Showing posts with label Mom and Kids. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mom and Kids. Show all posts

Monday, 1 October 2012

Here are five things you should know about your kids and milk

Here are five things you should know about your kids and milk:

1. They need to drink more. Milk contains nine essential nutrients and vitamins, including protein, vitamins A, D, and B12, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, riboflavin, niacin, zinc, and magnesium. Children who drink milk tend to have "superior" overall nutrient intakes compared with children who don't drink milk, according to a study released last year by researchers at Environ International Corp., the University of Vermont, and the National Dairy Council. Yet only a third to a half of American children and adolescent boys consume the government-recommended number of dairy servings, and fewer than one in five adolescent girls meets the recommendation. Adolescents should drink three 8-ounce glasses of reduced-fat or skim milk (or equivalent products, such as yogurt) daily.

Milk and Healthy Kids
2. Many parents don't know whether their kids to drink whole milk, 2 percent, 1 percent, or fat-free. The American Academy of Pediatrics has long recommended whole milk, usually 3.5 percent to 4 percent fat, for children up to age 2 because saturated fats are needed for brain development. "Eighty percent of brain development occurs in the first two years of life, so you want the fat at that point," says Frank R. Greer, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health and chairman of the AAP's nutrition committee.

For kids over the age of 2, it's best to serve reduced-fat milk (either 1 or 2 percent). "That's primarily because kids get lots of fat in their diets. And milk, though it has lots of nice nutrients in it, you don't need as a source of fat," Greer says.

3. Not all toddlers should drink whole milk. Because obesity is a risk factor for heart disease and often is accompanied by cholesterol problems, the pediatrics academy now recommends low-fat milk (no more than 2 percent fat) for 1-year-olds for whom weight or obesity is a concern, Greer says. That new advice is aimed at 1-year-olds who are already overweight, have overweight parents, or have a family history of heart problems. Very young children are increasingly getting fats from sources other than milk.

Obesity is a serious health concern for children and adolescents, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The level of obesity among children aged 6 to 11 more than doubled in the past 20 years, going from 6.5 percent in 1980 to 17 percent in 2006. The rate among 12- to 19-year-olds more than tripled, increasing from 5 percent to 17 percent; for children aged 2 to 5 years, it increased from 5 percent to 12.4 percent.

4. Drinking flavored milk isn't all bad. Limiting children and teens' access to flavored milk may only lead to the undesirable effect of cutting nutrient intake. Flavored milk is better than none at all, even though it has more sugar and slightly higher calorie content than unflavored milk. It's a nutrient-rich package providing the same nine essential nutrients as plain milk. Each 8-ounce serving of milk—plain or flavored—provides 300 mg of calcium, which is a fourth of the daily calcium requirement for children. While flavored milk contains both natural and added sugars (nearly half of the sugar in flavored milk is naturally present in the milk), it contains less added sugar than other beverages that kids drink, such as carbonated soft drinks. On average, according to the CDC, an 8-ounce low-fat (or 1 percent) flavored milk contains 158 calories, while low-fat plain milk contains 105. A 12-ounce servicing of apple juice, by comparison, contains 192 calories, and 12 ounces of lemon-lime soda contains 148 calories, without the nutrients in milk.

5. Even lactose-intolerant kids may be able to stomach some milk or dairy products. The AAP advises parents to not give up on feeding dairy products to lactose-intolerant children and teens. The reason: The calcium in these foods is important for bone health, and dairy products also contain other nutrients important for growth.

Roughly 20 percent of U.S. children have some degree of intolerance to lactose, the sugar naturally found in milk. Yet lactose intolerance is often mild enough that affected kids can consume at least some milk and dairy products. Also, yogurt and cheese contain less lactose per serving than milk. "If your child is going to have a lactose-intolerance problem, it's usually identified as a problem in the first five years," Greer says. Certain ethnic and racial groups are more likely to suffer from the condition, including blacks, Hispanics and some Asians, he adds.

Read more : http://health.usnews.com/health-news/family-health/childrens-health/articles/2009/03/20/5-nutrition-facts-about-milk-and-healthy-kids

Friday, 7 September 2012

What to Expect During a Well-Baby Check-Up

During the first year of a baby's life, the pediatrician will carefully monitor everything about them. This is to make sure that your baby is growing properly and getting the right kinds of nutrition. During a well-baby check-up the doctor will carefully examine your baby from head to toe. These doctor's visits continue throughout the first two years starting at every two weeks then four weeks then after a few months. Being diligent about having your baby examined by their doctor will help alleviate any medical surprises later on.

