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Babies grow up very fast. Even before you can possibly realize, they grow from a squirming helpless tiny tot to a toddler who can wreak havoc merely in the crawling stage! With time, one needs to change the dietary pattern of the baby and provide all the necessary nourishment. This results in changes in the average weight on infants. Mostly, babies lose around 5-10% of their original weight after birth. A breast-fed baby is usually heavier than a bottle-fed baby, but within the first year, they become thinner. The physical characteristics of a baby then start to develop as inherited from the parents.

In the first 24 months, the growth of the baby is quite rapid, thus leading to fluctuations in the weight. Thereafter, the growth stabilizes and the baby puts on weight steadily. Usually, girls tend to grow at a faster rate than boys, till they reach their teenage. On a general basis, one notices that infant increases in length by almost 30% in the first five months and by about 50% in the first year. The average weight of an infant doubles between the time of birth to five months. Till the age of one year, it increases by three times and by four times till the baby turns two.

Tabular Explanation
The following tables will give you an idea about the average height and weight of baby boys and girls in accordance to their age. It is not necessary that your infant’s average should be exactly what is mentioned in the chart. It may differ by a couple of kilograms, depending on the body structure of an infant.

                         Average Height and Weight of Boys at Different Ages

Age                        Weight (Kg)                  Height (Cm)
 Birth                         3.3                                    50.5
3 Months                 6.0                                    61.1
6 Months                  7.8                                    67.8
9 Months                  9.2                                    72.3
1 Year                       10.2                                   76.1
2 Years                     12.3                                    85.6
3 Years                      14.6                                   94.9
4 Years                      16.7                                   102.9
5 Years                     18.7                                     109.9
                             Average Height and Weight of Girls at Different AgesAge                              Weight (Kg)                     Height (Cm)
Birth                              3.2                                           49.9
3 Months                      5.4                                          60.2
6 Months                       7.2                                           66.6
9 Months                       8.6                                           71.1
1 Year                            9.5                                           75.0
2 Years                          11.8                                         84.5
3 Years                           14.1                                        93.9
4 Years                           16.0                                       101.6
5 Years                            17.7                                        108.4

What Conjoined Twins Mean?
To understand about the Ischiopagus conjoined twins, you have to first understand what conjoined twins mean. Conjoined twins are identical twins whose bodies are fused into each other’s right from the time they were in their mother’s uterus prior birth. The birth of conjoined twins is a very rare case, projected to range from one in every 50,000 births to one in every 200, 000 births, with a comparatively greater incidence rate in Southwest Asia and Africa regions.

Around half of the conjoined twins are stillborn. Many others are found to suffer from some or other abnormality hindering a normal lifestyle. Their survival rate is estimated to be around 25 per cent, of which about 75 per cent are females. Though the world has witnessed many famous conjoined twins, the popularity of Chang and Eng Bunker (from 1811 to 1874) surpasses all others. The two Chinese brothers were born in Siam, now Thailand and traveled with P.T. Barnum’s circus for years. It’s because of them that the term Siamese Twins became synonymous with conjoined twins.

Ischiopagus Conjoined Twins
Conjoined twins may be joined together from different parts of their bodies like head, chest, hip and so on. So depending upon from which part of the body they are joined, conjoined twins have been grouped under different sections like Thoracopagus twins, Omphalopagus twins, Parapagus twins and so on. Ischiopagus, thus, is one such category (comprising six percent of total conjoined births) in which the twins are joined at the pelvis. Many Ischiopagus twins share the lower gastrointestinal tract, as well as the genital and urinary tract organs.

Cause of the Birth of Conjoined Twins
The identical twins happen when one single fertilized egg splits up and develops into two individual fetuses in the mother’s womb. This split usually takes place during the initial couple of weeks after conception. But if the fertilized egg splits up later on, the twins will be born conjoined. The degree to which the fertilized egg splits and the time of splitting is what primarily determines how the twins will be fused. The reason for delayed splitting of the fertilized egg is, however, not known.

Treatment of Ischiopagus or any Other Kind of Conjoined Twins
Surgery, ranging from simple to serious, is the sole treatment that is known to have separated conjoined twins in the past. However, most surgeries of this kind (especially in case of conjoined twins fused at the head) can be very perilous and is even known to have caused death. Seeing the complications involved, many parents have even take the painful decision to terminate the pregnancy. In case the parents wish to continue the pregnancy, then both the mother and the baby are closely monitored till the time the conjoined twins are safely born.

