Autism is a rare condition where kids affected act differently than other kids. An autistic child experiences a world of his own different from other kids. It’s hard for kids with autism to communicate effectively with others as they cannot express themselves fully through words that they sometimes get frustrated and isolated from everyone else.

Raising a child with autism requires a great deal of patience, care and understanding. It is painful for some parents to feel as though they cannot talk to their child and communicate with them. Kids who suffer of autism sometimes react to people, happenings or things around them differently. They may suddenly shout towards strangers or become agitated when talked to by children their age. Sometimes being touched by a family member can aggravate them and cause them to throw tantrums.

Common gestures may not be understood by an autistic child and are often ignored. Greeting or smiling at them may not elicit a response at all for they cannot connect these simple gestures with a person’s feelings.

What causes Autism?

Autism is a neurologic disability that usually runs in families. For some autism may be linked to another medical condition such as Phenylketonuria (PKU) or congenital complications such as rubella or toxoplasmosis. Although research has yet to determine its definite cause, until now it remains idiopathic.

What are the signs and symptoms of Autism?

• Lack of non-verbal communication such as eye contact, facial expressions and gestures.
• Apathy or not caring of other’s feelings
• Cannot distinguish other’s feelings like happiness evident by someone laughing or frustration as evident by crying. When they see these emotions in others they don’t recognize it as feelings and often ignore it
• Isolation or preference of being alone
• Doesn’t want to be touched, hugged or cuddled
• They sometimes appear to be unresponsive when called
• Abnormal speech or lack of spoken language
• Difficulty in expressing themselves through Words per minute
• Inability or lack of interest in conversation
• Repetitive body movements such as rocking, flapping hands or banging toys against the wall

Children with autism mostly have an IQ of below average while some can have an above normal IQ. Some children may develop seizures usually for those who have mental retardation.

Finding out that a child is autistic can be difficult as they appear normal kids that exhibit extreme shyness however parents are usually the ones who notice that there is something wrong. Doctors diagnose autism by performing lab tests and other medical tests to rule out other medical conditions. Then referral to a neurologist, pediatrician and psychologist is made when autism is suspected.

Caring for a child with autism can be very painful and emotionally stressing for the parents as there is no cure for it. Treatment aims for the child to function as close to normal as possible enabling them to do day to day activities on their own. Therapists will focus on teaching autistic kids and their parents to communicate effectively through pointing pictures and sign language. Therapy will also help the child learn social skills such as greeting people and follow simple directions. With constant therapy and a strong support group children with mild autism can grow up to be responsible individuals that can live alone by themselves.

Common to the Caucasian group, cystic fibrosis or mucoviscidosis is a systemic recessive genetic disease leading to progressive disability and death. The condition is characterized by difficulty of breathing, scarring of the pancreas, diarrheic episodes, poor growth and infertility. Infection is also very common to children wherein the system of target is respiratory in nature.Children with CF can be examined through genetic testing and sweat analysis.
Despite the fact that there is no specific cure for cystic fibrosis, luckily, there are various ways to intervene and manage the condition. For the past years, children born and diagnosed with CF have been implausible to live further than their first years. Today, latest advances in the management of cystic fibrosis can now live a life less laden by their health condition. The priority in the management of CF is to treat airway infection and institution of proper nutrition plus a healthy lifestyle. To add up, continuity of care is essential for the patient, meant to maximize vital organ functions and a quality way of his or her living.

• Antibiotics may be given to reduce infection. This can be given using oral, intravenous and even via inhalation. Examples of antibiotic include Ciprofloxacin, Piperacillin and Vancomycin. Full course of antibiotic therapy should be completed to avoid antibiotic resistance and reactivation of the different signs and symptoms.
• Transplantation may be necessary if in case the function of the lungs and respiratory systems becomes worst. In most cases, both lungs are advised to be removed to ensure total eradication of microorganisms that may have harboured inside. Pancreatic and liver transplant may also be performed to reduce endocrine and hepato-biliary signs and symptoms.
• Genetic therapy can also correct the problems encountered by a CF patient.
• Insulin and oral anti diabetic drugs can be administered to normalize the function of pancreas. This may warrant the assistance of an endocrinologist.
• Supplemental feedings like total parenteral nutrition or insertion of a nasogastric tube can be done to address the concerns of nutritional imbalances.
• Adherence, motivation and determination to be well would be an advantage. Children should be assisted by their parents as they face a very difficult life situation. Tender loving care and extensive support should be provided.

