Ravina Sewani

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

Dr Aliraza Khunt

Palak Vyas

Chicken pox is a communicable disease but is also self limiting, which means, the virus gradually leaves the body in few days naturally. Chicken pox is caused by Varicella-zoster virus. Most cases occur through contact with an infected person. The virus can spread through:<ul><li>saliva</li><li>coughing</li><li>sneezing</li><li>contact with fluid from the blisters</li></ul> Symptoms:<ul><li>The obvious sign of chickenpox is a super-itchy skin rash with red blisters. Over the course of several days, the blisters pop and start to leak transparent watery fluid. Then they dry out before finally healing. The first sign is usually a general feeling of being unwell.</li><li>Body aches</li><li>Fever</li><li>Feeling extremely tired (fatigue)</li><li>Feeling irritable</li><li>Loss of appetite</li><li>Headache</li></ul> Most cases of chickenpox are mild and go away on their own. But see your doctor right away if your child develops any of the following symptoms:<ul><li>The rash spreads to one or both eyes.</li><li>The rash gets very red, warm, or tender.</li><li>Dizziness</li><li>Shortness of breath</li><li>Vomiting</li><li>Stiff neck</li><li>Fever over 102 F</li></ul> Spreading: You can get the virus by breathing in particles that come from chickenpox blisters or by touching something on which the particles landed. Diagnosis: Your doctor will be able to diagnose chickenpox based on a physical exam of blisters on your child’s body. Treatment:Chickenpox generally resolves within a week or two without treatment. There is no cure, but a vaccine can prevent it. Your child's doctor may prescribe medication or advise on how to reduce the symptoms of itchiness and discomfort.<ol><li>Pain or fever: Your child's doctor will prescribe a medicine that will help with symptoms of high temperature and pain.</li><li>Avoiding dehydration: It is important that your child drinks plenty of fluids, preferably water, to prevent dehydration. Some doctors recommend sugar-free popsicles for children who are not drinking enough.</li><li>Mouth soreness: Sugar-free popsicles help ease symptoms of soreness if there are spots in the mouth. Salty or spicy foods should be avoided. If chewing is painful, soup might be a good option, but it should not be too hot.</li><li>Itchiness: ltchiness can become severe, but it is important to minimize scratching to reduce the risk of scarring. The following may help prevent scratching:</li></ol><ul><li>keeping fingernails clean and as short as possible</li><li>placing mittens or over a child’s hands when they go to sleep</li><li>applying skincare lotion prescribed by the doctor</li><li>wearing loose clothing</li></ul> Precaution:<ul><li>Do not send your child to school so that other children are safe.</li><li>Keep other kids in the house away from the infected child.</li><li>Calamine lotion is usually used to soothe the spots.</li><li>Make children wear light cotton clothes.</li><li>Make them drink plenty of fluids.</li><li>Don’t let your child scratch his/her itchy skin. This could lead to bacterial infection and leave scars.</li></ul> Prevention:Your child should get 2 dose of Chicken pox Vaccine. One at 15th month and second at 18th month to prevent the disease. Vaccine is painless, Very safe and 95% effective if both the doses are given on time.

Here are Chicken pox Symptoms, Causes, Spreading, Prevention, Precaution, Diagnosis, and Treatment.

All about Chicken pox

Some mothers&nbsp;produce more milk than their breasts can hold, which makes the breasts feel rock hard and uncomfortably full – a condition called engorgement.This condition might last temporarily for 24 to 48 hours. However it can be painful. What do engorged breasts feel like?The breasts feel large, hard and lumpy. The skin of your breasts look shiny and feel stretched, and your nipples becomes hard and flat. Breast engorgement can cause breastfeeding difficulties – which can, in turn, worsen the problem. Your baby might struggle to latch if your nipples are flatter and your breast tissue is harder,&nbsp;causing sore nipples. Causes of breast engorgement:<ul><li>Engorgement usually occurs because the baby is not feeding frequently enough (at least eight times in 24 hours).</li><li>Those women who doesn’t feed their babies or who can’t, due to any reason for example either they are working or too busy with chores due to large families, these women can develop breast engorgement. It can also cause when the woman produces more milk than her baby can have.</li><li>Engorgement can also happen if you suddenly cut on breastfeeds, maybe, because your baby is sick,&nbsp;either (s)he keeps sleeping longer, starting solid foods and other liquids, or going into childcare, which keeps him away from you for longer time.</li></ul> Treating engorged breasts:<ul><li>Breastfeed your baby for minimum 8 times in 24 hours.</li><li>Check that your baby has a good breastfeeding latch.</li><li>Try breastfeeding in different positions.</li><li>You can also massage your breasts gently while feeding to help the milk drain effectively.</li></ul>

