Childhood Illnesses

There are a few childhood illnesses that call for emergency medical attention. Here are some that you should watch out for.

It’s difficult to know whether to take your child to the doctor, or even the emergency room – especially when symptoms come on at night. As a rule, the younger your baby, the more inclined you should be to seek medical attention urgently. Babies’ conditions can deteriorate very quickly, so it’s always best to be on the safe side.

As your child grows up, you will be more experienced in monitoring and treating her ailments, and probably more inclined to keep an eye on her condition and see if thinks improve. Your child’s general behavior and appearance will be a good guide to how sick she really is. Trust your
instincts and err on the side of caution. Don’t delay because you don’t want to worry your doctor with something silly.

• FEVER

Temperature varies throughout the day, and is more influenced by activity levels. However, a high temperature is a sign of infection.

Normal temperature 37 C
Fever temperature over 38 C
Dangerous temperature over 40 C

There are a number of steps you can take to bring down your child’s temperature:

1. Remove excess clothing
2. Give her medication ( such as paracetamol) or prescribed suppositories
3. Sponge her all over with tepid water

Don’t make the water too cold, as this can be a shock to the system. A baby under 3 months who has a fever should be seen by a doctor.

Warning:

Many combination cold and cough medications contain fever-lowering drugs.
Check their labels carefully and don’t give your child a separate
fever-reducer if she is already taking one of these combination products

• FITS AND CONVULSIONS

The most important thing for you to do is to make sure that your child’s airway is open and she can breathe, as lack of oxygen can lead to organ damage and death. Your second priority is to prevent her from hurting herself. Although most fits are not dangerous. It’s recommended that you phone the emergency services when your child starts having fits, as medication may be required. Follow these steps:

1. Secure the airway by putting the child on her side. Check that she is breathing
2. Lay her down and place a cushion or something soft under her and loosen tight clothing
3. If the airway is clear and your child has not started breathing or her skin remains blush or grey, start artificial respiration
4. Don’t try to hold her down, or force anything into her mouth. Don’t give her anything to drink
5. Any child who has a seizure should be seen by a doctor to determine the cause
6. It is common for a child to be drowsy or sleepy after a seizure

Children sometimes lose large amounts of water and salts through fever, diarrhoea or vomiting, and this can cause dangerous, in fact potentially fatal dehydration. The younger and smaller your child, the greater the danger, so be particularly vigilant if your baby has diarrhoea or is
vomiting.

What causes fits:
1. A high temperature is the most common cause
2. Head injury
3. Epilepsy
4. Poisoning

• FEBRILE CONVULSION

The most common cause of fits is a fever, leading to a febrile convulsion.
Some babies and young children have a seizure when they get a fever that rises quickly. Seizures usually last only 3-4 minutes. Febrile seizures are fairly common (2-5% of children get febrile convulsions), don’t cause any permanent damage and usually don’t require treatment. Children
generally grow out of febrile convulsions by the age of 5. Children who have had a febrile seizure are at risk of having another one whenever they get a high fever, so you should treat you child’s fever immediately. Any child who has a seizure should be evaluated by a doctor.

SYMPTOMS

1. Jerking moments
2. Stiff muscles
3. She might bite her tongue
4. She might stop breathing or lose consciousness (it’s normal in a fit to briefly stop breathing. Breathing should return spontaneously when the fit is finished.)
5. Her face may turn bluish or grey
6. Her eyes may roll upwards
7. She may drool or foam at the mouth
8. She may lose control of her bladder or bowel

• BREATHING PROBLEMS

There are various conditions that can cause breathing problems in babies and young children. A baby who has difficulty breathing should always be seen by a doctor. In severe cases, you will have to call an ambulance, or visit the emergency room.

You should seek medical attention immediately if her cough is accompanied by fever, or labored or abnormal breathing. If her cough is accompanied by rapid breathing but no high fever, if she has earache, or if there is a lot of green mucus, make an appointment to see your doctor as soon as possible. Thee problems that most commonly cause concerns are:

• ASTHMA:

This is a chronic inflammatory lung disease that causes airways to narrow.
Symptoms include coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, increased heart rate and perspiration. It can be life threatening, so if an attack is severe, seek medical attention immediately.

• BRONCHITIS:

This is a viral infection of the small airways in the lungs. It affects babies under 1 year. Creating a steamy atmosphere, using a humidifier or pan of boiling water, will ease her breathing. Be careful not to burn yourself or your child. Bronchitis is the inflammation of the lining of
the bronchial tubes. Most cases are quite mild, but in severe cases, your child may have difficulty breathing, in which case you should take her to the doctor or emergency room.

