You may find out that your child is suffering from hearing loss when he is born or he may be diagnosed with the condition later in life. Hearing loss in children is commonly caused by otitis media, birth problems and on the account of certain injuries or illnesses.

Signs and symptoms

The early-stage symptoms of hearing loss in children are as follows:

No reaction to extremely loud noises

No response or reaction to your voice

The child makes some sounds, which taper off

The other symptoms which follow include:

He may pull and rub his ears.

He may act cranky constantly without any proper reason.

He might stop paying attention.

Low energy levels are indicated.

He may find it hard to follow directions.

He may ask you to increase the volume of the radio or TV.

Fever and ear pain are also likely symptoms.

Treatment

Early hearing loss can affect a child s language learning skills. If the problem is diagnosed and treated soon, the problem with language can be avoided. The method of treatment depends on the cause of hearing loss in your child and the severity of hearing loss.

There are certain medicines for hearing---prescribed by your ENT Surgeon. Please take the point watchful waiting. Even, if you have the slightest doubt of hearing loss contact ENT immediately.

The primary treatment methods of hearing loss in children include the following:

Watchful waiting: Sometimes, the condition may resolve on its own and the treatment involves simple monitoring of your child for positive changes.

Medicines: There are certain medicines for hearing loss in children, which may be prescribed by your pediatrician.

Ear tubes: Ear tubes may be recommended if medicines and monitoring do not work. The tubes allow fluid to drain and help in preventing infections. A minor surgery has to be undertaken on your child for getting the ear tubes placed. This will solve hearing loss and other related issues.

Hearing aids: Hearing aids may be used to allow your child to hear better. It is safe for children to use ear tubes after the age of one month. For the right hearing aid for your child, you need to consult a hearing specialist.

Implants: Cochlear implants are used to treat hearing loss in many children. These are electronic devices that are put in the inner ear to benefit hearing. These should be used only if hearing aids did not succeed and these are meant to be used only in the case of children with serious hearing problems.

There are several other devices, which can help your child with hearing loss. For suggestions and recommendations, you must take your child to a hearing specialist.

Hearing Loss In Children - Signs And Treatment Of It!

Thumb or finger sucking is common in infants through the first year of their lives. A child usually turns to his thumb when he is tired, upset or bored.

A child younger than five years should not be pressured to stop thumb sucking. While majority of children give up such habits on their own before they enter school, about 15 percent of children continue thumb sucking past their fifth birthday. This is an age when teasing often starts, causing difficulties for children.

Apart from this, thumb sucking can also lead to dental problems. A child who is still sucking his thumb by age five, when permanent teeth start coming in, may develop an abnormal bite. In addition, prolonged thumb sucking can cause minor physical problems, such as chapped lips or cracked skin, calluses, or fingernail infections.

The effects of thumb sucking are usually reversible until the age of seven because children still have their deciduous (baby) teeth. If thumb sucking continues beyond that age, when the second teeth are erupting, permanent dental problems can occur.

There are various things you can do to help your child stop thumb sucking:

1. Reward your child and offer encouragement - for example, with a hug or praise to reinforce their decision to stop the habit.

2. Limit nagging - if children feel they are being nagged they will become defensive.

3. Mark their progress on a calendar - for example, place a star or a tick for each period (such as a day or week) that the child does not suck thumb or finger. Provide a special outing or a toy if the child gets through the period successfully.

4. Encourage bonding - for example, with a special toy.

5. Reminders - give the child a mitten to wear as a reminder not to suck, or place unpleasant tasting nail paint (available from chemists) on the fingers or thumb. Placing a band aid over the thumb at bedtime is another reminder.

6. Offer distractions - while a child is watching tv, have toys available for children to play with. Sit with the child during this time and give a cuddle to help them not to suck. In the car, have toys available to keep children occupied.

7. Talk to your pediatrician and your child's dentist, who may recommend appropriate treatment that prevents thumb sucking.

Preventing Thumb Sucking in Children

It is that time of the year when insects are all around. Suddenly one feels a buzzing sound or an itchy feel in the ear. To your horror, one feels a live insect is in your ear, which can be extremely annoying and is like a nightmare. Insects often get stuck when they enter our ears as they cannot fly or crawl out. They try to find their way out and their movements inside our ears can be very uncomfortable, painful and can be itchy as well. Moreover, they can easily produce infection.

In this scenario, do not try to remove an insect with cotton swab, tweezers or hair clip as it will make the situation worse and can lodge the insect deeper into the ear canal, which can possibly damag the eardrum, leading to permanent hearing loss. If an individual is not certain about the potential harm taht can be caused by the insect in the ear, one should seek medical care immediately. Insects in the ear are common reasons for visits to doctor's clinic, especially in children.

If one suspects an insect in ear, one may experience pain, swelling, blood or crackling. One may even feel biting, stinging, hearing loss or dizziness. It is best to stay calm in this situation as being active may lodge the bug further in ear or cause it to move further back or cause serious damage to the sensitive eardrum

One way to try to remove a bug in ear is by tilting the ear toward the ground and attempt to wiggle the ear. Grasp the earlobe and give it a wiggle. If the bug is not too far into ear canal, it may fall out on its own. If the bug is still alive and is not too far inside of the ear canal, it may simply come out on its own. If one stays calm and keep objects including fingers away from ears, it is likely that the bug will find its way back out of ear.

