India is home to over 1.4 BILLION people and over 470 million children. There are more children in India than our entire population in the U.S. so I needed to have a pediatrician to chat with from India! I reached out to Dr. Imran Patel, a Pediatrician in India, and one the most followed and loved Pediatricians in the world with over 4.6 million followers on Instagram and 1.5 million followers on YouTube.

We discuss:

• If vaccine hesitancy and anti-vaccine sentiment exist in India
• The cultural differences in approach to sleep and kids
• How he wishes more families would approach feeding solid foods
• What motivates us as colleagues a world apart doing similar work

Connect with Dr. Imran Patel on Instagram @drimranpatelofficial

We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on the PedsDocTalk Podcast Sponsors page of the website.

00:00:01:01 – 00:00:25:15
Dr. Imran Patel
But in India we don’t have a single case of polio. The only reason is vaccination. So vaccination is a must for everyone. And, that is what I try to say to the people. You won’t have to worry for a short period of time, right? You don’t have to be like in a field, but you have to see the the longer thing, like you can prevent your child from a bigger complications.

00:00:25:22 – 00:00:46:18
Dr. Imran Patel
The little complications of the vaccine preventable disease. That is what I convey my message to my videos. Yeah. And vaccine can, be like, you know, enjoyable thing. Also, I can sing for them. I can dance for them. Yeah. Very cool thing to do. So that is what I want to do to spread this kind of message to the world.

00:00:46:21 – 00:01:06:08
Dr. Mona
Welcome back to the PedsDocTalk Podcast, a top 50 parenting podcast in the United States. Thanks to you and your reviews. And I can’t express enough how much your reviews and ratings help the show grow so we can continue to have the most incredible guests and conversations like the one I’m having today. Today’s guest is truly an honor to have on the show.

00:01:06:11 – 00:01:32:17
Dr. Mona
His name is Doctor Imran Patel. He is India’s favorite pediatric influencer with over 4.2 million followers on Instagram and over 1.4 million YouTube followers. So India is home to over 1.4 billion people and over 470 million children. There are more children in India than our entire population in the United States. So I needed to have a pediatrician to chat with from India.

00:01:32:17 – 00:01:54:22
Dr. Mona
And from a personal note, I’m also Gujarati, just like Doctor Imran who’s practicing in Gujarat where my parents are from. So I just love seeing his work that he’s doing in the country that my parents were raised in. So I cannot wait to chat about the similarities and differences in raising kids in India and the United States, and just being pediatricians in both of our countries.

00:01:54:26 – 00:01:57:08
Dr. Mona
Thank you so much for joining me today. Doctor Imran.

00:01:57:10 – 00:02:00:17
Dr. Imran Patel
I thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you.

00:02:00:19 – 00:02:20:09
Dr. Mona
I am so excited. I found you. You know, I found you on my explore page on Instagram, and I found a video of you giving vaccines to your patients. And you were distracting them by like, tapping on the table and singing and playing. And so they barely even cried. And I love that and wish more patients were given that approach.

00:02:20:09 – 00:02:28:09
Dr. Mona
But tell us more about yourself, why you became a pediatrician and also why you started your social media platform.

00:02:28:11 – 00:02:54:02
Dr. Imran Patel
So basically what I would say I love my job and I love children because what I’d like to see, children are the innocent creatures of God. They are so nice. They don’t judge you. So when you’re kind to them, when you love them, they love you back, right? Yeah. So. But I love children. My love for the children was the main reason for selecting my branch, that is Catholics.

00:02:54:04 – 00:03:14:07
Dr. Imran Patel
So the second question was why I started recording my what. But just like that, I was not aware that I become the India’s number one, so called a pediatric influencer or a doctor. But, I was showing my work to the people and people like that. I’m so glad that God is trying to me that people like it.

00:03:14:10 – 00:03:33:12
Dr. Imran Patel
And that is what I was showing in my videos also. Okay, you talk about the the people to the children, and, you know, everybody is going to like it. Parents are happy, I am happy. And when child doesn’t cry. So it’s a win win situation for all of us. So. And even I enjoy my work.

00:03:33:15 – 00:03:41:28
Dr. Mona
Yeah. And you, you were telling me. So you are obviously a pediatrician, but you also own, Children’s hospital, right. In India. Where? Tell me more about that.

00:03:42:00 – 00:04:05:24
Dr. Imran Patel
I have a hospital named a children’s hospital in India. It’s a 100 business hospital. I have a big team, for running the entire hospital. We have a facility of ICU facility for newborns, for pediatric patients. We have, facilities for the surgical patients. So. Yeah, I have a hospital in Ahmedabad.

00:04:05:26 – 00:04:26:05
Dr. Mona
Amazing. And so you’re doing a little bit of everything. I mean, you’re seeing patients running a hospital. Obviously, just having all of this information on social. And for anyone who’s not following, you definitely need to give, him a follow, because like I said, it’s just really nice the way he approaches children, which is obviously how most pediatricians should be approaching their patients.

00:04:26:11 – 00:04:47:12
Dr. Mona
But his page just exudes a lot of love and kindness like he’s saying. And so I love that doctor Imran Patel official. I’ll be tagging his Instagram handle on my show notes. But again, you’re sharing how you interact with your patients online. You also obviously are giving educational information. And when you actually just go through your comments section, like you said, you’re just really loved.

00:04:47:12 – 00:04:57:03
Dr. Mona
And I feel like your love, because of how loving you are towards your families and your patients. So thank you for all the work that you’re doing in India and reaching so many abroad too.

00:04:57:06 – 00:05:19:14
Dr. Imran Patel
Yeah, thank you so much, I said. Now what I believe now is no boundaries. So many people from abroad, loving me, they don’t understand my language because most of my videos are in my native language. That is Hindi. So because the reason of being, they caught up video in my language that, maximum people should understand my in my country, especially my children.

00:05:19:14 – 00:05:36:29
Dr. Imran Patel
So what I mean to say that was my purpose and to spread positivity and love amongst the people. So I am so glad that people from outside my country also loving my work and my my this thing videos. I am so grateful to the board and the people around you like you that

00:05:37:01 – 00:05:55:05
Dr. Mona
Like well, I again, I obviously connect with you not only just for my love of children, but also being a pediatrician. And so when I found your page, I’m like, wow, like, I love it. And I just it’s inspiring, you know, it just helps. It helps me also want to continue to be a, loving pediatrician. You know, I don’t give vaccines to my own patients.

00:05:55:05 – 00:06:12:15
Dr. Mona
We have like a staff that does that in the United States at many of our offices. But I used to I my old practice before I worked where I currently did, I used to give vaccines to. And so, you know, it’s it’s nice it’s nice seeing how you approach not only vaccination but like, all the things, you know, interacting, playing with the children.

