Panic stations: UAE parents on bringing up baby

Sukaiyna Gokal 

British, 46, Lifestyle Coach

 

I panicked when I received the news that my son Ayden, then four-and-a-half, had been hit by the seat of a swing.

 

I also knew that my composure was essential to his confidence.

 

If he saw me panicking he would, in turn, be fearful and the experience could stay with him forever. 

 

I offered him warm, reassuring words as we rushed to the hospital.

 

To distract him, I talked of superheroes getting hurt and how it goes with the territory. I used images to which he could relate. 

 

We celebrated the cast on his arm and chose a superhero colour for the plaster. His birthday saw the arrival of Batman wearing a similar cast and all the children learnt that even superheroes get hurt sometimes.

 

Dima Kallides 

Greek, 35, Business Development Manager, Nest For Kids

 

As a new mum, I was so worried about the threat of sudden infant death syndrome and would be constantly checking on my baby.

 

My main concern was how I could keep him safe while he slept. 

 

I researched and found that sleeping bags and the Cocoonababy bed offered safe solutions.

 

The Cocoonababy is an ergonomically shaped nest, which helps to reassure the baby and promotes deep sleep. 

 

I also learnt to switch from swaddles to sleeping bags and to never lay the baby on his side but always on his back on a firm mattress with no loose bedding and pillows nearby. 

 

Anubha Srivastava 

36, Indian, Stay-at-home mum 

 

I had my first panic attack when my son Riane, who recently turned six, was just 15 months old.

 

He had high fever for more than a week, reaching 106 plus degree Fahrenheit.

 

My husband and I were worried sick, taking second and even third opinions from different doctors but nobody was able to diagnose the cause of the fever.

 

We then decided it would be best to fly down to India and meet a specialist for a proper diagnosis.

 

However, on the night before our flight the fever shot up, leaving Riane’s body stiff. 

 

My husband and I panicked on seeing his condition. However, I gathered all my strength and proceeded to give him emergency aid, applying a cold pack on his body until we reached the hospital.

 

One of the junior doctors on duty saved our child by diagnosing the root cause as a severe throat infection. Riane was in ICU for three days. 

 

Cameron Cairns 

34, South African, Consultant

 

My son Oslo is now five, but I remember panicking the first time he got croup when he was a little over 18 months old.

 

I know now it was croup but at the time I thought he was facing breathing issues. I had no idea this common upper respiratory problem sounded so bad (much worse than it actually is).

 

So of course my wife and I panicked and rushed him to the doctor who recommended we go to an emergency room in a hospital where our baby could be treated by a paediatrician. 

 

Oslo was popped on to a nebuliser for a while and everything was fine.

 

The condition is worse at night and he’s had it countless times since. I find putting a vapouriser steam unit in his room helps control the coughing, while a bit of eucalyptus oil in water works wonders as well.

 

Croup sounds like a barking cough and in this instance was accompanied by high fever.

 

We don’t admit him to hospital any more as he seems to have grown out of it. 

 

Nadia O’Reilly 

40, British, Stay-at-home mum

 

The first time my eldest, Thalia, now five, was sick, was when she was six months old — a viral attack that left her hospitalised.

 

My husband and I took her to the  Emergency and Accident Dept in Medcare in Dubai where she was born.

 

She was put on a drip to get her fluids back up and make her more alert, and we had to wait the virus out.

 

It was worrying at the time but knowing what to do in an emergency was a blessing and I was pleased to have taken that first-aid paediatric course after Thalia was born.