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UK govt bans junk food advertising targeted at children. Should India too ?

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Online ads for food and drinks high in fat, salt or sugar aimed at children are to be banned under new rules from advertisers.

The Committee on Advertising Practice (CAP) said its restrictions would also apply to all other media where under-16s made up a quarter of the audience.

The rules are an attempt to help tackle obesity when children are spending more time online than ever before.

But critics say the new rules do not go far enough and may not have any impact.

Protecting children

However, the advertisers’ body said the move would lead to “a major reduction” in the number of “junk food” ads seen by children on platforms such as YouTube and children’s games websites.

And it said the new rules would bring non-broadcast media, such as online, social media, cinema and billboard advertising, in line with TV rules introduced in 2007, which restricted the advertising of junk food during children’s TV programmes.

The CAP said the rules were a response to research suggesting children aged five to 15 spent about 15 hours online every week – overtaking time spent watching TV.

Last month, the World Health Organization warned that governments should be protecting children from targeted junk food adverts in apps, social media and video blogs.

While the CAP acknowledged the impact of the rule changes could be small, it said they demonstrated the industry was putting “the protection of children at the heart of its work”.

Recent figures showed a third of children in the UK were overweight or obese by the time they left primary school.

Prof Neena Modi, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said the measures would help in the fight against the damaging effects of junk food and fizzy drinks – but more could be done.

“Surely it is time for government to strengthen rules around all advertising, and in particular ban the advertising of foods high in salt, sugar and fat on television before the 21:00 watershed.”

Dr Alison Tedstone, chief nutritionist at Public Health England, said the advertising restrictions were encouraging but the real test would be whether they made any difference to the exposure of high sugar, salt and fat products to children and young people.

The government’s childhood obesity strategy was heavily criticised in the summer for not including measures banning advertising of junk food to children, and campaign groups still want the government to take a stronger stance.

Loopholes concern

Action on Sugar said: “This is industry regulating itself, but we need to know if advertisers are complying with the rules.

“There is a need for an independent monitor.”

Malcolm Clark, co-ordinator of the Children’s Food Campaign, said there were still too many loopholes.

He said: “Just as many of the TV programmes most watched by children aren’t covered by the rules, so it looks like many of the most popular social media sites won’t be either; neither will billboards near schools, or product packaging itself.”

And he said it was not clear what ads would be banned under the new rules, if children had to make up 25% of the audience.

He added: “Ultimately, the new rules are only as good as the body which enforces them.”

The Advertising Standards Authority, which regulates all media in the UK, has said it will administer the new rules.

The rules will come into effect on 1 July 2017.

Source : http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-38239259

Online ads for food and drinks high in fat, salt or sugar aimed at children are to be banned under new rules from advertisers.

The Committee on Advertising Practice (CAP) said its restrictions would also apply to all other media where under-16s made up a quarter of the audience.

The rules are an attempt to help tackle obesity when children are spending more time online than ever before.

But critics say the new rules do not go far enough and may not have any impact.

Protecting children

However, the advertisers’ body said the move would lead to “a major reduction” in the number of “junk food” ads seen by children on platforms such as YouTube and children’s games websites.

And it said the new rules would bring non-broadcast media, such as online, social media, cinema and billboard advertising, in line with TV rules introduced in 2007, which restricted the advertising of junk food during children’s TV programmes.

The CAP said the rules were a response to research suggesting children aged five to 15 spent about 15 hours online every week – overtaking time spent watching TV.

Last month, the World Health Organization warned that governments should be protecting children from targeted junk food adverts in apps, social media and video blogs.

While the CAP acknowledged the impact of the rule changes could be small, it said they demonstrated the industry was putting “the protection of children at the heart of its work”.

Recent figures showed a third of children in the UK were overweight or obese by the time they left primary school.

Prof Neena Modi, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said the measures would help in the fight against the damaging effects of junk food and fizzy drinks – but more could be done.

“Surely it is time for government to strengthen rules around all advertising, and in particular ban the advertising of foods high in salt, sugar and fat on television before the 21:00 watershed.”

Dr Alison Tedstone, chief nutritionist at Public Health England, said the advertising restrictions were encouraging but the real test would be whether they made any difference to the exposure of high sugar, salt and fat products to children and young people.

