Superheros are not born but made through dedicated and sustained effort, says Dr.

Anuj Rastogi - a well known pediatrics practitioner at Meerut. A doctor with zeal & commitment that you do not come across often, is all alacritous as he emphasizes upon his point further, Likes of Eklavya or Karna or modern day music maestro A R Rehman or all time swimming legend Micheal Phelps were not born into an ideal situation, yet they have all come over the odds and proved their mettle convincingly. So, the question here is, what then goes into making a Superhero ? Is the child genetically different or is it sheer luck that bestows all heroism on one while ignoring the rest ? Is it a rare phenomenon beyond perceivable measures or is it achievable by an average child? During a recent presentation on childhood development, the concept of making the child grow into a superhero prodigy was first introduced by the doctor who himself is committed to transforming pediatrics beyond prescribing routine medicines for common illness. So naturally he was both an authentic & a natural choice to discuss the issue, and true to our expectation the conversation revealed many an interesting facts that would provide parents with immensely valuable guidance in grooming their wards or shall we say Speaking on the question doctor reveals an unusual exuberance, PLANNING PURPOSEFULLY, PREPAREING PATIENTLY, PROCEEDING POSITIVELY and PURSUING PERSISTANTLY are the essential four Ps that if intelligently inculcated into the everyday grooming of a child would pay very rich dividends by raising the performance, physical growth, psychology, personality and the overall persona of the child to a level much above the ordinary. How does one go about nurturing these basics ? Sure this is easier said than done. It needs a disciplined approach guided by four Ps says Dr Anuj, as a parent you are to play a major role in not only guiding and nurturing, as we all know basic shape to a childs over all development is configured in the early years itself, but also shaping up a Super Hero requires a dedicated effort from the parents themselves. It all commences with the very initial stages of breast feeding the child which is The Nectar of Life. Motherhood is the loveliest gift a woman could ever receive, and mothers milk is the most beautiful gift a baby could ever receive. Its a sublime feel to nurture a new life, and all mothers wish their babies to be the best, for which they ought to give their best. Breastfeeding is not just feeding of milk. There is much to it that goes beyond basic nourishment to making your child one of the most exceptionally brilliant kids around, the genius of your dreams. Breastfeeding should be exclusive.

Exclusively breast-fed babies score 5.9 points higher IQ scores than top-fed ones. Its BRAINVITA, the strongest brain tonic. Its the best vaccine. It fortifies babys immune system.

This Divine Bond established between the mother and the baby provides him a sense of security for a lifetime.

 What if mother feels her milk is not enough? Breastfeeding should necessarily be established 48 hours after birth. The more the baby suckles, the more milk is produced. True lactational failure does not occur in more than 1% of mothers.

Mothers diet does not affect the babys health anyway. Of course, intake of medicines during lactation must be supervised. However feeding on demand, it is necessary to understand that baby is not hungry before 1 -2 hours, therefore this gap must be manintained. They should not be fed each time they cry, because it is not only hunger that makes them cry. There may be some other reason to it, and nevertheless, for the first few months, they know nothing else but crying!! It may just be boredom of lying at a place or inability to move limbs due to overclothing. Moreover, sucking of fingers is a sign of health, not hunger. You shouldnt pop in a bottle each time he cries. Use other means to pacify him when you know its not his feed time. This is the first way you condition your childs brain towards being a Superhero, by disciplining him in tender loving way. This is then followed by securing the growing period WITHOUT them. through VACCINATIONS YOU CANT DO

The little hero in your hands needs to be healthy, healthier and healthiest, to become a Superhero. And this is impossible without vaccinations. But not many parents tend to be serious about them. Perhaps, thinking of side-effects, many a time, because of cost, and at others, discarding the issue as useless. Not only does your child need vaccinations according to the Schedule Card, but also Category 2 vaccines i.e. Rotavirus: Rotavirus is the commonest infection causing diarrhea in children, and 95% of them get infected by them by 3-5 years of age. Spread through the feco-oral route, Rotavirus damages the inner lining of the small intestine responsible for resorption, leading to large watery stools subsequently causing severe and life-threatening dehydration. The Rotavirus vaccine is given in the form of oral drops from 1 month of age as a 2-dose schedule, before the age of 6 months. It is not recommended after the age of 6 months. Flu: Flu is a viral infection caused by Influenza virus, which causes attacks of cold, sneezing, fever and bodyache. This infection may pre-dispose for severe bacterial infections and precipitate asthma symptoms in susceptible individuals. The Flu vaccine is given in the 1st year of life in 2 doses 1 month apart from the age 6 months onwards, and 1 vaccine each year thereafter. Chicken Pox: It is a viral illness spread by cough, sneezing or skin-to-skin contact. The severity of infection increases with advancing age, so its unwise to wait for the infection to happen and provide lifelong immunity.