To sum up, cystic fibrosis is indeed very complicated. On the other hand, patient and parents should be goal directed so that the patient (child) will be able to live a longer and meaningful life. A specialist should be consulted and referrals should be followed especially if various complications arise. Moreover, the child should be treated holistically touching not only the physical aspect of his or her well being.

Adults undeniably suffer from dry skin. Babies, on the other hand, can also suffer the same thing as their skin is more delicate and susceptible to becoming dry. For these reasons, it is important for parents to know how to safeguard their baby’s skin against drying.

Foremost, parents as well as guardians should know that there are a lot of factors that come into play when skin dryness is involved. Dry skin in babies can be as a result of the cold, dry outdoor air. Also, it can be brought about by indoor heating. You will also notice that dryness is even common during summer because of the exposure to the sun’s rays, the use of the airconditioning system, and the chlorine present in the swimming pools or salt water in the beaches.

Another probable cause of dry skin is also the use of harmful chemicals either directly during bath time or indirectly in the detergent used in your baby’s clothes. It is important to note that the use of harsh chemicals may strip off the vital and useful oil present in your baby’s skin.

Given these factors, how will you be able to help your child avoid getting the dry, scaly and clearly, unsightly skin? Here are some helpful tips and reminders.

- If you feel that the air circulating in your house is relatively dry, then, you might want to purchase a cool mist humidifier. You need not buy for every room inside the house; you can just put the equipment inside the room of your baby. It will also help if you refrain from exposing your child in harsh conditions. This applies both during the summer where the heat rays coming from the sun are extremely difficult to bear and during the winter where any fragile skin may become dry, chap and consequently break out or form flakes. If you just can’t help it, you may employ measures like letting your baby snuggle in mittens, booties and a dependable bonet to protect him from the cold and the wind. During the summer season, you may want to shield your baby from the sun using an umbrella, staying in shaded areas or going out early in the morning where the sun’s rays are relatively harmless.

- If at all possible, avoid exposing your child in chlorinated pools or even the salt water beach. If this is not possible, then, you should take a long shower with your baby using tap water. Aftersuch, slather your choice of moisturizer while the skin is still damp to lock in the moisture.

- It will also help not to prolong the bathing time of your baby. As much as possible, try to cut down your child’s exposure to soap suds (especially in the tub) as these may increase the risk of having dry skin. Lukewarm water is ideal and be careful with your choice of soap. Go for those without a lot of harmful synthetic product; go for the milder products than the regular soaps.

- Use moisturizers.  After bathing your baby, pat him dry using a clean towel and immediately apply your moisturizer to seal the water left in the damp skin. If the moisturizer does not work, you may want to switch to a cream or an ointment.

Appendicitis or the inflammation and infection of the appendix is a condition that commonly happens to individuals between ten and thirty years old. Thankfully, it rarely happens to babies. Nonetheless, parents should still be wary of the causes, risk factors as well as signs and symptoms of the disease to make sure that complications are prevented. Furthermore, early recognition and treatment of the disease may also help save a child’s life.

Since appendicitis means trapped bacteria in the appendix which is basically caused by a small and hard stool, expect that your child will experience fever. Apart from fever, babies also exhibit the classic symptoms of stomach flu. These are abdominal pain and vomiting. However, there is no definite way for babies to say or verbalize what they feel. In this case, you will note that your baby’s stomach is distended and is very sensitive when touched. Additionally, your baby may also bend over on his right on several occasions as the inflamed appendix may irritate the muscles located near it.

For older children who are able to say and pinpoint what is bothering or hurting them, you will notice that the abdominal pain starts around the navel and is centered on the lower right part of your child’s tummy. The sharp pain felt becomes sharper over time. Other indications of appendicitis include loss of appetite, nausea, constipation or diarrhea and an inability to pass gas.

If your child manifests these problems, you may want to take that emergency trip to the doctor. An inflamed appendix may burst if early interventions are not made. If the appendix ruptures, it may spell more problems and the bacteria will stream its way to the blood making the condition more fatal. Conversely, when planning for a visit to the doctor, do not attempt to give a laxative or enema to your child.

In the hospital, expect an interview to be made by a doctor to check the history of the suspected appendicitis. Your precious one will have to undergo procedures involving the visualization of his appendix. These may include one or a combination of the following: a CT scan, ultrasound or x-ray. Also, a urine analysis will also be considered to determine if the condition is brought about by other diseases like urinary tract infection. All the given procedures are absolutely painless except for the blood test which is done to check on the probable level of infection and as a helpful tool in case of surgery.

