Awesome Parents Blogs

A wasp sting will not usually be left behind in the skin whereas a bee sting will. The area will be red and swollen. The sting is usually painful for a few minutes so children will invariably be very upset.

Action plan…

• Remove the bee sting with tweezers or by gently scraping with a (blunt!) knife.
• Apply some baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) powder made up with a little water. For wasp stings use vinegar.
• If there is swelling, children over the age of two can be given antihistamines.

Contact the doctor if…

• the child has had a previous severe reaction to a sting
• the child is stung in the mouth
• the child later develops a temperature and the sting area is red, swollen and tender (this can mean the area has become infected)
• if the child becomes breathless or there are other signs of allergy such as a blotchy rash

One or two stings are rarely serious unless the child is known to be allergic to bees or wasps. If there are multiple stings contact a doctor for advice.

Dog or other animal bites
Always contact your surgery or hospital for bites that break or tear the skin and if there are cuts/lacerations which may need stitching. Where the skin has not been broken or not punctured by a tooth you can deal with it yourself. Wash the area carefully and apply an Elastoplast. A tetanus immunisation will only be required if a child has not had their baby immunisations at 8, 12 and 16 weeks. Many children are offered a pre-school booster which contains tetanus immunisation. This covers them for a further ten years. Keep an eye on bite areas for a day or two to check for infection – redness, swelling and tenderness.

Seek medical advice immediately for snake bites.

This article is a guide only – please seek advice from your medical advisor in all cases.

For some families a home cooked meal is not easy to come by every evening. Busy schedules pose daily challenges to make wise food choices and steer clear of the drive through windows. Helping your child eat healthy may not be an easy task for some parents that have picky eaters at home, but there are some really useful tips to get you through this phase.

The simplest method to teach your child anything in life is to lead by example. Just as there are children who hate eating green vegetables, there are also adults who would rather not eat them as well. When children observe their parents making healthy food choices, they mimic that habit. The same theory applies to eating what is available in the home; your children will consume unhealthy foods throughout the day if that is all that is available for them. Choose to keep wise food options for snacking as well as meals stocked at home and then you gain back the control over their eating habits. Snacking is a huge issue that can lead to childhood obesity and is often done when they are bored. To avoid overeating and snacking on junk foods, purchase snacks that are healthy that you know your child likes and show them what is available when they need a snack.

Eating the right foods is not just a habit that needs to be taught, it is a way of life that every child needs to grasp before they reach adulthood. Teach the child that you eat to provide fuel for your body to get through the day and to concentrate better overall. Work with any peculiar likes your child may have to make the transition away from junk foods to healthier ones as smooth as possible for them. For example, children especially smaller ones under the age of six-enjoy eating foods that are simple for them to feed themselves. Put finger snacks such as cut up apple slices, dry cereals, and crackers in small plastic bowls or plastic lunch bags for them to munch on. Place their meals and snacks on dishware that doesn’t imply a safety precaution such as ceramic dishes and choose to feed them on plastic, more child-friendly plates and bowls or even purchase a few of their favorite bowls or silverware to encourage them to be attracted to their foods. One study was completed by a mother of an Autistic child that absolutely refused to eat foods if they were not round in shape where the Mother purchased cookie cutters and made all her child’s foods in the shape of a circle and he ate anything, vegetables and all at that point.

It’s all the presentation when you are helping your child eat healthy. Make your child’s meals and snacks as appealing as possible and they will be more likely to give it a try. Always encourage them to choose the right foods when they aren’t at home as well, and once the children have made the switch from junk to healthy foods they will have increased energy, sleep better at night and have improved focus with their studies as well.

- Follow the instructions on the bottle
Give paracetamol in the dose recommended for the age of the child.

- Never run out of paracetamol
Children often become ill at night so make sure your medicine cabinet is stocked up.

- Repeat the dose
Paracetamol will last at best for six hours but usually for three or four. However, don’t exceed the recommended dose for a 24-hour period as instructed on the bottle.

- Never wait for a doctor to come before giving paracetamol
Children may well seem normal an hour after a dose of paracetamol even when they were quite unwell before. This is often why they seem better as soon as the doctor arrives! However, doctors want to assess the illness, not the fever and it can often be easier for a doctor to assess a child who has had paracetamol.

- Don’t give aspirin to the under 12s
Paracetamol is safer.

- Give plenty of fluids
If you have ever had a fever yourself you will know that it upsets your appetite. We can all cope for a few days, even young children, without our normal food intake. We cannot cope without water, however, and a fever means that we lose even more by sweating. So drinks in any form will do. You may need to be patient with young children as they may not want to drink but you must keep trying even if this means patiently giving the drinks from a spoon. Avoid high sugar drinks with tummy bugs.