The first dose of the Chicken Pox vaccine is given at 1 year of age, and the 2nd booster is given at 5 years of age. Hepatitis A: Hepatitis A is the most common cause of jaundice in children. Besides Hepatitis B, this is the only form of hepatitis that is vaccine-preventable. The severity of the infection increases with advancing age. It may lead to serious secondary bacterial infections, further leading to liver failure proving fatal. 2 doses of Hepatitis A vaccine given from the age 1 year onwards, 6 months apart, are sufficient to prevent its occurrence. Pneumococcal: Pneumococcal infections are bacterial infections which may cause meningitis, ear and sinus infections, pneumonia and severe blood infections which are potentially life-threatening. This infection spreads from one to the other by air-borne droplets released during sneezing or coughing. Kids less than 2 years of age are more susceptible to pneumococcal infections. Pneumococcal Vaccine is given at the age of 2 months, 4 months, 6 months and 1 years. It provides protection for 9 years. Cervical Cancer Vaccine: Cervical cancer, occurring in girls and women, is the cancer of the tissues of the cervix which connects the uterus and the vagina. It is also triggered by a virus. Now a vaccine is available for it. It is given to females from 9-28 years of age, as a 3 dose schedule of 02-6 months. Vaccines prevent occurrence or even outbreak of serious and fatal infections. Although they do not promise that the disease wont occur at all, they minimize the severity of the disease in a considerable way. For school-going children, they reduce school-day loss, and of course, there is respite from ugly scars from chicken pox and the like. When your child gets the best books, the best toys, the best clothes, why not the best vaccine? Breaking Myths: (Box) MYTH 1: Getting so many vaccines may challenge my childs immune system A babys body is bombarded with immunologic challenges from bacteria in food to the dust they breathe, vaccines are just a drop in the ocean! In fact, they protect. MYTH 2: As long as other children are getting vaccinations, mine dont need to be Skipping vaccinations puts your baby at greater risk for potentially life-threatening diseases. And what if all parents think so? MYTH 3: Now that major illnesses have largely disappeared, we really dont need vaccines any more. We can never bet on it. There are still outbreaks of measles and pertussis and kids even die of them. Unvaccinated children spread infection to vulnerable family members. MYTH 4: My baby may get the disease its supposed to prevent.

No, most vaccines given today contain killed viruses or weakened viruses, so theres no risk, and even if an immune response is provoked, it is much less than if the child contracted the disease itself. MYTH 5: Even I had chicken pox when I was kid and it isnt a big deal. Yes, at times. Moreover, getting these diseases as an adult could be very serious and fatal. (Vaccine Schedule Chart) WEANING is the next step forward, also it is now that your child commences to learn & reveal some communication skills. Encourage him to express himself, but observe discipline. Weaning is a process of switching over a baby from an exclusively milk diet to a semi-solid and solid diet, one of the most important milestones which requires a meticulously planned way of training a child to accept newer tastes, textures and flavours. Its not only about inclusion of new foods in a babys diet, but an essential step towards learning adaptability to changes in life, trusting his mothers decisions and knowing that she is the one who knows the best for him. (BOX) A mothers heart overflows with emotions to say It was six months ago You were blessed into my arms As I cuddled you close to my heart You gave my life an entirely new meaning Within me, a MOTHER had taken birth You meant the whole world to me The emotional surge was overwhelming I lost count of hours As I watched you with brimming eyes As I fed you Tears that expressed the pleasure of my motherhood You didnt speak, you still dont But I understand you Your cries of hunger I know my milk was what you called for Your only food that nurtured you Protected you from the devilish infections The Divine Bond that got me closer to you As if you and me were one But look my baby, its time for some delicious mouth-watering surprises See, what your mother has prepared for you!! Inchie

