Ravina Sewani

Cereal allergies are caused due to immune reactions against proteins present in cereals. Cereals are grains from the grass family like wheat, rice, oats, maize, barley, corn, and millet. Wheat allergy is the most common allergy among all. There are certain pseudo cereals like buckwheat, quinoa, chia seeds which belong to the non-grass family. Allergic reactions to these are very rare.Children who have eczema are at a greater risk of developing rice allergy.Children with an allergy to fruits like peach have more chances of developing allergic reactions against corn kernels.Gluten sensitive children are at a risk of developing allergic reactions to one or more cereals. Before ruling out other cereals on this basis, it is advisable to consult with your child’s paediatrician.Celiac disease is commonly misunderstood with cereal allergy because it shows similar symptoms like cereal allergy.Always keep the allergy medications handy; especially carry adrenaline auto injectors like EpiPen in case of history of severe allergic reactions or asthma. Gluten sensitivity and wheat allergy:<ul><li>Gluten sensitivity and wheat allergy are different. Gluten sensitivity results from a protein (gluten) present in wheat, rye, or barley. It is not life threatening like wheat allergy. This is called Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity (NCGS). It is diagnosed when the doctors are sure that the child neither has wheat allergy nor celiac disease.</li><li>Celiac disease is a serious form of gluten sensitivity and is a life-threatening autoimmune disease. Celiac disease causes inflammation of the small intestine due to adverse reaction to gluten. If this disease is not timely diagnosed, it can cause health issues due to malnutrition.</li><li>Wheat allergy, on the other hand, results from an immune response triggered due to any of the many proteins present in wheat. The allergic reactions to wheat range from mild to severe. Severe life-threatening allergic reactions are known as ‘anaphylaxis’ and require immediate medical attention. Anaphylaxis is a less common reaction of wheat allergy.</li></ul> 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>Diagnosis of wheat allergy is difficult as few of its symptoms overlap with that of celiac disease and gluten sensitivity. Hence, it is of utmost importance that you get your child diagnosed by a healthcare expert.</li><li>For diagnosis, the paediatrician will evaluate your child's medical/family history, existing conditions like asthma, eczema and other food allergies; along with a skin prick test, blood test or Oral Food Challenge.</li></ul> Precautions and Treatments:<ul><li>Your child must avoid consuming all wheat based foods and products; but can still enjoy rye and barley products unlike in gluten sensitivity.</li><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 he/she goes to visit someone.</li><li>Inform your child’s school about your child’s allergy to soy. You can also give the medicines prescribed by your doctor to the school which they can use in case of sudden allergic reactions.</li><li>Your child’s paediatrician might prescribe antihistamine medicines to fight against allergic reactions due to soy. Always give medications for allergy under proper guidance of the doctor.</li><li>Always keep the allergy medication handy for your child.</li></ul> Sources of wheat:<ul><li>Bread, pastas, cookies, baking mixes</li><li>Note that if your child is only allergic to wheat and is not gluten-sensitive, then you can give him/her other grains like rice, corn, quinoa, oats, rye, barley.</li><li>Also, buckwheat is not associated with wheat even though it sounds like a type of wheat so you can opt for that as well.</li></ul>

Among all the cereal allergies, the most common one is the allergy to wheat.

