Top Signs of ADHD in Children

If you never heard about ADHD and wondering what it is all about, let us now get an idea what does it exactly mean. ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and is a complex mental disorder seen in children which affects them even in their adulthood if it is left untreated.

The three primary characteristics which are exhibited by children with ADHD are inattention, hyperactivity and impulsive. To understand in detail:

• Inattention: Children with ADHD may be inattentive but not hyperactive or impulsive. They can concentrate on the activities they enjoy no matter how difficult they are. But they have trouble to focus on the tasks which are boring and repetitive.
• Hyperactive: While many kids are naturally quite active, children who are hyperactive are always moving. They may try to do many things at once.
• Impulsive: Children who exhibit impulsive behaviour acts at an instinct without thinking about the results and consequences.

It can be difficult to diagnose children with ADHD. The average age of diagnosis is 7. Just because children exhibiting the symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsive behaviour doesn’t mean they have ADHD. There are many other symptoms such as psychological disorders including depression, anxiety etc.  by which we can determine a child has ADHD.

Common Signs of ADHD:

• One of the most common sign of children with ADHD is self-focused behaviour. These children have inability to recognize the needs and desires of others. They may interrupt others while they are talking and can’t wait for their turn during activities which involve other children.
• Children may have outbursts of anger. They might have difficulty in controlling their emotions.
• Children might show interests in lot of different things but they may have problems in finishing the tasks as they move to some other activities which catches their attention before completing the previous tasks.
• Lack of focus is another symptom which can be seen in these children. They may have trouble in paying attention. This may lead to careless mistakes but it is not a sign of laziness or lack of intelligence.

Vitamins Which Enhance Kid’s Growth

A child’s growth totally depends on his daily nutritional intake. The diet of every child should provide all the essential vitamins to cover all his growth needs. Most of the parents consider increase in height is the only sign of growth. But physical growth actually refers to the increase in height, weight and other body changes that occur as a child matures.

The rate of growth varies from child to child. So, it’s better to have enough patience to see the growth instead of worrying. It is always suggested to provide the vitamins only through diet as there is no replacement from natural nutrients. If your child is a fussy eater, consider some multi-vitamin replacements only after seeking expert’s advice.

List of growth enhancer vitamins:

The complete list of vitamins which aid the growth is mentioned below. These growth enhancer vitamins take every aspect of your child’s growth into consideration. So, if you want to see a healthy growth in your child, make sure he gets all these vitamins through his diet.

• Vitamin A: Vitamin A is one of the most important vitamins and is vital for bone growth, good vision and immunity which can help to stay away from infections. Whole milk, cheese, carrots, beetroot, spinach are some of the food sources rich in vitamin A.
• Vitamin B-complex: Vitamin B1, B2, B3, B5 and B12 all greatly contribute the needs of a growing child.
  • Vitamin B1: It aids bone growth, improves digestion and absorption of nutrients into the body. Vitamin B1 is found in fish, nuts and pecans.
  • Vitamin B2: It is essential for the all-round growth of the child. It mainly helps in the growth of bones, hair, nails and skin. Vitamin B2 is found in leafy green vegetables.
  • Vitamin B3: It plays an important role in the production of energy and keeps skin, digestive & nervous system healthy and function properly. Peanuts, mushrooms, green peas are some of the best sources of vitamin B3.
  • Vitamin B5: It helps to stimulate the growth hormones and is required in small amounts. Corn, cauliflower, chicken and sweet potatoes are some food sources of vitamin B5.
  • Vitamin B12: It aids the synthesis of folate and carbohydrates which are required for the normal growth & development in kids. Fish, eggs, milk products are rich in vitamin B12.
• Vitamin C: It helps to help the body heal and recover from wounds. It also protects the child against diseases which can stunt the growth. Citrus fruits and lemon provides ample amounts of vitamin C.
• Vitamin D: Calcium and vitamin D are like two sides of a coin. Even a diet with required calcium intake doesn’t help for growth without vitamin D. This vitamin helps bones to absorb calcium. The best way to get enough vitamin D is to spend some time in sunlight.

