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Why Are My Baby's Arms So Restless?
You've got an over-enthusiastic arm flapper, have you? Do not be alarmed, there’s an explanation for this and we’ll tell you the exact reason babies have such restless arms.
You're baby is getting older and really active. Some babies may be constantly moving, even before learning to roll or crawl. At this tender age, babies are in awe of the world around them and are learning with each passing moment. You may notice your baby's eyes move and widen along with restless arm and finger movements. This is just a baby's way of expressing new experiences he/she may be feeling.
Startle/ Moro Reflex
Infants have a reflex called the Moro Reflex that causes them to jerk their arms or legs sharply. Even the sound of their own crying can trigger the Moro Reflex in babies. When a baby is startled their arms will extend forward and then back again, really fast. Any disturbance in sleeping may also cause this reflex.
Excitement
When your baby is awake, you may have noticed non-stop waving of arms, especially if she is looking at something new and interesting. This is a sure-shot sign of excitement. She may wave arms when you talk to her, or when you dangle a toy in from of her.
Enhancing Motor Skills
Your baby increases and enhances his motor skills by moving around to build muscle strength. Common signs of baby's developing motor skills are opening and closing of hands, waving toys around or putting hands in the mouth. This may seem odd and make your baby seems restless but it is a natural and normal method that all babies use to eventually learn to roll over, crawl or sit up. During this phase, placing your baby on the tummy is helpful because it helps build these skills.
Things to Consider
If your baby isn't moving his arms around the age of three months, speak to your paediatrician about it. There are certain milestones most babies reach at certain points in time and lack of these milestones may be due to a slight developmental delay. If the restlessness is preventing your baby from sleeping or resting, try and wrap your baby in a blanket at bedtime, keeping the arms firmly in one place.
Other than that, encourage restless arms and legs because it only means that your baby is learning a lot of new and exciting things and can't wait to express it! Read more
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Moms, Paediatricians Have This Important Advice On Popular Health-Drinks For Babies
Health drinks for babies have been around for a long time. They have been used by mothers of different generations; as a child, you too may have grown up sipping these malt-based protein powders mixed with hot milk. Today, there are many more options for health drinks available in the market. Most of them claim to be the best and most trusted source of nutrition for your baby, to help him become taller, stronger and more immune. However, how safe are these drinks for your baby? Before you decide to feed one of these to your child, find out the important advice that most paediatricians give on this subject.
As mothers, we want our baby to grow up into a healthy and happy adult. For this, we ensure he gets the right nutrition, first through breastfeeding and eventually through other solids and semi-solid food. One of the top recommendations we as mothers receive to boost our baby's growth is a 'Health Drink'. These are very popular protein-based drinks for babies that are available in powder form and can be mixed with the milk. It is believed that these drinks are excellent to boost growth and development and make our kids taller, stronger and healthier.
However, we need to be double sure about anything that we feed to our baby. This is why we checked with paediatricians and nutritionists on their opinion about these drinks and whether they are safe and necessary. This is what we have concluded.
What Are These Drinks Made Of?
As per the World Health Organization's (WHO) nutritional recommendations for babies, there are some nutrients that are essential for the proper growth and development of a child. Broadly speaking, baby health drinks are formulated to contain these nutrients so they can fuel your baby's growth. Based on an assessment of popular baby health drinks in the market, these are the main components:
Iron
DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid - an essential fatty acid)
Protein
Vitamins
Calcium
Carbohydrates
Sugar
Since these drinks are formulated keeping babies in mind, they do not contain cholesterol. However, they may contain some amount of saturated fatty acids.
Do Babies Need These Drinks?
Going by the above list of nutrients that baby health drinks contain, they seem like a great idea! Many popular brands have rich amounts of Iron, Zinc, Calcium and Vitamins. When combined with milk, they can become a good way to make sure your baby is getting all these nutrients in the right amount. In fact, one of the main reasons these drinks are so popular is the fact that most kids are fussy in their early years. They would rather be lured by flavouring and colours than chug down plain old white milk.
