Pin Worms

What Are Pin Worms?


Pin worms are another parasite. These parasites live in the digestive system of humans. Adult pin worms can grow up to about half an inch but their eggs are too small to see with the naked eye.


You get these worms from other people who have pin worms. The eggs can live on a variety of items throughout the home and can live for 2 to 3 weeks outside the body. The worms can get stuck in between your finger nails and then while you're eating can be transferred to your mouth and into the digestive system where the eggs hatch. The adult females will come out of the opposite end and lay eggs on or around the anus.


How Do I Know If My Child Has Pin Worms?


Symptoms for this include itching around the anus, which is usually worse at night because the worms are more active at this time. These worms pose no serious health threat. You may get a skin infection due to the scratching. You may also be able to see the worms in the toilet after a bowel movement. They are white and look like pieces of thread.


What Can I Do?


If you suspect your child has these pin worms take them to the doctor. Pin worms carry no diseases but are really annoying and can spread easily throughout the house if it is not treated. The doctor will prescribe you a medication and may have the whole family take just to be safe. Also you may want to wash sheets clothes and any other thing the infected person has come into contact with.

Teething

Teething! Probably one of the few things that EVERY parent will have to endure at some point in time. And dealing with it takes patience. What we can we do to make the crying stop though??

What Is Teething?

Teeth start coming in at about 6 months and will be done by 18 months. Everybody is different. So some may come sooner, some later. These teeth come from somewhere right? What happens is these teeth start pushing and cutting trough your baby's gums.

How Do I Know If My Baby Is Teething?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teething

When babies are teething they tend to be more drooly and a lot more fussier. This is because their gums are sore and swollen. These will happen 3 to 5 days before you can actually see a tooth. Babies will bite on everything to help relieve the pressure and they may also refuse to eat or drink anything due to the pain. Back to the drooly part, some babies will develop a rash on their chins to their chests because of the dribbles.




What Can I Do?

Use a cold teething ring or a clean finger to rub your baby's gums for a couple minutes. Provide safe things for the baby to chew on. You can also use an over the counter pain reliever, use only as directed.

There are other remedies parents use such as gels to help relieve the pain.

Head Lice

Head Lice are another common mishap during many children's adventures in life. Let's see what they are and what we can do about them.

What Are Head Lice?

A head louse (singular for lice) is a tiny parasite that can't fly. It lives among human hair and feeds on small amounts of blood drawn from the scalp. They are contagious and sometimes very tough to get rid of.
 




How Do I Know If My Child Has Head Lice?

Even with their tiny size lice can be seen by the human eye. Look for lice eggs, called nits. Tiny yellow to brown dots on or near the scalp. They look like dandruff but cant be brushed or shaken off. It is more common to see nits in a child's hair than it is to see live lice crawling around. It's easiest to spot these nits after the louse has already hatched from it. It is white or clear in color and remains attached to the hair shaft.

Your child will also be itching. The lice bite the scalp to feed on blood. and the reaction to their saliva is the itchy part.


What Can I Do?

There are a few things you can do to get rid of these bugs. One solution involves a medicated shampoo, cream rinse, or lotion that all work to kill the lice. These should be used as directed because they contain insecticides. using it too much can increase the risk of causing harm and not using enough will not properly kill and get rid of the lice.

BUT, if your child is under 2 years of age it is not recommended to use the above mentioned treatments. Instead you can use a method called wet combing. Use a fine tooth comb on your child's wet, conditioned hair every 3 to 4 days for two weeks after the last live louse was seen. Wetting the hair temporarily paralyzes the lice and the conditioner allows for the comb to move through the hair more easily. Other popular treatments such as saturating the hair and scalp in petroleum jelly , mayonnaise, or olive oil are not as effective as the previous methods.

Lice do not survive for very long after they fall off the person so you don't need to spend a lot of time and money ridding the house of any lice.


Pictures from 
http://www.macon.k12.mo.us/useful_links/health_page/headlice_101
http://ragingrootsstudio.com/rrs/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/nits_in_hair.jpg

Cradle Cap

One common condition found in children is cradle cap. There were a few inquiries about this on my survey so I'll discuss it now.

What Is Cradle Cap?

Cradle cap, from WebMD, is an oily, yellow scaling or crusting on a baby's scalp. It is common in babies and is easily treated. It is not part of any other illness and does not imply that the baby is not being well cared for. It is a buildup of sticky skin oils, scales, and sloughed skin cells.

How Do I Know If My Child Has Cradle Cap?

To know for sure you can always talk to a doctor but it is not necessary for your child to see a doctor in this instance. Other wise looking at a few pictures can help you determine what it is.

