Medical problems which generally don’t need a doctor’s help

 

Constipation:

Defined as the passage of hard, pellet-like stools that cause pain or bleeding (groaning or straining is normal) and not so much by how often your baby has a bowel movement (some breastfed babies only have one BM (one stool) each week).

Serve more fiber. Foods that are high in fiber, such as fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain bread, can help prevent constipation. Fiber can't be digested, so it helps clean out the intestines by moving the bowels along, while a diet full of fatty, sugary, or starchy foods can slow the bowels down. Fiber doesn't have to be a turn-off for kids: Try apples, oatmeal, oranges, bananas, baked potatoes, and popcorn.
Make sure kids get enough exercise. Physical activity nudges the bowels into action, so encourage your kids to get plenty of exercise. It can be as simple as playing catch, riding bikes, or shooting a few hoops.
Treatment is by giving 2-4 ounces of water once or twice a day.
Stuffy Nose/Sneezing: very common and usually caused by irritation from dry air, smoke, or dust. Try to eliminate common irritants. You can try using a humidifier or salt water nose drops.

Thrush:

white patches that coat the inside of the cheeks and tongue and cannot be easily wiped off. This is a fungal infection. It is caused by a very mild yeast infection and is easily cleared up with a prescription medicine called Nystatin.

Dry Skin:

Stop using soap and use a moisturizer once or twice a day.

Spitting Up:

 many babies spit up (reflux) after eating due to overfeeding or because the valve that closes the upper part of the stomach is immature. It is usually not a concern as long as your baby is gaining weight and it is not causing him to cough or choke. Some steps to take to improve this problem are feeding smaller amounts, more frequent burping during feeds, avoiding pressure on his belly or vigorous activity after eating. It improves with age, usually without treatment.

Watery Eyes:

this is usually caused by a blocked tear duct and is not a concern unless the eyes become infected (let your Pediatrician know so that they can prescribe antibiotic eye drops). It usually clears up on its own before your baby is 12 months old.

 

Diaper Rashes:

very common and usually clear up in 3-4 days with a diaper rash cream. If it is not clearing up or is bright red and surrounded by red dots, your baby may have a yeast infection and will need an antifungal cream to help clear it up. Diaper rashes can be prevented by frequent diaper changes, increasing air exposure by keeping the diaper off as much as possible, and using a mild soap only after bowel movements (rinse with just warm water at other times).

Upper Respiratory Infections:

these are very common and include symptoms of a clear or green runny nose and cough and are usually caused by cold viruses. The best treatment is to use salt water nasal drops and a bulb suctioner to keep their nose clear. Call your Pediatrician if your child has high fever, difficulty breathing or is not improving in 7-10 days

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When Should You Call Your Pediatrician?

Is your child really sick?
Knowing how to recognize when your child is sick and needs medical attention is important, both to get your child help when he needs it and to prevent unnecessary visits to the doctor or emergency room.
Most parents call their Pediatrician when their child has a fever, however, it is important to keep in mind that a fever is not the only sign of a serious illness. Whether or not your child has a fever, if he is very irritable, confused, lethargic (doesn't easily wake up), has difficulty breathing, has a rapid and weak pulse, is refusing to eat or drink, is still ill-appearing even after the fever is brought down , has a severe headache or other specific complaint (burning with urination, ear pain, if he is limping, etc.), or if he has a fever and it is persistent for more than 24 to 48 hours, then you should call your pediatrician or seek medical attention immediately.

Fever

Fever is not a disease, instead, it is a symptom that can accompany many childhood illnesses, especially infections.

In general, you should call your pediatrician if your infant under three months of age has a rectal temperature above 100.4 F., if your infant aged 3-6 months has a temperature above 101 F., or if an infant above 6 months has a temperature above 103 F.
For most older children, it is not so much the number, but rather how your child is acting that is concerning. If your older child is alert, active and playful, is not having difficulty breathing, and is eating and sleeping well, or if the temperature comes down quickly with home treatments (and he is feeling well), then you don't necessarily need to call your doctor immediately.
Also, you should call your doctor if your child has a fever and another medical condition (heart disease, cancer, sickle cell, immune system problems, etc.).

