Ravina Sewani

Some children may develop allergic reactions against the chemicals present in the household products like – shampoos, detergents, soaps, talc, or lotions. 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> 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> The most common chemicals triggering these reactions are:<ul><li>Triclosan in soaps, deodorants, body washes</li></ul> A few tips to manage these allergies:<ul><li>Avoid your child's exposure to chemical products after diagnosis.</li><li>Replace chemical products with organic or natural cleaning products and avoid aerosol sprays.</li><li>If your child comes in contact with any of these allergens, wash the skin with water immediately and seek expert help from your child’s paediatrician.</li><li>Keep your indoors clean and hygienic if your child has allergies from household products.</li><li>Your doctor may recommend a calamine lotion or an antihistamine for mild reactions. Always keep it handy to treat skin inflammations arising due to chemicals in the products.</li></ul>

Children may sometimes develop allergy to indoor allergens as well. Hence it is important to maintain the hygiene of your house.

Cosmetic product allergy

Samiksha Choithani

Try the following and see which one works out the best for you and your child: Laid back breastfeeding: Laid back breastfeeding is also known as biological nurturing which means that your baby's natural instincts will guide your position.You just need to make yourself comfortable, support your back, shoulder, neck and arms with pillows and bring your baby close to your skin. Rub your nipple on your baby's lips and your baby will open its mouth widely and start to latch. This is a natural instinctive way of nursing and you will be able to do it with ease. ﻿Cradle hold: Hold your baby in one of your arms wherein his/her head rests in the crook of your elbow and support rest of his/her body with the same arm. Cup your breast with your other hand and using your thumb and index finger, place your nipples along with areola into your baby’s mouth and ensure that the baby latches properly. To be specific, position your thumb on top and fingers below the nipple. The entire areola (dark circle around the nipple) should be in the child’s mouth. Football hold (Clutch or underarm hold): This position is especially useful if you have had a C-section, large breasts, premature baby or twins. This is a position where you hold the baby on the same side as the breast you are nursing from, tucking your baby’s legs under your arm just like a football. Hold your baby’s head in your palms and support his/her body with your arm. Cup your breast and latch your baby the same way you would do for the cradle hold. Sleeping or side-lying: Lying position is comfortable for mothers who have had C-section. Use your arm to comfortably position the baby’s head and hold the baby’s buttocks in the palm. Use the other hand to your breast. Use a blanket to cover the little one and your breast to help the child feel warm and safe.

For starters, most mothers find it difficult to stick to one position for breastfeeding. But with time, it gets better.

