Viral fever in newborn babies

What is viral fever?

Viral fever refers to an acute infection caused by the action of viruses. Flu or influenza is the most common form of viral fever. Since viral fever is contagious, when an infected person sneezes or coughs the virus spreads and comes in contact with other people. Children can remain contagious for about 10 days if they get the early symptoms of viral fever. Children who are younger than two years are at an increased risk of developing complications pertaining to viral fever. Controlling the symptoms of cold, fever and cough can cure viral fever.

Symptoms of viral fever

Fever and chills are the early signs of viral fever. Children suffering from viral fever will feel pain throughout their body. Other common signs and symptoms involving viral fever include cough, cold, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, fatigue, vomiting, headache, diarrhea, and stomach ache.

Certain preventive measures against viral fever

-Keeping your child away from anyone who is sick is advisable. To prevent the germs from spreading ask everyone to use tissues while they sneeze or cough. Make sure that your family member maintains good hygiene habits if he/she is suffering from diarrhea or is vomiting.
-To prevent coming in contact with germs wash your and your child's hands properly
-Seasonal changes are the thriving phase for viruses so take precautionary measures during those periods of the year

Tips for quicker recovery of your child

1. Offer enough drinks

A child gets dehydrated through fever, vomiting, and diarrhea. Oral Rehydration Salts can be given to little ones as it contains all the essential nutrients. This can be given to a baby even if he/she is just in breastfeeding stage.

2. Feed them special food

Soft and semi-liquid foods can be given to your child if he/she older than 6 months. Foods like dals, soups, and curd with sugar are advisable for your child. As he/she gradually gets stronger thicker foods like mashed vegetable can be added to his/her diet.

3. Ensure that your child gets adequate rest

Since viral fever is contagious it is advisable to let your child sleep in a separate room. Since the fever causes fatigue adequate rest is required for recovery. This will also prevent him/her from getting the other family members infected.

4. Sponge your child's body

Sponging your child's body with lukewarm water can control high fever.

5. Maintain proper hygiene

It is essential to wash your hands before and after touching your child to prevent the infection from spreading to the other family members.



Viral Fever in New Born Babies

A deaf child is the one who suffers from hearing loss. Children with deafness may also fail to develop speech. Such children might have no defect in their speech but they cannot speak anything. The main reason is deafness. They do not hear a speech, therefore, cannot develop it. Deafness may not be hereditary, but it occurs due to several other causes. 

The period of 5 years is crucial in a child s life. During this period, they develop their speech and language. Therefore, parents need to take the utmost care for the early identification of hearing loss and treat the child accordingly. 

Causes of Deafness in Children

There are several causes of deafness in children.

Otitis Media: In young children, if the eustachian tube is not fully formed, it forms fluid behind the eardrum. This fluid can get infected and affect the hearing. The fluid may not cause any pain or infection but still, it can harm and cause hearing loss even if it stays for a short time. 

Problems by Birth: Some children have hearing problems by birth. Sometimes, the problem lies in the genes. But, other times during pregnancy or prenatal care, the problem arises. If a mother, while pregnancy, has diabetes or preeclampsia, she is likely to deliver a deaf child. A prematurely born baby also has a high risk of deafness.

Illness or Injury: Some young children suffer hearing loss due to some injury in the ear or some other illness. Illness includes meningitis, measles, chickenpox, and flu. Head injury or listening to loud music for a long time can also be a reason.

Symptoms of a Deaf Child

A deaf child shows no reaction to the loud noises.

He/she doesn t respond to the voices.

The sound of the child is simple that taper off.

The child may pull or rub the ear several times, which is noticeable.

The child is continuously cranky for no particular reason.

He/she does not pay any attention when anyone is talking.

He/she has very little energy to do anything. 

He/she fails to understand the direction.

Often asks to raise the volume of TV or radio.

Have fever and ear pain.

Treatment of the Problem

Hearing loss affects a child s learning ability. So, the problem must be diagnosed and treated immediately. Here are some treatment approaches: 

Treatment for Otitis Media: The very first thing parents and doctors can do is watchful waiting because sometimes the problem cures itself. Some pediatricians might prescribe some antibiotics. If the problems continue, then the doctor will suggest getting an ear tube to the child that will allow the fluid to drain. For this, the child will have to visit an ENT doctor also called Otolaryngologist. 

