DOHA: Sidra Medical and Research Center (Sidra) hosted an information session for mothers to commemorate Universal Children’s Day.
The event was for mothers with children under five.
The session ‘A Healthy Child is a Happy Child’ featured topics, including food habits and children’s developing skills.
It was conducted by specialists and included presentations and demonstrations on topics related to baby massages, clarifying differences between food allergies and food intolerances, particularly against cow’s milk protein, understanding food labels and how playtime allows children to develop fine and gross motor skills.
“We are proud of the calibre of our physicians and allied healthcare specialists we have on board at Sidra.
“We regularly conduct such sessions and workshops and aim to host more, as we are keen to reach out to the community and share insights and offer advice related to paediatrics and maternal healthcare.
“Information sessions are also a great way for mothers to ask questions in an informal group setting. It provides a level of comfort and reassurance that they aren’t alone in their concerns or quest for knowledge related to their children’s or their own health and well-being,” said Eman Nasralla, Manager, Community Relations and Development, Sidra.
Beryl King, Clinical Nurse Manager, Children’s Health Promotion, demonstrated how massages are not only beneficial for babies but also encourage a deeper connection between parents and babies.
She also highlighted how some families found that massages are particularly helpful for children with special needs.
Kim Underwood, Registered Dietician for Paediatrics and Pregnancy, talked about how allergies and intolerances, particularly related to cow’s milk protein, if not properly managed, may result in nutritional problems in young children and can cause immediate or long-term effects on their health, growth and development.
Parents were also advised on food labelling, differences between food allergies and food intolerances and how to identify whether their child is at risk and what they can do to manage allergies.
Penny DeGoosh, Supervisor, Social Work Services, highlighted how playtime is the universal language of children, which allows them to develop fine and gross motor skills, hone language and sparking creativity.
Her workshop focused on ways parents can engage with children to not only help advance their development but also strengthen the parent-child bond.
The Peninsula