Breastfeeding positions

Dr Ajab Primuswala

Dr Chintan Solanki

ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Syndrome. As the name suggests, children with ADHD lack attention, are hyperactive, and in some cases impulsive as well. Symptoms:<ol><li>They are in constant motion</li><li>They do not seem to listen</li><li>Trouble playing quietly</li><li>Cannot finish a task</li><li>Are easily distracted</li><li>Often talk excessively</li><li>Interrupt others</li><li>Squirm or fidget</li></ol> Causes:<ol><li>Pregnant woman exposed to drugs</li><li>Mothers smoking during pregnancy</li><li>Genetics</li><li>History of ADHD in family</li></ol> Diagnosis: Mental disorders like ADHD need to be diagnosed by an expert (psychologist or psychiatrist) and should never be self assumed. <ul><li>There is no specific test which can confirm ADHD. Also, symptoms of ADHD are similar to other disorders of Autism Spectrum Disorder, hence a careful and repetitive diagnosis by an expert is necessary. It is difficult to identify symptoms in children under the age of 5.</li><li>Mostly all children are hyperactive. The only difference between a child suffering from ADHD and a normal child who is hyper is that a child with ADHD will have aggression issues along with lots and lots of prangs. Theses prangs can include causing damage to properties, breaking things in the house, getting hurt themselves or hurting others.</li><li>&nbsp;&nbsp;A child suffering from ADHD is unable to concentrate even in the activities (s)he enjoys. (S)he gets hyperactive all the time and fidgets a lot. But this is not the only diagnosis for ADHD. If you want to find it out for sure then you have to go for a full diagnosis, either by a developmental paediatrician, a psychiatrist or a psychologist. An expert will give a diagnosis out of the following three:</li></ul>-whether the child has ADHD issues-whether the child is hyperactive-whether the child just has attention issues<ul><li>Your child's doctor will identify your child's symptoms in a span of 6 months or more. If your child shows 6 or more symptoms in the months of observation, the doctor will diagnose that your child has ADHD. The doctor will need your help, as well as the help from your child's schools.</li><li>Your child's psychologist might also suggest a physical exam and a brain scan.</li></ul> Prevention:<ul><li>There is no way to prevent ADHD but there are ways to help children with ADHD feel and do their best at home and at school.</li><li>One thing to keep in mind is complications during pregnancy are linked to ADHD. If you are healthy throught your pregnancy, the chances of your child having ADHD reduces greatly. A healthy diet and regular doctor visits are important. So is avoiding the use of alcohol and drugs.</li></ul> Types of ADHD:<ol><li>Hyperactive or Impulsive type: The child shows hyperactive and impulsive behaviour but is attentive for the most part.</li><li>Inattentive type: The child here is not overly active hence sometimes the symptoms cannot be diagnosed early on. Such children have a very little attention span.</li><li>Combined type: Children here are both hyperactive and inattentive. This is the most common form of ADHD.</li></ol> Treatment:There is no cure for ADHD but the condition can be improved. The main treatment of ADHD is medicines. Along with medication, psychosocial intervention like psychoeducation, academic organization skills remediation, parent training, behaviour modification in the classroom and at home, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), and social skills training can be done. Behaviour therapy: Behaviour therapy is a collective term for several types of therapies used to treat mental health disorders. The treatment focuses on unhealthy behaviours and aims to change them. Behavioural therapy can be used to treat depression, anxiety, panic disorders, anger issues, autism, ADHD, etc. The several types of behavioural therapies are – cognitive behavioural therapy, cognitive behavioural play therapy, aversion therapy, system desensitisation.&nbsp;Cognitive therapy: It is based on the concept that the way we think about things affects us emotionally. It is based on present thinking rather than past experiences. Social Skills Therapy: Social skills therapy work on improving communication with friends, family members, at school, and more. Your child's psychologist might arrange group therapy for this particular skill development. Medications, along with the above therapies have shown the best results in ADHD children. Depending upon your child's ADHD intensity, your child's psychologist will layout the treatment plan for your child. Safety precautions at home for children with ADHD:<ul><li>Use sturdy furniture at home. ADHD children have excess energy and are constantly moving without keeping much attention of the surroundings. So, it is important to use the furniture of strength and ones which have no pointed ends or something which can harm the baby.</li><li>Secure the bedroom, kitchen, bathroom. A small gate at the bedroom doorway will help a lot. Shelves/wardrobe cupboards should be fastened to the wall and out of reach of small kids. Windows should not be near to bed.</li><li>Lock all the cabinets in the bathroom. Do not keep any sharp object lying around in the bathroom. Never leave your child alone in the bathroom.</li><li>In the kitchen, keep sharp objects/lighters/cleaning materials locked away in a cupboard. Keep the electric cords out of reach of children.</li></ul> FAQs regarding ADHD: Can ADHD be cured?In 40 to 50 % of children, it can be cured. In other cases, some symptoms (mainly attention deficit symptoms) stay on for a lifetime. Are there any side effects of medicines for ADHD?There are some side effects but not serious ones. Low appetite, headache and sleep disturbance are the common side effects. When medicines are given under proper guidance of a psychiatrist, with proper monitoring and Drug Holidays, side effects do not have any major impact on life. Is there any alternative to treat ADHD without medicines?There is no alternative to curing ADHD without medicines. Very mild cases of ADHD can be treated with psycho-social interventions like psycho-education, academic organisation skills remediation, parent training, behaviour modification in the classroom and at home, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), and social skills training. However, in the majority of cases, such interventions should be secondary. The primary mode of treatment should be through medication because it is only after medicines that a child can be involved in such psycho-social interventions. Does ADHD mean low IQ?NO. Children with ADHD have normal or more than average IQ. If the IQ is low and a child shows ADHD symptoms then the primary diagnosis will indicate towards Intellectual Disability. Is ADHD is a genetic problem?Yes, there are pieces of evidence that genetic factors are involved in the aetiology of ADHD but it is not the only factor. There are neurochemical and neurophysiological factors involved as well. What kind of behaviour therapy is there for ADHD?Therapy for ADHD includes a multidimensional approach. It includes psycho-education, parent training, behaviour modification in the classroom and at home, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), academic organisation skills remediation, and social skills training. How to handle a child with ADHD?A child with ADHD should not be beaten or punished for his/her shortcomings. Positive reinforcement techniques can be used. It means that when a child follows instructions or commands, (s)he can be rewarded with say an ice-cream or chocolate.