00:06:12:18 – 00:06:13:16
Dr. Mona
So I love that.

00:06:13:18 – 00:06:35:15
Dr. Imran Patel
So the requirement of that, we all know that we are all in a learning process. Yeah. So it doesn’t matter how old are you. We should keep learning and motivate others. So, sometimes my, critically ill patients also motivates me. And the disease is an element that comes. So with that kind of inspiration I get from my patients also.

00:06:35:18 – 00:06:49:00
Dr. Imran Patel
So that is what we should do in this world to motivate other in a very positive way and, to love our job and, with honesty. And we should do it that way. Only that is what I believe.

00:06:49:02 – 00:06:57:04
Dr. Mona
Yeah. And, you know, again, I’m just so excited to connect. I know we have busy schedules and a 10.5 hour time change. So thank you for sitting down and doing this with me.

00:06:57:04 – 00:06:58:21
Dr. Imran Patel
And and you know, we’re very.

00:06:58:24 – 00:07:16:04
Dr. Mona
Yeah. And we’re going to be diving into just a lot of differences and similarities. So from sleep feeding vaccine acceptance and so much more. So first you know I want to talk about again how I found you, which was your videos of giving vaccines to patients, making it fun and less scary by singing to them, distracting them so they barely even cry.

00:07:16:04 – 00:07:35:19
Dr. Mona
And I love also seeing you normalize vaccines and fun ways to give them. And to be honest, in the United States we struggle a lot with vaccine hesitancy or what we call here anti-vaccine sentiment, where people deny vaccinations even though it’s available to them. I’m curious, do you see that in India as well?

00:07:35:21 – 00:07:59:18
Dr. Imran Patel
The thing is, India is a very big country. Yeah, as you say, 1.1. 4 billion people, right. So on the countryside still patients are not aware or educated about the vaccination and vaccine preventable diseases, but still are already seeing each other nowadays. They have been going to the individual houses and extend them out of the vaccination, and they are giving them at free of cost.

00:07:59:21 – 00:08:17:26
Dr. Imran Patel
So but they don’t do not hesitate, but they don’t have a there is a lack of knowledge and what they feel like a simple vaccine I would say DPT. So if acellular component of doses we are using it, it has a side effect like fever and pain at the injection site. So they are scared of that. There’s a cure.

00:08:17:28 – 00:08:42:10
Dr. Imran Patel
Oh my goodness. After after giving vaccination might be sick for a two days and how I’m gonna, you know, handle it. So they have that kind of a fear I would say. And lack of education, it’s, thing, but I would not say that, in my entire country, in our entire country. Yeah, people are giving vaccinations, and, it’s not an anti-vaccine thing over here.

00:08:42:12 – 00:09:05:25
Dr. Imran Patel
We do on a very regular basis. And that is the reason we have achieved the polio free country. We have done that because of vaccination. Still, in Asia, in a country like Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, we see polio cases, but in India we don’t have a single case of polio. The only reason is vaccination. So vaccination is a must for everyone.

00:09:05:28 – 00:09:27:27
Dr. Imran Patel
And, that is what I try to say to the people. You won’t have to worry for a short period of time. Yeah, right. You don’t have to be like, you know, feel, but you have to see the the longer thing, like, you can prevent your child from a bigger complications, the little complications of the vaccine preventable. It is that is what I convey my message to my videos.

00:09:27:29 – 00:09:42:27
Dr. Imran Patel
Yeah. And vaccine can, be like, you know, enjoyable thing. Also, I can sing for them. I can dance for them. Yeah. Very cool thing to do. So that is what I want to, to spread this kind of message to entire the world.

00:09:42:29 – 00:09:57:12
Dr. Mona
Well, I love hearing that. You know, I love hearing that. Obviously, not only the government is trying to do their part to educate and also remove that fear, but it sounds as if the sentiment that you’re saying is that people just want to be educated more, but that there isn’t that sentiment of, well, I’m not going to do it at all.

00:09:57:12 – 00:10:00:17
Dr. Mona
I just want to learn more before I actually do it for my child.

00:10:00:19 – 00:10:28:12
Dr. Imran Patel
Yeah, yeah, that is that is true. What? It doesn’t happen like that in India. Yeah. Still, the people of India, they believe their doctors. And when you see, when we explain then that nowadays, people are aware of that and they are, giving vaccination to their children without which, because so many vaccination has been covered under the government program, and even the private hospitals are, motivating them.

00:10:28:12 – 00:10:43:06
Dr. Imran Patel
The private doctors also know, get them shot. So they are doing that. And I’m glad that people of India now has taken this seriously. And they have understood that many diseases can be only prevented by giving vaccine to the people.

00:10:43:08 – 00:10:55:24
Dr. Mona
Now, let’s take a break to hear from our sponsors. Awesome. And I know the vaccine schedule is probably different from here and India. Do you? So you’re like, yeah, what is kind of there right now that’s available for children?

00:10:55:27 – 00:11:17:15
Dr. Imran Patel
I have heard that I see patients coming from there, and I like patients who comes in India and meets Australia, from Canada, from UK or from America too. So what I’ve seen that they do not give BCG vaccination over there at the time of birth, which is like to, to helps in, prevent from complications of tuberculosis.

00:11:17:17 – 00:11:40:04
Dr. Imran Patel
So this is a vaccination is not there. But we do give vaccination BCG vaccination at the time, but only it is compulsory. And even in the government, in the private sectors, we believe that, otherwise. So most of the vaccinations are covered like, but you know, in India of the food borne diseases like hepatitis A, I quite we do give that a vaccine out.

00:11:40:04 – 00:11:46:18
Dr. Imran Patel
So on a very regular basis to the patients I don’t know the USA. I don’t think so. They they have been giving. Right.

00:11:46:21 – 00:12:10:29
Dr. Mona
So we have yeah I love this conversation. So we have hepatitis A available. We don’t have a typhoid vaccine routinely because it’s not as prominent in the states. But hepatitis A is recommended in our practices at 12 months and then again at 18 months or two years. And then like you said, we don’t do tuberculosis here. We have, hepatitis B, your DTaP, the pertussis, Hib, meningitis.

00:12:11:02 – 00:12:23:13
Dr. Mona
We have, prevnar, which is your pneumococcal. We have rotavirus, which is for, diarrhea. And then we also have, your chicken pox, measles, mumps, rubella. And then. Yeah. So I’m curious.

00:12:23:15 – 00:12:27:24
Dr. Imran Patel
For, for latest we also give and we do flu vaccine with.

00:12:27:24 – 00:12:28:19
Dr. Mona
Us too.

00:12:28:22 – 00:12:48:08
Dr. Imran Patel
Yeah. So we give flu vaccines also. So on most. Yeah. The, the we give you extra vaccines then I mean you know what they do. So we give back to our people because of a foodborne and what again, this is in my country. So we give that.

