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

As per the doctors’ recommendations, a child shouldn’t be given anything till 6 months. Child should only be breastfed till 6 months. This is applicable for masses. But this can be customised depending upon a child’s health and under parental supervision; a child can be introduced or can be given liquidised food and water from 5 or 6 months. Liquid foods should be those which are culturally acceptable. These include – fruit juices, vegetable soups, daal or moong water, non-veg soup, etc. Children should be encouraged to drink adequate amounts of fluids. While introducing new foods, parents should keep 2 things in mind: <ol><li>Never introduce 2 foods at the same time. If you are giving daal water today, do not give fruit juice on the same day. It helps in identifying any consequences/allergic reactions or adverse effect due to new foods. Let the child get habituated to a new thing for at least a week and then introduce a new food item.</li><li>The quantity also matters. On the first day start with 2 spoons of say daal water, on second day 4 spoons, likewise keep increasing quantity gradually for a week and if the child is able to digest it all well. In the second week you can introduce fruit juice along with daal water. Keep the quantity in check and ultimately know how much is enough for your child.</li></ol> Please note:<ul><li>Children’s appetites may vary, not only from day to day, but also from one meal to the next.</li><li>Children have smaller stomachs than adults so it is important to consider portion size when plating food.</li></ul>

Introducing food at the right age will make your child habituated with eating all kinds of food.

Food at the right age

Palak Vyas

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.

All about Type 1 Diabetes

Tearing is a normal function of the eye. But when tear ducts get blocked due to infection and inflammation, tears well up in the eye and fall excessively; this is called "eye watering". In newborns, the condition usually resolves itself within a few weeks. Common causes of watery eyes:<ul><li>Allergies</li><li>Blocked tear duct</li><li>Common cold</li><li>Dry eyes</li><li>Ingrown hair lashes</li><li>Pink eye (Conjunctivitis)</li><li>Stye (a red, painful lump near the edge of the child’s eyelid)</li><li>Tear duct infection</li><li>Eye injury</li><li>Chemical splash in the eye</li></ul> Symptoms associated with watery eyes:<ul><li>Eye pain</li><li>Eye infection</li><li>Runny nose</li><li>Vision impairment</li><li>Sneezing</li><li>Swelling in the eyes</li><li>Redness in the eyes</li></ul> Treating eye watering:<ul><li>Sometimes a sticky liquid may form around the baby's eye or eyes. You can use a piece of cotton wool that has been soaked in sterile water to clean the eyes. Make sure to boil the water to make it sterile and then cool enough before dabbing it on the child’s eyes with cotton wool.</li><li>Sometimes tears can be relieved by gently massaging the tear ducts. Apply light pressure with the finger and thumb to the outside of the nose.</li><li>If the situation persists for more than a day, consult a doctor.</li></ul>

The problem of constant tears usually resolves within a few weeks in a newborn. If eye watering is accompanied with other problems, you might want to consult a eye specialist for your child.

Treating eye watering

Ravina Sewani

Blood pressure is the force of blood as it flows through the body's vessels. The vessels widen and contract as needed to keep blood flowing well. In a child with hypertension (high blood pressure), however, the blood pushes too hard against the blood vessels, which can cause damage to blood vessels, the heart, and other organs. Causes:<ul><li>Kidney problems</li><li>Blood vessel abnormalities</li><li>Heart disease</li><li>Endocrinological disorder</li></ul> Risk Factors:<ul><li>Obesity: Obese children have a higher chance of developing hypertension</li><li>Hypertension history in family</li><li>Sleep disorders</li></ul> Symptoms:<ul><li>Headaches</li><li>Loss of vision</li><li>Double-vision</li><li>Chest pain</li><li>Abdominal pain</li><li>Breathing problems</li></ul> Diagnosis:Your child's doctor will use charts based on your child's sex, height, and blood pressure numbers to determine whether or not your child has high blood pressure. Treatment:If your child's high blood pressure is severe and doesn't respond to lifestyle changes, the doctor may prescribe medication for the same. How High Blood Pressure Affects Children:<ul><li>Heart disease</li><li>Kidney disease</li><li>Stroke</li></ul> Helping child with hypertension:<ul><li>Keep your child away from tobacco smoke.</li><li>Limit the amount of time your child spends playing video games and watching TV.</li><li>Make changes to diet and exercise a family affair.</li><li>Make sure your child has his or her blood pressure checked as often as recommended by your child's doctor.</li></ul>

Here are Hypertension causes, symptoms, risk factors, diagnosis, and treatment.

