Food Allergies in Babies

Food allergies are a very common thing in children especially these days, any food can cause an allergy and it is not necessary for the parent and child to have common allergies at times it is seen some children have allergies with certain foods and their parents are ok with those foods.

The substance or the element that causes allergic reactions in food products is known as "allergen".

Protein is a very common allergen in many people.

The most common protein allergies are- 

1. Eggs

2. Fish as well as shell fish that includes shrimp, mussels, crabs, lobsters and clams 

3. Milk 

4. Nuts like hazelnuts, walnuts, almonds and Brazilian nuts all there nuts grow on trees.

5 Soya

6. Wheat

In children you will see they are foremost allergic to peanuts, milk, Soya, shellfish. Most children do not have allergic reactions forever, most of the times it is seen that they all off a sudden stop being allergic to these foods as they are growing up. Usually food intolerance solves faster, it is allergy that takes time.

The difference between food intolerance and allergy is that allergies are more severe and can affect all the body parts where as food intolerance are not so severe and will affect the stomach mainly.

Given below are some food allergies that affect children as well as elders

1. Cereal allergy- very common form of allergy affects both adults and children, most commonly oats cereals are known to be allergic to plenty.

2. Coconut allergy- uncommon earlier but common now this allergy can be very severe and cause heinous illness. It is seen people with low tolerance to milk or nuts end up with coconut allergies more often.

3. Coeliac disease- gluten intolerance is now become very common; in fact in the last 3 to 4 years only in USA alone they have diagnosed nearly every 3^rd person having gluten intolerance. This allergy is hereditary and can pass on from one generation to the other. Gluten allergy can even formulate late in life it need not be an allergy of childhood.

4. Egg allergies again very common but we have seen many children come out of this allergy as they grow up, a person who has an egg allergy is very inclined to be allergic to other protein products too like chicken, soy, quail even turkey.

5. Fish allergy is common in children in some it continues for ever in some it can even die down, but those who are allergic to shell fish in particular will have this allergy for a very long time.

6. Fruits and vegetable allergies very uncommon but it does happen, many times children can have an allergy to certain fruits and most likely the fruit is the berry family. Even vegetables we have seen and heard cases of some kids being allergic to certain vegetables, most likely these vegetables are root veggies.

5. Lactose intolerance is a very common allergy, though this does disappear once the child grows.

Know more at: http://www.justthefactsbaby.com/baby/feeding-and-nutrition

Worst foods for kids

When giving food or snacks to the children a lot of thought has to be given to it. After all you need to be sure of the nutrition value of the food. Children are often addicted to unhealthy foods as they are yummy for the palate but not so yummy for the tummy. When ever you are doing your groceries before you put things in your cart, please read the nutritional value of the snack before buying it. Certain foods are so high in sugar and low in nutrition it is like feeding your child empty calories and paving the way for obesity. In Canada alone nearly 30 % of our children are suffering from childhood obesity because of overindulgence in junk food.

Given below are foods that claim to be good foods but truly deserve the worst food awards for your child-

1.  Granola bars- Many people think granola bars are healthy and will buy in each variant for their child; yes some of them are but not all. Before buying the granola bar please read the nutrition value you will be surprised to see the amount of fiber and sugar in it. For your child’s benefit please pick up bars that have fiber above 2gms and sugar not more than 10 grams. As if the sugar is higher than 10 grams then rather give them a chocolate bar instead of the sugar loaded granola bar.

2. Milkshakes and Smoothies- A large milkshake at McDonald is about 700 calories; these calories are major sugar and less fruit. We would restrict our child from having a whole cheese pizza fearing obesity but will gladly comply with a large milkshake which definitely has more calories than a cheese pizza. Instead of buying a large glass best is to stick to small portions of smoothies or milkshakes for the child as it will be low on sugar and will be easy for the child to digest it too.

Please learn to divide the child’s calorie intake sensibly to make sure he gets proper nutrition the whole day and in all the meals.

Instead of a smoothie opt for fresh fruits which are rich in fiber and contain only natural sugars you can even get them fruits with yogurt which would be less calories than a milkshake. Best would be if you make the milkshake or smoothie for them at home at least you know what all you have added and its nutritional value.

3. Instant noodles- This is the most favorite snack of every child and also mothers as it is the easiest and fastest to cook and feed your child when hungry. But the fact is that these instant noodles have zero nutrition in them and are loaded with sodium in it which is no good when in excess. Too much of salt leads to water retention these instant noodles are only and only junk food to increase their nutrition you should add chopped fresh vegetables as well as some boiled eggs or boiled chicken bits . So be it noodles or macaroni or cheese pasta they are empty foods to make them healthy please add some vegetables in them.