In case an operation is ordered by a surgeon, definitely in cases of ruptured appendix, your child will be placed on anesthesia. There are two methods used these days in terms of incision; one is the traditional large incision while the other refers to small incisions to facilitate the entry of a laparoscope, a small camera at the end of the probe. As expected, the appendix will be removed from the large intestines and any other accumulated fluid will be drained to make sure that there is a reduction in the risk of further infection. Your child will be given antibiotic intravenously and he may have to stay in the hospital for a few days to weeks depending on his response to the treatment.

Just like cough and colds, it is quite common for children to have headaches. They can tell you that they have slight discomforts on their head from time to time without any concrete cause. Normally, children will complain of having headaches because they watched too much television, got hooked on their favorite video games for quite some time, and got exposed to either too much heat or cold.

Although most headaches in children are not that serious, still it is a must for parents to do something about it because it can give a lot of discomforts to the child. Yes, there are a lot of pain medications that are available, but these medicines may be too harsh for your child to handle leading to harmful side effects. The best way to treat the common headache in children is by using natural methods. At least you will have the peace of mind that your child will not be suffering from the harmful adverse effects that most pain medications do to children.

The following are natural ways on how to treat common headache in children:

• Let your child rest. As soon as your child complains that he is having headache, let him stop from what he was doing. Usually, they have headache when they are too much preoccupied on the things that they are currently hooked into like playing video games. After having rested, the headache will usually subside.
• Offer something to drink. Warm milk when the weather is too cold and cold juices when the weather is very hot. Dehydration can also lead to having headaches so it is always best to keep your child hydrated at all times.
• Place a cold compress on your child’s forehead. This will help lessen the discomfort that your child is feeling.
• Minimize light and noise. Too much light and noise can trigger headaches. So when your child is having a headache, see to it that he stays in a room that is dim and peaceful.
• Gently massage your child’s temples, nape, and neck. This will help relieve headaches.
• Be physically present, children are still very clingy and most often they need you to be there. Knowing that you are there, they can feel less stressed and worried so they can recuperate well.

Although most headaches in children are not serious, just make sure that you send them to the hospital the soonest time possible when the headache is accompanied by difficulty of breathing, panicking, change in skin color, vomiting, and loss of consciousness. These indicators may signal that your child is having a serious condition other than the common headache.

Food poisoning refers to a condition where the body suffers from a host of signs and symptoms that were caused by toxins or bad bacteria that are also considered as poisonous substances. There are instances when poisoning may be mild but there are also cases when it can be fatal.

Most cases of food poisoning are blamed to eating food or drinking water that is contaminated by various kinds of toxins. The manifestations are completely the same with that of the simpler stomach virus such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, fever, chills, diarrhea (which may even contain fresh blood) and headache. These usually show up after a few hours to around three days after ingesting the toxins. The condition may last for a day and extended for weeks or more especially in more serious cases.

If you think your child is suffering from a bout of food poisoning, it is important to contact your healthcare provider the soonest possible time. If the doctor sees fit, a visit to the hospital or clinic means your child will have to undergo procedures such as blood urine, and stool examinations. If he suffers from dehydration, he may have to be given intravenous fluids. Also, be ready about important information that will help your doctor. These include when did the symptoms start to occur, what your child may have eaten in the past days and if anyone else in the family is sick with similar symptoms.

What follows is a quick look of the most common food-borne infections.

• Salmonella is usually seen in raw or undercooked eggs, raw milk and dairy products, seafood such as shellfish and shrimp and meat. It can be passed by the food handlers as well as other reptile pets.
• Campylobacter is present in unpasteurized milk and raw or undercooked poultry. It can also be seen in the stool of a cat or a dog.
• Escherichia coli is transmitted via both food and water containing the feces of an infected animal or person. This is where the importance of teaching our children to wash their hands after using the toilet comes in because an infected person, for example, a food handler, has the ability to spread the disease to other individuals. The strains of E. coli may prove to be life-threatening to our children especially babies.
• Clostridium botulinum is found in soil but can be transmitted in some of our foods like improperly canned, cured, or smoked foods. For this reason, experts advise against giving honey to our babies under one year old.

To temporarily alleviate the condition of your child, you should make it a point to replace the lost fluids and electrolytes by giving your child oral rehydration salts that can purchased in pharmacies. Offer your child small sips of water and in cases of fever, you may give Ibuprofen or Acetaminophen.

Finally, you can curb these problems by always reminding your child to be careful of what he eats or drinks. It is equally important to teach young children to practice handwashing before they eat and even after using the bathroom. For parents and guardians, wash and cook the food well enough making sure that proper storage is also considered.

