Journalism of Courage
Disclaimers first: Like many south Delhi parents, I shored up at Dr Saroja Balan’s chamber 10 days after giving birth, bleary-eyed from lack of sleep and panicky at the rapid weight loss that my nearly-4-kg-at-birth baby seemed to be undergoing. The clutter of information on the internet and from older parents were adding to our bewilderment — a little bit of weight loss was par for the course it seemed, but how much was just enough and not too much? And, more worryingly, was a “big” baby actually a sign of neonatal diabetes, as some had pointed out?
An examination later, the neonatologist and paediatrician turned to us with a prognosis that would come to mean a lot to frayed parental nerves in the years since: “Nothing! Your baby is doing just fine!” Apparently, the developmental milestones were on course, the weight loss, though considerable, was within the parameters and all we needed to do was keep calm and carry on.
Reading It’s Your Baby, her crisp and concise parenting guide, is quite like having Dr Balan on speed dial. Self-assured and full of practical advice, this is a book that has answers to a range of questions that bewildered new parents might have about their child’s early years, in particular, though not limited to, the first disconcerting year after birth. In quite the same way that she handholds her patients’ parents towards a more relaxed parenting experience, It’s Your Baby breaks down the milestones and red flags of the first two years with lucidity.
From birthing to breast feeding to potty training and disciplining, the book explains the parenting journey with the same thoroughness and alacrity that is Dr Balan’s hallmark. The chapter, Common Childhood Disorders and Diseases, lists out possible illnesses, their causes and how best to meet the challenges they pose. The compositions of frequently used medications are explained and why blind reliance on antibiotics might not always be the best course of treatment. Each chapter comes with a list of references and tackles frequently asked questions. From compulsory vaccination and their utility to the optional ones available and how and when they become essential; from how to read a child’s growth chart to interpreting a child’s sleep cycle; from tackling acid reflux to how best to make your newborn burp, the book touches upon all important aspects of the nascent years and should be essential reading for every new parent in quite the same way as Dr Spock or What to Expect When You Are Expecting were for generations of parents earlier.
