Don’t make bad choices, innovate your kid’s menu

Most children have an issue with eating. Most of these children snack on chips, which are high on salt, and aerated drinks. These can be encouraged occasionally, but parents must also ensure that they eat vegetables or a fruit. One of the most common mistakes parents do is packing two to three boxes of rice or noodles for lunch. Children begin to dislike such a boring fare. You can innovate with a few staple items like dosa , adding vegetables or greens to them. High blood pressure and childhood obesity are due to the bad choices of food that parents make. Sudha Rathna Prabhu, Child Specialist.

The symptoms of kidney disease in children are often non-specific, which means that there is a risk that kidney problems may be missed in children. The leading cause of kidney failure in children is genetic. You can opt for ante-natal scans which can reveal problems if any. These can be rectified at an early stage for the child to lead a normal life. The other common problem we see in children is the Minimal Change Disease, a common form of nephrotic syndrome, and reflux nephropathy, a condition in which the kidneys are damaged by the backward flow of urine into the kidney. Dr D Divakar, Senior Consultant Nephrologist.