How Do Vaccinations Work

Protective benefits of vaccination: Essential components of immunization - Motherhood Hospital India

A newborn is immune to some infections because it receives antibodies from its mother; this is called “passive immunity“. Passive immunity lasts for a few weeks or months. Ironically, that immunity begins to fade away in the first few months of life. So, it’s very important to follow an immunization schedule.

What is vaccination?

Vaccination protects you from specific diseases that can make you very sick, disable or even kill you. Vaccines help develop immunity by imitating an infection as it would react when it recognizes and fights the real infection. They trick the body into thinking it is under assault & trigger the immune system to produce its own antibodies (substances produced by the body to fight disease), as though the body has been infected with a disease without actually infecting us and harming us with the disease. This is called “active immunity“.

Thus, vaccination is like a dress rehearsal for your immune system so it is prepared for the real show .

How does it work?

When germs, such as bacteria or viruses, invade the body, they attack and multiply quickly. This invasion is called an infection , which causes the illness.

  • The vaccine contains antigens: harmless substances (such as dead bacteria or molecules) associated with the disease.
  • The body assumes the antigens are the actual disease, and its immune system stimulates white blood cells to activate and create antibodies – proteins that can fight the disease’s bacteria or viruses – the invading organism.

How are vaccines created?

Viruses and bacteria can be produced in the laboratory by infecting cells grown in tissue culture; thereby weakening or attenuating it by growing it repeatedly to carefully select a strain that’s less dangerous.The treated pathogen is then combined with stabilizers and preservatives, to produce a vaccine dose.

Does it have any harmful side-effects?

Seldom, vaccination can cause minor symptoms, such as fever. They are normal and can be expected as the body builds immunity. If a child was given 11 vaccines all at the same time, it would only use a thousandth of its immune system, so it does not harm the baby!

How long is the vaccine effective?

Generally vaccinations provide lifelong protection against a disease, but others need boosting. The duration depends on the disease that is being protected against, the vaccine and the person’s inbuilt immunity.

Some vaccines provide high levels of protection like MMR provides 90% protection against measles and rubella after single dose. Others are not as effective typhoid vaccine provides around 70% protection over three years; Tetanus may need boosters.

The antibodies don’t disappear even after their work is done. If these germs reappear, whether it’s a few weeks or many years later, the antibodies are ready to protect & prevent the infection.

Is one vaccination enough to give my child immunity?

The antibodies are very specific. They have been created to combat to a specific disease. The mumps virus, cannot to work against rubella. Thus, one should follow the immunization schedule. Young children are vulnerable to many potentially dangerous infections.

Can vaccination eliminate diseases?

The disease can be eradicated completely if the vaccination is given to most people, as has happened with smallpox and polio. If enough people in a community are vaccinated, it’s harder for a disease to infect even those people who have not been vaccinated. This is called “herd immunity“.

Teaching Your Child Good Manners

They say parents are the first teachers in the life of a child. That is why it is important to start inculcating good behaviour in your child as early as possible. Good behaviour can be taught at any time and any place, at family meals, outings, etc. In this blog we provide parents basic tips they need to teach good behaviour to their child. This will improve the child’s personality and promote positive social behaviour. Be a role model to your child Remember the old saying, Practice what you preach ? That’s exactly what you need to do. If you want your child to say please and ‘thank you , you need to be good examples. You need to give respect to earn respect from others, including your child. Family meals are the best time to showcase the right behaviour to the child. Use polite language while talking to your spouse and other members of the family especially in the presence of the child. Table manners can be easy to teach when the family eats together. Let others try teaching your child Do you think your child is not listening to you? Maybe you should let someone your child looks up to, to help you out. Maybe a neighbour, friend, or relative that your child really looks up to or is very fond of should motivate your child to display good manners. blog food Also get the same people to behave in good way in front of the child. Other too must be a good influence on your child. After all children are extremely impressionable and can easily learn impolite behaviour. Acknowledge and appreciate good behaviour It is important that you appreciate your child each time he demonstrates good behaviour.Encourage him to be quiet and well behaved when you go to public places like restaurants and the movies. When he does remain quiet and well behaved, tell him how impressed you are with his behaviour. Places like the mall or a kiddie restaurant can be a good place to practice good manners. Rewarding good behaviour is also a good idea but don’t let the child behave well only for the rewards. Eventually, when you take your child out to fancy restaurants and other social gatherings, he will know exactly how to behave. Be polite, positiveandpatient The key ingredients to raising a well-behaved child include the three P’s:
  • Politeness: Remember to be polite to your child while correcting wrong behaviour. Keep your voice low but firm and look straight into his eyes while talking. The child must understand that you are correcting him because you care and not because you want to control.
  • Positivity: Parents must always have a positive attitude while teaching the child good manners. Don’t use negative words that can make the child feel threatened, fearful or not loved .Choose your words wisely while correcting the child.
  • Patience: Patience is important as well. Teaching good manners is not an overnight affair. At first you might feel you are fighting a losing battle, but success doesn’t come easy. Give your child to understand and learn the benefits of good behaviour. Also remember that every child is different and you might have to use a different, customised approach if required. Combine these tips with your parenting instincts, and you re good to go!

