Health professionals from the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) discussed childcare during the DHA's bi-weekly smart clinic.

Health professionals discussed several aspects of childcare and paid particular emphasis to the importance of breastfeeding vaccinations and keeping an eye on children's milestones.

Dr Fatima Sultan Al Olama consultant and head of child healthcare unit at DHA's Primary Healthcare Sector said parents should maintain an updated record of their child's vaccinations so that they should not miss any. "Parents should also ensure that prior to travelling with their children on holiday they consult their doctor to check what specific or additional vaccinations are needed to protect the child from certain diseases prevalent in the country where they intend to travel. These vaccinations should be given at least two weeks prior to the date of travel or they may be useless."

She added that DHA's Primary Healthcare Sector has dedicated traveller clinics where mothers can not only understand what vaccines are needed but also get general health tips and travel advice.

Dr Badriya Mussa Karam senior health educator at DHA's Primary Healthcare Sector said: "We know of cases where the vaccinations are not given enough time prior to travel and then the child picks up the disease because defence against it is not built up."

Dr Haitham Mahmoud Mohammed paediatrician in child health unit at DHA's Primary Healthcare Sector said that parents also need to be aware of their children's milestones so that if they are missed the problem is detected early.

Mohammed said: "As a child grows and develops he learns different skills such as smiling for the first time and saying his first word. These skills are known as developmental milestones. There is normal variation around what age children will achieve a specific developmental milestone. Developmental delay refers to a child who is not achieving milestones within the age range of that normal variability."

Mohammed said the challenge for parents is to identify whether the developmental delay is just a phase or it is due to a disability that will cause a long-term issue with development or learning. "Most often at least initially it is difficult or impossible to determine whether the delay is a marker of a long-term issue with development or learning (i.e. disability)."

Mohammed said milder forms of cerebral palsy autism attention deficit and hyperactivity disorders (ADHC) are disorders that are usually missed. "The earlier the diagnosis the better the chances are of long-term recovery for the child. The best outcomes are in children who are diagnosed as early as possible."

Asma Ali Zain Associated with KT for 15 years. Covers health issues Pakistan community human interest stories as well as general topics for daily news or features.