It takes 5-20 exposures of the same food for a child to develop taste for it. If you feel your child refuses to accept a certain food, you should plan a 5-day rigorous schedule of training him. Give him very small amounts or just 2 teaspoons of the same food 3-5 times a day. This would break his mental block for that food. Gradually during weaning, the child understands the boundaries his mother has laid down for him keeping in view his choices too. So if weaning is planned according to a balanced diet, and the mother is firm and patient, she is going to be a proud mother of a Superhero. WINNING WEANING requires a patient but committed approach, and the tenacity can well be reduced through some of these measures : Sign Language: A child learns to communicate through speech only by 2 yrs of age, so to teach him to be more expressive about his needs, he should be taught to communicate through gestures, which also improves his IQ. Five most important gestures are to be trained for: I want More Enough Hurt Tired If he vomits, do not change his clothes. Do not succumb to his tantrums.

If he clenches his lips tightly, try not to get angry, do not force. The best way is to ignore it and give no other substitute. You would find that after a couple of missed meals, you would have a hungry child on your hands. This hunger would make him accept that particular food happily. Turn TV off at mealtimes. It is quite distracting. Encourage eating at a table and high chair, instead of letting him running around while eating. No bottle-feeding after 6 months of age!! Do not allow him to nibble on chips, sweets and chocolates throughout the day.

Common Illnesses and Ways to Conquer Them 1. Fever: They are often viral fevers until proved otherwise, especially when there is no focus for infection. It is difficult to distinguish between bacterial and viral infections. Bacterial infections are usually local and focal, while viral ones are more generalized. There are as many as 300 varieties of viruses that attack humans during a lifetime, 100 of them attacking in the first 10 years, and 40-50 of them in the first few years of life itself! Fevers may be associated with vomitings, diarrhoea, cough, cold, rashes and bodyache. Symptoms have a waxing phase peaking around day 3, followed by a waning phase until day 7. Most of them are self-limiting, and can be managed with anti-pyretics like Paracetamol itself. So

parents must not make fevers, obstacles in the path of a Superhero, because they are unavoidable encounters each and all have to face throughout life especially during early childhood. None is exempted! A record of fever must be maintained. Kids must not be haunted with food all the time if he doesnt wish to eat during fever. There are sufficient stores of food in our body for emergency situations. They are replenished as soon as the disease process is over. When should you see a doctor? (box) If child: Is under 2 months old Is extremely irritable, crying a lot or excessively sleepy Has difficulty in breathing Temperature is high even after 2days of Paracetamol Complains of neck pain or rigidity Has a convulsion Pulls at the ear or complains of ear pain Has not wet a diaper or urinated for 12 hours Lips, tongue and lining of mouth are dry and dull Complains of a sore throat 2. Diarrhoea: Loose motions occur due to an insult to the part of the intestines responsible for absorption, and there is no medicine possible to repair it the same day. Whether they are bacterial or viral, they are usually self-limiting. Antibiotics must only be considered if there is high grade fever >101 deg F, or if stools are mixed with pus and blood. It is necessary to understand that the treatment should be to prevent dehydration than to stop diarrhea. (Diarrhea chart) 3. Cough and Cold: Kids fall a prey to these viral infections just like adults, but the course of their coughs and colds is usually prolonged. The reason is highly mechanical. It is because children are not only smaller in their external appearance but their airways from nose to the lungs are also smaller and narrower. So they easily get clogged by mucus and secretions, and it is very difficult for them to clear their airways themselves. Vomitings may aid this clearance in little children, therefore it is wise to use minimal cough medications to avoid drying of secretions within the airways. Steam of saline water with Tulsi leaves should be used instead. Cough medications tend to worsen symptoms in babies and children. Parents must remind themselves of the natural course of the disease than pressurize the doctor for injections or a change of treatment. All kids normally have 6-8 episodes of cough and cold in the first year of life, therefore your child is not the only one! Maintenance of good personal hygiene and a flu vaccine are the best means of prevention.