Hypertension in children

Reduced milk production can be due to pain through breast pump, infection, or poor latching, any breast surgeries you’ve had, stress, high blood pressure, insulin dependent diabetes, obesity, or thyroid. If your baby was born prematurely, it might be a while before your little one gets the knack of proper feeding. And because your baby takes a while to adjust to breastfeeding it too impacts your milk supply. Do not feel guilty about low milk supply as most of the factors are out of your control. Following are the ways which will help you to increase your breast milk production: <ul><li>Evaluate Your Baby’s Latch: Make sure the baby is latching on your breasts correctly.</li><li>Continue to Breastfeed: Your body works on the principle of demand and supply. As you keep feeding, it will produce enough milk. If your milk supply is low, try to express at least 8 times in 24 hours and at least once overnight. Milk producing hormones are secreted the highest at night, so do not skip the night-time expressing.</li><li>Stimulate Your Breasts: Use a breast pump or a hand expression technique to stimulate your breasts after you finish breastfeeding your baby. The extra stimulation will tell your body that you need more breast milk.</li><li>Use a formula supplement: When the milk flow is low or slow, the child may refuse to suck so you can use a formula supplement.</li><li>Make Healthy Lifestyle Changes: Smoking, taking a combination of birth pills, stress and fatigue can also adversely affect milk production.</li><li>Breastfeed Longer at Each Feeding: Your newborn should be breastfeeding for at least 10 minutes on each side. If (s)he falls asleep, try to wake him/her up gently to continue nursing. The more time your baby spends at the breast, the more stimulation you're getting.</li><li>Breastfeed From Both Breasts at Each Feeding: During the first few weeks, breastfeeding from both sides during each feeding will help to build up a stronger supply of breast milk.</li><li>Try to Keep Your Baby Awake During Feedings: Yes! When you are feeding your baby try to keep your child awake and actively sucking so that there is stimulation which helps in milk production.</li><li>Spend Some Time in Direct Skin-to-Skin Contact: The&nbsp;kangaroo care technique that is skin to skin connection between the newborn and mother stimulates their bodies and has a very positive impact on the baby and the mother.</li><li>Eat Well: Eat some milk boosting food such as oatmeal (porridge or upma), spinach, fenugreek, garlic, apricot.</li><li>Drink Plenty of Fluids: Breast milk is made up of about 90 percent water. Drinking about 6 to 8 glasses of water or other healthy liquids such as milk, juice, or tea proves beneficial.</li><li>Try to Get Some Rest: Exhaustion and stress can have a negative effect on your milk supply. Try to take a nap when the baby is sleeping, and know that it's OK to ask for help.</li></ul>

It is very rare that mothers have to deal with less breastmilk production. Nevertheless, there are always ways to deal with it.

Low Breastmilk Supply

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Breastfeed your baby as much as (s)he wants. In the early days and weeks, your baby will wake and feed frequently, day and night.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">When your baby is a newborn, their stomachs are tiny. Babies can physically take only small amounts of milk. They can digest breast milk easily and it soon gets absorbed it into their system. That's why babies might demand constant feeding.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">After the first few days, most young babies feed at least 8 to 10 times in 24 hours. This means your baby could be asking for a feed every 90 minutes to two hours.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">It's worth keeping an eye on the number of feeds the child has, and offering them your breast, even if the baby not asking. By breastfeeding often, you're building up your milk supply. The more your baby feeds, the more milk you will produce. This is called responsive feeding. And your baby will love snuggling into you, whether or not they are hungry.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Do check that your baby is latched on well. Otherwise, (s)he may be nipple-feeding, rather than breastfeeding. This can make your nipples sore, and your baby may be unsettled, because they can't get a good amount of milk. Get advice from your elders or paediatrician if you're worried that your baby isn't feeding well.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Your baby needs to open wide and take a good mouthful of your breast. Once they have latched on, the chin should be touching your breast, the nose should be clear and baby's lower lip should be evened.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Your baby may want to feed more often, or for longer, at night. This is normal, because your body produces more prolactin, the hormone that makes milk, at night. By feeding often at night, your baby stimulates your body to make more milk.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Over the next few months, your baby's feeding pattern may become more predictable. This can take a while to establish, though, so try not to be disheartened.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Always keep the weight of the baby in check, to track their physical development. The track of baby’s weight will also help you to understand whether your baby is feeding enough or not.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">It is recommended to JUST breastfeed your baby until the age of twelve months and it can be continued till the age of four depending on mother's and child's comfort.</li></ul>Signs that your child is adequately breastfeeding:<ol><li class="ql-align-justify">Frequent urination up to 6-7 times a day.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Adequate weight gain.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">A sleepy baby post breastfeeding.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Let down reflex (Milk comes out from the other breast while baby feeds from one breast).</li></ol>

Worried about whether you are feeding the child enough? Look for the signs that your child gives.

