If your child needs surgery and you have opted for elective surgery, then you have time on your hands to explain to your child all about the procedure. It’s advisable to talk to them about hospital procedures and operations, it will make you less anxious. Explain in child-friendly terms why he had to undergo surgery. It’s human nature to fear the unknown. So, if they know what will happen and why it will happen, they will be less afraid. So to put their fears to rest, you as parents need to educate yourself about the surgery, so you are in a better position to answer your child. To do that, schedule a visit with the doctor and ask all the questions relating to the procedure and if there are risks associated with surgery. Find out whether the hospital rules allow parents to be present in the operating room when surgery is being performed, and whether you can keep going back for the night if the child is not discharged on the same day. Once you’ve gathered all the information is correct, helping your child understand all the facts are known.

Preparing Your Child for Surgery

Dealing with Baby
Although they have not been able to talk, babies are very sensitive to their environment. They will easily get distracted by the hospital environment since it is new to them. They are very sensitive to voice their caregivers and their attitudes. So if you’re tense, your baby will feel stressed too. Lower your anxiety level, remain calm and quiet, and stick to your routine to help babies cope better with surgery. Bringing their security blanket when they are used to one, whether it’s a pacifier, a favorite blanket, or doll. Compared with children who are older, the baby will need extra comfort. Sometimes, surgery is performed on an empty stomach, so if your child has to go with little or no food during the day, it would make her extremely fussy. They may even demand to be held more frequently than usual. Hold your baby close and offers all the comfort you can.
Dealing with Toddlers and preschoolers
Age when children can not yet fully communicate their wishes, but still want independence. You may want to ask your pediatrician to speak kindly to your child about the hospital visit. One of the best things you can do to eliminate their fears is to buy a set of doctors and play with them. Children this age love roleplays, and this will prove the ideal setting for you to explain what might happen on the day of surgery. Take turns playing doctor and patient so that the child then you get a better understanding of the scenario. You could even use the doll as a patient with your child enacting the role of doctors to better explain what seems like a surgical procedure. Always use child-friendly language. It’s probably a good idea for your kids to a tour of hospital facilities, and familiarize himself with the arrangements. On the day of surgery, bring their favorite books toys, and DVDs. Read the rest of this entry »

A newborn baby has a soft and smooth head because that tends to develop defects due to continuous pressure. Deformity usually occurs as a flat spot on baby’s head. The development of such deformities in newborn babies is known as plagiocephaly or flat head syndrome. This syndrome is usually seen when a baby spends more time lying in one position for a long time which causes the force constant pressure on certain areas, ultimately resulting in a flat place. A flat head can also be a result of pressure exerted on the baby’s head during the journey from the birth canal during vaginal delivery. Defects tend to improve within six weeks after birth.

Increased incidence of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) leads to a “Back to Sleep” campaign in which parents were instructed to make their babies sleep on their backs. Practicing this approach clearly reduces the occurrence of SIDS, however, it leads to increased incidence of flat head in babies. Although this flaw does not cause brain damage, it is cause for concern.

Prevention of plagiocephaly
The most common form of plagiocephaly is the position of plagiocephaly. When the baby is placed on the mattress with his face for a long time, it developed positional plagiocephaly because continuous pressure on certain areas of the head. Like a baby who can not afford to move their head in different directions, the pressure on a single area leading to the development of the flat. Now the question is – How to prevent plagiocephaly in infants? Here is the answer.
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Many parents often complain about their children are listless. But what does lethargic? Lethargy in children refers to the energy level decreases. It is defined as a prolonged feeling of fatigue and exhaustion. Listless child lying lazy and will not even move around for a long enough period of time. Lethargic feeling can be triggered due to a lack of energy and sometimes associated with serious illness and even psychological disorders. Although adults are more prone to lethargy, active children, also experience these feelings.

What Causes Lethargy in Children

As mentioned above, lethargy in children can be caused by a number of reasons. Even power can cause lack of energy, which causes lethargy. Here are some common causes of lethargy in children.

Sleep Deprivation: Children who do not get enough sleep often feel lethargic throughout the day. Due to lack of sleep, the child experiences persistent fatigue and unable to concentrate on their daily routines. Feeling tired is commonly observed in children, when they lacked sufficient sleep. Therefore, sleep 7-8 hours a day, is required to perform daily activities efficiently and to keep lethargy at bay.
Malnutrition: malnourished children are bound to show signs of lethargy. The children showed a substantial reduction in energy levels. As the body does not get a daily dose of protein, vitamins and minerals, the child showed a sharp decline in activity levels during the day. Read more about the facts of malnutrition.
Anemia: Lethargy in children is also regarded as an early symptom of anemia. This condition causes a major reduction in the number of red blood cells, which deliver oxygen to various body organs. Thus, oxygen deficiency anemia causes that make children lethargic. A poor diet, iron deficiency, is the most common factors that contribute to lethargy in infants.
Fever: Fever and lethargy in children are often correlated. Fever in children generally occur due to virus infection. Fever which has a temperature range 101-103 Celsius is not serious, but it makes the child uncomfortable. Unresponsive child and prefer minimal verbal interaction. However, infants aged 6 weeks and suffered from high fever (over 101) require immediate treatment because it is a symptom of serious illness. Read the rest of this entry »