternative to chocolates and candies. They will compensate for the sugar cravings and balance the nutrition intake at the same time.
9. Avocados
Avocados are dense in the amount of fat and calories they possess, and this composition makes it an ideal healthy food for toddlers and kids. One of the best high-calorie food for toddlers weight gain, avocado tastes great in soups, dips, sauces, spreads and smoothies. The soft and pulpy texture appeases kids.
10. Ragi
A great Indian food for weight gain in toddlers, ragi is served in porridge form to babies from at the age of 3 months. A porridge of ragi boiled in water with jaggery and ghee could help toddlers gain weight. Ragi is filling and keeps babies' tummies full for a long time.
11. Starchy Vegetables
Starchy vegetables like potato and sweet potato are rich in healthy fat. Potatoes are an excellent source of energy and carbohydrates, and kids love mashed potatoes and cheese. Sweet potato is rich in beta-carotene and sugar. Mashed sweet potatoes taste great with lentils, milk, cheese or even just plain.
12. Peanut Butter
Peanut butter has natural oil and fat content, thereby, making it rich in calories. You could spread peanut butter on toast, biscuits, fruits and sandwiches. For toddles allergic to peanuts, try other nut spreads like hazelnut spread, almond spread or soya spread.
13. Olive Oil
Olives are rich in oil, which are dense in good fat. So if you want your baby to put on some weight, try cooking their food in olive oil to see some amazing results.
14. Peach
Peaches are rich in Vitamin A, dietary fibre, niacin and a great source of Vitamin C. You can puree peaches and serve in the form of milkshakes and smoothies.
15. Ghee
Another important ingredient in Indian food, ghee is considered as one of the best foods to increase weight and also aid digestion. It is recommended to feed babies about one teaspoon of ghee in their food every day. Start with a few drops at first and gradually increase it. Home-made ghee is the best, so try to use it while cooking curries and other recipes for your toddler.
16. Pear
A great source of dietary fibre, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6 and iron, a pear can be had in the form of puree. Make a puree of apple and pear for your 3-month-old baby and top it with some cinnamon powder for additional flavour.
17. Whole Wheat
Whole wheat is also another great ingredient for digestion with low fat. You can use whole wheat and make pancakes, porridge and chapatis for your baby. Alternatively, broken wheat or dalia can also be used to make porridge with some milk.
18. Oats
Oats are high in magnesium, thiamine, phosphorus and manganese. It is low in cholesterol and saturated fats. Oats can be whipped into porridge, kheer or pancakes for toddlers. Top the porridge with some dry fruits and nuts for an enhanced taste.
19. Lentils Like Moong Dal and Udad Dal
Moong dal and urad dal are powerhouses of calcium, protein and EFA that help to develop the brain. Moong dal can be added to kichdi with rice and topped with a dollop of ghee. Toss in some vegetables to meet their daily servings. Udad dal can be used to make idlis, a healthy steamed food rich in carbohydrates and protein.
20. Full-Fat Milk/Curd/Yoghurt
Add full-fat milk to your baby’s kheer, porridge and halwa for extra calories. Set curd from full-fat milk and serve to babies above seven months of age. You can use curd in fruits and smoothies.
Things to Remember for Healthy Weight Gain in Toddlers
Include five portions of fruits and veggies daily.
Give three meals with three interspersed snacks every day.
Add plenty of fluids to their diet - six to eight cups a day which includes water, juices, soups etc.
Avoid sugary drinks like sweetened juices and shakes, cola, etc., which are full of empty calories that can lead to fat gain
Most often, it is simply a matter of increasing the calories in a child’s diet. What is important to remember is that this need not mean your child will be undernourished or unhealthy. Many parents tend to supplement the diet with sugary and fried food to help kids increase weight. This will destroy the appetite for tasty and nutrition-rich food.
Also Read:
Weight Gain Foods for Babies & Kids
Iron Rich Foods for Babies and Toddlers
Fiber Rich Foods for Babies
Healthy Foods for Kids Read more
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When Does a Baby Turn Head Down During Pregnancy
Towards the end of the third trimester of the pregnancy, babies usually turn to the head-down position in the womb. This happens between 32 and 36 weeks of pregnancy. The head-down position makes labour shorter, and childbirth easier and safer for a pregnant woman. Read on to know why is it essential for a baby to get into the head-down position before labour and tips on how to get the baby to turn his head down.
Why Is it Important for a Baby to Turn His Head Down in the Womb?
A baby moves at an angle through his mother’s pelvis during childbirth. This makes it easier for the mother to push the baby out. Furthermore, if the baby is in the head-down position before delivery, the risk of complications during childbirth is less. The labour will be shorter and less painful if the baby is in head-down position as this is considered the ideal and a risk-free position for delivery.
When the baby is in the head-down position, the baby's head will put pressure on the mother’s cervix. This will help widen the cervix and stimulate the cervix to produce hormones that are necessary for a mother’s cervix. In the head-down position during natural childbirth, the baby turns his head naturally when he reaches the bottom of the mother’s pelvis. This puts the baby’s head in the broadest part of the mother’s pelvis, making it easier for the baby’s head to slip easily under the pubic bone for a smoother birthing process.
