Pediatrics
Health of your children is the most important thing in your life and theirs. We provide a full range of outpatient and inpatient services to keep children healthy and help them when they are sick.
Our team consists of Pediatrician, Pediatric Specialists (Orthopedics, Sleep, Critical Care), Nurses, Nutrition and Physical Therapy experts.
Amara Hospital is committed to the overall health of your child. We manage the developmental, physical, emotional, and behavioral health of your child from infancy to the age of 18.
Let us be partners in the care of your child’s health.
MEET OUR TEAM
Pediatric Consultant
Mon - Sat : 10 AM - 4 PM BOOK AN APPOINTMENT KNOW YOUR DOCTOR
- EDUCATION
- EXPERIENCE
- RESEARCH
- REWARDS
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Pediatric Orthopedics
Mon - Sat : 10 AM - 4 PM BOOK AN APPOINTMENT KNOW YOUR DOCTOR
- EDUCATION
- EXPERIENCE
- RESEARCH
- REWARDS
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Pediatric Sleep Services
Mon - Sat : 10 AM - 4 PM BOOK AN APPOINTMENT KNOW YOUR DOCTOR
- EDUCATION
- EXPERIENCE
- RESEARCH
- REWARDS
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MEET OUR TEAM
Dr. Swetha Reddy K
Consultant Paediatrician
Mon - Sat : 9 AM - 5 PM
- EDUCATION
- EXPERIENCE
- RESEARCH
- REWARDS
Dr. Shama Sowdagar
Consultant Paediatrician
Mon - Sat : 9 AM - 5 PM
- EDUCATION
- EXPERIENCE
- RESEARCH
- REWARDS
FOR A HEALTHIER, HAPPIER CHILD
Well Baby Health Checks (1 week to 2 years)
A new baby is a bundle of joy and fun. Yet understanding all of your responsibilities as a new parent can become overwhelming and stressful. Amara is here to support you through this process. Appropriately scheduled Well Baby Checks are important in monitoring your baby’s growth, development, eating and sleeping habits. They also ensure that your baby receives the necessary vaccination in time.
Let us be partners in ensuring your baby’s health.
Pediatric Services
We offer excellent pediatric primary
(Well Baby and Well Child Health Checks) as well as child-focused inpatient and emergency care.
For children with chronic medical problems, we provide appropriate team-based care to improve their functional ability and quality of life. It will also reduce unnecessary emergency department visits and hospitalizations, thereby reducing stress to the family.
Well Child Health Checks
Most parents are good about taking children to the doctor when they are sick, but regular pediatrician visits are just as important for healthy children.
Childhood Obesity Services
Who needs assessment?
Any child who is overweight (BMI between 85% to 94.9%) or obese (BMI at or above 95%) will benefit from our Childhood Obesity Services. Also, if your family has a strong history of obesity and you want to prevent your child from becoming obese, these services will be useful.
An obese child should not be put on a diet, without proper medical guidance.
ADDRESSING YOUR CONCERNS
Is my child obese?
BMI (Body Mass Index) is a measure of body fat (based on weight in relation to height). Children with a BMI between 85th and 94th percentile (same age and sex) are overweight, while ones with BMI at or above the 95th percentile are obese.
Go to https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/bmi/calculator.html to calculate your child’s BMI by entering height and weight.
Childhood obesity may be harmful to children in several ways.
Obese children are:
- more prone to being teased by others and may have a lower sense of self-worth. This may lead to higher rates of loneliness, sadness and nervousness.
- more likely to smoke and use alcohol.
- at higher risk of developing health problems like high blood pressure, sugar and cholesterol, sleep apnea, and asthma
- more likely to be obese as adults.
- more likely to develop chronic health problems like hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, heart disease, stroke and kidney problems as young adults.
What causes obesity?
There has been a 10-fold increase in childhood obesity over the past 20 years (especially children aged 2-5 years). Studies show that 3.6 to 11.7% of Indian children are obese. By 2025 it is predicted that there will be 17 million obese children in India. So, why is this happening? This increase is a result of changes in lifestyle leading to:
Unhealthy diet
Children are eating more junk food and drinking sugary drinks. Families are going out to restaurants and eating more take-out food, resulting in the consumption of more preservatives and unhealthy food.
Less physical activity
Children are spending more time watching TV, playing video games and using the computer and smart phone. They are also spending less time playing outside and engaging in sports. Families too are preferring movie nights to going hiking or taking up outdoor activities. All this is resulting in a sedentary lifestyle.
