Ravina Sewani

Meningitis is a rare infection affecting the membranes that cover the brain and the spinal cord - called meninges. There are several causes of this disease, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Symptoms:<ul><li>Confusion</li><li>Fever</li><li>Headache</li><li>Numbness on face</li><li>Sensitivity to light</li><li>Stiff neck</li><li>Upset stomach or vomiting</li></ul> Causes:<ul><li>Meningitis is usually caused by a bacterial, viral, or a fungal infection. Bacterial meningitis can be life-threatening whereas viral meningitis is less severe and people with viral meningitis usually recover without any treatment. Fungal meningitis, on the other hand, is very rare and happens only in people whose immune system has been weakened.</li><li>Meningitis is almost always caused by a bacterial or viral infection that begins somewhere else in the body, like ears, sinuses, or throat.</li></ul>Less common causes of meningitis include:<ul><li>Autoimmune disorders</li><li>Cancer medications</li><li>Syphilis</li><li>Tuberculosis</li></ul> Bacterial Meningitis:It is an extremely serious illness. Your child will need immediate medical attention. It can be life-threatening or lead to brain damage if no quick treatment is offered. Bacterial meningitis spreads when infected people cough or sneeze. Hence being around an infected person, poses a risk for your child as well.Viral Meningitis:Viral meningitis is more common than the bacterial form and is usually less serious.Fungal Meningitis:Fungal meningitis is very rare than the bacterial or viral forms. Healthy people rarely get it. Someone with a problem like AIDS, for example is more likely to become infected with this form of meningitis. Diagnosis:Your child’s doctor will ask for your child’s medical history. The doctor will check for neck stiffness and look for a skin rash that might suggest a bacterial infection. The doctor will also direct you for following tests:<ul><li>Blood tests to find bacteria</li><li>CT or MRI scans of your head to find swelling or inflammation</li><li>Spinal tap wherein a health care worker uses a needle to take fluid from around your spinal cord. It can tell what’s causing your meningitis.</li></ul> Treatment:Your treatment will depend on the type of meningitis you have.<ul><li>Bacterial meningitis needs immediate treatment with antibiotics. Your child’s doctor will prescribe antibiotics even before they’ve found the exact bacteria that caused your illness and then change to a drug that targets the specific bacteria they find. The doctor might also prescribe medication to deal with the inflammation your child faces.</li><li>Viral meningitis usually goes away on its own without treatment. The doctor might suggest your child to stay in bed, drink plenty of fluids. The doctor might sometimes prescribe medication for pain and fever.</li><li>For fungal meningitis, antifungal medications are prescribed by doctors.</li></ul> Risk factors: Following individuals are at a high risk of getting infected with meningitis:<ul><li>Children under 5</li><li>Teenagers and young adults ages 16-25</li><li>Adults over 55</li></ul> Complications:<ul><li>Hearing loss</li><li>Neurological problems</li><li>Vision problems</li><li>Seizures</li><li>Learning disability</li><li>Damage to internal organs like heart and kidneys</li></ul> Prevention:<ul><li>Regular vaccination goes a long way towards preventing meningitis. The Hib, measles, mumps, polio, and pneumococcal vaccines can protect against meningitis caused by those germs.</li><li>Avoiding Germs - Kids should wash their hands well and often, particularly before eating and after using the bathroom.</li></ul>

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

All about Meningitis

Potty training can usually start between 18 to 24 months of age. But, do not take stress if the child doesn’t learn, it may take time and there is no perfect age to start potty training. Just mark these indications that shows your child is ready for potty training:<ul><li>Child is asking questions about toilet</li><li>Child talking about potty seats</li><li>The child may be talking about underwear</li></ul>Ask these questions to yourself before you start potty training:<ul><li>Can my child sit on a potty seat and get back up without my help?</li><li>Can my child follow basic instructions?</li><li>Can my child tell me when it's time to go for potty?</li><li>Can my child pull down diapers or underwear without my help?</li><li>Is the diaper dry for at least 2 hours?</li></ul>If the answer to the above questions is yes, then your child is ready for potty training.These suggestions may help to identify when the child indicates to go to the washroom:<ul><li>Start noticing the face when the child wants to pee or poop, check the red face and grunting sounds or if the child indicated by touching their pants.</li><li>Notice the time when the child goes for potty and pee. This will help to establish routine for potty.</li><li>Praise your child when they indicate it correctly and do not wet the pants.</li><li>Potty time should be want-to instead of have-to, do not push your child even when they do not feel the urge of going to the washroom.</li></ul>

Potty training can usually start between 18 to 24 months of age. Look for the indications which your child gives, it will help you identify when the child is ready for potty training.

Potty training a child

Immunotherapy is a form of desensitisation treatment for allergies performed under medical supervision and may be recommended.In this treatment, your child is given small doses of allergens as an injection, tablets or drops, to 'reduce symptoms' of severe, persistent allergy (allergic asthma, allergic rhinitis, eye allergy or stinging insect allergy). The allergens are present in very small amounts, enough to desensitise the immune system against the particular allergen. This treatment is used so that your child is able to build resistance to the allergen.Note: This treatment should only be performed by a healthcare expert under proper medical supervision. Never perform this treatment on your own. There are 2 phases in immunotherapy, given at regular intervals up to three years:i) Build-up phase – In this phase, the dosage of allergens in the shots is increased gradually and frequently till the allergen is tolerated well.ii) Maintenance phase, this phase begins after the effective dose is reached and then onwards, the frequency of shots is reduced significantly.Immunotherapy is commonly used for environment-induced allergies where the medications aren't helping, your child has side effects from the medications, and you would like to reduce the continued use of allergy medications.This treatment requires the medical supervision of an allergist or an immunologist, who will look out for local reactions if any, and treat symptomatically.

