Parental control on screen time

Making your kids understand the harmful impacts of their adapted lifestyle is much more difficult. As a result, you must take the initiative to change your parenting methods so your kid won't have to suffer. One such area where parents have to pay special attention is screen time.

Exposing your kid to the screen for prolonged hours will have an adverse impact on them in different ways than you can comprehend. You may not realize this now, but after a couple of years, you and your kids will have to suffer the consequences of the same. Keeping this in mind, we have discussed how you can limit the screen time for your kid while excelling as a parent in every sense.

Limiting the exposure to screen

The first and foremost thing you have to do is limit the total exposure time of your kid to the screen for the day. Whether your kid has to attend school online or study on YouTube doesn't matter. If your kid has to do any of these compulsory activities in front of a laptop or PC or with a mobile, you have to cut down the time of watching cartoons or movies on TV or mobile.

All in all, you have to limit your child's exposure to the screen by any means. So, prioritize the screen activities for your kid and accordingly set the schedule so they don't miss essential activities that can only be done through the digital hardware interface.

Engaging in physical and cognitive activities

There is no hard and fast rule that you must use your mobile or laptop to keep your child engaged while completing your work without any disturbance. Naturally, your kids will always come back to you for your attention. So, instead of depending on laptops or mobiles to increase your child's engagement in any activity, you can go for physical activities or cognitive learning.

For example, you can give them a jigsaw puzzle and ask them to solve it while completing your work. Similarly, let your kid play with your pet outside in the backyard while you finish up all the work that you have in that time. The more they are engaged in these activities, the better will be their physical growth and cognitive development.

Making them work along with you

Watching movies or shows with your kids isn't the ideal way to bond with your child. One of the main principles of parenting is to create a bond of friendship and trust with the kids. But screen time is not the solution for that.

Instead, you can take your kid to your work and finish the entire task together. For example, allow your kid to whisk up the chocolate or batter when baking cupcakes. This will keep them engaged and help you bond with your child outside the screen.

Opting for storybooks and other methods

You often allow your kids to watch movies or cartoons to divert their attention and feed them meals. Similarly, sometimes you also let the kids watch movies for a long time and try to complete the household chores in between.

Instead of doing so, give your child a storybook or some problems to solve. This will build up a good habit since they won't depend on mobiles or laptops to keep themselves engaged. Reading story books and other types of books and newspapers is a good habit that will help them greatly in the future.

Conclusion

Being a parent is never easy. There are so many challenges and roadblocks that every parent has to go through and deal with. Sometimes, these challenges get worse due to certain lifestyle habits. You may have to change your parenting methods to ensure that your child does not suffer from the adverse effects of long-term exposure to screens.

Things you need to know about Children's Vaccination in India

Since its invention in 1798, vaccines have saved humanity from extinction by protecting the masses from serious diseases that were rampant in earlier times. Since 1798, vaccines have come a long way, and today many diseases that were previously known as endemics and epidemics are known as preventable diseases thanks to vaccines.

Vaccines are especially required for pregnant women, babies, and infants; these people remain at a higher risk of diseases/illnesses that can be prevented by taking vaccines. Today, the government, health advisory board of India, and UNICEF all recommend a specific vaccination schedule for children that begin at birth and continue till the child is almost 15 years of age. This vaccination schedule is good for protecting your child against various serious diseases that, in the worst case, can be fatal or cause physical disabilities.

So now that you understand the need for vaccinating your child, let's take a look at the vaccination schedule that you should follow for your child to keep them safe from various diseases.

Vaccination Schedule For Children By Age

• At Birth

Vaccines administered at the birth of the child correspond to vaccines that are given as soon as possible, which is within the first 24 hours of the child's birth. Let's look at what these vaccines are and the diseases they help prevent.

BCG Vaccine

BCG Vaccines help protect children against tuberculosis. A dosage of 0.1ml is administered intra-dermally into the upper left arm of the child within the first 24 hours of the child's birth. This is the first dose or dose 1 of the BCG vaccine.

