CHILD` S EARLY AGE PROBLEMS
TEETHING- The development of the baby teeth starts long before he is born, and the calcium and phosphorous they need starts to be laid down in the fourth month of pregnancy, so his mother` s care of her diet is the best contribution she can make to healthy teeth in her baby.
Even before the teeth appear, we can avoid future decay by seeing that the baby does not develop a sweet tooth.
Remember that too much sugar is lethal to teeth as well as bad for general health, and that food preferences begin very early.
So if you over-sweeten every thing for your baby in the mistaken belief that this will make his food more palatable, he will develop a liking for sweet foods and you are laying up trouble for the future. Allowing a baby to chew on a teething ring even before he has any teeth will be good for the development of his jaw and is some thing he enjoys. When he does have some teeth, continue to avoid over-sugared foods and be particularly wary of letting him suck syrupy products as a pacifier.
EYES SQUINT TROUBLE- Young babies often look cross-eyed because they have not yet learnt to co-ordinate eye movements. How ever if this tendency continues after the age of three months you should have your baby` s eyes checked. In some cases no treatment will be needed, but in others it is essential to prevent the squinting eye ceasing to function.
Treatment can vary a pad may be placed over the good eye, glasses prescribed or the squint can be corrected by surgery. Ideally routine tests should start when the child is about two and half years old and be repeated at early intervals, but if you have a suspicion that he does not see perfectly, or if another member of the family has problems, you should certainly make a point of checking on eyesight.
WHY DOES HE STARTLE? Before birth your baby was floating in a warm dark world, protected from sudden movements and loud noises. The rhythmic beating of his mother` s heart was a continuous background sound. Suddenly after birth he came into a bright, harsh light and into a world of clatters, bangs and booming voices.
He was handled, bathed, moved about. No wonder that he seems most contented when he is held firmly and closely with back and head well supported. No wonder that if he is held insecurely or he hears a sudden loud sound, he jumps throwing his arms outwards.
These startle reflexes as they are called are universal in normal babies and until recently they were regarded as practically the only ways in which a baby reacts to his environment. You can also avoid sudden movements and sudden loud noises for his comfort.
