Awesome Parents Blogs

Once you or your doctor have decided that your child needs to have medicine it is important that your child takes it. Many children don’t like medicine even though pharmaceutical companies try to make children’s medicines taste as nice as possible. If you find that your child does not like paracetamol syrup try every brand and if all else fails buy dissolving tablets and dissolve them in a small amount of her favourite drink.

Special syringes are available to make it easier to measure and administer medicine to babies and children. With one hand cuddle your child towards your chest and with the other place the end of the syringe in the child’s mouth. Wait until your child opens her mouth and tip the medicine on to her tongue or down the side of her mouth between her cheek and her gum. You may need to tip her chin up slightly with the same hand to make sure that she doesn’t spit it out.

Eye and ear drops
If your child has conjunctivitis you will need to administer eye drops or ointment. Children do not like having drops put in their eyes so you will need to have patience! It is easier if there is another adult to help you. It is easier than it sounds because it only takes a tiny amount of the drops to dissolve in the tears to enable the drop to spread all over the eyeball. It may seem that most of the dose has come out again especially when the child blinks but don’t worry about this. It is trickier if you are on your own and I have in the past resorted to giving drops to a child who is asleep!

Ear drops are fairly straightforward and do not usually cause discomfort. Again if you give your child a firm cuddle keeping the arms in with one arm you will find it easy to give the drops with the other hand.

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

Cerebral palsy results from damage to the parts of the brain which control the body’s movements and posture. This damage may occur before birth, during birth or during the first two years of life. The amount of damage caused may be slight or severe. The developing brain can be damaged by lack of oxygen, infections in the mother during pregnancy or a placenta which is not functioning properly. In many cases doctors are unable to find the exact cause. The blood vessels in the brain of premature babies are very fragile and are relatively easily damaged during labour and in the first few weeks of life, depending on the degree of prematurity. It follows that cerebral palsy is more common in very premature babies.

The damage may not always be evident at birth but may become obvious as the baby grows. Some of the tests done at the eight week screen check for cerebral palsy. However if parents are worried that their baby has not achieved any of the developmental milestones they should seek reassurance from their doctor.

Children with cerebral palsy may need treatment throughout their childhood but parents should always be involved in the programme and in most cases will be able to help with exercises at home. Some sufferers of cerebral palsy may also have a mental handicap – another result of brain damage – but equally there may be no mental handicap whatsoever and the problem is purely a physical inability to control muscle movement.

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

When your child is obese, life can become somewhat of a struggle for that child as well as the parents. Childhood obesity is increasing everyday and there are many reasons for this rapid climb in today’s youth gaining weight. The first is the most obvious, with every child having at least five electronic devices to entertain themselves with at home every day they no longer have the desire to go outside and play. When the physical activities of a child are drastically decreased, they have a higher chance of gaining weight and they become lazier people overall, but while it’s certainly up to the parents’ discretion to limit their child’s video game playing engaging in these activities on occasion is fine in moderation.

Keep your children motivated to stay active by suggesting they play outside, go for a walk with a neighborhood friend or simply by playing a game of basketball with them in your own driveway. Much like anything in life, children without a doubt learn from examples their parents display in front of them. If you are involved in sports and exercise frequently, chances are so is your child. Make time to stay active together as it can not only keep you and your child healthy, but it can also be a great time to bond with your children as well.

Having an obese child often results in many other health ailments other than excessive weight gain. Children can obtain asthma, back pains, knee pains, joint problems, sleep apnea, diabetes and depression all from gaining a few extra pounds. These ailments and the additional weight gain can all be diminished with a few simple lifestyle changes.

The first step a parent needs to take when your child is obese is to consult with your child’s pediatrician, and the reason for this is to ensure there are no other health issues with your child that are enabling the weight gain. If no outside issues are found, then you must take action and formulate a plan to stop the cycle so your child can be healthy again. Evaluate their eating patterns, if they eat when they are bored or home alone then provide healthy snack choices and encourage them to engage in other activities that don’t involve sitting on the couch or in front of the computer. Get your child on a schedule that displays when they should be eating, what they should be eating and when they should be doing physical activities. If your child enjoys a particular sport then perhaps you should encourage them to join a team for their school as this will not only help them lose weight, but it will help them excel socially and maybe even gain a few new friendships in the process. If the child is older and in their teen years there may very well be an issue that is emotionally bothering the child and causing them to reach for the snacks as a form of comfort. In those cases, sit down and speak with your child openly and compassionately advise them to come to you with any concerns with their friends or at school. After a few weeks of eating healthy and getting more activity your child will become more energetic, have better sleeping patterns and gain more self-esteem which are all traits every parent wants for their child.

All children will go through a phase of having permanently bruised knees or shins! Parents often discover these at bath time when it is really too late to do anything about it. However, if you are presented with a bump soon after it has happened gentle pressure and/or an ice pack can reduce the swelling and subsequent bruising. Smoothing on a little arnica cream (available from most pharmacies) can also help. If bruising occurs frequently without known injury make an appointment to see your doctor.

Knocks on the head or face cause local swelling which develops at an alarming rate into a bump which can be the size of a plum. This is frightening if you haven’t seen it happen before. Check for head injury symptoms and apply an ice pack (either ice cubes in a polythene bag placed in a tea towel or a packet of frozen peas in a tea towel!). The bump will slowly subside and leave a large bruise which will disappear over ten days or so.

Burns

Action plan…

• Always treat a burn or scald with cold water.
• If possible immerse the burned area in cold water for at least ten minutes.
• Never apply any creams or greases.
• If hot liquid has spilt on to clothing remove the clothing immediately if possible. If not, wet it with cool or cold water then try to remove it. You must act quickly to avoid severe burns.
• If hands are affected do the same but then put the child’s hand in a clean polythene bag while you contact the doctor.
• Apply clean wet wraps such as towels or even clingwrap to the burn while you transport the child to the surgery or casualty.
• You should contact your doctor, practice nurse or casualty department immediately for all but the most minor scalds.

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

Action plan…

• With cuts and other injuries which cause bleeding there are two words to remember – pressure and elevation.
• You can stop virtually any bleeding by raising the affected part of the body (above the level of the heart, if possible) and applying pressure with a pad made out of cloth – a piece of clothing or a tea towel.
• In any case of severe bleeding or haemorrhage keep pressing firmly on the bleeding area if
  necessary until you can get help from a doctor or ambulance staff.

Small cuts and grazes
Thoroughly clean the wound and apply a dressing such as Elastoplast. Continue to apply some pressure to stop the bleeding as long as there is no glass in the cut. The face, scalp and hands have a very good blood supply so you may need to apply pressure for 15 minutes or more.

Larger cuts
If you think the wound will need stitching take the child to your nearest casualty department or, in the case of rural areas, to your doctor’s surgery. Casualty staff may use stitches, steristrips (paper stitches) or surgical glue, but may avoid stitching fingers if they think the injury will continue to swell whereupon the stitches would hamper the blood supply. In cases where a sharp object has punctured the skin don’t attempt to remove it. This will be done in hospital where severe bleeding can be properly treated.

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

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.