00:12:48:10 – 00:12:53:05
Dr. Mona
And so you all there is measles, mumps, rubella and chicken pox that’s recommended and routinely given.

00:12:53:07 – 00:12:53:18
Dr. Imran Patel
Yes.

00:12:53:18 – 00:13:13:17
Dr. Mona
Yes is amazing I see. I loved having you on because again, I don’t know any physician pediatrician in India. So this is awesome for me to just chat about what’s happening there. And I think it’s really great for our listeners because I have a lot of listeners in United States, UK, Australia, but then my fifth most populous listener country is India.

00:13:13:17 – 00:13:30:25
Dr. Mona
So I just love getting to hear what we do versus what’s happening there. And thank you for clarifying, because there’s certain illnesses that are common here or illnesses that are common there. Like you said, food borne illnesses like typhoid. And you know, we do hepatitis A, and there’s a lot of families here that are like, well, we’re not going to get hepatitis A.

00:13:30:25 – 00:13:56:12
Dr. Mona
And I’m like, well, you can travel internationally, but also in America, we could have a outbreaks. You know, we’ve had from a very popular grocery store here in America called Trader Joe’s. There’s been outbreaks there. For example, there’s been outbreaks in local areas. So just because you’re in America or maybe England or UK and are a nonresident Indian country, these illnesses can come, maybe not to the degree that they can happen in India that you’re saying, but they’re all important.

00:13:56:12 – 00:14:09:27
Dr. Mona
Like I also recommend the normal vaccine schedule for all of my patients, given the things that I’ve seen. And I’m sure you agree that you’ve seen vaccine preventable illnesses and what they can do. So you support vaccines because you want to prevent that?

00:14:09:29 – 00:14:34:25
Dr. Imran Patel
Yes, yes. And we have been seeing patients a lot more than what you, might be seeing in USA. Yeah, especially for those diseases like vaccine preventable diseases. We have seen that we have seen the complications of such diseases. And at that time when patients got, you know, complication or a patient is having that disease and we have to get them admitted in ICU at that time, I feel so sad.

00:14:34:25 – 00:14:53:16
Dr. Imran Patel
I feel so sad when I ask the relatives, why did you give the vaccine? This isn’t well, we were scared and now? Now nothing. Now we’ll do a better. Yeah. The thing is, you should have given that a vaccine. Because the thing is, we have seen the people who are perceived the vaccines, they are immune to those days.

00:14:53:19 – 00:15:17:28
Dr. Imran Patel
Yeah. So they do not catch that infection quite often and they can be prevented from such, complications. Right. So it’s a sad thing, but, yes. Like people like you, Doctor Mona and people like us, you have a responsibility to spread a good and positive message in our community. And then you community, I would say an entire globally that use vaccinate your children.

00:15:18:00 – 00:15:23:18
Dr. Imran Patel
It is good for the children. And you can prevent them from, deadly diseases.

00:15:23:21 – 00:15:42:15
Dr. Mona
Oh, absolutely. I love I love that we share that from across the world. Oh, again, we’re talking about vaccines. We’re going to talk about other things. The next thing I wanted to chat about is sleep. So in the United States, you know, we have the AP, which is the American Academy of Pediatrics is are they basically like give recommendations for practicing pediatricians?

00:15:42:18 – 00:16:01:00
Dr. Mona
And co-sleeping is not the go to for sleep from our academy. It’s not the first line recommended. And, you know, we discuss safe sleep, which is an an independent sleep space. We discuss the risks of co-sleeping, but I also know that co-sleeping can be the cultural norm in many countries and cultures, so it shouldn’t be shamed.

00:16:01:00 – 00:16:14:21
Dr. Mona
We know that it can exist. But what is the approach in your practice with your patients when it comes to sleep? Is there, such a thing as quote unquote safe sleep and independent sleep space? And how do you approach sleep with your patients?

00:16:14:23 – 00:16:41:05
Dr. Imran Patel
What I believe and what I practice, I tell my parents and everybody that, patients, parents, I would say my chance. So I tell them, you sleep with your children, deal in the it is minimum till the age of 8 or 9. You have to be with them. It has many benefits for the children because fasting parents, children bonding.

00:16:41:05 – 00:17:00:19
Dr. Imran Patel
This is second thing if we talk about the okay pediatrics. Are these all out of the age group. Right. You thought the newborns thing right. So even in the new one they cannot sit person by themself in the very early stages. So what is the one reach. What did they view? What if they are crying? What the.

00:17:00:21 – 00:17:23:08
Dr. Imran Patel
The mother should be the close to the baby because the fault of the mother. If you see, if you save and, it is good for them. But yes, at the same time you have to be very cautious. But I know mother, mother are tired. They do it, you know, work up the aisles and then they have to give feed to the every to only to the child.

00:17:23:12 – 00:17:48:26
Dr. Imran Patel
Sometimes dipped in sleep. They haven’t slept. And that that is the thing. You have to be cautious. You cannot sleep on your baby. You have to be cautious. But you should sleep with your baby in place, the mother and the children bonding also. And if a child grows up, for example, at the age of three and a four years of age, what I have heard and I have seen in my profession, they dream their dream.

00:17:48:26 – 00:18:11:14
Dr. Imran Patel
Sometimes they get scared. So they need someone beside them. You can count on them. They feel secure when they are with the parents, they feel secure. So I would recommend that at the age of eight, nine years, you have to sleep with your babies and, that is good for them. And, even you feel good you are sleeping with your baby, right?

00:18:11:15 – 00:18:16:27
Dr. Imran Patel
You can ask them nicely that I get a very good sleep, but.

00:18:16:29 – 00:18:40:07
Dr. Mona
Well, you know, this is like the reason, again, that I’m happy that you have. You want to hear your perspective, but this is also where I’m going to have to disagree. You know, I respect the differences in opinion and culture and love that our listeners today can hear this because yes, for some it can feel better to be close in a bed sharing situation, but for many it feels better when they see separately or perhaps in a different room.

00:18:40:07 – 00:19:09:12
Dr. Mona
And in some situations. I think you and I both know that it can be a risk to share a bed. I have two kids who I room shared for six months for one and eight months for another, which means in the same room, but they were always in an independent sleep space, like a bassinet or crib. And I can say from personal and also professional experience here with the patients I work with, that it’s not detrimental for a child to sleep independently, so it’s not superior for them to share, in my opinion, until eight.

00:19:09:18 – 00:19:33:19
Dr. Mona
That sounds like a more personal cultural preference. And so it’s interesting to me because yes, it is a different belief. And I won’t even say cultural alone because there are probably many Indians in India or Indians outside of India like myself who don’t believe in bed sharing. And there are many Western parents who want to bed share when maybe, you know, it’s more preferred to do an independent sleep situation from what they’re hearing.

