Ravina Sewani

Some children may develop allergic reactions against the chemicals present in the household products like carpet flooring, paints, cleaning chemicals. 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>Volatile Organic Compound (VOCs) emitted by paints, carpets</li><li>Propylene Glycol and Glycol Ethers (PGEs) in cleaning products, paints, or pesticides</li></ul> A few tips to manage allergies due to household items:<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><li>Remove the carpet flooring.</li><li>Opt for a milder paint for the house.</li></ul>

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

Carpet allergy

If your child does not like milk or takes time to have a glass of milk every morning, do not get impatient. Threatening the child is not a solution.Calcium is important for bones and milk intake is important for a child’s health, so you can try these techniques or give alternate sources of Milk: <ul><li>Keep offering milk at each meal.</li><li>Make a smoothie with Banana or make almond milkshake.</li><li>You can pair milk with cornflakes or healthy cereals.</li><li>Give a handful of almonds and oranges as a substitute.</li><li>Sprinkle some sesame seeds in salads or add them when you knead a roti dough.</li><li>Give plenty of curd or yogurt/cheese/ghee - these are good substitutes of milk.</li><li>Don’t start with a full glass and insist on finishing it; try small quantities and gradually increase the intake.</li><li>You can even pair it with you child’s favourite biscuits or cookies.</li><li>Give them options of colourful glasses to choose from so as to make the milk consumption appealing.</li></ul> REMEMBER the goal is to fulfil the calcium need in a child's body. So if your child dislikes animal milk, you can try almond or coconut milk or given him/her alternative sources of calcium.

If your child does not like milk or takes time to have a glass of milk every morning, do not get impatient.

What to do if child does not drink milk?

Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs. The air sacs in the lungs (called alveoli) fill up with pus and other fluid. This makes it hard for oxygen to reach the bloodstream. Symptoms:<ul><li>Very fast breathing (in some cases, this is the only symptom)</li><li>Breathing with grunting or wheezing sounds</li><li>Working hard to breathe; this can include flaring of the nostrils, belly breathing, or movement of the muscles between the ribs</li><li>Fever</li><li>Cough</li><li>Stuffy nose</li><li>Shaking chills</li><li>Vomiting</li><li>Chest pain</li><li>Belly pain</li><li>Loss of appetite</li><li>Bluish or grey colour of the lips and fingernails (in extreme cases)</li></ul> Causes:<ul><li>Pneumonia is caused by a variety of germs (viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites). Most cases are caused by viruses. These include adenoviruses, rhinovirus, influenza virus (flu), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and para-influenza virus.</li><li>Pneumonia begins after an upper respiratory tract infection (an infection of the nose and throat). Symptoms begin after 2 or 3 days of a cold or sore throat. It then moves to the lungs. Fluid, white blood cells, and debris start to gather in the air spaces of the lungs and block the smooth passage of air, making it harder for the lungs to work well.</li><li>Kids with pneumonia caused by bacteria usually become sick fairly quickly, starting with a sudden high fever and unusually fast breathing.</li><li>Kids with pneumonia caused by viruses will have symptoms that appear more gradually and are less severe.</li><li>The viruses and bacteria that cause pneumonia are contagious. An infected person can spread the illness when (s)he coughs or sneezes. This is because the germs causing this illness live in the body fluids.</li><li>Sharing drinking glasses and eating utensils, and touching the used tissues or handkerchiefs of an infected person also can spread pneumonia. So it's best to keep kids away from anyone with symptoms of a respiratory infection.</li></ul> Diagnosis:Doctors check a child's appearance, breathing pattern, and vital signs, and listen to the lungs for abnormal sounds. They might order a chest X-ray or blood tests, but neither are necessary to make the diagnosis. Treatment:Pneumonia caused by bacteria is treated with antibiotics taken by mouth at home. If the doctor seems fit, (s)he might prescribe antiviral medicine when the pneumonia is caused by a virus. Children might need treatment in a hospital if the pneumonia causes a lasting high fever, breathing problems, or if they:<ul><li>Need oxygen therapy</li><li>Have a lung infection that may have spread to the bloodstream</li><li>Have a chronic illness that affects the immune system</li><li>Are vomiting so much that they cannot take medicine by mouth</li><li>Keep getting pneumonia</li><li>Hospital treatment can include intravenous (IV) antibiotics (given into a vein) and respiratory therapy (breathing treatments).</li></ul>Check your child's lips and fingernails to make sure they are rosy and pink. Call your doctor if they are bluish or grey, which is a sign that the lungs are not getting enough oxygen. With treatment, most types of bacterial pneumonia are cured in 1–2 weeks. Viral pneumonia may take 4–6 weeks to go away completely. Prevention:Some types of pneumonia can be prevented by vaccine shots of Haemophilus influenza and flu vaccines.