Hep B Vaccine

The Hep B Vaccine protects children against Hepatitis B. A 0.5ml dose of this vaccine is administered inside the anterolateral side of the left mid-thigh of the child. This vaccine is called the birth dose, and it needs to be administered within the first 24 hours of the child's birth.

OP Vaccine

The Oral Polio Vaccine protects the child against Polio. The dose 0 is administered orally to the child within the first 24 hours of their birth or at least within the first 15 days of the child's life. As the vaccine is administered orally, two drops of the vaccine are orally administered.

• 6-8 Weeks After Birth

Rota Virus Vaccine

The RVV protects you against the Rota Virus disease with an oral vaccine that is delivered in three doses at different times. The first dose of 5 drops needs to be delivered within the first 6-8 weeks of the child's birth.

OP Vaccine

The first dose of the Oral Polio (OP) vaccine is given to children between the age of 6-8 weeks. The dosage for the second dose is five drops, and it is given orally, as the name suggests.

Pentavalent Vaccine

The Pentavalent vaccine protects children from five diseases because this vaccine is a combination of five individual vaccines. It protects the child against Diptheria, Pertussis, Hepatitis B, Hib, and tetanus. This vaccine is administered as an intramuscular vaccine on the anterolateral side of the left mid-thigh of the child with a dosage of 0.5 ml. The first done needs to be delivered between the first 6-8 weeks of the child's birth.

• 8-14 Weeks After Birth

OP Vaccine

The second and third doses of the Oral Polio vaccine are given to the child within the first 8-14 weeks of their birth with a dosage of 5 drops per dose.

Pentavalent Vaccine

The second and third doses of the pentavalent vaccine need to be given to the child during this time period as well at 10 weeks and 14 weeks, respectively. The dosage remains the same at 0.5 ml per dose.

Rota Virus Vaccine

The second and third dose of the RVV needs to be orally given to the child in this time range as well, with a dosage of 5 drops per dose.

IP Vaccine

The Inactivated Polio Vaccine is another form of polio vaccine that needs to be administered to the child at the age of 14 weeks. This vaccine needs to be administered intramuscularly on the anterolateral side of the right mid-thigh of the child.

• Above The Age Of 14 Weeks Till 1 Year

Measles Vaccine

The measles vaccine protects the child against measles. It needs to be delivered to the child after they have completed 9 months of age and between 12 months of age. In case, the child misses it, they can get this vaccine till 5 years of age as well. This is a subcutaneous vaccine with a dosage of 0.5 ml that needs to be administered in the right upper arm of the child.

Vitamin A Vaccine

The first dose of the vitamin A vaccine is given orally along with the measles vaccine with a dosage of 1ml.

Conclusion

Vaccinating your child/children is one of the most important things that you have to do as a parent to guarantee them a healthy and safe life growing up. If you are interested in learning, you can find more information about the immunisation schedule followed in India from this link here. If you are a new parent in Jodhpur, and you want to get guidance and help on vaccinating your child, be sure to visit Medipulse hospital for the best care and affordable vaccination services in accordance with the government schedule.

Child Vaccination Chart

Vaccination is considered to be one of the greatest breakthroughs in the history of medical science. Vaccines are the most effective and trusted way to safeguard your children from the worst of contagious and deadly diseases.

A child’s immunity is very low when it is born and until the age of 12 years, they are highly vulnerable to contract severe bacterial and viral diseases. Certain diseases like hepatitis, HVP, diphtheria and rotavirus, can prove to be fatal for your child. However, these diseases are vaccine-preventable and once your child is immunized, there is a reduced possibility for your child to contract the disease. While the possibility cannot be completely ruled out, it can still prevent your child from dire consequences and serious complications. Timely vaccination ensures that your baby develops at least 90 percent immunity against the deadly and contagious diseases. Being a responsible parent, it calls for you to follow the child vaccinations schedule strictly, to ensure your child’s safety.

The following chart will act as a ready reckoner for you to follow strictly without missing out the timelines.

