It is no longer so surprising to read about alarming air pollution levels in our cities. On more than one occasion, these levels have risen above the danger levels. For some people, this may simply create an annoying fog that makes it difficult to see. For others, it can cause serious health issues. Air pollution is one of the most common reasons for the growing instances of asthma and allergies. Children are most susceptible to such diseases caused by air pollution.

Asthma and Allergies
Asthma can affect children even before their fifth birthday and the condition is characterized by breathlessness caused by a constriction of the airways. While the root cause of asthma is unknown, it is usually seen that asthmatic patients are more sensitive to others to particles in the air such as pollutants, dander, dust, smoke etc. Thus, the airways construct as a reaction to these allergens. Changes in the weather, a sudden cold draft or the flu can also aggravate asthma.

Can you Protect Your Children from Asthma?
Wheezing, panting, finding it difficult to breathe and a persistent cough are some of the signs of asthma. If you notice these symptoms, you must consult a doctor immediately. At home, here are a few things you could do.

Avoid exposing your children to smoke: Do not smoke around your children or allow others to smoke around them. If you cannot give up the habit, wear a smoking jacket when you smoke and take this off before you play with your children. When you ll go out, drive with the windows up so that your child does not inhale exhaust smoke. Set your air conditioner to circulate air within the car itself.
Dust often: Try and keep your home as dust free as possible. Use a wet cloth to clean so that the dust does not fly in the air. Wash all your bed linen once a week. Carpets and rugs should be vacuumed regularly or dusted outside. It may also be a good idea to invest in dust mite impermeable covers for your child s mattress and pillows.
Keep your Pets clean: If you share your home with pets, bathe them once a week and brush them daily. Do not let them climb on to the furniture or your beds. Also, avoid having their toys lie on your beds.
Wear a face mask: Try and time your child s outdoor activities when the pollution levels are low. Buy yourself and your child a face mask that will filter the air they breathe in. These should be worn whenever they play outdoors.
These simple steps could help your child be healthier and can prevent asthma and other such allergic reactions.

Increasing Asthma & Allergy In Children - What Should You Do?

Children may run around having fun and growing in the process. Some children may be more active than the others and some may be more attentive at school. All children go through some sort of trouble while growing up. This is because of the drastic changes that the bodies of little children constantly go through. One such problem commonly faced by the children is bedwetting. This problem may be a common one, but it should be brought under control as soon as possible so that the children do not have to face social embarrassment as they grow older.

Apart from providing a healthy and happy living to the children, it may be essential to find a way of treatment that may not leave the child affected by the harmful ingredients of the regular allopathic medication. One of the safest and the most effective ways to be able to treat bedwetting is homeopathy. Homeopathy is a branch of medicine and treatment that works on the body of the user with the most natural ways. The medicines in homeopathy are made using basic ingredients from plants and other organic materials.

Homeopathy for children:
The use of homeopathy for problems that affect the children in particular is essential because of the fact that they have growing systems and the growth may get adversely affect with the strong and highly potent allopathic drugs. It is also important to understand the nuances of controlling the bedwetting issue in children and also know what the causes of the problem may be:

    When the children are highly fatigued, they may wet the bed due to the deep sleep that they may be experiencing after a tiring time.
    In times of winter when the cold is uncontrollable or much more than usual, it may be natural for some children to not be able to control their bladder.
    In a lot of cases, the children may also wet the bed when they have had a scary or traumatic experience.

Just as the causes of the problem are varied, it must be realized that the medications are also supposed to be administered according to the issue.

Homepathic medication for betwetting
Homeopathy is a stream of medicine that treats the body in the most delicate manner, which is why it is a safe alternative for children. However, it must also be ensured that proper medical intervention is attained to start a course of homeopathic medication as well, so that bedwetting may be treated within a desired amount of time and the child may feel free from the embarrassment of wetting the bed.

Bedwetting - Can Homeopathy Help in Curing  it?

What Causes Eczema? Ways to Prevent Eczema Outbreaks

A skin inflammation, eczema, also known as atopic eczema, refers to the changes that occur in the upper skin layer. These skin changes can be thickened and cracked skin, skin redness, crusting of the affected area and swollen raw skin, among others. The exact cause of this skin condition is not yet known but a mix of factors have been found to be behind this health problem.