What Is the Head-Down Position?
The head-down position is also known as the occipito-anterior position or cephalic presentation. This is when the baby’s head is down towards his mother's vagina and his face and front of his body face the back. When the baby is in the head-down position, his spine faces the mother’s tummy. This way, in natural birth, when the baby is delivered, his head appears first.
When Does the Foetus Come Into the Head-Down Position?
Most babies turn into the head-down position between 32 and 36 weeks of pregnancy. Some babies turn their heads down even after the 37th week of pregnancy, while other babies turn into head-down position after the onset of labour. However, the ideal time for the baby to arrive into the head-down position is between 32 and 36 weeks.
How Will You Know If the Baby Is in the ‘Head-Down’ Position?
There are many ways to find out whether the baby is in the head-down position in the womb or not.
The doctor can determine the position by feeling your abdomen, using a foetal doppler or by doing an ultrasound.
You can try belly-mapping. It is a process in which you determine the position of your baby’s head by a 3-step process of feeling your abdomen and the baby’s movements.
If you press gently around your pubic bone and feel something hard and round, it is your baby’s head. But many pregnant women mistake the bottom for the head. You must keep in mind that the bottom is softer than the head.
You can ask your partner to listen to the baby’s heartbeat. If you hear it in your lower abdomen, chances are that the baby is head-down position.
If you feel light flutters and hiccups lower down in your belly, and hard, powerful kicks higher up, it could be a sign that the baby is in a head-down position. The flutters are caused by the baby’s hands and fingers, while the kicks are from the baby’s knees and feet.
How to Get Your Baby Into the Head-Down Position While Pregnant
If your baby has not turned into the ‘head-down’ position by week 36, there are some steps that you can take to encourage your baby to do so. But you should only try these ways after consulting your doctor. If your doctor gives a go-ahead, try these measures:
Get on all fours (in a crawling position) and rock back and forth in this position for a few minutes. You can do this a few times daily. This should help your baby get into the ‘head-down’ position easily.
Go for at least a 20-minute walk every day. A simple physical activity will create movement in your pelvis, which will stimulate the baby to turn into the head-down position.
Make sure that your knees are not elevated higher than the hips when you sit. Sit with your pelvis tilted forward. This will help the baby get into the head-down position easily.
Sit on an exercise ball or lean over the exercise ball while watching TV. This will prompt the baby to turn into the head-down position.
Kneel on a couch. Lower your arms to the floor so that your hands touch the floor and your head is downwards. Flatten your back. Raise your buttocks up high. Hold this position and then rise up.
Avoid raising your feet up while lying on your back. This will make the baby go into a posterior position, which can extend the labour and cause severe back pain during childbirth. Also, sleep on your left side at night rather than on your back. This position is the best for the baby and helps the baby get into the head-down easily.
What If Your Baby Doesn't Get Into the Head-Down Position?
After trying everything, if your baby does not get into the head-down position and is in the breech position, consult your doctor about this. Your doctor may recommend a professional chiropractor who could help you with it. Your doctor may also suggest various exercises that will prompt the baby to turn his head down. Other options include an external cephalic version, where the doctor can try to turn the baby by applying pressure on the abdomen.
Each pregnancy is different. Some pregnant women may have had a baby in the anterior position during the first pregnancy. However, they may not be able to get their babies' in the head-down position during second pregnancy. Keep in mind that around 5% of all pregnant women have a C-section if the baby is not in the occipito-anterior position. This is in order to avoid risks to the baby’s life due to a breech position.
The head-down or occipito-anterior position is the safest for both the mother and the baby to ensure smooth childbirth. You can do exercises to stimulate the baby to get into the head-down position if he has not turned even after 36 weeks.
Also Read: How to Turn a Breech Baby Naturally Read more
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Why Dads Should Help in Taking Care of the Baby
I am a mother of a two-year-old girl. As a new mother, I want to share my experiences of the initial months when my daughter Sharon was born. We tend to worry about taking care of a newborn and in the process, we expect a little help from our husband. For mothers it's natural, we sense when the baby needs to be fed or changed or picked up in the arms, we know it. But most of the time our husbands doesn’t.
I remember when Sharon was born, she had chronic colic pain and would cry for hours. I used to sit carrying her in my arms all night and my husband would sleep calmly. It was not because he was not concerned. It was just that he didn’t know what to do.
So one day, I told him that I can’t manage all alone and I need your help; he agreed. Fathers are not instinctive like us; they need to be told. Give responsibilities to your partner so that he spends more time with the baby. Allow him to bathe the child or take her out for a walk. This will help the baby understand that Dad too can give love, care and support to her.
Encourage him to make the baby sleep. For new fathers, it’s a really tough task, but this will help them understand the baby’s mood swings and behaviour. Moreover, he will be aware of the things that can irritate the baby.
