Dr. Ridhi Kaur

Dr. Ridhi Kaur, Gurgaon-based paediatrician

My son is eight months old. What are the most common signs of developmental delays in infants, and when should parents seek medical advice?
— Lara Singh, Chandigarh
Child development milestone charts provide good benchmarks. But remember, each child is unique. One might be faster in crossing the speech development milestone but slow in developing motor skills. A little delay is nothing to worry about as most children catch up. But when there is a persistent developmental delay, it’s advisable to consult a pediatrician for diagnosis and treatment.
Some common signs of development delays in infants include poor eye contact; floppy or loose neck beyond four-five months of age; inability to follow simple instructions; protruding tongue; poor social interaction; prolonged focus on one object or staring continuously; inability to imitate and play with parents, and failure to visually recognise parents/family members.

I live in Delhi. There are limited outdoor spaces for children to play. I want my seven-year-old son to be physically active. Please advise.
— Meena Rani, Delhi
Outdoor play is essential for healthy growth of children’s bones and muscles, and sun exposure provides Vitamin D. You should try to provide an average of one-three hours of outdoor physical activity for your child daily. Unfortunately due to limited public spaces, safety and time management issues, this might be difficult to do. However you can still ensure your son is physically active.
• Designate a space at home as play area.
• Introduce limited-space physical activities such as skipping, jumping, dancing, using age-appropriate exercise equipment.
• Encourage him to help with household chores such as setting the dining table, watering plants or walking the dog.
• Encourage independence and self-reliance. For example, don’t serve him water, let him get it himself.
• Include him in your daily exercise activities such as yoga, walking, running.

Like most mothers, I worry that my three-year-old isn‘t eating enough. How can I improve her dietary habits?
— Parminder Singh, Pune
Incorporate these simple good dietary habits:
• Ensure meal times are always family affairs
• Avoid force feeding or running after your child offering food.
• Allow her to make her own food choices.
• Encourage self-feeding from early age.
• Include fruits and vegetables in the foods she prefers — especially beetroot pancakes, carrot/ banana cake.
• Include nuts and seeds in her diet. Mix them with dal, curd or milk.
• If your child doesn’t like milk, provide other dairy foods such as yogurt or paneer.
• Don’t permit watching digital screens while eating.
• Encourage your child to chew her food well.
• Show videos or charts of different foods and their health benefits.
• Take her groceries shopping with you, and allow her to choose vegetables she likes.

I live in Mumbai where noise and air pollution are big problems. Please share some strategies to develop good sleeping habits in my children.
— Shiny Chakraborty, Mumbai
Children are more sensitive to noise and air pollution. Here are some ways to help your children get adequate and restful sleep:
• Limit junk and oily food intake, especially after 6 p.m.
• Include fruits, nuts & seeds in children’s meals.
• Avoid giving them tea/ coffee/ energy drinks.
• Stop screen time and avoid phones / TV at least two hours before bedtime.
• Follow sleep schedules strictly.
• Ensure one-two hours of physical activity daily.
• Install air purifiers in the house.
• Use black-out curtains in bedrooms.
• Arrange beds in such a way to ensure minimal light and sound exposure.