All Entries in the "Child Health" Category

A baby girl, who was faced with a dawdling and agonizing fatality due to her brain ‘melting’, is well on her recuperative course following an astounding foremost experiment. ‘Baby Angel’ –name withheld on grounds of anonymity, had a brain that had started dissolving brusquely subsequent to her birth eighteen months back as she possessed excessive amounts of sulphite in her body – an exceedingly atypical disease that had no visible treatment. Her hopes of surviving were dim, however her parents and doctors present in Melbourne repudiated to stay helpless and see her grow fainter as the poison gnawed into her brain. Doctors and the small girl’s parents – that could not be mentioned for private concerns – started searching all over for any sort of medicine that could offer the  [...]

Bubble Boy Disease also known as SCID, is a congenital problem occurring among children leading to failure in their immune system effectively functioning, thus making them more prone to fungus, bacteria and virus-related diseases.  The term ‘bubble boy disease’ came into existence due to the familiar SCID kid several years back that was placed in a specialised ‘sterile bubble’ for safeguarding him from infections. When SCID is undetected and not treated, such infants rarely live past a year’s time. SCID treatment is conducted by transfusion of bone marrow cells from a matching donor in good health. These transfused stem cells attain maturity in the receiver’s body transforming into T and B cells – the specialized WBC’s known as lymphocytes that don crucial roles as infection-combatants  [...]

Sixteen month old Marcus Espino was diagnosed on July 1994 with a grave genetic storage ailment known as Muccopolysaccaridosis 1H, also called as MPS1 or Hurler’s syndrome. The doctors informed his parents that his sole likelihood of survival was if underwent a bone marrow transplant or BMT. The onset of Hurler’s syndrome is the result of the body’s incapability for producing a particular enzyme known as alpha-iduronidase. Generally, the body utilises enzymes for processing proteins, sugars and other matter alongside breaking down and reprocessing cells following their death. However, in kids having Hurler’s syndrome and other storage disorders, the absent or deficient enzyme thwarts this normally occurring process from taking place, leading to depositions occurring in nearly all the  [...]

Mongolian spots are an inborn, developmental, skin- exclusive condition wherein a macular pigmentation is generally noted in the sacral part (lower part of back or buttocks) or rarely on the legs or shoulder region of healthy, just-born infants. This pigmentation appearing as spots in colours ranging from blue-gray to dark brown or even bluish-black is the result of melanocytes (pigment-creating cells) entrapping in the dermis region during their migratory journey from the neural crest into the epidermis. Often Mongolian spots could surface in the initial weeks subsequent to birth that generally fade away spontaneously in the span of four years; however it could also last for lifetime. Mongolian spots are commonly observed birthmarks noted in races like Native Americans (90%), Asians (80%),  [...]

The query that seems to be gnawing into the minds of countless parents is ‘How best could I shield my kid from swine flu?’ Here is what renowned child specialists have to say regarding this matter. What could parents do to safeguard their kids from swine flu? The solution lies in always being heedful and keeping a close watch on the kids. Parents need to strictly adhere to the regular suggested practices for lowering the chances of the infection spreading. This would translate to frequently washing one’s hands, staying away from hugely crowded areas, avoiding direct contact with the sickly person. In case the child has fallen ill, then staying back home is the best course of action and this holds true for their parents as well. What must one do at workplace or in a play area? In case  [...]

Nearly one among five school-going kids suffers eczema, medically termed as atopic dermatitis. In this form of skin condition there is immense itchiness, inflammation on the skin’s surface that mostly tends to turn into scabs and become reddish due to the constant itching. Continual itching leads to the skin breaking and mostly leading to skin infections. The skin infections caused due to MRSA (Staphylococcus aureus) show resistance to the methicillin medication and hence are tricky to treat. Amy Paller, MD, a paediatric dermatologist points out the crucial fact that nearly ninety percent of individuals with eczema have the presence of Staphylococcus aureus on their skin surface, contrasted to nearly twenty-five percent of the populace at large. Antibiotics have been the conventional line  [...]

Self-Tending at Home The signs of flu might at times prolong more than a week’s time. Care providers could allay and ease aching and discomforting symptoms by simple home care. Taking rest in bed. Keeping the child adequately hydrated with loads of fluids of their choice. Treating fever by giving acetaminophen –Children’s Tylenol, Infant’s Feverall, Junior Strength Panadol, or ibuprofen – Children’s Advil, Children’s Motrin administered in accordance with the packaging instructions or seeking consultation with the child specialist. Aspirin must not be given as it could raise the chances of the child developing Reye syndrome. A humidifier could be used in the child’s rest area for drying the air that would facilitate breathing. Infants need to be carefully monitored for  [...]