Loose motions (loose stools)

The reason is viral infection in 90% of the cases. If the child is passing blood in stool, he has bacterial infection. Fever is present in both viral and bacterial infections. So in case of viral infection, the role of antibiotics is nothing more that preventing additional bacterial infection. Thus I recommend that antibiotics are not needed. The focus should be on the fluid loss. The amount of fluid that the child passes out of body should be replaced. Also the electrolytes should be replaced. Thus ORS should be given. One should read on the packet of ORS of various companies at the medical store to make sure it is according to the WHO recommended formula.
Tip: children don’t like the taste of ORS solution. If it is given mixed with orange juice (ratio 1:1), it creates a better taste. If orange juice is not available, use little lemon juice and sugar to add taste to ORS.

If there is blood in the stools, get in touch with your doctor

 

Vomiting

Vomiting typically accompanies diarrhea as part of an acute gastroenteritis or stomach virus in kids. It is usually not concerning if your child has only vomited a few times, is keeping small amounts of fluids down, doesn't have significant abdominal pain and is not dehydrated.
You should seek medical attention for vomiting if your child is getting dehydrated (urinating less often, dry mouth, weight loss, etc.), is vomiting dark green bile (bilious vomiting is a sign of an intestinal obstruction), is a newborn or young infant with projectile vomiting (pyloric stenosis), or if he has a severe headache or abdominal pain. Vomiting is especially concerning if it begins after your child already has abdominal pain, which often happens in children with appendicitis.

Coughing

A cough and runny nose occur commonly in children with colds. If your child is otherwise feeling well, then you don't necessarily need to go to the doctor every time your child has a cold, even if he has a green runny nose. You should see the doctor if your child's cold symptoms continue to worsen after 3-5 days, if they aren't improving in 10-14 days, or if he has another specific complaint, such as ear pain or trouble breathing.
Trouble Breathing
While children often have a cough and sometimes a wheeze when they have a viral upper respiratory tract infection, if your child is having difficulty breathing, then you should call your doctor. You can usually recognize that your child is having trouble breathing if he is breathing fast and hard, if you can see his ribs moving in and out (retractions), or if it seems like he can't catch his breath.

Dehydration

Children most commonly get dehydrated when they have diarrhea and vomiting, from ongoing losses of fluid, but it is also possible to get dehydrated if your child just isn't drinking well. The first sign of dehydration is that your child will urinate less frequently (your child should be urinating every six to eight hours). Other signs include a dry mouth, not having tears when crying, sunken eyes, and decreased activity or increased irritability.

Rashes

Children commonly get rashes, from having sensitive skin, warts, poison ivy and as part of many illnesses, such as chickenpox, fifth disease, and roseola. In general, you should call your doctor if your child has a rash and a fever, especially if the rash is purple and doesn't blanch or fade briefly when you press on it, or an itchy rash that isn't relieved with home remedies.

Other Symptoms

Other symptoms that are usually concerning and require medical attention include, but are not limited to:
1. coughing or vomiting blood or having bloody diarrhea, especially if is accompanied by a fever
2. persistant pain, whether abdominal pain, a headache or knee pain, if your child has severe pain, especially if it limits is mobility and isn't relieved by home remedies, then you should call your doctor
3. seizures, especially if your child doesn't generally have a seizure disorder, such as febrile seizures or epilepsy
4. testicular pain, which is usually a medical emergency
5. head injuries, especially if your child had a loss of consciousness or is acting differently than usual
6. cuts and scrapes that require stitches, including those with persistent bleeding, or if the wound is deep and gaping or the skin doesn't come back together
7. a severe allergic reaction that includes trouble swallowing or breathing
8. a severe headache, especially if your child also has a stiff neck, irritability, vomiting or fever
9. pain when urinating (dysuria), which can be a sign of a urinary tract infection
10. weight loss, which is hardly ever normal in children and can be a sign of a more serious or chronic illness
11. for children with chronic symptoms, such as headaches or stomachaches, you should call your Pediatrician if your child's symptoms seem worse then usual

Antibiotics which don’t have a bad taste – ask your doctor to prescribe a palatable medicine.

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What To Do When Your Baby Cries

Your baby has an important way of telling you she needs something - crying. Crying can mean many things. Here are a few of the things your baby may be trying to tell you with her crying:
* I am hungry.
* I hurt (gas, colic).
* I don't feel well.
* My diaper needs to be changed.
* I'm afraid.
* I want to be held.
* I'm bored.
* I'm tired.
* I'm lonely.