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

All about Pneumonia

Palak Vyas

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

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

All about Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)

<ul><li>The allergic reactions in a child are triggered against an insect’s sting and not against an insect’s bite.</li><li>An immune response is triggered against the venom from the sting which the body perceives as a threat.</li><li>An allergic reaction against insect’s sting is also known to cause severe reaction – anaphylaxis.</li><li>The allergic reaction includes pain, redness, and swelling which might extend beyond the sting site.</li><li>As treatment, 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> Severe allergic reactions are usually caused by these stinging insects:<ul><li>Honey bees found in honeycombs.</li><li>Wasps living under leaves, shrubs, logs and woodpiles.</li><li>Fire ants living in large mounds on the ground.</li><li>Biting insects like mosquitoes, bed bugs, fleas, etc. cause localised allergic reactions.</li><li>A local reaction to an insect bite due to the chemicals from insect’s saliva is not the same as an allergic reaction to the venom from the sting.</li><li>When an insect has stung your child, remove the stinger as soon as possible to prevent more venom entering the body.</li><li>Quickly wash the sting site on the skin with soap and water immediately to disinfect the area. Apply ice on the sting site to reduce the swelling, if any.</li><li>If your child has a history of allergic reactions against insects, avoid going to places where insects are present with your child.</li><li>Once diagnosed, your child’s paediatrician will usually prescribe antihistamine medicines and an adrenaline auto-injector in case of severe reactions.</li><li>Your child’s paediatrician may recommend venom immunotherapy based on your child’s medical history of developing allergic reactions against insect sting.</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>

Insect sting allergy can get very serious sometimes. It is better to stay cautious to keep your child safe.

Insect sting allergy

<ul><li>Yes! There is a difference in potty training boys and girls. Most parents start potty training their child when they are between 2-3 years old. Usually, a girl child is ready to start potty training when she is 18 months old or it can vary up to 4 years in some cases.</li><li>Girls tend to get started with potty training about 3 months earlier than boys. Boys take more time to get ready; at around 2 years they start and can be fully potty trained between 4 to 6 years of age. So they start later and take longer to train.</li><li>Boys have to learn two different ways and they easily accept this. To start with, teach them to use the potty while sitting and gradually they learn to use the toilet in standing position for peeing and in sitting position for potty.</li><li>Girls mature faster both physiologically and intellectually. They are quick with the concepts of language and understand better so their potty training is faster. They learn how to dress and undress and they have better control than boys.</li><li>Every child is unique. Regardless of gender, potty training will be different for everyone. Each child will be potty trained in his/her own time and in his/her own way.</li><li>It is important to reward your child for achieving this milestone of being potty trained.</li></ul>

You might have to adapt different approaches to potty train your girl child and boy child.

Difference in potty training for boys and girls

Samiksha Choithani

A child gets nutrients and oxygen through the umbilical cord when the baby is in the womb but after birth the umbilical cord is not needed and hence it is tied (clamped and snipped) leaving behind a short tail like rod. This too will dry and fall off. Until then take a little extra care:&nbsp;1.)&nbsp;&nbsp;Keep the cord dry, you can use the powder that your paediatrician has suggested2.)&nbsp;&nbsp;If you are not comfortable in keeping it dry while bathing, you can go for sponging for first few weeks3.)&nbsp;&nbsp;Do not try to pull it off, let it dry and fall off.&nbsp;Sometimes it may bleed when the cord falls off that are normal do not worry about it.

A child gets nutrients and oxygen through the umbilical cord when the baby is in the womb but after birth the umbilical cord is not needed. Read more to know how you can take a little extra care.

How to take care of my child’s umbilical cord?

<ul><li>Pet allergy is body’s immune response against animal’s dander (dead skin in animal fur), animal’s saliva, or animal’s urine. The body perceives all of these as a threat and triggers an allergic reaction in your child.</li><li>A pet with a lot of fur or feathers on its body holds a greater chance of triggering an allergic reaction in your child.</li><li>If your child has been diagnosed of pet allergy by your child’s paediatrician, it is better to not own a pet. If your child loves animals, you can take him/her visit your friend’s or relative’s pets once in a while.</li><li>If your child is allergic to other things as well, then your child may show immediate symptoms after coming in contact with some animals.</li><li>Pet allergies are known to self-resolve after avoiding animals for some time. But if this is not the case, it is better to not own pets at all.</li><li>Pet allergens are airborne so use an air filter in your house to keep your child from contacting these allergens. Keep the carpets at the minimum in your house.</li><li>Keep your pet’s belongings and cage clean and free of fur.</li><li>Keeping pets outdoor might help a bit but does not solve the problem entirely.</li><li>Treatments include prescription of antihistamines and nasal sprays by your child’s paediatrician.</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>

Children love pets. But sometimes, the pet dander may cause allergies in children.

Pet allergy

Rashes are common among infants. Rashes can occur because:<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">If the diaper is wet for too long</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Allergic reaction</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Bacterial Infection</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Milk drops falling around baby’s neck</li></ul> Take these measures to cure/avoid rashes:<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Wash your hands before and after changing a diaper</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Keep a periodic check on baby’s diaper</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Use medicated cotton and plain water to poop off your baby’s skin</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Use a mild cleanser</li><li class="ql-align-justify">If you use wipes, choose mild ones or without fragrance and alcohol</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Make sure that the area is completely clean and dry before using another diaper</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Let the baby go diaper free if the rashes are extreme</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Clean the neck after every feed</li></ul> If your child has rashes solely due to diapers, then:<ul><li>First of all, you can change the brand, as the allergy can be due to a child's sensitive skin. Different babies have different types of skin sensitivities.</li><li>Apply good moisturiser on the skin before using diapers.</li><li>With every diaper change, clean the area properly.</li><li>You can also use specially designed creams for diaper rashes.</li><li>Even then if the rashes continue, limit the use of diaper to minimum.</li><li>Use cotton underwear instead.</li><li>Rash associated with diarrhoea, needs treatment for diarrhoea.</li><li>Severe cases may need mild steroid based cream under doctor’s supervision.</li></ul> Follow the above measures for mild rashes. In case, the rashes do not improve overtime, contact your paediatrician for appropriate anti-bacterial or skincare ointments and medicines.

teeth cleaning health concerns

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