00:19:33:21 – 00:19:53:12
Dr. Mona
And so I wanted to hear your perspective, given you are a pediatrician in India and how you approach sleep, because I believe that we can all do a better job, and providing resources and options for families on how they want to approach sleep without judgment, like maybe you can provide resources on if a family wants to approach independent sleep given bed sharing gives them anxiety.

00:19:53:18 – 00:20:13:16
Dr. Mona
Or maybe they don’t get that sleep. Bed sharing and on my end provide more resources to families. If the a bed share and of course safety concerns and just overall be less judgmental and less like well, this is the right way, this is what your child is going to, you know, be like, if you don’t do this or if you do this, you know, well, this is superior and this is what’s right.

00:20:13:18 – 00:20:33:06
Dr. Mona
But I want to remind our listeners from my perspective that it is a personal and cultural, twice as long as family, you know, the family knows that there’s a safety concern of bed sharing. Great. But also, if you don’t want to bed, share that you’re still bonding with your child, that there isn’t complete isolation here, your child isn’t being abandoned.

00:20:33:09 – 00:21:04:23
Dr. Mona
And you know, you mentioned like vomiting or issues, a parent is still going to go into the child’s room if they’re needed. It’s not complete isolation like I mentioned. So physical closeness during sleep time doesn’t equate to less of these issues. Or like I said, superiority. So in my opinion there is sort of a balance that exists. And to be quite honest, the age of eight either seems pretty late to say that they need to bed share, but again, this sounds more like a personal cultural perspective, and if it feels right to the family, then that’s what’s important.

00:21:04:23 – 00:21:23:26
Dr. Mona
And also if it’s getting good sleep for everyone. And I also recognize that there may be a cultural aspect that I hope that we can agree on. One thing that there is no superior approach here, and a lot of these decisions may be guided by maybe culture, how we were parented, or maybe our own beliefs and education.

00:21:24:03 – 00:21:27:22
Dr. Mona
If we weren’t parented this way and we want to change how things are done.

00:21:27:25 – 00:21:48:24
Dr. Imran Patel
I would tell you, doctor Mona, in India, we don’t have people, most of them are not staying in the family. Being joint family? Yeah, with 4 or 5 children, from the single parent. Right. And we don’t have. Not everywhere, but if I was in the countryside where they know that that’s what it is. What, rooms and everything.

00:21:48:27 – 00:22:06:27
Dr. Imran Patel
No issues. Then what? They don’t have an option there. Yeah, but keeping in the signal room. So I cannot deny that. Also that from your perspective, I’m completely agree with you. Yeah. That is not that. If you are not sleeping with your baby, they are not emotionally attached with you. That’s not there. That’s not there.

00:22:07:04 – 00:22:28:27
Dr. Imran Patel
But if you don’t have that option, you couldn’t see it with your baby. And, What people. They have a cultural difference. But that’s why this is how you raise children according to your, Yes. Right. So it completely a personal choice, but, for the first six months, I would say you you should sleep next to your baby so that you, you can, read signal.

00:22:28:27 – 00:22:52:05
Dr. Imran Patel
You can pick up the right signal, because sometimes you don’t know whether he did not pop. Sometimes he pukes, sometimes he’s not responding. If he’s sick, he is not responding. What happened? So if mother is close to the baby, they can hear the sound. And what I feel. Mother can sense everything. Mother’s sense more than any other. Yeah, so that’s the reason I will say I seen otherwise.

00:22:52:07 – 00:22:55:13
Dr. Imran Patel
We are cool. We are cultured. You’re so good.

00:22:55:15 – 00:23:13:11
Dr. Mona
Yeah, yeah. No. And I think, you know, like the, the parents having the child next to them, whether, you know, for American Academy of Pediatrics and just, just in general here. Yeah. Like room sharing is what we call it. Right? So there’s bed sharing. There’s room sharing, there’s all this terminology. But yeah, recommendation is for the first six months, room sharing.

00:23:13:11 – 00:23:30:15
Dr. Mona
And that’s what we kind of did. And then I have some families who kind of way there. You know, what works for them, like you said. Right. Like in America, also, a lot of mothers and fathers don’t get leave, right? They have to go back to the workforce so they don’t get good sleep. If the child is in their room or in their bed.

00:23:30:15 – 00:23:45:10
Dr. Mona
So they want another option, right? And I don’t know how it is culturally there. Like are a lot of mothers and fathers. Like, are they going back to the workforce? I mean, that’s a huge thing that we deal with in America too, that may impact someone’s decision on how to approach sleep.

00:23:45:12 – 00:23:50:06
Dr. Imran Patel
So I made the most of the mothers say, you’re absolutely right. Most of the mothers are working the right.

00:23:50:06 – 00:23:53:02
Dr. Mona
Yeah, yeah, not everyone, but a lot. Yeah.

00:23:53:04 – 00:24:03:03
Dr. Imran Patel
Yeah, a lot of money for the yeah. Less number of people like less not working mothers are working but they get leave for the seven and eight months and amazing.

00:24:03:10 – 00:24:05:20
Dr. Mona
Oh my so so.

00:24:05:22 – 00:24:07:19
Dr. Imran Patel
That’s a yes. Yeah. We don’t.

00:24:07:22 – 00:24:09:18
Dr. Mona
Get any. Oh, look at me. So.

00:24:09:18 – 00:24:27:27
Dr. Imran Patel
Yeah. Yeah, we are lucky. We are lucky that we are, in India. But most of the people are staying in joint family. We have grandparents, staying with us to take care of the baby. We have uncles and aunts, and everybody is taking care of the babies. And, the thing is, it is very easy to get housing in India.

00:24:27:29 – 00:24:47:18
Dr. Imran Patel
It is very difficult to get in America. So it is very easy to get also in India so that, you know, that problem doesn’t arise over here. So the mother can be involved in other household chores, but at the same time, her baby can be handled by the other family members or the house. L is that so?

00:24:47:18 – 00:24:56:25
Dr. Imran Patel
That’s a difference. In India and America, we, we handle our baby together, and we keep children together as a family.

00:24:56:28 – 00:25:20:19
Dr. Mona
Oh, we don’t. I mean, you’re right. I mean, that’s when I talk about, you know, parenting and stuff in the States, and especially for a lot of us who don’t have that, it is I mean, going back to even just my parents who immigrated here, they had so much help. You know, when we were born, me and my sister, and there was a whole community approach, even though they were based in America, that everyone comes and helps and a lot of parents now, I mean, I can say this with true honesty.

00:25:20:19 – 00:25:41:11
Dr. Mona
I don’t have that support postpartum. So they’re struggling, right? I mean, they have to go back to work. And even if they’re not working, you know, whether they are stay at home or, outside the house, they struggle so much with that lack of support, whether it’s for the mom, the father, like there’s just not that that socialization that I love hearing, that is very standard there.