CAUSES :

The factors that play a role in causing eczema are:

- Dry skin brings down your skin's ability to fend off irritants as well as allergy causing substances from entering your skin, resulting in an inflammatory condition.

- Genetics is also one of the factors that may affect the proper functioning of your skin as a barrier against harmful substances. Therefore, if either one of the parent or both suffers from the condition, it is very likely that their children too will suffer from it.

- Abnormal functioning of your body's immune system can also lead to this skin condition. This is because it's your body's immune system that fights off infections as well as harmful intruders.

- The presence of the bacteria called Staphylococcus aureus, which brings about sweat buildup, inflames the skin considerably, leading to this condition.

- Even environmental factors like pollen, cigarette smoke lead to the flaring of eczema.

How can you prevent an eczema outbreak?

It is very common for this skin condition to flare-up from time to time. But you can avoid such outbreaks or reduce their severity by following these very simple ways:

- Keep your skin well-moisturized so that it doesn't dry out causing further irritation.

- Sudden changes in temperature can cause the skin condition to break out. So, when the weather is hot, keep yourself cool but during cold weather, use a humidifier to prevent the skin from drying out.

- Keep sweating in check as it can cause an outbreak very easily

- Avoid the use of harsh detergents and soaps, woolen materials as well as the consumption of foods that may lead to flare-ups



What Causes Eczema? Ways to Prevent Eczema Outbreaks

The mother and the father, both clearly play defined roles in the development of a child s personality. While the mother teaches the child things like kindness and love, the father reinforces messages like hard work and dedication. Due to various reasons, there are a number of children who end up growing up with single parents. Both the child and the parent have to deal with a lot of hardships. 

The patterns observed also differ based on whether the single parent is the mother or the father. There are various negative effects to this, and few of them have been listed below.

Social disconnect: Most children growing up with a single parent do not feel normal. There is a constant feeling of confused identity. In some cases, the children may not be able to cope with these hardships leading to depression and decreased self-confidence. In the long run, the child may be less compassionate and supportive and more aggressive and confused. There could be a sense of resentment towards the parents for forcing him to live with a single parent. The kid may also despise other children who grow up with both parents. They may also have very less friends and social connect than kids with both parents
Odd combination: If a single mother is raising a son, her contribution to his growth is very limited from a psychological point of view. They would always look for a father figure whom they can reach out to. Same is the case with a girl growing up with a single father. She misses the mother with whom alone she would be able to share some things. The overall personality in both these cases is significantly altered from boys and girls who grow up with both parents.
Performance levels: The stress of living with single parents puts pressure on the child constantly, and there could be performance dip in academics, sports, and co-curricular activities. These children also tend to become uncooperative; therefore getting them to follow the school curriculum becomes difficult. The chances of them dropping out of education and getting expelled from school are quite high.
Social menaces: The incidence of smoking, alcohol abuse, and substance abuse is quite high and also happens much earlier in these kids. Because of the constant stress they are in, these become outlets for them to be themselves.
Sexual abuse: With single parent children, the chances of sexual abuse (by them and of them) are also quite high.
These are some of the psychological problems that children growing up with single parent face. Although this may not be the case with all the children as every child has a different thinking and reaction. However unpleasant it may be, this continuous battle on raising a child alone and addressing these issues has to be fought every single day.

Single Parent - Problems Your Child Might Face!

Spitting up, refusing to try new foods and occasionally turning up their noses at feeding times, is normal but consistently refusing food and water, vomiting and allergies may indicate an underlying medical condition that requires attention. Common feeding problems that affect infants include sucking, prolonged chewing without swallowing, holding food in their mouth and grabbing food. Infants who are unable to close their mouths in order to keep food inside may also be said to be suffering from feeding problems.

