Ravina Sewani

Diarrhoea is the body's way of ridding itself of germs, and most episodes last a few days to a week. Diarrhoea can be of sudden onset and lasting for less than two weeks (acute) or persistent (chronic). The main risk is lack of fluid in the body (dehydration). Once any dehydration is treated with drinks, encourage your child to eat as normally as possible. Causes:<ul><li>Bacterial infection</li><li>Viral infection</li><li>Trouble digesting certain things (food intolerance)</li><li>Food allergy</li><li>Parasites that enter the body through food or water</li><li>Reaction to medicines</li><li>An intestinal disease</li><li>Surgery on the stomach or gallbladder</li><li>Traveller's diarrhoea, this is caused by having food or water that is not safe because of bacteria, viruses, or parasites after a visit to a different country.</li></ul> Symptoms:<ul><li>Cramping</li><li>Belly (abdominal) pain</li><li>Swelling (bloating)</li><li>Upset stomach (nausea)</li><li>Urgent need to use the bathroom</li><li>Fever</li><li>Bloody stools</li><li>Loss of body fluids (dehydration)</li></ul> Signs of dehydration:<ul><li>Dizziness and light-headedness</li><li>Dry, sticky mouth</li><li>Dark yellow urine, or very little or no urine</li><li>Few or no tears when crying</li><li>Cool, dry skin</li><li>Lack of energy</li></ul> Diagnosis:<ul><li>Your child’s doctor will ask about your child’s symptoms and health history. The doctor might ask for a few tests to be done like:&nbsp;</li><li>A stool check</li><li>Blood test</li><li>Tests to check for food intolerance or allergies</li></ul> When to call a doctor:<ul><li>Is too weak to stand up</li><li>Is confused or dizzy</li><li>Has had diarrhoea more than three days</li><li>Is younger than 6 months old</li><li>Is vomiting bloody green or yellow fluid</li><li>Has a persistent fever</li><li>Has bloody stool</li><li>Has a rash</li></ul> Treatment:<ul><li>In most cases, treatment includes replacing lost fluids. Antibiotics may be prescribed when bacterial infections are the cause.</li><li>Offer electrolyte and glucose drinks. These fluids have the right balance of water, sugar, and salts. Some are available as popsicles.</li><li>Avoid juice or soda as they may make diarrhoea worse.</li><li>Keep breastfeeding your baby. Breastfed babies often have less diarrhoea.</li></ul> Prevention:<ul><li>Wash your hands properly before handling your child.</li><li>Timely get your child vaccinated.</li></ul>

Here are Diarrhoea causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.

Diarrhoea in children

Practically, a child can be allergic towards any fruit but the most common are apples, pears, cherries, peaches, melons, plums, kiwis. Causes: Proteins present in the fruit that the child is allergic to. Symptoms: Symptoms usually show up minutes after a child has been exposed to a fruit that (s)he is allergic to. Sometimes, the symptoms might show up after a few hours.The symptoms include:<ul><li>Nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing or dry cough</li><li>Eczema (a dry, itchy rash) or hives (reddish, swollen, itchy areas on the skin)</li><li>Redness of the skin around the mouth or eyes</li><li>Itchy mouth, ear canal or lip swelling, odd taste in the mouth</li><li>Nausea or vomiting, diarrhoea or stomach pain</li><li>Drop in blood pressure</li><li>Severe reactions include loss of consciousness, chest pain, turning pale, shortness of breath, trouble swallowing, or anaphylaxis</li></ul> Diagnosis:<ul><li>The first thing is to not self-diagnose. Always rely on a healthcare expert's diagnosis.</li><li>A healthcare expert will examine your child's symptoms, his/her health history, and conduct other tests if required, to confirm whether your child has an allergy towards particular foods or not.</li><li>The doctor might get a blood test or a skin prick test done for your child.</li></ul> Foods to avoid:<ul><li>Fresh fruit to which the child is allergic.</li><li>Fresh fruit juice.</li><li>Desserts or food dishes which contain the fruit to which your child is allergic.</li><li>Fruit flavoured packed foods.</li></ul> Treating allergies:<ul><li>The best way to prevent allergies of any sort in children is to avoid the source of the allergen.</li><li>In allergies, paediatricians usually prescribe antihistamine medicines for mild allergic reactions. Whereas for severe allergic reactions like anaphylaxis, your child’s paediatrician will prescribe an adrenaline auto-injector (AAI).</li></ul> Precautions:<ul><li>Develop a habit of reading the food labels for ingredients and allergy information.</li><li>Teach your child to mention about the allergy whenever (s)he goes to visit someone.</li><li>Inform your child’s school about your child’s allergy. You can also give the medicines prescribed by your child’s doctor to the school which they can use in case of sudden allergic reactions.</li><li>Be careful about the possibility of cross-contact; especially when visiting a restaurant.</li><li>Always keep the allergy medication handy for your child.</li></ul>

