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child rights in india

February 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment

 Introduction:

India is a party to the UN declaration on the Rights of the Child 1959. Accordingly, it adopted a National Policy on Children in 1974. The policy reaffirmed the constitutional provisions for adequate services to children, both before and after birth and through the period of growth to ensure their full physical, mental and social development.

Accordingly, the government is taking action to review the national and state legislation and bring it in line with the provisions of the Convention. It has also developed appropriate monitoring procedures to assess progress in implementing the Convention-involving various stake holders in the society.
India is also a signatory to the World Declaration on the Survival, Protection and Development of Children. In pursuance of the commitment made at the World Summit, the Department of Women and Child Development under the Ministry of Human Resource Development has formulated a National Plan of Action for Children. Most of the recommendations of the World Summit Action Plan are reflected in India’s National Plan of Action- keeping in mind the needs, rights and aspirations of 300 million children in the country.

The priority areas in the Plan are health, nutrition, education, water, sanitation and environment. The Plan gives special consideration to children in difficult circumstances and aims at providing a framework, for actualization of the objectives of the Convention in the Indian context.

As minors by law children do not have autonomy or the right to make decisions on their own for themselves in any known jurisdiction of the world. Instead their adult caregivers, including parents, social workers, teachers, youth workers and others, are vested with that authority, depending on the circumstances. Some believe that this state of affairs gives children insufficient control over their own lives and causes them to be vulnerable.

Before we ponder upon the concept of the rights of the children, we need to know the definition of the term ‘child’ which The Convention of the Rights of the Child defines as persons below the age of 18 years, however different laws stipulate different cut-off ages to define a child. Only the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Act 2000 is in consonance with the Convention. In the absence of a clear definition of a child, it is left to various laws and interpretations. Children’s rights are defined in numerous ways, including a wide spectrum of civil, cultural, economic, social and political rights. Children’s rights are the human rights of children with particular attention to the rights of special protection and care afforded to the young, including their right to association with both biological parents, human identity as well as the basic needs for food, universal state-paid education, health care and criminal laws appropriate for the age and development of the child. (1) Interpretations of children’s rights range from allowing children the capacity for autonomous action to the enforcement of children being physically, mentally and emotionally free from abuse, though what constitutes “abuse” is a matter of debate. Other definitions include the rights to care and nurturing. (2)

Basic Rights of Children in India:

The right to Education and Cultural Development: 50% of Indian children aged 6-18 do not go to school; Dropout rates increase alarmingly in class III to V, its 50% for boys, 58% for girls. Every child has the right to development that lets the child explore her/his full potential. Unfavourable living conditions of underprivileged children prevent them from growing in a free and uninhibited way.

The right to Expression and Thought: Every child has a right to express himself freely in whichever way he likes. Majority of children however are exploited by their elders and not allowed to express.

The right to Information and Participation: Every child has a right to know his basic rights and his position in the society. High incidence of illiteracy and ignorance among the deprived and underprivileged children prevents them from having access to information about them and their society.

The right to Nutrition: More than 50% of India’s children are malnourished. While one in every five adolescent boys is malnourished, one in every two girls in India is undernourished.

The right to Health & Care: 58% of India’s children below the age of 2 years are not fully vaccinated. And 24% of these children do not receive any form of vaccination. Over 60% of children in India are anemic. 95 in every 1000 children born in India, do not see their fifth birthday. 70 in every 1000 children born in India, do not see their first birthday.

Right to protection from harm:

The right to protection from Abuse:  There are approximately 2 million child commercial sex workers between the age of 5 and 15 years and about 3.3 million between 15 and 18 years. They form 40% of the total population of commercial sex workers in India. 500,000 children are forced into this trade every year.

The right to protection from Exploitation:  17 million children in India work as per official estimates. A study found that children were sent to work by compulsion and not by choice, mostly by parents, but with recruiter playing a crucial role in influencing decision. When working outside the family, children put in an average of 21 hours of labour per week. Poor and bonded families often “sell” their children to contractors who promise lucrative jobs in the cities and the children end up being employed in brothels, hotels and domestic work. Many run away and find a life on the streets.

The right to protection from Neglect:   Every child has a right to lead a well protected and secure life away from neglect. However, children working under exploitative and inhuman conditions get neglected badly.

The right to Recreation: Every child has a right to spend some time on recreational pursuits like sports, entertainment and hobbies to explore and develop. Majority of poor children in India do not get time to spend on recreational activities.

The right to Name, Identity & Nationality: Every child has a right to identify himself with a nation. A vast majority of underprivileged children in India are treated like commodities and exported to other countries as labour or prostitutes.

The right to Survival: Of the 12 million girls born in India, 3 million do not see their fifteenth birthday, and a million of them are unable to survive even their first birthday. Every sixth girl child’s death is due to gender discrimination.

 Rights of the Children Guaranteed by the Indian Constitution and Statutes:

The Constitution of India guarantees all children certain rights, which have been specially included for them. These include:
1.         Right to free and compulsory elementary education for all children in the 6-14 years of age group            (Article 21-A).
2.         Right to be protected from any hazardous employment till the age of 14 years (Article 24).
3.         Right to be protected from being abused and forced by economic necessity to enter occupations           unsuited to their age or strength (Article 39(e)).
4.         Right to equal opportunities and facilities to develop in a healthy manner and in conditions of freedom and dignity and guaranteed protection of childhood and youth against exploitation and against moral and material abandonment (Article 39 (f)).

