With the palpable rise in the usage of mobiles and computers, has gradually risen the malevolent trend of Cyber Bullying wherein individuals employ electronic communication for harming others. Cyber bullies could make use of text messaging, telephone calls, email, instant messaging services, social networking websites and web pages as a means of causing embarrassment to others. Bullying also dubbed as harassment, would translate to passing around malicious fake gossips, sending derogatory messages, saying humiliating stories or putting up pictures intended to make others feel discomforted. They could additionally involve pestering, vicious or sexual warnings or threats. Cyber bullying is an array of things ranging from circulating odious messages or caricatures about the individual to letting  [...]

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  [...]

Paedophiles subsist amongst us in our neighbourhoods and do not have any easily perceivable characteristics that make them stand out from a crowd. A wishful thinking if only it was such an easy task, scores of innocent infant lives would have been saved catastrophic consequences of being caught in the web of a paedophile. Paedophiles are mostly exceptionally scheming and witty at masking their true intentions, in order to gain contact with one’s kids. Most of the paedophiles are men and nearly 2/3rds of them would be known to the abused kid. Signs of an individual who might prove to be a potential harm to one’s kids Infant abusers are mostly those that actively endeavour at befriending the kin for gaining access to their kids. Being weary of those who display increased interest in one’s  [...]

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%),  [...]

Pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy or PUPPP is the prevalent form of niggling skin ailment during pregnancy. Classically, the onset of PUPPP during the third trimester translates to the development of reddish, scratchy bumps on the abdominal region found in close proximity to stretch marks or striae.    PUPPP generally decreases in intensity in the initial few weeks following child birth. PUPPP has no effect on the health of the newborn and has no long-standing detrimental outcome on the mother. Who is more prone to PUPPP? PUPPP is a widespread occurrence among pregnant women with a recurrence rate of one among every two hundred pregnant women. PUPPP Causes With reasons still blurred, it is believed that the surge in hormonal levels, skin distending or stretching and varied  [...]

The latest statistics reveal the disturbing trend of the soar in just two years of the number of prescriptions being recommended to kids with hyperactive behaviours, depressive tendencies and other mental ill health issues. A stomach-churning 4,20,000 prescriptions were issued to kids below sixteen years of age with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) during 2007 that has shot up thirty-three percent from 2005. The figures rose to fifty-one percent in younger kids in the age bracket 16-18 years, touching forty thousand during 2007. In this span of time, NHS parameters approved at least 3 drugs for treating ADHD when other treatment options made no difference, in spite of apprehensions regarding side effects and few sceptics protesting that it medicalises disruptive deeds. With greater  [...]

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  [...]

Scientists have asserted that those moms that dieted are nearly twice as likely to have daughters that ailed from eating disorders. The major populace of 512 teens on whom the survey was conducted stated that they felt marred by the effects of their moms dieting and outlook on food and looked upon their mothers as the major affect on their own self-worth. The study conducted on girls in the age band of 12-18years revealed that 6% of them had an eating disorder – a percentage that shot up to 10% in those whose moms were dieting. The survey showed that fifty-one percent (i.e., nearly more than half the populace) of teen girls assessed have done dieting in some point of time. Yet again, it rose to 59% in those girls whose moms dieted, while nearly 8 among 10 girls fretted about their weight  [...]

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,  [...]

Researchers have found the reason behind why elderly men are more prone to having kids with health issues as compared to younger fathers. Scientists from the Oxford University and the Copenhagen Hospital found that elderly men were more prone to developing non-malignant testicular tumours known as spermocytic seminomas. Though these altered cells are not of any harm to the men, the scientists consider that they could alter germ cells that produce sperms that could lead to genetic mutations in their offspring’s DNA leading to atypical growth disorders. The study backed by the Wellcome Trust and the Danish Cancer Society could explicate the reason behind the prevalence of particular ailments among kids of older-aged fathers. Helming the study, Professor Andrew Wilkie of the University of Oxford  [...]