''Dr.doshi's children hospital''

03/08/2015

The monsoon season provides some cool relief after a hot summer. However, the rains also bring humid weather, flooded roads, mosquitoes, diseases and lots more. Fortunately, with a few precautions, you can help your baby enjoy the monsoon and stay safe. Here are the issues to keep in mind.
Common illnesses during the monsoon and how to prevent them

Some diseases are more common during the monsoon. Speak to your doctor if your baby gets any of these warning signs.

Dengue
The dengue virus is mainly transmitted by mosquitoes that bite during the day. Early signs of dengue in infants are like signs of a viral illness: fever, runny nose, cough, and a mild skin rash.
Babies may also have:joint and muscle pain pain behind the eyes
weakness tiny red spots on the skin nosebleeds abdominal pain
vomiting dark-coloured stools

If your child shows any of these signs, take him to the clinic right away.

Viral infections are very contagious and common. If your baby has a fever, joint pain, chills, coughs or sneezes, take him to the doctor. A viral infection cannot be cured by antibiotics but the doctor might have medicine to help with some of the symptoms.

To keep your baby safe from viruses, stay away from people who are sick with the flu, viral infections, conjunctivitis or other diseases. Ask your family and friends to wash their hands before touching your baby.

Diarrhoeal diseases
Flooding during the rainy season can make water sources dirty. If you are bottle feeding your baby, use boiled and cooled water to make his formula. This will help prevent stomach flu and diarrhoea.

Respiratory illnesses
Your baby can catch germs when a sick person sneezes or coughs near him. Cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough. Then wash your hands with soap and water.

If your friends or family are sick, ask them to visit you once they are well again. Avoid crowded places where you and your baby could catch an infection.

Leptospirosis
Leptospirosis is a bacterial infection that spreads through dirty water. The infection is serious and can cause meningitis, liver damage, jaundice and renal failure.

Danger signs include:
a cough
chest pain
blood-tinged saliva

If you notice your baby has any of these signs, get him to the doctor.

Prickly heat is also most common during the monsoon when the humid weather makes babies sweat. Your baby is likely to develop prickly heat in the folds of his skin. Try to keep your baby dry by dressing him appropriately and using the fan, cooler or AC. Use caution when applying talcum powder as it is not good for your baby to inhale it.
Healthcare for your family

Consider getting healthcare insurance for you and your family to help with the expense of unforeseen medical emergencies. Then keep your health insurance card and any relevant paperwork handy in case you have to leave in a hurry.
Personal hygiene and cleanliness

Your baby may sweat a lot in humid weather. This could lead to fungal infections, skin rashes or allergies. You can keep your baby clean and healthy by giving him baths or sponge baths at least once a day. When you bathe your baby, check his neck, underarms, genitalia and other creases in his body.

Washing hands helps to keep diseases at bay. Make sure to wash your and your baby's hands after you change his nappies and after he eats, if he is old enough to have solid food. Cut your baby's nails often. That will help keep him clean and healthy. See also that your babysitter or maid washes her hands and feet well when she enters your home.

If you find it difficult to ask friends and guests to wash their hands before holding your baby, keep a hand sanitiser with you. See that anyone who wants to hold your baby uses it.
Dressing right and caring for clothes

During the monsoon, the weather can change a lot in a day. It could start out hot and humid and then get cold after some rain. If it is humid, you could dress your baby in loose cotton clothes that will let his skin breathe. Cover your baby's arms and legs during the day to protect him from mosquito bites.

When it is cold, wrap your baby in a jacket or cardigan to keep him warm. Keep his skin dry to avoid prickly heat. Washed clothes take longer to dry in humid weather, and wearing damp clothes or socks can lead to fungal infections.

If they stay moist in the cupboard, they can get mouldy, which is not healthy for your baby. So buy some extra underclothes for your baby. And make sure he always wears dry, clean clothes.
Keeping food and drink clean

During the monsoon, tap water may get polluted by ground or waste water. If your baby is on formula milk, use boiled and cooled water to make his feed. That will keep it safe.

If you are breastfeeding your baby, keep breastfeeding him. Your breast-milk will strengthen your baby's immune system and help protect him from illness. This is because your breast-milk contains antibodies that will make him strong and healthy. Try to breastfeed for at least six months. Make sure you eat healthily, as it can affect your baby through your breast-milk.

Wash your baby's feeding bottles, plates and dishes with boiled or filtered water before use. Many homes now have geysers in the kitchen for constant boiled water, used to clean food and wash dishes.
Keeping your baby safe from mosquitoes

Clear stagnant water from in or around your home. These are breeding grounds for mosquitoes, which can cause malaria, dengue or chikungunya. If you have indoor plants, change the water in the vases daily. Use a mosquito net for your child's bed and install wire meshes on the windows. These measures will help keep mosquitoes away from your baby.
Do a pre-monsoon check

Ensure that your home is clean and safe before the monsoons arrive. Get an electrician to fix any faulty wiring and switches. Have your plumber fix any leaking fixtures and get your drains cleaned before the rains. Check and repair any cracks in the house.
Child safety and other tips

Here are more safety tips:
Keep your baby indoors during the first rain of the season. This rain can be acidic and could cause skin problems.
During weather changes, babies often get sick. Try not to take your baby out till the weather stabilizes.
Keep an medical kit with medicines and supplies for the monsoon. Ask your doctor which medicines you should buy.

