ChildHealth.co.uk is a comprehensive information resource on child ailments
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Child Health - Expert advice on baby / child health problems
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Excerpted from the website description:
- Child Health - A comprehensive information resource on the causes, symptoms and treatments of child ailments
Babies and the common cold
Caring for a newborn baby with a cold can be hard for a parent, as you may watch your little one struggle to breathe and feed. It can be upsetting, but the common cold is not usually dangerous. This mild ailment usually clears up all by itself in a week or so.
Whilst mild, they tend to be fairly frequent, especially in their first year. Colds in babies are all too common because they have little resistance to infection. However, as their immune system develops and strengthens, they become less prone to catching colds.
Baby cold symptoms Babies with colds may have the telltale runny nose, possibly combined with a high temperature, sore throat and a headache. It is hard to determine for sure, because younger babies cannot tell you that their head or throat hurts. More concrete symptoms of a cold in babies are quite often red eyes, a cough, restlessness and an irritable mood.
In any case you can be sure that babies with colds do not feel well and will make sure that you know it!
How to deal with it Most over-the-counter cold remedies are not suitable for children under the age of six years, and often comfort, adequate rest, fluids and nutrition are all that is required. In the meantime there are lots of ways to help ease the symptoms through infant analgesics, such as Nurofen for Children*. It relieves cold and flu symptoms and starts to work in just 15 minutes to relieve any associated fever and lasts for up to eight hours.
If your baby is less than three months' old and catches a cold, it is best to visit your GP or paediatrician.
Wash your hands! Babies catch colds through airborne or hand-to-hand contact. As with any contagious viruses, prevention is better than the cure. So, when someone who has a cold sneezes or touches a baby's favourite toy, they can pass it on to the baby.
The key thing is basic hygiene. Lots of hand-washing with antibacterial soap will cut down chances of contact contamination. Covering your mouth when sneezing is just as essential, again washing your hands afterwards.
- Nurofen for Children Orange singles and Nurofen for Children Strawberry singles. Contains ibuprofen. Always read the label.
Caring for a baby with a cold
•Nurofen for Children* relieves cold and flu symptoms •Aim to prevent colds –cover your mouth when you sneeze and wash your hands! Tell others to do the same •Babies under three months showing signs of a cold should see their GP / paediatrician
Keywords: •colds babies •baby with cold •baby cold •baby with a cold
Relieving your child's earache
Earache in babies, toddlers and children is not pleasant for either child or parent. It can be quite painful your little one and worrying for you. Childhood earache is usually caused by an infection of the middle ear (otitis media). This is often because the tube that connects the ear to the throat is shorter in children, which makes them more susceptible to infection. As a result, earache is a common affliction during early childhood.
Recognising the signs More than three quarters of children will have at least one ear infection by their third birthday*. The symptoms to look out for include:
•Pain and fever •Irritability •Pointing or pulling at the ear •A general feeling of warmth or redness around the ear •Discharge from the ear
Taking away the pain of earache
Thankfully, childhood earache can be treated relatively easily. The pain can be relieved with an ibuprofen suspension such as Nurofen for Children**. It can also help bring down a fever if your baby has a high temperature – it starts to work in just 15 minutes to relieve your baby’s fever and lasts for up to eight hours.
If the problem persists, contact your doctor. They may prescribe antibiotics if the cause is thought to be bacterial, especially with discharge, or refer you to hospital if your child has fluid in the ear that needs to be drained away.
Making your child comfortable Besides treating earache with medication, there are other, home-grown methods you can use to relieve the pain of your baby or child’s ear infection. Heat is one tried-and-tested way to soothe children’s earache. Gently pressing a heated gel pad wrapped in a soft cloth against your child’s ear is sure to feel good. For trips to the GP / paediatrician, be sure to keep ears snugly wrapped up against the cold.
Nagging pain from an ear infection can drown out all other things. That’s why distraction is another good method to help your child take the focus off the earache. Reading a favourite story, singing a song, listening to soothing music or watching a favourite film / TV programme are not exactly treatments for children’s earache, but it all goes a long way bring some comfort.
- Source: http://www.nurofenforchildren.co.uk
- Nurofen for Children for 3 months to 9 year old infants. Strawberry flavour. Contains ibuprofen. Always read the label.
