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Adenovirus, what’s that?

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Adenoviruses are viruses affecting both humans and animals and were initially isolated in human adenoids ( tonsils ) — hence the name. The infections caused by these viruses tend to cause illnesses mainly in your toddlers’ respiratory system. Children between the ages of 6 months and 2 years are most commonly susceptible to these infections.
The common cold is the most typical example of an upper respiratory tract infection. A pharyngoconjunctival fever involves sore throat, red eyes with fever. This is another commonly occurring adenoviral infection.
Other adenoviral infections may include:

  • Sore throat
  • Ear infections
  • Tonsillitis
  • Conjunctivitis

Your toddlers and the virus
Toddlers spend their time touching their mouths, noses and eyes throughout the day. They can often be observed running around with runny noses and afterwards, suffering from occasional fevers. The two causes are not unrelated—the one leads to the other. This is because viruses tend to survive on surfaces which your toddlers touch and easily enter their bodies through contamination.
Preventive measures:

  • Make sure kids cover their noses when they sneeze and cough.
  • Wash their hands before and after play and otherwise as frequently as possible.
  • Wash the surfaces they come in contact with — avoid contamination.

Treatments
It is important to remember that antibiotics are not useful in this situation. Although there is no cure for common cold, there are ways of making your toddlers comfortable and relieving them of their symptoms with the help of the following techniques.

  • Moisturizing nasal drops
  • Decongestants
  • Cough suppressants
  • Giving them plenty of fluids to drink

Taking Your Baby for First Shots

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Babies usually make their first visit to the hospital by the age of two months. Even if your baby appears healthy, it is important for you to make an appointment for a routine checkup. Visits to the doctor are also necessary to protect the babies from several infectious diseases by using vaccine suitable for their age.
By the age of two months, children are typically given vaccines for the following:

  • DPT / POLIO / HIB or (Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, Polio, Haemophilus Influenzae type B)
  • Hepatitis B
  • MMR or (Measles, Mumps, Rubella)
  • Varicella
  • Pneumococcal conjugate

In addition, some babies may receive Vitamin K shots to protect them from rare bleeding disorders.
Some important tips for parents:

  • Ask the doctor or health professional for more information on the disease prevention, schedules, and the mandatory vaccines.
  • Regular vaccinations suitable for your baby’s age are important. Stick to the schedule prescribed by your doctor.
  • Do not miss a dose. Even if you start late or miss a dose, speak to the doctor about the right time to administer a vaccine.
  • After immunization, babies may experience redness, soreness, fever, or swelling at the injection site, which is no cause for worry. Keeping a cool cloth on the affected site will help to reduce the reaction.
  • In rare cases, some children tend to develop allergic reactions such as high fever or loss of consciousness. Consult your doctor immediately.
  • Contact your doctor, if your child develops a fever. Your doctor may prescribe medication to make the child feel comfortable.

Eating Unnatural or Inedible Substances – Harmful for your Child or not

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Pica is an eating disorder relating to the consumption of non-nutritive substances. It’s common for children to put all sorts of things, from clay and dirt, to crayons, in their mouths. Usually, all it takes is a basic amount of parental supervision and instruction to keep the growing child from consuming unsuitable substances.
 
However, sometimes children develop an abnormal appetite for things such as dirt, paper, sand, rust, hair, baking soda, glue, wood-chips, and even cigarette butts. This pattern of compulsively eating non-food substances is known as pica. 25 to 30 percent of infants are diagnosed with pica disorders.
 
If you observe your child growing at a normal developmental pace, chances are that pica is just another habit for your child rather than a full blown disorder, but you should still be on the lookout for what your child is eating.
 
Whereas pica has no specific causes to which it can be attributed, it may be linked to any of the following:

  • Developmental deficiencies
  • Malnutrition
  • Parental neglect
  • Mental health disorders like autism
  • Cultural habits

Lead poisoning and iron-deficiency anemia in children can result from pica disorders.
 
Preventions

  • Keep infants under supervision when they are playing at beaches or in their favorite sandbox.
  • Teach your children the difference between acceptable and non-acceptable foods.
  • Keep household chemicals, drugs, and medications out of their reach.
  • Give your children an organic based nutrition diet.
  • Look out for signs of nervousness or boredom in your child.
  • Check for nutritional deficits in your child’s body with your pediatrician.

A doctor can play an important role in handling pica.

  • A pediatrician can diagnose zinc deficiency and other symptoms in your child.
  • A doctor can administer behavioral therapy in case of pica disorders to help wean the child off harmful substances.

Useful Article: Child Development

Constipation: How Can You Protect Your Baby from the Pain?