What Can I Do?

About an hour before rub your baby's head with baby oil or petroleum jelly to loosen up the crust and scales. Then while shampooing gently brush your baby's head with a toothbrush to remove the scales, then wash with baby shampoo. If this doesn't work you can talk to your doctor and he or she can recommend an anti dandruff shamppo or other medications to help the cause. 

Pictures from 

http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/picture-of-cradle-cap

http://www.dermatalk.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/cradle-cap.jpg

Conjuctivitis (Pink Eye)

I have had a lot of requests to discuss pink eye. A lot of children do end up with pink eye because their hands are dirty and when they are tired they rub their eyes.

What Is Pink Eye (Conjuctivitis)?

Pink eye is the inflammation of the conjuctiva, or the membrane that covers the white part of your eye. This is caused by many different things. It could be a viral infection, bacterial infection, or even an allergic reaction. Or it could just be irritated due to getting soap dirt or other irritants in your eyes. Bacterial and viral pink eye can spread easily from person to person but is not a serious health risk. It is however in newborn babies as it could pose a risk to their eyesight.

How Do I Know If My Child Has Pink Eye?

http://www.westshoreeyecare.com/new-page-2/

Symptoms may differ depending on the cause but generally include the following; redness of the eye, increased tear production, thick yellow discharge that crusts over the eyelashes, usually after sleeping, itchy eyes, burning eyes, blurred vision, and increased sensitivity to light.








What Can I Do?

Treatment is dependent on the cause bacterial pink eye is treated with antibiotic ointments and eye drops and sometimes pill form. Viral pink eye will just run its course and usually no treatment is necessary. For pink eye cause by an irritant use plenty of water to rinse the eye. And for allergies, as soon as the allergen is removed or the allergy is treated the eyes should start returning to normal.

Chicken Pox (Varicella)

Throughout your child's life they will develop multiple rashes. But how can you tell which rash is what and should you be worried about it? Well this post will describe one of those rashes to help you narrow down what your little one has.

What Is Chicken Pox (Varicella)?

Chicken pox is a highly contagious virus that is most common amongst school age children specifically under the age of 12. It is caused by the varicella virus and can be spread through the air by coughing, sneezing, or even breathing. This virus usually causes a spotty rash with small round itchy blisters. Many people who contract the chicken pox virus will almost always develop a lifetime immunity to the virus. Usually the most contagious stage of chicken pox is 1 to two days prior to the spotty rash developing.

How Do I Know If My Child Has Chicken Pox?

http://www.chicken-pox.info/chickenpox/symptoms

There are only a few symptoms that are associated with chicken pox but the rash is what gives it away. Your child may develop a fever ranging from 100 degrees Fahrenheit to around 103 degrees Fahrenheit. They may feel sick, tired, or sluggish, may have little to no appetite and can also develop a headache or sore throat. The rash, as previously mentioned, is the tell tale sign of chicken pox in most younger children. These symptoms usually show up 10 to 21 days after coming into contact with the virus. The picture is the same spot                                                                                        over a progression of time.



What Can I Do?

Chicken pox is extremely contagious.  If you think our child has chicken pox you can always take him or her to the doctor to confirm but your child should stay home from school or day care until all of the blisters have burst and healed back up. This is another virus so much of the treatment consists of managing symptoms until your baby is feeling better. Pregnant women should stay away from children with chicken pox because of the effects chicken pox can have on the unborn child. If you are pregnant and have been exposed it is best to visit your doctor as soon as you can.

Fifth Disease

The next condition at the top of the list that parents may be most worried about is fifth disease or erythema infectiosum. This is more common in school age children and rare in infants and adults.


What Is Fifth Disease?


The disease gets its name from being number five out of a list of six childhood rash-forming illnesses. It is a contagious virus spread in droplets from the respiratory system by coughing or sneezing and usually shows a more mild reaction. It is caused by the parvovirus B19. It is characterized by having a rash that looks like the child has been slapped. Although this virus is contagious, it stops being so by the time the rash forms.


How Do I Know If My Child Has Fifth Disease?


Symptoms of fifth disease usually include a low fever, bright red cheeks, a flat or raised red rash on the arms or legs, and these next symptoms are less common; headache, sore throat, and joint pain. The rash does not always show up in children infected with the virus. The rash though, can last any where from two days to three weeks.


What Can I Do?


Again, this is a virus and is hardly severe. With that being said nothing can usually be done to automatically get rid of it. Treat the symptoms, if the rash itches you can use an antihistamine such as Benadryl to help stop the itch.