00:25:41:13 – 00:25:50:20
Dr. Mona
Because that really helps. And to help support the healing mother, too, after delivering a baby. I’m sure there’s a lot of, you know, taking care of the mom too, there, right?

00:25:50:22 – 00:26:16:27
Dr. Imran Patel
Yeah. And we should talk about the postpartum depression also in India, because people understand that even postpartum depression occurs. Right. Mother meets there’s no other need. Positive. I know I’m meant for a good breastfeeding. You know to she needs a good environment. So yeah in India it’s it lags but stay in India we are so fortunate enough if we are alone and if we can ask for help from our neighbors also, they are happy to help us.

00:26:17:00 – 00:26:33:12
Dr. Imran Patel
Yeah. From. So yeah, there is a lot of socialization over here. People are emotionally attached to each other. They are not. If they are not family members, still they can understand our emotions. We are going through some bad phase or we are not feeling well. They can cook for us. They come to our home, they take care of the baby.

00:26:33:19 – 00:26:42:01
Dr. Imran Patel
So that is there. In India, we share a lot of things with our neighbors. So, that that is we are fortunate enough.

00:26:42:03 – 00:26:59:26
Dr. Mona
Yeah. And I you know, I know you mentioned mom a lot, right? You were talking about mom being near the baby culturally. You know, if it’s a obviously mom father relationship is the dad. Do you feel culturally like dads in India are really involved in the child rearing, or would you say that still predominantly kind of considered a mother role?

00:26:59:29 – 00:27:03:08
Dr. Mona
Just from a social aspect and social understanding?

00:27:03:10 – 00:27:27:09
Dr. Imran Patel
I’ll be very honest with you, Doctor Mona and these, to all the fathers, I respect you also. But in India, father has a minimal role. So most of the time, the baby has been taking care by the mothers or the, ladies of the family in India. Still, it is there. And in the countryside, it is much more of that.

00:27:27:09 – 00:27:41:29
Dr. Imran Patel
Yeah, but nowadays, in a big cities, in a big cities where, people are, educated, they even father, is taking care of the baby. But in India, mother plays a major role that actually.

00:27:41:29 – 00:28:02:29
Dr. Mona
So again, why I like talking about this. Because people may not understand that. Right? It’s so important for us to understand the cultural expectations and cultural aspect of parenting and mothering that someone listening will be like, well, how is that possible? Like, that’s not fair to the mom, but that is a reality. And, you know, that actually was what I grew up with, you know, my obsession.

00:28:03:01 – 00:28:20:21
Dr. Mona
So my mom and dad immigrated actually from, they have an India Africa connection. And I know probably in the 1950s, you were aware that a lot of Indians moved to Africa, but, so, yeah, my parents immigrated here in the 70s. And although my mom and dad both worked outside the home, right. My mom and dad both had paid jobs outside the home.

00:28:20:28 – 00:28:55:21
Dr. Mona
My mom, just because of the cultural expectations of what we know, was the primary child. And even for a lot of my listeners listening today, that is a social expectation that moms do the primary role. And so I loved asking that question because it’s a reality, it’s cultural. Do you feel like, though, like you said, knowing that that is the cultural sort of norm, it feels as if from you when you speak to your families, that the moms do get the support in terms of, you know, I know we talk about postpartum depression and all of that, but you do feel like there is support for the mom to be able to be that primary

00:28:55:21 – 00:28:57:12
Dr. Mona
role, that caregiver.

00:28:57:14 – 00:28:58:09
Dr. Imran Patel
Absolutely.

00:28:58:09 – 00:28:59:07
Dr. Mona
That’s amazing.

00:28:59:12 – 00:29:22:20
Dr. Imran Patel
Yeah. I try to convey my message to all my, wishes. I tell them, I tell the mother this, you cannot, you want pressure to them. They have gone to the pregnancy period and that also the in the postpartum, especially in the postpartum period. She needs help. She needs help. She’s not the only one who is, you know, gonna take care of the baby.

00:29:22:23 – 00:29:47:06
Dr. Imran Patel
So you need to support her to, be taking medication nowadays and, Yes. Country. Unfortunately, it is that in India that. But the thing is, to promote that, we have that system, father. We demand that I get leaves, you know that, he has to work to earn the bread. And, yes, for the family, he has to go out and walk entire day.

00:29:47:09 – 00:30:10:19
Dr. Imran Patel
So what, he’s going to do that? But, that is a very unfortunate thing. But nowadays, nowadays, in a very big cities and everywhere, even the father thing, he even is waking up at midnight. And that’s the way we can, you know, they are doing that. And, I’ve been seeing that because of this thing. There is a clash between the husband and wife.

00:30:10:19 – 00:30:38:27
Dr. Imran Patel
Two, because sometimes fights gets in heated, aggressive. But I’m not the only one. You have the mobile daughter and husband. So I moment of being. Well, yeah. You know me now when I, when I go only in sleep. So that is a thing. But it’s initially for the 6 or 8 months but not everything. Because other family member of the house, takes that responsibility and India, because, as I said, in India, we have a system of joint family.

00:30:38:27 – 00:30:58:00
Dr. Imran Patel
Most of them are single joint family. It’s very good thing. So but they get support from other family members also. So it’s not like that in India that, it’s a very bad thing for the mother to kill. But no, but the other family can work, so. But yes, even father should play me, you know.

00:30:58:02 – 00:31:15:10
Dr. Mona
Oh, I wish that we had more support here. I mean, I think a lot of my mom’s listening right now. Who maybe based in America, can agree that the expectation is still there, that mothers do more of the work, even if we work outside the home. And she still exists. But the problem is there’s no support for us.

00:31:15:16 – 00:31:33:09
Dr. Mona
So, you know, at least there there is seems to be a little more understanding that, hey, we need to help here. I mean, like I said, the lack of paid leave, the lack of support for for breastfeeding if someone wants to breastfeed, but also just that lack of help for moms feeling, you know, it’s like it’s not ingrained into the culture here.

00:31:33:14 – 00:31:58:15
Dr. Mona
Whether a mom decides that she wants to work outside the home or not. So a lot of women struggle because they deliver a baby, they’re physically recovering, and they have to either hire help or maybe have someone come. And it’s just culturally not the norm. And that can be very isolating for a lot of mothers especially, you know, we understood that in the pandemic, where a lot of moms just didn’t have that support postpartum, you know, those first six months, I agree, are very difficult.

00:31:58:21 – 00:32:15:12
Dr. Mona
You know, I think parenting is all difficult in many phases. But those first six months, it’s a lot for, you know, the sleep, the feeding, all of that, the lack of schedule, like the, you know, regression, like all of that. It’s just, it’s a hard thing. And hearing that there’s support and understanding for moms needs is so nice to hear.