Treatment for other causes: The child may use a hearing aid. Some can get cochlear implants. 

Conclusion
It is necessary for parents to accept the child with deformity and stay by his/her side. They must get themselves educated and communicate the problem with others to get help. It is essential to stay in touch with the child and take care of him.

Deaf Child - What Should You Know?

Stomach aches and pains are common in babies, infants and parents are always in search of quick fixer to help their little ones get a relief instantly. Though instant reliefs do not come always, and there are colicky infants and babies with common stomach problems, yet some remedies and treatments always help.

Stomach pain in older kids
The common home remedies in not so serious pains are as follows:
- let the child rest and lie down. This may help to ease the pain in 20-30 minutes.
- give the child some liquid to drink, which is soothing, like light tea, soup, water or diluted fruit juice.
- let the child go to the toilet and encourage him or her to pass stool. This may help ease off the pain sooner.
- avoid any bulk food intake in one meal and divide it into smaller meals through the day until symptoms go away.
- don't give oily and fried food. Give easy to digest food, mostly boiled or light fried.
- avoid giving a medicine without medical advice.

These steps generally help and the pain goes away without going to a doctor immediately. If the pain is severe and is persistent in any one part of the abdomen, then it may require immediate medical attention. Common causes may be appendicitis or gall stone problem or may be a case of acute jaundice, diarrhoea, food poison, etc. Pain on pressing one part of the belly, or high body temperature with pain, and serious vomiting are serious symptoms which you must not ignore and take the kid immediately to a medical centre or doctor.

Stomach pain in infants
Stomach pains in infants are caused due to extra air entering the stomach while feeding. This can be avoided by burping the baby manually. There are a few burping techniques which your paediatrician and baby care giver will show you.

If you are with a colicky baby, then you would try administering the baby's nursing bottle first. There are new age nursing bottle designs, which keep off extra air from entering the stomach. The extra air mainly causes the stomach pain, and therefore, the bottle which prevents mixing of air with milk or water keeps the baby safe from colicky pains. Keep baby colic pain syrups at home ready, and give the baby a dose as and when required. It will eventually give the pain a relief.

Treating Stomach Aches and Pains in Kids

The tooth is made of 3 layers, each with unique characteristics and specific function, the enamel, dentin, and pulp. The enamel is the outermost layer of the tooth and gives the tooth it's hard and lustrous appearance. The enamel is thicker on the crown than the root and is the first one to be affected by tooth decay. The only symptom when the enamel is decayed is food lodgment and discoloration.

The dentin is the next layer, which is composed of minute fine tubules leading from the enamel to the living portion of the tooth, which is the pulp. Once decay progresses from the enamel, the dentin is affected, and this leads to sensitivity in the teeth. When the root portion is exposed to the oral environment, because the root is covered by a more delicate substance called cementum, more severe dental sensitivity ensues.

There is a sharp, shooting discomfort through the tooth to specific foods, such as sweet, acidic, or hot or cold foods.  The main reasons for tooth sensitivity include:
-  Tooth decay, both crown and root caries
-  Periodontal disease and gum recession
-  Tooth erosion 
-  Aggressive tooth brushing
-  Mouth breathing
-  Bruxism or night grinding 

However, there are some simple ways to manage sensitivity, which can be done regularly at home.
1. Toothpaste made for sensitive teeth: Potassium nitrate has been shown to block the tubules and has been included as an active ingredient in toothpastes. These are very effective, and if you are brushing twice, this can be used instead of the regular paste once.
2. Brushing: Both the type of toothbrush and the brushing technique can have an impact on sensitivity.  Change to softer brushes and learn the ideal way to brush your teeth. A lot of times, rough brushing can lead to erosion and subsequent sensitivity
3. Rinsing: Fluoride containing rinses have been proven to reduce sensitivity 
4. Food habits: Even before sensitivity sets in, being cautious to avoid acidic fruits and juices can help prolong the onset of sensitivity. If possible, consuming these food stuffs should be followed by brushing or at the least a thorough rinsing
5. Sealants: If a person is prone to caries (deep pits and fissures, for instance), then it is advisable to get sealants applied on the teeth. This can reduce the instance of wearing of the enamel which then leads to sensitivity
6. Mouth guard: If you are a night grinder, then a mouth guard can help curtail this habit and thereby reduce sensitivity.
There you go with how to reduce sensitivity. Try these simple, easy measures and go on to enjoy the sweets or hot or cold foods that you have always craved for.

