Three Day Fever (roseola infantum)
Posted by Avatar
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.
Lead Exposure in Children Results in Decreased Brain Volume
Posted by Alex
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. Read the rest of this entry »
Obesity – Ushering in A New Epidemic of Gigantic Proportions
Posted by Alex
A crisis of epidemic proportions is coming in the form of type 2 diabetes which would surely affect the health of future Americans due to rising childhood obesity. Growing waistlines in children used to be a sign of health yet scientists say that too much of a good thing leads to bad health in later life. The organs of the body can handle only so much strain that over-eating can impair function of their still developing livers. Obesity and diabetes go hand in hand for most of the foods children favor either have too much sugar or doesn’t meet their daily nutrition needs setting off a chain reaction that prevents their organs from developing properly. Read the rest of this entry »
Childhood Excema – More Than Childhood Problems
Posted by Alex
Asthma has been linked to childhood eczema or a skin condition that results in rashes and other skin problems. Eczema is a general term used to describe a group of skin diseases that can be suffered all throughout ones life. Eczema in children should be treated aggressively, according to experts so they lower the risks of developing asthma in later life due to the allergic reaction it induces within the body. Excema that is left untreated will progress and occur several times over as the child grows assuring the development of asthma according to a study from Australia. Read the rest of this entry »
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.)