However, there are some very important things every parent must remember.
Do not feed these drinks to babies below 2 years of age. They can expose your baby to allergies and even be hard on their kidneys, which are still developing.
If your baby is underweight or undernourished, the paediatrician will recommend a suitable supplement. Only then should you administer this and never without consultation.
These drinks are not adequate to fulfill your child's requirement of protein. Infants and babies require about 13 -14 grams of protein in a day. A glass of whole milk provides about 8 grams of protein. When you add a cocoa or malt based powder to the milk, it does increase the protein intake - but by only a very small margin. Your child will still require protein through food sources.
It is not advisable to feed these drinks in excessive amounts. While protein is a vital nutrient, excess protein can lead to obesity and related disorders such as insulin resistance in kids.
Be very careful about the amount of sugar in the drink you choose. Too much sugar can put your baby at risk for obesity and lifestyle disorders at an early age. Increased sugar and chocolate can also increase the danger of cavities and tooth decay.
The Verdict
Avoid feeding these drinks to children below 2 years of age. It is best to stick to homemade purees, breastmilk and lighter foods. For babies below 2 years of age, if a nutritional supplement is needed, your paediatrician will advise a product formulated specially for that age group. Always go by the doctor's advice in this regard.
For a toddler (above age of 2 years), you can consider making health drinks a part of his diet. By this time, he has developed a strong enough digestive system to handle more complex foods. Plus, it can be difficult to get a fussy toddler to eat or drink anything healthy, and these drinks can at least ensure they get adequate milk intake. However, keep in mind that while health drinks are not unsafe for older kids, they do not make a very significant difference in their protein intake either. You will still need to ensure they get sufficient protein for their overall growth through food sources such as soya, fish, chicken and legumes. You can check out some protein-rich foods for kids here, with recipes to try them out at home.
Bottomline - baby health drinks have a number of benefits, the main one being their rich nutrient content and their ability to make kids finish their glass of milk. But make sure you keep these facts in mind when picking a health drink for your child and never compromise on the goodness of nutritious homemade food. We're sure your little ones will grow up healthy and happy getting the right nourishment and love from their mom! Read more
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Your Baby This Week : 16 Month Week 4 Old
Toddlers are funny even when they are doing something they shouldn’t. Its hard not to laugh, but your smile will send a message that what he is doing is acceptable. Children at this age understand far more words than they can speak, but the language that they know best of all is body language. When your child does something you don’t like, make sure that your face and voice conveys your disapproval. Don’t shout, but do frown and use a disapproving tone when you say, “No pulling out tissues. The tissues stay in the box.” Stay consistent with what youre disapproving of. If you correct one time but ignore it the next time, youre sending mixed signals about your expectations.
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Here's Some Help With Those Tough Leg Raises
Leg raises make your abs better and act on your back muscles too. These leg exercises for women if done the right way, will make you look and feel better than before. Safe and easy-to-perform, leg lifts are surely the way to hotness!
In line with your levels of physical fitness and intensity of workout, you may like to perform vertical lifts, legs lifts with the help of a ball, side leg lifts or hanging leg lifts. Along with giving you a stronger and well-toned body, these leg lift exercises leave you feeling fresh and your muscles less stressed than in other cases.
How to Do Leg Raises for Abs and Gams?
Now that you know what a leg lift exercise is, do go through the following steps to know how to perform the simplest of them all—vertical leg lifts.
Step 1
The proper way to do leg lifts is by lying down flat on your back with the legs outstretched. Keep your legs at a distance equivalent to a toe’s width. Also, ensure that you have your hands lying flat near your sides on the ground. Your palms should be facing downwards too.
These leg exercises for women are best done on an exercise or yoga mat for added comfort and support.
In case you are prone to back pains, you may like to roll up a soft towel and place it just a small way up your hips, just at the point where your back arches.
You can consider using a wooden bench that allows you to lower or lift your legs a little more.