Hearing your baby cry can be hard on you. It is natural for parents to want to soothe their baby. Here are several ways of meeting your baby's needs:
* Hold your baby.
* Rock your baby.
* Walk your baby.
* Feed your baby.
* Burp your baby.
* Check her diaper.
* Pat your baby while she lies on her back.
* Put your baby where she can see activity.
* Talk to your baby.
* Give your baby a pacifier.

Younger infants should not be left to cry alone.

It was once believed that picking up a crying baby would spoil her. We now know that babies cry less if their needs are met. They learn to trust that adults will take care of them. At this early age, one of the best ways to comfort her is to pick her up and hold her.
When an infant's crying increases for unexplained reasons over a long period of time and nothing you do to soothe her seems to help, consider calling your doctor. Call your doctor if you think pain or illness may be causing the crying.
 

Tooth and Gum Care

It's never too early to start taking care of your baby's future teeth. Here are some simple things you can do for her:
* Never put your baby to sleep with a bottle.
* Once a day, gently wipe her gums with a wet, clean soft cloth. Start doing this even before her teeth come in.
* Some babies show teeth as early as four or five months. Most babies show teeth between six and eight months.
* When her teeth begin to show, you may use a soft toothbrush for cleaning. Make sure it is baby-sized. Or you can continue to clean her teeth every day with a cloth.
* Gently brush her teeth with water only. Toothpaste is not needed until your baby is around three years old. She should be old enough to spit out the toothpaste after brushing, although you can use a non-fluoride toothpaste until that time.
 

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Things to know

 

Why do babies sleep in the day and remain awake at night for the first two months

 The baby has a routine to stay active at night for about two months. This is because the baby sleeps in the day and remains awake at night when it is in the womb of the mother. Thus sometimes it may be doing activities like taking breastfeeds actively at night as compared to the daytime.

 

How to do breast Feeding - the biggest protection for your child's health

The baby has to be given breast feed preferably every three hours.  In any case the maximum gap should not be more than five hours.  If you try to force the baby to take feeds every two hours or every hour, it may lose interest in taking feeds. So better try to feed the bay only after three hours have passed.

Just wait until he is good and hungry and put him on your breast. You also might want to make sure your nipple is stimulated (and not engourged) - it's easier for them to latch on.

You need to get him in a dark quiet room. Some babies only like to nurse in a very peaceful setting. The fact that he nurses fine at night says that's what he needs. Make sure no one is talking, no TV is on, no loud noises outside the window, hold your baby close, sing softly to him, and he will nurse. Another thing you can try if he still won't nurse, take off your shirt and his clothes except for the diaper, and just lay him on your chest for hours at a time. He will nurse, his instincts will take over when he is laying by his milk for hours. I have heard that babies can even smell it if the mother is not wearing clothes.

Try squeezing a little milk out of you breast so he gets a taste on your nipple this may encourage him to suckle. Putting a drop of sugar water on the nipple and letting the baby taste it may help wonderfully.

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Helping Your Baby To Fall Asleep

Many four-month-old babies sleep through the night. They go between deep and light sleep several times.
A baby in light sleep may cry out. She may move around in bed. This may wake her up. As she cries and moves around, she gets upset. She will settle herself if she has a way to comfort herself. She may comfort herself by sucking her thumb or holding a blanket. Or she may get into a comfortable position, which will also settle her down.
Some babies have more trouble settling down than others do. Going to bed at the same time each night will help her settle down. Keep the house quiet. Loud TV or music may keep your baby awake.
To help your baby to relax, you can give her a warm bath, massage her or rock her. Reading or singing to her may also help her settle down.
Don't rush to her if she starts to cry. She may calm down after a few minutes and fall asleep on her own. If she continues to cry, pick her up.
Always place the same baby-safe soft doll or stuffed animal in your baby's crib when it is time for sleep. She will learn to connect the stuffed toy with falling asleep.
You can sing to your baby at bedtime. Put her to bed before she is completely asleep. Then stay beside her and pat her calmly. This can help set a good pattern for going to sleep.
What your baby does during the day can affect her at night. If she had too much excitement during the day, she may not sleep through the night. It may take several days for her to get back to her usual sleeping pattern.