• CROUP:

This is caused by a viral infection and involves the inflammation and narrowing of the upper airway to the lungs. This results in a characteristic barking cough. It normally affects children between 3 months and 5 years. Steam helps. Use a cool-mist humidifier if you have
one, and get your child to breathe in the moist air through her mouth.

Alternatively mist up the bathroom with hot shower steam and have your child sit in the bathroom for 10 minutes. If your child has difficulty taking a breath, if there’s a strider (a high pitched noise when breathing in), or if she is pale or bluish around the mouth, seek medical help immediately.

• PNEUMONIA:

This is a severe inflammation of the lungs and is particularly severe in young children. It generally responds well to antibiotics, but should be treated as soon as possible. If you suspect Pneumonia, see your GP.

• COLDS AND FLU:

On average, children get between 6 and 8 bouts of colds or flu in a year.
Each one lasts about a week, and unless there are complications, you can simply treat your child at home. For both illnesses you need to:

1. Give plenty of fluids, as both illnesses are dehydrating
2. Make sure your child gets lots of rest
3. Give her pediatric paracetamol if necessary to help with aches and pains
4. Antibiotics will not help simple colds and flu. They are prescribed if your child develops a bacterial infection like an ear infection or Pneumonia.

• STUFFY NOSE:

A blocked nose is an annoying side affect of a cold. Your baby’s small nose gets blocked very easily. She could battle to breathe easily and suck, which can be distressing for you and her.

Try these tips:

• Use a bulb syringe to suck out the fluid

• Use a humidifier in her room, to keep the mucus soft and moist

• Ask your doctor about eucalyptus-based drops to add to the humidifier or put on you child’s pillow
  

• To break up clogged mucus, use a drop of saline solution or expresses breast milk
  

• Tickle her nose with the corner of a tissue to encourage her to sneeze

CHILDHOOD ILLNESSES, WHAT THEY ARE


CHICKENPOX

A blotchy rash, followed by spots that are flat and red, turning into pimples, then itchy blisters, then scabs. Your child generally feels unwell and may have a headache and slight fever Alleviate the itchiness by adding baking soda to a tepid bath and letting your child soak. Apply calamine lotion. Keep your child’s nails short to prevent scratching

GERMAN MEASLES (RUBELLA)

Aches and pains with mild cold symptoms followed by a rash or tiny, flat, pink spots starting on the face and neck and spreading to the body and limbs.
Paracetamol can be used for pain relief. Contact your doctor if your child has joint pain or other symptoms such as severe headache, drowsiness or vomiting.

MUMPS

Swelling of the salivary glands on one or both sides of the jaw. Pain when eating and drinking. Sometimes fever occurs.

MEASLES

Tiny white spots with a flat red base, followed by a blotchy red rash.
Accompanied by a fever, red watery eyes, runny nose and cough.
Contact your doctor. Paracetamol will help for the pain and fever.

ROSEOLA INFANTUM

This is a red rash on the chest and abdomen, and to a lesser extent the arms and legs and face. A high fever may occur 3 to 5 days prior to the onset of the rash Treat the high fever

DEHYDRATION

Symptoms include:
1. Dry mouth
2. Few or no tears when crying
3. Fewer than 6 wet nappies a day in an infant
4. No urination for 6 to 8 hours in children
5. Fontanelle looks flatter than normal, or somewhat sunken

In severe case you may also see:
1. Dry, wrinkled or doughy skin
2. Inactivity or weakness
3. Sunken eyes or fontanelle
4. Excessive sleepiness or disorientation
5. Muscle cramps
6. Deep, rapid breathing or fast or weakened pulse

Don’t wait until you see the warning signs! To prevent dehydration, give small sips of liquid regularly, if your child will take them. Tiny chips of ice to suck are sometimes more acceptable. If you suspect your child is in danger of dehydration, give rehydration solution rather than water, and take your child to the doctor.

Specially prepared electrolyte solutions are balanced with salt and minerals. If your child has very bad diarrhoea or is vomiting, it may be difficult for you to rehydrate her adequately at home, in which case may be hospitalized and given fluids through a drip. If you see signs of
dehydration, contact your GP immediately.

GASTROINTESTINAL INFECTIONS

These infections are usually short-lived, but there is a danger of dehydration.

Call your doctor if your child has:
1. Fever, vomiting and diarrhoea together
2. More coming out of either end than is going in through her mouth
3. Signs of dehydration

If your child has fever and vomiting without diarrhoea, control the fever, keep your child hydrated, and see if she starts to improve

MENINGITIS AND ENCEPHALITIS

Encephalitis is the inflammation of your brain.
Meningitis is a general name for inflammation of the meninges (sheaths that cover the brain and spinal cord) and the cerebrospinal fluid (the fluid that circulates in the spaces in and around the brain and spinal cord).