Breastfeeding Schedule

Wool is a clothing material containing natural oil called lanolin, which is the cause of many children's wool allergies. Children who are allergic to lanolin will show allergic reactions to other products containing lanolin. Symptoms:<ul><li>Skin Irritation - rashes and hives</li><li>Eye irritation - redness, itching and puffiness of the eyes</li><li>Nasal Problems - runny nose, sneezing, nasal congestion</li><li>Narrowed airways</li><li>Trouble in breathing</li><li>Drop in blood pressure</li><li>Asthma</li><li>Ear and lung infections</li><li>Anaphylaxis (in more severe cases)</li></ul> Diagnosis:<ul><li>Wool allergies are sometimes misunderstood with wool sensitivity. To know whether your child is allergic to wool or just sensitive, you can try to make him/her wear a layer of clothing between their skin and the wool clothing. If your child does not experience any allergic symptoms, it's clear that your child is only sensitive towards wool. Your child can use wool products as long as they don’t come into contact with their skin.</li><li>Wool allergy is confirmed when your child develops an allergic reaction even if the wool didn't come in direct contact with your child’s skin. To confirm the allergy, you need to take your child to a doctor who will ask for your child’s medical and health history, your family’s medical history, and perform either a skin-prick or blood test.</li></ul> Wool Allergy Sources:<ul><li>Wool clothing - sweaters, scarves, bonnets, socks and gloves</li><li>Wool wax</li><li>Cosmetic products and personal products with lanolin</li></ul> Treatment:There's no permanent cure for wool allergy. Your child can, however, be given antihistamines and allergy shots to subdue the symptoms of the allergy. Guidelines to soothe your child’s skin after an allergic reaction:<ul><li>Keep the skin clean and moisturised with a gentle, fragrance-free lotion</li><li>Let the skin be exposed to air as much as possible</li><li>Avoid hot baths or showers, which may further irritate the skin</li><li>Try to stop scratching, which can make the rash worse</li><li>As a precautionary measure, avoid using woollen clothes or products containing lanolin for your baby.</li></ul>

Wool allergies are quite common but are often confused with wool sensitivity hence it is important to get a proper diagnosis done by an allergist.

Wool allergies

Thyroid gland is situated almost in the centre of the throat region. It releases thyroid hormone which plays a major role in all metabolic and chemical processes in our body. It is important for the overall growth and development. There can be two conditions related to thyroid hormone:<ol><li>Hyperthyroidism: When the thyroid gland produces an excess of the thyroid hormone. Here, the gland is overactive.</li><li>Hypothyroidism: When the thyroid gland produces too little of the thyroid hormone. Here, the gland is under-active.</li></ol>You will need a paediatric endocrinologist to treat thyroid in children.&nbsp; Congenital Thyroid:Congenital defect is the defect that child has from its birth itself.1 in 4000 live babies can have congenital thyroid. If congenital Hypothyroidism (the situation where less amount of hormone is produced) is not detected on time and if treatment is not given on time, the child can suffer from poor growth and can get developmental defects. (S)he can develop severe mental retardation. Reasons for congenital thyroid:<ol><li>The thyroid gland is not able to develop fully and is unable to produce hormones.</li><li>The thyroid gland is totally absent.</li></ol>&nbsp; Hypothyroidism in children:Causes:<ul><li>Children who are born in a family that has a history of the same disease. If the parents, grandparents or siblings have it, the chances of the child developing this disease are more.</li><li>The amount of iodine is not enough in a child's diet.</li><li>Improper treatment of a mother’s thyroid during pregnancy.</li><li>Abnormal pituitary gland.</li></ul>&nbsp;Symptoms of hypothyroidism in newborns:<ul><li>Yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes</li><li>Constipation</li><li>Poor feeding</li><li>Cold skin</li><li>Loud breathing</li><li>Hoarse crying</li><li>Enlarged tongue</li><li>Umbilical hernia</li></ul> Symptoms of hypothyroidism in toddlers:<ul><li>Shorter than average height</li><li>Shorter limbs</li><li>Slow mental development</li><li>Brittle hair</li><li>Tiredness</li><li>Constipation</li><li>Puffy facial features</li></ul> Diagnosis:Physical exam and specific diagnostic tests can be helpful in detecting thyroid in children. Specific diagnostic tests include blood tests. Treatment of hypothyroidism:Thyroid hormone therapy may resolve physical symptoms but permanent brain damage is most likely to have happened. Along with this, medication is also given by the doctor depending on the child’s age. Hyperthyroidism:<ol><li>Hyperthyroidism in newborns (Neonatal Hyperthyroidism): this is rarely seen in newborns.</li><li>Grave’s disease: this is an autoimmune condition where the body produces antibodies that stimulate the thyroid gland uncontrollably produce more than enough hormones.</li></ol>&nbsp;Symptoms of hyperthyroidism:<ul><li>Short attention span</li><li>Weight loss</li><li>Protruding eye</li><li>Goitre (enlarged thyroid gland)</li><li>Infrequent blinking</li><li>Muscle weakness</li></ul>&nbsp;Thyroid disease and endocrine conditions are interlinked as the thyroid is an endocrine gland.&nbsp;Diagnosis:Physical exam and specific diagnostic tests can be helpful in detecting thyroid in children. Specific diagnostic tests include blood tests. Treatment of hyperthyroidism:<ol><li>Anti-thyroid medication</li><li>Radioactive iodine ablation</li><li>Total thyroidectomy (surgical removal of the thyroid) or lobectomy (removal of half of the thyroid gland).</li></ol> Prevention: Thyroid cannot be usually prevented.

meningitis health concern

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