Parentune.com : SPELL 'A' SAURUS SUMMER CAMP In Delhi NCR

SPELL 'A' SAURUS SUMMER CAMP I Age Group: 6 to 14 Date: 26-May-2014 to 06-Jun-2014 Timings: 09:30 AM - 12:30 AM Address: Sec 10, Dwarka, 110075, Behind Indrapratha School. Delhi NCR About the event: The camp offers your kids to not only sharpen their skills but also an opportunity to thrive in a self learning environment. From workshops to dance classes we are making learning fun!!

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Parentune : All you wanted to know about Hepatitis

Hepatitis is an ancient Greek word that literally means ‘liver inflammation.’ In lay man’s language we know it as jaundice—a condition that is the outcome of Hepatitis C infection. Virus, alcohol, toxins, infections, obesity and autoimmune process are some cases that may cause the damage to the liver that leads to inflamed liver cells.

However, in children the major reason for Hepatitis is the virus. The five main hepatitis viruses are A, B, C, D and E. Of these, the most common are Hepatitis A, B and C. Hepatitis should be taken seriously because it directly affects liver. The infection causes severe illness which may cause liver cirrhosis, cancer and in extreme cases even death.
Importance of Liver

The liver is the largest gland and largest internal organ of our body. It consists of numerous lobules, each of them having many hepatic cells. These hepatic cells are the basic metabolic cells of the liver and assist in its functioning. The liver functions include:

• Digestion: Liver produces bile that help in digesting important nutrients including fats, protein, and minerals.
• Metabolism: The liver metabolizes the carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins into biologically useful materials to be absorbed by the cells.
• Detoxification: The liver detoxifies the blood and removes toxins from it before it reaches the body parts.
• Storage: Liver is the storage house of many essential nutrients, vitamins like A, D, E, K, and B12, minerals like iron and copper, and fatty acids. It also converts glucose into glycogen to store it.
• Production: The liver produces prothrombin, fibrinogen and albumins - vital protein components of blood plasma that helps in clot formation of blood cells and in maintaining the water level in the cells.
• Immunity: Liver functions to provide immunity to the system. It captures and digests fungi, parasites, bacteria, worn out blood cells and cellular debris.

Any damage to liver obstructs the proper functioning of human body.

Causes of Hepatitis in Children

Viral infection is the most common cause of hepatitis in children. Children are more prone to Hepatitis A and E infections. It is caused by the ingestion of contaminated food or drinks. It also spreads by close contact with the infected person.
Hepatitis B, C and D are caused by the contact with the infected body fluids, through either blood transfusion, infected syringes, contaminated medical equipment, contact with infected person or from infected mother to infant during childbirth.
Symptoms of Hepatitis

All types of viral hepatitis, whether it is A, B, C, D or E shows similar symptoms and can be diagnosed easily through physical examination by physicians and simple blood test. Jaundice (yellowing of eyes and skin), dark urine, grey-coloured stool, fever, extreme fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, joint and abdominal pain are the common symptoms of viral hepatitis.
Treatment

Once diagnosed, Hepatitis should be treated immediately and with utmost care. No medication is available for Hepatitis virus. It is mostly treated through supportive treatment. Patients should be given boiled foods that are easy to digest. It is advisable to avoid spices and oils and take ample rest. Encourage the patient to drink lots of water, juices, lemon water with sugar, citrus fruits, and fresh homemade soups but avoid aerated drinks. Avoid contacts with persons especially with young kids, as it will infect others. Follow the doctor’s advice. It is very essential to regularly monitor the patient for signs of progressions of liver disease.
When a child is infected by Hepatitis C infection that manifests itself as jaundice, it is important to give the child lots of rest and healthy, simple food. It is advisable to give food that is light to digest and rich in nutrients such as mausambi juice, tender coconut juice, vegetable juice etc. gradually he can be moved to more substantial meals such as roti or rice. Also, as the body gets weak, let the child rest. For recreation, involve him in indoor games such as board games that will not tire him out either
Physician may administer antiviral drug if it is required.
Vaccination for Hepatitis

Prevention is always better than cure. Vaccinate your child against Hepatitis virus for your peace of mind.