00:32:15:15 – 00:32:42:23
Dr. Imran Patel
But the thing is, that is what we have been taught. Yeah. My inner upbringing, she has sacrificed a lot of things for me. So, we have been taught that never hurt your mother and father. Yeah. So she. If you want to do or achieve something in your career or in your life, never hurt your mother. She has, sacrificed a lot for you.

00:32:43:00 – 00:33:03:27
Dr. Imran Patel
So that is what we have a culture in India. And, that is why we we respect, other. You know them because we can understand at this point what she has gone through, what she had gone to. Right. So, that is that. But, that is what I would say. The one thing is very best in India.

00:33:03:29 – 00:33:10:19
Dr. Imran Patel
So, whenever adopt in the first pregnancy or second pregnancy, the grandparents usually come and stay with them.

00:33:10:26 – 00:33:11:24
Dr. Mona
Yeah.

00:33:11:27 – 00:33:25:16
Dr. Imran Patel
Yeah. To say that is a great help for, for the mother, for the new mother also, that is a great help in India. So that is easy. Availability of the family members is the thing where, they can help.

00:33:25:18 – 00:33:50:16
Dr. Mona
I loved having this conversation. And again, I so appreciate you and agreeing to disagree about how we approach sleep, because it’s not even about disagreeing. It’s about just different cultural expectations and norms. And another one I want to talk about is feeling like, so when we start not breastfeeding or formula, but in terms of like when we start feeding solids, you know, so in America there’s and a lot of Western countries there’s something where we start table foods early on meaning there’s no puree.

00:33:50:16 – 00:34:11:19
Dr. Mona
We just go straight to table foods. And it seems like a very wow, like how could you do that? But it makes sense. A lot of kids can do that. And then a lot of Americans or a lot of, I want to say, a lot of Americans, a lot of my followers are surprised that I say that it’s okay to please include you’re not giving a child like a spicy chili or anything like that, but you can seasoned food from the beginning.

00:34:11:24 – 00:34:19:09
Dr. Mona
I’m curious, how is it, similar or different in terms of your approach to when children start to wean from breast milk or formula?

00:34:19:12 – 00:34:41:28
Dr. Imran Patel
So we in India what we eat before that, but six months. After six months we start giving them liquid diet like liquid. Then we progressed to semi-solid and at the age of 9 to 10 months a solid. And by the age of one year, this year the table flips. Like what I’ve seen in America and the Western countries.

00:34:42:00 – 00:35:06:05
Dr. Imran Patel
They are not scared of giving solid food at that age. They keep the child at the child care and they give them food and they spend it all all over the face and all over the body. But they try to eat that food in India. We do do that in India. People are so much protective about their children, so they try to feed them with their own hand in the age of one and a half year or two years.

00:35:06:08 – 00:35:32:22
Dr. Imran Patel
So that is the that is what the, happens like over here. They are very much protective. This they are scared that if their children will get, dirty or the children swallow something, then what will happen to them? So that is the their that is Peta or, for protection of the children. But in America and everywhere, children are, developmentally they, they hit food.

00:35:32:24 – 00:35:55:15
Dr. Imran Patel
So that is that. But that is a very good thing. That is a very good thing. The what happens is then in India, children develop temper tantrums. Yeah. They don’t want to, eat by themselves. This one more father to. Yes. So they need that attention when you are a bit younger. Those that are getting that attention, then you are not going to eat food by yourself.

00:35:55:17 – 00:36:11:07
Dr. Imran Patel
So that is what happening in India. But now it is not the situation is not the same. So, so that’s that’s a good thing and that we should, get it also from you that, we should, practice such things in India. Yeah.

00:36:11:10 – 00:36:32:12
Dr. Mona
Oh, I love what you just said. Because you’re right. So, again, I love that we can chat because my my parents and my in-laws. So my husband’s also Gujarat the American. And so they are so accustom because culturally you spoon feed your child until the child is older. But you’re right, Doctor Patel. Like this is the issue with that, that I see even in families that do it here.

00:36:32:12 – 00:36:53:04
Dr. Mona
Right. Is that when we don’t allow them self feeding skills developmentally appropriate, we’re not allowing a four month old to feed themselves. Even a seven month old may be a little more skeptical to it. But yes, you’re right. By nine months to 12 months, 100% a child who’s sitting an independently can selfie. I see it like in America.

00:36:53:07 – 00:37:08:23
Dr. Mona
I see it all the time. But you’re right that what happens then is if we’re so prone to feeding the child, they don’t learn that they’re able to do it themselves. And you’re right, there’s a lot of battles around mealtime. So if you ever want me to chat with anybody about self feeding from an early age, I’m happy to do that.

00:37:09:00 – 00:37:32:20
Dr. Mona
And also to your point, even though we allow, like both my children and a lot of my patients, so said from an early age, that doesn’t mean that we don’t still share food with our children or spoon feed them occasionally, right? Like there is a socialization of meals, right? So sometimes I’ll be eating something and I’ll take a spoon off of my plate and spoon feed my daughter, even though she’s capable of feeding herself and even my four year old.

00:37:32:20 – 00:37:48:24
Dr. Mona
Right. Like it’s almost like, hey, try this off my plate. But the standard is that they can feed themselves, and then if they can’t figure it out, if they are struggling, of course, we come to their rescue, and support them. And I think that there is a benefit, you know, and I’m happy that you understand that.

00:37:48:24 – 00:38:08:24
Dr. Mona
Oh, this could be something different because I see it. I see that a child who learns to feed can learn a lot of skills. They’ll still have selective phases. Let’s be honest. Kids in India, America, United Kingdom, everyone goes through a picky, selective phase. But when we have the control, the autonomy to put food in their mouth, there can be less of those battles.

00:38:08:24 – 00:38:10:15
Dr. Mona
I love that I agree with that.

00:38:10:17 – 00:38:29:19
Dr. Imran Patel
Yeah, and the thing is, on the basis of scientific research, also, if you say they’re eating by themselves, which holds them in, it is good for the growth and fine development of the child. The post mortem is a fine motor development of the child. So the hand and mouth coordination, how they pick the things that is good for that one.

00:38:29:19 – 00:38:50:14
Dr. Imran Patel
So, so I would recommend every parents like listening to in India or America they are practicing. But in India some from my point of view, yes. Please do not hesitate and let them by themselves. Yeah. And let them speak the food. Let them get. Yeah, yeah. Let them eat by themselves. Don’t put your child too much.

00:38:50:16 – 00:39:05:17
Dr. Mona
Yeah. I love hearing this again. We’ve talked about vaccine sleep and feeding. Do you feel there are other differences or similarities that you see when it comes to maybe parenting discipline, the health of children or raising kids in India versus the United States?