4. Fever with Rashes: All rashes must be screened by the Pediatrician. What parents must know is that most of the viral fevers in early childhood come with a rash, so they should not be necessarily mistaken with drug allergy or measles. In measles, rashes occur on day 4 of fever. Fever abates in the next 24 hours with full bloom of rashes showing up. In chicken pox, rashes appear on the same day as the fever. In Exanthem Subitum, rashes come on day 5 of fever. Besides, there are 20-30 viral infections that are associated with rashes. Their course is self-limiting and do not herald any significance. Kids must be bathed daily. Nevertheless, pediatricians must rule out any rare disorders like Dengue fever and Kawasaki Disease. 5. Dengue Fever: Dengue is an innocuous biphasic viral illness caused by bite of an Aedes mosquito, characterized by abrupt onset fever, rashes, flushing of face and severe pain behind the eyes. Doctor must be consulted immediately and child investigated. There is no need of a platelet transfusion until the patient has active bleeding. If fever lasts for 10 days or more, it should not be mistaken for dengue fever. It is serious if patients have a low platelet count with a raised white cell count. Prevention from mosquito bites, is its best cure, the most potent breeding place for mosquitoes being your very own bathroom, so it should be mopped dry after use! 6. Tuberculosis: Though an endemic disease of our country, the diagnosis of tuberculosis in children is entirely clinical. There is no single confirmatory test for it. There is indeed a scoring system to diagnose tuberculosis in kids in cases of suspicion, for instance, when there is an adult with active tuberculosis in the family or when history of an immediate contact is positive. Diagnosis should be well correlated with the growth chart before leaping to any conclusion. Pediatric problems like minor lymph nodes in the neck or recurrent attacks of cough should not be unnecessarily subjected to an anti-tubercular treatment. Issue of appetite may just be socio-emotional, and not a manifestation of a dreadful disease like tuberculosis! 7. Childhood Asthma: Recurrent coughs and colds are an inevitable part of early childhood. But in kids in whom they cause difficulty in breathing, high breathing rates, distress is more at midnight and early hours of the morning, relatively take longer to be cured and respond well to bronchodilators like Salbutamol or nebulization, it is a hyperactive airways disease or Childhood Asthma. It is often confused with Allergic Bronchitis, Eosinophilia or Recurrent Pneumonia. At other times, for the fear of Asthma being taken as a social stigma, doctors hesitate to diagnose it and parents refuse to accept it as Childhood Asthma. Incidence of Childhood Asthma is 15-20% and falls to 3% as children progress to adulthood. Most of the kids outgrow it some at 2-3 years of age, and others by 8-12 years. It is because smaller kids have narrower airways which broaden as they grow. The risk is 40% in children with one of the parents affected, and rises to 70% in case of both. Childhood Asthma is not a single disease entity. Its a group of disorders ranging from mild to severe, and parents need to understand that it is quite different from asthma as seen and feared of, in adults. Kids well treated with anti-inflammatory alongwith inhaler therapy at the earliest, outgrow it faster and

