When I met my friend Aishwarya's daughter, Aanya, on a Sunday afternoon, she was building an entire world in her backyard using only sticks, leaves, and her imagination. In her eyes, a stick became a magic wand, leaves turned into currency for her "shop," and an old cardboard box was her fortress. Aishwarya admitted that this was Aanya’s “free play” time—a period without gadgets, instructions, or adult guidance, which made me curious.

To put this to rest, we had a word with Dr Kushal Agrawal, Neonatologist and Head of the Department of Neonatology and Paediatrics at KVR Hospital Kashipur, "Unstructured play is much more than just frivolous fun. It is an integral part of child development. Today, children do not have much scope for free play. With the academic system, straddled by extracurricular activities and digital entertainment, the scope for unstructured play is getting smaller and smaller.". On the contrary, research reveals that unstructured plays hold a lot of benefits for children that structured activities may not have in store.

What are the Physical Benefits of Unstructured Play?

According to Dr Agrawal, "free time plays" are a great way for kids to get involved in physical activities meant for their growth. "When children are left to play freely, their movements become more varied and spontaneous," he says. Science behind this practice does support this because free play increases the levels of physical activity, which is moderately vigorous in children; this is essential in preventing childhood obesity and promoting health in general.

Other than these, the outdoor environments provide opportunities and challenges for natural development outside. While children run, jump, climb, and look around the outdoors, they can become able to develop strength, coordination, and endurance for a healthy and active lifestyle by exercising. Otherwise, structured activities often restrict children to specific movements or instructions.

How Play helps in Social and Emotional Growth of Kids?

Except for physical fitness, disorganized play lays the foundation for basic social and emotional capabilities. During unorganized play, children invent their games, negotiate roles, settle disputes, and collaborate to attain some common objectives. According to Dr. Agrawal, "such interactions build empathy, cooperation, and communication skills as children learn to express themselves, listen to others and adapt to group dynamics.".

Research indicates that children learn emotional resilience through unstructured play, navigating minor setbacks in a low-stakes environment. If the game goes sour, kids learn to solve the problem on the spot; this builds up their self-confidence as well as independence. This is a kind of play that gives children the freedom to learn by themselves and try new things without having the fear of being prohibited by others or the fear of failure.

How Parents can Encourage Creativity and Problem-Solving in Children

Freedom in play helps unlock a child's creativity and the problem-solving aspects. Most structured activities have predetermined tasks or instructions that do not develop creative thought. According to Dr Agrawal, "When children are allowed to be free, they can explore and create their own scenarios, which are meant for developing unique solutions based on critical thinking.".

Unstructured play provides children with a number of materials for play—blocks, sand, or leaves, for example—without script, so that they invent games, build imaginary worlds, and, in a very real sense, answer their natural curiosity. It has been proven that this type of play helps children to make decisions, adaptability, and innovations, qualities useful throughout life.

Is Play Holistic Approach to Child Development?

Dr Agrawal believes that unstructured play is a very important factor of all-rounded child development. "Nowadays, children's lives are very scheduled, so it's very important for the parents to remember how necessary play is", he further adds. Being freely playful would be a great support to their healthy physical development as well as social, emotional, and cognitive development.

As parents, we can encourage free play by creating an environment that encourages exploration and curiosity. What can be very impactful is giving the child a safe outdoor space and setting aside gadgets to allow for uninterrupted time to play. As these spaces tend to be counterintuitive to everything that can be seen as a hallmark of productivity and measurable progress, unstructured play allows the children to build resilience, independence, and joy.

Giving Children the Freedom to Play

More than just being childhood, unstructured play confers a wide range of benefits since children learn to manage social dynamics, solve problems independently, and bring their creativity into life which puts them better prepared for the challenges of adulthood. In this natural form of play, people lay down a foundation for lifelong skills to achieve balanced wellbeing and success.

The next time you catch your child playing carefree—maybe using a stick as a wand or a rock as a pet—take the time to be thankful for the developmental steps.

Nearly 76,805 children and adolescents in India are estimated to develop cancer each year. At the same time, childhood cancer can be highly treatable when diagnosed early and managed appropriately, with survival exceeding 80% in settings where timely diagnosis and comprehensive treatment are available.

When people think about preventive healthcare for children, the conversation usually centers on vaccinations, good nutrition, physical activity, sleep and regular health check-ups. These are important for a child’s overall health. But prevention also involves something that is often overlooked: recognizing when a child’s health is changing and seeking medical advice at the right time.