Hepatitis A: Vaccination for Hepatitis A is recommended for every child above the age of one. To prevent the disease, even adults should get vaccinated. Two doses of vaccine are administered at a gap of 6 months.

Hepatitis B: All infants are given the vaccine at birth. However, even the older children and adults of all age can take it if it has not yet taken. Infants and children are given 3-4 doses over the period of 6-18 months depending upon the type of vaccine and schedule. Adults are given 3 doses over the period of 6 months.

Hepatitis C: There is no vaccine available for Hepatitis C.
Hepatitis can easily be prevented and it is better to get vaccinated and prevent the disease as there is no medicine available to cure it and it takes long to recover from the infection.

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Parentune : 12 ways to keep your child away from TV

With summer vacations on, keeping children away from the TV sets is not easy. They have their set of excuses—the weather is too hot to play outside, we are bored, what to do—for watching TV continuously for hours. But before your house becomes a battleground, we get you some strategies that will help you keep your child occupied and hence limit his TV watching.

1) Start the day early: Wake them early and take them outdoors while the sun is still bearable. Let them play on the swings, run around, get their hands dirty in the mud, or collect knick-knacks etc. This will tire them out and will get them to sleep through the hot afternoons. Evenings again can be planned on the terrace/balcony or at a friend’s house.

2) Set a timetable: Set a time table for your child. Look around for activities, classes, camps, sports coachings etc that she is interested in and get her enrolled. But do not force her. The time table should be relaxed and the child shouldn’t feel stressed out with it. Give them a choice on what they would like to do: try their hands at cooking or photography?

3) Keep them involved: Look for fun activities that will keep child engrossed. Paper machie, origami, clay, painting etc are some options. Get them board games, science kit sets or a large jigsaw that they can play with a friend or a sibling.

4) Plan an activity a day: Think of age appropriate activities for children and allot them according to days. One can be a room cleaning day, garden tending day, taking care of the pet day, cooking for family day. Start on the chore yourself and have them pitch in. Even three days a week will suffice.

5) Organize play dates: Organize play dates for children in the afternoon when they can’t go out. Have a themed play date, a fancy dress play date, a story telling session, or organize games for them such as making a tent out of an old bedsheet (tie it around furniture legs) and let them imagine it to be an army camp!

6) Let them enjoy: If she likes playing with water, set up a splash pool for her; if mud is what they like, let them get their hands and clothes dirty. Let the children have fun. These activities will keep the children busy for hours. Take necessary safety measures though such as keeping the pool in a shaded area or a bathroom.

7) Restrict family TV: It is not fair on the child that the mother or grandmother is watching TV while he is not allowed to. Communicate to the whole family that TV watching has to be controlled in the house. Be firm about it. And no meals in front of the TV. Let children make an effort to get up and eat food when hungry.

8) Include more family time: Make a conscious effort to provide the child with more family time. Go out together to a friend’s house, sit down for a meal together, ask them to help you arrange the table for lunch, go on a walk together. She will definitely prefer this to TV.

9) Have them watch programs and not just TV: Limit the mind-numbing content of cartoons. Instead, sit down together to watch a documentary or short film that is of his interest such as something on animals, space, machines, medical science etc. Or exchange rhymes and educational CDs with friends. Make a treat of this sort of TV watching. Sit down with popcorns and a shake.

10) Loosen your grip: Don’t make it a battle. Let him watch TV for sometime—maybe an hour. Keep a clock next to the TV to remind him when the hour is over. Also, do not let TV run in the background. Switch it off when not needed or the child will be tempted.

11) Be available to the children: House chores and cleaning can wait. This is more serious issue. Make an attempt to participate yourself or at least start them off on an activity such as a board game or a puzzle etc. Children require company.

12) Talk to them: Explain to them without exaggeration or threats, the disadvantage of excessive TV watching and how it will isolate them. Keep the tone level and understanding.

These tips though may sound difficult, once applied will eventually help you keep the child away from TV. But remember, most importantly the initiation has to come from you, the parent. You will have to become your child’s company—after all isn’t that better than she finding a friend in the idiot-box.

About Parentune : Parentune empowers each parent to achieve more for their child & become a better parent, a true Proparent community, It’s a MUST visit & use site for every progressive parent looking to achieve more for his/her child.

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