Guidance for Parents

North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition (NASPHGAN) defines constipation as difficulty or delay of passing stools that are firmer than average for two weeks or more and can cause stress to the patient. According NASPHGAN incidence of constipation in children can reach 30% more Constipation may result in pain when the child has bowel movements. Cracks in the skin, called fissures, may develop in the anus. These fissures can bleed or increase pain, causing a child to...

The suspense is torturous: am I having a boy or a girl? An ultrasound technician can tell you, but they can be wrong. Until the Big Reveal, here are some entertaining, sometimes weird ways to predict your baby’s sex. Highs and Lows This one you can do just by looking south: if you’re carrying high, break out the pink. If your bump is low, you’re carrying a boy. Be Still My Beating Heart Next time your OB pulls out the Doppler to listen to baby’s heartbeat, ask her to tell you what the heart...

Diabetes in children is probably in part caused by the increasing trend towards obesity in our society. It might also involve a combination of genes and environmental triggers. Changes in lifestyle and food with too much sugar can also eventually lead to diabetes. Diabetes that commonly occurs in children is type 1 diabetes. It is classified as an autoimmune disease, meaning a condition in which the body’s immune system ‘attacks’ one of the body’s own tissues or organs. In Type 1 diabetes...

Sometimes babies are easily to get an allergy. An allergic reaction occurs when the immune system perceives a harmless substance as a threat and overreacts, triggering unpleasant, occasionally dangerous side effects. Because babies’ immune systems are not fully developed, they are more likely to become sensitized to common allergens, such as eggs and gluten. This is why the introduction of these foods should be delayed. Breast feeding for the first six months is highly recommended for babies...

Parents who follow a vegetarian diet sometimes worry that this may not be suitable for their children. It is true that a bulky, high-fiber vegetarian diet is not suitable for growing young children because it is too low in calories and essential fats and even hinders absorption of iron. However, a vegetarian diet is perfectly adequate for babies and small children as long as meals are carefully balanced. Animal proteins including those found in egg and dairy products are high quality with...

The stomach flu is an illness caused by a group of viruses that can upset your stomach, bringing on nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. The two main viruses are the rotavirus, which is more common in the winter months and adenovirus and echovirus, both of which prefer the climate in the summer and spring. In most kids this kind of illness is not a serious illness and will resolve on its own after few days. Here is the guide to knowing the symptoms, taking care of your little beloved patient,...

We all know that being diagnosed and treated for breast cancer is a stressful and scary experience. The fear can make the condition worse. To minimize the fear, here is the way to deal with it: 1. As you begin gathering information to make decisions, get to know the people on your medical team and make every effort to meet them in person. 2. Find a doctor who can communicate well with you, who gives you as much or as little information as you feel comfortable with at any given moment. 3. Find...

Stages of breast cancer is determined during surgery to remove the cancer and look at one or more of the underarm lymph nodes, which is where breast cancer tends to travel first. Cancer stage is based on four characteristics: the cancer’s size, whether the cancer is invasive or not, whether the cancer is in the lymph nodes and whether the cancer has spread to other parts of the body beyond the breast. Local: The cancer is confined within the breast. Regional: The lymph nodes, primarily those...

Initially, breast cancer may not cause any symptoms. A lump may be too small for you to feel or to cause any unusual changes you can notice on your own. In some cases, however, the first sign of breast cancer is a new lump or mass in the breast that you or your doctor can feel. A lump that is painless, hard, and has uneven edges is more likely to be cancer. But sometimes cancers can be tender, soft, and rounded. So it’s important to have anything unusual checked by your doctor. According to...

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with breast cancer, it’s important to understand what breast cancer is and how it happens Breast cancer is an uncontrolled growth of breast cells. Cancer occurs as a result of mutations, or abnormal changes, in the genes responsible for regulating the growth of cells and keeping them healthy. The genes are in each cell’s nucleus, which acts as the “control room” of each cell. Normally, the cells in our bodies replace themselves through an orderly...

Do your kids test your patience? Many parents experience this while their kids are at 2 – 5 years. Some kids like throwing toys and breaking things, some others like screaming and hitting their friends. Many of them may not follow the rules you made at home. Don’t worry! It’s natural… When the inconvenience happens to you, you have to be patient waiting until everything calm down. It will be easier for you to give a consequence for the misbehavior and teach him better ways of behaving. When...

Between 6 and 9 months is a time of rapid development. Every baby develops at his own pace. It is good to introduce many new flavors in addition to the ones he has already known. At this stage, you can have your baby practice chewing by introducing him coarser texture of foods and wider combinations of ingredients and do not be afraid to mix sweet with savory. A finger of oven-baked whole wheat toast makes a good teething rusk. Once your baby can support his head and upper body, you can...

Here is the list to remember related to baby feeding Keep raw meat, fish and eggs away from other foods. Wash hand thoroughly after contact with any of these foods and use separate chopping boards for meat and fish; raw fruits and vegetables. Only reheat food once and make sure it is reheated at a high temperature to kill off the bacteria, Do not keep your baby’s half-eaten food for a later meal because the saliva introduced from your baby’s spoon will breed bacteria quickly. Always date food...

Congenital hypothyroidism occurs in one of every 3,500 to 5,000 births; it is twice as common in females as in males. It occurs sporadically and is not usually an inherited disorder. Congenital hypothyroidism is a health disorder in babies from birth due to lack of thyroid hormone. This hormone is necessary for normal growth and brain development in infants and children. If thyroid hormone deficiency in the baby is not diagnosed and treated quickly, it can lead to mental retardation and...

Have you ever been upset, angry, and disappointed with the behavior of your children who tend to lie ? Take a deep breath for a moment… Do not express your anger immediately nor ignore this bad habit. You should be able to understand why your child lies and find a strategy to deal with the situation. There are many reasons why children lie. The first reason is because they fear of punishment, so they choose to lie to hide their actions. This is because the parents are usually too strict and...