guidetochildhooddiseases.com

Type 1 Diabetes in Children

editor — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 03:59:17 +0000

Type 1 diabetes which was once known as juvenile diabetes is a chronic condition in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin or the hormone which is needed by our body to convert sugar or glucose into energy. Although type 1 diabetes is discovered to develop at any age, it normally occurs during childhood or adolescence. There are several factors which can contribute to type 1 diabetes in children which includes genetics and exposure to viruses. Although type 1 diabetes needs consistent and proper care, blood sugar monitoring and insulin delivery have lessen the usual inconvenience of the daily routine of handling type 1 diabetes in children.

Childhood Asthma

editor — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 03:59:56 +0000

Childhood asthma has surprisingly become more widespread in the recent decades and as claimed to be the most common chronic illness in young children, childhood asthma is said to be the cause of frequent missed classes and gives more restrictions on the kid’s activity than any other disease nowadays. Childhood asthma and adult asthma both have similar underlying cause which is the continuous inflammation of the airways leading to the lungs. This inflammation causes the airways to become overly sensitive and prone to tightening and constricting when irritated. Childhood asthma is treatable and with the right medications and proper care, any child with asthma can still go on doing normal activities.

What is Tinnitus?

editor — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 02:24:22 +0000

Tinnitus is not only a serious condition, it’s also a really annoying one. Imagine having to be bugged by a sort of buzzing, ringing sound at the corner of your ears all the while knowing nobody else have to suffer the vibration but yourself. Well actually, you know its not just you, because there are quite a number of people who suffer from Tinnitus, but the point it, its not natural and you happen to be one of the unlucky ones to be stricken with it. It’s like having a runny nose for the rest of your life, it’s not exactly deadly, but it doesn’t mean that it’s acceptable either. An abnormal condition like Tinnitus is a handicap anyone is better off without, the problem is, most doctors don’t know how to do away with it. It doesn’t help that you still have to pay them for their unsuccessful efforts too, so after a while, you sort of just learn how to cope with the ringing at the back of your head.

Whooping Cough

Alex — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 05:53:52 +0000

Whooping cough, or pertussis, can be a very serious disease when children under a year old are infected. An effective vaccine, however, makes it quite rare. Whooping cough is caused by a bacteria called bordetella pertussis and is a very contagious infection – if one child in the family gets it, chances are the other children will get infected if they have not been vaccinated or if they did not have the disease previously. The first symptom of the disease is a cold and mild cough, which gets worse until no air is left in the lungs. The child will eventually cough up phlegm and may be followed by vomiting.

Most cases of whooping cough are not serious enough to require a specific treatment, though infants and children with asthma will need monitoring that is usually done in a hospital. Antibiotics are sometimes used during the early days of the disease. It is highly recommended that you get your child vaccinated against whooping cough as this is a very distressful condition for the child and parent alike.

Polio

Kurt Wilde — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:51:58 +0000

Polio is a viral disease that infects the central nervous system and usually infects children between the ages 5 to 10. Due to the easy availability of polio vaccines,the disease is less prevalent in the west although it is still fairly common in Southeast Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Polio usually takes two forms:

Nonparalytic, with headaches, moderate fever, vomiting, and pain in the neck and limbs.

Paralytic, which has the same symptoms as the non-paralytic form plus muscle weakness, constipation, paralysis, and a burning sensation on the skin.

Diagnosis of polio is done by identifying the virus in a stool exam.

Two types of polio vaccines are available: an oral vaccine (sabin vaccine), which is a live polio-virus vaccine, and an injection (Salk vaccine), which is an inactivated polio virus vaccine. The live oral vaccine is usually given as this will provide better immunity to the disease.

Osteochondroses

Kurt Wilde — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 14:58:17 +0000

Osteochondroses is a common group of orthopedic disorders among children. When a child has this condition, the epiphysis or the growing end of the bone dies and gets replaced over a period of time, which results in bone deformity and abnormal growth. The cause of the bone death is usually a loss of blood supply, but it is unclear why this happens.

