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Saturday, April 30, 2011

Is your home child friendly?

Is your home child friendly?

You don't have to give up on the idea of decorating your house, just because you have children. With simple tweaks and tips, you can make your home child friendly.…

When Sheetal Kher, singer Kailash Kher's wife was eight months pregnant, she decided to do up her baby's bedroom. Being a huge Calvin and Hobbes fan, she got her artist friend to paint some of her favourite cartoons on one of the walls of the room. Using non-toxic paints, she transformed the room into a piece from comic strip and is now looking for other furniture to complement the walls. The idea is to give her son (nine-month-old Kabir) his space. "It is important for a child to have a sense of self so that he grows into a confident toddler. Having a child friendly home ensures that your child is safe even when you are not able to keep a constant watch on him," she says.

Getting Started

Being a new parent can often present a new set of challenges that can leave you unsure and frustrated though it is perfectly normal to be a little paranoid about your child's safety. It is therefore important to make your home safe before your young one discovers the joys of crawling, touching and fiddling with whatever he can lay his hands on.

The best way of determining where the unsafe areas are in the house is by getting down on fours. It allows you to see the world from your baby's perspective.

Make a note of all sharp corners, cords, cabinets and drawers that were low enough for the baby to reach and the contents that can be pulled open.

Replace your wood and teak furniture with soft leather couches and put grills to limit access to the balcony. Children are very curious to explore the world the moment they can stand on their feet.

Your baby's first few steps will be coupled with falling and bumping into things, hence eliminating potential hazards is important.

Child-friendly vs child-proofing:

You have spent hours, identifying the potential hazards and rectifying them. All drawers have safety latches, gates are installed, and sharp corners are covered, breakable objects kept out of reach. You have made your home child safe, but is it child friendly? You don't need to live like a monk just because you have children. Here are some tips by interior designer Ali Asgar for a stylish home:

Add low seating divans and settees so that the child won't have a fall while sleeping or sitting.                  

If you don't have grills in your balcony, create a virtual boundary by adding potted plants and mitigate the risk of any fall. It is also important to place the furniture in corners to give enough space to the child to move.

Scotch guard your upholstery or use durable material like leather or Rexine, so that you don't worry about your kids dropping sauce or food on them.

Creating child-friendly zones:

A child friendly home doesn't necessarily mean that each and every room needs to be decorated to suit your child. Have a safe zone where your child can have free movement without getting hurt.

According to architect Zeenat Jaffer (who also own Big Red Bus store in Bandra, Mumbai), the main focus should be on the child's bedroom (if there is one) or the living room (where he is likely to spend the most time). "There is a space crunch in big cities so it is necessary to stretch your imagination to incorporate a space exclusively for your child," she feels.

If you are too pressed for space, Zeenat advises a corner exclusively for your child, which can act as his play pen. Put a rug so that he doesn't hurt himself while playing.

There should be enough space to store the current lot of toys which should be accessible to the kid (you will have to keep the unused ones in the cupboard).

If you have a child's bedroom, you can let your imagination run riot with so many options in the market today. Having an exclusive space ensures that they don't mess the other parts of the house.

Children can shame you in public if they are not properly trained. "I have retained my glass table and crystal accessories and my children know they are not supposed to touch them. They have a room exclusively for themselves where they can do whatever they want," adds Komal Rampal, mother of three young kids.

Storage strategies: With the advent of your little one, you will need lots of space to store baby things and later their toys and knick knacks. Choosing a sturdy storage option is therefore very important.

Salim's tip: You need to select two kinds of storage options. One, which will have safety locks for chemicals, sharp elements and cleaning products. The other will have their things like toys which should be at a lower height and easily accessible to them.

Is Child friendly budget friendly?

Designing a child friendly home doesn't mean you are going to burn holes in your wallet. Here are few tips from Zeenat, the owner of Big Red Bus store in Bandra.