Feeding problems could be triggered by medical conditions like a cleft palate, premature birth, respiratory problems, low birth weight etc. or by non-medical reasons such as the child s feeling of being unloved or stressed. Symptoms of feeding problems vary from infant to infant. However, some of the common symptoms exhibited are:

Problems with chewing

Excessive drooling

Refusing to eat foods or drink liquids

Long feeding times

Coughing or gagging while feeding

Difficulty with breast or bottle feeding

Nasal stuffiness while eating

Poor weight gain

Recurring respiratory infections

Vomiting or excessive spitting up of food

Arching the back while feeding

Disinterest in feeding

Though feeding problems are minor in most cases, it is important to consult a doctor if this behaviour continues over a period of time. This is because the child may be suffering from an underlying medical condition or could be at an increased risk of suffering from dehydration, aspiration and lung problems. It could also lead to delayed physical and mental development, speech problems and cognitive issues.

Feeding problems are addressed in many different ways. The first step to dealing with feeding problems is to change the texture and temperature of food being given to the baby. In addition, try changing the posture of the baby while feeding.

In some cases, mouth exercises may be needed to strengthen the mouth muscles. Chewing exercises and tongue movement may also help reduce feeding problems.

Encourage your infant to try different types of food by including different textures in their daily meals. Alternating food textures and liquids can make it easier for the infant to swallow the food. Do not force your child to eat in a hurry but let him or her take their own time.

In cases where the infant is not gaining weight, the doctor may suggest nutritional changes and a specific diet to help gain weight. In emergency cases, hospitalisation may also be required and your baby may be given a feeding tube to ensure he or she receives adequate nutrition.

12 Signs Your Child Is Not Eating Properly!

Forging positive peer relationships is essential for all children. Sadly, children with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) find making friends and being accepted by their peers difficult. The hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsiveness associated with the disorder can impede the child s attempts of socializing with others in several ways.

Non-acceptance, isolation, loneliness- these are perhaps some of the most painful aspects of ADHD-related ailments. These experiences usually leave behind long-lasting effects on the minds of the child. The good news is, you can help your child develop social skills and competencies. Here are 4 ways you can do this-

Make your child socially aware: Studies show that children with ADHD fail to monitor their own behavior. Often they are unable to have a clear awareness and understanding of social situations or the reactions they provoke in others. ADHD-related impairments can result in weaknesses of your child s ability to read or assess a situation, self-monitor, self-evaluate, and adjust accordingly to the same.
Role-play to teach your child: Children with ADHD have tough time learning from past experiences. They tend to react without thinking about the consequences. As parents, you must provide them frequent and immediate feedback on inappropriate behavior. One way you can do this is by adopting the  role-play  method. Role-playing can help you teach your child how to practice social skills, and respond to challenging situations.
Provide opportunities to forge friendships: Arrange for a specific  play time  for the child. Provide opportunities for developing friendly bonds with peer groups. Children who are of school-going age should be encouraged more to interact with others. Setting a fixed time for playful activities can be helpful. You can have your child s friends (one or two at a time) over to take part in some activity, and watch him socialize with them. As the child grows older, friendships and relationships often become complicated. Therefore, it is important that the parents be involved and continue to facilitate positive peer interaction.
Improve your child s peer status: Once the child is tagged by his/her peer group in a negative way for lacking social skills, it becomes hard to drop the tag. Having a negative reputation is in fact one of the greatest obstacles the child may have to overcome socially. Parents are advised to work with the child s teacher/coach to address such negative reputational effects, and improve their peer status.
ADHD can thus be managed by improving one s social skills. Parents of a child who suffer from this hyperactive disorder can also seek help from a professional to get some input on the condition of their child.

Before applying the tips suggested here, it is highly recommended that an Energy Assessment be done for your child by an expert in ADHD. This will help establish the correct diagnosis in the first place and you can then explore unconventional or alternative healing methods such as Intent Healing that are helping parents who have children with ADHD see their child thrive with their talents and gifts by curing the limiting symptoms in the child.

4 Ways To Improve Social Skills Of An ADHD-Affected Child!

Don't wait any longer, manage your Kids Doctor online with a Lybrate doctor today

Consult for Kids Doctor - Online and Easy!

FilterClear All

COMMON SPECIALITIES

COMMON ISSUES