Health Issues
(Head Lice, Bronchitis, Colds, Diarrhoea, Conjunctivitis, Chicken Pox, Sore Throat,
Warts, Puberty, Ear Infections, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Dental Care.)
There are many common conditions that young children will suffer from during their childhood. We have listed a few of them here to give you some further understanding of them & to help prepare you if they arise.
Head lice infestations are a common problem in infants and children. They only infect humans & are spread by direct contact with an infected person or by using their brush, hair clips, hats, etc. Even if you practice good hygiene you can still get infected. Most children with head lice will complain of an itchy scalp, but not all will if the infestation is only mild.
Here are some simple steps you can take to help prevent reinfestation. Lice can live for up to three days off of the human body.
Bronchitis is a viral illness that usually begins as an upper respiratory infection. Symptoms can include a runny nose and cough that gradually gets worse over a few days. The next stage is a frequent, dry cough. The cough will continue to worsen and your child may have a low fever and a decrease in energy. After this, the symptoms will slowly fade over the next week or so. Provide your child with plenty of water & perhaps something to ease the coughing.
The common cold is a type of upper respiratory tract infection that is probably the most frequent type of infection in children. It is caused by a few hundred different strains of different viruses & it is because of this that you do not develop immunity to it. It is not uncommon for a child to suffer up to 8 colds each year, or even more for children who attend a day care. Colds are spread quite easily & can survive on most surfaces for many hours, so it is important to teach your child to wash their hands frequently, cover their mouth & nose when they sneeze or cough, etc. Symptoms generally last up to 2 weeks & may include a runny nose, sore throat, fever, & a cough. These will clear up on their own, but you can take steps to make them more comfortable. Make sure they rest & drink plenty of water. A fever reducer, cough suppressant & decongestant may also help.
Diarrhoea usually accompanies vomiting as part of a viral gastroenteritis. Symptoms will include one or two days of vomiting and frequent loose, watery stools that do not contain blood or mucus. If it persists for more than a week or contains blood or mucus, you should visit the doctor. It may be a bacterial or parasitic infection. Also see your doctor if diarrhoea is accompanied by high fever.
Conjunctivitis, also known as pinkeye, is inflammation of the membrane that covers your eyes and lines the inside of your eyelids. It is commonly caused by viruses or bacteria, but can also be caused by an allergic reaction or having a foreign body in the eye, and it is highly contagious.
Symptoms of conjunctivitis usually consist of having pink or red eyes that have a discharge or matting. The matting will usually return within a few hours after being cleaned away. It responds very well to antibiotic eye drops and your child will no longer be contagious after being on them for 24 hours. The antibiotics should be continued for at least two days after the symptoms have cleared up. With a viral infection, the discharge will be watery & clear. This type doesn't respond to any treatments & will usually clear up on it's own.
Chickenpox is a highly contagious illness caused by the varicella zoster virus & occurs most commonly in late winter or early spring. Symptoms commonly begin with a low fever, loss of appetite and decreased activity. A few days later, your child will develop an itchy rash consisting of small red bumps. The bumps then become blisters with clear and then cloudy fluid, then becoming open sores that will finally crust over in the next day. Your child may continue to get new bumps for several more days.
Once the lesions have crusted over (usually about a week later), your child will no longer be contagious. Once your child has had chickenpox they should have lifelong immunity. In some children, it can become reactivated and cause shingles . Shingles are contagious only from direct contact with the sores & can infect others with chickenpox who aren't immune. The main symptoms of shingles is a rash on one side of the body that begins as a cluster of red bumps. They then change into small (sometimes itchy) blisters that soon crust over. The rash generally continues to develop for several days and then will completely crust over and go away in about seven to ten days without treatment.
A sore throat is usually a viral infection & will usually improve by themselves in a few days. Gargling with warm water & salt, drinking plenty of water, & perhaps throat lozenges may help relieve some of the symptoms. See your doctor if your child's sore throat is accompanied with fever and a red, swollen throat or tonsils with white pus on them.