The government’s childhood obesity strategy was heavily criticised in the summer for not including measures banning advertising of junk food to children, and campaign groups still want the government to take a stronger stance.

Loopholes concern

Action on Sugar said: “This is industry regulating itself, but we need to know if advertisers are complying with the rules.

“There is a need for an independent monitor.”

Malcolm Clark, co-ordinator of the Children’s Food Campaign, said there were still too many loopholes.

He said: “Just as many of the TV programmes most watched by children aren’t covered by the rules, so it looks like many of the most popular social media sites won’t be either; neither will billboards near schools, or product packaging itself.”

And he said it was not clear what ads would be banned under the new rules, if children had to make up 25% of the audience.

He added: “Ultimately, the new rules are only as good as the body which enforces them.”

The Advertising Standards Authority, which regulates all media in the UK, has said it will administer the new rules.

The rules will come into effect on 1 July 2017.

Source : http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-38239259

Cardiac mission saves 13 children’s lives with complex surgeries

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All over the globe, A&K Global Health excels in matching people who need healthcare with the right organizations to fund it and the right doctors and hospitals to provide it. A recent international surgical mission at Mater Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya delivered a powerful example of our life-saving coordination and management in action.

For two weeks last November, a team of cardiac surgeons from Kardiocentrum University Hospital in Motol, Czech Republic and Kramala Hospital in Bratislava, Slovakia, embedded with Mater’s resident surgical and support staff. In conjunction with the National Hospital Insurance Fund’s (NHIF) cardiac surgery program, the mission aimed to address the most urgent pediatric cardiac cases on the hospital’s waiting list. It conducted 13 complex surgeries in just 13 days, including one Rastelli procedure – the first to be performed at Mater Hospital. All 13 surgeries were successful, and all 13 children have since returned home to their families from the hospital.

One of these children’s remarkable stories was featured in Kenya’s The Standard shortly after the mission concluded. “Godious Kiptoo Chumba is a two-year-old patient who has benefitted from the NHIF cardiac program…at Mater Hospital,” read the testimonial. “His father…could not hide his joy and relief after his son was successfully operated on. ‘We are very happy that our son’s surgery was successful. It was a very long process before we got to where we are but we are indeed very grateful. What wonderful work NHIF has done to reach out to Kenyans!’”

Because 10 of the 13 children who received surgeries were sponsored by the NHIF and managed by A&K Global Health, Mater Hospital and the visiting surgeons organized an event at the mission’s end to acknowledge and appreciate everyone’s role. It was an emotional evening for the local and foreign doctors alike: in their presentation to our CEO, Morgan Darwin, the surgeons stressed that these patients would have died without A&K Global Health’s involvement. Several medical professionals were moved to tears as they expressed their gratitude.

There are so many beautiful stories to be told about this mission,” said Mr. Darwin. “There are the 13 children who now have the chance to live long and healthy lives. There’s also the dedication, determination, and professionalism of the Kenyan and foreign surgeons – their courage, cooperation, and teamwork, across different countries and cultures, directly enabled these life-saving procedures to be successful. It was our great privilege, as the implementer and manager of the NHIF cardiac program, to witness this surgical mission’s impact at Mater.”

A&K Global Health has more collaborative surgical initiatives on the horizon. At Mater as at every hospital involved in the NHIF’s cardiac surgery program, we are using our experience and expert knowledge to put together surgical alliances that benefit every participant, from patients and families to Kenyan as well as international surgeons and medical professionals. And we’ll continue to showcase here on the A&K Global Health blog the incredible positive returns that occur when we bring people together, united toward the common goal of expanding healthcare.

Source:http://akglobalhealth.com/cardiac-mission-saves-13-childrens-lives-complex-surgeries/

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Children who eat at restaurants have extra body fat, risk of heart disease: Study

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Children who eat restaurant carry-out, or “takeaway,” meals once a week or more tend to have extra body fat and long-term risk factors for heart disease, suggests a UK study.

In the study of 9- and 10-year-olds, the kids who ate carry-out most often also consumed more calories but fewer vitamins and minerals compared with kids who rarely or never ate carry-out food, the authors report in Archives of Disease in Childhood.

“Frequent consumption of takeaway foods could potentially be increasing children’s risk of future coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes by increasing their LDL cholesterol and body fat,” lead author Angela Donin told Reuters Health in an email.