Age	Vaccines
At Birth	BCG vaccine for tuberculosis OPV vaccine for polio Hepatitis B vaccine
6-8 weeks	DTaP/DTwP- Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis vaccine Hib- Haemophilus influenzae type B vaccine, Rotavirus, IPV- Injectable Polio Vaccine, Hep B-Hepatitis B Vaccine
10-16 weeks	DTaP/DTwP-Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis, Hib-Haemophilus influenzae type B vaccine, Rotavirus, IPV-Injectable Polio Vaccine
14-24 weeks	DTaP/DTwP-Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis, Hib-Haemophilus influenzae type B vaccine, Rotavirus, IPV-Injectable Polio Vaccine
6 months	OPV-Oral Polio Vaccine, Hep B-hepatitis B vaccine
9 months	OPV-Oral Polio Vaccine, Measles, MMR-Measles, Mumps and Rubella vaccine
9-12 months	Typhoid CV-typhoid conjugate vaccine
12 months	Hep A-Hepatitis A vaccine
15 months	PCV-Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine Booster, MMR-Measles, Mumps and Rubella vaccine
16-18 months	IPV-Injectable, Polio Vaccine, Hib-Haemophilus influenzae type B vaccine, DTaP/DTwP-Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis
18 months	Hep A-Hepatitis A vaccine
2 years	Typhoid Booster
4-6 years	OPV-Oral Polio Vaccine, Typhoid Booster, DTaP/DTwP-Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis Booster
9-15 years (girls)	HPV- Human papillomavirus
10-12 years	Tdap/ Td-Tetanus, Diphtheria and Pertussis vaccine

 Post vaccination care of your child

Vaccines usually contain the dead or inactivated agent, bacteria or virus, associated with the disease, and they help build antibodies inside the body which are strong enough to fight the infection. Post-vaccination care of your child is extremely important because certain mild reactions are very common after vaccination. The reactions basically are a result of the child’s body working harder to make antibodies. The most prominent symptoms noticed after vaccination are:

●        Redness at the site of injection

●        Swelling at the site of injection

●        Low-grade fever

●        irritability

●        Trouble in falling asleep due to pain

It is very important to comfort your baby during and after vaccination. Parents should stay nearby so as to calm your baby during the injection. If there is too much pain or redness on the injection site, you can use a numbing cream, to soothe your baby. Immediately after the injection shot is given, gently rub your child’s skin because a light massage can help dampen the pain of the injection. 

Generally, before the child turns 2, he has tolerated more than 20 shots of injection. You can also ask your doctor if there are combination vaccines available. In this, vaccinations for several diseases are combined into one shot so that the number of injections for your child are reduced. These include tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis (Dtap) vaccine, which are combined with the polio and hepatitis B vaccines, or the polio and haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccines.

Best care tips for parents to reduce stress in children during COVID-19 times

In such tough times of social distancing and isolation in most of the hours of a day due to COVID-19, it is even tougher for adults when it comes to parenting. We all know that children are much more vulnerable to feelings and circumstances, and the great shift in almost all their daily activities have left them a bit confused, with a sense of insecurity too.

However, right parenting can reduce such after-effects pretty effectively, which is why, we bring here some steps which one can follow to make their children fit and healthy, both physically and mentally, in such tough times of COVID-19:-

1. Have a healthy and free conversation with children – Children might not be mature enough to understand the grieve consequences of COVID-19 as good as adults, however, they are equally prone to loneliness, depression, and anxiety. There might be a lot of shift in their daily plans and activities due to social distancing, like playing outdoors in groups, celebrating birthdays, going for picnics, etc. It is the foremost duty of parents to indulge in free and easy discussion with them even more in such times.

2. Limit their screen time – Due to reduction in other activities mentioned above, children are more attracted to electronic devices like mobile phones, tablets, and televisions in order to pass their time, by watching shows or playing video games. This might have adverse health consequences for them, like obesity or eye weakness. Encourage them to develop interest in other creative hobbies like painting or giving them knowledge about other works like household chores.

