World Autism Awareness Day

What is Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD)?

Autism is a complex developmental disorder affecting social, language and behavioral skills. It usually appears in the first 3 years of life.

Symptoms of Autism

The symptom visibility ranges from medium to severe. Early signs of autism in children include:

  1. Unusual Visual Fixation
  2. Abnormal repetitive behavior
  3. Lack of age appropriate sound development
  4. Delayed intentional communication
  5. Decreased interest in interaction

Here’s a brief description of early signs in infants –

autism-final

People with ASD also have aspects of other conditions, such as:

  1. A learning disability.
  2. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
  3. Tourette’s syndrome or other tic disorders.
  4. Epilepsy.
  5. Dyspraxia.
  6. Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
  7. Generalised anxiety disorder.
  8. Depression.

Autism has emerged as the leading cause of child mortality worldwide. Currently 10 million children are Autistic and 6 children out of every 1000 have Autism in India. Also 1 to 1.5 per cent autistic children are between age two and nine in India. The prevalence rate of autism in India is 1 in 250. Autism accounts for higher incidences in males: One in 4,000 boys to one in 6,000 girls. Up to 20 per cent of boys with autism have the condition. Till date Autism has no cure, and there is an increase in number of cases year on year.

Cord Blood Stem Cells offer the ray of hope

Infusion of umbilical cord blood stem cells can stimulate repair of nervous system to improve language and behavior skills. FDA Approved Phase I Clinical Trial at Duke University, US involves infusing patients diagnosed with Autistic Spectrum Disorder with their own cord blood stem cells. 25 children of age 2-4 years have already been successfully treated using their own cord blood stem cells

Autism

5 DIY Ideas To Decorate Your Baby’s Room

Looking for DIY craft ideas to personalize your baby’s room? Look no further, we have a pool of ideas to help you!

  1. Graphic Wall Decals

Make your own wall decals with fabric, a pair of scissors and spray starch. Cut the fabric into whatever shapes you want, and attach them to the walls using the spray as an adhesive — don’t freak out about that fresh paint job; they’re easy to remove! From Positively Splendid

Picture3Photo courtesy: Positively Splendid 

  1. Picture Frames

This one’s easy and the most personalized idea, we swear. Pick up some picture frames at a craft store and put your favorite artwork, drawings or family photos inside them. Arrange them in a big cluster on one of your baby room walls — they’ll create a sophisticated yet cute look you can switch up as baby’s tastes change and add new photos.

jjPhoto: Baby Room Ideas 

  1. Homemade Mobile

Yep, you can even DIY baby’s mobile. All you need is a wooden hoop, wooden stars or cardboard stars (you can pick these up at the craft store), paint, some ribbon and a key ring. Paint the stars, attach strips of ribbon to the key ring and glue them to the wooden hoop, glue the stars to the ribbon, and hang. From LoveLifeBaby.Blogspot.com

Picture5Photo: lovebabylife.blogspot.com 

  1. Alphabet Wall Art

Make a cute ABC display. Head to the craft store (again) for some assorted sizes of wooden letters and paint them in different colors and designs. Then put them up on baby’s wall in lines. From Jessica-Kindergartenteacher.blogspot.com                 

Picture2

Picture4Photo: Jessica-kindergartenteacher.blogspot.com

  1. Swatch Portraits

To make these fabric circles, you need embroidery hoops, fabric, scissors and Elmer’s glue. Place the fabric in the embroidery hoop and glue it along the edge. Then hang the hoops on the wall. Super easy! From Aedriel’s Originals

Picture1Photo: Aedriel Originals

 

What To Pack For Delivery

On the day of your delivery, you have no time to think about what to carry along & the pre-requisites to be packed in the middle of all the excited hustle bustle!

Here’s a compact checklist to your rescue! Keep these items in your bag and you are sorted for your big day!

blog (1) (1)

Nurture Your New Born

You’ve experienced 9 months of pregnancy, made it through the excitement of labour and delivery and now you’re ready to embark upon a new life with your little sweetheart. You bring your little bundle of joy home and finally get some peaceful time with your baby and only one thought crosses your mind – “You are my new world from now on, I will do anything and everything to take care of you!”.

Taking care of your newborn is one of the most special and rewarding experiences of your life. You may initially feel anxious about what to do in order to give your child constant attention and care.

There is so much information to take in when you become a parent. Sometimes when we look at the bigger picture of family planning, we miss out on small and simple things that a newborn would need from a parent.

Here are some tips that will help first-time parents feel confident about caring for a new-born in no time.

  • Feeding your baby

You will have to feed your baby at least 8 to 12 times per day during the initial weeks. You may want to wake your baby if he/she has not been fed for more than 4 hours. In the beginning, mothers may want to try feeding 10-15 minutes on each breast and then adjust the time as needed. Breastfeeding should be ‘on demand’ (when your baby is hungry), which is generally every 1-3 hours. The right time to feed your baby milk and solid foods is when he/she is sitting upright and can hold his/her head up straight

Picture3

  • Baby skin care

The skin of your newborn is very sensitive and is prone to rashes. Don’t panic if you see red rashes on your baby’s body in the first few months.  Keep your baby’s skin hydrated by bathing in warm water for only three to five minutes.

Avoid letting your baby sit or play or soak for long in soapy water. Apply baby lotion or moisturizer immediately after bath while the skin is still wet, and then pat dry instead of rubbing.

  • Picture4Baby’s Learning Process

Babies in this age spend more time awake and become more curious about their parents and about objects that they see. They have a special skill called imagination!

Design the nursery full of colours with lots of space to give them an outlet to express their creativity. Give them a room that has alphabets, games, toys and plain canvas space so that they can channelize their imagination and discover themselves. A child’s imagination runs wild, and parents must encourage them to express it!

Picture5

  • Getting Dads Involved

Dads, grab the chance to bond with your little bunny. A newborn gets used to being soothed by the mother when they are sulking. If Dads take the responsibility to rock their babies to sleep and soothe their tears, they will start bonding with their babies in no time!

Besides pacifying your baby, you can also be the fun parent. Get involved with the baby by playing games and teaching them how to walk. Let your baby come closer to you with these fond gestures.

Picture2

  •  Baby Sleep

It takes a few months for your little one to adjust to his/her sleeping cycles. Give them some time to understand the difference between dawn and sunset.

When the baby is awake during the day, interact and play with him/her as much as you can. Keep the house and his room light and bright. At night keep the lights and noise level low, and don’t spend too much time talking to him/her.  An infant’s sleep pattern settles down between the 3-6 months’ mark.

Picture6