Respiratory Synctial Virus (RSV)

Hello! Sorry! I know it's been a while since my last post. Today I'll be talking about RSV or respiratory syncytial (sin-sish-ul) virus. This has appeared more and more in the survey I've sent out at the beginning of this blog and is still circulating pretty well.






What Is The Respiratory Syncytial Virus?




From WedMD, RSV is a common and highly contagious virus that infects the respiratory tract of most children before their second birthday. Your respiratory tract is pretty much any part of your body that air touches and aids in the breathing process. Your nose, throat, lungs, etc. For most children the symptoms get no worse than a common cold. Other children may develop bronchitis or pneumonia, which can be a a greater risk for smaller children.

How Do I Know If My Child Has The Respiratory Syncytial Virus?

Like I said earlier, most symptoms for RSV are similar to a common cold. Coughing, sneezing, runny nose, and usually last a couple of weeks. Other symptoms that may require a visit to your pediatrician are difficulty breathing, high fever, if the slime coming from your little ones nose thickens up, and a refusal to eat.

What Can I Do?

The best medicine, as in most cases, is prevention. It is easily spread from person to person by people touching anything that has the virus on it. So keep your hands clean by washing them, clean and disinfect surfaces, prevent smokers from being around your baby, do not allow others to touch baby without washing up, don't kiss baby if you are feeling sick, and keep your baby away from anybody experiencing cold symptoms. There is no vaccine for RSV, but there are medications your doctor can give to your little ones to prevent any more serious complications.

There is no medicine to cure your baby of the virus. So it is important to treat the symptoms and to prevent infection. Do so by; Removing nasal fluid with a bulb, use a humidifier to keep the air moist, keep baby hydrated, and give your baby fever-reducers that do not contain aspirin. Babies being hospitalized for RSV may need supplemental oxygen, IV fluids and medications to open up their airways.

Constipation

Welcome back, today we are going to discuss something really poopy, well maybe not so much. Constipation is something that nearly everyone encounters at least some time in their life. For kids it can be harder to diagnose because children are not too concerned about regular bowel movements.

What Is Constipation?

Constipation, as defined by WebMD, occurs when bowel movements become difficult or less frequent. Common causes of constipation include a low fiber diet, repeatedly ignoring the urge to go, not drinking enough water, and lack of exercise. Another cause of this is a side effect from certain medication.

How Do I Know If My Child Is Constipated?

If your little one is complaining of pain when they are pooping it is more than likely constipation. If you're still changing diapers you know when your baby typically takes care of their business and you will notice a change in that habit. Other symptoms will include stomach pain, bloating, and bleeding with bowel movements. It's possible that your child can appear to have diarrhea while being constipated. This is due to softer more fluid like stool will pass around the hardened stool that is stuck inside.

What Can I Do?

There a few things you can do to help your child out with this condition. Under direction from your child's doctor you can use a stool softener. Many parents really don't use this method effectively. Either they give too small a dose or don't use the softener long enough. They will stop after the first normal bowel but the softenr needs to continue for up to a couple of weeks as directed by the doctor. Not continuing the softener will just set your child up for more constipation. Another thing you can do is to start incorporating diets high in fiber and fluid. Foods with high contents of fiber aid in the digestion process. The fluid while aiding in digestion will also help lubricate the entire dgestive systyem allowing for a more easily passed bowel. The third thing you can do to help is to set up a regular toilet time. Encourage your child to go first thing in the morning and have them try near meals. Setting up regular times for them to go will encourage them to go instead of resisting the urge to go and causing the constipation. The best way to get rid of and prevent constipation is by using a combination of the three methods listed above.

Whooping Cough

This week I've noticed many people at work, school, and around the community coughing. This is a good time to speak about another common condition that can be dangerous to children. Whooping cough. Although it is more common in adults and in teens, babies are the ones that whooping cough is most dangerous to.

What Is Whooping Cough?

Whooping cough, or Pertussis, is named for the sound that the person makes when they are trying to breathe in between coughing, not the sound of the cough itself. It is an infection of the lungs and the tubes used for breathing. This is spread through the air through coughing, sneezing, etc.

How Do I Know If My Child Has Whooping Cough?

The first symptoms are usually similar to a common cold; runny nose, sneezing, mild cough, and a low grade fever. After a week or so the cough can turn into coughing spells, or a series of coughing,  that can last up to a minute. After the spell is over the child will then make the "whooping" sound the cough is named for. No all children will have the whooping sound with the cough. Infnats may look like they are gasping for air with a reddened face and may actually stop breathing for a few seconds. The sound associated with whooping cough  may be found at the following web address: http://www.whoopingcough.net/sound%20of%20whooping%20cough%20with%20much%20whooping.htm

What Can I Do?

