MD
Dr. Charu Kalra has over 12 years of experience as a pediatrician, having worked in both government and private establishments in Delhi. Her areas of interest include new-born critical care, sick patient management, allergy, and asthma. She also offers services as a pediatric nutritionist and a lactation consultant. Holding a certification in lactation, Dr. Kalra provides counselling to new parents on lactation, nutrition, weaning, and growth and developmental of the baby.
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Worms in children are more common than in other age groups. These worms are also known as soil-transmitted helminth (STH) since they are transmitted through soil. Roundworms, whipworms, and hookworms are different species of parasitic worms (1). When left untreated, STH infections can cause complications such as malnutrition and [simple_tooltip text="intestinal obstruction" tooltip="A gastrointestinal condition where the normal movement of contents through the intestine is blocked" ] in children. If your child has just started school or is often found playing in soil, you must know how to identify and prevent these infections. Read on as MomJunction tells you about the causes, effects, and treatment options of worm infections in children. [mj-toc] How Do Children Get Worms? There are several ways through which children can get the infection by these worms, the common ones being poor personal hygiene and unclean surroundings. Here are the other ways in which your child is likely to catch the infection. Adult worms live in...
Occasional gastroesophageal reflux or GERD in children is normal, and it usually resolves after eliminating certain dietary factors. This is also called acid reflux, and it causes involuntary backflow of stomach acid into the food pipe (esophagus). However, frequent GERD requires medical evaluation to identify the cause. If left unmanaged, it may cause complications such as changes in the esophageal cells. Read on to know the causes, symptoms, dietary modifications, and natural remedies for acid reflux in children and signs to seek medical care. [mj-toc] Acid Reflux Symptoms In Children The classic symptoms of acid reflux in children include: Nausea and frequent [simple_tooltip text="regurgitation" tooltip="The voluntary or involuntary return of swallowed food back to the mouth from the stomach." ] and vomiting almost immediately after eating something Regular heartburn, such as a burning and painful sensation in the chest, behind the breastbone, and a burning sensation in the middle of the stomach (in children 12 years and up). Younger kids...
Impetigo is a bacterial skin infection in children. It is common between the ages of two and five (1). It is important to treat and control impetigo in children since it is highly contagious and causes extreme discomfort. Some may get blisters around the skin that could cause pain. Read on to know more about impetigo, its causes, treatment, and preventive measures in this post. [mj-toc] What Is Impetigo? [caption id="attachment_887881" align="alignnone" width="720"] Image: Shutterstock[/caption] Impetigo, also called school sores, is a contagious bacterial skin infection that is prevalent around the world. The infection attacks the superficial epidermis or the topmost layer of the skin on the mouth, nose, hands, trunk, around the diaper area, and legs. It can sometimes spread to the skin under the nails or between skin folds. The infection is contagious and spreads when someone comes in contact with open sores, or liquid or pus that oozes from the blisters, or articles infected with bacteria, or...
Cerelac baby food is a popular instant cereal produced by Nestle. It is developed for various age groups depending on the nutritional needs of that particular age group. However, the manufacturer advises that Cerelac must be used for babies above six months of age when the mother’s milk alone is not enough to provide the necessary nutrition for the growth and development of the child. When introduced initially, Cerelac must be used by mixing it in breastmilk or formula milk. Read this post to know more about the different types, advantages, drawbacks of Cerelac, and recipes to make Cerelac at home for babies. [mj-toc] Types of Cerelac Cerelac comes in a wide range of instant cereals for babies, and are marketed as different Cerelac stages. These are formulated based on the age of the baby: Stage 1 (six months onwards): Formulated for babies who are six months old, it is available in three basic variants - Cerelac Wheat, Rice, and...
[mj-toc] Probiotics have gained attention and popularity in recent decades due to scientific evidence indicating their positive effects on human health (1). They have been found to be useful for adults in maintaining gut health, which has encouraged some parents to use probiotics for kids too. But are they of any use to children? In this post, MomJunction tells you if probiotics are required for children, how they can be useful, and the various food sources of probiotics. What Are Probiotics? The good bacteria or yeast that we need to maintain good health especially gut health are known as probiotics. The human gut has millions of microorganisms. Probiotics are nonpathogenic, gut microorganisms that live in a symbiotic relationship with humans for mutual well-being (2). The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO) have originally defined probiotics as “live strains of strictly selected microorganisms which when consumed in adequate amounts provide health benefits to...
