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Do you think that your baby is too young for you to enjoy interacting with him? Think again. There is a lot you can do that will be fun for both of you. Additionally, it will also have a beneficial effect on your baby's development.

• Talk to your baby. Identify the different sounds and gestures particular to your baby. Try to interpret these gestures to understand what your baby is telling you. You may want to research sign language training for you and your baby if you’re interested in this mode of communication.
• Smile and coo at your baby. Your baby will soon learn to smile and coo back at you. This is not just a game—it will teach your baby about a two-way conversation.
• While changing, bathing, or feeding, tell the baby what you are doing. This way your baby will learn to associate your speech with the action you are performing.
• Give your baby different things to hold in his hand, like a rattle, a wad of cotton, a handkerchief, or a piece of paper. Infants enjoy finding out the properties of different objects. For instance, they learn to shake a rattle to produce sound, or crumple a piece of paper and straighten it out again.
• Encourage your baby to look at you and imitate what you are doing. This way, your baby will soon learn to put on a cap, pull off socks, open a book, and turn the pages one by one.

Your baby, when he was born, only had what are called “tooth buds,” basically tissue that will eventually develop to form a tooth.  As your baby grows into the toddler-hood, these tooth buds develop into full-grown baby teeth. This is usually a painful process for your toddler—especially the development of the first molars. This involves teeth erupting or ‘cutting’ through the gums; hence this phase is also termed “teething” or “cutting molars.”  Your child is likely to feel a lot of pain and discomfort as the teeth cut through the gums.   Be aware that you may have periodic sleepless nights over a long period of time and considering teething pain, will become one more addition to your inventory of why the baby might be crying.

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As a parent, you want to make your child understand the importance of dental hygiene. However, you need not wait until your child is old enough to brush and floss. Ideally, you could begin this process even before your baby cuts the first tooth. Dentists advise initiating your baby to a dental care routine by gently cleaning the gums even before primary teeth start erupting.

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Some of the common ailments that are likely to attack your toddlers include fever, skin infections, cough/cold, dental problems etc. You can treat minor ailments by yourself with the help of a well-stocked medicine chest. However, please note that serious and prolonged ailments would require the attention of a qualified physician.

If your toddler is sick with cold, you may try the following tips to help overcome the illness:

• Apply a balm or petroleum jelly around the nostrils to provide relief and reduce irritation
• Give your toddler a steam bath
• Use a moist piece of cloth to wipe your toddler’s running nose dry
• Consult a doctor if symptoms persist for too long

If your toddler is sick with fever, you may try the following tips to help overcome the illness:

• Use a thermometer to find out the temperature your toddler is running
• If your toddler’s temperature is 100° F or less, keep watching for signs of fever occurring periodically and not continuously – if the fever occurs periodically, consult your doctor
• If your toddler’s temperature is more than 100.4° F, consult your doctor

The right diet ensures a healthy and bright future for toddlers. Proper food and nutrients form the building blocks for developing strong teeth, bones, muscles and healthy tissues in this age group. A good diet also helps to build your toddlers immune system. A study by the Journal of American Dietic Association states that kids in an age group of 1 to 2 years get 30 percent more calories than required. Since life long eating preferences are set during the first three years a well balanced diet at these early stages is required. A critical factor is that, though requirements for energy and nutrients are high, parents are besieged with small appetites and finicky eating habits.

The basic constituents of toddlers’ healthy diet include iron, calcium, vitamins A, C and D. Iron is one of the most crucial nutrients for a toddler. Children in this age group often suffer from iron deficiencies due to low dietary intake. This happens due to low or no meat intake. Foods rich with Vitamin C, such as orange juice need to be eaten at the same time to enhance iron absorption.  Calcium; which is vital for strong bones, teeth and blood clotting and nerve cells, can be obtained from milk. Vitamin A; which is crucial for healthy skin and cell development can be derived from yellow and orange fruit and vegetables. Vitamin D is necessary for calcium metabolism and is synthesized by the action of the sunlight on the skin. It is also available from oily fish, fortified margarine and dairy products.  In order to balance out a healthy diet a parent should ensure that their toddler is getting adequate starchy carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables, milk and dairy foods, meat fish and alternatives. Fatty and sugary foods need to be given in moderation. Avoid or moderate sweet drinks.

Some pointers to ensure a healthy child’s diet are:

• Feed your child with regular meals and snacks at regular intervals.
• Schedule meals at times when your child is not too tired or too hungry.
• Ensure that there is a wide variety of food at meals.
• Choose foods that are colorful and interesting.
• Serve small portions on a small plate in the beginning.
• Keep sweet foods and deserts out of sight till the main course has been eaten.
  

Toddlers often become hungry in between their main meals. That is when they need small meals or snacks to help them grow up strong. The healthier the snack, the healthier is the effect of growth on toddlers. Therefore, it is very important to distinguish between what is a healthy snack and what is an unhealthy snack for toddlers.

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If your child suffers from itching around the anus, it could be an indication of pinworms. These are tiny white worms, about a quarter of an inch long, that commonly affect toddlers and older children. The commonest warning sign of pinworm infestation is an annoying itch around the anus that seems to worsen at night.

Children usually are infected by picking up pinworm eggs on their hands, and then swallowing the eggs when they put their hand in the mouths. The eggs hatch inside the intestine from where female worms come out to lay eggs on the anus. Pinworms do not pose a health hazard to your child, nor does an infestation indicate a lack of hygiene.

If you suspect that your child is infected, you can:

• Physically examine your child’s rectum at night using a flashlight, to see if you can spot the worms.
• Look for their presence in your child’s stools.
• Press a clear sticky tape on your child’s anal skin; if your child has pinworms, your pediatrician will be able to see the eggs that are stuck on the tape.

Once the diagnosis for pinworms is confirmed, the pediatrician will prescribe medication to kill the worms. You may also be required to wash your baby’s bedding, clothes, and toys with hot water to destroy the eggs.

These are ways in which you can prevent a pinworm infestation in your child:

• Keep your child’s nails well trimmed to prevent eggs from lodging between them.
• Advocate hygienic habits such as washing hands before eating.
• Do not allow your child to develop habits such as biting nails or sucking fingers.
• Keep the floor of your house clean by vacuuming it regularly.