4. Cheese- There is major arguments where cheese is concerned major say it is the best source of calcium but truly it is a good source of calcium fine but it is also a great source of fat. In the 100 odd calories that you intake from cheese you intake 10 grams of fat too.  So if you want to give your child cheese please give it as a topping on their pizza or pasta or add it in whole wheat slices of bread instead of giving them plain cheese slice or . Even better pick up low fat cheese sticks and slices which are easily available at all stores. While picking p cheese read the fat content and the sodium content.

5. Fruit candies or gummy bears - Because they say they are fruit candies please do not think they are healthy they are loaded with sugar making them only rich in fat and not health. Yes they are rich in vitamin C but what about the sugar. Fresh fruits are definitely a better option please inculcate the child to gorge on fresh fruits as a mid day meal rather than fruit bars or candies.

Whenever you go to restaurants do not fall for kiddy meals instead be smarter order a healthy appetizer like a salad or veggie sticks and order a large chicken or veggie pizza or pasta or noodles and spilt it for your children. If you do that from the beginning your children will automatically get used to eating their veggies. You need to be strict with your child’s food habits as it has everything to do with their health if the child has unhealthy eating habit they will be unhealthy.

Get more details at http://www.justthefactsbaby.com/baby/feeding-and-nutrition

Guide to choosing the best toys for your baby

Toys are the best source of entertainment as well as education to your toddler. We are lucky to be living in a progressive world where all kinds of toys books and accessories are available for your babies comfort and entertainment.

The 1st year toys of the babies have to be bought with lots of thought, they should be soft and of good quality no kind of toxic plastic should be bought. It’s vital as whatever toys they play with will invariably land up in their mouth all the time. So while selecting their toys that should be kept in mind. The toy should have soft edges so that the baby doesn’t get hurt with it.

0-3 months- The best toys for this age group is noisy rattles. Toys R Us has a huge range of Fisherprice rattles even Mother Care makes some very cute colorful and noisy rattles for infants. Putting up a musical chime on the baby cot is also a good entertainer. Make sure the baby chime has soft music that you can put on even when the baby is sleeping. It is proved fact; music soothes the baby and helps them sleep calmly.

3-6 months – Baby gym or Play mat is a perfect gift for your little one, available n Toys R Us as well as Babies R Us. It’s a perfect toy, you can place your baby on the mat, the mats are decorated with lots of soft toys, noisy rattles and a baby safe mirror. At this age the babies are very inquisitive they want to hold everything, so rattles and soft toys on the play mat will keep them busy. Seeing their own reflection in the baby mirror will keep the baby amused and interested.While the baby is busy on the mat the mom can do some of her own work making sure the baby is in your eye view. You can also invest in a good musical rocking chair for your baby.

6-9 months – Your baby is getting more and more inquisitive. They want to reach out to everything. If your baby falls in the hyper active stage then for sure she must have started her crawling by now. By this time hopefully you have put up all the safety hooks and latches all over your house. For this period colorful noisy toy with lights is a good pick. Buy a soft colourful teether also as at this stage the babies’ gums are irritable and they tend to chew on every toy they have in their hand. So best is to invest in a good teether and give it to them. But at least buy 3 - 4 teether’s and make sure you keep them sterilized.Soft toys play phones with lights even soft colorful books of Touch and Feel are a good toy for your baby’s stage.

9-12 months- They are now a bundle of activity and keeping them entertained is an uphill task. Kids at this age get bored out of toys easily. Within minutes they are on something else. For this age pull along toys or colorful blocks or different sized and colorful balls are a good pick. If your city has a beach then buying them sand toys is a must.

At this age taking the kids to the park and giving them bucket and a shovel to play in the sand pits is good fun. Taking them for a swim with colorful floats is also a good pass time. While playing with them it’s also advisable to start teaching them thru books. Stuff like recognitions of household things like fan light table chair sofa. Teach them animal names thru books also about colors and shapes. Talk about all the above to your child they will not reciprocate but trust me they are so intelligent and you wont even know how well they have absorbed all your teachings.

Nowadays when we go to buy toys every store has toys with the age suitable printed on the box, as per that pick up your baby toys.

Know more at: http://www.justthefactsbaby.com/best/baby-toys

Whining baby - welcome to the world of being a parent.

Being a parent is not a cake walk its an uphill task and the day you become a parent you will realize what our parents went thru when they were bring us up. We at that time found every possible fault with our moms and today when we are one, we can't thank our mom's enough for how well she bought us up. It's not like their issues were any different from ours if we actually see we are more blessed as we have more information and we are well prepared comparatively to them. Today if we need an answer all we need to do is Google it and we have all first hand information on our laptops our moms didn't have that. We have colic and whiny babies they had to deal with whining too.