Step 2
The correct way to do leg raises is to bend the knees. Keep your thighs perpendicular to the ground. Your calves have to be kept parallel to each other. At all times, your toes should be in the pointed position. Next, draw in your abdominal muscles towards your spine. Your shins need to remain parallel with your thighs perpendicular to your body. There should not be any gap between the floor and your lower back when you contract your abdominal muscles. Your face and eyes should face the ceiling. In case your neck and head are moving forward then lift your chin too.
Step 3
Now, you need to keep straightening your legs till you see your feet pointing directly to the ceiling. Your lower back should not arch off the ground, else you'll end up injuring yourself.
Step 4
Start lowering your legs while keeping your back pressed straight against the floor. Your goal should be to try reaching an inch away from the base. Keep your hands in the same position and use them to offer strength and support while lowering your legs. It’s important that you keep breathing normally.
Step 5
A smarter way of doing your raises is by counting till ten, both on the way up, and down. This increases the challenge for you too. To make things more exciting, you may want to raise your feet about 20 percent off the ground, hold for a second, and keep repeating until they are as high as you can manage. Then lower your legs down with the same increments in place.
With time amd practice, you can easily ace the leg raises. All the best! Read more
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Taking Second Opinions and Changing Doctors for Better Treatment
As a parent you always want the best for your child. If your child’s health is not improving for the better even after prolonged medication, there is nothing wrong in taking a second opinion or changing your doctor. Here, we have compiled for you some important points you should keep in mind while changing your child’s doctor.
Taking a second opinion does not necessarily mean you antagonize your child’s first doctor. It is this thought that causes many parents to shy away from a second opinion. However, it is your child’s well being at stake here, so you should not let any inhibitions come in your way. You should not only consider a second opinion, but you can easily change your doctor if the need be.
Before taking a second opinion, it is advisable to speak to your doctor once again and discuss anything that you may not have understood. It will be a good idea to speak of smallest symptoms that your child is showing. If you are not fully satisfied you may change the medication and take a different course of treatment and discuss with him. Your doctor will help you to choose another doctor who may be a specialist in that area. Most doctors understand when something is not their expertise and refer a senior doctor to you.
Most parents are worried as to how long do they need to wait before taking a second opinion. The answer is simple - since you are looking to go to different doctor you will have to seek an appointment and be present accordingly, and getting another opinion may also delay the treatment, and it can aggravate your child’s problem in case it is a serious medical condition one should not delay. Also ask your doctor how time delays can affect your child’s health.
How to Choose a New Doctor
1. Discuss
Discuss with parents in the neighbourhood, whose children have suffered from similar medical conditions. They will be able to guide you to the right practitioner.
2. Specialist
You need to find out the expertise of the doctor for your child's medical condition. He may or may not be the most popular pediatrician but if he has addressed your kid’s problems, you can walk up to him.
3. Appointment
Check for the time it takes for an appointment, and how does the doctor handle an emergency, to know his behaviour.
4. Distance
The doctor should not be miles away from you because in case of need, you will take a lot of time to reach him.
Going to a new doctor does not mean you cannot go back to your General Practitioner or Paeditrician. It only means that you went out for a second opinion only for a specific medical condition. Most parents take a second opinion for a child when they feel a little worried, and it is absolutely fine because doctors themselves encourage second opinions for a better perspective and discussion. Remember at the end of the day, all you are working towards is giving a healthy life to your child. Read more
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Parmesan Potatoes
This dish has the potential to become a family’s favourite snack instantly. The potatoes are baked till tender and crispy, and the hint of cheese makes it all the more luscious. We would say that this dish is like candy. 100% addictive! One health secret here is to keep the skins of potatoes intact. They’ll be a source of some key vitamins and extra fiber.
Serves
Preparation Time
Cooking Time
6 People
10 - 15 Minutes
20 - 25 Minutes
Ingredients
500 g potatoes, cut in half, or quarters if the potatoes are large
4 tbsp olive oil
3 tsp all purpose flour
150 g Parmesan cheese, finely grated
A handful of parsley, finely chopped
4 sprigs rosemary leaves, finely chopped
A pinch of grated nutmeg
Method
Step 1
Dip the cut potato pieces in a pan of salted water and bring to a boil.