Besides these they also have rights as equal citizens of India, just as any other adult male or female:

Right to equality (Article 14).
Right against discrimination (Article 15).
Right to personal liberty and due process of law (Article 21).
Right to being protected from being trafficked and forced into bonded labour (Article 23).
Right of weaker sections of the people to be protected from social injustice and all forms of exploitation (Article 46).

Despite Constitutional guarantees of opportunity and civil rights, millions of children face wide-spread deprivation and discrimination. The Constitution of India provides a comprehensive understanding of child rights. A fairly comprehensive legal regime exists for their implementation. India is also a signatory to several international legal instruments including the Convention of the Rights of the Child (CRC). However, the government seems to be more comfortable with the idea of well-being rather than rights (with its political overtones). Needless to say, ours is not the only government to do so. The Union Government’s ideology resonates with the watering down of the rights based framework in the recent UN Special Session on Children which failed to reaffirm international pledges made in 1990 to protect the rights of children.

That our laws are not child friendly or child oriented is also evident in the distinction family laws make between legitimate and illegitimate children depending on the status of their parents’ marriage or relationship. A child born out of wedlock or of a void or illegal marriage is considered ‘illegitimate’. Children pay for the decisions taken by the parents and are denied inheritance rights. Even worse, a child born of rape is stigmatized and treated as ‘illegitimate’, both by society and law.

Recognizing the flaws of the 1986 Juvenile Justice Act, the government passed the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Act, 2000. But the knee jerk reaction in amending the law without a wider discussion and consultation with child rights practitioners has left many who are concerned with children and work with them deeply distressed. In 2003 the government drafted amendments

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When to add solids into infant formulas

February 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment

 

The energy and nutrient needs of the newborn to six month old infant are well met by breast milk. By age six months, the infant needs an additional source of carbohydrates and more vitamins A and C is provided in a milk-based diet alone.

Developmentally, the six month Old is ready to sit upright with support, observe a spoon with food coming towards its mouth, open it when ready for the food and move the food from the spoon to swallow. The six month old is also able to communicate its rejection of the food. The digestive system is matured enough to handle new foods. The younger infant is not developmentally able to do these things and is therefore not ready to be fed solid foods.

The first solid food introduced is usually iron-fortified infant rice cereal mixed with breast milk or formula. Very few people are allergic to rice and it is easily digested, so it makes an excellent choice for a first food. Barley cereal and a few teaspoons of breast milk of formula. This is a new experience and it may take a few feeding before baby is ready for a quantity of cereal.

Feed the baby in an upright position. Use rolled up towels or receiving blankets in a high chair if the infant needs additional support. Or have one adult hold the infant while another offers the food to baby. Do not try to feed the baby in a semi reclined position such as an infant carrier or care seat. it is very difficult for it to swallow while reclining and difficult to see the spoon as it comes towards its mouth. It is important that the infant be able to see the spoon coming towards its mouth so that it can open its mouth in anticipation. DO not force the spoon between closed lips as this turns feeding into an unpleasant experience and can cause many feeding problems later. Use an infant size spoon. Many babies prefer a plastic or rubber coated spoon- cold metal can be an unpleasant experience.

The baby who is developmentally ready for solids will learn to eagerly anticipate the full spoon coming towards its mouth and will be open and ready by the time it gets there. A baby who is reluctant to open and fusses and complains when the parent tries feeding for the first time may not be ready- wait a few days and then offer the food again.

Do not put infant cereal or any other solid into a bottle or infant feeder. It will interfere with the child’s natural ability to obtain the appropriate amount of energy from the milk feed. it is simply force feeding and inappropriate.

Once the infant is developmentally ready for solids, the parents need to be ready to change quickly. Infants are capable of very fast and rapid transitions from one ability to the next during the next few months. Parents need to be ready for those changes. Trying to stick to any set routine in this stages, or trying to keep the child from progressing from one stage to another, because the parent is not ready can have detrimental results for the growing child, and its transition to mature eating patterns. Allow the child to take the lead as this chewing and swallowing ability progresses. Learn to understand the child’s non-verbal communications and relax.

After the child has done well with infant cereal for several weeks, pureed or stained fruits or vegetables may be added to the diet. Experts do not agree on whether to add fruits first of vegetables first, and it probably does not matter, But ladies do have an innate preference for a sweet potatoes. purchased infant foods or those made at home may be used. A baby does not need added sugar or salt. If home prepared foods are used, careful sanitation practices should be observed. Wait three to five days between each new food offered to make sure that there is no problem with a food allergy.

Watch baby’s jaw as he is offered foods. When an up and down munching motion begins to be apparent, pureed meats, beans cooked egg yolk, tofu, cottage cheese and plain yogurt may be added to the diet.