“Takeaway outlets are increasing, as is consumption with more than half of teenagers reporting eating takeaways at least twice a week,” said Donin, a researcher at St. George’s, University of London.

In adults, regular consumption of carry-out meals is associated with higher risk of obesity, coronary heart disease, and type 2 diabetes, but little is known about the effects it may be having on children’s health, Donin said.

“We, therefore, wanted to see how much takeaway food children were eating and if there were any effects on their health.”

The researchers analyzed data from the Child Heart and Health Study in England, which looked at potential risk factors for heart disease and diabetes in pre-teens. Participants included about 2,000 kids aged 9 and 10 years at 85 primary schools in three cities: London, Birmingham, and Leicester.

The children answered questions about their usual diets, including how often they ate carry-out meals purchased from restaurants. Foods purchased at convenience stores or grocery stores were not included in the category. Photos of common foods were provided to help the kids recall and estimate portion sizes.

About one-quarter of the children said they never or rarely ate carry-out meals and nearly half said they ate carry-out less than once per week. Just over one quarter said they ate these kinds of meals at least once per week.

Boys were more frequent consumers of carry-out meals than girls, as were children from less affluent backgrounds.

The study team used the kids’ dietary responses to calculate calorie counts and nutrient intake. Among regular consumers of carry-out meals, the foods eaten were higher-calorie and higher-fat, while protein and starch intake was lower and intake of vitamin C, iron, calcium and folate was also lower compared with kids who didn’t eat these types of meals.

Researchers also measured the children’s height, weight, waist circumference, skinfold thickness and body-fat composition. In addition, they measured blood pressure and took blood samples for cholesterol levels.

There were no differences in blood pressure or how well the kids’ bodies used insulin based on who regularly ate carry-out meals. But skinfold thickness, body fat composition and blood fats like LDL (bad) cholesterol all tended to be higher in regular consumers of carry-out meals.

“Children who ate more takeaway meals had higher total and LDL cholesterol (both important risk factors for coronary heart disease) and body fat.,” Donin said.

“Most people who order takeout usually purchase fast food, which is high in sodium, fat, and calories,” noted Sandra Arevalo, who wasn’t involved in the study.

”Fast-food also has low nutritional value, which means it is low in vitamins, minerals, fiber and sometimes protein,” said Arevalo, a registered dietician who directs Nutrition Services and Community Outreach at Community Pediatrics, a program of Montefiore and The Children’s Health Fund, in New York. “If you eat these meals over a long period of time you can start seeing the health consequences associated with it.”

Arevalo recommends parents who need to bring home a meal, call the restaurant ahead of time to order salads, vegetables, brown rice, grilled meats and to provide a healthier meal for their children.

“The price might be a deterrent but you can cut portions in half and get two meals out of one large one,” she said by email. Another idea is to learn to prepare quick and healthy meals.

“For example, hummus, carrots, and crackers make a great lunch, as well as a tuna or turkey sandwich with lettuce and tomatoes. Eggs are an excellent source of protein, you can scramble an egg with spinach, onions, and tomatoes and have it with a toast,” she said.

Source: http://zeenews.india.com/health/children-who-eat-at-restaurants-have-extra-body-fat-risk-of-heart-disease-study-2071366

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What is Kawasaki Disease?

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Kawasaki disease is an illness that almost always affects kids, most of them under the age of 5. It’s one of the leading causes of heart disease in children. But doctors can treat it if it’s found early, and most children recover without any problem.CausesWhen a child has Kawasaki disease, the blood vessels throughout his body become inflamed. This can damage the coronary arteries, the vessels that carry blood to his heart.But Kawasaki disease doesn’t affect just the heart. It can also cause problems with lymph nodes, skin, and lining of the mouth, nose and throat.Scientists haven’t found an exact cause for Kawasaki disease. But they think it’s probably linked to a combination of genetics, exposure to viruses and bacteria, and other environment factors, such as chemicals and irritants.

Doctors don’t think it’s contagious, though the disease sometimes occurs in community clusters. And kids are more likely to get it in the winter and spring, but they can have it throughout the year. Children of all ethnic and racial backgrounds get Kawasaki disease, but those of Asian descent are more likely to have it.

Symptoms
One of the most important things to know about Kawasaki disease is that it comes on fast and symptoms show up in phases. It can lead to heart trouble in as little as 10 days to 2 weeks after the symptoms start.

