Ravina Sewani

In asthma, a person’s airways become inflamed, narrow and swell and produce extra mucus, which makes it difficult to breathe. If your child has asthma, their lungs and airways can easily get inflamed when they have a cold or are around things like pollen. Causes:<ul><li>Allergens: mould, pollen, animals</li><li>Irritants - cigarette smoke, air pollution, chemicals, odours</li><li>Weather: cold air, changes in weather</li><li>Stress: It can make your child short of breath and worsen their symptoms.</li><li>Airway Infections: This includes colds, pneumonia, and sinus infections.</li><li>Exercise</li></ul> Symptoms:<ul><li>A cough that doesn’t go away (this might be the only symptom sometimes)</li><li>Frequent coughing spells, especially during play or exercise, at night, in cold air, or while laughing or crying</li><li>A cough that gets worse after a viral infection</li><li>Less energy</li><li>Avoiding sports or social activities</li><li>Trouble sleeping because of coughing or breathing problems</li><li>Rapid breathing</li><li>Chest tightness or pain</li><li>Wheezing, a whistling sound when breathing in or out</li><li>Shortness of breath</li><li>Trouble eating, or grunting while eating (in infants)</li></ul> A severe asthma attack needs medical care right away. During severe asthma attack, watch for these signs:<ul><li>Stopping in the middle of a sentence to catch a breath</li><li>Using stomach muscles to breathe</li><li>Widened nostrils</li><li>Fast heartbeat</li><li>Sweating more than usual</li><li>Chest pain</li></ul>&nbsp;Risk Factors:<ul><li>Things that can make a child more likely to have asthma include:</li><li>Nasal allergies or eczema</li><li>A family history of asthma or allergies</li><li>Respiratory infections</li><li>Low birth weight</li><li>Exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke before or after birth.</li></ul> Diagnosis:<ul><li>Your child’s doctor will ask you a series of questions about medical history, symptoms, about any breathing problems your child may have had, family history of asthma, allergies, eczema, or other lung disease.</li><li>Physical exam: Your doctor will listen to your child's heart and lungs and look in their nose or eyes for signs of allergies.</li><li>Tests: Chest X-ray, allergy skin testing, blood tests</li></ul> Complications:<ul><li>Asthma can cause problems like:</li><li>Severe attacks, sometimes leading to ER visits or stays in the hospital</li><li>Fatigue</li><li>Stress, anxiety, and depression</li><li>Delays in growth or puberty</li><li>Damaged airways and lung infections</li><li>Death</li></ul> Treatment:<ul><li>There are two main types of asthma medications:</li><li>Quick-relief medication that help with sudden symptoms. Your child’s doctor will prescribe these for fast help during an asthma attack.</li><li>Long-acting medication that prevent airway inflammation and keep asthma under control. Your child’s doctor will probably ask your child to take these every day.</li><li>Children under 4 may be prescribed to take their medications through an asthma nebuliser. This device changes the medicine from a liquid to a mist that your child can breathe into their lungs. The doctor will tell you how often to give these breathing treatments. To use the nebuliser:</li></ul>Wash your hands.Put the medicine in the nebuliser.Connect the tubes from the compressor to the base.Attach the mouthpiece or mask.Turn the compressor on and watch for a light mist to come from the nebuliser.Put the mask on your child’s face, or put the mouthpiece in their mouth and have them close their lips around it.Have them breathe in and out until their treatment time is up.Turn the nebuliser off when the medicine is gone.Have your child cough to clear out any mucus. Prevention:<ul><li>To prevent asthma attacks or to keep them from getting worse, focus on known triggers with steps like these:</li><li>Don’t let anyone smoke near your child.</li><li>Clean bedding and carpets often to fight dust mites.</li><li>Keep pets out of your child’s bedroom.</li><li>Fix leaks and use dehumidifiers to prevent mould.</li><li>Don’t use scented cleaning products or candles.</li><li>Check daily air quality reports in your area.</li><li>Help your child stay at a healthy weight.</li><li>If exercise is a trigger, your child’s doctor might give them medicine to help keep their airways open during activity.</li><li>Make sure they get a flu shot every year.</li></ul>

