Forever Young

That he has been awarded the Von Graffenberg medal for original work in intra-uterine contraception or the Padmashree or the 8216;Rashtriya Samman8217; by the Income-Tax department for being the highest tax payer is known. What is little known is how the eminent doctor has more wallop than a bone-dry martini. I found out all this and more simply by spending many hours at his elegant South Mumbai clinic. So, here are some of his 8220;forever young8217;8217; secrets.

8216;8216;The man is amazingly active physically and mentally,8217;8217; says long-time friend Anita Garware. Their families have holidayed together for the past 40 years and she has always come away amazed by his endless energy. 8216;8216;I think it8217;s his work that keeps him young and focused,8217;8217; she says. 8216;8216;You must do work which you enjoy,8217;8217; says Dr Soonawala 8216;8216;then you won8217;t ever get tired.8217;8217; No wonder he is always smiling and listens to every patient attentively, no matter how many hours he has been working.

8216;8216;His mind is extremely positive and powerful,8217;8217; says a colleague, 8216;8216;and I have seen him come out of situations which would leave anyone else completely shattered.8217;8217; They all agree that he has this ability to never brood on the past and always look ahead.

When questioned, Dr Soonawala smiles charmingly, 8216;8216;It8217;s all in the genes. My father, who was a doctor, made all four of us brothers take part in a lot of sports and that8217;s why I am the way I am.8217;8217; Sure! He represented Bombay in athletics at the All India Olympics in 1952 and in inter-state hockey. 8216;8216;It8217;s all the blessings that I receive from all my patients which keeps me the way I am,8217;8217; insists Dr Soonawala. No, he doesn8217;t believe in a special diet or exercise regime. It8217;s really his ability to stay connected to the world and people around him, the fact that he feels genuine concern and enjoys meeting them.

At one of my recent book launches, he popped in for a few minutes and was mobbed by some of his adoring patients. When we went to see him off on that heavily rained out night, I was touched to see that he was driving back himself. 8216;8216;Oh! I love driving,8217;8217; he said happily, adding, 8216;8216;and love Formula 1 and Schumacher is my hero,8217;8217; as he sped off to complete his rounds of the city8217;s premier hospitals. I thought, is he so young because he really has no time to grow old? May he never have the time!

We8217;re grateful to the doctors who take the time to answer our queries

Delayed crawl

QMrs Asha8217;s 9-month-old son, weighing 8.4 kg, has not started to crawl or sit. Even if something attractive is kept in front of him, he doesn8217;t make an effort to grab it. The only thing he does is roll over, which he started at 6 months. She wants to know if there8217;s a problem with her child.

AGenerally, most babies roll over by 4-5 months, sit supported with a rounded back by 7 months and with a straight back, unsupported by 8 months. Therefore, this baby8217;s motor milestones are borderline delayed. However, the age of achieving any milestone varies. Also, we need to know whether there is any delay in mental milestones. Does the child reach out for nearby objects age 5 months, does he transfer objects from one hand to another age 6 months, does he fear strangers age 8 months, does he speak disyllables mama, baba, dada or monosyllables ma, ba, da? If his other milestones are on course, we need not worry. If they are also delayed, you need to see a pediatrician. Calcium and vitamin D deficiency may cause a baby to sit, crawl, stand up and walk late. Regular sunlight exposure, a calcium-rich diet and supplementation of vitamin D will do the trick.

Dr Mukesh Sanklecha,

MD Paediatrics

DCHDNB Paediatrics