Desi Kids & Broken Bones

       

 

Growing up, I don’t remember having broken bones or being in a cast. I also don’t recall my brother or sister ever being in a cast, in fact, I can’t even remember any of my cousins having a broken bone, ever. It appears however that now days, kids with broken bones are more common.

This past week, my 5 year old was playing in her room (which mind you is carpeted) with her 4 year old sister when I heard her crying as though she was in intense pain. It’s a very normal and common cry in our house, sometimes, more often than not, it’s over a toy that the two sisters are fighting over. On very rare occasions the girls cry because they have been hurt.

As I set foot in my last 6 weeks of being an undergrad, my first born will be spending the next 6 weeks in a cast. Sure enough, we’ve had a number of family and friends come over to see how she is feeling. It’s a very typical desi thing to do. We got cupcakes, flowers, cake, donuts, balloons, and toys as get well soon gifts. Lots of hugs and kisses were received and a lot of parenting tips came in as well.

Almost everyone advised we need to feed our average-on-all-scales-child more. She was born weighing 6 pounds, and has always been in the 50-55^th percentile for her weight. According to her height, she’s perfectly normal. She’s a very picky eater and had milk allergies as a baby, but being consistently persistent in building up her tolerance for dairy, thank goodness, she now enjoys all dairy products without any side effects. She eats everything, and sure there are certain things she doesn’t like, but she still tries them.

It’s pretty common for all desis to give advice on how and what to feed your kid. Most desis tend to overfeed their kids, which sure looks cute when you’ve got a small baby, but can give your child some serious health issues. As it is, foods cooked in our part of the world are not the healthiest. For some reason, the whole, feeding them fattening things until they’re 8 just doesn’t sit well with me. All I know is that having healthy active children translates into healthy active adults, whereas having obese children leads to adults with health and psychological issues. 

I had a lot people telling me, including my father, that maybe she has a calcium deficiency. Well, for one thing, children that have calcium deficiencies tend to break their bones a lot, in 5 years this is the first broken bone she has had. Unfortunately, osteoporosis is not uncommon in children. There are children that have low bone densities. Not getting enough calcium leads to bones being weak, making them more susceptible of being broken. Vitamin D is also very important as it helps the body absorb calcium.

A general rule is to set a regime for feeding your kids when they are still babies. We fed our kids a little bit of everything that we ate by the time they were 9 months old. Some people want to follow the rules, but really who made these rules? Your kids are going to eat what you do, so set a good example for them.

Milk and water should be the first choices of drinks for kids. In our house we avoid juice and soda. Even though some juices have calcium and vitamin D added, there’s still too much sugar in them. Despite what many say or think, 3 servings of dairy a day is recommended not just for kids but also for adults. Our kids consume yogurt and cheese too throughout the day, as well as 2 servings of milk.

The Times of India recently published an article which included a list of foods that should be included in the diets of those children that are impulsive, hyperactive, and have short attention spans. The list consisted of the following:

·         Milk – magnesium is found in milk and has a calming effect

·         Nuts – rich in omega-3 fatty acids also have a calming effect

·         Fruits containing vitamin C – Oranges, strawberries, blueberries all contain healthy antioxidants and aid in prevention of cortisol which is commonly known as the stress hormone. These fruits are also good in calming kids.

·         Leafy Greens – Veggies such as broccoli and spinach are rich in vitamin B which helps to reduce stress

·         Bananas – rich in potassium which helps to relax the muscles, this fruit is also rich in protein which if consumed throughout the day helps to evenly sustain your energy.

    Not that I am a pro or a wonderful mom, but I certainly don’t starve my kids. I think all moms are wonderful and for the most part, most if not all parents only truly want what is best for their child. Desis tend to think if a child is “thin” they may be malnourished, whereas the truth of the matter lies in the fact that if your child is growing and gaining weight (out growing their shoes, and clothes) you as a parent must be doing something right. I cringe a little every time I am told I need to feed my child a little more, or that I should feed them X-Y-and Z to get them to be “fuller.” Trust me, no one other than the mom and dad worries about feeding their kid, because we the parent are the ones that are feeding them 24/7.

It is very important to note, injuries and accidents aren’t the parents fault, ever (ok well, most of the times). I felt guilty for a few days thinking I must be a failure as a parent to have let this happened to my child. I’ve got an Aunty though, a special Aunty that isn’t your typical Desi Aunty, and she tends to know how to get my head out of my rear end at times. She told me how the broken arm is not my fault, and that this particular break isn’t because my daughter is a picky eater, it happened because she fell while she was playing. Interesting enough, falls are the leading cause of injury in children that result in a visit to the Emergency Room. In 2009 more than 2.8 million visits to the ER were resulted because of a fall (http://www.cdc.gov/safechild/NAP/background.html).

On a very last note, thank you to those that did have advice to give, I know you meant well. Although it made me feel like I might have failed as a parent, I know you care about my child’s well-being. A special thanks to those friends that recommended things that are actually helpful and will help her heal quicker. She’s getting turmeric added to her milk at bedtime without fail. We are also expecting to receive the Hyland’s Calcarea Phosphorica 6X in the mail this week to help her with the healing. For now, this Desi Girl is busy tending to the needs of her 5 year old while striving to do the best in school too.