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Constipation is defined as difficulties in bowel movements characterized by hard or firm stools and irregular or infrequent bowel movement. It is labeled chronic if the symptoms are present for more than two weeks.
Causes
The causes of constipation in infants and toddlers include:

  • Change from breast milk to formulas
  • Insufficient intake of fluid
  • Low fiber diet
  • Metabolic disorders
  • Cow’s milk or any other ingredient in the child’s food
  • Certain medications

Symptoms
Here are some symptoms of constipation seen in young children:

  • No bowel movement in three days
  • Stool is hard and looks like small pebbles or is large in diameter
  • Gas formation in the stomach
  • Pain and discomfort with passage of stool
  • Leakage of liquid stool into the child’s underwear or diaper

You should call the doctor immediately if the following are noted:

  • Blood in the baby’s stool
  • Stomach ache
  • Fever
  • Vomiting
  • Constipation despite 3 days of home care

Treatment
The following methods may be used to reduce constipation:

  • For infants older than six months, a high-fiber diet can be introduced. Increase the child’s intake of barley, oatmeal, vegetables especially peas, fruit, and other foods that are rich in fiber.
  • For infants between four to six months, drinking 2-4 ounces of water or diluted fresh fruit juices day may work.
  • Avoid honey, infant mineral oil, cow’s milk, and syrup.
  • Remember also that a BRAT diet (Banana, Rice, Applesauce, and Toast), which is good for diarrhea, has a worsening effect for constipation.

If nothing works, it is important to consult your doctor immediately.

Baby Cold – How to Prevent Your Baby from Cold

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Common cold is simply an infection that affects the nose and respiratory tracts. More than 200 different viruses can cause a cold. Babies, in particular, are more vulnerable, because their immune systems are not completely developed. Most colds are not dangerous, and usually last only a week. Colds that last longer than a week should be treated by a health professional. A cold may lead to pneumonia or other serious illnesses, especially in babies younger than three months.
 
Symptoms
 
Children with a common cold may display one of the following symptoms:

  • Runny nose
  • Low-grade fever
  • Sneezing
  • Coughing
  • Watery eyes

Treatment
 
There is no cure for the common cold. However, here are some ways you can help your baby feel better:

  • Wash your hands regularly. Keep the baby’s toys, pillows, and bed clean.
  • Let your baby drink plenty of water, juice, or other suitable liquids to keep your baby hydrated. Breastfeeding is the best option at this age, since human milk contains the necessary antibodies to fight infections.
  • Clear the baby’s nasal passage with a rubber-bulb syringe.
  • Keep the air in your baby’s room moist by running a humidifier or vaporizer.
  • Doctors may suggest giving a medication such as acetaminophen to reduce discomfort to babies older than three months but always double-check dosage since the doctor will calculate on exact weight and age of your baby.

Call the doctor immediately in the following cases:

  • When the cold symptoms persist for more than two weeks
  • When the child displays symptoms such as wheezing, panting, or other breathing difficulties
  • When the child complains of pain in the ears
  • When a fever higher than 100F persists for more than three days
  • When the sputum is tinged with blood

Autism – Early Signs in Babies

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The World Health Organization or ( WHO ) and American Psychological Association or ( APA ) recognize autism as a developmental disability resulting from disorders of the central human nervous system. Though the most apparent signs of autism in children are visible at two or three years of age, parents should also be wary of symptoms of this disorder in their infants.
Though specific causes remain unproven, autism is usually judged to be caused by some of the following:

  • Genetic influences
  • Anatomical abnormality or variations (e.g. head circumference)
  • Abnormal blood vessel functions

According to the National Institute of Mental Health or ( NIMH ), some common early indicators for autism are when babies:

  • Don’t ever babble or smile.
  • Never respond to gestures.
  • Avoid eye contact.
  • Seem to be hearing impaired at times.
  • Do not respond to calling by name.
  • Don’t play with other children or toys.
  • Seem to be losing their scarcely developed language skills.

Autistic children fall off the charts when it comes to achieving basic developmental milestones. Generally, babies smile or react in some way when ‘ooh-ed’ and ‘aah-ed’ at. They tend to reach out to grab at pacifiers or crayons handed to them. Autistic children are unable to perform these simple actions.
Keeping in mind that autism usually isn’t diagnosed until about age 3, it is best for parents to trust their instincts about their children and get a full formal developmental evaluation done by a medical expert. The earlier children are diagnosed for this disability, the better are their chances for treatment and intervention.

Useful Article: Parenting Skills

Sunlight: How Can You Protect Your Baby Against its Ill Effects?

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Even though babies are supposed to stay indoors, warmly cuddled in their mother’s bosoms, they may need to be taken out for regular check-ups to the doctor and other outdoor baby adventures.
Even though sunlight contains vitamin D which is essential to your child’s health, prolonged exposure to sunlight is harmful for your baby. This is mainly because sunlight contains ultraviolet light. UV light, as it is commonly called, is liable to cause damage to the baby’s health both in the short and longer run—such as increasing the risk of skin cancer. If your baby is pale skinned, the risks are even higher.
Even if you or spouse “tan easily” and have never had problems in the sun, do not risk sunburn with your baby whose skin is more delicate than yours.
There are two forms of common sun protection available for babies:

  1. Sun creams to protect your baby’s exposed skin
  2. Protective accessories and clothing to shield your baby

Sun Creams
There are special sun creams formulated especially for young healthy baby skin. Using an adult skin cream can result in irritation for your baby.