Cuts and scrapes will almost always be a part of your life as a parent. Moreover, cuts and scrapes will have to be dealt with by your child as he grows to explore the world beyond the house he grew up in.

Inasmuch as it is difficult to imagine seeing your child bruised or cut, as parents, we must be ready in cases these situations happen. If you see your toddler or pre-schooler has a cut or scrape (abrasion), make sure that even before handling the wound, you have already washed your hands to take a good look of the injured area. Apply direct pressure using a clean towel or bandage until you are sure that the bleeding has already stopped. However, if you notice that the bleeding has not fully stopped in around ten minutes, it is safer to bring your child to the nearest hospital for further care and evaluation. Medications like a tetanus booster shot and pain relievers may be given; stitches are also a possibility.

If the bleeding has stopped, make sure to check for any debris or any other foreign matter lodged in and around the wound. These can be effectively removed by exposing the affected area under running water. If your child is able to tolerate it, you may also use soap; others make a soapy solution as this is better tolerated by a child. You may also remove the debris manually or use tweezers.

In the absence of running water, you may also use Hydrogen Peroxide or Betadine as a cleaning agent as opposed to rubbing alcohol which is understandably more painful. Unlike water though, you have to take precaution in using these agents liberally. Your purpose is just to clean the wound and not to heal it immediately. An interesting point raised is that some parents and even guardians will actually blow the area to ease the pain felt by the child. Although it is not highly recommended, most of us won’t deny the fact that when we were younger, we felt the same way, assured and stronger even if it may mean, for experts, more germs. After cleansing the area, you may wish to apply anti-bacterial ointment. Still, if the affected area is just small, Bacitracin or Polysporin is no longer necessary as your child’s immune system will be able to cover up for the said wound.

There were also instances in the past when you would rather ask your parents to put a bandage on the affected area; like the blow, you feel more secured. Otherwise, if your child tolerates it, you may want to leave the cut or scrape open, without any bandage as the spot can be healed this way without any risk. If you think that the area might bleed again, may rub against your child’s clothes or it may get dirty, you might want to use the ever-dependable adhesive bandage to make sure that the area is protected to promote healing.

Remember to always change the bandage everyday and always re-examine the wound. Check for other signs of possible infection like a foul smelling discharge, excessive swelling and tenderness. To prevent infection and to facilitate further healing, maintain good circulation of the affected area. Do not keep the area covered tightly and expose it to air once in a while.

Hemorrhoids are one of the conditions that most of us don’t wish to have. The pain it gives can be very agonizing that it can greatly affect one’s activities of daily living. The symptoms that hemorrhoids give us adults are really occurrences that we never long to have because of the hassles it gives even though it is not a serious threat to the health as compared to other diseases.

While hemorrhoids commonly affect older persons especially those who are pregnant, obese and are frequently sitting down, we often think that children are not affected with the condition. But in reality, hemorrhoids can be a condition that can happen to children too especially when they are constipated because of low fiber intake and have too much straining because of hardened stools.

Children suffering with hemorrhoids may also experience the symptoms just like what adults feel like pain upon defecation, rectal bleeding, and inflammation of the anus. While managing the symptoms of hemorrhoids in adults is not much of a problem as there are many treatment modalities available, it may be different in children. Adult medications for hemorrhoids are just too harsh for children to use. Considering surgery or hemorrhoidectomy is not advised too because the process can be too hard for a child to handle.

The best ways to treat hemorrhoids in children is to use the natural approach. These methods do not pose any side effects that can harm their young bodies. Here are some of the ways on how to naturally treat hemorrhoids in children:

• Make sure that what your child is eating are foods that are rich in fiber. Giving them meats and other protein rich foods will just aggravate the condition and make the hemorrhoids of your children worse. In order to prevent your child from having hemorrhoids and much more if they already have the condition is by serving them foods with high fiber like fruits and vegetables.
• Water is very important in preventing most diseases from affecting your children just like constipation. See to it that your child drinks six to eight glasses of water every day to soften stools making it easier to pass out.
• Encourage your child to be active. When your child is a couch potato and has little or no time to play or exercise then he is prone to have hemorrhoids. Simple exercises or even have active play can help facilitate proper bowel movement.
• When your child has swelling on his anal region, try to use cold compress. This will help ease the swelling and lessen the feeling of pain that your child may be feeling.

When your child’s hemorrhoids are getting worse despite doing these interventions, see your doctor at once. This may signal that your child has other serious conditions that need more advanced medical attention.