Immunotherapy is a type of long term treatment to combat allergy problems in children.

Immunotherapy

Low blood sugar is medically called hypoglycemia and this can be resolved in most of the cases, with proper care.Sugar or glucose gives energy and most of this energy is used by the brain. When a child suffers from low blood glucose, it may – in some cases – lead to neurological damage, developmental delay, recurrent seizures and even cardiovascular issues. Symptoms that may indicate hypoglycemia in children:<ul><li>Blush or blue coloured or pale skin</li><li>Breathing problems like pauses between breathing, grunting or rapid breathing</li><li>Floppy muscles</li><li>Problems keeping your newborn warm</li><li>In some cases, there may be no symptoms at all.</li></ul> Causes:When your baby is inside your womb the glucose need is fulfilled by the placenta. Glucose level drops within 1-2 hours of birth and starts rising within the next 12 hours. After birth, your baby receives glucose from breastmilk and the baby's liver also starts making it. In some cases, your baby's liver might not be producing sufficient glucose or baby might use up more glucose than the amount received through breastmilk and produced through liver. Another reason could be that if you are a diabetic mother, your baby’s pancreas would release more insulin when inside the womb to maintain normal glucose level and after birth too, the pancreas continue with the insulin secretion at the same rate. Unfortunately, the liver cannot match this with adequate glucose production resulting in low levels in the blood. What can you do?<ul><li>Breastmilk is best way to regulate blood glucose level in your baby. The colostrum has enzymes that help the liver to release the glucose. Doctors will usually give a feeding plan to maintain the levels.</li><li>Keep your baby in skin to skin contact with you as this will keep your baby warm. Cold is known to worsen glucose levels. Generally, with proper care, the glucose levels in blood will stabilise within 3 days of birth. If the problem persists, the doctor will take the next necessary steps.</li></ul>

Low blood sugar is medically called hypoglycemia.

Low sugar in breastfeeding babies

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

In an egg allergy, the body mistakes the egg proteins as a threat which triggers the immune system to produce an allergic reaction to those proteins. An allergic reaction to the proteins in egg white or yolk or both is possible.Studies have shown that 2 out of 100 children are allergic to egg but around 70% of them outgrow the allergy by the time they reach adulthood.Egg proteins are found in raw, boiled/parboiled, poached, baked, or powdered form of eggs.It is advisable to avoid egg-based foods as it is difficult to completely separate the white from the yolk. Traces of yolk might be present in a few commercially available 'egg-white products'.Children with egg allergy can be safely vaccinated for MMR and Flu vaccine.Eggs can be introduced into your child’s diet by a scientific approach called “egg ladder”. Egg Ladder is a specific scientific food chart designed for the easy reintroduction of eggs in the diet and to induce egg tolerance to combat egg allergy. Symptoms:<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>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 and assume your child to be allergic to eggs. Always rely on a healthcare expert's opinion before avoiding egg-based products.</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 egg allergy or not.</li><li>Egg allergy has very mild symptoms and is not known to cause severe reactions.</li></ul> Foods to avoid:<ul><li>In breastfed infants, the egg proteins from mother’s diet may transmit to the baby via breast milk and cause an egg allergy to develop an egg allergy.</li><li>Eggs from birds like quails, duck, geese, turkey as well if your child has an egg allergy need to be avoided.</li></ul> Other foods to avoid:<ul><li>Mayo or mayonnaise</li><li>Nougat</li><li>Marshmallows</li><li>Ice cream</li><li>Parents are usually also concerned about giving baked foods to children who have milk or egg allergies. Research indicates that 70%of children allergic to milk or egg can tolerate baked food as high temperature baking can destroy the allergens in milk and egg. Introduction of baked food is known to increase the tolerance to whole forms of milk/egg.</li><li>Always consult your child’s paediatrician to look for alternate sources of nutrition as avoiding milk and egg based foods may develop nutritional deficiency.</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> Egg allergy and vaccines:There are several contradictions revolving around developing egg allergies due to a few vaccines like the MMR vaccine, influenza vaccine and yellow fever vaccine. If your child is diagnosed with egg allergy, it is best to consult your child’s paediatrician and then get your child vaccinated.

Egg allergy is one of the most common allergies among all.

Egg Allergy

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

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

Prachi Shah

Children tend to get fussy while eating food because either they are not hungry or because they are irritated with something else. Follow these to keep your cool and to prevent this from becoming a habit: <ul><li>Remove the food without making or passing a judgement. Do not scold your child. Offer the same food at the next meal or snack time.&nbsp;</li><li>Keep your attitude friendly and relaxed. This will help your child to understand that eating is a pleasurable way to satisfy hunger rather than a battleground.</li><li>Small helpings of food may be better accepted by your child. Second helpings can then be offered if appropriate.</li><li>Do not try to bribe children to eat food they do not want with the reward of a pudding or sweet snack.&nbsp;This will only make matters worse.</li><li>It may be useful to adopt the approach that a food refused is ‘not liked today’. If a food is refused, try it again a few days later. Changing the way a food is given, may make it more acceptable.</li><li>Consider possible reasons for the food refusal, such as drinking continually throughout the day, or frequent large snacks between meals, as both of these can reduce the appetite for main meals.</li><li>Never force a child to eat. Your child will gradually learn to eat.</li><li>Make sure the child eats with the entire family.</li></ul>

You can gradually make your fussy eater child accustomed with all kinds of food.

one breast feeding health concerns

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