What is oral thrush?

Thrush is a fungal infection of the mouth. The appearance is of milk scum left over in the roof of the mouth, cheeks and tongue, but it is difficult to wipe off.

Can we wipe the oral thrush off?

You may be able to rub it off with some difficulty but the underlying surface appears to be red and inflamed. It may even bleed slightly.

How would oral thrush affect my baby?

 Thrush usually makes babies mouths sore and painful. They may refuse to feed or show discomfort during feeding. Your baby may continue crying or you may even feel the soreness on your nipple.

How can we treat it?

It is advisable to show to your doctor for confirmation of the diagnosis. You may be given a local anti fungal application to be applied in your baby’s mouth and also your nipples.

What are the other problems that one may see in the baby’s mouth?

Cysts on the gums and the roof of the mouth

Some babies have one or two little pearly white cysts on the sharp edge of their gums. They may make you think of teeth, but they are too rounded and soft. Similar cysts can often be seen on the roof of the mouth, along the ridge that runs from front to back. They have no importance and eventually disappear.

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R

Q: CAN I MASSAGE MY BABY?
             
An oil massage is not a must for every baby but helps build a healthy mother child bond. It is a form of touch therapy that enables positive vibrations and the message of love being transferred from the mother to the young one. Hence it is essential that the mother is the one who massages the baby instead of the professional .                                                                                                                                                         
             A proper massage improves maternal bonding and also improves the baby’s blood circulation, tightens the lax muscles, moistens the dry skin, makes the baby more active due to the exercise. In low birth weight babies it is also a source of energy uptake through absorption from skin.
              Overall massage is a positive energy being transferred from the mother and enhances growth and development of the young one both physically and mentally.

      
 Q: HOW SHOULD I MASSAGE MY LITTLE ONE?
          
               The most essential consideration is that the baby’s weight should be about 2.5 to 3 kg for massage to be initiated. The best time for the baby to be massaged is before being bathed. The oil to be used is to be preheated by rubbing between the palms prior to use. The baby is to be laid on her back and is to be massaged in rhythmic, circular movements with gentle pressure from center to periphery, above downwards and from within outwards. The toes and fingers are to be given gentle tug in turns alternately. Then the baby is to be given few minutes of passive exercise and is to be sun bathed after that.
               

Q: ARE THERE ANY SIDE EFFECTS?                                  

              A warm and hygienic massage given by a mother is a affectionate gesture. But in case where a masseur does the needful no assurance can be given for the hygiene part of it. Any hard rubbing with ineffective cleanliness will lead to skin infection with pus formation (necrotising fascitis).

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You can help your child to learn math’s skills by playing simple games around the house. Everyday situations offer opportunities for exploring mathematics.
1. Enhance your child’s mind with challenging mathematical questions

Parents should ask their children interesting questions to develop their mathematical skills, for e.g. you could ask the child to count “How many are taxis passing by”, “How many one rupee coins you require make 100 rupees”. “If there is one pastry and there are four people to share it, how would share it?”

 
2. Play games with your child:

Simple board games like snakes and ladders give your child a chance to develop math’s skills. Chess and Checkers help develop visual thinking and strategy skills.
3. Play a lot of sorting games:

While doing your laundry ask your child to sort the clothes by ways of colour, size and texture.
4. Food could be used to cultivate mathematical interest:

 Cut sandwiches in different shapes e.g. circles, triangles, squares, etc. Talk about the shapes as you eat them. Biscuits could also be used.
5. Weight watching:

At the grocery shop estimate the weights of different vegetables and fruits. Compare the weight of all your family members. This will help in teaching the concept of more and less.
6. Travel time:

Bring maths into the family for e.g. time taken to travel to a particular destination, number of taxis passing by, number of red cars, etc.
7. Make graphs with your child:

Construct a bar graph showing how many bowls of rice each family member consumes in one month. Drawing a line graph indicating the amount of money in piggy bank. Create a pie graph showing how the cricketer has scored his runs, be it square leg, silly point, etc.
8. Family Finance:

 Let your child open up a small bank account where he operates his account. He can check his balance; make deposits, withdrawal, etc. Do the following above activities with your child. It is not the right answers that are important but it is the process. The new way of doing maths is what counts. Participate in all the games with a playful spirit.
How to tell whether your child needs extra help with maths.

If you feel that your child needs extra help with maths, you could talk to your child’s teacher. A teacher sees a child in various situations and can compare him with other Children. The teacher is in a good position to notice any problem.

Early warnings of a math problem

1. He forgets numbers.
2. Gets troubled working with numbers.
3. Has trouble distinguishing left from right?
4. Finds trouble identifying shapes, even after much training.
If your child is having any problem with math, it does not necessarily mean he has a learning disability. It could be possible that he is being pushed too much before he is  developmentally ready. Consult his class teacher who may suggest that more maths practice should be done at home or that you talk to a learning specialist.

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First Trimester

Since the 1990, first trimester studies have become important. Two markers, Pregnancy associated plasma protein –A (PAPP-A), which is lower in Down ’s syndrome and serum HCG which is elevated, are useful markers.

Second Trimester

Triple test is done at this time to give a clue as to any chances of abnormality. Alpha Feto-Protein (AFP), HCG and unconjugated estriol combined with maternal age constitute this test.

At a 5% false positive rate, the Down’s syndrome detection rates are 69%.

Adding measurement of inhibin-A to the triple test constitutes quadruple test and the sensitivity goes up to 76%.

Ultrasonography is also very useful in the second trimester for this as it picks up structural defects like nuchal translucency, increased neck folds, simian crease etc.
Combing first and the second trimester screening (integrated test) improves the detection rate to 94%.

TO KNOW MORE ON PREGNANCY LOG ON TO OUR SITE ‘OURBABYSWORLD.COM’

Our other pregnancy sections to visit

•  What to expect during ultrasounds
•  How can I remain healthy in my pregnancy
•  Am I eating the right food? Visit our weekly nutrition section.
•  Calculate your due date with our due date calculator
•  Read more about morning sickness

You have any questions about your pregnancy?

Visit our FAQ section or talk to a certified doctor through the doctor’s blog and get your doubts cleared.

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MY child is 2 year old and bites everyone he comes across. What should I do?

Biting is a very common problem faced by many parents and you end up feeling frustrated, angry, and disappointed in your child. This reflects in your behavior and the problem escalates.

Now why would a child bite?

There is only one answer to this and that is

TO CATCH ATTENTION OF ANYONE AROUND

NOW WHY WOULD HE WANT TO CATCH ATTENTION?

This is a tricky part to answer. It may be because

•  You, as a parent have been neglecting him (which is fortunately not the most common cause)
•  He cannot verbalize his wants and if no one understands may bite anyone around in frustration
•  He enjoys doing it. This enjoyment may come from seeing you in frustration or anger.
• There are some parents who may have laughed when the little devil did it for the first time. This too can trigger this off.
•  After some time he forms a habit out of this

Whatever the cause, the solution is not very easy but if tried with sincerity can stop this behavior in some time.

Now what can you do?

• The first time your child bites anybody, tell him that is biting and is not allowed.
•  Whenever he bites, instead of giving him attention by shouting or scolding, try to just take him away without any discussion.
•  When your child bites, give attention to the other child and try to comfort that child.
•  Give timeouts as punishment.
•  Do not do the mistake of hitting him for the mistake or it might aggravate the problem.
•  Try to expose him to fewer kids at this time or inform the caretaker to supervise the child.

The aim is to take your child away from that site without causing much ado. Slowly and surely he will get out of this.

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