Paediatrician

7 Parenting Tips by Your Paediatrician

Yes, it takes an army to raise a healthy child but the captain has to be your paediatrician. Our go-to sources of parenting are mostly— friends, relatives and the internet who may not always be reliable. So we asked Dr. Naved Akhter, a paediatrician at the Smart Hospital, Ghaziabad to share his nuggets of wisdom on maintaining a child’s health.

 

There’s no one rulebook on bringing up a healthy baby but you can never go wrong if you go by the doctor. Here are 7 Parenting tips by your Paediatrician on raising a healthy baby and ensuring a smooth sailing of your parenting journey.

1.    Stop Seeking Medical Advice on the Internet

You as new parents may frequently freak out while you observe certain symptoms in your child and instinctively land on google for immediate diagnosis. While there may be a few sites that offer credible solutions but it is still impossible to diagnose and treat your child on the internet, fact, it can do the opposite.  So save yourself from unnecessary panic attacks and consult your doctor whenever in need.

2.    Stop Asking for Antibiotics

We know that you want the best for your child and want them as fit as a fiddle the soonest.  However, antibiotics may not always be the answer to every health issue. Like Dr. Naved says “ there are times when prescribing antibiotics is absolutely necessary, like bacterial infections, but mild cough & cold, just need some time to heal.” Thus, stop requesting antibiotics even when the doctor doesn’t prescribe them.

3.    Say Yes to Vaccinations

Ironically, just as some parents ask for antibiotics, others get terrified by the name of vaccinations. We believe the Covid Pandemic was more than enough to burst your myths against vaccinations. Parents are still scared to inoculate kids with too many vaccinations at the same time, while some solid research studies suggest the opposite.

Paediatric Vaccinations are normally scheduled in certain combinations to offer life-long medical immunity to your child. So, never skip them.

4.    Be Strict About Screen Time

Let’s face it, screen time is an indispensable part of our lifestyle.  Even adults are having a hard time restricting their screen time, let alone children. However, as parents you need to be strict about this one thing, refrain from granting unlimited screen time to your toddler(s). Life is about having meaningful interactions with other human beings, so let them make friends, and strengthen relationships with elders instead of watching videos and playing virtual games.

5.    Stop Blaming Your Child’s Flu on the Weather (Always)

Yes, the human body is more prone to viral flu during dry and cold weather but your child didn’t catch a cold by walking in the park jacket-less for 5 minutes.  Viral illnesses like cold can come from the spread of germs by touching various contaminated surfaces.

6.    Stop Skipping Monthly Doctor Visits

Due to our vacuum tight schedules, we may consider regular doctor visits as ‘non-essential’. But this is where we need to remind ourselves that ‘prevention is better than cure.  Taking up regular appointments will only prevent us from catching severe diseases.

7.    Don’t Stress (Too Much) about your Child’s Health

Parents often panic when babies develop a fever or cold. It’s good to inform your doctor about every minute symptom, however, one need not panic because the human body is always prone to diseases and catching a fever is sometimes how the body regulates its temperature.

 

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