3. Create a periodic schedule for them – Encouraging your children to follow a particular time table for all their chores or work will make them more aware of time management, discipline, and punctuality. Make them learn that all the scheduled works like studies, play-time, and meals should be pursued as per the assigned time, and while letting them do so, try your best to give company to them.

4. Have more indoor group activities – While the children are in their growing stages, it is easier to make them learn about their responsibilities. In these times of social distancing, it is a good opportunity to have group activities among all your family members. In this, you can divide all the different types of your daily chores and works, which will not only reduce the involved time as a whole but is regarded as a good way of parenting too.

5. Make them more physically active – Making your children learn the importance of physical activities like exercises and sports will keep them active and healthy in their long run. Instead of making them sit in front of screens most of the time, encourage the children to indulge in playing sports like badminton and do regular exercises which are adaptable as per their age.

6. Follow a balanced diet – These days of social distancing can be turned beneficial for children, by making them learn the benefits of home-cooked food over the junk food which children love to eat outside. Encourage your children to have a balanced diet and foods which are low on sugar levels and preservatives.

7. Make them learn socializing – In the current modern era, the children are not as close to their relatives or grandparents, as before. Make them learn the importance of socializing with your relatives and friends, through electronic media like video calls and phone calls. This will not only make their socializing skills better but will also lead to a healthier relationship will all the people who matter in their lives.

8. Leave no room for sadness at home – While each and every family has a set of struggles to cope up within their own, it is advisable to make the children prone to these struggles and difficulties as low as possible. Try to create a healthy and fun environment at home by staying together and doing all the works together, like watching good laughter-oriented or knowledge-oriented shows on television, playing fun games, having meals, etc.

9. Seek professional help if necessary – Stress and depression are much common these days as compared to before. If you yourself are suffering from high anxiety and overstrain, it is requested that you first take care of yourself to the fullest by consulting with a trained professional or psychiatrist, which will eventually help you more for taking care of others.

Top self-care tips for kids in their growing stages

Given how stressful and busier modern households have become in the recent times, parenting a child has become a more difficult task as compared to that in past years. The lack of support and care and diversion of mind from more important activities and bonds have increased the chances of irregular mental health among the children of the current era.

So, in order to maintain a healthy balance, it is important to nurture the children with all the best possible amount of care and practices. Following are some important self-care tips, which will only help your children to grow healthy and follow a positive approach to life:-

1. Maintain a regular sleeping schedule – For maintaining the mental health of younger kids, proper amount of rest is of utmost importance. The sleeping schedule of kids should be longer as compared to the people who are in their adolescence. The practice of ‘early-to-bed-and-early-to-rise’ should be followed for the kids from their younger days itself, which will help in building up consistency in the longer run. For kids, it is suggested to have a sleeping duration of 8-9 hours, which will keep them away from sleep deprivation. Following this will reduce mood swings and enhance the activeness of the brain for the years to come.

2. Follow a proper daily routine – It is very important that your child gets ample amount of attention and routine from all of its elders at home. For this, maintain a proper daily routine for all the activities – sleeping hours, study time, play time and other recreational activities. This will ensure in development of proper time management for various activities and chores at a very young age – a trait which will be beneficial in a longer run when it comes to professional commitments too.

3. Engage in creative activities – The modern day children are more into gadgetries and electronic games, which to some extent is both good and bad. While it sharpens the brain responses and reflexes, it definitely is not a healthier practice to follow, which can lead to dizziness, irritation and eye related weaknesses. Encourage them to engage in more creative hobbies like music, art, and dance, which have both the benefits of physical health as well as stronger mental health.

4. Eat healthy – The consumption of junk food or outdoor food with low nutrient levels among children too has become a very common thing. If done in excess, it will only lead to obesity and their hatred towards foods rich in nutrients, which will invite more health related issues at later stages of their adolescence. So, it is recommended to give them foods rich in nutrients, like fruits, whole grains, green vegetables and pulses. You can also play along with creative recipes with these food items, which will have interesting taste levels without compromise on the required nutrient levels in them.