An inevitable part of infancy is throwing up, feeling nauseous and tummy upsets. With a host of reasons leading to puking or nausea, the few widely prevalent ones are: Stomach Flu – Not associated to influenza, gastroenteritis occurs due to the presence of certain kinds of bacterial, viral and parasitic forms – and mostly leading to diarrhea and queasiness among grownups and children. Allergic reaction to foods and gastric irritations – Though any kind of victuals could elicit a reaction, certain food items tend to mostly lead to food allergies like eggs, milks, peanuts, soy, wheat, fish and tree nuts. The adverse reactions of queasiness, stomach pain could begin in minutes or hours following the intake of these foods. Feelings of anxiousness and stressful times – Any kind of apprehensions,  [...]

A legally sightless, 9-year-old boy since birth had an ailment that would gradually devour his vision, but has lately been restored to normal eyesight with merely a single shot. The implausible procedure is a ray of promising hope spelling a conclusion to blindness in some cases. The Geneticists from the University School of Medicine, USA, have successfully snapped the cipher for creating light-receptive seeing cells that would help regain sight in many blind in the UK. During this path-breaking procedure, Corey Haas was the foremost patient globally to have been given this injection with the innovatory gene therapy following which his vision has become nearly perfect. Corey was the foremost of the 5 kids and 7 adults with the rare condition LCA or Leber’s congenital amaurosis (affecting  [...]

Schilder’s Disease is an atypical, progressive demyelinising condition majorly affecting the central nervous system that typically starts in infancy. This neurological disorder causes major harm to the myelin sheath of the nerve fiber observed to affect a whole lobe (a section of the brain like the frontal, occipital or parietal) or even hemisphere (the entire half of one) that could prove perilous to one who has the disorder. Schilders Disease Causes: Doctors speculate that it might be occurring due to certain kinds of medications, heredity factors among others. Though the damage to the myelin sheath of the nerve fibers is the most certain reason behind this disorder occurring. Schilders Disease Symptoms: The signs could be wide-ranging and could exhibit signs that could be confused  [...]

Several children exhibit sensitivities to particular foods, most of which are not grave. But, Celiac disease is a severe condition occurring due to long-standing gluten intolerance – a kind of protein present in wheat, rye and barley. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease (the individual’s immune system goes into self-destructive mode). About forty thousand celiac disease cases have been detected in the United States. In case the child is having celiac disease, then consumption of gluten would cause major harm to the villi (finger-alike protuberances that line the small intestines of the child). Risk Factors: Kids are at increased risk of developing celiac disease when they are having: Type 1 diabetes. Autoimmune thyroid disease. Dermatitis herpetiformis. Down’s / Turner’s/ Williams  [...]

Several kinds of diaper rashes occur due to the skin facing irritation because of contact with urine and feces. The sensitive skin of the baby reacts unfavourably leading to rashes. Some of the diaper rashes might be occurring due to candida yeast infection. Candidiasis is a form of infection occurring due to the presence of a cluster of infinitesimal fungi or yeast. Candida occur in more than twenty varying species, the widely prevalent being the Candida albicans. These fungal forms tend to flourish on body surfaces. When the conditions are favourable enough, they could rapidly proliferate leading to infections, especially in the clammy, tepid areas like diaper areas and the skin’s surfaces. Usually areas in children that get affected are the areas enclosed in the diapers and the mouth.  [...]

Self-tending at Home The three vital objectives of home tending for a kid having fever would be lowering the temperature, averting dehydration and monitoring any grave or life-menacing ailments. The preliminary goal would be making the kid feel restful and at ease by checking and assuaging the temperature to below 102 degrees Fahrenheit or 38.9 degree Celsius. The fever is measured by employing a thermometer, giving medications and making the child dress in appropriate manner. A tepid water soak could be beneficial to the child. Thermometer employed for checking the child’s temperature are obtainable in glass mercury, digital and tympanic (in the ear) models. It is safer to not opt for the tympanic thermometers as the adjudicator is still out on their exactness. Glass mercury thermometers  [...]