A new study has shown that children who live in areas where there’s a lot of traffic pollution have a lower IQ than children who live in areas where the air is clean.

Vehicles emit a substance called black carbon. The researchers found that of the 202 8-11 year old Boston children they studied, those who scored lower in the intelligence tests that were set were more exposed to black carbon.

The effects were likened to those experienced by children whose mothers smoked 10 cigarettes a day while pregnant with them.

The study’s lead author, Dr. Shakira Franco Suglia, stated that short of moving away from a heavy-trafficked neighbourhood, there wasn’t a lot that people could do to curb its effects.

(source)

Do make sure the room your child is in is warm and well-aired. If (s)he is sweating, use a lukewarm flannel to wipe their face and neck. Also, ensure you change their clothes and their bed linen on a regular basis.

Give them paracetamol, adhering to the proper dosage for their age. Stop giving it to them once their temperature starts to go down.

If your fevered child is under 6 months old and hits an armpit temperature of over 38.3C (101F), or a rectal temperature of over 39.7C (104F), do call your doctor immediately. Make the same call if your child is older and their fever’s running over 40C (104F).

[source: Total Health – the essential family guide to conventional & complementary medicine (by Dr David Peters) ]

It is not unusual for babies and toddlers to experience at least one febrile convulsion – although it can be quite frightening for parents. Febrile convulsions are convulsions that result from a sudden rise in temperature; often the result of a stomach bug or an infection such as bronchitis.

If your child has a high temperature and you see their eyes roll and he or she suddenly goes rigid and begins to shake or convulse, then it is quite likely that they are having a febrile convulsion. While you should always call a doctor if this happens there are some things you can do to relieve the symptoms or to stop them before they occur. If the convulsion has already begun then try to ensure that the child is on his or her side and loosen all clothing. Get someone to fetch a bowl with tepid water and a cloth and start to sponge your child down – the aim is to reduce the temperature as quickly as possible and hopefully end the convulsion.

Once you have experienced the onset of a febrile convulsion it will be easier to avoid in future by trying to keep your child’s temperature below a certain level – again you can sponge them down with tepid water; but make sure that they don’t get too cold.  Some children never experience febrile convulsions and those who do may only ever have the one.

A small study found an increased level of phthalates in urine samples of infants who’d recently been applied with baby shampoo, lotion or powder. This increase was more prevalent in babies under 8 months old.

Phthalates are chemicals commonly-found in products such as toys, cosmetics, medical supplies and vinyl flooring.

In the light of studies which suggest that phthalates can cause birth defects in animals, some activists believe a baby’s exposure to the chemical could cause reproductive problems in boys and encourage early puberty in girls.

However, more research is needed as there’s apparently no direct evidence to suggest phthalates are indeed harmful or that they are in baby products at all (i.e., the baby products themselves weren’t tested).

Dr. Sheela Sathyanarayana, lead author of the study, said, “Babies don’t usually need special lotions and powders, and water alone or shampoo in very small amounts is generally enough to clean infant hair.”

Parents worried about using phthalates on their babies should look around for products with a ‘Phthalate-free’ label on them.

Croup is very common among young children. It is characterized by its cough that sounds very hoarse, like the barking of a dog. The reason for this unique coughing sound is that is causes the respiratory system, especially the trachea, larynx and bronchial tube to inflame and tighten up. This results in the unique sounding cough, as well as a variety of other symptoms, including a very hoarse and raspy voice. There is also a noise, that isn’t wheezing, but a bit deeper, when a child with croup is breathing.

Croup usually begins like a normal cold with the fever, slight cough and stuffy nose. However, it takes up to 72 hours for croup to develop. When kids have croup, they’re symptoms can subside or even different during the day when they are moving around. However, at night, the symptoms return and many children awaken during the night to violent coughing fits. There isn’t much to do for these violent fits, but you can administer children’s cough medicine which sometimes helps to ease the cough and gets the child in the right frame of mind.

As a parent, temper tantrums from you toddler is something that is expected. However, they can be difficult to deal with. So exactly how do you handle your child during a temper tantrum and how can you properly teach them to deal with their emotions in a way that promotes mental health in the future? It can seem impossible, but there are a couple well known techniques you can employ if you wish to deal with temper tantrums effectively.

The first is to ignore the temper tantrum completely. Act as if it doesn’t bother you. Your child will learn from this. They will eventually realize that tantrums are not an effective way of getting your attention or getting what they want. This will help them think and develop other skills to getting your attention or what they want. They will be forced to stop throwing tantrums to get what they want.

Another technique is the famous “time out.” A time out allows a child the chance to be taken away from the situation and to calm down. This will teach them that sometimes you need to remove yourself from a situation to calm down before letting your emotions get the best of you. Time outs, however, can only be effective for children who can understand the reasoning behind it.

If you have a child, you need to know about impetigo. Impetigo is a bacterial skin infection. It causes little red blisters that eventually burst to leave moist skin and then form a golden crust that spreads outward. Most children contract this disease around their mouth or nose and their arms or legs. Impetigo is contracted by coming in contact with the disease when they have an open wound. Usually the infection is passed by another child that has the infection. However the bacteria that causes this affliction can be found anywhere. It can even be spread by your child bathing in a tub with a fresh wound or scratch.

 

If impetigo goes untreated then serious and permanent problems can develop. The blisters that eventually burst can penetrate the deeper layers of the skin and cause ulcers that are very itchy. Scratching the ulcers will then cause the bacteria to spread easier and faster and soon your child may be riddled in these ulcers, called ecthyma. These ulcers, because they are so deep, can cause permanent pigment changes or scars. There is also a severe kidney infection that occurs in 2% to 5% of those with echthyma or impetigo, and those most susceptible are children. However, most that contract this kidney disease will fully recover after treatment.

Obesity has important implications for the physical and emotional health of children and adolescents and increases the risk of continuing obesity and development of diseases later in life.  Preventive counseling from health care professionals is an essential component of treating obese children and adolescents.  Although this is such an important part of treatment for obesity, health care professionals have consistently shown low rates of prevention counseling in his/her everyday primary care practices.  There are several barriers in providing preventive counseling.  These include lack of clinician self-efficacy and knowledge, limited time, and poor reimbursement for preventive services.  Even if the health care provider does not encounter these barriers in his/her practice, the interventions have generally had disappointing results.  Obesity is known for its confirmed links to increased mortality.  There is also evidence that health care professionals do not frequently counsel his/her overweight patients.

 

For school-aged children, the majority of nurses often used changes in eating patterns and limitations of specific foods.  Less often, nurses used low-fat diet and modest calorie restriction.  Other eating interventions used when treating obese children and adolescents are listed.  Approaches that were reported included: eating more fruits and vegetables, controlling food portions, increasing intake of water, eating more fiber, and learning to determine hunger and fullness levels.  Decrease in sedentary behavior and increase in unstructured physical activity of free play are used often as well as often recommended increase in organized activity. The responses for the adolescent activity interventions were very similar to the responses for school-aged children.