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Dos and Don’ts in Dealing with Toddler Tantrums

February 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Young children often are easily upset by minor circumstances. Perhaps they break a toy, or can’t watch their favorite program, or have to leave the playground before they’re ready. These and other everyday situations can give rise to sadness, whining, and crying. Dealing with toddler tantrums is sometimes easier said than done. Tantrums not only affect your child, they affect you as well. You may feel exhausted, exasperated, and at a loss as to how to handle them. Take a deep breath and know that they really will grow out of this stage. Looking at the maturity that you have as compared to your toddler you need to play a very active role in coping up with toddler tantrums.Here are some very essential dos and don’ts in dealing with toddler tantrums. The first thing you require to cope up with toddler tantrums is to know the reason behind toddler’s tantrums. The reason will help you avoid repetition of such situation again. Sleep and hunger are the main culprit for toddler’s tantrums. Make sure that you provide enough for food for toddler’s belly and allow sufficient sleep so that chances of tantrums due to these factors are the least. With that being said, we are not always going to be perfect parents. Maybe your toddler is tantruming and you had a bad night’s sleep or you are fighting a cold. You might feel like you are at your breaking point. This is the time to really fall on your objective reasoning. While the child is giving vent to his emotions, ensure that his physical safety isn’t compromised. Remove all breakable objects and anything with hard or sharp edges from the vicinity of your toddler. Don’t move the child himself as he is likely to resist and cause injury to you both. Do keep your cool while toddler throws tantrums. This will show the toddler how one has to behave in stressful situation.Do take no notice of people staring at you in public. You should not have a feeling that people may be thinking you to be bad parent but that’s not true. This is very natural and everyone knows and have undergone through this situation while parenting. Don’t try to argue with your toddler when throwing tantrums. This will worsen the situation and your toddler may become more violet to prove his point. Distract the child with an activity that will take their mind off of what threw them into the tantrumTry to amuse your child, use funny songs and silly character voices. Do not take their tantrum seriously and they will tend to lost interest in it rather quickly. Don’t give reward as a result of toddler’s tantrums. This will teach your toddler that throwing tantrum is the best way to have his demand gratified. Don’t reason, respond or offer compromises to deal with toddler tantrums. Screaming or scolding the child to be quiet will upset him even more and may actually set off another outburst. Reasoning is futile because the child is incapable of listening to reason when he’s in paroxysms of impotent rage. Do not punish your child, it is a very risky move when things are so emotional to begin with you could easily lose control.Pick your child up and move them to a safe spot, then hold your child tightly to keep them from injuring them self, and in most cases toddlers calm down when held. It is not easy to raise a child. As a parent, you have to take the bad behaviour with the good, but do your best to make them good human beings. Teach them the right way to act and the right behavior to carry out with patience.

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Daring to Care: Male Caregivers Fight Gender Discrimination

February 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment

 

 

Caregiving should be considered one of the most admirable professions out there. After all, caregivers are entrusted to care for loved ones who often in extreme pain from chronic illness. They are typically called upon to support families during incredibly difficult times. Caregivers frequently work long hours throughout both days and nights to ensure that their patients are as comfortable as possible. Few careers require such compassion, patience, energy, and poise in the face of tremendous responsibility. So how is it that caregiving is such an unrecognized and underappreciated profession – especially for male caregivers?

The problem may lie in the way that the profession is perceived by society in general, and by the medical community in particular. Historically, caregiving roles have (and in most ways continue to be) perceived as feminine. Because women bear the brunt of the world’s unpaid labor, providing subsistence for their families and caring for children, aging parents, and sick relatives, the vast majority of human cultures see caregiving as a distinctly gendered practice. To fly in the face of traditional caregiving roles is to risk being ostracized for breaking social taboos, something that stay-at-home dads, concerned sons caring for aging parents, and especially male nurses can tell us plenty about.

Gordon Rogers, an ER nurse for the past thirty years at University Hospital in Columbia, Missouri, explains how it took a long time for even his own mother to stop asking him when he was planning to become a doctor.

“It took her a while to get over the idea that no, I wasn’t going to ‘graduate up’ and become a doctor. That I was happy doing what I was doing.”

Rogers says it isn’t uncommon for his patients to make the same mistake, explaining that he frequently hears comments from patients who assume that his position as a male nurse is only a stepping stone. Many people find it hard to believe that he wouldn’t be using his male privilege to move on to a higher paid and better respected position as an MD.

Jerry Lucas of Male Nurse Magazine concurs:

“Our problem is that that’s the perception, this is a feminine thing, that you can’t be a nurse unless you’re feely-touchy.” Lucas feels, however, that popular perceptions about caregiving are slowly starting to change. “It’s not feely-touchy anymore. It’s taking care of patients the way you would take care of your family.”

But, with male nurses comprising as little as 5% of the nursing work force, discrimination is still something many male nurses deal with on a daily basis. Lucas recounts:

“I had a lady come in one night who was probably having a heart attack. In that setting we have a lot to do in a short amount of time. And we get her undressed so that we could hook her up to her monitors and everything – and then she requested that we turn our backs. I said ‘ma’am please get undressed so we can get you on this monitor’ because there were only two nurses there and we were both males. But until we turned our backs, this lady would not undress – even though she was dying of a heart attack!”

Lucas believes that the problem lies in society’s basic ideas about gender, particularly when it comes to intimate procedures like inserting a catheter or assisting in the delivery a baby.

Nigerian-born Sylva Emodi, who taught as associate professor of nursing at a California university, said that the discrimination he experienced while teaching labor and delivery in a California hospital disturbed him so much that he eventually got out of maternity care and pediatrics altogether.