One can also try to flush the ear with warm water with a dropper or a bulb syringe. This can be done by holding head upright and stretching the ear canal by pulling the outer ear and then putting a steady stream of warm water into ear. Tilt head to the side to drain out the ear. Do not try this if one suspects that ear drum has been ruptured to prevent additional damage.

To avoid stinging or eardrum rupture from scratching or biting , one may use a drop or two of mineral, baby, or olive oil inside your ear canal to kill the insect. Finally, visit an ENT specialist doctor as they can remove the insect by special suction devices. Post insect removal, one must look out for signs of infection as swelling, dizziness, hearing loss, fever, and pain. Finally follow up with ENT specialist or Otolaryngologist for the final opinion.

How to Remove Insect from Ear at Home? 

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

Measles or rubeola as it is also known is one of the leading causes of children s death around the world. This viral infection is communicable through the air and spreads through contact with infected saliva and mucus. Thus sharing cutlery or glassware with an infected person can increase a person s risk of suffering from this disease. Thankfully measles can be prevented through vaccination known as MMR. This vaccination is given to infants and also protects them against mumps, rubella and chickenpox. The first dose of MMR vaccination is given when the child is about 1 year old and a booster dose is repeated when the child is 4-6 years old.

One of the most characteristic symptoms of measles is a reddish rash that begins inside the mouth and later erupts all over the body. This is usually preceded by a high fever, cold, cough, sore throat and swelling of the lymph nodes. Fatigue, diarrhoea and redness of the eyes are other symptoms of this disease. Measles symptoms are not apparent the moment a person is exposed to the virus. It can take 7 to 18 days for symptoms to become visible after catching the infection, this is known as the incubation period. Measles affects adults is a more severe way than children.

Children and adults with a weak immune system are highly susceptible to complications associated with measles. In some cases, it can lead to life threatening conditions, such as pneumonia and encephalitis or inflammation of the brain. Other complications associated with measles include ear infections, bronchitis, blindness and a sharp fall in platelet count. A pregnant woman suffering from measles also has a high risk of miscarrying the baby or preterm labour.

There is no definitive form of treating measles and doctors typically address the symptoms while prescribing medication. In most cases, the symptoms and the virus should disappear in two to three weeks. Some of the common forms of medicine prescribed to deal with measles are:

Medication to relieve fever
Antibiotics to prevent or treat accompanying bacterial infections
Vitamin A supplements to reduce the severity of measles symptoms
Pain relievers to deal with muscle pains
In addition, the patient needs plenty of rest and fluids to strengthen the immune system. The use of a humidifier can also help treat a sore throat and cough. Bright lights can aggravate headaches and irritation and hence should be avoided. Hence, avoid watching television and activities like reading.

Measles - How They Affect You? + Treatment

Cradle cap is a slick, yellow scaling or crusting on a child's scalp. It is regular in children and can be effortlessly treated. Cradle cap is not a part of any ailment and does not indicate poor care of the child. It is the usual development of sticky skin oils, scales, and sloughed skin cells. It is not harmful to your child and generally leaves by an infant's first birthday. Some of the recommended ways to treat cradle cap are listed below:


Baby shampoo: Shampoo might be the absolute best approach to treat cradle caps in babies. Regular shampooing can get rid of a flakey scalp and make it a smooth one. Abstain from getting the shampoo in your child's eyes. In case you are uncertain about using it, ask a doctor or specialist for guidance. Do not utilize shampoos that contain groundnut oil or shelled nut oil on children under five years of age.
Olive oil: Olive or almond oil is regularly used to heal cradle cap. Try rubbing it on the infant s hair and give it a chance to sit for some time, then delicately rub with a soft toothbrush. 
Coconut oil: Every mother uses coconut oil for many reasons. It is the most effective treatment. It smells astounding as well. Put a little on your child's head every evening and wash it over the next morning with an infant brush. 
Vaseline: A considerable number of mothers use Vaseline. Apply it on the hair around evening time and by morning, the cradle cap will be a little improved.
Fine-toothed comb: This is a lice brush and is very useful. However, with a little oil, this is most likely one of the least demanding and quickest approaches to evacuate those flakes. 
Shea butter: Applying Shea butter on the scalp is a great approach. Rub it on the hair, then brush it off gradually. It brings about the ideal result, as indicated by a few mothers. 
Home treatment is normally all that is required for support. Here is how one needs to do it:
An hour prior to shampooing, rub your child's scalp with infant oil petroleum gel to lift the coverings and flakey scales. 
Before applying the shampoo, first get the scalp wet, then tenderly rub the scalp with a delicate swarm brush (a delicate toothbrush would work too) for a couple of minutes to remove the scales. You can attempt to tenderly remove the flakes with extreme attention to detail. 
At that point, wash the scalp with baby shampoo, flush well, and tenderly towel dry. 
In case that your child's cradle cap gets to be swollen or infected, a course of anti-infection agents or an antifungal cream or cleanser such as ketoconazole might be recommended by a specialist. A gentle steroid cream such as  hydrocortisone may likewise be suggested for an irritant rash.

Infant Cradle Cap - How You Can Get Rid of Them?

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