New mothers might worry about breast engorgement but there is nothing to worry about much.

Understanding Breast Engorgement

Nut allergy is usually caused by peanuts. Peanuts grow underground. Peanut allergy can sometimes trigger life-threatening reactions. The proteins found in nuts are considered dangerous by the body and in response the body triggers an immune reaction against those proteins. Peanut allergies generally stay on for life but in very rare cases, children may outgrow these allergies. Peanut allergies are severe hence even trace amounts of peanut could trigger an immune reaction posing a threat to your child.Nut allergies are also very rarely caused by tree nuts grown above ground. Common tree nuts are Almonds, Brazil nuts, Cashews, Hazelnuts, Macadamia nuts, Pecans, Pine nuts, Pistachio, Walnuts, etc. If your child has a nut allergy, it is advisable to consult your child’s paediatrician before giving him/her coconut based foods. This is because coconut belongs to tree nuts family. 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>Always get the diagnosis done by an expert. The doctor may recommend that your child undertake tests like skin prick test, blood test or food challenge. It is important that these tests are performed under medical supervision as these tests might trigger an allergic reaction.</li><li>Your child may develop allergies if there is a history of allergies in your family.</li></ul> Precautions:<ul><li>Always keep a habit of reading the food labels for the ingredients.</li><li>It is advisable to avoid all kinds of nuts if your child has developed allergy to one of the nuts. This is because there are risks of cross-contact and even trace amount of the nut your child is allergic to can lead to severe allergic reactions. Consult your child’s paediatrician for the same.</li><li>Inform your child's school or caretakers of the nut allergy so that they have an emergency response kit or you can provide the emergency kit to the school.</li><li>Keep an anti-allergic medicine prescribed by your child’s paediatrician handy in case of mild triggers.</li></ul> Foods to avoid:<ul><li>Cross-contact is common in the case of nut allergy so always be careful of the foods your child consumes.</li><li>Be careful of the following foods as nuts could be a hidden ingredient in them:</li><li>Cereals, breakfast bars, snacks like crackers, cookies, cakes, pastries, energy or protein bars, pancakes, egg rolls</li><li>Beverages like flavoured hot chocolate, flavoured coffee</li><li>Desserts like ice creams, frozen yogurts, chocolates, candy, fudge</li><li>Cheese, butter or oil from tree nuts or other nuts</li><li>Even personal hygiene products like shampoos, lotions, perfumes, and soaps may contain extracts from nuts</li><li>Pet food, bird seeds, compost used as fertiliser may contain peanut shells</li></ul>

Nut allergies can be of two types: tree nut allergies or underground nut allergies.

Nut allergy

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

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

Dealing with the problem of congestion.