Not every child will have an allergy towards the same fruit. Every child's immune system reacts differently towards different fruits. The allergic reaction, however, is more or less the same towards any kind of fruit.

Fruit allergies

Palak Vyas

Normally babies cry after the injection because the prick of the injection is painful for a baby. The doctors usually advise the parents to give paracetamol to reduce the pain so the child can have some relief. Keep the following in mind to soothe your child after injection:<ul><li>Stay near your baby to distract and calm him/her during injection.</li><li>Hold your baby in a position so that the doctor can easily give injections.</li><li>If your baby is under 6 months, use a sugar solution to pacify him/her. You can dip his/her pacifier in a sugar solution and let him/her suck it.</li><li>Distract your baby with lights, sounds or some new toy.</li><li>After the injection, rub the vaccination site gently.</li><li>Swaddling can be helpful for little babies.</li><li>Place your baby on one side or on the stomach.</li><li>Swing him/her in your arms.</li><li>Feed your baby.</li><li>Apply cold compress at the site of injection.</li></ul>

Injections are painful for children so they tend to get cranky post one.

Soothing your baby after injection

Circumcision is a small surgery where the skin covering the tip of the penis is removed surgically. The decision to get your baby circumcised depends on cultural, religious, medical or personal reasons. Let the paediatrician or neonatologist decide if the child is ready for circumcision or not.<ul><li>Your baby’s penis may be sore for a few days after the procedure.</li><li>You have to be careful while bathing and changing diapers until it heals completely. Do not use any bathing products. You can use warm water to clean the area.</li><li>Whenever you change the diaper, use a new dressing as per your child’s paediatrician’s advice.</li><li>Use a dab of petroleum jelly on the penis so that there is no friction with the diaper.</li><li>Healing after the surgery can take up to 7-10 days.</li></ul> Inform your child’s paediatrician if you see any of the following signs:<ul><li>Bleeding that continues</li><li>Fever</li><li>Infection</li><li>Redness that gets only worse</li><li>Pus filled blisters</li><li>If the child does not urinate within 12 hours after the circumcision.</li></ul>

Circumcision is not necessary but the decision depends on personal beliefs.

Undergoing circumcision in boys

Congestion occurs when extra fluids (mucus) accumulate in the nose and airways. Congestion may give your baby a blocked nose, noisy breathing or mild trouble in feeding. Mild congestion is common and is not much of a concern. But if your child breathes 60 breaths per minute, (s)he is struggling to catch breath. In this case, take them to a paediatrician immediately. Symptoms of congestion:<ul><li>Coughing</li><li>Wheezing</li><li>Grunting</li><li>Thick nasal mucus</li><li>Discoloured nasal mucus</li><li>Noisy breathing</li><li>Sniffing</li><li>Trouble eating</li></ul> Causes of congestion:<ul><li>Allergies</li><li>Cold/flu</li><li>Asthma</li><li>Premature birth</li><li>Pneumonia</li></ul> Treatment of congestion:<ul><li>Give your baby a warm bath but try to keep it short for 5-10 minutes and once you are done quickly wipe the baby's body, apply moisturiser and dress your baby as soon as possible.</li><li>Keep feeding your baby regularly and monitor for wet diapers.</li><li>Add one or two drops of saline to their nostrils.</li><li>Use a humidifier in the baby’s room by the bedside to keep away the dryness in weather. It will add moisture in the air of the room and will help clear congestion.</li><li>Gently massage their nasal bridge, forehead, temples, and cheekbones.</li><li>Remove potential allergens or pollutants from the home's air by vacuuming up pet hair, not burning candles or incense sticks and not smoking.</li><li>Wipe away excess mucus with a soft, dry tissue or cloth.</li></ul>

Congestion can make a child uneasy and cause difficulty in breathing.