“I remember going to a rotation at a local hospital. The head nurse made it difficult for me to be able to supervise students in labor and delivery, pediatrics and postpartum, I think, because I’m a guy. She’d say, ‘You are not a medical doctor, you cannot go into labor and delivery.’ After a while, I had had enough, so I went to the doctor directly and said, ‘I need to be here with the students. The students need to see what is going on.’ The doctor said, ‘Sure, help yourself. Come on in.’ “

While the head nurse eventually apologized for her behavior, Emodi says that he still experienced hostility from other faculty members. Finally, he became so fed up that he left both the university and hospital where he was teaching. Today, Emodi is supervisor of the Palo Alto VA Health System’s psychiatric unit in California and says that he’s glad he pursued a career in nursing, despite the discrimination that he experienced.

Still, many men feel intimidated to even enter the nursing profession. And Lucas adds that it’s not only men that feel hesitant to pursue caregiving careers.

Like schoolteachers, nurses are in high demand. Nurses and caregivers are rarely given the respect that they deserve, especially within the medical community, in large part because these roles are perceived to be feminine. As a result, few people are choosing these professions.

While some people suggest that a minority of male nurses are being pitted against female nurses who dominate the industry, in reality, male nurses who experience gender discrimination are actually just getting a taste of the same patriarchal oppression that their female counterparts experience on a daily basis. Any woman working in a profession perceived as socially-acceptable for women, such as being a nurse, caregiver, childcare provider or receptionist, is likely to receive worse treatment and less pay than she would in a male-dominated job that requires the same skills. While this situation seems bleak, the fact that men are entering the nursing profession means that they have the opportunity to use their male privilege to speak out against gender discrimination.

Nursing professor Susan Boughn, who teaches at the College of New Jersey School of Nursing in Ewing, studies why men and women choose nursing careers.

“If we had all nursing students concerned up front about their basic human labor rights and empowering not only themselves and their patients but also the profession, that’s a good place for students to be,” says Boughn. “I think if we had a long history of that, we would not be where we are today with the nursing shortage.”

However, many in the nursing and caregiving profession are beginning to empower themselves. Several male nurses throughout the U.S. and the U.K. have filed gender discrimination lawsuits in recent years – and won. In a landmark case, the U.K. Equal Opportunities Commission supported 29-year-old nurse Andrew Moyhing, who filed suit against a National Health Service hospital after the hospital required that Moyhing be accompanied by a female chaperone when performing intimate procedures on female patients. While the hospital claimed that the regulation was in place “as a safeguard against the generalised risk of assault upon a female patient and/or false accusations of assault against male nurses,” the Tribunal ruled that the regulation was based on an assumption that all men are sexual predators.

Jenny Watson, Chair of the Equal Opportunities Commission, said:

“The women and men who work so hard in our hospitals are professionals and deserve to be treated as such. This type of discrimination against men based on misconceptions about their behaviour does nothing to help ensure patient safety.” Watson also concluded:

“This case has wider implications. EOC research shows that over a quarter of boys in school are interested in caring work, yet only one in ten nurses is a man and only 1 in 50 childcare workers. This disconnect between levels of interest and the tiny numbers of men entering the caring professions won’t be closed until we challenge our assumptions about the type of jobs that modern men should do, and start enabling young men to make their own choices, free from outdated stereotypes.”

While we have a long way to go before we can put these stereotypes behind us, cases such as these demonstrate that some progress has been made. Within his first ten days in office, President Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, which guards against gender discrimination in the workplace. And in 2002, Johnson & Johnson launched a long-term campaign to promote the nursing profession, with male nurses factoring prominently in television ads that aired nationwide. Alluding to the courage required of many male nurses and caregivers dealing with gender discrimination, the campaign’s slogan was, “Dare to Care.”

 

 

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Construction Toys and Puzzles as Toddler Toys

February 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment

When considering construction toys or puzzles as options for toddler toys, most parents might give them a pass thinking that they might not be appropriate for their young toddler to play with. This thinking however is not entirely true. Yes, toddlers might not be able to reassemble parts to form the picture on the box, but they can definitely assemble the parts to form something. Construction toys and puzzles are great toddler toys and learning aids for your kids. They stimulate a child’s mental and motor skills encouraging problem solving, imaginative thinking etc.

Types of construction toddler toys

The best kind of construction toddler toy would be interlocking blocks. These blocks are large and fairly simple. They fit by a child simply shunting them together. These construction blocks can also be used to increase a child’s language and math capabilities. Language capabilities are increase by encouraging a child to speak about what he or she is building with the construction toddler toy and math capabilities can be increased by encouraging him to count the blocks etc.

Guidelines to picking up construction toddler toys

There are fairly simple rules that you need to follow while buying a construction toddler toy for your young one.

Make sure that the blocks are the interlocking type and not the fitting type. This is important as a toddlers motor skills are not yet fully developed. Once you see that your child can handle the interlocking toddler toys with ease you can shift to the fitting type.

Make sure that the blocks are large.

Remember that your toddler does not have the capability to copy and build something from scratch. Therefore while choosing a construction toddler toy for your little one it might be simpler to opt for something that already has a base construction to which a toddler can add on.