Does your baby boy, who once won the admiration of everyone, now stays aloof? This can be due to his growing age, which is taking him towards adulthood. Teenage involves a complete transformation of an individual. These are the formative years in a child’s life, when he finally develops his own identity. Thus, it can be quite a difficult time to handle your teenage boy. So, if you are facing problem in raising a young man, read on to know some of the tips to unveil the secrets of successful parenting.

Spend Time
Spending time is one of the crucial aspects of parenting. It is important for both parents as well as the children to stay in contact with each other. Spending quality time together ensures that your teenage boy stays close to you, as during this age he needs a companion and you can be undoubtedly become one.

Acknowledge
Acknowledge the growing needs of your child. At this stage of his life, he needs support, appreciation and acknowledgement from you. Parental support and acknowledgement is therefore of utmost importance. It will approve him and his feelings, enabling him to share them with you.

Be Positive
Positive attitude is the key to success, so don’t be disgusted and look beyond the camouflage. It is not very difficult to understand a boy’s deepest feelings and experience. There are a number of ways to come to know who he really is, and to help him love and feel comfortable with his genuine self. All you need to do is look out for ways.

Pay attention
Being parents you should always stay alert, for those early signs of trouble. The danger signs include everything from bad grades to rowdy behavior, from “seeming quiet” to manifesting symptoms of depression, from using drugs or alcohol to becoming a perpetrator or victim of violence. Thus, if you sense the trouble early, you will escape from it early.

Discuss and understand
Discussing things with your boy is the next step you should take. However, it should be noted that you should be careful while talking, so that he does not feel afraid or ashamed to share their true feelings. Be patient and do not nag. Kindness and genteel should also be taken care of. It is important for him to know that he means a lot to you and that you are proud of him.

Give him time
Unlike girls, boys do not open up very easily. Even if some of them do share their feelings, they take longer than imagined. Thus, being a parent you should give your boy the time he needs, to be ready to talk. Moreover, you should look for signals in his words and in his actions, which depict that he has finally decided to open up. Being sensitive and respectful towards his emotions will bring him closer to you early as well as help him to unmask his true feelings.

Home Schooling is the process of providing education to a child at home, by his parents or by a qualified tutor, rather than sending him to a public or private school. Also known by the name of Home Education or Home School, the process was very much in vogue in the earlier times. However, with times, the trend has changes and majority of the kids have started attending schools. Still, there is a significant proportion of parents who prefer their kids to have homeschooling, sometimes because of religious concerns or because the family is based in a remote area. Read on to get more information on home schooling.

Pros of Home Schooling
There are a number of advantages of getting a child educated at home. Some of them have been mentioned below:
Some children are early birds; while for some rising early is a big chore. In homeschooling, you can easily schedule your child’s education to the time when he is most likely to grasp things.
In homeschooling, kids do not need to follow a set curriculum. They can study a wide range of subjects, depending on their interest & capabilities.
Home schooling of a kid is much more flexible than his education at a school. You can take leaves when you want and study when all the schools have been closed for holidays.
By teaching at home, parents get a lot of time to spend with their children - especially mommies. Since they are so much involved with the kids, a much greater and stronger bond starts to develop.
Homeschooling helps avoid all the problems associated with sending a child to school, like bullying, adjustment problems, peer pressure, too much competition, etc.
In a school, a class comprises of atleast 30 students. It is very difficult for the teacher to give attention to each child and personalize the teaching as per his/her abilities. However, this problem is not encountered in case of home schooling.

Cons of Home Schooling
Every coin has two sides. Similarly, in addition to advantages, homeschooling has a few disadvantages too.
Homeschooling a kid is as good as a full time job. Parents need to do research, get all the necessary things like books, organize the schedule and then, teach. It might be possible that because of home responsibilities, a kid’s education gets neglected or vice versa.
Since home schooling requires so much time and effort, it might eat into the personal space of parents. They need to make sure that also take out time for themselves, relatives as well as friends.
Parents who home school their kids often end up comparing them with those who go to school. This might ultimately lead to an inferiority complex in the child.
In a school, a child meets other kids belonging to different castes, religious, ethnicities, etc. It is here that he develops qualities like inter-personal skills, leadership, team-work, etc. Homeschooling, resulting in less interaction with others, might make him an introvert.
One of the parents has to sacrifice his career for home schooling the kids, since both the things cannot go hand in hand. This might create a financial strain on the family.
Healthy competition encourages a person to do that something extra. Homeschooling might lead to a total lack of competition in kids.