Dealing with the problem of congestion.

In asthma, a person’s airways become inflamed, narrow and swell and produce extra mucus, which makes it difficult to breathe. If your child has asthma, their lungs and airways can easily get inflamed when they have a cold or are around things like pollen. Causes:<ul><li>Allergens: mould, pollen, animals</li><li>Irritants - cigarette smoke, air pollution, chemicals, odours</li><li>Weather: cold air, changes in weather</li><li>Stress: It can make your child short of breath and worsen their symptoms.</li><li>Airway Infections: This includes colds, pneumonia, and sinus infections.</li><li>Exercise</li></ul> Symptoms:<ul><li>A cough that doesn’t go away (this might be the only symptom sometimes)</li><li>Frequent coughing spells, especially during play or exercise, at night, in cold air, or while laughing or crying</li><li>A cough that gets worse after a viral infection</li><li>Less energy</li><li>Avoiding sports or social activities</li><li>Trouble sleeping because of coughing or breathing problems</li><li>Rapid breathing</li><li>Chest tightness or pain</li><li>Wheezing, a whistling sound when breathing in or out</li><li>Shortness of breath</li><li>Trouble eating, or grunting while eating (in infants)</li></ul> A severe asthma attack needs medical care right away. During severe asthma attack, watch for these signs:<ul><li>Stopping in the middle of a sentence to catch a breath</li><li>Using stomach muscles to breathe</li><li>Widened nostrils</li><li>Fast heartbeat</li><li>Sweating more than usual</li><li>Chest pain</li></ul>&nbsp;Risk Factors:<ul><li>Things that can make a child more likely to have asthma include:</li><li>Nasal allergies or eczema</li><li>A family history of asthma or allergies</li><li>Respiratory infections</li><li>Low birth weight</li><li>Exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke before or after birth.</li></ul> Diagnosis:<ul><li>Your child’s doctor will ask you a series of questions about medical history, symptoms, about any breathing problems your child may have had, family history of asthma, allergies, eczema, or other lung disease.</li><li>Physical exam: Your doctor will listen to your child's heart and lungs and look in their nose or eyes for signs of allergies.</li><li>Tests: Chest X-ray, allergy skin testing, blood tests</li></ul> Complications:<ul><li>Asthma can cause problems like:</li><li>Severe attacks, sometimes leading to ER visits or stays in the hospital</li><li>Fatigue</li><li>Stress, anxiety, and depression</li><li>Delays in growth or puberty</li><li>Damaged airways and lung infections</li><li>Death</li></ul> Treatment:<ul><li>There are two main types of asthma medications:</li><li>Quick-relief medication that help with sudden symptoms. Your child’s doctor will prescribe these for fast help during an asthma attack.</li><li>Long-acting medication that prevent airway inflammation and keep asthma under control. Your child’s doctor will probably ask your child to take these every day.</li><li>Children under 4 may be prescribed to take their medications through an asthma nebuliser. This device changes the medicine from a liquid to a mist that your child can breathe into their lungs. The doctor will tell you how often to give these breathing treatments. To use the nebuliser:</li></ul>Wash your hands.Put the medicine in the nebuliser.Connect the tubes from the compressor to the base.Attach the mouthpiece or mask.Turn the compressor on and watch for a light mist to come from the nebuliser.Put the mask on your child’s face, or put the mouthpiece in their mouth and have them close their lips around it.Have them breathe in and out until their treatment time is up.Turn the nebuliser off when the medicine is gone.Have your child cough to clear out any mucus. Prevention:<ul><li>To prevent asthma attacks or to keep them from getting worse, focus on known triggers with steps like these:</li><li>Don’t let anyone smoke near your child.</li><li>Clean bedding and carpets often to fight dust mites.</li><li>Keep pets out of your child’s bedroom.</li><li>Fix leaks and use dehumidifiers to prevent mould.</li><li>Don’t use scented cleaning products or candles.</li><li>Check daily air quality reports in your area.</li><li>Help your child stay at a healthy weight.</li><li>If exercise is a trigger, your child’s doctor might give them medicine to help keep their airways open during activity.</li><li>Make sure they get a flu shot every year.</li></ul>

Here are Asthma Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Risk factors, Treatment, Prevention, and Complications.