Cereal allergy

Unlike dengue or other viral fever, malaria has specific medication. If your child has been diagnosed with malaria then you should consult a doctor. Malarial germs do not die on their own. Our body can’t fight these germs so it is mandatory to give medication as soon as malaria is diagnosed. Symptoms:<ul><li>Drowsiness</li><li>Poor appetite</li><li>Trouble in sleeping</li><li>Chills</li><li>Fever (it might reach up to 105˚ F)</li><li>Fast breathing</li><li>Headache</li><li>Nausea</li><li>Body ache</li><li>Seizures in case the infection reaches the brain</li></ul> Causes:Malaria is caused by parasites carried by female mosquitoes. Congenital malaria is the infection of malaria to a child in the womb from mother. Malaria also spreads through blood transfusion, organ donation, or shared needles. Diagnosis: Diagnosis is based on physical symptoms and blood tests. Treatment:<ul><li>Take prescribed anti-malarial drugs by the doctor.</li><li>Take proper care and see that the child rests well.</li><li>Give sufficient fluids so there is no dehydration.</li><li>In case if the child is young enough and can’t take oral medication there are injections available too.</li><li>If the child doesn’t eat or drink or have any other complications after taking the medication, the child should be hospitalised.</li></ul> Preventive measures:<ul><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>

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

All about malaria

Palak Vyas

<ul><li>Generally there is a notion that a gluten free diet is healthy but it is not true for everyone. Gluten free diet is for those who have either 1) celiac disease (immune reaction against eating wheat) or 2) non celiac gluten sensitivity. Gluten present in wheat, barley, rye and other products can be troublesome for celiac patients and it can make gluten sensitive people sick.</li><li>So if the kid has any of the above conditions you can go gluten free otherwise it isn’t wise to keep your child’s diet gluten free.</li><li>Gluten free diet generally includes food like vegetables, high quality protein, healthy fats (nuts, seeds, avocado), fruits and grains that do not have gluten.</li></ul> Reasons why you should not have gluten free diet for your child:<ul><li>Whole Grains that contain gluten have lots of crucial nutrients including B vitamins, antioxidants, iron, selenium, magnesium etc. Excluding whole grains will lead to nutrition deficiency in children.</li><li>Whole grains have fibre too which is good for digestion.</li><li>Gluten free diet can be too low in calories for growing children. It is hard to get healthy calories from other sources.</li><li>Gluten free diet can be high in arsenic. Those who do not eat wheat prefer rice as a staple food. Now rice and rice products are rich in arsenic which is not good for the baby’s body.</li></ul>

It is very important to maintain a balanced diet for the proper growth and development of the baby. Going gluten free or not is an individual's choice. It is better to look into the pros and cons before taking the decision.

Gluten free diet for children or not

Dr Ajab Primuswala

<ul><li>The first question is whether the child has been diagnosed with dyslexia or not. So without diagnosis, it could be just a lazy lethargic child who doesn’t want to read or write or is “not interested in writing or reading”.</li><li>“Not interested in reading or writing” means the child does not want to read or write at all. On the other hand, dyslexia is a disorder in which the child wants to read or write but does not have the capability of doing so in a perfect manner. If the diagnosis is done, then there are specific measures which have to be taken care of.</li><li>To bring it to your notice, dyslexia is not the only type which is a reading or writing difficulty. There are dyscalculia, dysgraphia and many more.</li><li>In dyslexia, the child cannot comprehend the red blue coordination of linings which becomes difficult for them to keep up with upper case and lower case letters of the English alphabet.</li><li>Here, you can use a broad red blue line notebook to train them to have them follow the concept from red to blue, blue to red and for middle case only blue lines. This can be a great help which any parent can do irrespective of whether you are trained in it or not.</li><li>You can also look through multiple resources available for dyslexia training and practice it yourself and help your child to read and write in that particular manner.</li><li>Dyslexia is not something that comes alone; it comes with a combination of other learning difficulties. The child will have to go to a special educator who is specifically trained in dealing with reading and writing difficulties in children with dyslexia. Trained educators usually design different programs for different children as every child has a different learning methodology. You can work on the special program which your child’s educator has designed.</li><li>You can also ask for support from your child’s school. Whichever material is going to be provided by the school, the child can get it prior and practice it at home. So when they are in school, it can be easier for them to cope.</li><li>As parents, you have to be more open. Being observant is what you can do for your child. You also need to be patient with your child as not get irritated for their slow pace of learning.</li></ul>

Children with dyslexia can be trained with professional help to cope with their reading and writing difficulties.