Victor Hugo had rightly said “Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and cannot remain silent”. This statement surely values the mind of a child, who doesn’t know words but always want to say much. Possibly, the concept of Early Childhood Music has developed from statement’s reflection. Music, in itself, is a complete therapy that has the ability to bring about healing. It has the capability to open fastened thoughts and relieve the mind.

Enhanced Development
Researchers have established that music and movement programs affect the development of child between his birth and primary school years. Further, to confirm such situation, it has been seen that children who get preschool piano lessons together with singing, have better brain function that lasts their lifetime. Such lessons aid to develop characteristics and social skills in the child. The major observable change is improvement in academics and more so, in subjects like mathematics and science.

Early childhood music also helps to develop reasoning skills because the ability to think through a problem gets increased. Such classes of music improve brain functioning in young children. Moreover, the early you expose your child to music, the better would be the result. Early childhood music program could be real fun and exciting for your toddler. Anytime between one and seven years of age, a child can be introduced to music sessions. These programs could be piano-based, fast-paced, properly structured or age-specific.

Benefits of Early Childhood Music
Music and movement develop self-esteem and body attentiveness in children.
Listening to music develops the quality of auditory discrimination in the child.
Listening to the sounds of instruments encourage motor development and creative development.
Ingenious movement facilitates children to learn various concepts like balance, coordination and rhythm.
Through music, children can enhance cognitive skills like counting as well as learning of alphabets, days of the week, address, phone number, etc.

Nocturnal Enuresis’ or ‘Bed Wetting’ (Sleep wetting) is a disorder where a person involuntarily urinates on the bed during night. It is very common in children under the age of five. Such a condition is very embarrassing for children when they get psychologically mature to understand the disgrace it brings. Moreover, it can be equally tormenting for the parents when their child bed wets, even after he/she is expected to gain control over his/her bladders. Such a habit might be the result of various psychological, medical or hormonal problems and might hinder the proper social development of your child, especially if it persists till teenage. In this article, we have provided various home remedies that can effectively help you to eliminate bed wetting disorder in your child.

Bed Wetting Alarm

A bed wetting alarm is actually a form of electronic device, much like a normal alarm, and is the safest and the most convenient solution for treating the problem of bed wetting. The device consists of an inbuilt moisture-sensor component and an alarm component. Thus, it is sensitive to moisture and buzzes whenever someone urinates while wearing it. The wearer thus wakes up before he fully wets the bed. Frequent use of this treatment tool helps to condition the brain to wake up at the sensation of a full bladder. Bed wetting alarms are generally designed in three different forms. Below we have detailed about the various forms of bed wetting alarms that are easily available in the market.

Wearable Alarms

Such alarms detect moisture immediately and are generally worn in or under the underwear or pajamas. Here, the alarm unit and the moisture sensor unit are attached to each other through a cord or wire.

Wireless Alarms

In wireless alarms, the moisture sensor unit or the transmitter that senses the moisture is worn under the pajamas. The alarm unit is not attached to it and receives signals wirelessly. One has to get out of the bed to switch it off.

Pad-type Alarms

Here, both the moisture sensor unit and the alarm unit remain unattached to the person’s body. The sensor is located on a mat or a pad where the person sleeps. The alarm unit, on the other hand, is placed on a bedside table or stand.

Home Remedy for Bed Wetting

Learn about a few tips that you can easily follow at home to prevent your child from bed wetting.

Provide a stress-free environment at home.
Limit the intake of water before your child goes to bed.
Let him drink a lot of water during the day.
Don’t give your child drinks that contain caffeine, before he goes to bed.
Avoid too much sweets, fruits and food that contains artificial flavors.
Advice your child to use the bathroom after dinner and before going to bed.
Never scold your child for bed wetting. It will aggravate the problem.
Remember to praise your child whenever he wakes up dry in the morning.
Teach the child to control the bladder by making him wait for a few minutes before urinating.
Wake him up in the middle of the night and urge him to use the bathroom.
Feed him a diet rich in calcium, magnesium and silica (bananas, almonds, etc).
Make him eat lots of green and leafy vegetables.
Give him food rich in fibers and protein.
Make the child chew cinnamon bark once a day.
Give him herbal tea (wormwood, oak bark, bear berry etc).
You can successfully try these above tips to cure the problem of bed wetting in your child. If your child still wets the bed, take him to a good doctor. Your doctor can give proper mental counseling to the child and also suggest a few alternative medical measures to curb this sleeping disorder.

Making your child listen to you might seem the most difficult task on this planet, though it is not. With a little tact and understanding you can make this difficult task easy. Don’t forget that at the tender age they are, it is not easy for them to focus attention on the numerous and varied things scattered all around. Moreover, shouting at your child will only lead to frustration, without yielding any result. On the contrary, try and understand your child. Be patient and teach him how to be a good listener via different activities. It is never too late to teach your toddler how to listen. In order to make you understand the situation better, given below are some tips.