Some children may be more prone to gaining weight, but by eating right and being active, they can maintain a healthy weight.
How can I prevent my child from becoming overweight / obese?
- Cook healthy dishes that your child likes.
- Try not to keep junk food at home. Identify healthy snacks (fruits, vegetables, nuts) for your child to eat if hungry between meals.
- If the child has the occasional chips or cookies, teach him / her to limit the quantity.
- Encourage eating smaller portions of food if you feel that the child is gaining weight.
- It is important for your child to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water throughout the day, rather than sugary drinks like soda and cool drinks.
- Limit the time your child spends on television, computer and smartphone.
- Encourage your child to be physically active.
- Please refer to:
- Encouraging your child to eat a balanced diet
- Is my child’s physical activity appropriate?
If your child is obese, it is not safe to put him / her on a diet without medical guidance. Schedule an appointment with Amara Hospital to take advantage of our Childhood Obesity Services.
Is my child obese?
BMI (Body Mass Index) is a measure of body fat (based on weight in relation to height). Children with a BMI between 85th and 94th percentile (same age and sex) are overweight, while ones with BMI at or above the 95th percentile are obese.
Go to https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/bmi/calculator.html to calculate your child’s BMI by entering height and weight.
My child is bedwetting, can you help?
Bedwetting is when children are old enough to control their bladder, but urinate at night while asleep. Nocturnal enuresis is common in children under the age of 5 years, but may also occur in about 10% of children between 5 – 7 years.
Bedwetting can be stressful and embarrassing for parents as well as children.
What are the causes of bedwetting?
Bedwetting should not be attributed to laziness, although in a small number of cases, behavior may play a role. Parents should be patient and supportive with their children. There are a number of factors that may contribute to bedwetting:
- Small bladder
- Inability to recognize a full bladder
- Constipation
- Hormonal imbalance
- Childhood diabetes
- Urinary tract infection
- Structural problem in the urinary tract or nervous system
- Snoring and sleep apnea
What risk factors predispose your child to bedwetting?
- More common in boys
- Stress and anxiety
- Family history
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
What complications can occur due to bedwetting?
Although frustrating, bedwetting has no real consequences, unless there is a structural or medical cause. However, there are issues that you need to watch for:
- Guilt and embarrassment can lead to low-self-esteem.
- Fear of bedwetting may cause the child to avoid sleeping over at a friend's house, going to camp and other activities.
- Rashes on child's bottom and genital area, especially if the child sleeps in wet clothes.
What can you do to help your child from bedwetting?
- Bedwetting is not the child's fault, don't tease, scold or punish your child
- Avoid high sugar food, carbonated and caffeinated drinks
- Create a schedule for child's bathroom use (at least 5 times in a day, and just before bedtime)
- Reduce amount of fluids your child drinks 1-2 hours before bedtime
- Consider using training pants for your child at night, or during overnight trips out of home
- Water-proof sheets and room deodorizers will help protect mattress and improve smell
- After an incident, wash your child and use petroleum jelly to avoid skin irritation
- Note bedwetting pattern on a calendar to track your child's progress
- Child should have at least one bowel movement each day.
- Remember that bedwetting ends on its own for most children.
If your child continues to wet the bed after 7 years of age, consult a pediatrician
What questions will your doctor ask you?
- How often does this happen?
- Does the child have any other symptoms?
- Keep a bladder diary including the following information:
- How often the child urinates during the day and at night (with times)
- How often the child passes stool. How hard or soft it is.
- What the child drinks before bedtime.
What are the treatments available?
Behavioral therapies, medications and wetting alarms are available.
Make an appointment with Amara Hospital today to help your child.
My child is bedwetting, can you help?
Bedwetting is when children are old enough to control their bladder, but urinate at night while asleep. Nocturnal enuresis is common in children under the age of 5 years, but may also occur in about 10% of children between 5 – 7 years.
Bedwetting can be stressful and embarrassing for parents as well as children.
YOUR GUIDE TO RAISING
A HEALTHY CHILD
What is normal growth?
Growth is increase in the size of the body or quantitative growth (includes height and weight). Other components of growth include brain growth (head circumference) and nutritional status (mid-arm circumference). Growth also goes hand in hand with development (see Is my child’s development on track?)
What is normal growth?
Growth is increase in the size of the body or quantitative growth (includes height and weight). Other components of growth include brain growth (head circumference) and nutritional status (mid-arm circumference). Growth also goes hand in hand with development (see Is my child’s development on track?)