5. Replacing outdoor sports with electronic games – Again, in addition to the creative hobbies, children should be encouraged to play more outdoor games as compared to the games which they play on electronic gadgets like mobile phones, tablets or computers. Studies in the past have already shown that the children who play outdoor games are healthier, fitter and more active than the ones who do not. Playing outdoor sports which require consistent physical activity like football, badminton, cricket, athletics or tennis will not only keep the children physically active, but also mentally alert and happy.

6. Encourage them to socialize more – It is not only the people in their youth or adolescence, but also younger kids who do need to socialize more when it comes to their mental and emotional growth. Given the times of isolation and social distancing in the COVID era, this practice is a bit difficult, but not impossible. The kids should be encouraged to make new friends while playing, in school or various social gatherings, which will only enhance their ability to speak more, build up self-esteem and connect better with people. This will only help them in building connections in later stages of graduation and professional life.

7. Limit screen time – While other recreational activities are more important for physical and mental health as a whole, to keep your children stay updated to the latest information and mental activity, their adaptability to gadgets should not be discarded at once. The only need is to limit the usage of gadgets to a lesser duration of time, and in the process, they should use the electronics like phones, televisions and computers for playing games, gather the latest information and enhance their studying methods. Monitor what your child is seeing on the internet, which is a difficult process, but can be done with better understanding and communication.

While all these steps need mutual attention from parents as well, one can always reach a proper trained professional or pediatrician for better results and scope of enhancements.

Common posture defects and deformities in children: How to correct them?

Posture is an essential aspect of a child’s life. A good body posture will bless the child with higher energy levels, confidence, and prevents injuries. When children are in growing stages, it is essential to focus on their posture as their bones and muscles remain in a developing stage.

A bad posture can lead to abnormal growth of the spine and other parts, increasing the possibility of arthritis later in life. On the other hand, a good posture will not only keep their body aligned but will also reduce the risk of degeneration. There are other benefits also that will pay off throughout their lifetime.

Common Types of Deformities

There are four major types of posture defects like flat back, swayback, kyphosis, and lordosis that can hamper a child’s posture. If you identify as such posture defects in your children, read on to understand their causes and corrective measures.

What Are The Causes Of Bad Posture In Children?

Here are some common causes that lead to these deformities in children:

●       Injury – The majority of the posture deformities arise due to injuries. Children do get severely injured while playing sports or any other physical activity. These injuries can lead to bad posture in the future.

●       Disease–If the child is or had suffered from any muscle or bone diseases, he or she can develop posture deformities later in their life. It is essential to consult an experienced physiotherapist to realign their posture.

●       Habits – Wrong sitting habits can lead to some serious posture defects in children. They may grasp these habits from their school or friends. Teachers should also come forward and teach the correct sitting and standing postures to the students.

●       Weakness – At times, children tend to develop posture defects due to weakness. Children who get ill often are more vulnerable to such deformities.

●       Hereditary–Genes are also a prominent factor that leads to poor posture in children. The posture defect like kyphosis is generally carried forward from one generation to another.

●       Obesity – Obesity is a major cause of faulty body posture in children. Overweight children can also face spinal injuries leading to bone and muscle deformities.

How To Correct Them?

Here are some measures that will help the parents in correcting their child’s posture defects.

●       Exercise and Fitness – The best measure to eradicate any posture defect in children is regular exercise. Parents should encourage their children to do some smooth exercises that will improve their regular sitting and standing postures.

●       Braces and Orthotics – Many doctors suggest posture braces for the children to improve their bend shoulders. This is a very effective method and should be done under the supervision of an expert only.

●       Adaptive Chairs – These are special positing chairs that are used to correct the wrong postures in the children. It also offers effective ankle and foot realignment to improve the overall spinal cord posture. 

Kids tend to be really active and careless when it comes to jumping, running, and doing other physical activities. The right body posture will support them and will enable a smooth landing every time they fall on the ground.

As a parent, it is crucial to understand the posture defects in children and address the issues immediately. If you find any postural deformities in your child, you can book get in touch with the best orthopedic surgeon in Jodhpur. Good Luck!