Signs of Kawasaki disease may include the following:
High fever, above 101 and minimally responsive to meds that normally bring down a temperature -usually lasting more than 5 days
Rash and/or peeling skin, often between the chest and legs and in the genital or groin area, and later on the fingers and toes
Swelling and redness in hands and bottoms of feet, followed by sloughing of skin of hands and feet
Redness in the eyes
Enlarged glands, especially in the neck
Irritated throat, inner mouth, and lips
Swollen, bright red “strawberry tongue”
Joint pain
Stomach trouble, with diarrhea and vomiting

If your child has a fever between 101 and 103 degrees that lasts more than 4 days, and shows several of the symptoms noted, contact his doctor. Treating him early can help reduce his chances of any permanent effects.

Treatment
Your child may have a lot of pain from the fever, swelling, and skin irritation. His doctor might prescribe medication to relieve these, including aspirin and others that prevent blood clots. You shouldn’t give your child any medication without talking to your doctor first.

He’ll probably also get an IV of immune globulin. This is more effective when given with aspirin than aspirin alone. It will lessen his chance of heart issues when used early in his treatment. Because of the risk of complications, most children are initially treated for Kawasaki disease in the hospital.

Problems
Because it involves the heart, this illness can be scary. But most children recover completely and have no lasting problems. However, in rare cases, children can have:
Abnormal heart rhythms (dysrhythmia)
Inflamed heart muscles (myocarditis)
Damaged heart valves (mitral regurgitation)
Inflamed blood vessels (vasculitis)
These can lead to further troubles, including weak or bulging artery walls. These are called aneurysms. They could increase the chance your child will have artery blockages, which can cause internal bleeding and even heart attacks. A baseline echocardiogram can diagnose many of these complications.

Some severe cases of Kawasaki disease require surgery, and a small percentage of children don’t survive the illness. Infants have a higher risk of serious complications.

Source:https://www.webmd.com/children/what-is-kawasaki-disease#1

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WHAT IS ADHD IN CHILDREN?

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ADHD stands for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. It is a medical condition. A person with ADHD has differences in brain development and brain activity that affect attention, the ability to sit still, and self-control. ADHD can affect a child at school, at home, and in friendships.

What Are the Signs of ADHD?
All kids struggle at times to pay attention, listen and follow directions, sit still, or wait their turn. But for kids with ADHD, the struggles are harder and happen more often.

Kids with ADHD may have signs from one, two, or all three of these categories:

Inattentive. Kids who are inattentive (easily distracted) have trouble focusing their attention, concentrating, and staying on task. They may not listen well to directions, may miss important details, and may not finish what they start. They may daydream or dawdle too much. They may seem absent-minded or forgetful, and lose track of their things.
Hyperactive. Kids who are hyperactive are fidgety, restless, and easily bored. They may have trouble sitting still, or staying quiet when needed. They may rush through things and make careless mistakes. They may climb, jump, or roughhouse when they shouldn’t. Without meaning to, they may act in ways that disrupt others.
Impulsive. Kids who are impulsive act too quickly before thinking. They often interrupt, might push or grab, and find it hard to wait. They may do things without asking for permission, take things that aren’t theirs, or act in ways that are risky. They may have emotional reactions that seem too intense for the situation.
Sometimes parents and teachers notice signs of ADHD when a child is very young. But it’s normal for little kids to be distractible, restless, impatient, or impulsive — these things don’t always mean that a child has ADHD.

Attention, activity, and self-control develop little by little, as children grow. Kids learn these skills with help from parents and teachers. But some kids don’t get much better at paying attention, settling down, listening, or waiting. When these things continue and begin to cause problems at school, home, and with friends, it may be ADHD.

How Is ADHD Diagnosed?
If you think your child has ADHD, make an appointment with your child’s doctor. He or she will give your child a check-up, including vision and hearing, to be sure something else isn’t causing the symptoms. The doctor can refer you to a child psychologist or psychiatrist if needed.

To diagnose ADHD, doctors start by asking about a child’s health, behavior, and activity. They talk with parents and kids about the things they have noticed. Your doctor might ask you to complete checklists about your child’s behavior, and might ask you to give your child’s teacher a checklist too.