All about Asthma

Causes:Blindness&nbsp;may be due to genetic mutations, birth defects, premature birth, nutritional deficiencies, infections, injuries, and other causes. Symptoms:<ul><li>Pupils are unequal in size.</li><li>Pupils appear white instead of black.</li><li>Eyes don’t move when an object or face is moving in front of it.</li><li>Crossed eyes.</li><li>Eyes flutter from side to side or up and down.</li><li>Eyes do not seem to focus.</li><li>Clumsy behaviour such as knocking things over or bumping into things.</li><li>Repeated shutting or covering of one eye.</li><li>Avoiding tasks that require good vision.</li><li>Frequent squinting and blinking.</li><li>Sitting too close to the TV, holding books too close to the face.</li><li>Face crunching and eye rubbing.</li></ul> Diagnosis: After you observe above symptoms in your child, take him/her to an opthalmologist for thorough examination and diagnosis as there are different types of blindness. An opthalmologist will examine each eye by measuring the visual field, peripheral vision, and visual acuity. Types of Blindness:<ol><li>Colour Blindness: It is the inability to identify the difference between a few shades of colours.</li><li>Night Blindness: It is the difficulty to see under poorly illuminated situations.</li><li>Snow Blindness: It is the loss of vision after excessive exposure to UV light.</li><li>Unilateral Blindness: It is the loss of vision in only one of the eyes</li><li>Bilateral Blindness: It is the loss of vision in both the eyes.</li><li>Congenital Blindness: It is the inability to see from birth.</li></ol> Treatment:<ol><li>Make sure you take an appointment with an ophthalmologist if you do notice any of the above signs and symptoms affecting your kid. Also remember to get a routine check-up done to ensure proper progress and eye health.</li><li>In certain eye problems, wearing glasses or contact lenses may help your kid in seeing better.</li><li>Certain eye problems can be tackled by performing a surgery. In all cases, treatment of the eye problem totally depends on the cause.</li><li>In some cases, children may suffer from vision problems due to nutritional deficiencies and following a healthy diet could help solve the problem.</li><li>Cataract surgeries and certain forms of medications and eye drops could also be a treatment option for some children affected by treatable forms of visual impairment.</li></ol> Prevention: Whether a blindness is preventable or not, can only be identified by an opthalmologist because prevention, like treatment, depends on the type of blindness. Raising a visually impaired child:Connecting to the right kind of people and finding proper guidance can be a lot of help. Here are some tips you can follow to make this journey better and easier:&nbsp;<ol><li>Find your support system: The people who would understand what you are going through and offer relevant advice. Connect with other parents going through the same situation.</li><li>Follow a positive attitude: It is going to be okay! You and the child both will work it out eventually.</li><li>Do not worry about a child's future. Just be rational and practical and believe that it is always going to be better. See how you grow through this experience.</li><li>Read some articles: Go through some of the materials online or just consult your doctor. Ask for some suggestions and maybe read a book or an article on what can make your journey more fulfilling for you and your child. See how you can better the process. A few articles will help for sure.</li><li>Join some organisations: There are some private and government-based organisations you can join. They have nominal fees. These organisations are of great help because they can provide you with every small detail, the problem along with their solutions.</li><li>Educate your family: Introduce your family and extended family and friends to hows and whats of the process. So the child gets similar treatment and it gets easy for everyone to communicate and understand better.</li><li>Most important of all is time and again, take a break. Do not feel alone or weak in the process. The challenges are big sometimes but there is always a way out. You will conquer it. So just go easy on yourself and your child too.</li><li>There are special schools for children with special needs. Their ways of teaching are different and are in accordance with the child’s special needs. Your child will gradually adapt to the situation and you too will cope with it.</li></ol>

Here are Blindness Symptoms, Causes, Treatment, Prevention, and Diagnosis.