Here are ADHD's Symptoms, Causes, Treatment, Precautions, Prevention, Diagnosis, and FAQs.

All about ADHD

Dr Aliraza Khunt

Palak Vyas

Fever in itself is not a disease. Instead, fever is the body’s immunity fighting against a virus or bacteria which has invaded the human body. So when a pathogen attacks our body, our immune system activates and increases blood circulation in the body. The activation of the immune system and increased blood circulation leads to a rise in the body’s temperature. This is how our bodies are naturally designed to fight against diseases whenever there is any external attack on the body. Fever is not our enemy, it is our friend. Toddlers and infants easily catch fever because they are always in contact with germs. If your child is eating fine, sleeping for appropriate hours, and urinating 7-8 times a day, then there is nothing to worry about. The fever will come down easily after 2-3 days. If the fever lasts for more than a week, and your child does not eat, sleep, and urinate properly, it is advisable to visit your child’s paediatrician. Sometimes, infants and toddlers might suffer from fits during high fever. This is when it becomes very much essential to bring down the fever. Children also feel pain or ache during fever due to which it is important to lower down the fever in children by giving medication. Common Causes of Fever:<ul><li>Respiratory tract infections</li><li>Flu</li><li>Tonsillitis</li><li>Cold and cough</li><li>Ear infections</li><li>Teething in infants</li></ul> How to be sure whether a child has fever or not?<ul><li>Most of the parents touch their child’s forehead and if they find it a little warm, they consider it as fever. Scientifically this is termed as delusion of fever.</li><li>Delusion of fever might result due to several reasons:</li></ul>- Mother’s hand being cold because of working with water on and off. Also, hands are usually cold as they are quite away from our hearts.- As infants barely have hair on their head, their head feels a little warmer than adults.- As a child’s brain is developing, there is blood circulation going on and that is the reason their head can feel hotter compared to the rest of the body.<ul><li>If the temperature of a child's head is 98.5 or 99 degree Fahrenheit and if mother’s hands are at 90 or 92 degrees Fahrenheit, then too the mother can find a child’s forehead way hotter even if the child’s temperature is actually normal.</li><li>So never assume there is fever just by touching your child’s forehead, always use a clinical thermometer to stay assured.</li></ul> Diagnosis:Thermometer reading:<ul><li>Digital thermometers are the most reliable and the easiest to use. Place it in the armpit of your child for 1-2 minutes and it will clearly show temperature readings. There is a beep sound that comes when the temperature stops rising. Take that reading and you would accurately know your child’s temperature.</li><li>Scientifically, if the axillary (armpit) temperature reaches 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or is more than that, it is considered as a fever.</li></ul> Treatment:Medicine for children having fever:<ul><li>Safest option for relieving a child’s fever is paracetamol. Paracetamol is easily available in the market. Choose any medically acclaimed brand which has a good taste so that the child can easily take it. Or you can simply ask your child’s paediatrician.</li><li>Dosage is usually mentioned on the bottle. Dosage depends upon the age and weight of the child. Paracetamol comes in two different preparations. One is the regular preparation and the other is DS- (double strength) preparation.</li><li>Regular paracetamol syrup contains 120-125 mg of paracetamol in 5 ml. Whereas DS paracetamol syrup contains 240-250 mg of paracetamol in 5ml.</li><li>Usual dose that needs to be given is 10-15 mg of paracetamol per kg of a child's weight.</li><li>For example, if your child is say 8 to 10 kgs in weight, 5ml of regular paracetamol is enough. As the weight increases, dosage should also be increased.</li><li>For every 2kg of weight increase, 1ml of syrup should be increased.</li><li>For a child who is 12 to 14 kg, 5 ml of DS paracetamol can be given. Otherwise the child will have to take 7 to 8 ml of regular paracetamol which is more than required.</li><li>Paracetamol is considered the safest medication for children. Certain reports say giving 20 mg per kg of child’s weight is also allowed in a few cases. In a whole day, giving 60 to 80 mg of paracetamol per kg is also considered harmless.</li><li>If it is required, you can give paracetamol after every 4 hours. There are certain diseases in which the fever subsides for 10 to 12 hours, once you have given paracetamol. In such cases there is no issue. But there are other types of diseases where the fever keeps coming back frequently. Here, once you give the medication, the fever subsides for a while but there are toxins in the blood therefore as the effect of medicine subsides; there is rise in temperature again. In such a case you need to give paracetamol after every 4 hours as per required.</li><li>It is very rare that the child’s fever doesn’t subside after taking paracetamol. In most cases children respond well to this medicine yet there can be a few cases where a child’s fever is not affected at all even after taking paracetamol. In that case, you will have to give some other fever medication after consulting your child’s paediatrician.</li><li>If paracetamol does not seem to work for your child, you can try either of these two combinations:</li></ul>i. Combination of paracetamol and ibuprofen. It is commercially known as ibugesic plus or Combiflam.ii. Combination of Paracetamol and mefenamic acid. At times when giving Paracetamol doesn’t show any improvement, you can use mefenamic acid - Meftal, which is also a very popular medicine for fever. <ul><li>Apart from medicines, you can also use cold packs to decrease your child’s temperature.</li><li>Keep in mind to not use cold refrigerated water cold packs for fever, instead use normal tap water. Soak the cloth in the water, drain excess water and place it over the child’s hands, legs, and forehead. Temperature will eventually subside.</li></ul> Home Remedies:<ul><li>If the temperature is below 102˚ F the fever is normal, just give plenty of fluids (liquid) and extra rest.</li><li>If the fever is between 102˚ F to 105˚ F give a warm bath or sponge your child with lukewarm water, this will help to reduce the temperature.</li><li>Make the child wear light clothes and use a light blanket.</li><li>Complete rest and good sleep can help the child recover soon.</li><li>Increase the water intake as much as possible.</li></ul> Prevention:<ul><li>Make sure your child(ren) wash hands properly and regularly.</li><li>Make them to avoid touching their mouth, eyes, and nose constantly.</li><li>Maintain hygiene in your child's surrounding.</li><li>Avoid sharing cups/glasses/spoons.</li></ul>