Getting Your Toddler to Listen to You

Get to her level- If you shout at your child from a height, it’s definitely not going to work. Crouch down or pick up your child to make eye contact and grab his attention.
Be clear- Convey your message clearly, simply and authoritatively. Do not go about telling a long story; rather keep it short and to the point.
Follow through quickly- Make sure you mean what you say, without giving him any threats. Guide your child to do exactly what you expect him to do.
Reinforce your message- Reinforce your message with other activities to indicate what exactly you want to say.
Give warnings- Give warnings to your child before making a big change, to prepare him for the same.
Give realistic instructions- Convey your message in a subtle and playful manner to coax the child to listen to you. Do it step by step.
Motivate- Rather than yelling at your child, talk to him in a good humor way. Give him the message using silly voices and tunes. Don’t forget to praise him after the task is done. You can even appreciate him by giving a big smile or hug. This makes the child feel that his action was worthwhile.
Model good behavior- To make your child listen to you; make it a point you do the same. Be a patient listener to set a good example before him.

Sometimes, we find that our little toddler is eating more than we do. We can call this habit as overeating, but the point is ‘Is it really overeating?”. At several times in childhood, habit of overeating develops in a child and doctors assert it as part of ‘growth spurt’. Many a times, growth is not accomplished gradually, but rather in spurts. At such times, it is absolutely normal for a child to consume more than an adult, because he is not only required to meet maintenance and energy necessities, but also energy growth requirements.

Keep a Track of Growth and Diet
If the toddler’s weight and height are increasing, then he needs to have more food. Parents can consult the doctor about the child’s eating pattern and if the case is not of ‘growth spurt’, then a limit must be made to toddler’s intake of food. A limit doesn’t mean to keep your child on a diet, but it’s to keep a track of his meals and what all he prefers to eat. Incase the child is more inclined towards junk and fatty foods, then set a limit or else it could cause obesity later. Give him healthy foods and you can do this easily by avoiding junk and bringing healthy foods at home.

Schedule Meals Properly
Make a chart of what to give him for eating at times in a day. You can give him proper meal and snacks at other times. Keep in mind that the food you’re offering is enough to satisfy his hunger. Don’t make a gap of more than 3 to 4 hours between meals and snacks. Snacks must also be gratifying, so that the child doesn’t get too hungry before the next meal Otherwise, he will again overeat the next time. A significant contribution would be made by healthy snacks to meet the nutritional requirements of child.

Keep the Child Busy
Fat in form of cheese or peanut butter can also be given, together with fruits or crackers. Since fat takes times to get digested, it would leave the child satisfied for long. For meals, pass a little time before giving him the second morsel. Keep the child busy in table conversation or coloring the books, and ascertain if he is still hungry. Teach the toddler to eat slowly and attentively, as this will gradually make him aware of controlled eating. Give him good choices for eating so that he loves home-made food instead crave for market’s junk.

Don’t Say No to Dessert
Desserts can also be included in the child’s meal, they provide substantial nutrition. Custard, made of skimmed milk, is rich in protein and calcium and can make delicious treat for your kid. A healthy and yummy breakfast can be made with blueberry crisp, with a topping of oats and whole wheat. Offer nutritious food to your child and be tension-free as regards his eating. Proper nutrition is essential for the child and starving him from that doesn’t solve any purpose. Thus, always give you child food that meets the recommended daily values for nutrients

Taking the temperature of child presents a number of choices as well as some minor difficulties. There are a number of ways through which you can take the temperature of a child. The most popular amongst these methods are rectal method, auxiliary method and oral method. The method to be used mainly depends upon the age of the child. In this article, we will tell you all about taking infant temperature reading.

Things Needed
Mercury/Digital Thermometer
Petroleum Jelly

Rectal Method
Rectal method is recommended for taking temperature of infants under three months.
Take mercury or digital thermometer. Before taking temperature, make sure that the reading on either of them is under 95 deg F.
Dab a little petroleum jelly or any other lubricator on the tip of the thermometer. This is to ensure that the tip easily slides inside the butt.
Make your child lie face down on your lap or on a flat surface (I would suggest your lap).
Separate the buttocks of the baby and gently insert the tip of the thermometer inside the anal opening.
Insert the thermometer till its bulb or silver tip is completely covered or stops being visible.
Hold the buttocks of the baby with one hand, placing the thermometer between your fingers. This will ensure that the thermometer remains at its place.
Keep sitting in the position for 3-5 min; in case of a mercury thermometer, or till you hear a beep, in case of digital thermometer.
Gentle take out the thermometer from the anal opening and record the temperature immediately.

