With the decline of the joint family set-up, parents are left in an unsure space when it comes to raising children. Till how long can you treat a child with fever at home? What should you do in case of a nasal bleed? How do you react when a child chokes on fruit? It is not always possible to rush to the paediatrician.
It is to cater to such doubts that paediatrician Priya Chandrasekhar has created >www.indirachildcare.com . It was launched recently by actor Jyothika Suriya.
What prompted her to come up with a website? “In today’s nuclear family set-up, parents are in need of answers to a lot of issues. But, due to pressing schedules, paediatricians don’t get to spend too much time with the parents and child. Most doubts are generic, and used to be cleared by the extended family. I felt the need for an interface between paediatricians and parents. This website seeks to tackle those anxieties and hand-hold parents when it comes to the physical and mental health of the child.”
Another issue, says Dr. Priya, is that most parents tap the Internet for information. The Internet can throw up answers veering from the extremely positive to the terribly negative, she says. “When the Web tells you that giving your child paracetamol for fever might result in liver failure, you are worried. This website will give basic tips that will reassure you when you are not able to reach the doctor,” she says.
Today’s parents are under great pressure to be the ‘ultimate parents’, she says. “They suffer an information overload. If a child has chicken-pox, they read up everything about it, including really rare complications, before coming to me!” she laughs.
What’s her advice to parents? “Rely on your instincts. Enjoy parenthood and allow your child to enjoy childhood.”