00:39:05:20 – 00:39:32:29
Dr. Imran Patel
Yeah. The only thing what I feel, people are, are less is being weaker because of, a huge population and lack of education, but, otherwise and as I said earlier, also, they are too much attached to the children and they are scared of, leaving them alone or doing them. And it is by themselves, I have seen the two and a half year or three year old child in a in a western countries they swim.

00:39:33:01 – 00:39:52:17
Dr. Imran Patel
But in India that’s not happening. Yeah. Because the thing is, they feel like they’re after their cheat. They are not capable of doing the thing, but they need to understand in my country that they are capable of doing the thing. You have to let it go. You have to give them a space where they can develop themself.

00:39:52:19 – 00:40:02:15
Dr. Imran Patel
And, they can do a lot of stuff. Yeah. So that is the difference. What I feel. Otherwise we all them some sense, that everybody is doing the best and the other.

00:40:02:22 – 00:40:10:16
Dr. Mona
So you feel like there might be a little more permissiveness when it comes to discipline versus actual, like, you know, boundary setting and things like that.

00:40:10:18 – 00:40:33:09
Dr. Imran Patel
What I see in India, what not in most of the part of India, I say in the countryside or the people who don’t have the facilities or they are less educated, they are lacking speed, and in other way around, in other way around, in cities where people are educated, they are walking, they are well-educated. Yeah. Or caring for the children.

00:40:33:11 – 00:40:47:01
Dr. Imran Patel
They are over conscious I would say. So. You do not have to be all conscious for your child neither. You should lack discipline. There’s a right way you have to balance that. You have to balance that to raise the child. What I think.

00:40:47:03 – 00:41:08:03
Dr. Mona
Now let’s take a break to hear from our sponsors. Yeah. No, I, I love hearing that. And that exists here too, by the way. Like there’s so many different approaches to discipline. And obviously we know that hitting slapping we know from a psychological standpoint that that’s not okay. But besides that there are many approaches. But yeah, I mean, I’m big on loving boundaries.

00:41:08:03 – 00:41:37:25
Dr. Mona
You know, obviously we set boundaries, but there has to be there has to be love. There has to be respect there. But there’s not going to be like this sort of you can do whatever you want. And I, I think taking it back to the feeding comment. Right. Like around mealtimes and around screens and around everything that we do with our children, I also feel it’s not just India versus us, it’s a lot of parents sometimes feel wherever you’re located in the world, that sometimes children then being upset is a bad thing, when in reality sometimes they may not like the fact that you turned off the TV, or they may not like the fact

00:41:37:25 – 00:41:53:28
Dr. Mona
that they have to put on shoes or, you know, put on a jacket. But some things just need to happen. And there’s a healthy approach to that. And I am, I am a big believer of healthy, loving boundaries. Like, it sounds like you are two and with more people around the world would be, into that as well.

00:41:54:00 – 00:42:13:29
Dr. Imran Patel
Yeah, I agree with you. There should be knowing it what is good for them because they’re, you know, they cannot decide for themselves. We are talking about their development, but, they don’t have that much, power, for, you know, understanding the things what is good and what is bad for the things they won’t understand. So sometimes the over love.

00:42:13:29 – 00:42:36:26
Dr. Imran Patel
And when you love your children, you’re not going to shout at them, you know, deny them for doing something you know. So they are not going to understand that. Then feel like they are doing anything wrong. So you have to make them, a good citizen. You have to make them understand what is good for them, what is bad for them, what is a good habits, what is a good behavior with the others, with the family members?

00:42:36:26 – 00:43:02:05
Dr. Imran Patel
You need to teach that. Yeah, well, you cannot be too harsh on the children. But yes, at the same time you need to make them understand the moral values of the human being, not the society after all. Yeah, y’all separated by the boundaries. But we are human beings, so globally, we have that responsibility for each other to notice and raise a good human in the society.

00:43:02:07 – 00:43:06:27
Dr. Imran Patel
So that is of yeah, I agree with you. And, there is no harm in that.

00:43:06:29 – 00:43:23:21
Dr. Mona
Yeah, I love it. Oh, this is such a great conversation. And I want to ask, you know, you mentioned earlier in this conversation about how there is respect for pediatricians or for doctors in India. Would you say that that where you practice there is this sort of respect for what you say? You mentioned it when we talked about the vaccines.

00:43:23:27 – 00:43:26:16
Dr. Mona
That’s nice. We don’t have that much here.

00:43:26:19 – 00:43:49:18
Dr. Imran Patel
The thing is, it’s not the always thing, but yeah, in India, people version doctors are here. It was a lot. But nowadays our this they don’t do that. But even they know that we are paying you. You get the service. But at least when you spread it out, I don’t think like I’m a doctor. I’m a big topic, you know, post now I love the children.

00:43:49:18 – 00:44:09:09
Dr. Imran Patel
I show kindness to the people. They give it back to me. So if they are more resolved, they are irritable or they are not in a mood to talk to me, I sing the song to their I am how they look at me. They have to be happy, you know that. So. So that is what the I pass away energy to them.

00:44:09:11 – 00:44:30:12
Dr. Imran Patel
So I no doubt that is not the time in India also that we do expect from the, patient that they fall in their hands and they say you are a god. No, the first we have to treat them with kindness and treat them with honesty and a pure intention. And we are passionate love and give them what they are going to give it back.

00:44:30:12 – 00:44:35:26
Dr. Imran Patel
I’m sure that I am getting that, from all over the world, and especially in my public.

00:44:35:29 – 00:44:56:06
Dr. Mona
Yes, it’s true. I mean, there is a mutual respect, kind of like what we’re talking about with children, right? I mean, every relationship there has to be respect. And so, I love that. And I think, you know, in America, it’s just feels as if there has been a loss of not so much a loss of respect, but because of the way our system set up, like, patients don’t get a lot of time with their pediatrician or with their doctor.

00:44:56:06 – 00:45:15:28
Dr. Mona
So even if a doctor wants to spend that time, there’s a lot of like, well, you know, you have to see so many patients and you gotta move and like, it sometimes feels like there’s not enough of that love and ability to have that time, even if we want it, which is such a struggle because it’s not like we need a red carpet or need like someone to bow down, like you said.

00:45:15:28 – 00:45:32:09
Dr. Mona
But we want the ability to connect and so that we can give that respect to the family, they can show that love back. And I think that’s just a beautiful message for anyone listening who’s a clinician that is practicing that, you know, it’s all about that ability to take the time that you do have to really connect with how you can with that family.

00:45:32:09 – 00:45:33:20
Dr. Mona
And I love that message.