The most common form of osteochondrosis affects the top of the thighbone and typically occurs among boys aged 3 to 13. The primary system is persistent pain in the thigh area. If not corrected immediately, it could lead to deformity and arthritis in the hip joint. A rarer form of osteochondroses is Kohler’s bone disease, which is an inflammation of the cartilage connecting the small bones of the foot (the navicular bone). This usually affects boys between 3 to 5 years old.

CMV Infection

Avatar — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 02:18:37 +0000

It is an infection brought about by the Herpes family of viruses and it exists globally over all socioeconomic groups. The virus is easily transmitted through bodily fluids such as urine, saliva, breast milk, tears, blood vaginal fluids and semen. Once the virus gets a hold in a human body, it is there for life and that person becomes a carrier of the disease. It is called a silent virus for it manifests no outward signs to warn others or even it’s victim that it is infected. Those who are at most risk form the virus are unborn babies and people with weakened immune systems such as those with Aids and the many other immune system weakening diseases. They can have a variety of effects on the human body such as problems with the liver, spleen and lungs, along with jaundice, purple skin splotches small birth size and may even experience seizures. In rare cases, the child which as been infected unknowingly by a mother (congenital CMV) may reuslt in death due to complications so education is the key to prevention. Like all viruses, proper disinfection and sanitation is also a good prevention method for the disease.

Three Day Fever (roseola infantum)

Avatar — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 01:42:42 +0000

Also called “Sixth Disease”, it is common in children characterized by high fever and a pink rash that lasts for about three days hence the name. The disease is caused by a strain of the human herpes virus and being viral, it cannot be influenced or treated with antibiotics. The high fever associated with the disease should be managed and carefully monitored for as with any disease accompanied by high fever, proper cooling and hydration should be observed. Common medication such as paracetamol and other variants can be given to lower the fever accompanied by lots of fluids such as fruit juice and other non-carbonated liquids (water has little electrolyte content and can even induce dehydration). If possible obtain electrolyte liquids such as Pedialyte or other oral rehydration fluids to prevent excessive dehydration. The incubation period is between 10 to 15 days and is contagious during the whole period (three days at the most) so avoid exposing children under three years of age to prevent a similar infection to that child.

Sleeping Disorders in Teens and Children Unchecked

Alex — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 11:19:32 +0000

Most teens and children are not being diagnosed for sleep disorders, leading to decreased performance in school and other activities. Children are seldom checked for such disorders due to the fact there is no set guideline to do so even in hospitals except for visits that are aimed at just that purpose. This may explain some of the behavioral changes we are seeing in kids today, many of whom are branded without proper medical diagnosis of underlying disease or as stated disorders. Even kids are at risk of suffering from such disorders and may even be responsible for many cases of SIDS in infants where excess flaps of skin blocks the air passages enough to cause suffocation.

Lead Exposure in Children Results in Decreased Brain Volume

Alex — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 16:42:45 +0000

Lead used to be a common ingredient of paint and other products due to it’s excellent weathering properties, till scientists found that it could cause severe maladies should it get ingested or inhaled in the form of dust from flaking paint. Much of the lead paint we have still exist thanks to its longevity as a protective coating but they are most certainly to be in a state where they can easily be inhaled or ingested due to flaking or sanding of painted surfaces. The effects of lead poisoning resulted in the banning of the substance from paint products due to apparent health issues. To this day, there are still tonnes of the stuff painted all over the place left over from an era where it’s effects were still not quite understood. Exposure of pregnant mothers resulted in children who have less brain volume as they developed into adults which may mean decreased mental facilities or other diseases of the brain.
Massive exposure is a sure way to get brain damage and being children, it tends to limit the amount of brain tissue leading to many irreversible adult diseases. The many regions of the brain get damaged and get severely limited as to function limiting their ability to learn and function as normal adults. Lead has long been banned yet it still plagues us today as we try to get rid of the nasty old paint that may be in our homes, more so if the one you happen to be living in is of age.