Tips for Feeding Fussy Infants &Toddlers

Expert Tips on Healthy Nutrition Guidance to Feeding Fussy Infants/Toddlers - Motherhood Hospital India

Looking after a toddler can be an overwhelming task in more ways than one. Not only do you have to deal with your hyperactive kid who’s extremely curious about everything that he comes across, feeding time can seem like a long battle often lost to the young explorer.You might be cooking up the healthiest meal for your child and in a matter of minutes see it splattered all over the table or floor.

To make things worse, you often take this rejection of your cooking quite personally, which adds to the stress. Let’s look at some successfully tried and tested tips on how to feed picky infants and toddlers.

fussy-eaters

Ways to tickle their taste buds.

  1. Offer small quantities of food at regular intervals throughout the day. Breaking the meals into small portions aids digestion and helps the body absorb the nutrients better.
  2. Make use of an ice tray to add different varieties of food in each section. Use foods of different colours to make it look more interesting. For example, you can place a variety of foods like bit-size pieces of boiled vegetables or cut fruits, cereals, cheese bits, etc.
  3. Also, give the above mentioned finger foods some interesting names or cut them into fun shapes. For instance, you can call broccoli florets little trees or thinly sliced carrots ‘swords . Use your creativity or the vast amount of free online resources to come up with something new every once in a while and soon you ll be a pro!
  4. Invite a few friends your child’s age and let them share a meal. Sharing food and watching another child eat may arouse some interest in the food and also inculcate some good habits.
  5. Pack the food in some fanciful way, to make it look like you re making a special delivery just for him. Use easy kitchen tools like a pizza or a cookie cutter to cut idlis, parathas, etc. into interesting shapes.
  6. Make dips out of cheese, fruit or vegetable puree. Kids often enjoy dipping boiled vegetables and toast into their favourite dips.
  7. Make an interesting picture with different food items on the plate and encourage the child to make it disappear one by one (by eating it of course!)
  8. Join your child in the meals and say positive words like, umm’this is so yummy! and, I just love these so much, don’t you?
  9. Don’t keep any hard and fast rules as to what should be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Give your child whatever he prefers during any meal.
  10. Be as inconsistent as possible when it comes to food. The more the variety the more there is chance of the child being interested in eating sooner or later.

The most important factor in dealing with fussy eaters is to be patient. Don’t be surprised if your child does not show interest in the first few days of the change you introduce. Remember that this is just a passing and constantly changing phase. More importantly, remember that it is a perfectly natural developmental phase of your child’s life.

For further details or queries , kindly contact us at motherhoodindia.com

ADVANCED WOMEN AND CHILD HEALTHCARE CENTRE

Making motherhood a blissful experience,Motherhood Indiranagar

Women require unique and specialised health care in every stage of life; some for themselves and some for their children. With a view to providing women in Bangalore a healthcare facility close to home,Motherhood, Bangalore inaugurated the new wing of their Indiranagar facility on 14th November 2013.

The facility known as the Advanced Women & Child Healthcare Centre is equipped with ultra-modern medical facilities to provide comprehensive care in Gynaecology, Neonatology and Paediatrics. The centre was inaugurated by Mr. U.T. Khader, Honourable Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of Karnataka.

While most pregnancies progress without any problems, some require specialized care. Motherhood has partnered with leading experts in fetal medicine, The Bangalore Fetal Medicine Center (BFMC) to give this expert care to the unborn baby primary care while it is still in the womb, making it possible to diagnose and manage genetic and other abnormalities in the fetus. Fetal medicine specialists, sonologists and emotional counsellors provide the most advanced treatment and care.

Motherhood has also partnered with Kosmoderma Skin Clinics &Medispa’s, a leading skin, hair and laser clinic in South India. Motherhood  Mommy  Makeover for new mothers provides customised cosmetology services to women before, during and after pregnancy.The Mommy Makeover program includes, Anti-stretch Mark Treatment for body, Post Delivery Tummy Toning, etc.

We recognise that the health of women and children is very essential in building a self-reliant, healthy, stable and confident community. Our healthcare centre functions with the assistance of world-class expertise and technology, coupled with compassion and a home-like setting.