Impact of Parental Care on Child’s Development

As lack of nutrition results in the impaired physical growth, in the same way lack of parental care has great negative influence on child’s brain development. Though brain continues to develop throughout the lifespan, most of the physical growth and brain development happens in the early years of childhood.

A child’s attachment is an ongoing bond that exists between the parent and child. Parents who are inattentive fails to establish a secure attachment with their kids. Neglected children may exhibit depression and delays in language, physical, cognitive and social development. Children who get consistent love and care from their parents will have an amazing developmental journey in their life. These children acquire skills that maximise their life potential. Kids who gets right parental care will feel protected and reaches their developmental milestones.

Building a good relation isn’t a difficult task, it needs some time and expressing your love. Here are some tips which teach you how to bond with your kids.

Tips to connect with your child:

1. Show your child love in the form of hugs and praises to encourage them.
2. Cheer them when they complete any tasks such as completing their home works, sharing toys with their peers etc.
3. Show some interest and invest your time by participating with them in games and finishing their school projects.
4. A simple way to get connected with your kids is eating together.
5. Be a good listener and never interrupt your child’s conversation to let him know that you are interested in his activities.
6. Share your feelings with your kids and encourage them to express their feelings too. Accepting their feelings, without minimising or making fun also increases the chances to share more with you as they grow.

How To Help Your Teething Baby

 Teething is the process by which an infant’s first teeth often called “baby teeth” or “milk teeth” sequentially appear by emerging through the gums, typically arriving in pairs. Most babies get their first tooth at around 6 months, but your child’s teeth may appear as early as 3 months or as late as 14, depending on such factors as when Mom and Dad started sprouting teeth.

It can be a frustrating time for many parents, as babies and children can become unsettled when they teethe. Children experience teething differently – from when teeth emerge to the types of symptoms they have and how much pain they feel. Here’s how to spot the signs that your baby is teething, so you can offer remedies to treat the discomfort.

Symptoms of teething:

Symptoms of teething often occur a few days (or even weeks) before the tooth comes through the gum. Common symptoms and signs include:

•  Drooling
•  Irritability
•  A tooth visible below the gum
•  Swollen, bulging gums
•  Trying to bite, chew, and suck on everything she can get her hands on
•  Ear pulling, cheek rubbing
•  Difficulty sleeping
•  Refusal to feed

Natural remedies to soothe baby’s sore gums:

If you’re looking for safe ways to soothe your baby’s sore mouth, read on for natural ways to get the smile back.

• Cold is a very popular, and simple, remedy for teething pain. Chilled fruits cut into small cubes can help your little one to get relief from tooth ache and soothes her sore gums.
• Teething babies love to feel pressure on their gums because it helps distract their brain from the sensation of teething pain. A clean adult finger, placed gently on a baby’s gum or doing massage, can be enough to ease the pain.
• Try to distract a fussy, teething baby by playing. You can often soothe your child simply by getting her mind off the pain. Give her more one-on-one time or offer her a new toy.
• Try a refrigerated teether. Don’t store the teether in the freezer because when frozen it can get hard enough to damage a baby’s gums.

Boost Your Toddler’s Immune System

Parents understand that protecting children from becoming sick is an almost-impossible task. It is important for parents to know how to increase immunity in child. While we can’t prevent our children from falling ill, we can make sure that they remain healthy and free from serious ailments. Immunisation is a popular and effective method to protect children from illnesses and help them to lead healthy lives. However, vaccinations are not the only option. But there are healthy habits you can adopt that will give your child’s immune system a boost.

Listed below are top ways to increase immunity in child. See which one works best for you.