Auxiliary (Underarm) Method
Auxiliary method, in which the thermometer is placed inside the underarm, is best for recording temperature of children who are 3 months to 4 years old.
Take mercury or digital thermometer. Before taking temperature, make sure that the reading on either of them is under 95 deg F.
Remove your child’s shirt as well as vest. Now, clean his armpit and let it dry.
Place the thermometer under the arm of the baby and hold it down.
Keep on holding his arm, to make sure that the thermometer remains in place.
Keep sitting in the position for 3-5 min; in case of a mercury thermometer, or till you hear a beep, in case of digital thermometer.
Gentle take out the thermometer from the underarm and record the temperature immediately.

Oral Method
The oral method of taking temperature is made use of, in children above four years of age.
Take temperature atleast 20 to 30 minutes after your child has had something to eat or drink.
Take mercury or digital thermometer. Before taking temperature, make sure that the reading on either of them is under 95 deg F.
Place the tip of the thermometer under the tongue of the child. Ask him to press together his lips in such a way that the thermometer remains in place.
Tell him not to bite the thermometer and breathe through his nose and keep quiet.
Make him stay in the position for 1-2 min; in case of a mercury thermometer, or till you hear a beep, in case of digital thermometer.
Gentle take out the thermometer from the mouth and record the temperature immediately.

How to Interpret Your Child’s Temperature
While interpreting your child’s temperature, keep the following tips in mind.
In case of rectal method, the temperature should be below 100.4° Fahrenheit (38° Celsius).
In case of auxiliary method, the temperature should be below 99° Fahrenheit (37.2° Celsius).
In case of oral method, the temperature should be below 99.5° Fahrenheit (37.5° Celsius).

If you child’s temperature is at or above the above-mentioned limits, it means that he has fever. Consult a doctor immediately.

TipsMake sure to wash the tip of thermometer with soap and water after every use.

In case of digital thermometer, read the instructions carefully before use

As an infant starts getting older, his parents start thinking about putting him in kindergarten or pre-school. The question that hounds almost all the parents is - what is the best age to start a toddler in school. This is because if the child is not prepared for going to school, it will have a negative effect on his learning abilities. Usually, kids start kindergarten around 5 years of age. However, while deciding the proper age of their child to start kindergarten, the parents should also keep in mind factors like his emotional maturity, social skills, confidence level, and so on.

Is Your Child Ready to Learn
You child will be learning many new things in school, apart from his lessons. Before sending him to school, make sure that he is ready to learn and acquire new skills. How do you do that? Very simple! Just use the check list given below. If the answers to most of these questions are in yes, it is the time to let him move on to the new phase in life.
Can he identify rhyming sounds?
Is he able to listen to stories, without interrupting time and again?
Does he know that his actions have consequences?
Can he differentiate between different times of the day?
Is he able to trace certain basic shapes, like circle, on paper?
Does he follow the rules you have set for him, like not going out alone after dark?
Can he speak in a coherent manner?
Is he able to speak sentences of atleast 5-6 words?
Does he identify alphabets and numbers?
Can he differentiate between things on the basis of color, size and shape?
Is he able to throw, catch and bounce a ball?
Does he react to common words like don’t, stop, etc?
Is Your Child Mature Enough
Once you have made sure that your child is ready to learn new things, it is the time to check his emotional maturity levels. If you child is not ready for the social interactions that will be required for staying in a pre-school, it is better to let him remain at home for sometime more. The questionnaire given below will help you ascertain your child’s maturity level and in turn, his readiness for school.
Is he able to share with others?
Is he willing to participate in games with other children?
Does he look interested in school?
Can he co-operate with other children?
Will he able to handle the emotional strain of attending school?
Does you child find it easy to mingle with other children and make new friends?
Will he listen to his teachers?
Is he able to go to the bathroom by himself?
Can he eat his food without your help?
Does he mange to button his shirt, pant and coat?
Will he be able to control himself?
Can he stay without you and still be happy?
If you answer to the majority of the questions asked above is yes, then your child is ready to go to school. If the majority of answers are no, don’t worry. Run through the checklist again, after every 15-20 days. Please don’t hurry to put your kid in school. If he is not ready for it, you will soon be sorry for your haste. School life is a very important part of the life of a child and if he is ready for it, only then will he be able to fully benefit from it