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Rotavirus
Posted by editor
Rotavirus is one of the most common causes of diarrhea and severe infection (rotavirus gastroenteritis) in infants and young children. It is a very contagious infection, that is usually spread when kids or adults do not wash their hands after using the toilet or changing diapers. Symptoms include fever, nausea, vomiting followed by abdominal cramps and frequent, watery diarrhea.
The AAP now recommends that the rotavirus vaccine, called RotaTeq, be included in the lineup of routine immunizations given to all infants. This is usually given in three oral doses at 2, 4 and 6 months.
Frequent hand washing is also the best way to limit the spread of this virus. Because this is a viral illness, antiobiotics will not be used to treat a rotavirus infection. To prevent dehydration, give your child special drinks that will replace body fluids, such as an oral rehydration solution. Do not give fruit juices or soft drinks as this may make the diarrhea worse. For kids with moderate to severe dehydration, treatment with intravenous fluids in a hospital may be needed.
Guessing: Good or Bad?
Posted by Alex
Image source: www.e-a-rfit.com
Though people frequently think of mathematics as a summit of intellectual achievement of humankind, research reveals that some instinct about numbers, counting and mathematical ability is basic to almost all animals. For example, creatures that gather or hunt for food keep track of the approximate number of food items they procure in order to return to the places where they get the most sustenance. Humans share this very basic “number sense,” allowing them, at a glance, to estimate the number of people in a subway car or bus, Halberda says.
The students were flashed a group of yellow and blue dots, and had to estimate which colour group was bigger.
The Johns Hopkins team wondered whether this basic, seemingly innate number sense had any bearing on the formal mathematics that people study in school. So the researchers asked 64 14-year-olds to look at flashing groups of yellow and blue dots on a computer screen and estimate which dots were more numerous. Though most of the children easily arrived at the correct answer when there were (for example) only 10 blue dots and 25 yellow ones, some had difficulty when the number of dots in each set was closer together. Those results helped the researchers ascertain the accuracy of each child’s individual number sense. (You can test your own number sense on the New York Times website.)
Fifth Disease (erythema infectiosum)
Posted by Avatar
The childhood disease is a mild one and is caused by a virus so no antibiotic would be effective against it. It has no lasting effects and is characterized by red specks on the nose, cheeks, arms buttocks and thighs that are often blurred making it look as if the child has been slapped. Also called the “slapped cheek” syndrome, it can last for 14 days but is rarely accompanied by fever in children between age 4 and 12. The disease is an untreatable one and it usually goes away by itself. The infection manifests itself about two weeks after exposure and when the rashes appear, it is usually not infectious anymore. Pregnant women should avoid exposure to the disease for it is infectious and can lead to miscarriages. If you suspect contact with a child that is infected by the disease, contact a doctor immediately for close monitoring of you and the unborn fetuses health.