Whooping cough is a bacterial infection so treatment with antibiotics is necessary. If you suspect your child may have whooping cough taking them to the doctor to be properly diagnosed and implementing a treatment plan as early as possible is the best thing to do. There is also a vaccination for whooping cough, called the DTAP vaccination. Although the vaccination is not "fool proof" it is usually given between 11 months and six years.

Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease!

Ok, so it wasn't as easy to come up with a clever title for this one as it was for measles, but it is the second most worried about thing amongst the parents that have taken part in my survey. As with the previous post on measles, I will go over what you need to know about Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease.

What Is Hand, Foot,  And Mouth Disease?

Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease, (HFMD), causes painful sores on the mouth, hands, feet, and sometimes the but or legs. Usually lasting about a week, HFMD can also occur in adults, although it is more common in children. It is caused by a virus called the enterovirus, and is spread in the air by coughing and sneezing or through infected stool (poop). When you change diapers you can spread the virus if you do not wash your hands afterward or if the child touches the stool and then touches other objects that children play with or put in their mouths.

How Do I Know If My Child Has Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease?

Tiredness, sore throat, or a low fever often appear before any of the sores that are associated with the disease. A skin rash may also occur before the blisters or sores do. the blisters may burst and crust over. 

 

wikipedia.com

Center for Disease Control

 

 

 

 

What Can I Do?

 

As with all viruses, there is no cure, these sores will go away on their own. You can give Tylenol or Motrin to help with pain or swelling. Also, keep the blisters clean and be sure to wash your hands to prevent it from spreading!

 

 

 

Pop Goes the Measles

Today, I will be discussing measles. It has shown up in my survey a few times and is popular amongst the media right now due to the outbreaks in Canada and California. I'll be explaining what it is, what to look for, and what to do if you suspect your child may have measles.

What Is Measles?

Measles, or Rubeola, as defined by WebMD, is a very contagious infection, that causes a rash all over your body. Measles is caused by a virus that is spread through the air by coughing, sneezing, etc. Measles, like the chicken pox, is something that once you have you cannot get it again. There is a vaccination available after your child is six months old. The mother, if fully vaccinated, will protect the baby from getting measles until then.

How Do I Know If My Child Has It?

http://www.skinsight.com/child/rubeolaMeasles.htm

Measles, at first, can seem like a bad cold. Symptoms can include high fever, runny nose, coughing, sneezing, and a sore throat. Tiredness and diarrhea may also occur. After these symptoms start to disappear, you may find red spots in the childs mouth and all over the body.

What Can I Do?

If you suspect that your child may have measles, call your child's doctor and describe the problem. The doctor will tell you what steps are necessary to take from that point. There is no medicinal cure for measles, but the doctor will tell you what you can do to treat symptoms.

http://quadcitiesdaily.com/?p=230506

 



 

Hello! Welcome to my blog, Kommon Kiditions! My name is Robert Sphar. I am a, 24 year old, sophomore at Illinois State University. I have been in the Illinois Army National Guard since 2009, serving as a medic. I was deployed to Balad, Iraq in January 2011, where I spent most of my year there treating patients in a clinical setting. There I had a great opportunity to experience many different medical cases and helped provide treatment for the diagnosis. Halfway through my deployment I was sent home to see the birth of my son, Eli, who is now three years old. I have seen him grow up fast in the last three and a half years. Though my experiences as a medic have been great, I have never worked with kids. Although adults and kids are similar they aren't identical. There are many differences. Through the years, Eli has had his fair share of rashes, coughs, colds and fevers. Every time there was something wrong I panicked. When it came to my own son I had no idea what to do for him so I took him to the hospital for everything.

I want to help. My goal for this blog is to educate myself and fellow parents about some common conditions and diseases that generally occur in infants and children. Through the use of this blog I want parents to be able to better identify warning signs and symptoms of the things parents worry about most and with your help I will determine what exactly you, as parents, are really worried about. At the bottom of this initial blog post is a link to an anonymous survey I've created to identify those worries. Please complete the survey and each week, I will pick one of the conditions, you have identified as wanting more information about, research, and write about that topic. If you have any other questions or concerns please feel free to leave a comment or email me at robertsphar23@gmail.com and I will respond to you as quickly as I can. I look forward to learning alongside all of you!

 

Link to survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LWNCHJM

Remember! This survey is anonymous and helps me to identify what parents worry about the most!