Growth in the first year of life is remarkable. The baby grows 10 inches (25cm) on average, and its birth weight triples. After this the growth slows a bit. After the age of 2, your child will grow about 2.5 inches (6cm) a year till adolescence, but this is variable. There may be times of slow growth, followed by growth spurts.
How can I monitor my child's growth?
We will monitor your child’s growth during the Well Baby and Well Child Health Checks. To monitor your child’s growth at home, refer to the below links:
GROWTH CHARTS FOR 0-5 YEARS
| MEASUREMENT | LINK | ||
|---|---|---|---|
Weight | |||
Height | |||
Weight for height | |||
Body Mass Index (BMI) | |||
If your child’s height and weight falls between the 2 redlines, then your child is growing normally.
If your child's height or weight falls above or below the red lines, you should be concerned and schedule an appointment with Amara Hospital. There are many possible causes of poor growth. Our pediatrician will evaluate your child for underlying medical, hormonal and other disorders as and when required.
How can I ensure that my child grows properly?
Enough rest: Most children need 10-12 hours of sleep; adolescents require 8-10 hours per night. Sleep is essential for growth, since growth hormone is secreted during slow wave sleep. In addition, reduced and disturbed sleep in older children will suppress Leptin (satiety hormone), increasing hunger which may lead to obesity.
Good nutrition: A balanced diet, rich in necessary vitamins and minerals will enable children to reach their full growth potential.
Regular exercise: Ensure children are physically active. Encourage them to run, cycle, dance and play sports. Exercise strengthens bones, tones muscles, and keeps children active and happy. Set limits for the time they sit in front of the TV, computer and use the smartphone.
There is more to development than just checking height and weight. While growth looks at size, development looks at function. There are a number of other milestones to look for. Dr. Swetha Reddy, Pediatrician at Amara Hospital, says that you should look for other motor and language skills in the first months of your baby’s life.
Babies begin to vocalize around 1 month, and at 3 months they will push their head up while lying on their stomach. By 4 months, they chatter and start to laugh. To track your child’s development, please visit https://pathways.org/. This describes age-specific milestones and abilities (with videos) and suggested games for each age.
From birth to age five, a child’s brain develops more rapidly than at any other time in life, and will have a long-term impact on health and future success in school and life. Understanding age-wise development, detecting problems early and addressing them appropriately is very important for babies and young children.
At Amara, we believe in the holistic development of your child. To ensure that your child is on track, take advantage of our Well Baby and Well Child Health Checks.
What is immunization?
Immunization is a process which makes a person immune to an infectious disease by administering a vaccine (shot). The vaccine consists of a small amount of germ which causes the disease that you are trying to protect your child from. This stimulates your child’s own immune system to develop antibodies against the disease.
What is immunization?
Immunization is a process which makes a person immune to an infectious disease by administering a vaccine (shot). The vaccine consists of a small amount of germ which causes the disease that you are trying to protect your child from. This stimulates your child’s own immune system to develop antibodies against the disease.
What types of vaccines are there?
There are different types of vaccines:
Attenuated (weakened) live virus | Measles, Mumps, and Rubella - MMR | |
Killed virus or bacteria | Inactivated Polio | |
Toxoid vaccine (inactivated toxin
produced by bacterium) | Diphtheria, Tetanus Toxoid | |
Conjugated vaccine (parts of
bacteria with protein) | Haemophilus Influenza Type B | |
Failure to give your child the correct shots at the appropriate time will put him/her at risk of developing childhood illnesses like Polio, Diphtheria, Whooping Cough, Measles, Mumps, Rubella and Pneumonia. Refer to the immunization chart for an understanding of age-specific vaccination requirement for your child. Regular Well Baby and Well Child Health Checks will allow our team to ensure that your child receives the correct shots
When should different vaccines be given?
Vaccine Abbreviation
What is a balanced diet?
Children need a balanced diet with different foods and proportions, so they receive all of the nutrients, vitamins, minerals, protein, and calories in the correct amount. Too little or too much will lead to nutrition-related problems. A food pyramid is a good way to understand how to plan your child’s daily
How can I teach my child to eat healthy food?
Teaching children to eat healthy should start early. Be a role model for your children by keeping a healthy selection of food at home, and by eating healthy food yourself. Keeping junk food at home and expecting your child to eat only fruits and vegetables will not work.
What else can I do?
- Cook tasty food using healthy ingredients.