The market is flooded with lot's of do it yourself stickers, non-toxic paints and customised furniture for the little one.

Just make sure that the carpentry techniques should be good as they will have to bear the brunt of scratching, jumping and other activities.

Buy beds which can be used for at least three to four years. There are safety locks and latches available which are not very expensive.

Scotch taping your electric sockets is also a cheap option. You don't need to buy high end furniture to decorate the room. The idea is to make the room, welcome enough for your baby to grow into a happy human being.

Here are some child proofing techniques:

If you have a toddler, taking safety precautions becomes even more important. Kids want to touch things and put them in their mouth.  Simple changes can help ensure your child's safety.

Keep out of reach:

·          Breakable and glass objects

·          Houseplants

·          Chemicals, cleaning products

·          Electrical equipments

·          Knives, forks

·          Matchboxes, lighters, razors

Make simple changes by...

·        Move furniture away from windows and shelves

·        Add non-slippery rugs

·        Remove tablecloths, use place mats

·        Use safety locks in the freezer, doors

·        Store toys in the lower shelves.

·        Install baby gate if there are stairs in the vicinity

·        Scotch tape electric sockets

Build your dream room

A stylish home is not a dream anymore. A budget friendly room can be designed in as less as Rs 35,000 and depending on your budget, you can redo it in even less.

Old bed and new headboard: Rs 8000 onwards (redo the bed with new bed sheet. Cushions and curtains: Rs 3000). New bed will cost Rs 20,000 onwards

Wall stickers, wall paper cut-outs and non toxic paints: Rs 5000 onwards. If you go for wall art and personalised wallpapers, it could go up toRs 20000

Storage bins and units: Rs 6000 to Rs 15000

Shelves and wall accessories: Rs 2000 to Rs 5000

Chair and play table: Rs 4000 to Rs 13000

Courtesy : Big Red Bus store, Bandra

Source: Yahoo life style.

Most dangerous things around the kitchen – Handling Knife

Probably the two most dangerous things around the kitchen (after people and food) are: Knives and Fire.

 

Knife Safety

 

Keep knives sharp. If your knife is sharp, it will slide easily through what you are cutting, with little force involved. If the knife is blunt, you have to force it and if you slip there is real danger of cuts.

 

Point Away. When you are using a knife, don't cut toward you or your fingers. Pay a lot of attention to where the edge of your sharp blade is pointing, and make sure it can not get you if you slip a bit.

 

Don't leave sharp knives loose in a drawer. Banging around in a drawer ruin the good sharp edge on your knives, and can be dangerous if someone reaches into the drawer.

 

Do not try and catch dropped knives. If you are working with or handling a knife and you drop it, step back and let it fall, don't try to catch it. This sounds elementary, but the instinct is to try and catch it, and that can be dangerous.

 

Do not put knives in the sink. If you have a dirty knife, don't put it in the dishwater as it will not be visible and will cause cuts. Wash the knives separately.

 

Put knives down safely. When you are working with a knife, and you lay it down, don't lay it down with the blade pointing up an make sure it is away from the surface edge.

 

Put broken glass in a safe container. Broken glass is sharp and dangerous. Clean it carefully up preferably with a brush and put in a separate metal container, make sure you don't leave pieces of it in the sponge or cloth. Don put broken glass in the rubbish bag wrap it in old newspaper and put it in a box or something, and warn all concerned.

 

Source: cookeryonline.com

Fish livers, a source of beneficial fatty acids

A team of researchers from the University of Almeria (Spain) has confirmed that fish livers are a good source of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are beneficial to health.

Anchovies are one of the fish whose livers contain the highest levels of these substances.

"The livers of edible fish are a good source of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA), especially those in the omega 3 family, such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)," said Jose Luis Guil-Guerrero, lead author of the study.

These fatty acids are used to prevent and treat various complaints, such as some kinds of cancer, depression, Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, behavioural problems and cardiovascular diseases.