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

All about Asthma

Children are prone to taking in passive smoke if someone in the family has a habit of smoking. Smoke from the cigarette can cause mild to severe allergies in children and pose the risk of asthma in their later lives. Symptoms:<ul><li>difficulty breathing</li><li>wheezing</li><li>hoarseness</li><li>headache</li><li>watery eyes</li><li>runny nose</li><li>congestion</li><li>sneezing</li><li>itchiness</li><li>nausea</li></ul> DiagnosisYour child's doctor will apply small drops of different allergens to parts of your child's forearm skin and wait to see which allergens of tobacco produce a reaction. Prevention:Here are a few tips to minimise your child's exposure to tobacco products that may cause an allergic reaction:<ul><li>Don't smoke when you are around/with your child(ren).</li><li>Avoid taking your child to areas where they will be exposed to secondhand smoke.</li><li>If someone smokes and then wants to play/take care of a child, ask them to wash their hands and clean their mouth before they handle your baby.</li><li>Do not smoke during pregnancy. Apart from your child developing cigarette smoke allergy, the chances of stillbirths are high in smoking mothers than in non-smoking ones.</li><li>Segregation between smokers and non-smokers in an indoor environment will reduce the risk of secondhand smoke exposure but does not completely eliminated it.</li></ul> Treatment:If your child gets diagnosed with cigarette smoke allergy, it is better to get medicine prescribed for them. It is not advisable to give them over-the-counter remedies for tobacco allergies.

Children are exposed to secondhand smoke unknowingly and this can cause problems in later stages of their lives.

Cigarette smoke allergy

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

Noisy breathing is mostly caused by a partial blockage or narrowing at some point in the airways (respiratory tract). This can occur in the mouth or nose, in the throat, in the larynx also called as a voice box, in the trachea (breathing tube), or further down into the lungs. It is created by turbulent, or irregular, airflow caused by the narrowed airway. This can create the collapse of surrounding tissues or can be a single fixed point of narrowing. One type of noisy breathing is Stertor. This implies a noise created in the nose or the back of the throat. It is typically low-pitched and most closely sounds like nasal congestion you might experience with a cold, or like the sound made with snoring. Stridor is a higher-pitched noise that occurs with obstruction in or just below the voice box. Determination of whether stridor occurs during inspiration, expiration, or both helps to define the level of obstruction. Wheezing is a high-pitched noise that occurs during expiration. Wheezing typically is due to narrowing, spasm, or obstruction of the smaller airways in the lungs. What Are Some Causes of Noisy Breathing?<ul><li>Infection- Viral or bacterial infections can cause swelling of the tissues in the airway (such as cold-causing nasal congestion) anywhere from the nose to the lungs. Depending on the type of infection, this could be treated with supportive care, medications, or more invasive intervention. Croup is an example of a viral infection that causes swelling and related narrowing of both the larynx and trachea.</li><li>Fixed narrowing of the airway at birth- certain conditions can cause a child to be born with a narrowed airway. This can occur at multiple points in the respiratory tract. An example of this includes congenital subglottic stenosis.</li><li>Abnormal swelling or growth within the respiratory tract can cause obstruction. Swelling or scarring can cause acquired subglottic stenosis. This could also include a cyst or vascular birthmark (hemangioma) in the airway. A foreign object or food item can be aspirated (sucked into) the airway and can cause obstruction and noisy breathing.</li><li>Floppy tissues in the respiratory tract can cause noisy breathing. This is because of the collapse of these tissues into the airway. This can partially obstruct airflow and cause a collapse of surrounding tissues. Examples of this include pharyngomalacia, laryngomalacia, tracheomalacia, and bronchomalacia.</li><li>Compression of the airway from an external structure. This can be due to a crossing blood vessel, the heart, or other structures outside of the airway that put pressure on the airway and cause collapse.</li><li>Spasm of the airways related to underlying medical conditions, like asthma, or due to irritants in the environment.</li><li>Problems with the vocal cords moving normally. This can occur with Vocal Cord Paralysis, or with Paradoxical Vocal Cord Dysfunction (PVCD)</li><li>Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis can cause a problem with the voice and can also cause noisy breathing.</li></ul> How Is Noisy Breathing Evaluated?Evaluation of noisy breathing starts with obtaining a history and performing a physical examination. This information is critical in narrowing down the cause of noisy breathing and in determining how severe the symptoms are. Important aspects of the history include whether it was present at birth, or has developed later on, and the time course over which it has developed. Certain characteristics of the noisy breathing help us to determine the location of narrowing. These include whether noisy breathing occurs on inspiration, expiration, or both. The pitch and loudness of noisy breathing is also an important factor. Depending on the history and examination findings, your Pediatric Otolaryngologist may recommend an In-Office Laryngoscopy/Nasopharyngoscopy or an Operative Laryngoscopy and Bronchoscopy. At times, certain X-Rays or other tests, like Sleep Studies and Swallowing Studies may be recommended. What Is the Treatment for Noisy Breathing?Many treatment options are available for noisy breathing and depend on the cause of the symptoms. At times, monitoring and supportive care are recommended. Certain medications may be helpful in treating symptoms or managing related conditions. For more severe issues, surgery may be recommended. Your Pediatric Otolaryngologist will discuss all possible treatment options with you and make recommendations for the most appropriate treatment. What Are Concerning Symptoms That I Should Look for in My Child with Noisy Breathing?It can be difficult for a parent or family member to discern the severity of a problem when there is noisy breathing. If you are concerned, we urge you to seek medical evaluation immediately. In particular, signs that indicate more severe conditions include: irritability, poor feeding, pulling in of the skin at the collar bone, between the ribs, or under the ribs, flaring of the nose, increasing effort to breathe, and poor weight gain or weight loss, especially in infants. Symptoms that should trigger emergent evaluation include pauses in the breathing, color change of the skin (particularly if the lips, face, or hands are turning blue), drooling, appearing lethargic or tired, or any other sudden change from a child’s normal breathing pattern. If any of these or other concerning signs develop, please seek immediate medical attention.