Here are Fever Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, Home remedies, and Prevention.

All about Fever

Dr Heena Hasan

Eating excess junk food like pizza and pasta can cause constipation as they are made of refined flour. The child, who is already suffering from constipation avoids going to the toilet because it is painful. Because of this, the stool stays in the stomach and gets harder and it gets more painful when the child goes to the toilet next time. This cycle continues. Make sure the child eats enough fibrous foods like fruits and vegetables so the stool gets softer and passes out easily. . For 0-1 year:Constipation among infants is not a serious problem. The child is constipated when (s)he misses passing the stool for less than thrice a week or when they pass thick/hard stool. Babies who are exclusively breastfed may not pass bowel movements every day. So, do not worry much. If your child is happy, does not cry much and does not have a gas problem, be rest assured about constipation. If you feel that your child's belly is very firm than usual, it could be a sign of constipation. In that case, you can try the following:<ul><li>Adjust your diet so that the baby gets healthier breast milk.</li><li>If your baby is below 6 months, gently massage the his/her stomach and gently move his/her legs in the bicycle movement.</li><li>If your baby is older than 6 months, you can try giving him/her semi-solid foods and fruit juices to improve bowel movements.</li></ul> Also, do not worry about the variance in the colour of the potty. The colour of the potty changes during the first year due to diet and the introduction of new foods to babies. The colours of potty may vary from black, mustard yellow, green, orange. If the colour is white or grey or chalky, it indicates the baby is suffering from liver problems and in this case, you should consult a paediatrician. For 2-6 years:If you are a parent of a toddler, keep a check on potty routine. At times children skip potty as they are more interested in playing or watching their favourite cartoon and hence avoid going for potty. Even change in routine makes them uncomfortable about going to potty. If constipation persists, you can try the following:<ul><li>Give them a glass of warm water once or twice a day if they regularly skip potty.</li><li>Give them carrot and green leafy vegetable soup.</li></ul>Also, give your child proper potty training. Set a fixed time of the day when they are supposed to go for potty. This will help maintain a regular bowel cycle. If constipation persists for more than a week, it is better to consult your child's paediatrician.