Puzzle toddler toys

Toddler puzzles are also a great way to encourage a toddler to think. They are also freely available at most toy stores. Like construction toddler toys, toddler puzzles also help develop motor, language and math skills. These puzzles generally have 2 to 4 pieces as part of the set and are made of durable materials like thick cardboard, wood and plastic. If you are looking for such puzzles you will find them at Smalltime Child. Smalltime Child has an interesting animal puzzle set called Baby Animal Pairs by Eeboo which will be perfect for your toddler.

Helpful tips for buying puzzle toddler toys

Ensure that the puzzle set has large pieces

If possible try and ensure that the base of the puzzle has pictures corresponding to the pieces of the puzzle. This makes it easier for the child to piece the puzzle together.

Puzzles made out of wood would be the best option as they make for durable toddler toys.

Try and pick up a puzzle set that has some sort of pegs on the pieces to facilitate easier handling for your toddler.

Smalltime Child offers a great selection of Toddler Toys. Toys for Toddlers are always a huge hit when you need to give a gift, so visit us online today for our entire selection of Toddler Toys.


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Avoid Caregiver Stress

February 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Would you be surprised to know that the biggest threat to your parent remaining at home is how well you manage your caregiver stress and mental health? You know it’s true that without the support that you provide each day that your parent could not continue to live at home. If you as your parent’s primary care provider can no long provide all the care you do right now, what would your parents’ options be?

Caring for a parent adds complexity to your life. You add another layer of tasks to your already busy life. The emotional impact of watching your parent change and struggle is very stressful. At times caregiving opens up old, negative family issues that you’ve been able to avoid. The combination of caregiver stress and mental health issues may result in depression. While caregiver stress does not always lead to depression you should know the symptoms and be vigilant.

Some typical symptoms of depression If you experience some of these symptoms for more than two weeks, you should discuss them with your doctor as they can be symptoms of depression.

· Low energy
· Sleeping disturbances, sleeping more than normal or less than normal for you, waking early, experiencing insomnia
· Change in your eating habits, loss of appetite or overeating for emotional comfort
· Not being interested in your daily activities and things you enjoy
· Feeling worthless and intensely self-critical
· Problems concentrating and making decisions

The demands of your role make it hard to find any time for yourself. It is vital to put your own care at the top of your priorities. Time away from your caregiving responsibilities needs to be scheduled on your calendar just like doctor appointments and family birthday parties. Taking a break from your responsibilities is one of the most important things you can do to prevent caregiver stress and mental health issues.

Planning ahead can make arranging reliable help a bit easier. Give yourself plenty of time to ask family and friends to fill in for you, hire a caregiver or organize a respite stay for your family member at a local senior care home.

To have time for yourself on a daily basis, consider having your family member enroll in an adult day program that gets him out of house during the day or hire a caregiver to come in and give you a break.

Other ways to manage caregiver stress and mental health challenges

· Get regular, preferably daily exercise. Even something as simple as a daily walk can support your health.

· Seek emotional support from a trusted person you
can confide in about your caregiving ups and down.

· Join a support group.

· Use outside resources to help care for your parent. Delegate activities that you don’t enjoy or struggle with and save your time and energy for activities that need your personal attention.

· Regularly remind yourself about your values and reasons for caring for your parent.

· Make time to spiritually nurture yourself in whatever way that is meaningful to you

· Speak your truth and ask for the help you need.

· Find ways each day to laugh.

Caregiver stress and mental health challenges will always be with us. Take the powerful position of being responsible for your own well being. You may have heard the self care metaphor that reminds you of the instructions you receive when taking an airplane flight. The flight attendant says “If oxygen is required during the flight, put on your own oxygen mask first and then assist other passengers.” To honor your commitment to your family member, you need to take care of yourself first by tackling caregiver stress and mental health challenges.

In the 90′s Stephen and Sandra Joyce moved back home to Ireland and began a 10 year care experience to help care for his parents. This inspired them to found EldercareABC.com. The site includes a team of specialists to serve those caring for an aging parent and offers a place where caregivers can be heard and contribute to their community. Stephen Joyce EldercareABC, Inc. EldercareABC Blog EldercareABC, Inc.


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Strawberry Hemangioma on Infants and Children – What Can You Do About Them?

February 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Strawberry hemangiomas on infants and younger children are quite common and most often are not anything to worry about unless they impair the vision. Medical treatment for strawberry hemangiomas on infants usually is not required and more often than not will do more harm than good. Unless the hemangioma is too large or is located in a position that could cause other complications, you may want to consider treatment. I would recommend that if you have questions or concerns regarding strawberry hemangiomas on infants, you should talk to a medical professional.

Strawberry hemangiomas on infants is the term usually associated with a red birthmark that are often found on infants and young children. Boston’s Children’s Hospital has estimated that between four to ten percent of light-skinned babies will be born with or develop a strawberry hemangiomas. They are found on newborn girls more often than on boys; by a rate of four to five times higher. No medical reason for this has ever been discovered. Strawberry hemangiomas on infants is usually characterized by a growth of hardened blood vessels usually found just below the skin and can appear anywhere on the body. No definitive cause for strawberry hemangiomas on infants has been discovered as yet and there are no controllable risk factors that will increase or decrease the odds of developing one.

