Parenting Blog

Autism is a brain disorder, appearing mostly in childhood, which causes restricted social interaction and difficulty in communication. Autism is strongly associated with genetic makeup of the child and is more likely to be induced by factors that also cause birth defects. Symptoms of autism usually appear before the child is 3 years old and, if left untreated, can cause serious distress among kids. Since symptoms of autism are wide-ranging and many of them also characterize other disorders, the diagnosis of autism is rather difficult. Further, the diagnosis is based on behavioral observations i.e. there is not medical test to determine whether or not a child is autistic. 

Following are some behavioral characteristics that are indicative of autism. In case one or more of these is found in your child, you need to take him/her to a psychologist for the possible presence of autism. 

• In the later months of their first year or shortly afterwards, the child shows a decreased responsiveness to parents and other people/things. He/she does not look at the parent or person speaking to him/her. Also, he/she does not look into the parents’ eyes while they talk to him/her.
• The child resists cuddling and screams upon being picked up.
• In a little older age, the child keeps aloof from people and does not take part in play or social interaction with other kids.        
• Abnormally intense screaming fits and tantrums are displayed by the kid who is autistic.
• The child shows fascination with a single, apparently ordinary object (broken pieces of plastic or an unattractive tool).
• Decreased or no response to environmental conditions (heat or cold) is seen in many autistic children such that an autistic child may remain indifferent to hot or cold bath even in weather that is not at all friendly for such a bath.
• Many autistic children repeatedly show odd body movements like grimaces, flapping arms or hands, jumping from one foot to another etc.   
• Some autistic children may show signs of ‘geniuses’ e.g. they may be very good at a particular activity or subject like music, mathematics etc. But their over all performance as a child remains either very passive or over-reactive.  
• On the average, autistic children show poor language performance.  Some may show literal or pedantic use of words. And many autistic kids repeat the question or sentence instead of answering or expressing their own thought.
  

Parents need to take children, showing any of these signs of autism, to a psychologist who may also involve a pediatrician in treatment of the child. Parents will be required to work in close collaboration with the doctor/therapist to effectively treat their child out of autism.

Parents have all the reason to get excited about the appearance of the first teeth in their child’s wee mouth. In most babies, the first teeth appear at an age of around six to nine months. The order in which teeth usually appear is: lower incisors, upper incisors, molars, and canines. All the 20 milk teeth usually arrive by the age of two and a half years. The appearance of first teeth is indicative of the fact that the child is now ready to move on to solid foods. While teething is not so much a cause of unease in some kids, in many others, it does cause pain and irritation that is annoying to the baby as well as his/her parents.

Some of the common signs of teething include:

* A reddened area of the baby’s gum (before or after the appearance of the first tooth)
* An inflamed look on one of the baby’s cheeks
* The child’s irritability and fretfulness

These sings do not represent teething alone but may be springing from other illnesses so parents must see a pediatrician for proper treatment of any pediatric disease. When the cause is confirmed to be teething, you can try a number of soothing strategies to alleviate the baby’s teething pain. Following are some tips for easing teething pain in children.

* Let the baby chew on a safe object like teething rings, refrigerated pieces of a carrot or an apple, or hard-baked bread. Don’t give him/her sticky foods like chocolate; the fear of choking is always there. For the same reason, do not leave your baby alone with food.
* Rub your baby’s gums with a clean finger, but not too hard. You may use a teething gel like Bonjela for the same purpose. If you are sure that the sings of unease are not caused by any illness but teething, you may use homeopathic chamomile granules available at health food stores.
* Give the baby enough amount of liquid, preferably cooled, boiled water, at regular intervals. A little amount of pure fruit juice may be added to the water.
* If the child is slightly feverish, showing discomfort, give him/her a dose of infant Paracetamol. If the fever persists, take him/her to a pediatrician to treat any possible infection.
* Start brushing the baby’s teeth regularly, twice a day, soon after their appearance. Use a soft baby toothbrush and a pleasant flavor of baby toothpaste. If the baby is reluctant to allow a toothbrush, start with your clean finger and later introduce the brush.

In case any of the following symptoms appear in the child, take him/her to a doctor for the possibility of infection, since these symptoms are not commonly caused by teething:

* High and persistent fever (especially one that lasts for more than a day)
* Earache
* Diarrhea (especially a persistent one)
* Difficulty in breathing or cough accompanied by fever

Do you remember the day that you first felt the excitement of riding off into the wind on your bike without training wheels or someone holding onto the bike? It was as if someone just opened the door to a whole new world of wide open freedom. Now that you have your own little one, you will be able to be on the giving end of this amazing feeling. If you are not sure how to start teaching them to ride a bike, here are some things to know and keep in mind.

The unrivaled feeling you felt when you first realized you were riding your bike all by yourself was most likely after much nervousness. Remember that it is totally normal and okay when your little one is nervous and shows that they are scared. This is a whole new ball game for them. Surely they will be excited to know they will soon be able to ride their bikes as all the older kids do, but they will probably be hesitant at the same time.

Do your best to encourage and let them know that you are there. Tell them that everyone was a little scared when they first started learning to ride a bike, and that it is okay. You will want them to feel reassured and safe. Make sure they know you are right there with them the whole time.