- Introduce new healthy food frequently when children are young. They may need to try new food several times before accepting it.
- Let your children choose from a variety of healthy snacks. This will give them freedom to choose something healthy.
- Involve children in shopping (for fruit and vegetables) and in cooking healthy food.
- Avoid serving children sweetened drinks like cola and cool drinks. Avoid highly processed food with preservatives.
- Eat meals together, so you can supervise what they are eating. Children who eat a full meal are less likely to eat junk food between meals.
What are the effects of poor nutrition on children?
Nutritional deficiencies (or) low calorie food | Impaired growth, poor development of bones | |
High sugar food and carbonated drinks,
preservatives | Dental caries, muscle cramps | |
High intake of food, especially if high in sugar | Obesity, early onset of diabetes, hypertension,
heart disease and cancer | |
Cognitive and behavioral problems | Delay in milestones like language,
learning disabilities, ADHD*, restlessness,
temper tantrums, nervousness. | |
*ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) is characterized by problems with attention, hyperactivity, poor organization,
and low self-esteem. Poor nutrition is one possible cause.
What is a balanced diet?
Children need a balanced diet with different foods and proportions, so they receive all of the nutrients, vitamins, minerals, protein, and calories in the correct amount. Too little or too much will lead to nutrition-related problems. A food pyramid is a good way to understand how to plan your child’s daily
Types of physical activity (PA) include:
- Aerobics : makes heart beat faster (running, swimming)
- Muscle Strengthening : strengthens muscles.
- Bone Strengthening : strengthens bones.
- Aerobics : makes heart beat faster (running, swimming)
- Muscle Strengthening : strengthens muscles.
- Bone Strengthening : strengthens bones.
What are the benefits of PA?
Regular physical activity (PA) is good for children's bodies. It promotes growth and development in young children (ages 3 – 5 years). It is also important for older children and adolescents to grow strong bones and muscles, build endurance and maintain a healthy weight.
Studies have revealed that any kind of physical activity, ranging from moderate to vigorous, serves to enhance children's critical thinking abilities, helping improve their school performance.
Children and young adults who exercise regularly are more likely to exercise as adults and will seek fitness throughout their lifespan. The single strongest predictor of fitness and well-being in later life was whether someone played a varsity sport in high school (2014 World War II Veterans study, 2014)
How much physical activity does my child need?
Exercise should be encouraged throughout the day for younger children (ages 3 to 5 years).
Older children and adolescents (6-17 years) should exercise for at least 60 minutes a day. This should include muscle-strengthening and bone-strengthening exercise at least 3 times a week
Type of Physical Activity
Type of Physical Activity & Examples
Examples
Moderate Aerobics
(strenuous enough to burn 3-6 times as much energy/minute compared to sitting quietly)
Brisk walking, Bicycle riding (plain road), Hiking, swimming, Games that require catching and throwing, (cricket, throw ball, badminton) garden work, housework such as sweeping
Vigorous Aerobics
(strenuous enough to burn > 6 times as much energy/ minute)
Running Bicycle riding (may include hills) ,Games that require running (tag), Jumping rope, Martial arts (Karate, Tae Kwan Do), Sports (Soccer, Basketball, Swimming, Tennis) , Vigorous dancing
https://marathonkids.org/pe-running-games/
Muscle- strengthening
Games such as tug of war push-ups, squats, Climbing rope, tree or playground equipment, Yoga, Resistance exercise using weights, resistance bands and hand held weights (should have supervision initially) https://forkidsplus.com/30-strength-exercises-for-kids/
Bone- strengthening
Hopping, skipping, jumping
Running , Sports that require, jumping or rapid changes in direction
How can I encourage my child (or adolescent) to be more physically active?
- Encourage them to reduce the time spent sitting or lying down.
- Consider dividing their activity into parts in order to add movement and activity to their daily routine.
- Choose a school that values and encourages physical education and sports.
- Encourage them to join a sport such as cricket, basketball, football or any other game. They will also learn how to work in a team and gain self-confidence.
- Help them find something they enjoy. If they don't like games, they may like dance. If they like the outdoors, they may like hiking, mountain climbing or cycling.
- Instead of using a car or two-wheeler, walk with them to the library or store.
- Involve them in house or garden work. They will also learn to be responsible.
Types of physical activity (PA) include:
- Aerobics : makes heart beat faster (running, swimming)
- Muscle Strengthening : strengthens muscles.
- Bone Strengthening : strengthens bones.