Noisy breathing is very common in children and can be a sign of many different conditions, some of which are very benign and some of which require urgent treatment.

What is Noisy Breathing or Stertor or Stridor or Wheezing

Lip tie is a condition where the underside of the upper lip tethers to the top of the gum with a skin tag. The piece of tissue behind your upper lip is called the frenulum. When these membranes are too thick or too stiff, they can keep the upper lip from moving freely. This condition is called a lip tie. Lip tie isn’t dangerous for babies, as long as they’re gaining weight according to their paediatrician’s guidelines. But lip tie, once diagnosed, is easy to correct. A baby with a tongue tie may not necessarily have a lip tie. Babies with lip tie may face challenges to breastfeed or bottle-feed, as it restricts the baby from stretching the lips to open the mouth wide. Causes: The causes of lip tie are still unknown. Lip tie symptoms:<ul><li>Difficulty in breastfeeding is one of the most common indications that your child may have a lip tie or tongue tie.</li><li>Struggling to latch on to the breast</li><li>Difficulty breathing during feeding</li><li>Making a clicking sound while nursing</li><li>Falling asleep often during nursing</li><li>Acting extremely fatigued by nursing</li><li>Slow weight gain or lack of weight gain</li><li>Colic</li></ul> If a child has a lip tie and you’re a breastfeeding mother, you may experience:<ul><li>Pain during or after breastfeeding</li><li>Breasts that feel engorged even right after nursing</li><li>Blocked milk ducts or mastitis</li><li>Fatigue from breastfeeding constantly even though your child never seems to be full</li></ul> Babies who have a severe lip or tongue-tie may go on to have difficulty eating from a spoon or eating finger foods, according to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Lip ties don’t have as many complications later in life. Some paediatricians believe that an untreated lip tie can lead to a higher likelihood of tooth decay for toddlers. Diagnosis: A lip tie is diagnosed through a physical exam. Most paediatricians can diagnose a lip tie based on its appearance. Treatment:A lip tie can be treated on the basis of the class of lip tie. Whether it is a class 1, class 2, class 3 or class 4. It can also be fibrous, fleshy, thick or thin depending upon the texture of the skin fold. Manual treatment: For class 1 and class 2 lip ties, the baby doesn’t need any formal treatment. Parents have to gently slide the finger underneath the upper lip to stretch frenulum tissue. This type of manual practice can gradually release the tightness of the tissue and the child will have normal mobility of the upper lip. Frenectomy: This is a small surgical procedure where the frenulum is cut through an operation. A frenulum is a small fold of tissue that prevents an organ in the body from moving too far. Doctors usually use laser technology to cut the frenulum and so it is called laser frenectomy. General anaesthesia is not used; instead, a local topical numbing agent is applied to the frenulum. In this procedure, a child may or may not require stitches. The procedure hardly takes a few minutes to complete. Babies can experience mild pain post the procedure. Stay vigilant for any signs of swelling or bleeding from the lips and contact the doctor immediately. Prevention: Lip tie cannot be prevented.

Here are Lip Tie Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention.