After gathering this information, doctors diagnose ADHD if it’s clear that:

A child’s distractibility, hyperactivity, or impulsivity go beyond what’s usual for their age.
The behaviors have been going on since the child was young.
Distractibility, hyperactivity, and impulsivity affect the child at school and at home.
A health check shows that another health or learning issue isn’t causing the problems.
Many kids with ADHD also have learning problems, oppositional and defiant behaviors, or mood and anxiety problems. Doctors usually treat these along with the ADHD.

How Is ADHD Treated?
Treatment for ADHD usually includes:

Medicine. This activates the brain’s ability to pay attention, slow down, and use more self-control.
Behavior therapy. Therapists can help kids develop the social, emotional, and planning skills that are lagging with ADHD.
Parent coaching. Through coaching, parents learn the best ways to respond to behavior difficulties that are part of ADHD.
School support. Teachers can help kids with ADHD do well and enjoy school more.
The right treatment helps ADHD improve. Parents and teachers can teach younger kids to get better at managing their attention, behavior, and emotions. As they grow older, kids should learn to improve their own attention and self-control.

When ADHD is not treated, it can be hard for kids to succeed. This may lead to low self-esteem, depression, oppositional behavior, school failure, risk-taking behavior, or family conflict.
What Can Parents Do?
If your child is diagnosed with ADHD:

Be involved. Learn all you can about ADHD. Follow the treatment your child’s health care provider recommends. Keep all recommended appointments for therapy.
Give medicines safely. If your child is taking ADHD medicine, always give it at the recommended time and dose. Keep medicines in a safe place.
Work with your child’s school. Ask teachers if your child should have an IEP. Meet often with teachers to find out how your child is doing. Work together to help your child do well.
Parent with purpose and warmth. Learn what parenting approaches are best for a child with ADHD — and which can make ADHD worse. Talk openly and supportively about ADHD with your child. Focus on your child’s strengths and positive qualities.
Connect with others for support and awareness. Join a support organization for ADHD to get updates on treatment and other information.
What Causes ADHD?
It’s not clear what causes the brain differences of ADHD. There’s strong evidence that ADHD is mostly inherited. Many kids who have ADHD have a parent or relative with it.

ADHD is not caused by too much screen time, poor parenting, or eating too much sugar.

ADHD can improve when kids get treatment, eat healthy food, get enough sleep and exercise, and have supportive parents who know how to respond to ADHD.

Source: https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/adhd.html

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When your child needs Speech Therapist?

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As with other skills and milestones, the age at which kids learn language and start talking can vary. Many babies happily babble “mama” and “dada” well before their first birthday, and most toddlers can say about 20 words by the time they’re 18 months old. But what if a 2-year-old isn’t really talking yet or only puts two words together?

Knowing what’s “normal” and what’s not in speech and language development can help parents figure out if there’s cause for concern or if their child is right on schedule.

How Are Speech and Language Different?
Speech is the verbal expression of language and includes articulation (the way sounds and words are formed).
Language is the entire system of giving and getting information in a meaningful way. It’s understanding and being understood through communication — verbal, nonverbal, and written.
What Are Speech or Language Delays?
Speech and language problems differ, but often overlap. For example:

A child with a language delay might pronounce words well but only be able to put two words together.
A child with a speech delay might use words and phrases to express ideas but be difficult to understand.
When Do Kids Develop Speech and Language Skills?
The stages of speech and language development are the same for all kids, but the age at which kids develop them can vary a lot.

During routine well-child checkups, doctors look to see if kids have reached developmental milestones at these ages:

Before 12 Months
By the first birthday, babies should be using their voices to relate to their environment. Cooing and babbling are early stages of speech development. At around 9 months, babies begin to string sounds together, use different tones of speech, and say words like “mama” and “dada” (without really understanding what those words mean).

Before 12 months of age, babies also should be paying attention to sound and starting to recognize names of common objects (bottle, binky, etc.). Babies who watch intently but don’t react to sound could be showing signs of hearing loss.

By 12 to 15 Months
Kids this age should have a wide range of speech sounds in their babbling (like p, b, m, d, or n), begin to imitate sounds and words they hear, and often say one or more words (not including “mama” and “dada”). Nouns usually come first, like “baby” and “ball.” They also should be able to understand and follow simple one-step directions (“Please give me the toy,” etc.).

