Habit-forming starts from the first day of life. Why is it so important to build good habits in children? Any kind of bad habit formed is equal to a big consequence in the future. Parents generally blame their kids for forming bad habits. Even infants are blamed for their bad habits. But how is it possible that a little one knows what is good for them and what is not? Without the involvement of parents, this cannot happen. Parents need to learn that their children are going to be healthy if they will take care of their minutest actions.

Some very small habits that can create big problems for the kidney of your child are the following:

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Holding urine for a long time: These days children are using a lot of screens. They have become couch potatoes. For this reason, parents come with a complaint that their children hold their urine a lot and keep sticking to their phones or tabs all the time. Ignoring nature’s call can lead to formation of kidney stones, urinary tract infections and a lot more. These things were not common in early times because there were more physical activities. Parents need to change these kinds of habits which can lead to worst scenarios in future. Tell your children to stop holding pee and parents should correct their behavior before making it a bad habit for always.

Use of carbonated beverages: These kinds of sugary drinks are indeed very addictive these days. How can a child not say no to these if parents have already given a big thumbs up to these sodas? These beverages contain chemicals like phosphoric acid causing a very bad effect on kidneys. It causes a drop in the glomerular filtration rate which is the measure of kidney function. Researches have shown that these chemicals can lead to urinary changes and in long term can lead to chronic kidney disease. It can even cause kidney stones according to some research.

Using too much Diapers: Babies are very much prone to urinary tract infections because they are in diapers most of the time. This causes their private parts to be moist and warm causing bacteria to breed. Girls are at high risk of infection because they have a shorter distance between their urethra and bladder so bacteria can easily climb up. And uncircumcised boys have more risk than circumcised boys because bacteria hide under their foreskin causing more proneness to UTI’s. Now the problem is that diapers are a way of life now. So, we can limit their use instead of eliminating them completely. Limiting the timing can be a lot beneficial. Have you seen babies playing joyfully when their diapers are off? Yes, they feel relieved at that moment. To make them healthy and happy, parents should keep a check on it by keeping their babies free from these tight monsters.

Altered Thirst: Parents generally give a water bottle to their children and leave it to them. They are more concerned about their hunger than thirst and it causes a big habit alteration. Some children don’t recognize thirst because they think they are hungry for food. Hence, they develop a habit of considering their thirst as hunger. This way instead of taking water they start asking for food. So, from the very beginning try to make them drink water and introduce them to the feeling of thirst until the right habit forms. This will make them drink water naturally.

Self-Médications: A child sneezes or coughs a bit and their parents buy antibiotics from the chemist and self-medicate them. The use of any drug can be harmful especially for your kidneys if not consulted by a doctor. There are very harmful effects of antibiotics when given like candies. A lot of parents self-medicate their children for recurrent headaches. A proper diagnosis is very important before giving any drug. Even homeopathic drugs can also be harmful if not taken with proper consultation from a doctor.

So, there is a big role of the right habit for good health. Parents should be very much conscious of the development of the right habits in their children. Don’t let their innocence create big problems for them.

(By Dr. Saleha Aggarwal, BHMS, MD (Hom.) Pediatrics, Homoeopathic Pediatrician)