Vitamin D is very important for normal growth and development, mineralization of bones and development of teeth, as well as the immune system, digestive system, muscular system, nervous system, breast, prostate and many tissues.
Vitamin D is what we eat. It is a vitamin that allows our body to benefit from calcium in foods. In its deficiency; Muscle weakness, growth retardation, leg pain, delayed closure of the fontanel, delayed teeth eruption, braces, restlessness, insomnia, excessive sweating, and recurrent upper respiratory tract infections may be observed.
Vitamin D is mostly found in dairy products, eggs and It is found in fish. Sunlight is needed for its synthesis in our body.
The level of vitamin D in breast milk is low. Therefore, all over the world, vitamin D supplementation of 400 units is started in babies from birth and continues until at least 1 year of age. In our country, the Ministry of Health recommends that families be given and used free of charge vitamin D starting from the 15th day.
After the age of 1, we can continue using it if necessary by checking its level in blood tests. Unnecessary and excessive use may accumulate in the body and cause undesirable effects such as kidney stone formation!!!
Let's not forget to use vitamin D supplements in the first year for the bone and teeth development of our babies!!
IN CHILDREN. IRON DEFICIENCY ANEMIA:
Anemia is a problem that can be seen at any age. However, it is more common in infancy and childhood. We care about anemia due to iron deficiency because it not only causes physical disorders but also affects the intelligence level of babies.
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To prevent anemia, babies should only be fed to their mothers for the first 6 months. It is necessary to feed it with breast milk (or iron-rich formula milk), and iron-rich supplementary foods should be started in a timely and appropriate manner.
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Red meat is the greatest source of iron and it is the meat itself that we offer to our babies, not the meat broth. We need to give it.
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Cow's milk should not be started before the age of 1, and after the age of 1, it should not be given more than 2 glasses a day.
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Baby and Tea should not be included in children's diet as it reduces iron absorption.
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Pe It is definitely not enough to prevent iron deficiency.
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Iron prophylaxis should be started for all babies starting from the 4th-6th months (your pediatrician will tell you which iron medicine you should use)
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8-9. A blood count must be done every month, and if our baby has anemia, a treatment dose of iron should be started.
ROTAVIRUS DIARRHEA AND VACCINE:
Especially in children. We see rotavirus infection, one of the most common causes of diarrhea in children under the age of 2, more frequently during the winter months. All over the world, children under the age of 5 are infected with the disease at least once.
It is a highly contagious infection. The virus spreads easily among children and at home through crowded environments, toys, toilets and hands. Especially children who go to nursery infect each other.
Diarrhea caused by infection is yellow-watery, abundant and foul-smelling. There may be persistent vomiting, fever, and abdominal pain. Complaints may last up to 7-8 days. It may be severe in children under 2 years of age. If there is not enough oral fluid intake, serious fluid loss, imbalance in salt-sugar ratio, and mineral loss may occur in the body. In this case, hospitalization and serum treatment are required.
Diagnosis is made with a stool rotavirus antigen test. There is no special treatment, antibiotics are not used, fluid supplementation is very important.
The best way to protect against rotavirus diarrhea is vaccination. There are two types of rotavirus vaccines on the market. The first dose of vaccination should start in the 2nd or 3rd month and be completed in 2 or 3 doses before the 8th month (depending on which vaccine is used). It is not recommended to start vaccination after our baby is 3.5 months old.
Even if vaccinated children have rotavirus infection, they get over it more mildly than other children. Let's not neglect the vaccine.
I recommend that all our babies be vaccinated against rotavirus, except for a few special cases.
PACITER USE IN BABIES:
Families can get confused about the use of pacifiers and are left in the middle. What is the correct one, can we use it, what should we pay attention to?
We do not recommend the use of pacifiers in the first days after the baby is born. First, our baby needs to learn to latch on to the mother's breast. Axle Otherwise, it may create confusion and cause sucking problems, just like using a bottle. In addition, if we breastfeed instead of giving a pacifier every time our baby wants to breastfeed in the first days, our mother's milk production will increase faster and our baby will gain back the weight he lost and start weighing himself.
When our baby is 2-3 weeks old (some sources recommend after the 1st month) If weight gain is good and the mother does not have problems with breastfeeding, a pacifier can be used. Pacifier; It calms babies who have a strong urge to suck, and satisfies sucking desires other than hunger. It can help colicky babies calm down and make it easier to fall asleep.
There are a few things we should pay attention to when using it. First of all, attention should be paid to its hygiene. It should be replaced with a new one every 2-3 months. The baby should not be silenced with a pacifier and made dependent on him every time he gets restless; he should first understand the reason and meet his needs. The pacifier should be removed from the mouth after falling asleep, and should be stopped before the age of 2 at the latest. Otherwise, it may damage the tooth and palate structure. Round pacifiers should be preferred in the early period, and palatal pacifiers should be preferred after the teeth emerge, especially after the age of 1.
SHOULD WALKERS BE USED FOR BABIES?
Can families use walkers, especially from the 5th month onwards? they ask. My answer is "no, it should not be used."
The walker may cause a pause in the baby's normal walking processes (rolling on the ground, crawling, crawling, sorting, etc.).
The baby's body is still upright against gravity. Since it cannot hold the baby, it may cause some spinal problems (such as scoliosis, kyphosis).
The baby steps on tiptoe because his legs are short and he does not know how to step fully. This may cause some problems in the future, such as tiptoe walking and flat feet.
In addition, a walker can cause home accidents by allowing the baby to reach everywhere easily!!!
WHAT SHOULD WE DO WHEN OUR BABY HAS A RAS?
Nappy rash in babies is a problem we see very often. We see it more frequently when we switch to complementary foods, during teething, in hot summer weather, when the breastfeeding mother or baby uses antibiotics or medications, and when there is diarrhea.
Upright to prevent diaper rash There are a few simple things we can do:
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Changing the diaper frequently and reducing the time urine and poop contact the skin
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Not using wet wipes as much as possible, clean it with the help of wet cotton
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If a diaper rash occurs, wash the bottom with warm water (no shampoo or soap) and leave it open for 10-15 minutes to dry
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After making sure that the diaper is completely dry, therapeutic creams containing zinc should be applied to create a barrier between the skin and urine-poo.
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During this period, you can switch to a size 1 larger diaper to reduce the friction caused by the diaper.
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If we think that the diaper used irritates the skin, we can switch to a different brand of diaper
Fungal infection may be added to long-lasting diaper rash. Consult your doctor. You may need to use creams used in the treatment.
It should not be forgotten that there may be underlying food allergy, urinary tract infection, and some problems with the immune system in persistent, persistent diaper rash.
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