Caring for children with dyslexia

During the fit, a child might experience jerking/twitching of a hand, arm or leg or jerking/twitching of the whole body. They may or may not become unconscious. Seizures are either epileptic (caused due to epilepsy) or non-epileptic that are caused by factors such as drops in blood sugar or pressure, changes in heart rhythm, or emotional stress. Epilepsy is a brain condition that causes a child to have seizures. The brain consists of nerve cells that communicate with each other through electrical activity. A seizure occurs when one or more parts of the brain have a burst of abnormal electrical signals that interrupt normal brain signals. Types of seizures:The type of seizure depends on which part and how much of the brain is affected and what happens during the seizure. The 2 main categories of epileptic seizures are focal (partial) seizure and generalised seizure. Focal (partial) seizures:Focal seizures take place when abnormal electrical brain function occurs in one or more areas of one side of the brain. Before a focal seizure, your child may have signs that a seizure is about to occur. The most common signs are deja vu, impending doom, fear, or euphoria. The 2 types of focal seizures are: <ul><li>Simple focal seizure: The symptoms of this seizure depend on the area of the brain getting affected. If there is an abnormal electrical brain function in the vision part of the brain, your child’s sight may be altered. The seizure activity is limited to an isolated muscle group. For example, it may only affect the fingers, or larger muscles in the arms and legs. Your child may also have sweating, nausea, or become pale. Your child won’t lose consciousness in this type of seizure.</li></ul> <ul><li>Complex focal seizure: This type of seizure often occurs in the area of the brain controlling emotions and memory. Your child will likely have altered consciousness. Your child may or may not pass out, or just stop being aware of what's going on around him or her. Your child may look awake, but have a variety of unusual behaviours. These may range from gagging, lip smacking, running, screaming, crying, or laughing. Your child may be tired or sleepy after the seizure.</li></ul> Generalised seizure:A generalised seizure occurs in both sides of the brain. Your child will lose consciousness and be tired after the seizure (postictal state).&nbsp;Types of generalised seizures include: Absence seizure: This seizure causes a change in consciousness and staring. Your child will likely maintain posture. His or her mouth or face may twitch or eyes may blink rapidly. The seizure usually lasts no longer than 30 seconds. The child may not recognise the seizure and go on about their activity without feeling different. These seizures may occur several times a day. Absence seizures start between ages 4 to 12. Atonic seizure: This is also called a drop attack. During an atonic seizure, your child experiences a sudden loss of muscle tone and may fall from a standing position or suddenly drop his or her head. During this seizure, your child will be limp and unresponsive. Generalized tonic-clonic seizure (GTC): Also known as grand mal seizure. In this seizure, your child’s body, arms, and legs will flex (contract), extend (straighten out), and tremor (shake). After this, muscles contract and relax (clonic period). The child then enters postictal period (after seizure). During the postictal period, your child may be sleepy. He or she may have problems with vision or speech, and may have a bad headache, fatigue, or body aches. Myoclonic seizure: This type of seizure causes quick movements or sudden jerking of a group of muscles. These seizures tend to occur in clusters. This means that they may occur several times a day, or for several days in a row. Status epilepticus: is a life-threatening condition in which a child has prolonged seizures or one seizure after another without regaining consciousness in between them. You should always get emergency medical help if a seizure lasts more than five minutes. Symptoms:<ul><li>Staring</li><li>Tremors, convulsions or jerking movements in the arms and legs</li><li>Stiffening of the body</li><li>Loss of consciousness</li><li>Breathing problems</li><li>Loss of bowel or bladder control</li><li>Falling suddenly</li><li>Not responding to noise or words for short periods of time</li><li>Appearing confused or in a haze</li><li>Extreme sleepiness and irritability when waking up in the morning</li><li>Periods of rapid eye blinking</li><li>Vomiting</li><li>Changes in vision, speech or both</li></ul> Causes:<ul><li>Head injuries</li><li>Birth trauma</li><li>Congenital conditions</li><li>Poisoning</li><li>Fever or infection</li><li>Brain tumours</li><li>Maternal illness during pregnancy</li><li>Genetics</li><li>Degenerative brain disorders</li></ul> Diagnosis:Diagnosing