Prachi Shah

Children, just like adults, have a sweet tooth, and it is normal for them to want desserts and cookies instead of carrots. If you notice that your child’s diet consists mostly of processed foods, try and buy healthy snacks so that your child has fewer unhealthy options. But there is no need to fret over a dessert every now and then. All food is good food as long as it’s in moderation. Keep the following points in mind if your child is eating too much of sugary food: <ul><li>A habit is a habit, whether it is eating sugar or sucking a thumb or watching TV or even eating 2-3 candies daily. So the way a habit is formed, likewise it can be ridden off too.</li><li>Eating sugar is very harmful for a child because it will cause tooth decay, make him/her obese and leave the child malnourished.</li><li>Parents can use some easy tricks like first of all keeping the sugar jar where the child doesn’t find it easily.</li><li>Avoid bringing and storing candy in the house so the child doesn’t find them easily.</li><li>You can start using jaggery in the dishes to avoid sugar, wherever you can and that way it becomes a healthy option.</li><li>A child of this age can be easily distracted. For a few days if you distract him/her, automatically (s)he will forget asking for sugar.</li><li>For initial days it may become hard but you should stay firm and not give up.</li><li>Ask for help and seek support from family members so they don’t give your child sugar whenever (s)he asks.</li><li>You can always replace sugar with other natural sweet substances such as dates and raisins.</li><li>Eat healthy as a family. Never exhibit any behaviour which encourages the child to eat sugar. Keep your actions in check.</li></ul>

Sugar is a very tempting food item. Keep the sugar intake in check since the first day a child learns to eat; this way things will not out of hand.

Dealing with a child’s sugar eating habits

Samiksha Choithani

There is nothing wrong in using breast pumps. Breast pumps are useful and come handy when you are travelling or for a working mother or when a child is having difficulty to latch on the breast. If you have decided to use a breast pump, follow these simple instructions:<ol><li>Clean all parts of the breast pump.</li><li>Wash your hands.</li><li>Find an isolated place where you can sit in peace and pump.</li><li>While you start pumping, think about your child, this will trigger hormones and will help to generate sufficient milk.</li><li>Make sure the shield of the pump is centred over the nipple.</li><li>Once you start pumping it may take a couple of minutes to start the flow.</li><li>Switch the breasts every 5 minutes; ensure each breast gets a total stimulation of 15 minutes.</li><li>After using the pump wash it with warm soapy water.</li><li>The milk extracted using a breast pump is safe for 4 to 6 hours at room temperature.</li></ol> In case after using breast pumps, you are experiencing problems such as - less milk supply or sore nipples, it is better to consult a doctor.

Using a breast pump is a personal choice.

Using Manual Breast Pumps or not?

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

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

Vegetable allergies

Eyestrain is a symptom, not an eye disease. Eyestrain occurs when eyes get tired from intense use, such as driving a car for extended periods, reading, or working at the computer. Causes:<ul><li>Looking at digital device screens</li><li>Reading without pausing</li><li>Being exposed to bright light or glare</li><li>Having an underlying eye problem, such as dry eyes or uncorrected vision (refractive error)</li><li>Being stressed or fatigued</li><li>Being exposed to dry moving air from a fan, heating or air-conditioning system</li></ul>In children, the most common cause of eyestrain is the prolonged use of screen in day-to-day life. Effects of excess screen time on children's eyes:<ul><li>Blurry vision</li><li>Watery, dry, itchy, or red eyes</li><li>Double vision</li><li>Headaches</li><li>Sore or tired eyes</li><li>Burning in eyes</li><li>Sore neck, shoulders or back</li><li>Increased sensitivity to light</li><li>Difficulty concentrating</li></ul> Remedies to soothe eyes after excessive screen time: Adjust the lighting: When watching television, keep the room softly lit. When reading printed materials or doing close work, try to position the light source behind your child and direct the light onto the page or task. Take breaks: Ask your child to take occasional breaks and ask them to rest their eyes by looking away from the digital screen. Try the 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes, encourage your child to look at something 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. Blink often: Children get so engrossed in screens that they blink less than usual which can contribute to dry eyes. Blinking produces tears that moisten and refresh eyes. Keep reminding your child to blink often. Reduce glare: Place an anti-glare cover over the screen so that the screens are easy on your child. Cut down your child's screen use an hour or 2 before bed. Keep distance: Ask your child to keep the screens 20 to 28 inches away from their eyes. Computer use glasses: If your child is facing extreme irritation in his/her eyes, get them to wear computer-use glasses which will protect their eyes from the screen's glare.

The digital age has taken a toll on the eye health of children. We can completely avoid the use of screens but we can keep it in check.

stomach problems health concerns

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