In most instances strawberry hemangiomas on infants will look worse than it actually is, normally there is nothing to worry about. They normally don’t cause any pain or functional impairments. The Mayo Clinic states that most strawberry hemangiomas on infants will shrink and fade over time. It is estimated that ninety percent of strawberry hemangiomas will be totally gone before the age of ten. It is very rare that a hemangioma will be located in an area that will impair the vision or any other physical functions. If that is the case a physician should decide what the treatment, if any should be.

For the most part, strawberry hemangiomas on infants will be harmless, but in certain cases there will be impairment issues for your child and there are a few treatment options. Laser surgery is probably the most frequently used treatment option. It can be used to completely remove the hemangioma or it can stunt its growth. This treatment is not used in instances where there are no functional impairment issues as the side effects of laser surgery can be severe. They can include infection, scarring around the area, and severe pain for your child.

Corticosteroids, the second medical treatment option, may be injected directly into the hemangioma or they may be taken orally. As with the first option, laser surgery, corticosteroids come with some risks as well. These risks can be severe growth problems which are related to steroid use in an infant and also include hypertension, also related to steroid use. Similar to laser surgery, steroid treatments are not used for strawberry hemangiomas on infants that do not cause problems because this treatment comes with risks to your child. Some of the new and developing treatments for strawberry hemangiomas on infants involve the use of beta blockers and rarely embloization.

Strawberry hemangiomas on infants are quite common and unless they cause other complications, they are nothing to be concerned about. Rarely is there any treatment required, and will more than likely cause more harm than good. Occasionally the location of the hemangioma may cause complications and need to be treated. If you ever have any cause or concerns about strawberry hemangiomas on infants or children always get treatment advice from a medical professional.

To obtain a greater understanding of Strawberry Hemangioma on Infants, please take a moment and visit: StrawberryHemangioma.blogspot.com, you will be amazed at what you discover.


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Born Alive Infants Protection Act – President Signs / Video. President Signs Born-Alive Infants Protection Act Remarks by the President in Signing of HR 2175, Born Alive Infants Protection Act. Pittsburgh Hilton. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 12:58 PM EDT. THE PRESIDENT: Well, thank you all very much for this bill signing ceremony. I’m pleased to sign it in the great city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The history of our country is the story of a promise, a promise of life and liberty made at our founding and fulfilled over the centuries in our laws. It is a story of expanding inclusion and protection for the ignored and the weak and the powerless. And now we extend the promise and protection to the most vulnerable members of our society. Today I sign the Born Alive Infants Protection Act. This important legislation ensures that every infant born alive — including an infant who survives an abortion procedure — is considered a person under federal law. (Applause.) This reform was passed with the overwhelming support of both political parties, and it is about to become the law of the land. I appreciate so very much Senator Rick Santorum and Congressman Steve Chabot from Ohio for sponsoring this important piece of legislation. I also appreciate Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania and Congresswoman Melissa Hart for coming, as well. I want to thank the Bishop of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, Bishop Wuerl, for being here. It’s good to see you again, Bishop. I appreciate Hadley Arkes …
Video Rating: 4 / 5

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Defining Your Role As A Cancer Caregiver

February 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment

What does the person you’re caring for expect, want, and need from a caregiver?

When someone you’re close to delivers the news of a cancer diagnosis, a host of questions arise about how you and others in her life are going to cope with everything that needs to be done in the days and months ahead. The role of caregiver can encompass a huge variety of responsibilities, large and small, and deciding who’s going to do what is a process you and she need to tackle together. Start by sitting down with her and making a list of everything that needs doing, so you can prioritize which ones she most needs help with.

To get you started, here are some of the most common responsibilities that can come under the “caregiver” job description:

Helping with physical needs

Communicating and coordinating with primary care physician, oncologist, and other medical staff
Obtaining and helping organize medications, equipment, and other supplies
Managing pain, nausea, vomiting, constipation, diarrhea, and other symptoms
Handling grocery shopping and cooking; helping with eating and cleaning up
Taking care of cleaning, laundry, and other household tasks
Driving to and from appointments and running other errands

Helping with emotional issues

Supporting and dealing with issues such as depression and anxiety
Finding and coordinating membership in a support group or other supportive therapy
Being available to talk through sadness, fear, and other emotional issues that arise
Supporting her relationship with her spouse or partner, if she has one

Helping with financial issues

Paying bills
Getting answers to medical insurance coverage questions
Handling other insurance issues
Planning long-term financial issues

Supporting her social life

Helping coordinate visits with friends, family, support staff, and other community members so she doesn’t become isolated
Communicating with family and friends about her status and needs
Helping her continue with favorite activities and hobbies

Experts say it’s important to recognize, from the very beginning, the dangers of caregiver burnout. There’s no way you can take on all aspects of caregiving alone, and if you try, you’re bound to grow frustrated and discouraged pretty quickly. Keep in mind that cancer treatment takes time, and you’re at the beginning of a long and difficult journey. If you use up all your reserves of time, energy, and support at the beginning, during the “crisis” phase, you won’t have enough stamina to hang in there during the prolonged phase of care management.

Your role will constantly change as you and the person you’re caring for evaluate what she can do and what she needs you or someone else to do for her. “It will be a constant evolution as the person goes through periods of helplessness and then through times of feeling empowered,” says Bonnie Bajorek Daneker, author of The Compassionate Caregiver’s Guide to Caring for Someone with Cancer. “You’ll find you’re constantly trying to balance between these two stances. You always have to adjust, depending on how she’s feeling.”