Gradually he started feeding the baby, changing diapers and soothing the little one. All of this didn’t come in an instant but slowly.
I want to tell all new beautiful mothers out there that talk to your partner about the help you want because they don’t know what you need. Educate them and slowly, it will come across because fathers are not born.
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. Read more
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5 Ideas for Visual Stimulation for Babies
Babies have a positive response to visual stimulation that's beneficial in more ways than one for their sensory development. Find out how your baby can benefit from it too!
Babies come into this world with eyes filled of wonder. Nurturing them physically comes naturally to us as parents but their senses, including their eyes, need stimulation too!
Visual Stimulation is engaging a child's visual senses in order to help optimal sensory development. Past research shows that children who got additional visual stimulation, as compared to children who did not receive any additional visual stimulation, showed higher levels of sharp eyesight and enhanced memory development.
At birth, a child's vision is fuzzy because the retina is not fully developed and the nerve cells in a baby’s brain are not completely connected. The baby cannot see different colours or shades, only shades of black and white. His vision can only focus between 8 – 12 inches. Even full term babies are only able to see their mother’s face clearly within a week after birth.
During the first few days after birth, babies learn to focus through their eyes by looking at faces. It's only after a few weeks that they start focussing at, and following objects visually.
Leverage this time of sensory development and provide additional visual stimulation through the following ways:
From a very early age, i.e. from the time the baby is born till he's a few months old, stimulate a baby’s vision by surrounding the baby with black and white colours, especially stripes. These send a strong signal to a baby’s retina as he is able to distinguish these colours well. The stronger the signal, the better will be the development of brain.
You can do this by surrounding the baby’s bed with black and white pictures. This could include the bedsheet, blanket, pillow covers, towels and toys
Gradually, increase your child's exposure by showing him high contrast colours. You can even use flash cards that are available in the market for this purpose. Doing this at a very early stage increases the curiosity of your child is definitely a great stimulator for your baby’s eyes.
Additionally, help develop your baby's focus by holding your baby very close to your face, as often as you can. Since he learns to focus through faces, he'll receive higher visual stimulation when you do this.
Gradually, while sitting very close to him, make some hand and eye movements and let your baby observe. This will help develop his line of sight.
From a week after the birth of baby till about a year, it is of utmost importance to provide different types of visual stimulation to our baby. For long term results, it is of utmost importance to be consistent in our efforts. This will not only have a positive impact on their memory enhancement but also the reading skills in your child. Read more
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Dr Vandan H Kumar has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
14 hours ago
Q. I am currently 32 week pregnant.I recently had growth scan.mu baby is in cephalic presentation. Does this change as I approach my due date. Also my EDD is July 25 and EDC is July 2. what is my expected due date. Also what is EDC?
Dr Vandan H Kumar
Paediatrician
14 hours ago
A. edc is expected date of delivery only.
that is 40 weeks
You will get more information for your query with your family doctor. You may meet your dr in person for proper guidance .
It is important to remain in contact with your doctor.
Swati Kar Samanta has added a new answer
Expecting Mom due in 7 months
14 hours ago
Q. why I am getting dizziness in my pregnancy
I am going with 3rd month of my pregnancy it's a very strong dizziness I feel at times means every day .....no other symptoms of pregnancy .Please help with elaboration .All okay means isn't part of this journey.
Read moreSwati Kar Samanta
Mom of a 2 m old girl
3 hours ago
A. Do consult your doctor as soon as you can. It's important to find the real reason because without that, proper medication is not possible.
Dr Priyanka Kalra has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
14 hours ago
Q. I am currently 32 week pregnant and had growth scan recently.My baby is in cephalic presentation.does this change after 36 week or does this remain the same?
Dr Priyanka Kalra
Obstetrician and Gynaecologist
6 hours ago
A. usually fixed. better to show to specialist always as they get the correct diagnosis. try to avoid self and extra medication that will only complicate this and create more damage to the child
Rashmi has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
4 hours ago
Q. it's my 5 month n I still didn't went for check up yet not even once is it okay if I go now or?
Rashmi
Mom of a 9 yr 7 m old girl
4 hours ago
A. You should have started going from the very beginning itself once you get to know you’re pregnant but since you haven’t reached that now if you’re pregnancy has been healthy last five months please get it checked with your doctor also if you need to start with any supplements or diet the doctor would advise you after a ultrasound so please visit your gynaecologist
Dr Ghouse has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
1 hour ago
Q. size chart is not correct for age of the baby
Dr Ghouse
Paediatrician
35 mins ago
A. generally it is available from Indian academy growth chart download from Google. 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
Guardian of 0 children
10 mins ago
Q. Mera 8 month start hu white distance hora mere ko
Nikitha
Mom of a 9 yr 5 m old boy
9 mins ago
A. hello since u are a expecting mom this would require a proper medical attention and it is better to check with your doctor and your doctor will be able to guide you better on examination of the same and advise you accordingly
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