The problem of constipation in children worries a lot of parents. There are a few ways in which you can address this problem.

Constipation among infants and toddlers

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is also known as cot/crib death. As per the name, it is a sudden unexplained death of a child under 1 year of age with no explainable reasons after a thorough biopsy. SIDS is more likely to occur between 2 to 4 months of infants. SIDS is more prevalent in boys. Most SIDS deaths occur in the winter. Causes: The cause of SIDS is unknown. Researchers believe that low levels of oxygen or a build-up of carbon dioxide in the blood might be the reason behind SIDS. When babies sleep face down, they may re-breathe exhaled carbon dioxide and so the CO2 levels rise in the blood. Risk factors of SIDS:<ul><li>Sleeping on the stomach.</li><li>Being around cigarette smoke while in the womb or after being born.</li><li>Soft bedding in the crib.</li><li>Multiple birth babies (being a twin, triplet, etc.).</li><li>Premature birth.</li><li>Having a brother or sister who had SIDS.</li><li>Mothers who smoke or use illegal drugs.</li><li>Being born to a teen mother.</li><li>Short time period between pregnancies.</li><li>Late or no prenatal care.</li></ul> Diagnosis: A baby is determined to have died from SIDS if no cause of death can be identified. Treatment: There is no treatment available for SIDS as of yet. Preventive measures:<ul><li>Put your baby to sleep on his back.</li><li>See that you don’t put extra pillows, blankets or bumper pads in the bed with the baby.</li><li>See the baby doesn’t get too hot.</li><li>Always use a firm sleep surface for baby’s the bed.</li><li>Keep your baby away from smoke and smokers.</li><li>Use of pacifiers reduces risk of SIDS, although the reason is unclear.</li></ul>

Here are SIDS Causes, Risk factors, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention.