Step 2
Simmer for 2 - 3 mins.
Step 3
Remove, drain and toss a little in olive oil to coat the potato pieces.
Step 4
Stir all-purpose flour, Parmesan, herbs and nutmeg together in a dish with a little salt and toss in the potatoes.
Step 5
Mix until the potato pieces get evenly coated.
Step 6
Heat two tsps of oil in a shallow, non-stick heavy-bottomed griddle.
Step 7
Keep turning the potatoes such that they get coated in oil completely.
Step 8
Roast for around 30-40 mins, turning once or twice.
Step 9
If you feel the pieces are sticking to the pan, lower the heat but don’t move them.
Step 10
Just leave them there on low heat for the full time.
Step 11
Roast them until golden brown. Remove onto a dish and serve straight away.
Step 12
If you are using the oven, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 13
Place potatoes seasoned with all the spices on a wire rack and let it cook for 30-35 minutes.
Step 14
Cool and serve with pudina chutney.
Nutritional Information
Calories
291 K cal
Proteins
11.6 g
Fats
15.0 g
Carbohydrates
31.6 g
Cholesterol
18 mg
Sodium
249 mg
Potassium
706 mg
Read more
Ankita Mehta has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
5 hours ago
Q. is white discharge in 8th month normal?
Ankita Mehta
Mom of a 8 yr 7 m old girl
5 hours ago
A. hi
yes
but if it is too thick or clear like water,if there other symptoms like itching, irritation, redness,foul smell from vagina, please visit your gynecologist
Dr Vandan H Kumar has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
4 hours ago
Q. My son is 5 months old is suffering from cough..what to do?
Dr Vandan H Kumar
Paediatrician
3 hours ago
A. give nasal saline drops every few hourly to the child in the nasal cavity.
try to prevent temperature variations around the child
you can go for indirect steam inhalation which will again help in decreasing both cough and cold
continue the regular diet of the child
if there is no improvement in few days then meet your doctoru
for fever and pain give paracetamol.u
anti-cold medicines at this age have got side effects so can be given only after medical consultation.
POOJA KOTHARI has added a new answer
Expecting Mom due in 6 months
4 hours ago
Q. hi. in Feb my period was last and I did pregnancy test in March its positive results but my belly is not being bigger
POOJA KOTHARI
Mom of a 7 yr 1 m old boy
4 hours ago
A. Typically, your bump becomes noticeable during your second trimester. Between 16-20 weeks, your body will start showing your baby's growth. For some women, their bump may not be noticeable until the end of the second trimester and even into the third trimester. The second trimester starts in the fourth month.
Humara has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
2 hours ago
Q. I am 7 weeks pregnant. Before pregnancy I used to take medicine named Cyra 20 mg for acidity. Now since the day when I got to know that I am pregnant I am not taking any medicine for acidity but daily I am suffering from it. After having breakfast it starts. I am not eating any spicy food , oily food etc. Please help on this
Read moreHumara
Mom of a 2 m old girl
21 mins ago
A. dear mom u can take digene syrup or ulgel they as safe my doctor recommended me during pregnancy u can also take biorab dsr in the morning and syrup before meal at least 30 min i was faciny the same issue
Dr Ghouse has added a new answer
Mom of a 1 yr 9 m old child
1 hour ago
Q. hi mam , my baby 1 year and 9 month old just now onwards stop breast feeding .pls suggest formula milk to my baby
Dr Ghouse
Paediatrician
1 hour ago
A. your baby is more than 1 year 9 months of age any milk including buffalo milk cows milk 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
Dr Ghouse has added a new answer
Trying To Conceive
1 hour ago
Q. #AskTheExpert hello dr.
baby planning kar rhi kuch tips btayiye conceive ho jaye
Dr Ghouse
Paediatrician
1 hour ago
A. it's a natural process 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
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