Japa. If you not have heard the term before, I am sure you still know the meaning of it. You must have seen Japas, around your friends, your sisters, you female relatives who have just become new mothers.

The origin of this term is Sanskrit, which refers to the 45-day period following the bird of a child, during which the mother rests, recover, and bonds with her newborn. This sacred and traditional practice recognizes the significance of postpartum phase and allows mothers to rejuvenate and replenish after the long and tiring journey of carrying a baby for nine months.

In modern times, a Japa is a professional caregiver who supports the new born parents in child bird and cares for their child so the mother can recover well. She also ensures that the mother gets the care, including massages, and emotional support and help with her child that she needs. In such times, Japa can become a new mother's biggest support.

What Duties Does a Japa Perform?

Japa does a variet of tasks, and it mostly revolves around the newborn baby's care, mother's postpartum support and other household chores that caters to the baby and the mother's needs. These include:

Bathing the baby: A Japa carefully handles the baby during the newborn bath and is aware of the technique and can safely bathe the baby

Changing diapers: For the newborn's hygiene and comfort, frequent diaper changes are important and a Japa will ensure that it happens with uttermost care

Feeding and burping: A Japa can also help the new mother during breastfeeding sessions and makes sure that the baby is burped afterwards

In terms of mother's postpartum care, a Japa can do these following duties:

Nutritional Support: For a faster recovery for the mother, a balanced diet is always the most essential. Thus, a Japa is trained to understand the needs of a mother's body post pregnancy and prepares nutritious meals to support the breastfeeding mothers

Physical Recovery: Japas can also guide the new mothers with simple exercises and stretches that help them recover quickly. They also offer massage services to ensure that the mother's muscles and the body is relaxed and she can recover well

Household Chores

While Japas are not trained househelps, they can offer certain household chores which caters to the baby and the mother's needs. These include:

Meal Preparation: This is important for the mother, so the Japa takes care of the meal preparation, ensuring that the mother gets the right nutrition

Cleaning and Laundry: To ensure that clean and good hygiene is maintained around the baby, the Japa can also manage these cleaning tasks

What More Japas can do?

Japas also have knowledge of herbal medicines, they give remedies for parents and newborn babies. However, it is always advised that before consuming any such decoction, you must speak to your doctor.

Japas, since are experienced, they understand baby's body language and gestures. They can support the mother by telling her how to interpret these cues accurately and respond to them accordingly.

A good news for all, especially the doctors and the kids. While the society's shift to cashless transactions has transformed everyone's day to day life. People are now able to make payments faster and no one has to worry about keeping the change. However, there's another benefit to it too. It is a health benefit! Now, there are way fewer cases of kids swallowing coins. It has reduced the need for medical procedures to remove them, reports BBC.

The study recently published in The Annals of Royal College of Surgeons of England looked at the hospital records in England over the past two decades. It also found a significant decline in procedures to remove foreign objects from children's throats, airways, and noses, with nearly 700 fewer cases by 2022.

Historically, coins had accounted for over 75% of objects that children under 6 would swallow. However, the data from the UK Payments Markets Survey show that card payments began to outpace cash in 2010. The researchers noticed the decline in the cases of kids swallowing coins during the same period. This is what suggested a link between fewer coins being in circulation and fewer accidents happening like that.

An open-access web version of the study, released in June 2024, analyzed data from 2012 to 2022. The key findings included:

• A 29% drop in foreign-body removal procedures, from 2,405 cases to 1,716
• 195 fewer procedures to remove swallowed objects, dropping from 708 to 513
• 484 fewer cases of objects being removed from noses, from 1,565 to 1,081
• 10 fewer procedures involving the respiratory tract, from 132 to 122

ENT surgeon Ram Moorthy, a member of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, praised the findings. "It is positive that fewer children are swallowing coins," he said. "This study shows how new technology can make children safer in ways we didn't intend."

What Could Have Been The Other Factors?

While the shift to cashless payment is of course a major factor in decline in such emergency cases, researchers also believe that there could be other things too that may have played role. These include:

• Childproofing the household items
• Safety campaigns that have raised awareness among parents
• An improved parental supervision which made them understand better on choking hazards

These measures have helped to reduce not just the incidents of swallowing coins, but also other objects that would often get lodged in their noses and airways.

Are There New Dangers?

While the number of cases of kids who swallowed coins may have gone down, the dangers are still there. With the growth of more and more technology, the toys are no longer simple. They run on battery and have features and elements like magnets, which are also easy for kids to swallow. In fact small button batteries can cause severe internal burns if swallowed. It can also lead to life-threatening complications within hours.

Furthermore, magnets can also be powerful neodymium magnets which can attract each other inside the body and can often pinch and damage the internal tissues.

According to NHS data from 2010 to 2016, removing foreign objects from ears and noses costs hospitals in England around £3 million per year. Children are responsible for the majority of these cases:

95% of objects removed from noses involved children

85% of objects removed from ears were from children

Among adults, cotton buds (used for ear cleaning) are the most common foreign object that requires medical removal.