Warts are skin lesions caused by the human papilloma virus and occur in nearly 50% of children at some time. The common wart is a small, hard, rough bump that commonly affects the hands and fingers. People, or other parts of your body, that have come into contact with the wart may pick up this virus also. Some warts that affect the soles of the feet are called Planter warts. They look a bit like corns or calluses but plantar warts interfere with the natural lines of the skin & may also have small black dots. These are tiny blood clots in blood vessels. Another type of wart is the Flat wart, these are usually found on the face.
Puberty can affect young people at very different rates following their bodies' own timetable. At this time when young children can feel pressured to be like everyone else, being different can be a very stressful & embarrassing, especially for girls when physical development starts at an early age. The first menstrual can happen in some very normal girls as early as the age of nine. Some girls are not adequately prepared for the start of puberty. It is best to discuss this issue and any concerns that your child may have at an earlier age. Sometimes by the time they are 11 or 12, it is too late. Weight gain is a part of puberty, so re-assurance that this is normal is very important. Emotional growth can be less developed than physical growth, so remember that they can't always act as old as they look. They need a lot of guidance & reassurance, and also plenty of love & support.
Ear infections are very common in children, especially those under two years of age. There are two main types of ear infections in children, outer ear infections and middle ear infections. Some of the risk factors for getting frequent middle ear infections are exposure to other children, such as child care centres, having a family member that smokes, having another family member that had many ear infections and also laying down while drinking a bottle. Ear infections are not as common in children that breastfeed.
Outer ear infections, otherwise known as swimmers ear, usually occurs when water gets in the ear, leading to inflammation and infection. The symptoms are like an earache, that feels worse when you move the outer earlobe. There may also be a discharge coming from the ear. There are antibiotic eardrops that will help to clear up the infection.
Middle ear infections typically occur within a week or two after your child has had an upper respiratory tract infection, which can cause inflammation and fluid to build up behind the ear drum. This fluid can then become infected with bacteria and your child will likely develop ear pain , fever and irritability and he may be tugging at his ears. Your doctor can tell if your child has a middle ear infection by looking inside his ear at the ear drum. With an ear infection, the ear drum will look red and will commonly be bulging because of the pus building up behind it.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a common disorder in adolescent children, with symptoms of inattention, and/or impulsiveness and hyperactivity. The symptoms appear before the age of 7. If you suspect that your child may suffer from AD/HD, make an appointment for your child with a Paediatrician who can assess & treat children with this disorder. They may refer you to see a psychologist, psychiatrist, or neurologist who does evaluate and treat children with this disorder.
There isn't a test available that can easily tell us if your child has attention deficit disorder, so your paediatrician must have as much information as possible to complete the evaluation. Your child's teacher & yourself, may need to complete a ADHD ratings scales form to see what symptoms your child has. It is important that you describe the symptoms as detailed as possible. It is a good idea to enclose copies of report cards, achievement tests, and results of any other tests that has already been done.
Numerous reports have shown that children with sleep problems, especially obstructive sleep apnoea , can have symptoms similar to AD/HD, such as problems paying attention and hyperactivity. Just because someone has AD/HD doesn't mean they aren't smart, it's because they have trouble paying attention, or staying focused on a task. They often loose things or even forget their homework. It can be hard to shut out distractions & often daydream a lot or have many thoughts running around in their heads. There are many support groups for friends, families & those that suffer from AD/HD.
Sometimes getting children to clean their teeth can be a hard task. Children under ten find it hard to clean their teeth properly, so you will need to help them at least once a day. Many children slip into the bathroom and think that putting a bit of toothpaste in their mouth will satisfy you that they have brushed them, because you can smell the toothpaste. But soon the bacteria will cause the gums to get rather unhealthy. This can lead to gingivitis, and the gums will bleed when your child does actually brush their teeth. To get them healthy again the gums need to be cleaned more often, even if they bleed when brushed. Good oral hygiene, when started at an early age, will make sure they continue the good habit for the rest of their life.
Here are a few things you can do to help keep your child's teeth & gums healthy:
If any of your child's teeth are knocked out, here are a few simple things you can do: