Air pollution is known to take a toll on the lungs of even the healthiest adults. So, it comes as no surprise that the effects of this pollution on the lungs of children is deemed as a grave situation, full of health hazards including the onset of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorders and conditions like asthma and other lung disorders. Read on to find out more about the link between air pollution and its effect on the lungs of children.

Children's Lungs: Mostly, all the organs of a child's body are considered delicate and not fully matured until the child reaches a certain age. The main and largest part of the child's lungs will usually grow only after the child is born, much like the arms and legs. In fact, it is a medically proven fact that about 80% of the tiniest of air sacs grow after the child's birth, these are called the alveoli and they facilitate the transfer of the oxygen into the bloodstream with a life-sustaining function that is built into our lungs. These alveoli continue to grow until the child becomes an adult. 

Immunity and Infections: Like the lungs of the child, the immunity of the child is also still in its growth phase, and is very much, unlike the immunity that an adult enjoys. This makes the child more susceptible to infections that are usually carried by air pollution in today's day and age of urban living when myriad pollutants are sent into the air every single day. Also, since children play outdoors more often and spend more time breathing in this air, they are more prone to these infections and lung or respiratory ailments due to this reason. Various studies and tests have shown inflammation in the respiratory passages caused by deposits of carbon dioxide emissions in the lungs of children.

Symptoms: Usually, the very first symptoms that show that air pollution is affecting your child's lungs can be seen when persistent coughing and wheezing sets in, without any proper reason. Also, when the child faces bronchial infections time and time again, all these are indicators of hazardous effects of air pollution in children.

Respiratory problems: Apart from respiratory problems, which can lead to asthmatic attacks, hay fever and allergies as well as other COPD ailments, there are other related dangers as well. These can happen when constant choking and obstruction of oxygen due to pollution becomes a regular affair. These include stroke and brain damage which can eventually also lead to a higher risk of dementia. 

How can you protect your child during such times?

Restrict outdoor activity for the time being, especially during the early morning and evening
Make sure that your child wears a face mask when outside, preferably N95 or 99
Use air purifiers at home 
Go green and use indoor plants that can remove indoor toxins
Boost your child's immunity
Lastly, keep a track of air quality index in your locality

Pollution - How It Can Affect Your Child's Lungs?

Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic disorder that is known to affect some of the vital organs of the body including the lungs, digestive system to name a few. For long it was believed that cystic fibrosis affects a person in their childhood. However, various research and studies suggest that adults are also susceptible to this inheritable disorder. In this article, we will discuss the cause and symptoms associated with cystic fibrosis.

Cause
The epithelial cells that line the stomach, nasal cavity and lungs, are responsible for the production of the digestive fluids, sweat, tears, mucus. The Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR) gene codes for a protein called the CFTR protein. The CFTR protein, a membrane protein plays a pivotal role in transporting the chloride ions of the epithelial cells inside and out of the cell. This regulation of the chloride ions goes a long way in ensuring that the mucus produced is free-flowing and thin.

In the case of Cystic Fibrosis, the CFTR gene that codes for the protein undergoes a mutation. With the CFTR protein unable to perform its function, sticky and thick mucus builds up and clogs some of the major systems of the body including the digestive system, reproductive, and respiratory system. There is also a higher salt content in the sweat of the affected person.

For a person to be affected by cystic fibrosis, he/she must inherit a copy of the mutated CFTR gene from both the parents ( Autosomal Recessive Disorder) at birth.

Symptoms
The symptoms associated with cystic fibrosis depends on the organs and systems affected.

The thick mucus formed can clog the digestive tract resulting in incomplete absorption of the essential nutrients from the food. This may have an impact on the overall growth and development of the body.
- There may be stunted growth or no weight gain.
- The stool may appear greasy and foul smelling. Some may also suffer from constipation.
- Newborns and infants may suffer from an intestinal blockage.
Cystic fibrosis, left unattended can lead to diabetes, intestinal blockage or obstruction.
- The mucus can also block the bile duct triggering a host of problems including liver disorders.
- At times, the obstruction or blockage can occur at the junction where the large and the small intestine meets (Distal intestinal obstruction syndrome).
The thick mucus can also affect the lungs and the respiratory system by blocking the tubes that act as a passage carrying the air inside and out of the lungs. As a result,
- A person may suffer from lung infections frequently.
- There may be difficulty in breathing, stuffy and blocked nose, or wheezing.
- Some people may also suffer from a chronic cough with a thick sputum.
Left untreated the complications can worsen resulting in

Nasal polyps, Chronic infections, Hemoptysis (there is blood while coughing), and Pneumothorax (air fills up in the space bifurcates the chest wall from the lungs).

In severe cases, there may be a respiratory failure.

Cystic fibrosis can also trigger fertility problems (both in males and females).

Cystic Fibrosis- Causes and Symptoms!

Does your baby s skin taste too salty when you kiss him or her? Did he or she not poop after being born? These symptoms indicate cystic fibrosis in your baby, which is a condition that changes the way your body makes sweat and mucus. It also affects the functioning of the lungs and digestive system. The condition occurs from a flawed gene. If you have cystic fibroids, your mucus may be too thick or your sweat can be too salty. Heavy mucus clogging in your lungs may affect your ease of breathing. This is a serious and life-threatening disease, but it affects different people in different ways.

Causes
The gene known as CFTR is present in everybody. It makes a protein which controls the amount of salt and water that are moved in and out of the cells of the body. In case of cystic fibroids, the CTFR gene is broken, which occurs if you inherit two bad copies of the gene. A bad CFTR gene may lead your cells to make the wrong amount of water or salt. This makes the body incapable of getting sufficient oxygen and nutrients, as the body loses them via sweating.

Symptoms
Apart from the primary symptoms, several other symptoms are also likely due to cystic fibroids. The common symptoms which your child may experience are as follows:

Coughing up thick mucus, wheezing and shortness of breath
Sinus infections, pneumonia, or very frequent bronchitis
Development of polyps in the nose
Bulky, oily and foul-smelling stool
Low bone density, widening and rounding of the fingertips and weight loss
In later life, cystic fibroids may cause liver disease, gallstones or pancreatitis.
Treatment
There is no specific treatment for cystic fibroids. Several treatments are followed for relieving the symptoms and help patients feel better, breathe easier and have lesser infections or stomach problems.

Airway clearance technique can help you with breathing as the mucus from the lungs is cleared in the process. There are several ways to undertake airway clearance and special devices can be used for assistance.
Several inhaled drugs such as salt solutions, steroids and antibiotics are used in thinning the mucus, clearing the lungs and fighting infections.
Several medicines are used for fighting the inflammation and reducing swelling in the lungs.
In case your pancreas are not working properly, you can take enzyme pills for digesting proteins and fats for absorbing more nutrients from the food you take.
Vitamin A, E and D supplements provide the nutrients, which your intestine cannot absorb.
In case you experience the symptoms of cystic fibroids, you should visit a doctor immediately. This will allow you to go for an early diagnosis and effective treatment.

Cystic Fibrosis - Can it be Life Threatening?

Infantile spasm is a seizure-related disorder that is witnessed among infants and young children. The average age for getting affected with infantile spasm is four months, but some kids might experience this disorder within a month of the birth. This disease can have a subtle appearance, and as such it is difficult to recognize as a serious condition. While a full seizure in an adult is scary, the one observed among infants can be as little as a minor head drop, along with minor body shakes. This might appear to be that serious, but infantile spasm is more serious as compared to a full body convulsion in adults. Unfortunately, an infant suffering from infantile spasm is at great risk of developmental disability, if the condition is not detected and treated early.

Anticonvulsant Medication:
There are very few medicines that are approved by the FDA for treating infantile spasms. The two medicines that are widely used by doctors include Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and Vigabatrin.

ACTH: This is the oldest approved medicine by the FDA that was first discovered in the year 1958. This injection needs to be pushed twice in a day. Children tend to gain weight and feel hungry when this injection is injected.
Vigabatrin: Vigabatrin is very well tolerated by young kids and has a successful track record of treating infantile spasms. Studies have proven that Vigabatrin can tackle tuberous sclerosis and plays an important role in improving developmental outcome.
Second line therapies:

Pyridoxine: Dependency on Pyridoxine as a cause of infantile spasm is very rare. High dosage of oral administration of pyridoxine has fetched good results for patients, who do not suffer from pyridoxine related seizures.
Valproic acid: Valproic acid has the best anecdotal rate of success. However, doctors do not recommend this medicine for kids less than 2 years of age because of possible complications.
Clonazepam: This is one of the earliest non-steroid medicine for the treatment of infantile spasm. Some of the popular medicines used are nitrazepam, benzodiazepines, and clonazepam.
Ketogenic Diet: This is a decade old practice that has come back to popularity again. Studies have shown that ketogenic diet can help 20-35 % patients of infantile spasm to keep the condition under control.
IVIG: High dosage of IVIG has been reported to be very helpful in tackling infantile spasms. The dosage ranges from 100-200 mg/kg/dose ranging for about 2-3 weeks at stretch.
Surgery: The final part of the therapy includes a surgery that removes the abnormal part of the brain. It should only be considered for patients who have not responded to therapies including Vigabatrin and ACTH. It should also be investigated whether the patient has any structural abnormalities of the brain.