Dealing with a colic baby or your babies droning can drive you up the wall but who said parenting was easy. I understand for a new mom it is crazy to handle an inconsolable baby but there are ways and then there is also loads and loads of patience. Being a mother your second name has to be patience. First you need to identify if your baby is a colic baby or its just whinny. A colic baby will show symptoms of colic around the 3rd week onward if they are crying for more than 3 to 4 hours in a day and nearly every single day. Then be sure your baby is a colic baby. There is no scientific reasoning or cause of colic it doesn't mean your child has an infection or is sick. It just means there is something bothering the baby that needs to be recognized and then rectified. First check for lactose intolerance, which is a major reason for colic in babies if yes then immediately stop formula milk and keep the baby on breast milk more food substitutes list, can be taken from your baby's pediatrician.

Next would be gas, again found major in babies who depend more on formula milk, gas is formed if the baby hasn't burped well after her feed so make sure you spend sometime in making the baby burp properly before making them lie down. Digestive syrups are also available that will ease the baby of gas ask your doctor to prescribe a good for your baby. Also what you can do is hold the baby upright with her head resting on your shoulders gently massage the babies back in vertical movement this will also give the baby some relief from gas.

Babies can whine if they are hungry try to feed them if they do not take your feed then check their diaper; a dirty diaper can cause irritation and make them whine too. Babies also tend to get tired if they have been held too much on a particular day by lightly massaging their back feet and hands with a baby oil can give them some comfort and that will also put them to sleep.

Whatever the discomfort may be the best and only form of relief is mothers embrace and warmth. To quiet an extent babies cry more because of emotional discomfort to deal with that immediately hold your baby and start comforting him. You can also put on the babies favorite nursery rhyme or a soothing song , distracting the baby with a musical toy or even taking the baby outdoor for sometime will do the trick of calming him. Making the baby laugh by showing them something funny also will calm them down and make them forget tier reason for whining. Taking care of a crying baby needs all the patience in the world for that it is also important for you to be in good health and well rested. So make sure you are getting enough sleep proper diet and are strong enough physically and emotionally to face day to day challenges your baby throws at you.

Take care!!

Dealing with Stomach Flu in babies and toddlers

Bringing up babies make you doctors in your own right , dealing with their day to day issues make you such a pro at catching symptoms and giving simple treatments that you are no less a health care expert In dealing with small sickness if at all they arise. With infants it is easy to evaluate their symptoms and guess what's bothering them as they eating and their routine is under your guidance and care. You know what they have eaten and what could have triggered the stomach flu, depending on that you should call your pediatrician and ask for an antibiotic if the diarrhea and vomiting is severe. If not too much then you can ask your pediac for a probiotic to deal with the flu bacteria.

In infants it is usually milk that causes stomach flu so first you need to stop giving them formula milk and put them on your breast milk or on fruit juices even mashed rice or soup made out of cereals can be given to them.

Chicken soup also helps fight stomach flu but milk and vegetable soup should be strictly avoided. In toddlers who spend time a day care centers or school going kids, it is tough to evaluate what went wrong to cause stomach flu. Kids who go to school or day care centers are out the whole day, what they eat how they eat whether they washed their hands or no before they ate or when they used the washroom, did they eat something rotten or raw are questions that are all unanswered. I such times evaluating the cause is very tough so its best to immediately take your kid to the doctor to check the symptoms and the severe-ness of the ailment. Stomach flu or Bug Alert! Oh mighty lord stomach flu is more like a bug attack on your stomach and as described by all pediatrics is a misnomer. Symptoms of this bug are upset stomach leading to vomiting, diarrhea, nausea weakness and excess stomach pain and in most cases slight fever.

There are 2 major viruses that cause stomach flu in children during winters it is Rotavirus and spring and summer you have to save them from adenovirus. But with new bacteria's are being seen you can't just label these 2 to cause stomach flu.

Stomach flu leads to loss of appetite in children and that needs to be kept a check on as low appetite can further lead to dehydration and weakness.

Keeping them well hydrated with clear liquids like juices, water, coconut water and clear soups will give them some strength. For infants watch for 2 days on the doctors medicines if it doesn't go down immediately take the bay to the doctor.  For bigger kids best to take them to the doctor as soon as they show stomach flu symptoms. But in case you see blood in their stools or vomit please rush to your nearest health care center immediately.

Why is breastfeeding vital for your baby?

Breastfeeding is not only crucial for baby development, but its advantages to the mom are also plenty. We have often heard natural products are better than processed foods as simple as that is the difference between breast milk and formula milk.

Advantages to the baby:

• Breast milk consists of the perfect amount of fat, proteins, calcium, vitamins, minerals, sugar needed for the baby and its stage wise development.