a seizure can be tricky. Seizures are over so quickly that your doctor probably will never see your child having one. Your description of the seizure is important to help your doctor with the diagnosis. If your child falls suddenly or shakes, it is impossible to not notice it. But absence or staring seizures may go unnoticed for years. You shouldn't worry if your child gazes open-mouthed at cartoons on TV, or stares out the window in the car. Most kids who appear to be daydreaming really are just daydreaming. But be careful when your child is in the middle of speaking or doing something, and suddenly stops. Medical tests are an important part of diagnosing seizures. These include blood tests, an EEG (Electroencephalogram) to check the electrical activity in the brain, or request a brain scan such as an MRI with a specific epilepsy protocol. Treatment:The goal of treatment is to control, stop, or reduce how often seizures occur. Treatment is often done with medicine. Medicines are selected based on the type of seizure, age of the child, side effects, cost, and ease of use. Your healthcare professional might conduct regular blood tests to check the level of the medicine in the blood and its effects on the organs. (S)he might also do an EEG by which you will know how the medicines are helping the electrical problems in your child’s brain. Your child may not need medicine for life. Some children are taken off medicine if they have had no seizures for 1 to 2 years. This though, is determined a healthcare provider. Other treatments include: <ul><li>A ketogenic diet: This type of diet is high in fat and low in carbohydrates. The diet causes the body to make ketones. The brain and heart work normally with ketones as an energy source. Researchers cannot identify how exactly this diet helps. DO NOT undertake this diet for your child unless it is advised by your child’s doctor.</li></ul> <ul><li>Surgery: Surgery may be done to remove the part of the brain where the seizures are occurring. Or the surgery helps to stop the spread of the bad electrical currents through the brain. Your child may be awake during the surgery. The brain itself does not feel pain. If your child is awake and able to follow commands, the surgeons are better able to check areas of his or her brain during the procedure. Surgery is not an option for everyone with seizures.</li></ul> Factors that trigger a seizure:<ul><li>Stress, anxiety, or other emotional issues</li><li>Change in sleep schedules or significant sleep deprivation</li><li>Change in medications, or skipping or missing a dose of anti-seizure medication</li><li>Things that over-stimulates the senses, like lights that flash brightly, watching television, playing video or computer games</li></ul> Preventing seizures:<ul><li>Plenty of sleep each night</li><li>Regular medications as prescribed by your doctor</li><li>Avoid bright, flashing lights and other visual stimuli.</li><li>Skip TV and computer time whenever possible.</li><li>Avoid playing video games.</li><li>A healthy diet.</li></ul> Fits or seizures can be really difficult to deal with. Keep the following in mind while your child is having a fit: <ul><li>Stay calm: When you stay calm, you can think of how to help your child.</li><li>Prevent injury: Keep your child away from sources of danger, for example, if you are on the road, take him/her to some safe place. Try to keep them away from ladders or stairs. Keep hard or pointed objects away from them.</li><li>They may stop breathing temporarily. Their face may become dusky or blue around the mouth. Do not try to give CPR during seizures. They will get normal soon.</li><li>Be aware of the length of the seizure: If it lasts for more than 5 minutes, call an ambulance. Observe minutely so that you can give an accurate report.</li><li>Make your child as comfortable as possible: Remove glasses if any. If the child has food in the mouth, do not try to take it out. Roll them onto their side so that any fluids can drain out of their mouth. Loosen anything around their neck for better breathing. Loosen belts or buttons if they are tight.</li><li>Do not put anything into your child’s mouth like a spoon or pencil or any such thing. It is a common misconception that people can swallow their own tongue but that is just not possible.</li><li>Avoid making a crowd around the child during seizures, give them room for breathing.</li><li>Do not give your child any water, food or pills while they are having seizures.</li><li>Be sensitive and supportive after the seizure is over. Let them know it is okay if they had wet their pants or had bowel movements, as they had no control over their body during the seizure. Provide them with fresh clothes to change if they have spoiled their clothes.</li></ul> After the seizure: If they have injured themselves during a seizure, take them to a doctor.

