Mother and Child

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This third book of Balaji’s Health series is a guide for mother and would be mothers in up-bringing of their offsprings. This book is full of practical hints for proper health of future citizens of India and also a reference book for diseases in children.

This useful book is an outcome of experiences of Dr. U. Rama Rao, M.B.B.S., D.C.H., F.C.C.P., F.C.I.P., F.R.S.H., (London), who is practising for the past three decades as a family physician and child specialist in the city of Chennai. He has worked as Honarary Assistant in the Department of Paediatrics at Government Stanley Hospital, Chennai for more than a decade.

'Mother and child', the third book in Balaji's health series, is being released with the blessings Nandhikooru Shri Durga Parameswari. This book is mainly intended for Indian mothers in guiding them for proper up-bringing of their offsprings. This book will be useful to both the parents as both of them have equal responsibility of shaping their children into good citizens of India. I have stressed more on the practical aspects of bringing-up children and so, I have discussed more on growth, diet and accidents.

Here it is necessary to remind the readers that each and every child is different by itself and there is a wide range of normal variation. You may not get text-book pattern of growth in children and also remember that children are not miniature adults.

I have purposefully omitted the details in treatment as it is essential that your family doctor must see the and decide on the treatment to be given. This book will guide you in tackling day-to-day problems of growing children.

New born human baby is a remarkable creation of Nature which no man is able to mimic so far! Though he is able to produce "test tube baby" he requires mature sperm and ovum for fertilization. For these two fundamental cells at present he has to depend on natural source. These two tiny cells which are less than a pin's head, unite and develop into a fu II term baby inside the mother's womb within a span of nine months.

After birth the full term baby grows and develops into an adult. 1 he baby which was helpless at birth, within a span of 20 years grows into an adult who has grown physically well, bestowed with superior intelligence and is capable of reproduction. It will be of interest to note the following facts which show the fantastic growth and development of the foetu inside the mother's womb.

1. Initial length of the ovum is multiplied 5,000 times by the time the child is born. But child's length is multiplied only 3t times by adulthood.

2. Initial weight of the ovum is multiplied 3,000 million times when the child is born. But child's weight is multiplied only by about 20 times by adulthood.

In other words intrauterine growth is fantastic!

In animal species the young ones are capable of taking care of themselves even at birth. They are able to stand on their legs, move about and get mother's milk Whereas the newborn human child requires a good amout of care at birth and requires proper guidance and upbringing for few years for proper growth and development, intelligence and social behaviour.

Still, the child is able to do so many things at birth. He is capable of producing different cries indicating hunger, pain etc. He knows the difference of mother's touch and others and he is able to move his limbs actively. He can see and his taste sensation is good. He is able to suck his food.

You would have noticed that I have been referring the child as 'he' and not as 'she'. This is only for my convenience in writing and I will be referring the child only as boy except in a few restricted areas. Readers are kindly requested to consider 'he' as 'she' if they want to.

In our country every second three babies are born.

It is estimated that 55,000 babies are born every day and in a year population is increased by 13 million, equal to entire population of Australia. In other words we are producing one Australia every year in population!

Population census of 1981 has revealed 683 million 8S our country's population and growth rate between 1971 to 1981 is nearing 25%. Even with so much of family planning propaganda, what is the reason for such a rapid growth?

At present most of the families are having only two children and not like our forefathers who had about a dozen. Then how is this much growth?

Probably the family tree has spread. For example if we take about 10 children for our forefather, his child ren's next generation will go to 20. even if each boy or girl has got only 2 children. This generation in its next generation will go to 40 with 2 children for each family, i.e. with one pair of parents within 3 generations the family has spread to 40 grandchildren With increasing medical care, life span of the individual is increased and probably this has relatively increased the population.

With restricted number of children and with present socio economic conditions the child-care assumes greater importance These children are the future citizens of India. For every mother her child is special one As the proverb goes in tamil, (Even for crow her young one is as precious as gold). it is nothing but natural for the parents to give their best for their children The following pages will guide you in giving your child proper care.