  • Read the label to check if the cream offers maximum protection from UVA and UVB rays.
  • No cream offers 100 percent protection for your baby’s skin, so it makes sense to keep them in the shade whenever possible.

Sun Dresses and Parasols

  • T-shirts with long sleeves are easiest to dress your baby with and provide the best protection under the sun.
  • Cover as much of your baby’s skin with comfortable-fitting clothes. Make sure the clothes you buy are made from closely-woven fabrics.
  • Choose a nice colorful hat that covers your baby’s face, neck, and ears. Babies are most vulnerable and exposed in these parts.
  • Window shades or tinting on the car’s windshield provides the extra protection babies need when traveling.
  • There are also parasols and meshes available to protect babies in prams and buggies. The latter can also serve as cover from rain.

Cord Blood Banking – Learn More About this Medical Procedure

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What is cord-blood banking?
Cord blood banking refers to the collection and storage of the umbilical cord blood of your child. This blood, from the placenta and umbilical cord, is rich in hematopoietic stem cells. Stem cells from this cord blood play an important role in the treatment of certain serious blood and immune system related genetic diseases such as cancers that are treated with bone marrow transplants.
Benefits

  • Cord blood stem cells have a higher success rate than stem cells from the bone marrow.
  • They are valuable in treating conditions such as leukemia or lymphoma, aplastic anemia, severe sickle cell anemia, severe combined immune deficiency, and other diseases that require bone marrow transplants.
  • They may prove useful for a family that has a medical history of diseases that are usually treated using bone marrow transplants.

Disadvantages

  • The odds that the baby’s cord blood will ever be used to treat a family member are very low; odds that it will ever be used to treat the same child are even lower.
  • It is expensive. Storing a sample of cord blood may cost approximately $1, 500, along with an annual maintenance of $ 150.
  • It has limited use. Cord blood stem cells are mostly used in the treatment of children and young adults. The quantity of stem cells provided by cord blood is not enough for transplant into adults.
  • It is not yet certain whether stem cells from close relatives actually offer a higher rate of success than those from strangers.
  • The process of collecting the blood holds some risk, though very low, to the baby.

Diagnosing Asthma in Babies

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Babies are susceptible to respiratory infections and may commonly be seen coughing or wheezing. However, mostly these symptoms are related to colds, or infections of the upper respiratory tract. However, coughing or wheezing may also indicate asthma.

What is asthma?
Asthma is a respiratory condition in which the tubes that transfer air in and out of the lungs become sensitive and inflamed. Upon contact with a trigger, the muscles around the walls of these tubes tighten further, making it difficult for the person to breathe. Since these airways are small in babies, even a small degree of inflammation or contraction is sufficient to give rise to symptoms of asthma.
You should consult the pediatrician if your baby:

  • Wheezes on more than one occasion.
  • Has continuous bouts of coughing that get aggravated at night.
  • Displays an unusual form of breathing.
  • Suffers breathing problems in response to a cold, or allergens such as dust or smoke.

Here are some facts related to asthma in babies:

  • An isolated episode of wheezing is no reason to suspect asthma. If wheezing is recurrent, the pediatrician may prescribe tests to check for asthma.
  • Most kids who wheeze as infants outgrow it and do not have asthma when they get older. Less than a third of babies who regularly wheeze during the first three years of their lives, continue to do so as they grow older.
  • Asthma if uncontrolled can, over time, seriously damage babies’ lungs. To avoid this, the pediatrician may prescribe asthma medications to babies who have symptoms of asthma, even if the diagnosis is not confirmed.

Tips for Dealing with Bad Breath in Toddlers

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Bad breath (halitosis) in toddlers tends to surprise parents as it is generally thought to occur only in grown-ups. Leftover food particles could cause breath odor in a healthy child. Food particles can be stuck between the teeth, at the gum line, on the tongue, or on the surface of the tonsils. The resulting bacterial build-up will react with saliva and cause bad breath.
Here are some causes of bad breath in toddlers:

  • Tartar build-up
  • Tooth infections
  • Pacifier use
  • Dehydration
  • Pharyngitis (inflammation of the pharynx)
  • Tonsillitis (inflammation of tonsils)

There is no need for parents to worry of course! Regular dental hygiene can easily take care of the problem.Here are some common solutions to help you deal with your toddlers’ bad breath:

  • Make sure your toddlers are getting adequate fluid intake. This will take care of dehydration, if any exists.
  • Make sure your toddlers are brushing correctly. If not, teach them the correct techniques.
  • Use a timer for brushing time to make sure your toddlers brush for the correct length of time.
  • Talk with your dentist and get your toddlers a routine check up.
  • Make sure the pacifiers that your toddlers may be using are regularly sterilized.

Of course, bad breath in some instances can simply be caused by recently consumed foods or beverages such as garlic or onions or spicy foods like pepperoni.

There are other serious cases, however, where your children’s breath may smell toxic. In these circumstances, immediately check if your toddlers have consumed any chemical or medicine accidentally kept within reach.