Understanding Digestion in Children: Fiber-Rich Sack Lunches to Help Ease Constipation

Most kids don’t get enough fiber in their daily diet -- and that can lead to a host of digestive problems, the most obvious of which is constipation. Fiber doesn’t get digested by the human body, so it moves through your digestive tract and cleans up the pipes -- allowing a smoother, easier passage for waste products.
So one of the best ways to keep your child regular and promote his digestive health is to feed him plenty of fiber. Instead of sitting him down at the counter with a big bowl of bran flakes, try these dietitian-approved, kid-friendly snacks and lunch items that will go down easy in every way.

Homemade Trail Mix

Help kids make their own trail mix by putting out bowls of dried fruit, nuts, or seeds along with a higher-fiber cereal, and mixing them up into to-go containers or plastic bags, recommends Louise Goldberg, RD, LD, owner of An Apple A Day Nutrition Consulting in Houston, Texas, and formerly a dietitian at the Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital in the Houston Medical Center. (Just be sure to minimize the sugary “treat” ingredients, like chocolate chips or other candies.)

Flavorful Fruits and Veggies

Many fruits and vegetables are high in fiber --particularly with the skin on. If your child resists them, try making them fun by spearing fruit and veggie slices onto a kebab, or making a face with sliced-up fruits and veggies, suggests Beth Pinkos, MS, RD, LDN, a dietitian for the department of pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology, nutrition, and liver diseases at Hasbro Children’s Hospital in Rhode Island.
“You can use raisins for eyes, baby carrots for a nose, and celery for eyebrows, and an apple slice for a smile,” she says.
Remember not to give carrots to children younger than 3 or raisins to kids younger than 4 as they can be a choking hazard.

Creamy Dips

Kids who resist fiber-rich fruits and veggies may also be more adventurous if they can dip them in something first -- like yogurt, peanut butter, salad dressing, or hummus.

Mixed-Up Cereals

Having trouble getting your child to try that whole-wheat fiber cereal? Try mixing up a couple of high-fiber cereals with a small amount of one of the less good-for-you options that your child may be drawn to in the cereal aisle.
“Kids like to mix and match cereals like little chemists,” says Pinkos. “Look for a high-fiber cereal that has 3 to 5 grams of fiber per serving, and then let them mix it up with just a little bit of one of the junkier ones.”

Sandwich in Some Fiber

Just as with cereal, the whole-grain breads or wraps you’re using for your kids’ sandwiches should have at least three grams of fiber per serving.
“Check the package -- just because it’s called ‘whole grain,’ that doesn’t always translate to fiber,” says Goldberg. “And don’t be fooled by red- and green-colored wraps -- that doesn’t necessarily translate to fiber either.”

Article By Gina Shaw,  Reviewed By Hansa D. Bhargava, MD

Common Congenital Abnormalities focused on (Hydrocephalus)

Today I would love us to look at hydrocephalus, a life threatening condition often referred to as “water on the brain” which can be treated by surgical placement of a shunt system. This condition can also occur where there is too much cerebral spinal fluids in the ventricles (cavities) of the brain.  
Cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) is produced in the brain and is needed by the body to protect the brain and the spinal code, it carry’s away waste from the brain cells. too much cerebral spinal fluids puts a harmful amount of pressure onthe brain tissues and treatment is needed to release this pressure, hydrocephalous can be present at birth or develop later in child hood or adult hood. In adults it is usually normal pressure hydrocephalous (NPH) and this usually develops in people with over 60 years because the drainage of the cerebral spinal fluids gradually becomes blocked.

                                                                                     
Causes of Hydrocephalus

HC can affect most children born with spina bifida (SB) but there can be other causes like the damage to the blood supply or an infection may affect the body’s development before birth.

Many babies with hydrocephalous are also born prematurely.

HC is often associated with conditions that affect the brain or spinal column such as meningitis and spina bifida. Currently 80-90% of people with spina bifida also have hydrocephalous. Other types of the condition can also be caused by cysts or tumors in the brain that block the flow of the cerebral spinal fluids however the main cause for congenital hydrocephalous is  not known.

Symptoms of hydrocephalous

In children: since the skull is still forming and the bones are not yet fixed together as in adulthood, HC can cause enlargement of the child’s head , other symptoms include

Vomiting, Delayed growth and development, Sun setting eyes, Poor feeding, Head growing bigger than the normal size, Irritability and less movement than normal.

Many children with hydrocephalous also display symptoms that can be mistaken for nuttiness such as verbal aggression and swearing, hyperactivity, not paying attention and generally usual behaviors and they may also experience leaning difficulties at school.