For example, Daneker says, it’s common for cancer patients to feel strong and capable during periods between chemotherapy treatments, and then extremely fatigued and emotional during and right after treatment. Or you may find that the steroids often prescribed during chemo give her a short-lived energy boost that lasts for a day or two before dissipating, at which point the fatigue hits. “As a caregiver, you have to be so in tune with what the patient wants and needs,” Daneker says. “It’s important to be flexible and highly communicative to deal with the constant changes.”

What are you able and willing to do, and what can’t you do?

Becoming a caregiver for someone with cancer may be a role you choose, or it may feel like a role that has been thrust upon you. After all, it’s not easy for you — or anyone — to accept the idea that a serious illness has entered your life. You may struggle with denial and acceptance just as she’s struggling with the same issues.

By stepping into the role of caregiver, you’re offering her the incredible gift of having someone to turn to in a difficult time. It’s important, though, to try to be as realistic as possible about what’s needed, and about your own limitations, right from the get-go.

Start by accepting the fact that care giving for someone with cancer is a very big job. Practical considerations such as whether you live nearby or at a distance, how much time you have available, how many other responsibilities you have on your plate (children? spouse? work?), and how comfortable you are dealing with certain situations will play a role in which aspects of caregiving you take on, and which you choose to delegate to professionals and other family or friends.

Talk as openly as possible with the patient about both your strengths and limitations as a caregiver, and explain what you’re able to take on, and what you’ve asked others to do. You might say something like, “As you know, my job doesn’t make it easy for me to take time off during the day, so I’m going to come to your oncology appointments, but Bob and Betty are going to take turns driving you to your routine chemo appointments.”

A huge challenge you’ll almost certainly encounter is how to support and encourage the patient’s optimism and will to fight the cancer, while absorbing information that can at times be frightening and discouraging. You’ll often find yourself torn between wanting to say positive and encouraging things while still helping her to face the reality of a less-than-positive prognosis.

You may, for instance, need to explain a little more to her than you ever have before about your job — what your responsibilities entail, when you can get away, and when you can’t. You may need to set some limits around your own family time, such as asking her not to call past a certain point in the evening unless it’s an emergency, or setting up a phone tree so that calls about some issues come to you, and others are directed to others who are close to her.

Establishing clear expectations with the patient and others

Another way to establish limits is to set up clear expectations with the cancer patient. What can she expect your help with, and what’s beyond the scope of what you can provide? Explain that while you’re going to be the “point person” for caregiving, others will help you make sure everything gets done.

Using the list you made together of all the things she needs help with, focus on working together to assemble a reliable team of helpers to get it all accomplished. If others can help, set up a communications system that enables you to delegate tasks to them. Even those who live at a distance can take on a set of obligations. For example, if your mother is the one with cancer you might give your sister on the opposite coast the job of dealing with medical insurance, or your brother could take over financial planning questions.

If you don’t know all of the person’s friends and neighbors, don’t be shy about asking. Remind her about her bowling league, the community at her place of worship, and any support network available, and ask how to get in touch with these folks.

Friends, neighbors, and other members’ of her community will ask how they can help, and when they do, suggest that they pitch in with cooking, cleaning, driving, and other household needs — then choose a task and assign it.

Ensuring that the system works

To make everything run smoothly, you’ll want to get family members and other potential members of the care giving team on the same page. What you especially want to avoid is the “call me syndrome,” where every problem that arises — and there will be lots of them — triggers a call to you. Protect yourself from becoming a communications hub by talking to the patient about who’s doing what. You might say, “Sarah’s handling insurance, so call her when you have questions about what’s covered.” If there’s a friend or neighbor you can put in charge of coordinating driving for errands and routine appointments, then ask her to call that person directly, and only call you when it’s an appointment or errand that involves you. If it’s hard for her to keep it all straight, you might type up a list of responsibilities and contact numbers and tape it to the wall by the phone.

Another key to avoiding feeling overwhelmed is to marshal professional resources so that every issue that arises doesn’t land on your plate. You might, for instance, need to discuss her expectations about cooking, cleaning, and other household tasks. Perhaps she could hire someone to clean once a week, or call a handyman — rather than you — when routine maintenance issues crop up.

One thing you’ll probably start to realize fairly quickly is that there aren’t any hard-and-fast rules for how involved or take-charge you’ll need to be. There will be times when the person you’re caring for asks you to step in and make key decisions, and other times when your role will be to provide empathetic listening and a strong shoulder to lean on while she makes her own decisions.

Establishing clear lines of communication

Talk with other caregivers, and you’ll quickly learn that one of the hardest parts of being in this role is dealing with guilt, anxiety, and the constant feeling that you aren’t doing enough. (That’s why it’s essential to let yourself off the hook: You’re doing all you can, and that’s good enough.) To help protect yourself — and her — from these feelings, you’re going to need to set limits for yourself. And the key to doing this is clear communication.

Caring.com Editorial Team

Caring.com features original content focused exclusively on eldercare matters. Our 20+ editors and writers research and fact-check every article meticulously, and our advisory board reviews the site regularly to assure the accuracy and relevance of the material we publish. We have hundreds of articles and checklists on health, housing, finance, legal and family issues, and other caregiving concerns, and we’re adding new articles and other resources every day.

