While not all illnesses are common, the vaccines are still important to prevent an outbreak. Here are some of the most common illnesses that are prevented with proper vaccination.

1. Diphtheria: It is a condition where the throat is covered in a thick coating, making it almost impossible to breathe.
2. Pertussis: It causes severe coughing which can interfere with your child’s eating, breathing and even sleep. This is also referred to as whooping cough.
3. Tetanus: This is also known as lockjaw. It is a condition that leads to muscle spasm, which can make it difficult for your child to breathe. In severe cases, it can also lead to seizure or paralysis, and even death.
4. Measles: This causes very high fever, infection in the brain as well as pneumonia. It also causes rashes across the body.
5. Mumps: This can lead to very high fever, body ache, headache, hearing problems, deafness in severe cases, swelling in the glands and pain and swelling in ovaries and testes.
6. Rubella: Also known as German measles, it can lead to severe birth defects if the mother contracts it during pregnancy.
7. Polio: Polio can lead to paralysis or extreme weakness in the limbs. Even if the child recovers for the time being, the symptoms can return and cause the same problems.
8. Hib (also known as Haemophilus influenzae type B): Even though the name sounds similar to that of influenza, Hib is very different from influenza. It typically affects the brain and may cause meningitis. As a result, the child can suffer from deafness or sudden violent seizures. In some cases, it can also affect a child’s windpipe and lead to suffocation. In such a case, if not taken care in time, the condition can turn fatal.
9. Meningococcal disease: This is a very serious condition which can cause a sudden brain infection known as meningitis, and the results can be fatal. It can also cut off flow of blood to the hands and feet which can make the limbs useless permanently.
10. Hepatitis B: This can cause liver failure and can also pose a big risk for liver cancer.
11. Rotavirus: This spreads easily and causes severe diarrhoea.
12. Pneumococcal disease: This can cause ear infection, pneumonia, meningitis and various other infections.
13. Varicella: Also known as chicken pox, it causes severe rashes on the body and can also lead to pneumonia and swelling in the brain.

Make sure to speak to your baby’s doctor and understand more about the vaccination schedule.

Most parents can easily miss out the first signs of nasal allergies in their children. Most of the initial signs resemble regular cough and cold, and your child may just have a runny nose and no other problem.

However, if you notice that your child has these problems throughout the year, it could point towards some or the other type of nasal allergy.

What causes nasal allergy?

The main culprits for causing nasal allergies in children include dust mites (which are often found a lot in homes without being visible to the eye), shedding and hair from pets, pollen and so on.

One common nasal allergy is hay fever, which is a condition when there is pollen in the wind and the child feels an itching and sneezing in the nose. When it gets worse, your child may continue sneezing uncontrollably. The most common symptoms include watery and itching eyes and frequent sneezing.

These allergies can cause stuffy nose problems, making it difficult for your child to breathe. In some cases, it can also cause production of fluids in the ears, leading to ear infections. If not treated in time, the nasal allergy can make breathing so uncomfortable that your child may start breathing through the mouth on a regular basis.

Common signs

Here are some of the most common signs of nasal allergy:

1. Stuffy or runny nose
2. Pain in the ears
3. Difficulty in hearing
4. Inability to concentrate
5. Sleep disturbance and dark circles
6. Irritable
7. Refuses to eat
8. Always exhausted

How to treat?

The following methods can help to ease your child and reduce the occurrence of nasal allergies:

1. If your child is suffering from hay fever, it is best to let your child sleep in an air-controlled room, so that there are no allergens present from the outdoors.
2. If your child is suffering from year-round nasal allergies, it is important to get a full blood test done by the doctor. This will help the doctor understand what is causing or triggering the allergies and treat it accordingly.
3. In addition to the above, you can also help to prevent nasal allergies in your child by regularly dusting your home. Make sure you do so when your child is not around. The best way to remove dust from your home is to use a vacuum cleaner about twice a week.
4. Remove soft toys as they accumulate a lot of dust.

Make sure to keep your child well hydrated, as it will help strengthen the immune system and fight against infections and allergies.

Also known as the flu, influenza is a common childhood illness. Even though there are various vaccines that keep coming out each year to protect against the flu, your child may still end up getting some of the symptoms.

Common symptoms

Some of the most common symptoms of influenza in children are sore throat, runny nose, slight or constant headache, feeling tired even after sleeping or resting, pain in the muscles or joints, sudden fever, coughing, vomiting and even diarrhoea.

In most cases, the symptoms will get better in a week or two. However, if the symptoms do not get better by then and your child seems to be more uncomfortable, the doctor may suggest a hospital stay to help control and treat the symptoms.