The study focused on 12 kinds of fish that are commonly eaten in south eastern Spain, such as hake, shortfin mako and European pilchard. The livers of the great weever (Trachinus draco) and the European anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) were those that showed up the highest levels of LCPUFA.

In addition, all the species had a combination of omega-3/omega-6 acids that was "beneficial for human consumption", especially in the case of the liver of the blue whiting (Micromesistius poutassou).

"Unfortunately, discarding these livers means that all their nutritional properties are missed," said Guil-Guerrero, "and if they were used this would also reduce the environmental pollution caused by throwing innards into the water, which is an inherent problem in the fish product processing industry in coastal areas."

The study has been published in the Journal of Food Composition and Analysis.
 
Source: The Times of india

People who burn energy fast may live shorter

London: People with a fast metabolism may die early compared to those who burn calories at a slower rate, according to a recent study said. The findings, based on a study of more than 600 volunteers, suggest that an increased metabolic rate actually speeds up the ageing process, the Daily Mail reported.

Experiments on animals have earlier shown a strong link between longevity and metabolic rate but there has been little evidence to suggest so in humans.

American researchers have now compared the metabolic rate and lifespan of 652 healthy `Pima indians` in Arizona over a 21-year period.

The scientists, from the National Institutes of Health, conducted experiments to measure how quickly the volunteers` bodies converted food into energy over 24 hours, the British newspaper said.

They also measured their resting metabolic rate, which is how much energy a body uses simply to keep the lungs and heart working. In a report in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, the team said those persons with a higher metabolic rate tended to die earlier.

Researcher Reiner Jumpertz said: "We found that higher endogenous metabolic rate which is how much energy the body uses for normal body functions ? is a risk factor for earlier mortality. This increased metabolic rate may lead to earlier organ damage."

But the findings do not apply to energy burnt up by exercise. "This activity clearly has beneficial effects on health," Jumpertz added.
Source: Zee News

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Five-in-one vaccine to be introduced soon

NEW DELHI: After years of discussion and a recent promise to Bill GatesIndia is now rolling out the country's first pentavalent vaccine. 

The Union health ministry has written to the governments of Tamil Nadu and Kerala — the two states where the five-in-one vaccine will be first introduced, because of their high routine immunization coverage rate, to put in place manpower, train them and also finalise the implementation plan. 

The ministry has also sent a letter to the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) asking them to dispatch the vaccine doses at the earliest. 

GAVI, which is providing the vaccines free of cost to the ministry for the time being, has asked UNICEF to procure the vaccines and send them to India. 

India plans to vaccinate 16 lakh children in these two states in the first year. The five-in-one vaccine will have diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus (DPT),Hepatitis B and HIB (Haemophilus influenzae type B -- the bacterial microorganism that causes several serious childhood illnesses like meningitis and pneumonia). 

Besides this shot, children will also get their oral polio doses as part of the routine immunization rounds. 

"We are bringing to India the liquid pentavalent vaccine which are readymade. It will be a 10-dose package which will prove cheaper since it will require less storage space, lesser volume of cold chain and reduced transportation cost. All children attending the routine immunisation rounds will get the pentavalent shot at 6, 10 and 14 weeks. For the first year, we will require over 50 lakh doses. The vaccine vials will reach us by the end of June and the vaccine use will be rolled out immediately after that," a ministry official said. 

"HIB will prevent pneumonia in children. In the under five mortality, 20% are caused by pneumonia. And one-third of the pneumonia mortality is caused by HIB," the official added. 

The health ministry had initially thought of introducing pentavalent in 10 states, including Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Karnataka. However, the vaccine's cost made the ministry start with just two states. 

A ministry official told TOI, "The pentavalent vaccine will greatly reduce chances of drop-out, will need no additional cold chain space as vaccine vials will reduce and the number of syringes used will also fall." 

The introduction of a pentavalent vaccine was recommended by the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) on June 16, 2008. 
Source: The Times of India