- Be prepared to nurse your child during the night if need be

Their temperature may fluctuate up and down. If there are two of you take it in turns. If you are on your own try to get a relative to help during the day. Nursing a sick child can be exhausting.

- Avoid wrapping the child up in blankets Keep the room reasonably cool and the child in light clothing. Blankets or a duvet could make the temperature worse.

Please refer all issues to your medical advisor – this article provides a guide only.

Diabetes mellitus is a disease affecting the pancreas gland in the abdomen. This gland produces the substance insulin which helps the body use up the sugar which comes from our diet. If there is insufficient insulin glucose builds up in the bloodstream and this can cause problems for many of the organs of the body.

Diabetics may have to inject themselves with insulin on a regular basis. Insulin cannot be given by mouth. Parents are often concerned at the thought of either giving their child injections or the thought of the child giving injections to himself. It is always surprising how even young children cope. If your child is diagnosed with diabetes mellitus it is vitally important that he attends all check-ups and that together you learn to keep the strictest possible control over his blood glucose to avoid complications in later life.

A ‘hypo’ refers to an episode of hypoglycaemia or low blood sugar. This may happen if a diabetic has had his normal dose of insulin but for some reason, often a stomach upset, has not had his normal food intake. The child may be sweaty and sleepy or even confused. It is vital that he is given sugar in any form although special tablets are available which are convenient to carry around. An untreated hypo may result in unconsciousness and then it is essential to call a doctor.

You may have come across diabetics who use oral tablets. These are usually only suitable for people who have developed diabetes in later life. Children with diabetes will nearly always need insulin to gain control over their blood sugar.

This article is a guide only – please seek advice from your medical advisor in all cases.

So called ‘stork marks’ – a triangular red mark on the forehead and another red mark at the back of the neck – are very common, but fade over a few months and do not need treatment.

Strawberry naevi may grow over the first year or two but will have shrunk markedly by the time your child is seven years old. Parents are often alarmed by these as they can be a considerable size and can be raised up from the skin. However, unless they are causing secondary problems such as pressure on other tissues, it is better simply to wait for them to resolve on their own.

Port wine stains do not fade, but depending on the site and the size may be amenable to plastic surgery. They are flat and often a deep red colour.

In babies with dark skin there may be a pigmented area at the bottom of the back. These bruise-like marks are called Mongolian blue spots. Again they will fade in time but may take up to two years.

Babies may also have brown birthmarks like moles varying in size from a millimetre or two to a centimetre or more. They may also be hairy. These do not disappear.

Children can tend to be somewhat picky eaters especially at young ages and it can pose some obstacles when dining out and even at home. Typically little ones choose to not consume foods that are good for you because those are commonly the ones that don’t contain any sugars or even look satisfying to eat. Many parents find themselves struggling with their children’s eating habits and even need detailed advice when they seek the doctor’s help asking “my child is a vegetarian, what can I do?” Vegetarian diets have become extremely popular over the past decade and that is with the demand of organic products and lifestyles also gaining many fans.

When your child is a vegan it truly poses no concern to the parents as far as health benefits and development are concerned. The food companies have designed so many alternatives to regular foods that children can still get all the nutrients and vitamins they need by eating this way. Many vegans have healthier diets and typically do not gain excess weight due to the lack of fat and junk foods they consume. They choose raw foods more often, and typically eat more vegetables and fruits than children that are not vegetarians which is a huge plus in choosing this lifestyle.

In prior years it was difficult to find sufficient meal choices when dining out for vegans, especially for children. Recently dining establishments have been striving to accommodate such preferences offering many grilled and steamed dishes with poultry and meat substitutes. Many children that are vegetarians still consume dairy products versus the full fledged vegans who choose not to consume any product that came from an animal which would include all dairy options as well. One of the main concerns parents of vegan children have is if their child is getting enough protein in their diets and thankfully there are so many choices for substitutes that the little ones enjoy eating that it makes it less of a challenge. Parents can opt to purchase tofu and provide their children with protein alternatives such as nuts and other vegetarian turkeys, hams and burgers.

Having a child that chooses to eat this way when the rest of family does not can certainly require additional effort from the parent for grocery shopping and meal preparation. Some families elect to switch everyone’s eating habits to suit one or two vegans living in the home just to make it simpler on a daily basis. If your child is a vegan but doesn’t like the taste of the alternatives that are available it may be best if you consult with a nutritionist to formulate a list of options for the child to choose from so they still consume enough calories and foods they need for proper development. Becoming a vegan takes effort to not eat what is available at certain events and even at home sometimes, but it appears to be a life change that many are making to stay healthy and steer clear of preservatives and additional calories. If your child becomes a vegan and it poses any concerns, feel free to have your pediatrician address those for you and typically it doesn’t pose a threat to their health in any way.