Preparing for your next child? You will surely have taken into account how it will affect all aspects of your life, and made the necessary adjustments. You would have certainly calculated how another child would impact your finance, lifestyle, social life, etc. Amidst all this planning and preparation though, there is a crucial question you need to ask yourself. Is your first child ready for a sibling? Chances are, you would have missed out on this aspect altogether. You might have been prepared from every possible perspective, but would have forgotten that it is not just you and your spouse, but also your previous child, who has to adapt to a lot of changes. This can be especially challenging when your first child is still a toddler. The challenges vary depending on the age of the first child – whether he or she is a toddler, in early childhood or in late childhood. Each of the stages has its own challenges. But the causes remain the same. Globally, here are the challenges faced by the kids when expecting a new sibling: The first child is used to being the center of attention in the family and will feel insecure about losing that position.

A recent topic of heated debate has arisen on whether to vaccinate your children or not. From celebrities to political figures to scientists to other parents at your child’s school, everyone seems to have an opinion. While discussion is a healthy aspect of health care, most medical experts still agree that it is best to have your children vaccinated, not only for their wellbeing but the wellbeing of other children around them as well. Routine vaccines have saved countless lives and keep the population healthier. We live in a world where travel to and from other countries is common, and this travel increases the risk of exposure to diseases. In some rural areas, where modern healthcare systems are virtually non-existent, serious diseases are much more likely to be found in children who did not have access to vaccinations. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, vaccination is one of the best ways parents can protect infants, children, and teens from 16 potentially harmful diseases. The thing that parents need to be reminded of is that it really wasn’t that long ago that these diseases were once common causes of death among children. Vaccine-preventable diseases such as polio or measles can be very serious, may require hospitalization, or even cause death in infants and young children.

Is your kid gets very anxious when you are not around? And no amount of cajoling is helping? Don’t worry! This is normal. Every kid expresses this anxiety , and every parent faces this. Want to know more about what you’re dealing with? Then read on. What is separation anxiety? When your baby is born, it spends most of its time with you. After being cared for round the clock, the baby becomes very attached to you. It is not just an emotional attachment, but also physical attachment, in the form of hugs, etc. So the baby is absolutely dependent on you for everything right from eating, sleeping, etc. Their touch receptors respond to you better. Once the child is able to recognize a smile, they respond well only to someone familiar; and in most cases, this is the mother.The baby creates a world of their own in their brain. A world that is made up of the baby, the mother, and the immediate surroundings. So when there is any alteration, however small, in this world that the baby has created, it becomes anxious. This is known as separation anxiety. Here are few things that make the kid anxious: When the kid misses the mother.

Is your baby crying uncontrollably? Well, then there are chances that your baby is suffering from colic. How to find if your baby has colic? Babies normally communicate through crying. If they are hungry, or thirsty, or feeling disturbed, or in pain, they communicate it through crying. Although, there is a difference if your baby has colic. A baby that has colic would be crying continuously for hours in a row, sometimes even for days in a row. If your baby is crying uncontrollably for no apparent reason and continues to cry even after drinking milk, then you must suspect colic. Here is a standard guideline to suspect colic – If your baby, which is otherwise healthy, cries for more than three hours in a day for three or more days of a week, then your baby could have colic Typically, the colic tends to peak when a baby is six weeks old and slowly reduces before the baby is four months old. What to do if you suspect that your baby has colic? If your baby shows signs of colic, it is mandatory that you visit a paediatrician. Sometimes, the pain may be self-limiting, but other times it may require medical intervention.

Ever noticed tiny, red spots, bumps, or a warm reddish patch on your baby’s chubby little bottom? That is diaper rash is – an inevitable part of your baby’s early days. All babies from the age of 9 to 12 months suffer from it at least once every couple of months. In some cases, the rash does not seem to go away at all. What Causes Diaper Rash? There are several factors responsible for the red itchy spots on your baby’s bottom. Some of them are: Wetness: No matter which brand you use, the truth is that even the most absorbent diaper leaves a little moisture on your baby’s skin. And when your baby’s urine mixes with bacteria from his/her stool, it breaks down into ammonia, which can cause diaper rash. However, a baby left in a wet diaper for too long is more likely to develop diaper rash than a baby whose diapers are changed at regular intervals. Chafing/Rubbing against Diaper: Diaper rubbing against your baby’s skin, especially if your baby is sensitive to chemicals, could be the cause of your baby’s diaper rash. Solid Food: Diaper rash is also a common occurrence when your baby first starts eating solid food.