From 18 to 24 Months
Most (but not all) toddlers can say about 20 words by 18 months and 50 or more words by the time they turn 2. By age 2, kids are starting to combine two words to make simple sentences, such as “baby crying” or “Daddy big.” A 2-year-old should be able to identify common objects (in person and in pictures); point to eyes, ears, or nose when asked; and follow two-step commands (“Please pick up the toy and give it to me,” for example).

From 2 to 3 Years
Parents often see huge gains in their child’s speech. A toddler’s vocabulary should increase (to too many words to count) and he or she should routinely combine three or more words into sentences.

Comprehension also should increase — by age 3, a child should begin to understand what it means to “put it on the table” or “put it under the bed.” Kids also should begin to identify colors and understand descriptive concepts (big versus little, for example).

What Are the Signs of a Speech or Language Delay?
A baby who doesn’t respond to sound or who isn’t vocalizing should be seen by a doctor right away. But often, it’s hard for parents to know if their child is just taking a little longer to reach a speech or language milestone, or if there’s a problem that needs medical attention.

Here are some things to watch for. Call your doctor if your child:

by 12 months: isn’t using gestures, such as pointing or waving bye-bye
by 18 months: prefers gestures over vocalizations to communicate
by 18 months: has trouble imitating sounds
has trouble understanding simple verbal requests
by 2 years: can only imitate speech or actions and doesn’t produce words or phrases spontaneously
by 2 years: says only certain sounds or words repeatedly and can’t use oral language to communicate more than his or her immediate needs
by 2 years: can’t follow simple directions
by 2 years: has an unusual tone of voice (such as raspy or nasal sounding)
is more difficult to understand than expected for his or her age:
Parents and regular caregivers should understand about half of a child’s speech at 2 years and about three quarters at 3 years.
By 4 years old, a child should be mostly understood, even by people who don’t know the child.
What Causes Speech or Language Delays?
A speech delay in an otherwise normally developing child might be due to an oral impairment, like problems with the tongue or palate (the roof of the mouth). And a short frenulum (the fold beneath the tongue) can limit tongue movement for speech production.

Many kids with speech delays have oral-motor problems. These happen when there’s a problem in the areas of the brain responsible for speech, making it hard to coordinate the lips, tongue, and jaw to produce speech sounds. These kids also might have other oral-motor problems, such as feeding difficulties.

Hearing problems are also commonly related to delayed speech. That’s why an audiologist should test a child’s hearing whenever there’s a speech concern. Kids who have trouble hearing may have trouble articulating as well as understanding, imitating, and using language.

Ear infections, especially chronic infections, can affect hearing. Simple ear infections that have been treated, though, should not affect speech. And, as long as there is normal hearing in at least one ear, speech and language will develop normally.

How Are Speech or Language Delays Diagnosed?
If you or your doctor think that your child might have a problem, it’s important to get an early evaluation by a speech-language pathologist. You can find a speech-language pathologist on your own, or ask your health care provider to refer you to one.

The speech-language pathologist will evaluate your child’s speech and language skills within the context of total development. The pathologist will do standardized tests and look for milestones in speech and language development.

The speech-language pathologist will also assess:

what your child understands (called receptive language)
what your child can say (called expressive language)
if your child is attempting to communicate in other ways, such as pointing, head shaking, gesturing, etc.
sound development and clarity of speech
your child’s oral-motor status (how the mouth, tongue, palate, etc., work together for speech as well as eating and swallowing)
Based on the test results, the speech-language pathologist might recommend speech therapy for your child.

How Does Speech Therapy Help?
The speech therapist will work with your child to improve speech and language skills, and show you what to do at home to help your child.

What Can Parents Do?
Parental involvement is an important part of helping kids who have a speech or language problem.

Here are a few ways to encourage speech development at home:

Spend a lot of time communicating with your child. Even during infancy — talk, sing, and encourage imitation of sounds and gestures.
Read to your child. Start reading when your child is a baby. Look for age-appropriate soft or board books or picture books that encourage kids to look while you name the pictures. Try starting with a classic book (such as Pat the Bunny, in which your child imitates the patting motion) or books with textures that kids can touch. Later, let your child point to recognizable pictures and try to name them. Then move on to nursery rhymes, which have rhythmic appeal. Progress to predictable books (such as Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?) that let kids anticipate what happens. Your little one may even start to memorize favorite stories.
Use everyday situations. To reinforce your child’s speech and language, talk your way through the day. For example, name foods at the grocery store, explain what you’re doing as you cook a meal or clean a room, point out objects around the house, and as you drive, point out sounds you hear. Ask questions and acknowledge your child’s responses (even when they’re hard to understand). Keep things simple, but avoid “baby talk.”