Can influenza be a dangerous health condition?

While this is not always the case, sometimes, the influenza virus may be especially dangerous and contagious. In such a case, the condition can spread very easily as compared to other times, and babies and young children are especially at risk.

Children can easily pass on the influenza virus to each other, especially if there is an infected child in the class room. The virus can spread through tiny droplets when an infected child sneezes or coughs. When a child inhales these droplets, the virus can enter the child’s body and put the child at risk. The influenza virus can also spread if your child comes in direct contact with the mucus or spit of a child who is already infected with the virus.

How to prevent?

The best way to make sure that your child is protected against the influenza virus is to give the yearly vaccination after consulting your child’s doctor. These are given to babies once they are more than six months of age.

If your child is over two years of age and is generally healthy, the doctor may also prescribe a nasal spray influenza vaccine.

Treatment

If not treated on time, influenza can lead to other health conditions such as an ear infection, pneumonia or even sinus.

While the vaccine is the best way to keep your child safe against influenza, the doctor may also prescribe some antiviral medications, such as Tamiflu or Relenza, to help prevent any complications.

Remember that antibiotics will not work on influenza as it is a viral infection, while antibiotics will only work on bacterial infections.

A common childhood skin condition that many parents notice on their children is eczema. Eczema is a type of skin problem in which the skin becomes excessively dry and the affected area turns very rough, patchy and sometimes, even scaly.

Eczema is mainly seen in very small babies, but can also happen during the early childhood years. It usually appears on the forehead or cheek and then spreads towards the neck and ear areas. By the time the child reaches the first year, it can spread to any part of the body.

In children who are between the ages of one and three, eczema is most common in the areas behind the knee or in the crease of the elbow.

Spotting the symptoms

Initially, you may notice redness on the area where eczema is developing. While the skin will first look pink, it will soon turn into a darker shade of pink. In severe cases, the area will turn red and bright red.

Eczema tends to dry out the skin even further, and can cause a strong itching feeling. Your child will constantly try to scratch the area and this can lead to marks as well as wounds. In such a case, the wound or scratch area can get infected with bacteria, and you may see some spotting or oozing.

Even as the eczema wounds are healing, you will notice crusts that feel dry and rough. Also, it will take some weeks for the affected area to get back its natural skin colour and for signs of discolouration to go away.

What causes it?

In most cases, eczema passes on through someone in the family. Other causes may include food or nasal allergies.

The three conditions, when taken together, are known as atopy, or atopic dermatitis. Temperatures and weather conditions also play a major role in worsening eczema. Dry temperatures and even harsh winter or dry summer months can make the symptoms go worse.

Treating eczema

The first step is to find out what triggers eczema and try to remove these factors as much as possible from your child’s life. Some common food allergens that can trigger or worsen eczema include soy products, wheat, nuts, eggs and some types of fish.

Try the following to help soothe your child suffering from eczema:

• Keep the bath water warm and not hot.
• Use a moisturizing natural soap meant for babies.
• Use proper moisturizers to keep the skin hydrated and prevent dryness.
• Do not rub the towel but pat dry.
• Trim baby’s nails to avoid scratching.

Make sure you get your baby examined by a skin specialist to avoid complications.

No matter how careful you are as a parent, it is very normal for children to develop an ear infection. Even though all children will not develop an ear infection, there is one particular type of ear infection known as swimmer’s ear, medically known as otitis externa that is quite common in babies and young children.

What is swimmer’s ear or otitis externa?

This is a condition in which there is an infection in the skin that lines your child’s external ear canal. Initially, the infection can be caused by a small scratch on the skin’s surface, or even if the area around the ear canal is regularly damp. One of the main symptoms that your child may experience is pain in the ear. This will usually get worse if your child pulls at the ear. In some cases, when the infection is already quite developed, there can be pus and a strong foul smell.

Treatment

Depending on your child’s age and the severity of the ear infection, the doctor will suggest the following modes of treatment.

• Mild pain killer: If the pain is too uncomfortable, your child’s doctor may prescribe a mild pain reliever such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen. However, do not give any medication without consulting the doctor first, as it could worsen the infection and lead to other health issues.
• Antibiotic and anti-inflammatory ear drops: In case the infection is already too advanced, just using a pain reliever will not help. The doctor will prescribe some antibiotic drops which will most likely have some antibiotic as well as anti-inflammatory properties. These will help to control the infection from getting worse and also help to reduce and control any further swelling.

How to prevent

The most effective way to prevent a swimmer’s ear is to make sure that the area around the ear canal is always dry.

