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Archive for the ‘Children HealthCare’ Category

What would happen to toddler, between two and five, who is addicted to television? Studies believe that those toddlers will continue this habit into his teen- or adult- hood, and spend much more hours on televisions than playing outside, spending in classroom, or having his social life with others. Read the rest of this entry »

When treating toddlers, the answer is easy: non-aspirin. Aspirin, though useful in treating many conditions in adults, is rarely recommended for children since it has a long list of possible side effects. In children with a viral illness, it has been linked to a risk of developing Reye syndrome, a very serious illness. Do not give it to your toddler unless the doctor has specifically prescribed it over an aspirin-free medication.

Like aspirin, acetaminophen (brand names: Tylenol, Tempra, Panadol, Liquiprin, Anacin-3) is an antipyretic (fever reducer) and a pain reliever. But unlike aspirin, it has few side effects (though there have been occasional with heavy dosing). Acetaminophen comes in liquid form for administration by dropper, measuring spoon, or cup; in chewable tablets for older toddlers; in suppository form for a toddler who can’t or won’t keep a liquid or chewable down; and in an easy-to-disguise “sprinkle” capsule for the toddler who casts a suspicious eye on any detectable form of medication. Read the rest of this entry »

People have asserted for years that children who have consumed too much sugar will show signs of hyperactive behavior. There are some debates from many studies about this issue; some studies said sugar has much effect on children’s behavior, while others said more researches are needed to prove the statement.

In the meantime, there are still plenty of reasons to restrict the amount of sugar your toddler consumes. For one, sugar is totally without nutritional value, it provides no vitamins, no minerals, nothing but calories. And the calories that sugar contributes to a toddler’s diet can better come from a more worthy source. For another, sugar often keeps bad company; it is frequently found in combination with other nutritional undesirable, unhealthy ingredients, such as fats and refined grains, or we can say it’s just an “empty” food. For yet another, sugar and sugary foods contribute significantly to tooth decay and may contribute to obesity. Read the rest of this entry »

In most cases, behavior is a better clue of how sick a toddler is than body temperature. A young child can be seriously ill, with pneumonia or meningitis for example, and have no fever at all, or have a high fever with a mild cold. So it’s important to base your assessment of your child’s condition not just on body temperature, but on symptoms that go with it as well.

80% to 90% of all fever in young children is related to self-limiting viral infection (the kind that get better without treatment). Therefore, giving medicine or treating fever in toddlers are not recommended, unless it is at least 102°F (39°C), even some experts suggest to give toddler medicine, when the temperature reach almost 104°F (40°C). They may however, recommend the use of acetaminophen even with lower temperatures to relieve aches and pains, improve sleep, generally make a toddler more comfortable, and sometimes, to ease a nervous parent. Read the rest of this entry »

What parents should do to give the best treatment for their sick toddler?

Calm and relaxing environment. It is not easy to keep a sick toddler rest and down, but the good news is, it isn’t necessary to keep a sick toddler down – unless he seems to need the rest. There are no evidences that bed rest affects a mild illness one way or the other. And mommy can almost trust. Read the rest of this entry »

Toddlers are rarely able to let parents know that their eyes are bothering them in some way; if their vision isn’t what we call normal, they certainly aren’t aware that it’s any different than any one else’s. Most often it’s a parent’s observation that tips off the doctor to a potential vision problem. So keep alert for any of the following behaviors and symptoms and check to your doctor :