All about Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder which affects children. It mainly affects a child’s social communication which includes language as well as an emotional response to any situation. Children with autism also show some repetitive and restrictive behaviour. One-third of all children who have autism, suffer from intellectual disability, meaning they have a low IQ or mental retardation. Autism is not a life-threatening problem. Its severity ranges from mild to severe and early diagnosis and intervention can help in a better way.Children with autism have a trouble understanding what others think and feel. They cannot express themselves properly either with words, facial expressions, or gestures. Children with autism develop uneven skills. They might have a problem in communicating but they might be good at maths, art, or music. Symptoms:<ol><li>Lack of eye contact</li><li>Repetitive behaviour, example repeating phrases or rocking back and forth</li><li>Higher sensitivity to sounds, sights, smells, touch which might seem ordinary to others</li><li>Not looking at things when someone points at something</li><li>Not paying attention to what the other person is saying</li><li>Trouble adapting to changes</li><li>Some might also get seizures</li></ol> The symptoms usually appear before the child turns 3 or sometimes are evident from birth. Causes: Though the exact causes are not clear, here are a few factors which increase the chances of autism:<ul><li>Genetics of the child</li><li>Older parents</li><li>Pregnant woman exposed to drugs</li><li>Maternal metabolic conditions - like diabetes and obesity</li><li>Autism runs in the family</li></ul> Risk Factors: Children of all races can get autism but certain factors increase the risk. They are:<ul><li>Child's sex: Boys are about four times more likely to develop autism than girls.</li><li>Family history</li><li>Other disorders</li><li>Preterm birth</li><li>Parents' ages: More research is required but children born to older age parents are more likely to develop autism.</li></ul> Diagnosis: 2 step diagnosis for children Step 1: Developmental screening - The doctor will examine whether your child's basic skills like leaning, speaking, behaviour, and movement are on track or not. These developments should be routinely checked at the age of 9 months, 18 months, 24 months, and 30 months. Step 2: If your child shows signs of a problem on step 1 screenings, (s)he might have to undergo a hearing, vision, and genetic testing. By now, you will be advised to work with a child psychologist. Prevention: There is no way to prevent autism development in children. But mothers can live a healthy lifestyle, avoid drugs and alcohol during pregnancy. These will reduce the chances of autism development. Treatment:The treatment patterns which work for one child might not necessarily work for others. Your child's doctor will specially design a treatment plan for your child.&nbsp;Autism cannot be cured but the following treatments are helpful: Main treatment is Psycho-social intervention. It includes different types of behaviour therapy, cognitive therapy, speech therapy, social skill therapy and special school arrangements. Medicines can help to counter different symptoms like irritability, hyperactivity, depression or some of the repetitive behaviours. Behaviour therapy: Behaviour therapy is a collective term for several types of therapies used to treat mental health disorders. The treatment focuses on unhealthy behaviours and aims to change them. Behavioural therapy can be used to treat depression, anxiety, panic disorders, anger issues, autism, ADHD, etc. The several types of behavioural therapies are – cognitive behavioural therapy, cognitive behavioural play therapy, aversion therapy, system desensitisation.&nbsp;Cognitive therapy: It is based on the concept that the way we think about things affects us emotionally. It is based on present thinking rather than past experiences. Speech therapy: Speech-language therapy addresses challenges with language and communication. It can help people with autism improve their verbal, nonverbal, and social communication. The overall goal is to help the person communicate in more useful and functional ways.Goals of speech therapy include improving the spoken language, learning nonverbal skills such as signs or gestures, or learning to communicate using an alternative method (such as pictures or technology). Examples of the skills that speech therapy may work on include:<ul><li>Making clearer speech sounds</li><li>Matching emotions with the correct facial expression</li><li>Responding to questions</li><li>Matching a picture with its meaning</li><li>Modulating tone of voice</li><li>Alternative Augmentative Communication (AAC) - for some children with autism, it's easier to communicate through pictures or technology rather than speaking.</li></ul> Social Skills Therapy: Social skills therapy work on improving communication with friends, family members, at school, and more. Your child's psychologist might arrange group therapy for this particular skill development. Depending upon your child's autism intensity, your child's psychologist will layout the treatment plan for your child. Moreover, your child's doctor might also suggest parent training for you and your spouse. Safety precautions: Secure your house, irrespective of the child's age. Keep sharp objects away, keep harmful objects out of reach. You can use monitoring technology to stay assured about your child's safety. FAQs regarding ADHD: Can autism be cured?Autism is a lifelong disorder. The improvement depends on many factors like severity of the problem, time of diagnosis, IQ of the child and the interventions done. Children with normal IQ and mild to moderate autism can live a normal life with timely intervention. Any food can help with autism?There is no evidence that any particular food can help better autism. Do all children with autism have a low IQ?No, only one-third of all autistic children have low IQ. Many children with autism have some extra skills and more than average IQ. To whom should I consult for autism?If you see any symptoms of autism in your child, it is best to consult a psychiatrist. For an initial consultation, you can visit your child’s paediatrician as well. Can a child with autism live a normal life?Yes, many autistic children can live a normal life provided their IQ is normal and the intervention for social communications is done properly. Is autism a genetic problem?Yes, there are pieces of evidence that genetic factors are involved in aetiology (causes) of autism but it is not the only factor. There are others like immunological, neurological and developmental factors also involved. Can a child with autism go to a normal school?If the IQ of a child is normal, (s)he can definitely go to a normal school.

Here are Autism Symptoms, Causes, Treatment, Precautions, Risk factors, Prevention, Diagnosis, and FAQs.