Tips to comfort your child
•Distract your child with gentle music, singing, books, TV •Soothe your child with hugs and cuddles •Relieve the pain with an age-appropriate analgesic
Keywords: •babies ear infection •treatment ear infection •ear infections children •children ear infections •earache •childhood earache •baby earache
How to watch out for the symptoms of a fever and advice on dealing with a sick baby
Your child's body temperature is normally between 36 and 37°C. Variations of between 0.5 and 1 degree are not uncommon within a day (evening temperatures are often higher). A child has symptoms of a fever when body temperature is abnormally high, i.e. above 37.2°C. Fever is not an illness in itself nor is it usually dangerous. It is a natural defence mechanism, which helps the body to fight infections. Raising the body temperature helps destroy some types of bacteria and seems to speed up the body's production of germ fighting cells. A fever may therefore be beneficial in some cases and can reduce the duration of an infection.
Symptoms of a fever can occur at any age. However, fever in children is quite common, especially during the early years. Often, an infection such as a cold is the cause. Symptoms of a fever may also occur following your child's immunisations because vaccines contain small amounts of the agent they are designed to protect from. This is perfectly normal and should not last longer than a couple of days; however a feverish , sick baby may be uncomfortable and irritable.
How will I know if my child has a fever?
Fever can make for a sick baby or child, but first make sure it is, in fact, a fever. Although feeling their forehead can give an idea of your child's temperature, a digital thermometer or heat sensitive strip thermometer is required to measure their temperature accurately. Recording a body temperature of at least 37.2°C on 2 occasions at least 2 hours apart, is a reliable indication of symptoms of a fever.
As well as a high temperature, symptoms of a fever may include:
• a flushed appearance • irritability and crying • clammy skin or sweating • tiredness • a headache or other aches and pains. Click here for more information
http://www.childhealth.co.uk/common_childhood_complaints/fever.php
Nurofen for Children contains Ibuprofen. Always read the product label. Disprol Paracetamol Suspension contains Paracetamol. Always read the product label.
Keywords :- symptoms of a fever, sick baby, colds symptoms
Signs of teething
Just when you thought you had established a routine, it’s often back to square one. Your baby can be grouchy, wake up several times a night, refuse to eat and can even bite! Fear not – your baby may simply be teething.
Or are they? All sorts of things are blamed on teething in babies, from upset tummies to ear infections. Apparent symptoms of teething are often mistaken for other complaints so it is important to read the signs carefully.
Reading the signs of teething First of all, it is best to be clear: diarrhoea, earache and fever are not signs of baby teething. In these cases, you may want to have your baby checked by their GP / paediatrician.
So what are the signs of teething in babies? One of the first things you may notice is an excess of saliva. Babies dribble, but an impending tooth may well crank it up a notch. Red gums and cheeks are another common sign, as is a slight rise in temperature.
Besides physical symptoms of teething, your baby may show emotional or behavioural signs, too. Babies often become irritable and can have trouble sleeping or feeding. They might chew on every hard object in sight, including you.
Does it hurt? Some babies sail through the teething process, but others seem to really suffer. There is no way of knowing how your baby will fare until teething starts. Each baby reacts differently, even within the same family.
How can you help? If you think your baby is showing signs of teething, there are several ways in which you can help things along. Teething rings are ideal for babies who like to chew – and might prevent them from ruining the remote control or other makeshift ‘chew toy’. Chilled teething rings soothe red and swollen gums, as do chilled snacks like yoghurts or fruit purees.
Teething babies who drool a lot can get chapped and irritated skin on their lips, chin and chest. You can protect these areas by applying a suitable barrier cream.
Teething babies who drool a lot can get chapped and irritated skin on their lips, chin and chest. You can protect these areas by applying a suitable barrier cream.
Rubbing baby’s gums with a clean finger often smoothes away discomfort and helps you check which teeth are coming through. You can apply a teething gel for extra relief, such as a sugar-free and colour-free gel like bonjela Teething Gel*.
To help ease the pain, you can also use an infant analgesic, such as Nurofen for Children*. Nurofen for Children can be used to help relieve the pain associated with teething and bring down a raised temperature.
Once you have recognised the signs of teething, you can forgive your baby’s temper and bring relief and support through what can be a difficult time.
- bonjela Teething Gel. Always read the label.
- Nurofen for Children. Contains ibuprofen. Always read the label.
Top 5 signs of baby teething
•Excessive dribbling •Red cheeks and gums •Tendency to chew on things •Mood changes, irritability •Loss of appetite
Keywords: •teething •teething and baby •teething symptom •signs of babies teething •signs of baby teething
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- Babies and the common cold
- Relieving your child's earache
- Caring for your child's fever
- Signs of teething