Childhood cancer is different from many cancers seen in adults. In most cases, there is no clear lifestyle-related cause that parents could have avoided. A child developing cancer is therefore not usually linked to something the parents did or did not do. This is important because there is no particular diet, exercise routine or supplement that can guarantee protection against childhood cancer.

The Importance of Recognizing a Pattern

For doctors, one of the more practical ways to improve outcomes is to recognize when a seemingly common symptom is not following its usual course. Fever, tiredness, headaches, loss of appetite or body pain are frequent childhood complaints. But when they persist, keep returning or occur alongside other changes, they should not simply be treated repeatedly without evaluation.

• Unexplained weight loss

• Unusual bruising or bleeding

• Persistent bone or abdominal pain

• A growing lump or swelling

• Repeated headaches

• Changes in vision

These are some signs that may require further assessment. These symptoms are not specific to cancer, but their persistence warrants attention.

Why Early Diagnosis Matters

Most childhood cancers do not have a routine screening test for healthy children. Diagnosis therefore often depends on noticing an unusual pattern and investigating it appropriately.

A delay does not necessarily mean that cancer has been missed, but prolonged delays can allow some cancers to progress before treatment begins. For this reason, awareness among parents and healthcare providers, timely evaluation and appropriate referral are important parts of childhood cancer care.

Prevention Is Not Just About Avoiding Cancer

Vaccination still has a place in the broader cancer-prevention conversation. Hepatitis B vaccination helps reduce the risk of liver cancer linked to chronic hepatitis B infection, while HPV vaccination can help prevent HPV-related cancers later in life. However, these vaccines do not prevent most cancers that occur during childhood.

Similarly, nutrition should be viewed in the right context. A balanced diet supports growth and recovery, including during cancer treatment, but there is no specific food or diet that can prevent a cancer.

The Cost of Childhood Cancer

Childhood cancer can place a significant financial and practical burden on families. Treatment costs may be accompanied by expenses related to travel, accommodation, food and time away from work.

At the same time, families today have more avenues of support than before. Government health schemes, public healthcare facilities and non-government organizations can help with treatment costs and other practical needs. The challenge is ensuring that families are aware of these resources and can access them early enough.

Looking Beyond Treatment

Children who survive cancer may need long-term monitoring for possible effects of treatment on growth, development and other aspects of health.

For childhood cancer, therefore, prevention is less about finding a way to eliminate risk and more about reducing what can be changed: delayed diagnosis, interruptions in treatment and avoidable long-term complications..

(Dr Amita Mahajan, Senior Consultant, Pediatric Oncology, Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, Delhi)

A baby's first protection against serious infections begins even before birth. Timely maternal vaccination during pregnancy helps pass protective antibodies from mother to baby, offering valuable immunity during the first few months of life.

Many parents believe that a baby's vaccination journey starts only after birth. However, doctors say a baby's first protection actually begins during pregnancy. During the third trimester, a mother's body naturally passes protective antibodies to her baby through the placenta.

These antibodies help protect newborns from certain infections during the first few months of life, when their immune system is still developing and before their own vaccines provide full protection. Maternal immunisation not only protects the mother from serious illnesses during pregnancy but also gives the baby a healthy start. Yet, many expectant mothers are aware only of the tetanus-containing vaccine (Td) and may not know about other important vaccines or health checks that can benefit both mother and child.

How does a baby get protection before birth?

During pregnancy, especially in the last three months, antibodies produced by the mother's immune system cross the placenta and enter the baby's bloodstream. These antibodies act as the baby's first line of defence after birth.

Since newborn babies have immature immune systems, this natural transfer of immunity helps lower the risk of severe infections during the early weeks and months of life. This protection is temporary, which is why babies still need to receive all their routine childhood vaccinations on time after birth.

Also read: Trying For A Baby? Tobacco Smoking Hurting Male And Female Fertility, Warns WHO

Which vaccines are important during pregnancy?

Doctors commonly recommend the Td (Tetanus and Diphtheria) vaccine during pregnancy to protect both the mother and baby from tetanus. Depending on the mother's medical condition, vaccination history, and local recommendations, doctors may also advise the Tdap vaccine, which protects against tetanus, diphtheria, and whooping cough (pertussis).

In some situations, the influenza (flu) vaccine may also be recommended, particularly during flu season or for women at higher risk of complications. Another important step is rubella screening before pregnancy. Rubella infection during early pregnancy can lead to serious birth defects. Women planning pregnancy should ensure they are protected against rubella before conceiving, as the vaccine is not given during pregnancy.