Create a healthy home environment

          Small children breathe at a faster rate and inhale more of the toxins than an adult, so even limited exposure to secondhand smoke can be more harmful than for adults.  The smoke released from the cigarette kills and irritates important cells in our body.  So make sure that smoking is done outside the house and away from the child.

A lot of pollution can seep into your house from the windows and doors. Also, there is a lot of toxic air surrounding us. You should also watch out for pests in the garden. All of these can affect the immune system more or less.

Ensure the toddler gets adequate sleep

Toddlers need 12 to 13 hours of sleep per day. Sleep is necessary for a healthy immune system.  Parents should set a certain time of napping for their child; make sure young children sleep for at least around 8 hours. If your child can’t or won’t take naps during the day, try to put her to bed earlier. Discuss sleeping problems with your paediatrician if your toddler has trouble sleeping.

Schedule time for exercise

          Exercise can help increase a person’s number of natural killer cells and is an important part of overall good health.  Any outdoor game with the family before dinner is a great way to pump children up before they eat as well as a chance to spend some quality family time together.

Establish good hygiene habits

           Good hygiene does not promise to boost immunity, but it’s a great way to reduce stress on your child’s immune system. Be a role model for your child and pay attention especially after they have played outside or come home after school. To help kids get into the hand-washing habit at home, let them pick out their own brightly coloured hand towels and soap in fun shapes, colours, and scents.

Serve more fruits and vegetables

          Include carrots, beans, oranges, strawberries, yogurt and walnuts in your child’s diet; these are great for boosting a child’s immune system and they also provide plenty of vitamins. These fruits and vegetables increase the number of white blood cells and provide a sort of cell coating which acts as a barrier against viruses. If your children aren’t one for fruits and veggies, then whip up some fruit smoothies or vegetable pies for them to eat.

Understand needs of your newborn

Welcome to parenthood! Managing your newborn baby’s needs is a challenging task. Right from nappies to baby’s food everything should be available at fingertips. Therefore, you need to have right idea about the things which your baby will need in first three months. Read on to find what your baby will need during first three months.

Feeding

Newborns feed very, very frequently, but this isn’t a problem to be solved – it’s perfectly natural! Your newborn’s tummy is quite small, so it’s understandable that he needs to eat often.

A newborn is only fed with milk. No matter whether you breast feed your baby or feed him with formula milk, you have to be very careful and prompt in this regard. The stomach of a newborn is very small and so it needs to be fed often and almost at regular intervals of time. Usually the interval starts from 2 hours and goes up to 3 or slightly more by the end of 3 months.

Sleep Schedule

The average newborn sleeps much of the day and night, waking only for feedings every few hours. It is often hard for new parents to know how long and how often a newborn should sleep. Unfortunately, there is no set schedule at first and many newborns have their days and nights confused—they think they are supposed to be awake at night and sleep during the day.

Massage

Daily infant massage is a great way to bond with baby. Researchers are finding that massage may promote better sleeping, relieve colic, and perhaps even enhance an infant’s immune system, motor skills and intellectual skills.

Safety

Your newborn baby is not nearly as fragile as you might think. However, you should still handle your baby gently, not just for safety, but also to keep him feeling secure. Newborn babies have very little protection against infection, so it is important that you provide a clean, hygienic environment.

To make sure your baby is safe at all times you should:

• Supervise young children whenever they are near the baby.
• Keep animals away from the baby. The change in the household when there is a new baby may upset some pets.
• To avoid serious scald burns, do not drink hot drinks when holding your baby.

Dressing your newborn

A little preparation goes a long way when shopping or registering for baby clothes. You’ll be changing your baby’s clothing several times a day, so make sure outfits are uncomplicated and open easily for diaper changes. In general, you want soft, comfortable clothing with no irritating tags or seams.

Avoid clothes that wrap around your baby’s neck too tightly and those that have cords or ties. Check buttons, ribbons, and decorative items to make sure they’re on securely – if they come off, they’re a choking hazard.