Toddlers seem to have boundless energy; they will jump around all day long with no rest and still insist on delaying their sleep. While it may seem like they have all the energy in the world, that is not true. The only difference is that they do not know their own limits. They will eventually burn out, and it is a parent's job to make sure they are regulating their energy properly.

You must tell them when it is time to rest, when they should refuel, and how to do certain things more efficiently so that they are not spending their time and energy recklessly. One huge part of teaching them this is sleep training. Similar to how we find it difficult to do certain things when we are tired and have not slept enough, kids also have a difficult time focusing, regulating their emotions and enjoy their time with limited sleep.

Sleep Training Methods You Should Try

There are many different ways to train a toddlers, here are some methods you should try.

Fading Method

The fading method is a gentle way to help toddlers learn to sleep alone. If your child is used to being held or rocked to sleep, this method gradually reduces that. You put them in bed when they're sleepy, but still awake. If they cry, you wait a few minutes before going back in. When you do go back, offer comfort without picking them up. This helps them learn to self-soothe. Over a few nights, they'll start to fall asleep on their own, with less fussing. This method is good for toddlers who need a gradual change.

Cry It Out Method

The "cry it out" method involves putting your toddler to bed and not returning, even if they cry. Some parents find this difficult, but it can be effective. You might check in briefly to reassure them, but avoid extended comfort. This method teaches toddlers that crying won't get them out of bed. It sets clear boundaries and helps them learn to fall asleep independently. It's important to be consistent and stick to the method for it to work.

Camp It Out Method

The "camp it out" method helps toddlers transition from sleeping with parents to sleeping alone. You start by sleeping in their room, then gradually move further away. This helps them feel secure in their own bed. You can begin with a mattress on the floor, then a chair, and eventually leave the room entirely. If they wake up, you can offer brief reassurance. This method offers a gradual way to get toddlers used to sleeping alone.

Creating a Bedtime Routine for Toddler Success

Naps are important for toddlers and parents. To make nap time easier, try scheduling it at the same time every day. Plan active play before nap time to help them get tired. If your toddler sleeps well at night, they might not need naps anymore. You can replace nap time with quiet time. This allows for your child to rest, and for you to get a break as well. Consistency is key for establishing good nap habits.

A consistent bedtime routine helps toddlers know it's time to sleep. Start about 30 to 60 minutes before bed with calming activities. This could include a warm bath, reading a book, or quiet play. Avoid screens or exciting activities. Dim the lights and create a relaxing environment. The most important thing is to be consistent and do the same things every night. This helps toddlers feel secure and ready for sleep.

"How can Accutane be so toxic to a tiny human?" says UK-based GP Sermed Mezher, who also educates people on health through his social media video.

There are hundreds of pregnancies every single year which are either lost or end up abnormally because of women getting pregnant on acutance despite being told expressly to take reliable contraception.

So, what is Accutane?

Dr Mezher mentions, Accutane (isotretinoin) is a powerful medication used to treat severe acne, but it can cause serious birth defects if taken during pregnancy. It is classified as a teratogen, meaning it directly interferes with fetal development, leading to severe malformations of the brain, heart, face, and central nervous system. Even small doses can be harmful, and the risk of miscarriage is also significantly higher.

What Can Accutane Do?

The acne drug is considered a danger to female who become pregnant while using it. These are from the class of drugs known as retinoids, isotretinoin and is prescribed for patients suffering from severe recalcitrant nodular acne. This is who those who have not responded to other treatments. Studies have shown that pregnant women who take Accutane often face higher rates of spontaneous abortion and develop fetus that could be born with severe birth defects like craniofacial and heart defects.

As per the National Health Service (NHS), UK, isotretinoin should not be used in pregnancy as it cause birth defects. If you become pregnant during treatment with these, you can stop taking the capsules and must speak to your doctors as soon as possible.

What Can You Do To Avoid Problems?

It is also important to be on contraception while you are on Accutane. The contraception method must be reliable such as intrauterine device or a contraceptive implant or injection. You can choose your contraception for one month before starting your isotretinoin capsules and during treatment and for 1 month after the treated has stopped.

ALSO READ: How To Prevent Contagious Illness In Kids?

You must also continue to use contraception even if you do not have periods and you are not sexually active, unless your doctor advises otherwise.

What Does The Expert Say?

Dr Mezher says that it is because of these dangers, women who take Accutane are required to follow strict pregnancy prevention measures, including two forms of contraception and undergoing regular pregnancy tests.

The medication is only prescribed under the iPLEDGE program, which ensures that patients understand the risks and commit to avoiding pregnancy while on the drug.

If a woman becomes pregnant while taking Accutane, immediate medical consultation is crucial, as the potential for severe and irreversible harm to the baby is extremely high.

How Does Accutane Reflect On The Infant?

It causes craniofacial malformation, including craniosynostosis. This is the result of an infant's skull or facial bones fusing together too soon in an abnormal way. John Hopkins Medicine notes that when the bone fuse together too early, the brain can become damaged as it grows and cannot expand properly. The infant too therefore can develop neurological problems.