07/03/2012

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=c6kFm1SwXEs

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10/01/2012

febrile convulsions/febrile fits

What is a febrile convulsion?

Rapid temperature increases can cause febrile convulsions.
Febrile convulsions occur in young children when there is a rapid increase in their body temperature. It affects up to 1 in 20 children between the ages of one and four but can affect children between six months and about five years old.
Children who are at risk may naturally have a lower resistance to febrile convulsion than others.
What is the risk of suffering a febrile convulsion?
Children may inherit the tendency to suffer febrile convulsion from their parents.
If either parent suffered a febrile convulsion as a child, the risk of the child getting it rises 10 to 20 per cent.
If both parents and their child have at some point suffered a febrile convulsion, the risk of another child getting it rises 20 to 30 per cent.
Nevertheless, the child's susceptibility also depends on whether the child frequently gets infections. About 4 out of 10 children who have had febrile convulsions will get them again at some stage, although the risk differs greatly from child to child. The child's risk of febrile convulsion rises if:
they are genetically predisposed to it
they suffer frequent illnesses, which include high temperatures
the first attack of febrile convulsion was accompanied by a relatively low body temperature - below 39ºC.
One in a thousand children may suffer a febrile convulsion after receiving the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine. In these cases it occurs 8 to 10 days after the vaccination and is caused by the the measles component of the vaccine. However, this causes only about one tenth of cases of febrile convulsion compared with measles itself.
Children who are prone to febrile convulsions should follow the same programme of vaccination as all other children.
What are the symptoms?
The attack often begins with the child losing consciousness, and shortly afterwards the body, legs and arms go stiff.
The head is thrown backwards and the legs and arms begins to jerk.
The skin goes pale and may even turn blue briefly.
The attack ends after a few minutes and the shaking stops. The child goes limp, and then normal colour and consciousness slowly return.
Some children regain consciousness faster than others.
What to do if your child suffers an attack of febrile convulsion
Do not intervene while the attack is taking place except in the circumstance outlined below.
Carefully turn the child's head to one side to prevent choking. In the past, it was common to place a stick in the child's mouth to prevent bites to the tongue or lips. This should never be attempted, as it may result in lasting damage to the teeth.
When the fit subsides, keep the child in the recovery position, ie lying on its side. If fits are prolonged or follow each other rapidly, call an ambulance.
The first time a child suffers febrile convulsions they should be admitted to hospital. If the child has suffered attacks on earlier occasions, hospitalisation is not always necessary. However, it is always important, for example, to determine whether the convulsions are only due to a harmless viral infection. For this reason, a doctor should always be consulted following an attack.
Has the child previously suffered febrile convulsions?
If the child has a history of febrile convulsions, parents are sometimes advised to have the medicine diazepam ready in case an attack takes place. It can be given into the re**um from a specific re**al tube and takes effect in a few minutes.
If the attack goes on for more than five minutes treatment can be repeated, but medical advice should always be sought in any prolonged fit. Dosage instructions must be carefully adhered to.
Does the child have a temperature?
Make sure the child is not too hot by removing extra clothing or bedclothes. If the room temperature seems high, open a window, but bear in mind that the child should not get too cold either. Give the child plenty of cold drinks.
Some doctors advise parents to give the child mild painkillers such as paracetamol (eg Calpol) or ibuprofen (eg Nurofen for children). This lowers the temperature by between 1 and 1.5ºC. It is important to give the recommended dose only.
Although febrile convulsions look like epileptic fits, they rarely have anything in common with this illness. Ninety-nine per cent of children who have had a febrile convulsion have no more fits after they reach school age.
Future prospects
Although febrile convulsion often seems frightening, it rarely results in any permanent injuries. If, however, the convulsions last a long time or the child suffers several attacks in quick succession, slight disturbances in the brain function may occur.
If your child has had a febrile convulsion, consult your GP on the best way to deal with them.
Half of all sufferers will have another attack the next time they have a temperature. But the risk lessens with time and attacks should not occur after the age of about five.
Is it possible to prevent febrile convulsion?
Temperature-lowering medicines, such as paracetamol, can help lower body temperature but need to be repeated. If not, the temperature will rise rapidly again.
If your child has suffered febrile convulsion in the past, your doctor may advise you to have special enemas containing diazepam on standby.f

15/08/2011

13/08/2011

American Heart Association Baby Rescue - Choking For mothers and fathers

13/08/2011