Source: https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/not-talk.html

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Don’t ignore early signs. Think your baby’s missed a milestone? See a doctor

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Parental denial is keeping children with special needs from getting help. For the sake of your child don’t listen to people who tell you ‘he’ll catch up’ or ‘just give it time’.
At what point do you admit that something is seriously amiss. It’s not an easy call to make, but developmental experts are saying that parental denial is hampering diagnosis, and treatment, of children with special needs.

Ninam was diagnosed with autism at 18 months; he is now nearly 3. His mother Sarita Lama is vehement that parents need to open up to the special needs of their child. “Unless you change, society won’t,” she says.

Early signs that a child may need special care include babies not making eye contact, not responding to people by smiling or gesticulating, delayed speech, focusing intently on something to the exclusion of others for long periods, or making repetitive movements, such as rocking and twirling.

“Four As — awareness, acceptance, action and acknowledgement — are the pillars crucial to supporting differently abled kids. It is very important to empower parents, especially mothers, as they are usually the ones taking care of the child all day,” says Dr Deepak Gupta, consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.

Identifying the right therapy centre takes time as it is, so the quicker one acts the better.

“Getting the right help at an early stage can change the trajectory of the child’s development and future success in learning and socialisation,” says Jackie Harland, clinical director at the London Learning Centre (LLC) in New Delhi. “It is hard to see children whom you know would make significant progress with the right help, not receiving that support. With the right programme, all children can make progress.”

Three young Delhi mothers share their journeys, from symptoms through diagnoses and finding the right therapy for their babies.

‘Sharing the news has helped’

When Ninam was still not responding to his name at 18 months, Sarita consulted a paediatrician, who suspected autism spectrum disorder and referred her son to a psychiatrist.

“I had no clue what autism was, so I went home and Googled to read up,” says mother Sarita Lama. “The next day, we went to a therapy centre to get a psychiatric diagnosis for our son.”

While many prefer to keep such information to themselves, Sarita looped in her friends and family on the day of diagnosis.

“I mailed them reading material so they would be sensitive to Ninam’s needs. Since I was proactive, my friends have also started forwarding interesting information they come across,” says Sarita, who now actively uses Facebook and WhatsApp to spread awareness about autism.

“I also regularly share updates on my son’s progress. I know he will never outgrow it; some issues will always be there. I just want him to be as independent and self-sufficient as possible.”

The biggest parenting challenge for her is that Ninam has trouble sleeping, which also affects her sleep. “I thought it would pass but it’s been two years and eight months since I slept well, which makes me physically and emotionally exhausted. There are days when you feel very down but then you push yourself, especially when you hear about children who’ve overcome challenges,” says Sarita, who gave up her job as a teacher in Delhi’s Nirmal Bharti School to spend time with her son.

With therapy, Ninam can now communicate his basic needs. “He comes to the kitchen and says ‘I want food’, which is a huge achievement,” she says.

‘If you start late, everything will take longer’
Kalpana Jacob discovered that her son Zach was not able to form words when he was 18 months old. “Zach was doing fine till the age of one, and then there was a big lag. He even stopped saying words he had said earlier. He turned hyperactive, running around as an excuse for not talking,” Jacob says.

She adds that it helped that she had friends and family who didn’t sympathise but rather supported. “They are sensitive to his needs but are also firm when required.”

Not being able to talk made him under-confident, which made him socially withdrawn. “But since he is also a sensory seeker with sensory needs, certain things calm him down, like play dough. We let him play in the mud without worrying about his immunity. That helps,” says Kalpana, who runs an organization that offers life skills and leadership training to teenagers though music and storytelling.

Her experience has taught her that early intervention is key to helping children meet their development goals and integrate socially.

“As parents, you must watch for signs, however small, and track milestones,” she says. “You shouldn’t listen when people say your child will catch up. If you start late, everything will take longer — the child will learn to socialise late and may become withdrawn.”

Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/health/don-t-ignore-early-signs-think-your-baby-s-missed-a-milestone-see-a-doctor/story-cCW0hs8YUwxXm07UG1nxoI.html

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