Also read: Are Children Breathing Clean Air Inside Classrooms? New European Study Raises Concern

Why maternal vaccination matters?

Vaccination during pregnancy helps reduce the mother's risk of certain infections, lowering the chances of illness-related complications during pregnancy. At the same time, it allows protective antibodies to reach the baby before birth, providing valuable immunity until the infant begins receiving routine childhood vaccines.

Discuss vaccination early during antenatal visits so that recommended vaccines can be given at the appropriate time. Every pregnancy is unique, and vaccination decisions should always be made in consultation with the doctor.

Tips for expectant mothers

• Discuss recommended vaccines during your very first antenatal visit.

• Receive the Td vaccine as advised by your doctor.

• Ask your doctor whether the Tdap vaccine is recommended in your pregnancy.

• If advised, get the influenza vaccine during pregnancy.

• If planning a pregnancy, get screened for rubella immunity and complete vaccination before conception if needed.

• Attend all regular prenatal check-ups.

• Follow a healthy diet, stay physically active as advised, and get adequate rest.

• Continue your baby's routine vaccination schedule after birth without delay.

By discussing immunisation early in pregnancy and following medical advice, parents can give their newborn an important layer of protection even before the first cry.

Globally, one in six people of reproductive age experiences infertility at some point in their lifetime. Smoking is one of the key reasons for infertility among men and women worldwide, according to a new World Health Organization (WHO) knowledge summary.

The report, the 12th in a series of Tobacco Knowledge Summaries, highlights evidence linking tobacco use to infertility in women, harmful effects on sperm and sexual function in men, and potentially lower chances of success with some fertility treatments. It also warns that second-hand smoke may affect reproductive health.

Infertility is defined as the failure to achieve pregnancy after 12 months or more of regular unprotected sex.

What Does the WHO Report Say?

Infertility can have multiple causes. However, cigarette smoking and exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke are associated with infertility in women.

The harmful effects of cigarette smoking on women’s reproductive health are well documented, while evidence on other tobacco products, including waterpipe and smokeless tobacco, as well as nicotine products such as e-cigarettes, is still emerging.

Current data suggest potential risks to fertility, but further research is needed to fully understand these effects. Among

men, cigarette smoking is associated with harmful effects on semen and sperm, as well as sexual function, which can contribute to infertility.

On the other hand, women who quit smoking may have a lower risk of infertility compared with women who continue to smoke.

WHO recommends that healthcare providers inform individuals and couples planning pregnancy about the reproductive risks of tobacco use and offer evidence-based support to help them quit.

How Smoking Affects Fertility?

“Smoking is an important fertility consideration for both men and women. It can affect the quality of both eggs and sperm, and the concern is not limited to people who smoke themselves,” Dr Neelam Suri, Senior Consultant, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, Delhi, told HealthandMe.

Smoking also accelerates follicular depletion, which may contribute to an earlier onset of menopause compared with women who do not smoke.

Second-hand smoke can expose individuals to harmful substances that may affect reproductive health. Eggs and sperm are rapidly developing cells, and exposure to tobacco smoke can increase the risk of DNA damage and other cellular changes that may affect fertility and reproductive outcomes.

Dr Shalu , Senior Clinical Director, Cloudnine Group of Hospitals, Gurugram, told HealthandMe that while passive smoking may not directly cause infertility in every individual, regular exposure to tobacco smoke can affect reproductive health and have significant implications during pregnancy.

These include ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage, preterm birth, pre-eclampsia, fetal growth restriction, low birth weight, stillbirth, placental complications and neonatal complications.

Regular exposure to second-hand smoke may also potentially influence the chances of success with fertility treatments such as IVF.

“This is particularly relevant for couples undergoing IVF, where egg and sperm quality can influence the chances of successful treatment,” Dr Suri said.

What Should Couples Planning Pregnancy Do?

For couples planning a pregnancy or undergoing fertility treatment, avoiding tobacco smoke is an important step towards protecting reproductive health.

This means quitting smoking and maintaining a smoke-free environment at home to reduce regular exposure to cigarette smoke.

At the same time, fertility depends on multiple factors. Exposure to second-hand smoke does not necessarily mean a couple will experience infertility or IVF failure. However, reducing preventable risk factors can be beneficial when trying to conceive.

Ideally, couples should create a smoke-free environment before conception rather than waiting until fertility difficulties emerge.