Written By: Debjani Arora | Published : February 22, 2017 5:42 PM IST
We have been saying it over and over again that every child grows at her pace and weight gain is subjective. But a mother s concern with her child s weight gain never ends. While the first six months is crucial in tracking a child s growth and development, as times a child might not gain adequately during that period. Here are 19 baby care tips for every new mum.
Weight tracking in the initial months is important. Every time you visit the paediatrician the first thing that is done is a weight check of your baby. At times, your child might lag behind a few kilograms but it isn t a matter to lose your sleep over it. Explains Dr Chaitali Laddad, Founder & Director, The Pediatric Network, Since each child gains weight at her own pace one needs to wait and watch before advising early weaning. In any case, weaning before six months of age is not recommended. If your child shows a progressive flow on the growth chart despite being a few kilograms away from the ideal weight, there isn t much to worry and start early weaning. Here are 10 myths on breastfeeding busted.
However, if your child isn t putting on weight despite adequate breastfeeding or on-demand feeding, there are various factors that need to be taken into consideration to address the issue. First, we check if the baby is latched on properly to help her get adequate feed. The weight of the baby before and after the feed is measured to ensure that the baby can suckle and satiate herself. Also, the urine output throughout the day is observed to know if the baby has adequate breast milk. It is very rare that a child would respond negatively to these important observations when on breast milk, explains Dr Laddad. Here is why you should not start your child on cow s milk before one year of age.
Here is what you should do if your baby isn t gaining weight while be exclusively breastfed:
When is early weaning done?
In very rare cases when the child is breastfed, falls below the growth curve it might be suggestive to start formula. However, this is very rare. Else, a six months weight period is advisable as per the WHO guidelines before starting weaning, says Dr Laddad.
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