You should always pick a place to do this that has a smooth surface. You’ll also want to make sure there is plenty of space so you don’t have to constantly turn, but be able to ride straight for a few minutes. It can be frustrating when your little one feels they are getting the hang of simply balancing themselves, and then have to constantly be turning because you ran out of room.

It should go without saying to make sure they always wear safety gear, especially their helmet. It is probably against the law to ride without one as it is in most places. In the first few days they will probably welcome the idea of wearing knee and elbow pads as well. The fear of falling is going to be in their mind and this may make comfort them to a degree. However, after they get a hang of it don’t bet on seeing them in full safety gear very often!

Show your child how to place their feet on the pedals and have them to slowly start riding. They will want to know that you are right there, so be sure to reassure them. Tell them that you will be beside them the whole time holding onto the bike, until they think they are ready to try for a minute on their own. Now days there are even “training bars” that can attach to the back of the bike so you can easily hold onto them without killing your back.

Don’t expect too much as it may take days, weeks, or months before they get the hang of it. Everyone will learn at a different pace. Praise them when they do well, comfort and reassure them when they fall, and before you know it your little one will be riding into the wind all on their own.

There is not a universal answer as to when you should move your precious little one out of the crib into their own bed. Only you will know when you feel is the right time. Most little ones make this transition between 18 months and three years old. However, there are quite a few circumstances that may be pushing you in that direction.

One may be that there is a new baby on the way who will be needing to use the crib. If this is the case try not to kick your toddler out of the crib too suddenly. You don’t want them to feel that they are being set aside or forced out of the way for their new brother or sister. Gradually work on the transition and allow plenty of time to do so. This means don’t wait until Mom is in labor to do it! Give yourself at least a few months so your toddler will have time to adjust and won’t feel second best to the new baby.

If they are beginning to climb out of their crib, it may be time to start mapping out your plans for their transition. Safety can become an important factor at this stage. If the rails on the crib are meeting up mid-way to high on their chest, they should be moving to their own bed more than likely. Climbing out becomes increasingly easier and will increase the risk of injury at this point.

If your little toddler is potty training or has already been basically potty trained, it only makes sense for them to be sleeping in a bed. They will need the freedom to get in and out of bed when they need to so they can go use the potty.

Once you have decided that it is time for the big occasion, remember that you will need to have a big pool of understanding. There are several ways to try to get your little one excited about the change.

Talk about the big change well in advance of actually implementing it. Try to get a sense of excitement built up around the occasion. If your little one has a favorite cartoon or such, you may try sprucing up the new bed with sheets and pillows of that character. Take your toddler shopping with you and let them see all of the wonderful, new choices they have now that they will be sleeping in a real bed. Let them help you pick out what will go on the bed.

If you can, you may want to place the bed in the exact same place that the crib was at. This will allow your little one to keep a feeling of security. They will be in the same surroundings, and have the same views.

You can even try just using a mattress on the floor. Toddler beds normally have the same size mattress so you can even begin the transition by using the crib mattress on the floor. Once they are accustomed to this, and then transfer the mattress into a toddler bed frame.

The transition out of the crib is a milestone and can be a delightful experience. Just make sure that your toddler is ready and carry around lots of patience and understanding in your pocket!

You may have recently started to see your little one get down on their belly and purposely bang their head on the floor. Chances are higher if you have a little boy, as boys are usually much more likely to go through this phase. There is probably no need to worry about it as there are many little ones who will do this.

Possible causes of a toddler banging their head can be both emotional and physical. Sometimes you may be able to tell which one is probably the case, but other times it may just seem random. Either way, by the age of three or so, they will probably have outgrown it.

Your little one may be banging their head simply to gain your attention. Since you probably are concerned and make a fuss over it when you see this happening, they may continue to do so. They begin to understand that it will get your attention and cause reactions from you.

Giving your little one plenty of love and attention on a daily basis may help reduce the head banging if this is the case. When they are not banging their head make sure they feel they are loved and important. During the times when they do bang their head try to not over-react to it. While you will understandably be concerned about it, try not to make a big deal or a make a noticeable fuss about it. Your little one will see how much attention they get from it and will likely do it more often.

If your toddler is in the middle of what seems to be a tantrum, and starts banging their head, it could very well be out of frustration. They may be unable to communicate to you what they wish they could say and banging their head can oddly be a comfort to them.

Sometimes banging their head can be a temporary fix to something that is bothering them physically. If they have an ear infection or something else that is hurting, the slight pain from banging their head may distract from the primary pain.

Normally a toddler will not bang their hard enough to actually hurt themselves. Even if they seem to be banging their head hard, they will usually start easing up if it is causing much pain. They may end up with a bruise here and there but more often that not, there is no cause for major concern.

However, in fewer cases the head banging in a toddler can be something to be concerned about. If they seem to be banging their head a lot and consistently you may want to take a second look as to what is going on. Also, if they continue to hit their head hard enough that it is really hurting them, and they do it anyways you should be looking more into it.

Head banging can be related to autism, and other disorders, but will be among other signs. Your toddler’s head banging alone will rarely signal cause for concern. If there are other signs you have noticed, or if your little one is not coming anywhere near common milestones, you should talk to your pediatrician about it.