In Adults: The skull is fixed and cannot adjust to change in pressure but they can present with the following symptoms:-

Headache followed by vomiting, Nausea, Downward deviation of the eyes (the eyes look downwards) , Urinary incontinence, Poor coordination (Clumsiness), Difficulty in walking , irritability and other changes in personality.

Treatment of hydrocephalus

The aim of any treatment for hydrocephalous is to release the pressure on the brain caused by the buildup for cerebral spinal fluids.

If the cause of hydrocephalus is a tumor on the brain then surgery to remove the tumor may be carried out, for all other causes, a shunt operation may be required.

HC affect both mental and physical development and thus a team of specialists is often required to assist with treatment for this condition but with the right treatment and a lot of support, many people with HC live a normal life with a few limitations.

Complications

On the other hand, if HC is no treated other complications like blindness spasticity (cerebral palsy) and brain damage can occur.

Prevention of hydrocephalus

Folic acid when taken has been proved to be effective as a primary prevention to avoid neural tube defects including spina bifida. in order to derive enough folic acids from foods , one has to eat more than different types of fruits per a day like mangoes and guavas among others with the highest rate of folic acid.

Other foods include:

Fresh avocado , spinach, fresh mangoes, pawpaw’s, cooked green peas , cooked fresh maize, cooked pumpkin leaves, fresh bananas , boiled eggs , boiled cassava, properly cooked liver among others.

Finally the following is also important

Myths about Hydrocephalous:

It cannot be transmitted through contact with an infected person, HC is not a curse, It cannot be transmitted through toilet seats or door handles, It is not an air born disease, There is no witchcraft involved

Fats about hydrocephalus:

It is curable, The patients need medical rehabilitation, Pregnant mothers need to eat food rich in folic acid, Children with HC are still children and need to be loved and cared for, Fathers with such children need to support the mothers of these children . 

Contributed by: N Flavia , A regular Contributor at lifespot Icons , An experienced  comprehensive nurse working with the Uganda Local government  

Pediatric Disorders and therapy to assist Them

It's a tragic day when one has got to agitate paediatric disorders within the family. most of the people believe that youngsters ought to ne'er suffer from physical issues.  Yet, the truth should be Janus-faced that
paediatric disorders will happen. the nice news is that therapy offers some facilitation for them.Unfortunately, there are
various paediatric disorders. to call a number of, there are: spinal curvature, abnormality, Osgood-Schlatter, sports and traumatic injuries, reluctant walkers, organic process disorders, encephalopathy, and genetic disorders.Physiotherapy for spinal curvature - a curvature of the spine - consists of exercises to strengthen the rear.

Electrical stimulation is employed for this sort of paediatric disorders.  The stimulation goes on to the skeletal muscles. treatment is additionally utilized in an attempt to straighten the spine.Torticollis could be a form of paediatric disorders of the neck. there's a retardant with one in all the muscles of the neck so the kid isn't able to hold his head straight. the top are going to be inclined to at least one facet.

This chin can project on the alternative facet of the neck. therapy will stretch this muscle so the kid will hold his head more commonly.Spinal twine injuries as paediatric disorders ar tough to treat. youngsters usually don't wish to try and do the work that's needed to remain sooner than the deterioration which will be caused by this condition. therapy personnel are challenged to stay the child's spirits up as they teach them a way to exercise with and while not special instrumentation.Brain injuries, as well as encephalopathy and strokes ar paediatric disorders that has to be managed exquisitely.  The medical specialty system is usually not as durable because the skeletal or muscular systems.

However, brain injuries conjointly involve these different systems additionally.A new treatment for these paediatric disorders like brain injuries is using hyperbaric oxygen medical care. this sort of therapy is predicated on the concept that, in these conditions, there ar usually components of the brain that don't seem to be operating however may be revived.  The HBOT will generally revive them.Pediatric disorders like sports injuries and traumatic injuries need differing kinds of therapy based mostly upon the placement and severity of the injury.

If a toddler has repeatedly sprained identical articulatio plana, medical care can essentially concentrate on that articulatio plana, additionally as any piece that supports or counterbalances that articulatio plana.  Overall strength is vital.Traumatic injuries need an exact quantity of psychological coaching, because the subject of the accident or different ordeal might create such distress that the kid doesn't wish to figure. a decent healer are going to be able to work with such a toddler.

Traumatic injuries can even be severe enough that the healer plans a drawn-out course of medical care to beat them. paediatric disorders like this need patience from everybody concerned.The list of paediatric disorders is long and varied.  Not all of them may be helped by therapy at this point.  Right now, therapy may be utilized in several cases to alleviate symptoms or perhaps to reverse injury. therapy performs a valuable operate in serving to youngsters live a lot of traditional lives.