All about Autism

Babies and children can also get cataract just like adults. A cataract is a cloudy area in the lens of your child’s eye. If it’s large or dense, it can cause blurry or even blocked vision. Your child may get a cataract in one or both the eyes. Causes:Congenital cataract (cataract by birth) is caused by a chromosomal problem like Down syndrome. They might also be due to hereditary, metabolic problems, diabetes, trauma, inflammation, drug reactions, or if the mother develops any infection during pregnancy.If the child develops cataract later in life, the possible causes include:<ul><li>Eye injury</li><li>Diabetes</li><li>Complications from eye problems</li><li>Radiation treatment</li><li>Steroids</li></ul> Symptoms:<ul><li>Poor vision – you may notice your child has difficulty recognising and following objects or people with their eyes</li><li>Rapid uncontrolled eye movements or "wobbling" eyes</li><li>The eyes pointing in different directions – known as a squint</li><li>A white or grey pupil</li></ul> Diagnosis:<ul><li>Congenital cataracts are diagnosed when the doctors conduct the newborn exam after a baby is born. You can’t always see cataracts. But when you can, they usually look like a white or grey spot or reflection inside the pupil. It’s important to get your child’s vision checked regularly. The earlier you find cataracts, the better your child’s eyesight will be in the long term. The first vision screening takes place when your child is a newborn.</li><li>Pay attention when your child complains about ANY kind of vision problem and get them checked as soon as possible. Keep track of the vision development milestones of your child and seek your child’s doctor’s assistance for the same.</li></ul> Treatment:<ul><li>The only treatment for cataracts is for a child to undergo a surgery to remove them. Your child’s doctor will give your child a general anaesthesia, so (s)he won’t be awake or feel anything during the operation.</li><li>After the surgery, the doctor usually advises to wear eyeglasses for a few days and will prescribe eye drops for your child.</li></ul>

Here are Cataract Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment.

Cataract in children

Type 1 diabetes in children is a condition where the child’s body is unable to produce an important hormone called insulin. Without this hormone, the sugar in the blood cannot travel to the cells causing high blood sugar levels. This condition is also known as juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes. Insulin deficiency in the body has to be replaced by insulin injections. It is hard on both the parents and the kids when the child is diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. This is because after the diagnosis, the child has to be given regular insulin injections and his/her sugar intake has to be limited as well. Parents and the child have to be extra cautious all the time.&nbsp;Symptoms:<ul><li>Increased thirst</li><li>Frequent urination, bed-wetting even if the child has been potty trained.</li><li>Too much hunger</li><li>Drastic weight loss</li><li>Fatigue</li><li>Irritability and changed behaviour</li><li>Fruity smelling breath</li><li>Girls may also develop a yeast infection.</li></ul>&nbsp;Causes:<ul><li>The first and foremost reason could be a family history of this disease. The child having parents or siblings having the same condition is at a high risk of developing it.</li><li>Genetics play a major role here.</li><li>It is said that exposure to various viruses can trigger the autoimmune destruction of the islets cells (cells that produce insulin).</li></ul>&nbsp; Diagnosis: Blood glucose level is measured before and after food and by observing for symptoms of diabetes. Complications associated with type 1 diabetes in children:<ul><li>This condition affects the major body organs of the child.</li><li>It narrows down a child's blood vessels, causes high blood pressure, heart disease and can cause stroke issues in later stages of life.</li><li>Basically it affects blood vessels which in turn damage the kidneys, eyes, and nerves.</li><li>Type 1 diabetes reduces bone mineral density causing a risk of developing osteoporosis in later stages of life.</li><li>DKA- Diabetic ketoacidosis is a leading cause of mortality in children with type 1 diabetes. When insulin levels are very low, the body cannot use sugar to produce energy. So it starts breaking down fat for energy. This leads to ketones production, which is toxic at high levels. When the levels are high, it results in DKA, where the body becomes acidic.</li></ul> Treatment: The only treatment for type 1 diabetes is the use of insulin tablets or injections. Prevention:<ul><li>This condition cannot be prevented. Research is still going on in this direction. All you can do is control the damage.</li><li>Maintain blood sugar levels.</li><li>Ensure your child has healthy food.</li><li>Regular exercise routine</li><li>Regular examination and monitoring by the doctor.</li></ul>

Here are Diabetes Symptoms, Causes, Treatment, Prevention, Diagnosis, and Complications.

breastfeeding problems health concerns

Following article(s) will help solve your concern.