completely. It is because their bodies do not make permanent antibodies for it, which is so in adults. There are many fallacies regarding inhalers in the society including doctors, which should be got over with. It is necessary to understand the nature and the course of the disease. Inhalers treat the target organ i.e the airways with 200-2000 times lesser dosage than what has to be administered orally or through injections. Would you prefer eye drops for your eye infection or a tablet for it? So the cure lies in beating in the bush than about it! Children spend majority of their time at home besides school, so the indoor pollutants are major culprits or triggers to their Asthma. Mopping their room 3-4 times a day keeps it off dust. (Triggers box) Exercise and Sports - the best recreation Dr. Anuj Rastogi There isnt a more enlivening an experience as a 5-minute daily morning deep breathing exercise drill, followed by a 30-minute workout to enlighten your spirits. Exercise if planned well and preceded by a proper warm up is as enriching as reading a spiritual non-fiction that transcends you beyond all the mundane. Moreover, it boosts the level of self-confidence and helps in amelioration of his personality, what can never be achieved by preaching or counselling either. There are 44,640 minutes in a month. And parents often say kids find no time to exercise or play sports besides his school and regular tutorials. A child spends an hour for getting ready for school, 6 hours i.e 360 minutes of a day at school, 2 hours i.e. 120 minutes at tuitions, 1 hours i.e 90 min for meals, an hour i.e 60 min of watching TV and 7 hours i.e 420 min for sleep that sums upto 1110 min/day, and 34,410 minutes a month. That means that 10,230 min or 426.25 hours in a month, accounting to 5 hours in day are under-utilised or misspent by kids. If a child begins the 35 minutes exercise schedule, as already talked about, in the early hours of the morning and an hours sport of his interest with a trained coach whose able guidance would enhance development of a perfect skill as the child begins to learn the intricacies of the game and step each day closer towards being a Superhero he has always dreamt of! Cricket is not about a bat hitting a ball or a ball hitting the wickets. Theres so much to itthe field, the pitch, the strokes and even more! An hour of game with the coach is more productive and fruitful than 4-5 hours of wasteful playing on the street. Not having time is a mere mental block. Each problem you encounter is not a roadblock on the path to success, but a new challenge God puts forth to transform us into better human beings each day. Many a time, families dont even realize how much of time they lost, and what infinite their child could have achieved his talents were explored and worked on. Parents who feel their kids not living upto their expectations must jot down all what they dislike on a piece of paper, help their child firmly follow the time table they redesign for him, and observe the difference exactly 3 months from the date they began. They will certainly find a remarkable change. Not only does a child gain self-esteem but this is the best way to channelise his creative energies, streamline his efforts, improve his behaviour, ultimately nourishing his inner being towards health and of course, a good appetite, better than any liver tonic!!

Unleash your childs Creativity What gives ultimate pleasure in life to your child? Is it a mouth-watering delicious meal or a wardrobe of the best clothes you child has ever seen? But neither can he eat unlimited nor can clothes be bought countless. Therefore, these joys are materialistic and quite short-lived. It is the innovation, the unique ingenious in a child that gives expression to his soul, his inner self. Every child however ordinary, could be groomed extra-ordinary, by exploring his talents and interests by exposing him to 7-8 modalities of learning skills like instrumental or vocal music, dance and drama, art and painting, cookery, dressing and garnishing, pottery and craftsmanship, and many more. Skills, once developed, are treasured assets for a lifetime. A child is fortunate if his parents begin to understand the extreme importance of bringing out the imaginative and the creative being of a child. Often heard of, Dont think of silly things and waste your time. Concentrate on your studies. Parents tend to give all importance to academics at the cost of their little ones creativity. They forget that only happy minds are healthy minds. And all happiness lies in how enriched and nourished a mind is! They constantly nag their children with the pressure of their expectations and aspirations, exuding negativity all over, and ultimately gaining nothing neither their childs love, confidence and talent, nor his good scores. It is essential for parents to think beyond exams, and help their child to conquer horizons. There are so many brilliant ones who never received an opportunity, only for their parents rigidity and ignorance. The future commercial perspective of the skill and the expenditure involved, should never be thought of. His tutorial sessions are a small invest to a massive harvest. The magnanimity of success depends on how small you can make big. Maestros like Zakir Hussain, Pandit Ravi Shankar and MF Hussain were not born artists. Their parents could never ever dream of what they could do, but been given opportunities right from childhood, they are as we see them today, on the pinnacles of success a word which falls short of describing their stature. Therefore, if a child is made to learn an instrument from a trained teacher, he not only learns to play it, but it enhances his concentration, improves his memory span, his precision and fine motor skills, in turn exalting whole lot of his confidence multifold. Its a brainstorming exercise to him. He never gets bored, cause he has his best pastime with him, a skill he can always bank on, he could perform at school, in college, and moreover, a vocational alternative to livelihood. For the early years, parents must develop a self-appreciative module for their child, like a star system in which he marks a star for all the good learns and how better he is each moment. The re-inforcement would aid his growth into a more and more refined and elegant personality through each day. And at the end of the day, he knows what exquisite he possesses. With a good social image, he tries harder to keep up to it, even studies harder and scores better. You have a child with a magnetic persona, a child people wish to meet, a child you can always be proud of!!