Baby Check-UpFirst the doctor will take your child's measurements. Tracking height and weight during the first year is helpful to doctors and parents. It helps measure your baby's growth and also identify if there is a problem with their growth that may not be manifesting through other symptoms. After the measurements are completed the doctor will inspect the baby's head. Primarily he will be looking to measure the space between gaps in a baby's head. These spaces are left during fetal development so that the brain has room to grow and expand. Over time the soft spots or gaps between the skull bones will fuse together. In the meantime, it is important to be very careful with a baby and his surroundings. The smallest knock on the head can cause damage.

The next step in a well-baby check is to monitor the ears, eyes and mouth. Over the first few months your child becomes more reactive to the stimulants around her. In the doctors' office it is expected that your child will respond to noise and light. Additionally, the pediatrician will make sure that there is no fluid build in up in the ears which can lead to ear infections or other problems. In the mouth, the doctor will be checking for signs of thrush. Finally the physician will inspect the baby for bruises, rashes, birthmarks and jaundice. There are many indications on a baby's skin that can be related to a medical disorder. It is very important that at home you monitor any birthmarks or rashes and take the child to the doctors if they get worse or spread.

Caring for a child is a lifelong commitment but the hardest period is the first year of their life. There are hundreds of disorders and medical conditions that a baby can develop throughout the first 12 to 18 months. For this reason it is important that parents are diligent in taking their child to the doctor's office and having them perform routine examinations. Most parents have nothing to worry about. As long as you are maintaining the best care possible at home, your child will likely grow up to be happy and healthy. During a well child check, your pediatrician can also watch for signs of genetic conditions that may manifest in your child.

Even after a child passes the toddler years, it is important to maintain regular clinical visits at least once a year. The more medical history that is on record, the easier it is for a doctor to determine the cause of an illness in the future.

Article by : Dr Ahan Newman

Article Source : What to Expect During a Well-Baby Check-Up

Wednesday, 18 July 2012

Breastfeeding Benefits Both Mother and Child

Breastfeeding Benefits Both Mother and ChildThe greatest gift to parents is their child. When a child is born, everyone tries to do his or her best for the child. One very simple thing that a mother can do to make her child happy and healthy is to breast-feed the baby. Breast-feeding has a number of benefits for both the child as well as the mother. It ensures a better health for both and helps in developing a beautiful bond between them. Lets us learn in detail why breastfeeding is so important.

Breastfeeding benefits for the child:

Breast milk is the complete meal for any child. It has all the required nutrients that are essential for proper growth of the child. All these nutrients like fat, protein, water and sugar are present in the right amount in mother's milk.

Breast milk is very easy to digest and is not contaminated. It reduces the risks of suffering from diarrhea, and other gastrointestinal infections. Formula milk does not suit all infants and it causes some side effect like constipation etc.

A breastfed child does not gain superfluous weight. They are leaner as compared to the formula fed children and will not face the problems of being obese and overweight later on in life.

Breastfeeding helps the child having a better immune system and helps them in responding better to vaccinations.

Breast milk is ideal for superior brain development of children. Studies have proved that breastfed children have higher IQ than other children.

The premature kids also have better chances of survival and growth if they are breastfed.

Breastfeeding is more hygienic. If the bottles of formula are not sterilized in the right manner, it can cause many health problems to the child.

Breastfeeding benefits for mothers:

Many women suffer from heavy bleeding after giving birth; breastfeeding helps in reducing this bleeding.

One problem that most of the new mothers face is being out of shape. Breastfeeding is the best way to burn extra calories that were gained during the pregnancy.

Another benefit is that whenever the child gets hungry, mother can provide him or her immediate satisfaction even if is the middle of the night!

Breastfeeding is often called nature's contraceptive. If a child is fed only on the mothers milk, the return of normal ovulation and menstrual cycle of the mother also gets delayed. One must not completely rely on this contraceptive though!

Breastfeeding reduces the risk of breast and ovarian cancers.

Breastfeeding helps a mother in developing a strong bond with her child and gives a feeling of warmth and comfort. The mother feels closer to the child and the child feels more secure.

Breastfeeding requires no extra expenditure. You do not need to spend time, effort and money on purchasing formula, making it in right ratio and amount. It does not require you to sterilize the bottles, nipples etc.

Therefore, breastfeeding is beneficial for the mother and the child. Breast milk is very good for the child and even if the mother is able to feed the child for a short period, it does wonders for the health of the child.

For More Information about Breastfeeding, Healthy Meals for Children, and How To Raise Strong Healthy Kids In Todays Society Go To: Concerning Kids http://www.concerningkids.com/

Article by : Joel Gray, Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joel_Gray