Infantile Spasms - How They Can Be Treated?

If your child has recently been diagnosed with autism, you must be feeling baffled and disheartened. It is surely upsetting to learn that your beloved child has a serious developmental disorder. Learning about the disorder, and where to seek help may ease your confusion. Autism is a major developmental disorder, which develops in early childhood. Autism primarily impairs a child s ability to interact and communicate.
Struggles of an autistic child-

Social withdrawal
Repetitive, rigid behavior
Difficulty communicating verbally/non-verbally
Learning disability
Being autistic or artistic-
Despite such problems, most parents of autistic children hold high hopes of wanting to unleash the one talent their child must be gifted with. Most often, the gifted talent is  art . Studies show that in about 90% cases, autistic children possess artistic, creative skills. The finding may be surprising to others, as they can barely imagine how a child with the above traits could possibly be creative.

To quote a parent whose child suffers from autism since age 5-  My son Sam, who is now 15 years old, forced me into rethinking creativity years ago. He was hardly six years old, when I realized he could envision things that I would never imagine. During playtime, I once drew one or two curves on a paper and handed it back to him. I had really expected Sam to scribble a few lines or maybe a disoriented picture. But what my son came up with left me spellbound. Sam had drawn a picture of a bowlful of cereal with a spoon, and a hand pouring milk from a carton. For most people this would probably not mean anything. But being a mother to an autistic child, I was completely in awe of my son s artistic skills. 

How to nurture your child s  hidden talent ?
The question remains - Can such creative skills be discovered in your child too? The answer to the question is  Yes!  Here is how you too can help your child cope with autism-

Don t limit your child: Allow your child to express his thoughts through creativity, art, music. His/her imagination should know no bounds. Sit by their side and watch them learn using different colors, shapes, and forms.
Let your child thrive: Holding back your child will not help him/her come out of their shell. Your child may have difficulty learning things in school, or going through books. But he/she may have a knack for paintings, or solving puzzles. Encourage their artistic skills, and watch them grow.
Intent healing for your child: A couple of sessions of Intent Healing for both the parent and the child can help manage autism. Ideally, 6 sessions of this therapy for the child and 2 sessions for the mother is recommended.
More than conventional treatment, autistic children need the support and affection of their parents. By adopting the above measures, you can assure your child s speedy recovery.

How To Nurture Passion In Autistic Child?

Children have a more active life than adults which means they need to be fed every few hours for ensuring the intake of sufficient nutrients. It is advisable to avoid giving them sugary snacks like chips, biscuits or chocolates as they are high in saturated fats and low in nutrients. It is essential to give healthy snacks to your children that are rich in nutrients and keep them healthy.

Here are five healthy snacks that you can include in your children's diet:

1. Whole grain cereal
Whole grain cereal along with milk and fruits can be one of the healthiest snacks for your children as a bowl full of these contain vitamins and calcium. Whole grains also contain fiber which helps regulate the digestive system. In order to make it a tasty snack, you can add strawberries or sliced bananas to it, which will also add more flavors to it. You can also make oatmeal cakes which are delicious as well as healthy.

2. Smoothies
Children are fond of smoothies and milkshakes and you can make it healthier too. Use low fat yoghurt and blend it with frozen fruits like mangoes, pineapple or blueberries for a delicious treat. You can also make a milkshake with peanut butter and fruits which are packed with nutrients and fiber and experiment accordingly. Avoid making the smoothies sugary as they can be harmful for your child's health if they are consumed on a regular basis.

3. Cheese
Low-fat cheese is a healthy snack for children as it is rich in calcium and nutrients. Make it an interesting snack by but cutting cheese in fun shapes and making kabobs with fruits. You can also make healthy pizzas with vegetables like tomatoes, broccoli or bell peppers topped on whole grain pita bread. You can also make snacks out of salt-free pretzels which your child can have with low-fat cheese.

4. Healthy baked food
Sneak in the fruits and vegetables in the baked foods your kids love. You can make muffins with sweet potatoes which are rich in beta-carotene. You can also make banana bread which is a delicious treat for your kids. Moreover, crispy baked snacks out of oats and apples tossed together served with low-fat yoghurt on top can also be a good snack time idea.

5. Dry fruits
Dry fruits and unsalted nuts are really a great snack for your kids. You can serve raisin toasts to your children as they are rich in fiber and vitamins and more effective than other sugary snacks. You can make a creamy raisin mix and serve it with carrot sticks or sliced apples.


5 Healthy Snacks for Your Children

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