How is gastro spread?

Viral gastro can be easily spread from person to person. It is very important to keep children with gastro away from other children outside of your family. They should not go to day-care, kindergarten or school whilst they are sick.

Hand-washing with soap and water (for example, after nappy changes or going to the toilet, as well as before and after food preparation) is very important to stop the spread of the virus.

Remember

• If your baby is less than six months old and has gastroenteritis, see a doctor as soon as possible.
• Other members of the family may be affected.
• Young children tend to be affected most.
• Give enough fluids to cover normal requirements and to replace what is lost through vomiting an diarrhoea

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Causes of meningitis

Meningitis is due to infection with either viruses or bacteria. Much rarer causes include fungi or malignant (cancer) cells. In general, meningitis due to bacteria (bacterial meningitis) is more severe than meningitis caused by viruses (viral meningitis). Most children with viral meningitis recover completely. Some children with meningitis may have long-term problems, but this depends on the cause of the infection and the age of the child.
The common symptoms of meningitis in infants and young children may be very non-specific. Older children may be able to complain of more specific symptoms like headache or that the light hurts their eyes.
Common symptoms are:

• High fever
• Irritability
• Lethargy and drowsiness
• Vomiting and loss of appetite
• Headache

Treatment

If you are worried your child may have meningitis, you must take your child to your doctor or hospital immediately.
Bacterial meningitis can be treated with antibiotics while viral meningitis may require very little treatment. The way a child is affected by the illness is different for each child.

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What causes a sore throat?

It is usually caused by infection with viruses and less often bacteria.In younger children (less than two years old), throat infections are usually viral in origin. Antibiotics do not help viral infections.

What to do?

Pain relief is important as reducing pain can encourage your child to eat and drink. Give pain relief such as
Paracetamol (“Panadol”) or Ibuprofen (“Brufen”) using the dose recommended on the bottle.
Your child may find swallowing difficult. Encouraging your child to drink fluids is very important. They may wish to drink smaller amount of fluids and should be offered drinks more often than usual. Warm fluids and soft foods may be easier for your child to swallow.
Throat sprays or throat lozenges are not recommended.

Remember

• Give pain relief as required.
• Encourage your child to drink plenty of fluids.
• Seek medical attention if the symptoms persist for more than 48hours or your child develops other symptoms.

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]]> https://www.childspecialist.com.pk/constipation/ Fri, 04 Sep 2015 10:15:52 +0000 http://doctordirectory.pk/projects/wpchildspecialist/?p=158 Constipation is a common problem in childhood. It is rarely due to an underlying medical cause. Your doctor will be […]

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]]> Constipation is a common problem in childhood. It is rarely due to an underlying medical cause. Your doctor will be able to determine if any extra tests are necessary for your child.

What causes constipation?

It is not always clear why children become constipated. Causes may include:

1. Holding onto stools

   • Children may put off going to the toilet if it is painful or if they are too busy and distracted e.g. if they are playing.
   • Other children might avoid using toilets at preschool/school if they are unfamiliar, smelly, or if they don’t want to be teased.
   • Holding on can cause the stool to build up in the bowel and it can become hard.

2. Illnesses where your child eats and drinks less

   • If your child has a viral illness, they may eat and drink less than normal. This can contribute to constipation because less food/drink is being consumed. Children can also get constipated after having gastroenteritis due to poor fluid intake.

3. Not enough fibre from food

   • Fibre helps our bowels to work regularly. If fibre is not part of child diet then problem can arise
   • It is also important to not to give your child above the recommended amount of fibre as it can worsen the symptoms especially in a child not drinking enough fluid

4. Not enough fluid

   • Your bowels need fibre and fluid to work together, to keep them moving regularly

What to do?

It is important for your child to pass any hard stool that is stuck in the lower bowel. The lower bowel can often be overstretched and not working properly. Any hard stool that may be stuck needs to be passed to clear the bowel and let it recover. The stools then need to be kept soft, often for a long time, to allow the overstretched bowel to return to its normal size again. This will also help the stools to bepassed without pain. While having enough fibre is important, the best way to treat constipation is with medication and behavioural techniques.

Key Points

• Treatment of constipation takes time and patience. Constipation can, and often does, come back again
• Fibre, fluid and regular exercise can all help to keep the bowel working regularly.
• Remind your child to avoid holding on to their stools. Encourage them to sit on the toilet after at least one meal a day
• Always use any medications for constipation as directed by your doctor

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]]> https://www.childspecialist.com.pk/abdominal-pain-stomach-ache/ Fri, 04 Sep 2015 10:11:15 +0000 http://doctordirectory.pk/projects/wpchildspecialist/?p=154 Stomach aches are very common in children and there are many causes. Most stomach aches are not due to a […]

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]]> Stomach aches are very common in children and there are many causes. Most stomach aches are not due to a serious illness and children usually get better on their own.

What causes it?

Pain can arise from any structure in the abdomen including the stomach, bowel, kidneys, bladder and other organs. Even severe stomach ache does not always mean your child is suffering from a serious illness. Severe stomach ache can be associated with mild illnesses such as wind pain from drinking too much fizzy drink, eating too much or cramping from constipation or a viral infection. Nevertheless, some serious illnesses can start with relatively mild stomach ache
Some children get abdominal pain as a result of stress.

What are the symptoms like?

Stomach ache can happen suddenly or develop slowly. Your infant or young child may cry and draw their knees up towards their chest when they have a stomach ache. Nonetheless, these symptoms may also be unrelated to stomach aches. They may also have other symptoms that are associated with the cause of the stomach ache, such as vomiting, diarrhoea and/or fever.

What can you do for your child at home?

• See if your child will lie down & rest.
• Encourage your child to drink plenty of clear fluids (give small amounts frequently).
• If they don’t want to eat, don’t force them.
• Encourage your child to sit on the toilet; sometimes doing a poo helps the pain.
• Do not give your child any medications other than simple pain relief medication, such as paracetamol,without first talking to your doctor.

Key Points

• Encourage plenty of clear fluids and do not force your child to eat.
• Do not give your child any medications without first talking to your doctor.
• Contact your local doctor immediately if you are concerned.

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