All about Lip tie

Dr Ajab Primuswala

<ul><li>The first thing to keep in mind is that you need to identify at which level of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) your child is.</li><li>The second thing is whether it is has been diagnosed and whether you are working on it or not.</li><li>On certain level of ASD scale, media can positively help children with ASD in expressing their feelings, their thoughts and their uneasiness. There are specific apps and specific websites which can help ASD children in their development.</li><li>Children with ASD usually cannot make direct eye contact hence, a few expert recommended applications can help an ASD child with expressing their feelings better.</li><li>At the same time, it is important to keep an eye on which kind of media an ASD child is using. If the child is randomly using phones or TVs from which (s)he is not learning anything positive, such media use needs to be avoided.</li><li>The media which an ASD child consumes should lead to progressive development in their condition. The media should not suppress their already delayed development.</li><li>Consult with a child psychiatrist or child psychologist to know whether the ASD scale of your child needs media usage or not.</li><li>Age of the child also needs to be considered before letting them consume content from media.</li></ul>

Media can be helpful to some children with autism while it might suppress a child's growth as well. It is better to consult an expert (psychologist or psychiatrist) before exposing your child to media.

Media use and Autism Spectrum Disorder

Breastfeeding after having a C-section delivery can be difficult due to the painful wound. Your healthcare provider will guide you about the positions that are most comfortable for you. Breastfeeding positions which you can try are the under-arm hold where your baby lies on your side under your arm. In this position, support your back and the side with cushions. Another position which you can try is side-lying hold, where you lie on one side, support your head and back with pillows with your baby closely tucked to you and facing you. You can read about these positions in detail in our Breastfeeding positions article. While breastfeeding, use a pillow over the wound to protect it and then ask someone to pass the baby to you. Make the best use of your hospital stay to get the needed guidance to breastfeed your baby effectively.

Breastfeeding after having a C-section delivery can be difficult due to the painful wound.

Breastfeeding after a C-section

<ul><li>Dust mites are very small bugs which live in humid environments and feed on scales shed by human skin. Dust mites need around 80% humidity and so as soon as the humidity falls, they die.</li><li>A protein present in the wastes of dust mites is usually found in the beds, carpets, furniture and when your child inhales such air, an allergic reaction is triggered.</li><li>Dust mites are the most common culprits behind your child's asthma. So it is very important to clean the furniture in the house properly at regular intervals.</li><li>The growth of dust mites can be prevented by dust-proofing your house using vacuum cleaner and washing pillows and mattresses in hot water time to time.</li><li>The growth of dust mites and hence the allergic reactions can be reduced by installing dehumidifiers to reduce the percentage of humidity indoors. You can also use HEPA filters in the air purifiers of your house.</li><li>Avoid carpeting in your house if your child is allergic to dust mites.</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 to dust mites is usually caused by the carpets used in the house. The best way to make your baby safe is to keep your surroundings clean.

Dust mites allergy

Alihusen Momin

Physical Deformity in another words are called physical abnormality; Birth Defect; Congenital Abnormality; Congenital Anomaly; Congenital Disorder; Congenital Defect. A congenital deformity or physical abnormality is a change in the normal size or shape of a body part caused by a condition that a baby is born with. Deformities can be:congenital: present at birthdevelopmental: appearing later in childhoodacquired: caused by injuries or illnesses that were not present at birthCommon congenital deformities include cleft lips and palates, clubfeet, spina bifida, and spinal deformities like scoliosis, kyphosis, and hyperlordosis. Most congenital deformities are caused by abnormal genetic coding, but some can be due to infections or environmental factors — such as alcohol abuse — that affect the mother and fetus during pregnancy. Congenital deformities can range from mild to severe. Mild deformities might not be visible or cause any symptoms. In severe cases, deformities can be readily apparent, cause pain, interfere with the movement and functioning of affected body parts, and negatively affect self-image. Treatment depends on the specific deformity and often includes surgery or the use of corrective devices like back braces and leg casts. Keep in MindMany congenital deformities can't be seen, won't cause any problems, and will never need treatment. Others respond very well to treatment, especially if it begins as soon as a doctor thinks a baby is ready for it. Cleft lips and palates, for example, can be corrected through surgery; and spinal deformities and clubfeet often can be successfully realigned through bracing and casting.

A congenital deformity or physical abnormality is a change in the normal size or shape of a body part caused by a condition that a baby is born with.

tongue tied health concerns

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