00:45:33:22 – 00:45:52:01
Dr. Imran Patel
So this is what I absolutely agree with you. The thing is everybody wants money, right? It is not the doctor who wants money in every field. You want chartered accountant or banker or whatever. It is money. But ultimately your doctor does. They are emotionally attached with the patient. They are dealing with their lives. So even though we are human beings, we have emotions.

00:45:52:08 – 00:46:17:14
Dr. Imran Patel
So what we need, we just need. Thank you. So thank you Matt. Thank you doctor. Can you pass. So that is what we that motivates us to come daily and work on our patients. But I am fortunate enough that I have what sort of flow from my patients that, unfortunately in some cases where we have not been able to save the child’s life or in a, in a critical state, still, you won’t believe it.

00:46:17:14 – 00:46:44:27
Dr. Imran Patel
Doctor Mona, people have told me. Thank you. So you have done your best. We have seen that there have been telling you that. We have seen that your hard work. You have given everything for our children. It’s unlock or it’s a destiny. But still you have done your best. That is what makes me do. The thing is, I would have shifted to any other country to earn a good amount of money, but still, still, I’m here in India because I know that kind of respect.

00:46:44:27 – 00:47:08:08
Dr. Imran Patel
Other than money. That is what my, I, I’m happy when patient is, smiling at me and when they say thank you. So, and, God bless you. They, you know, they tell me that. And I love that. And that keeps motivating me. And at that moment, I feel like. All right, that all kind of, like, I keep aside, and I love my job.

00:47:08:11 – 00:47:27:22
Dr. Mona
And it radiates talking to you. This whole conversation, it radiates. I feel the same way. I just think, again, it’s that gratitude of simple. Thank you. I’ve been there too, with the thank you for when things are going really hard for a family, but also the thank you’s when you fix something like all of that feels so rewarding, you know, like, hey, I really appreciate you being here and walking me through this.

00:47:27:22 – 00:47:39:27
Dr. Mona
And so I love it. And again, I’m just so grateful that we could connect. What would be your final message for everyone listening? Because hopefully people listening from all over the world, what would you want to, have people take home after this conversation?

00:47:39:29 – 00:48:04:15
Dr. Imran Patel
So I’ll do all the listeners. This is Doctor Imran Patel from India. I would say spread positivity around you. Love your children. And, yes, we are separated by boundaries, but we are not separated by love and kindness to each other. That is the only thing which we can, spread, in this, current situation.

00:48:04:15 – 00:48:24:09
Dr. Imran Patel
We can do that, that love each other, spread positivity, support each other through digital platforms and, through social media platforms. And, it’s a very good thing, that social media platform so that we can connect like Doctor Mona and, like myself to get to know each other through social media on this. It’s a very good thing.

00:48:24:14 – 00:48:48:00
Dr. Imran Patel
So don’t believe in fake messages and fake propaganda. Please listen to your doctors and, health workers. Oh, who have got the degrees and, knowledge. And they have been seeing the patients they need. They have given their life on getting such knowledge is for your children. So please, believe in that. And, spread positivity. And that is my message to that, that whole.

00:48:48:02 – 00:49:06:20
Dr. Mona
I love it. I again, I’m just so grateful that you took the time to be here today. It was just such a great conversation, and it’s just nice to now have a have a colleague in India. You’re my colleague, and I get to connect with you. And if I’m ever there or you’re ever here, I hope that we can spread that kindness and love in person, because.

00:49:06:26 – 00:49:07:05
Dr. Imran Patel
That’s.

00:49:07:06 – 00:49:28:01
Dr. Mona
What I really love. I really love what you’re doing. And again, I, like you said earlier, you haven’t ever talked to a pediatrician in America. I’ve never talked to a pediatrician in India. So this was this was a collaboration that I’ve been waiting for. Where can people stay in touch with you again? Share your platform, your Instagram, your your YouTube so that people can stay connected?

00:49:28:04 – 00:49:48:14
Dr. Imran Patel
Yeah, you can follow me on Instagram. Doctor Imran Patel, official. You can follow me. You can subscribe on YouTube channel, doctor Imran Patel official on YouTube and Doctor Imran Patel or even Imran Patel on Facebook. So yes, I’m there and I hope you’ve been while watching my videos. Now I am able to bring a smile on your face.

00:49:48:14 – 00:49:53:24
Dr. Imran Patel
That is what my purpose is to record a video and show it to the people in the world.

00:49:53:26 – 00:50:13:07
Dr. Mona
And it does. I will link all of this for everyone listening again to my show notes. You’re going to get his handle. And even though I am a pediatrician and do exactly what Doctor Imran does, but just do it in a different country, I love following him because of all the things that he’s saying. The desire to spread love and kindness and the way he interacts with his children.

00:50:13:14 – 00:50:31:11
Dr. Mona
I you know, I don’t share videos from my interactions with patients because of all the things that my practice doesn’t allow. But if I could, if I could, I wish I’m going to start my own because it is such a beautiful thing. And also what you’re doing, Doctor Imran, is you’re normalizing going to the doctor, which I think is so healthy for families to see.

00:50:31:11 – 00:50:45:29
Dr. Mona
Right. Like showing a child that this is a doctor, this is someone who’s going to help you so that they’re not as steered so that they can be advocates for their health. So you’re doing that with your 4.0, I mean, at the time of the supporting 4.2, I’m sure it’s going to be even more so. The support.

00:50:46:04 – 00:50:46:11
Dr. Imran Patel
At the.

00:50:46:11 – 00:51:04:13
Dr. Mona
Moment, at the moment is for growing. Yes, exactly. And I know this is going to release, you know, recording it in March. It’s going to release in May of 2024. But I just I love seeing where you’re going. As a fellow pediatrician, it’s just such a beautiful thing to see. And you see me commenting on your posts all the time, like a like a fan, but you’re my colleague, so I just thank.

00:51:04:13 – 00:51:08:13
Dr. Mona
Yeah, I just again, thank you so much, for being here today.

00:51:08:15 – 00:51:26:07
Dr. Imran Patel
Thank you for having me. It was nice talking to you. Drop in when I get. I got so much information how you practice in American was the thing. We keep connecting, and, we’ll stay in touch. Yeah. And, together we can, change the, At least we try to change the world. Yes, yes.

00:51:26:10 – 00:51:44:16
Dr. Mona
Likewise. I feel the same. I’d love to hear your perspective. And so, for everyone listening, I’m sure you love this conversation. It was just so important to hear how things differ, but also, at the end of the day, how similar we all are. If you love this episode, make sure you leave a rating and review. Remember, this is how the show continues to grow.

00:51:44:19 – 00:51:58:15
Dr. Mona
And also, if you liked it, make sure to share it on your social and tag Doctor Imran. Type my platform as well so we can see that you love this episode, and I cannot wait to connect with Doctor Imran in the future and chat with another guest next time on this podcast.