All about Blindness

<ul><li>Moulds are small fungi and its spores float in the air and can thrive in moist environments - indoor or outdoor. It has a strong odour and develops a spongy layer on the surface which makes it easy to identify moulds.</li><li>Allergic reactions to mould are similar to hay fever symptoms so it is important to get the allergy diagnosed by a healthcare expert. The spores of mould may also cause symptoms of asthma in very sensitive children.</li><li>To prevent mould allergy in children, keep your surroundings clean. Treat the dampness or leaks at home if any, as this will reduce the humidity and hence prevent the formation of moulds in the house.</li><li>If your child is allergic to moulds, it is advisable to wear a mask at places where mould formation is known to take place or at places where humidity is high.</li><li>Treatment includes using antihistamine or medications for nasal problems.</li></ul> Symptoms:<ul><li>Itching</li><li>Rashes</li><li>Vomiting</li><li>Diarrhoea</li><li>Swelling of the lips or tongue or face</li><li>Throat constriction</li><li>Difficulty in breathing</li><li>Allergies may sometimes also cause a life-threatening reaction called anaphylaxis which constricts the airway passage and requires immediate medical attention.</li></ul> Diagnosis:<ul><li>Always get your child diagnosed by a healthcare expert and never on your own. Never self-assume that your child has peanut allergy. Commercial home test kits for self-diagnosis are not recommended as they may not be of the required standards.</li><li>Your child’s paediatrician may recommend that your child undertake tests like skin prick test, blood test or food/drug challenge. It is important that these tests are performed under medical supervision as these tests might trigger an allergic reaction. Along with these tests, your child’s paediatrician will also examine your child's medical/family history, existing conditions like asthma and eczema.</li></ul>

Allergy triggers to moulds in your child can be prevented by maintaining the hygiene around you.

Mould allergy

Dengue fever is a disease caused by a virus. This virus lives in mosquitoes. The virus can cause fever, headaches, rashes, and pain throughout the body. Most cases of dengue fever are mild and go away on their own after about a week. When a mosquito infected by dengue virus bites a person, the person can get affected by dengue fever. The virus can't spread directly from person to person. In rare cases, dengue fever can lead to a more serious form of the disease called dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF). DHF can be life-threatening and needs to be treated right away. It can be fatal sometimes. Common signs and symptoms of dengue fever include:<ul><li>Symptoms of dengue fever are generally mild in younger children and those who have the disease for the first time.</li><li>High fever, possibly as high as 105°F (40°C)</li><li>Pain behind the eyes and in the joints, muscles and/or bones</li><li>Severe headache</li><li>Pink rashes over most of the body</li><li>Mild bleeding from the nose or gums</li></ul>Symptoms can start anywhere from 4 days to 2 weeks after being bitten by an infected mosquito, and typically last for 2 to 7 days. Diagnosis: If you think your child might have dengue fever, call a doctor right away. You should also call a doctor if your child has recently been to a region that has dengue fever and has a fever or severe headache. The doctor will ask about your child's medical history and recent travels, and send a blood sample for testing. Treatment:No specific treatment is available for dengue fever. Mild cases are managed with lots of fluids to prevent dehydration and getting plenty of rest. Pain relieving medicines can ease the headaches and pain associated with dengue fever. Most cases of dengue fever go away within a week or two and won't cause any lasting problems. If someone has severe symptoms of the disease, or if symptoms get worse in the first day or two, seek immediate medical care. Prevention:<ul><li>There's no vaccine to prevent dengue fever. The best protection is to prevent bites by an infected mosquito. Be sure to:</li><li>Use screens (mosquito nets) on doors and windows, and promptly repair broken or damaged screens. Keep doors and windows shut.</li><li>Have kids wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants, shoes, and socks when they go outside.</li><li>Use insect repellent as directed on kids.</li><li>Limit the amount of time kids spend outside during the day, especially in the hours around dawn and dusk, when mosquitoes are most active.</li><li>Keep surroundings clean. Mosquitoes breed easily when there is water around. They lay their eggs in water, so get rid of unclean water around you.</li></ul> Natural Remedies for Dengue Fever:<ul><li>Drink sufficient Water</li><li>Juice of Papaya Leaves</li><li>Chew Basil Leaves</li><li>Neem Leaves</li><li>Orange Juice</li></ul>

Here are Dengue Symptoms, Causes, Treatment, Prevention, Diagnosis, and Remedies.

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