Here are Seizure Symptoms, Causes, Treatment, Risk factors, Prevention, Diagnosis, and Types.

All about seizures

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

It is very for children to get acne between the age of 0-6 years. Generally it affects on the onset of puberty (puberty is the age where children reach sexual maturity).But it can occur at any age out of hormonal imbalance or sensitive skin. There is no natural remedy for pimples. Things you can follow to reduce pimples:<ul><li>Make your child drink enough water.</li><li>Wash his/her face a few times during the day with clean water.</li><li>Follow healthy lifestyle.</li><li>Reduce the intake of oily, fried, and spicy food.</li></ul>

It is rare that your child would get pimples or acne at this age. If it does happen, it is always advisable to consult your paediatrician.

Dealing with acne

<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

In Vitro Fertilisation, commonly known as IVF, is a process that helps to overcome female infertility. In some cases, it can also help with male infertility. In IVF, the egg and sperm are fertilised outside the mother's body in a test tube. Hence the babies born through IVF are sometimes called as test tube babies. The fertilised embryo is them implanted in the mother's womb or another woman's womb. Steps of IVF:<ul><li>Egg production stimulated by hormone therapy</li><li>Egg retrieval from ovary</li><li>Sperm Sample Production - happens on the same day of egg retrieval</li><li>Fertilisation of egg and sperm in a test tube</li><li>Transferring fertilised eggs into the uterus</li></ul> The woman who wants to opt for IVF, is given fertility medications for 10 to 15 days. These medicines stimulate the ovaries to produce more eggs. For these 10-15 days, the woman is required to visit the doctor regularly for blood tests and ultrasounds. Once the stimulation period is over and sufficient eggs have been produced, the eggs are removed from the woman's body and are infused with the woman's partner's sperms in the laboratory. After three to five days, when the embryo reaches the 180 cells stage, one or more embryos are transferred back into the woman's uterus from the test tube. About two weeks later, you will be required visit your doctor to determine if the IVF was successful or not. Once the embryo is transferred to the womb, it develops inside the mother. The rest of the pregnancy happens in a normal way. Sometimes if the woman's womb is incapable of nursing the embryo, another woman's womb is implanted with the fertilised embryo. This is called surrogacy. Keep in mind that IVF cycle is time consuming and expensive. Things to keep in mind for a successful IVF:<ul><li>Maintain a healthy weight</li><li>Quit smoking</li><li>Limit your alcohol intake</li><li>Keep your blood pressure and diabetes in check</li></ul> Side effects of IVF:<ul><li>Emotional ups and downs during the IVF cycle</li><li>Cramping in the pelvic area</li><li>Breast tenderness.</li><li>Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). This is very rare and it occurs when fertility drugs cause a woman to make too many eggs. The symptoms of OHSS are weight gain, swelling in the abdomen, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting.</li><li>A minute risk of multiple pregnancies or birth complications. Doctors generally implant more than one embryo during IVF to increase the chance of getting pregnant with multiple babies. This increases the risk of premature labour and underweight babies. To avoid these complications, some people and doctors opt for one embryo implantation.</li></ul> Who can opt for IVF?<ul><li>Unexplained infertility</li><li>Blocked fallopian tubes</li><li>Male factor infertility</li><li>Older patients who desire to have a child</li><li>Low ovarian reserve</li><li>Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)</li><li>Endometriosis</li><li>Premature Ovarian Failure</li></ul>

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