Ways to Reduce Teeth Sensitivity

Dyslexia is a neurological condition which makes learning a difficult process in children. Children suffering from dyslexia find themselves incapable of reading and learning as compared to their peers. Dyslexia occurs when the brain cannot process graphic symbols. This causes difficulty in recognizing, spelling and also decoding words. The effect of this condition varies from one person to another and is most often a lifelong condition. It can also vary as a result of different ages in people. However, a slower reading level is one common characteristic that is present in all dyslexic children.

Dyslexia is a strictly neurological condition that has little to do with a person s intelligence. It can also occur as a result of genetic conditions. Early detection of the condition can help in improvement before he or she reaches adolescence. A thorough evaluation process of the child will include the following aspects IQ level, language skills, ability of word recognition, phonological processing, automaticity skills, fluency skills, family history and also knowledge of vocabulary.

The most common symptoms of dyslexia include:

Trouble reading
Very slow progression to milestones such as walking, talking, crawling and learning to ride a bicycle.
Slow development of speech
Trouble with hand-eye coordination
A slow rate of learning when it comes to data
Problem with speech
Very poor concentration span
Children suffering from dyslexia are more prone to developing certain autoimmune diseases such as eczema and asthma.
Dyslexia is sometimes subdivided into a number of categories such as Surface Dyslexia, Rapid Deficit Dyslexia, Visual Dyslexia and Phonological Dyslexia.

There is no medical treatment for dyslexia and help generally includes assigning reading specialists, child psychologist, speech-language pathologists and child neuropsychologists.

Certain practices that you yourself follow when dealing with your dyslexic child are:

Praise your child from time to time
Remind your child that being dyslexic has nothing to do with intelligence levels
Mix with other parents who have dyslexic children and interact with them about ways and strategies to heighten the child s confidence level.
Deal with your child patiently.

Understanding Dyslexia - What All Should You Know

Fever in children is a very common phenomenon, but still parents absolutely dread it. It can completely break your heart to suddenly see a happy, healthy child not getting up from the bed. Your first instinct when that thermometer crosses that dreaded 100 degrees F is to rush to the doctor for an immediate cure. That is probably the best remedy as a doctor can often catch additional signs of any disease that you may miss out on. Beyond that, here is how you can understand about fever in children better and how you can help. Technically, your child has fever when the body temperature crosses 100.4 degrees F.
 
Some children manage to stay active even then, but slowly get bogged down with muscle pain or other accompanying symptoms like cold, diarrhea, vomiting etc.
 
Causes: Fever is normally caused by the body's reaction to fighting an infection. (That is why most doctors say it's a sign of a robust immune system). When the body's natural defense system is stimulated, the core inner temperature rises, thereby making it harder for the bacteria and viruses that caused the infection to survive. Most fever subside on their own but that's a tough thing to accept as a parent who only wants to see their child up and running as soon as possible.
 
What you can do: Keep an eye on that temperature obviously. You need to find a doctor the moment the fever crosses the threshold temperature (101+ for less than three months olds, 102+ for 3-6 month olds and over 102 for older children). You should also see a doctor if there are accompanying symptoms or if you've given a dose of Paracetamol but the fever shows no sign of subsiding. It might happen at midnight and beyond, when no regular pediatrician is unavailable. So it is best to find out which hospital has an emergency center capable of handling such eventualities near your home.
 
Fever medications: It is super important for parents to know that fever medications must be given in the correct dose at the right times based on a child's weight, age, and overall health. An overdose can lead you straight to the emergency room. Don't mix a cold/cough medication that also has a fever medication in it.
 
Home remedies: Encourage your child to drink as much fluids as possible to prevent dehydration. Some doctors advise complete body sponging to bring down the temperature and this can be done as long as it doesn't cool the body too suddenly (there are contradictory notes on this practice, so do consult you doctor before your do this).
 
As parent, it is important you equip yourself with the right knowledge before you provide treatment to your child. 

Parenting Tips for Fever in Children

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