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

1. First signs are fever, lethargy, vomiting and irritability. Older children may complain of a headache.
2. A stiff neck or body
3. Bulging fontanelles
4. Jaundice
5. Seizures occur in about a third of patients with bacterial meningitis and sometimes are the only symptoms
6. As the disease develops, symptoms may include increased irritability with a high pitched cry (in infants) and difficulty breathing
7. Newborns with meningitis sometimes don’t display the classical signs described above and may simply be extremely irritable or lethargic
8. An infant who is feeling well is usually comforted when her mother picks her up. Babies with meningitis sometimes display “paradoxical irritability” and picking up and rocking a child may make her more distressed. This can be sign of irritated meninges.
9. Meningococcal meningitis (bacterial) may be accompanied by a rapidly spreading purplish rash that does not fade when pressed.

Meningitis can be caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi and other organisms, and the severity of the case and the symptoms will depend on the cause.
However a child can deteriorate very quickly and meningitis can be fatal, getting medical attention is essential.

HEAT EXHAUSTION

Heat exhaustion can occur when a person is a hot environment has not been drinking enough fluids.

Symptoms include:
1. Headache
2. Dizziness, weakness or fatigue
3. Agitation, disorientation or confusion
4. Seizure or loss of consciousness
5. Hot, dry skin
6. Temperature of 39 C or higher

Call an ambulance if your child has been outside in the sun, exercising for a long time or trapped in a closed car, and shows any of these signs.
While waiting for the ambulance to arrive, get your child indoors or into the shade, undress her and sponge her with cool water.


HEAD INJURY

Children are prone to falls, scrapes and bumps. It’s all part of discovering their world. But a serious head injury must receive immediate medical attention.

EXTERNAL HEAD INJURY

The skull is well-designed to protect the brain and most childhood falls result in injury to the scalp only. The scalp is rich with blood vessels, so even minor cut to the scalp will bleed profusely. The "egg" or swelling that sometimes appears on the scalp results from leaking fluid or blood under the skin and may take days, even weeks to disappear.

WHAT TO DO:

Call an ambulance if your child or infant ha lost consciousness, even momentarily. In the meantime, follow these steps:

1. If the accident occurred with great force (like a fall down the stairs or off a changing table), if your child is unconscious, dazed, or paralysed, spinal injury is a possibility. Don’t move your child. Call the ambulance
2. Do your best to keep him calm and still
3. Apply an ice pack or instant cold pack, wrapped in a cloth, to the injured area for 20 minutes
4. For minor bumps apply an ice pack or even a cold soft drink wrapped in a cloth for 20 minutes
5. Cover the wound with a dressing and press gently to control bleeding.

You will recognise a serious cut, because the edges peel apart and won’t stay together. If you are in any doubt about the seriousness of the injury, take your child to the emergency room or call an ambulance.

If the incident has occurred close to bedtime or naptime and your child falls asleep soon afterward, check him every few hours for disturbances in colour or breathing, or twitching limbs. If colour and breathing are normal, let him sleep (unless your doctor has advised otherwise). If
colour and/or breathing are abnormal, or if you are not comfortable with your child’s appearance ( trust your instincts), sit him up. Your child should fuss a bit and attempt to resettle. If he does not protest, try to awaken him fully. If he cannot be awakened, or shows any signs of internal
head injury, call an ambulance.

CONCUSSION

A heavy blow or shaking can rock the brain hard inside the skull and result in concussion. Here is what to do:

1. After a blow to the head, watch your child for unusual behaviour, dizziness, forgetfulness or loss of consciousness
2. Encourage your child to rest
3. If he is not fully back to normal in half an hour, he may have a concussion
4. If your child loses consciousness even if only briefly, he need medical attention
5. If you are in any doubt as to the seriousness of the injury, call an ambulance

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

Your child should have immediate medical attention if he displays any of these symptoms:

1. Blurred vision
2. Neck pain
3. Clear or watery liquid coming from his ears or nose
4. Pupils are different sizes
5. He loses consciousness
6. He has a fit
7. He can’t remember what happened or seems confused
8. He’s sleepy and you can’t wake him easily
9. He vomits persistently
10. He’s not speaking or walking normally
11. He has a deep cut, or one that won’t stop bleeding

Bleeding inside the skull may cause a delayed reaction to a head injury.
Continue to watch your child carefully, and if he seems confused or very sleepy, has uneven pupils or complains of severe headaches, call an ambulance.