Cancer Caregiver Cancer Caregiver Self Care
Cancer Patient Caregiving


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Natural Products That Can Help Child’ Health Care

February 26, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Very often without the parents knowing about it, toxic materials in the objects used by the children can harm their health. Avoiding such toxic materials in objects coming in contact with the child’s skin is therefore an essential part of health care and child development process. Natural products could be the best bets that can take care of child health very well.

Why Child Health is Essential?

But why is child health care so important? There are several reasons contributing to it.

•  Growth rate of healthy children is much better compared to those having physical or mental problems.

•  Illness and health problems can prevent development of child substantially.

•  At least before the child reaches school going age, any physical or mental deficiencies in him or her should be sorted out as far as practicable.

Toxic Materials in Child Bedding

Many parents use crib mattresses for their child. This helps them take better care of the child and offers better comforts for the child as well. However, many also do not know the possible dangers of such mattresses containing toxic elements, poisonous for babies. Majority of manufacturers use materials that are not only harmful to health but could be life threatening as well. Even organic mattresses could be toxic. It is therefore expedient getting the mattress checked by experts before use. Waterproof and organic mattresses for child cribs seem the best choice as they are non-toxic in nature.

Growth of Immune System

Growth of immune systems in children are always commensurate their physical growth. However, the strength for combating diseases of any kind is always lower in children in comparison to the adult persons. Moreover, infants are not able to express symptoms they suffer and therefore it is necessary taking appropriate care in selection of remedies for them.

Power of Herbal and Ayurvedic Medicines

Natural as well as harmless in sharp contrast to the traditional medications, herbal and ayurvedic medicines are normally made from plants and other natural products. Emphasis in ayurveda is on child care using as much home remedies as possible and avoiding any artificial or synthetic medicines. Moreover such remedies prescribed are always mild and does not have any harmful side effects; a feature of most prescription drugs.

However the best natural product for the children that will never harm their health is the care, love, and affection of his or her parents and other family members. “A happy mind is the home of Almighty” as they say.

For every parent their child’s health is an important concern. Besides providing quality health products for children, myholistichealthguide.com also shares valuable insight with its viewers helping them develop real holistic lifestyle for their children providing guidance and tips.


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Abbott Recalls “Similac” Infant Formulas Due To Beetle Contamination

February 26, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Abbott Recalls “Similac” Infant Formulas Due To Beetle Contamination

Similac Brand Infant Powder Formulas Recalled

“Abbott, the makers of Similac Brand baby formulas is voluntarily recalling some powder formulas.  An internal quality review showed a small chance there could be some small beetles in the mix.  Ingesting the insect could cause discomfort in the infant’s intestinal tract”.

Abbott Laboratories is voluntarily recalling millions of containers of Similac powdered infant formulas, which will result in loss of 0 million in revenue-Reuters reports.

The recall was triggered after two consumers reported beetles were found in the product of concern.  But Abbott spokeswoman Melissa Brotz was cited as saying that the decision to recall the products was made before the company received the reports.

Brotz said less than 5 million containers of Similac are affected by the recall and the product are distributed and sold in the United States, Guam, Puerto Rico and other Caribbean markets.

She also said that the company tested extensively every product on the line after the problem emerged and found more than 99.8 percent of the containers did not contain any beetle.

The recall affects only the powdered infant formulas, not the liquid form of infant formulas, Brotz was cited as saying.

All the infant formulas made on the same Michigan factory line are subject to the recall due to the unlikely possibility of contamination.

The recall lowered shares of the company by 0.7 percent today, according to AFP. In comparison, Abbott’s competitor Mead Johnson Nutrition Co, which makes Enfamil infant formula, saw its shares up 1.7 percent.

The contamination does not pose any immediate health risk, Brotz said. However, there may be a possibility that infants who consume the tainted infant formulas could experience gastrointestinal discomfort and refusal to eat the food, she added.

Infant formula is a product indicated for infants younger than six months to use. It can be based on cow milk protein like whey and casein or soy protein.

“Abbott understands that parents expect to feed their children only the highest quality product,” Holger  Liepmann ,executive vice president of Abbott Nutrition, a division of Abbott Laboratories, said in the statement. “We are taking this action so that parents know that the infant formula products they provide unquestionably meet the highest quality standards for which they are known.”

The WHO released a report in 2001 saying that infant formula prepared in accord with applicable Codex Alimentarius standards is nutritionally adequate and is a safe complementary food and can serve as a breast milk substitute.

However, the world health organization also recommends in the report that infants should be breastfed exclusively for the first six months of life.

A recent U.S. survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that as many as 70 to 90 percent of mothers in the U.S. initiate breastfeeding after birth, but about 45 or 50 percent of them can breastfeed their babies for a period of six months.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said infants that consume the contaminated formula may experience stomach discomfort and may refuse to eat as a result of irritation to the gastrointestinal tract, according to the statement.

Quality Checks

Abbott detected the problem last week through routine quality checks of not-yet-shipped formula and “immediately stopped production, “Kelly Morrison, a company spokeswoman, said today in a telephone interview. Subsequent testing of the entire inventory of Similac made in the Sturgis plant showed that 99.8 percent was uncontaminated, she said.


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