• Breast milk is loaded with anti infection properties which keep the baby safe from catching any kind of allergic infection, diarrhea or vomiting.

• Easily digestible breast milk keeps the babies digestive system in perfect conditions, very rare you will see a breast milk baby suffering from constipation.

• Breast fed babies are also less likely to be obese at their adolescent age.

• Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is seen very seldom seen in babies who are breast fed.

• Breast feed children are also less fussy where a variety of foods are concerned as they have already been made aware of all kinds of food tastes through mother’s milk.

• Breast fed babies rarely suffer with colic problems and gas problems.

• The teeth shape of the breast feed babies is more perfect and they are less likely to suffer from any major orthodontic or even dental problems.

• Babies who have been breast feed by their mothers for a long time have less chances of suffering from high levels of cholesterol; asthma even adult women who have been breast feed by their mothers are more safeguarded from breast cancer

Advantages for the mother:

• Mothers who breast feed are more likely to achieve their original figure faster.

• Breast feeding instantly helps in the contraction of the uterus and helps in the uterus returning to its original size faster.

• Breast feed mothers tend to burn calorie’s faster as all the extra calories they eat are directed to the baby.

• Breast milk is safest, cleanest and all the time available milk for the baby. The mother is hassle free especially if she needs to travel as she doesn’t need to have the stress of carrying formula milk, water, feeding bottles as well as sterilizer everywhere.

The most important advantage to both the baby and the mother is that the bond between the baby and the mother strengthens while breast feeds. The babies feel more comfortable and secured in the mothers embrace and the mother feels accomplished that her baby is well fed and well taken care by her milk.

Baby Feeding And Nutrition

The first year of the baby’s birth is the most essential year, nutrition and care in this period will stay with the baby forever.

Breast milk or formula milk plays the most crucial part in providing the essential nutrients in this period.

0-12 months the major nutrients the baby will receive will be from breast milk or formula milk.

Babies have very small appetite, they eat tiny and frequent meals and its important to make sure all their meals consists of all the vital nutrients.

It’s best to introduce solid foods only after 4 months, the first 4 months the baby’s diet should primarily consist of breast milk or formula milk.

From 6 to 8 months the introduction of other foods should be done. Earlier the baby had grown only milk but now that won’t be enough to fill up their appetite and their growing body needs. In this period cereal is a vital source of fiber and carbohydrates but its advisable to start on one grain at a time and see how your baby adjusts to it. You can start with rice cereals as rice is the lightest grain and then eventually go to oats barley and wheat. These grains are very essential as they will boost the baby’s growth considerably. Carbohydrates give the body essential strength it needs to develop.

Fruits and vegetables mash can also be added in this time, take a list of fruits and vegetables than can be given to your baby from your health expert.

It’s best to make a set meal routine for your babies by this time.

The faster they are accustomed to a set pattern its best for you and your baby.

Early morning feeds can be breast and formula milk as the baby is still in their sleep and so are the mothers, feeding them milk is the best option at that hour.

Mid morning feeds should be in form of cereal, there are various baby instant cereals available in the market you can choose which ever you feel is best for your baby.

Mid morning cereal of rice oats barley or wheat is good as it will fill your baby’s tummy and also be begin the day with essential nutrition.

After the baby’s mid morning nap in the afternoon a mash of fruits and vegetables should be fed to the baby. Fruits and vegetables are a good source of vital vitamins. Giving a mix of different fruits and vegetables will keep the baby happy and give their taste buds used to all kinds’ flavors in food. By giving them a good mix of vegetables the baby will be later be less fussy as they grow about eating their greens. Pureed vegetables like carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes are a good source of nutrition.

Pureed fruits like peaces apples bananas apricots give the baby a strong boost of vitamins.

While adding the above foods it is still advisable to give the baby 3 to 4 feeds of breast or formula milk. Till the baby is 2 yrs old its best to keep giving them breast milk or formula milk.

9 months on-wards is a good time to start with proteins, for this you can begin with eggs in small portion, best is to begin with one or two bites and then increase gradually. Chicken soup or mash chicken with boiled mashed rice also can be given in the evening to fill up your baby so that they sleep well and not get up frequently in the night for feeds.

For vegetarian’s cottage cheese, tofus are a good source of protein for the baby.

If you go to the baby section in the marts there are a huge variety of finger foods that are available for them you can certainly add them in your baby’s diet.

Cheese sticks are a good source of calcium and the baby will enjoy chewing on it as it will add the nutrition the baby needs and provide relief to the irritable gums. Baby food counters are loaded with different varieties of food, check their nutrients and buy it for your baby. most of these baby foods are packed with essential vitamins and nutrients and will add to your baby’s health.

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