• An obvious inability to see well, often evidence by pronounced clumsiness or stumbling, or by seeming not to notice or recognize objects or people – either in the immediate environment or in the distance.
• Frequent eye rubbing, unrelated to sleepiness (eye-rubbing when a child is sleepy is normal), which usually indicates itchy, scratchy or burning eyes.
• Frequent squinting unrelated to bright sunlight, or face-scrunching when trying to perform a visual task. Remember, however, that either of these may be a temporary mannerism not linked to vision problems.
• Undue, sensitivity to light (evidence, for example, by squinting in discomfort when a light is turned on in a dimly-lit room) or frequent staring at lights
• Excessive tearing, unrelated to crying.
• Swelling, redness, or crusting of the eyes (lids may be crusted shut in the morning), or a yellowish-white or yellowish-green discharge (a sign of infection); swollen lids or frequent sties
• Eyes that seem to “bounce” or “dance” in rapid, rhythmic movements, or bulge.
• Frequent tilting of the head to one side, as though trying to see better.
• Holding the body rigid or at an angle when trying to look at distant objects.
• Repeated covering or shutting of one eye in apparent discomfort (as opposed to covering or shutting an eye periodically to see how the world looks with just one eyes open).
• Holding books, toys, and other objects close to the face in order to see then better, consistently sitting too close to the TV (though in toddlers this may be a normal fascination with seeing things up close rather than a sign of a vision problem).
• Avoiding entirely activities (such as looking at books) that require good vision.
• Eyes that look crossed or otherwise mis-matched, or that don’t move in unison.
• Pupils that are sometimes or always unequal in size (they should work simultaneously: getting larger in dim light, smaller in bright light) or that appear white instead of black.
• Difficulty distinguishing colors (though remember that young toddlers rarely are able to identify colors.
• Double vision : frequent headaches, dizziness, or nausea after doing close work (such as looking at books or television) only an older and very verbal toddler will be able to alert you to such symptoms.

Many toddlers may seem not to hear at least half of what their parents say, but in most cases, it’s just a matter of selective listening or inattention. The child who truly doesn’t hear well usually exhibits one or more of the following signs of hearing loss (although some of these may also be exhibited by a child with normal hearing) : Read the rest of this entry »

The world of toddler who is walking and climbing expands rapidly. Virtually overnight, almost everything is with reach.

To best protect your toddler, you will have to maintain safety environment around him, especially at home.

Parents should pay attention and making safety changes with: the windows ( included it’s glasses, frame lock, height, and width); the doors (included it’s sliders, lock, materials, glass, height and width); electrical cords and outlets (included it’s caps, cord, wire, plug, and any risk of electric shock or tangled by wire); lamp and lighting; fireplaces, heaters, stoves, and radiators; house plants; stairs; balconies; tablecloths, rugs and carpet; risky furniture (included those with sharp corners, string or cord, and unsuitable height, weight, and size for toddler); and hazardous small objects (included sharp, heavy, non-food, and poisoned objects) Read the rest of this entry »

Though all children should be protected from the damaging rays of the sun, some kids are at greater risk that others. These include children with red or blonde hair and fair skin; those with blue, green, or gray eyes; those who live in a tropical or sub-tropical climate or at a high altitude; those with a large number of moles; and those, no matter what their coloring, who burn rather than tan (but don’t wait to find out by trial and error whether your child fits this last category).

A face full of freckles may be cute, but freckles, too, are a sign that a child is especially vulnerable to sun damage and may have had excessive sun exposure already (in duration or intensity). Read the rest of this entry »

It’s been a long day at the office, the shop, the day-care center, the park, the mall, the market – or any combination of these. You’re too tired to think, never mind cook. Your toddler’s too hungry to wait, and too cranky to sit in a restaurant and be waited on. Those golden arches or that drive-trough window beckon seductively, promising a quick, inexpensive, and virtually effortless family meal. You waver, and then as the pleas (“I wanna kid’s meal! I wanna kid’s meal”) drown out any remnants of your resolve (“No kid of mine is going to eat fast food”) you relent. As you watch your toddler gleefully dunking greasy fries and chicken nuggets into sugary ketchup and barbeque sauce with the kind of appetite that young children seem to reserve for foods their parents don’t want them to eat, you silently vow to be stronger next time – knowing, deep inside, that you’re vowing in vain.

But don’t be too hard on yourself. Fast-food franchises cater to the most basic human needs, and when you’re the harried parent of a toddler, you’re only human for responding. But do keep fast-food excursions from compromising your toddler’s overall diet – and health – by adhering (at least, most of the time) to these caveats: Read the rest of this entry »