• Teach your child to properly dry the ears after a bath and even after a swimming session.
• Regularly help clean your child’s ears by using a mix of water and white vinegar in equal proportions. This will increase the acidity level around the ear and prevent growth of bacteria.
• Avoid trying to poke out the ear wax from your child’s ears. Ear wax can also act as a protective layering and you may scratch the ear while trying to remove it, making it prone to infection.

A very common childhood infection that originates in the lung is known as bronchitis. Out of the different tubes in the lung, the largest are known as bronchi.

What is Bronchitis?

Bronchitis is a type of viral infection which causes inflammation in the bronchi, making it difficult to breathe. It also increases the production of mucus, which makes the condition worse. It can also be caused due to certain bacterial infections.

Common symptoms

A child with bronchitis may have some or all of the following symptoms:

1. Runny nose and sore throat
2. Coughing – it will be dry initially and later turn moist
3. Pain in the upper chest or throat area due to coughing
4. Mild fever
5. Shortness of breath
6. Wheezing sound

What to do?

Children usually get better within 5 to 10 days, but it is important to consult your child’s doctor. Here are some things that can help.

1. Giving a steam therapy at home can help improve breathing.
2. Do not give any cold or cough medication without first consulting the doctor.
3. If your child is not eating properly, make sure to include warm fluids in the meals.
4. Remove any traces of smoke, including cigarette, agarbatti and cooking smoke.

What is Bronchiolitis?

While bronchiolitis is also similar to bronchitis, the infection moves from the bronchi to the bronchioles (the smaller air tubes present in the lung). This is also a condition in which there is inflammation. In addition, there is also additional mucus as well as white blood cells that can block the air passage.

The RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) virus is the most common cause of bronchiolitis.

How does it spread?

This infection is most common between the ages of 2 months and 2 years and spreads through physical contact.

Common symptoms

A child with bronchiolitis may have some or all of the following symptoms:

1. Cold
2. Mild fever
3. Difficulty in breathing
4. Wheezing
5. Rib area going inwards while breathing
6. Rapid breathing

What to do?

Doctors mainly suggest and a larger intake of fluids to treat the condition without medicines. In severe cases, doctors may refer hospitalization with extra oxygen for breathing.

What is Pneumonia?

In case of pneumonia, the infection now moves to the substance of the lungs. It is caused mainly by bacteria instead of virus and hence is more serious.

Common symptoms

A child with pneumonia may have some or all of the following symptoms:

1. High fever
2. Fast breathing
3. Frequent coughing

Make sure to consult your child’s doctor in case of any of the above health conditions.

Oh Gosh! It was not too long ago that your baby recovered from an ear infection. And alas! The infection has struck again. By now you are familiar with the symptoms of ear infection – grumpy mood, sleepless nights, runny nose, appetite loss and meddling with ear. But going through the same phase again seems like a nightmare.

Earache is common in babies, but if it is not healing or is recurring, it might be bad for your baby. This recurring or untreated earache is known as chronic ear infection.

What causes chronic ear infection?

The most common type of ear infection is Acute Otitis Media (ACM), which is caused due to cold or upper respiratory infection. When the Eustachian tube, a tube that links the middle ear to the throat, swells or gets blocked, an ear infection occurs. If this fluid is not drained, it leads to pain and even rupturing of the eardrum.

How to treat chronic ear infection?

For a normal ear infection, doctors prefer a wait-and-watch approach. If the situation worsens then the doctor starts with treatment. Every earache is different and so the treatment too differs from case to case.

In most of the cases doctors begin with antibiotics. If the antibiotics are not doing any good and the pain still persists then they move on to the second step, that is, using a Tympanostomy tube. Inserted in the eardrum, after draining the fluid, this tiny plastic or metal tube provides the required passage in the middle ear and prevents infection. This tube falls out itself after 10-12 months.

In some rare cases doctors may ask to remove your kid’s adenoids or pharyngeal tonsils. However, this is not recommended. Check all possibilities, weigh the pros and cons, and if possible, take a second opinion before agreeing for such treatment.

Preventing chronic ear infection

Like other infections, chronic ear infection too can be prevented. These are the ways to reduce the risk of a chronic ear infection:

1. Stay up-to-date with your child’s vaccination. Vaccines safeguard your kid from bacteria and viruses which can cause ear infection.

2. Take proper treatment for ear infection and visit the doctor to make sure it is treated properly.

3. Stop smoking around your baby.

4. Breastfeed your child for at least the first year.

5. Maintain an impeccable hygiene around your baby.

The Eustachian tube in children is smaller than in grown-ups, hence they are more prone to ear infections. You need to practice prevention to keep your kids safe. Remember “Treatment without prevention is simply unsustainable.”