How long. A mistake that is all too easy to make is to assume that because a child acts well, he or she is well. Taking a child off medication too soon can cause relapses and complications. The symptoms of an illness can subside long before the illness itself is over. The child’s earache goes away, the fever drops, the appetite returns to normal, and the parent thinks the child is well again. In fact, the healing process may barely have begun. Strep infections, for example, require ten straight days of antibiotic treatment. Some infections – urinary tract and ear infections, for instance – often take even longer, even though the symptoms may disappear in a day.

Therefore, instructions such as “Give for ten full days,” “Continue for two weeks,” “Give until finished,” are not just so many words. They are precise and necessary directions to you from the doctor. Consider such an instruction not as a request, but as an order.

How to. It’s best to let your child find out early that taking medication is just one of those things children have to do now and then. It is one of those situations in which you are the boss and the child doesn’t have a choice in the matter.

Every parent needs to know how to give a child medicine, and the parent who reports to the doctor that “my child just won’t take your medication” is forcing the doctor to resort to another method of treatment which may be less effective. In extreme cases, a child who cannot be medicated at home must be hospitalized so that the appropriate medications can be given by professionals.

A young child, approached in a reassuring and matter-of-fact manner, will usually accept medication without any trouble. There are ways in which you can make it easy for both you and the child.

Liquid medicine can be given directly from the spoon (after carefully measuring) – in fact, many medications designed for children are specially flavored so that they are not unpleasant to taste. An alternative method is to use a non-glass medicine dropper to squirt the liquid slowly into the child’s cheek. If you use this method you must be very careful not to direct the stream of liquid forcefully against the back of the throat and down the windpipe.

If the medicine doesn’t taste good, give the child a sweet treat afterwards to take away the bad taste (or disguise the medicine in a little stewed apple, ice cream, or juice). If you do this, however, make sure the child takes the entire portion.

Some infants and toddlers will accept medicine in the form of chewable tablets, or even regular tablets or capsules that can be swallowed whole. However, do not give pills and capsules to even a cooperative child under the age of five. Small children can easily choke to death on a bulky pill. If the medication for the young child is not available in liquid form, mash tablets or empty the contents of capsules into a small quantity of juice or food before giving them to the child. Again, you must watch to see the child gets the whole dose.

After the age of five or six your child can probably swallow tablets or capsules whole. You can help the child learn how to do this by taking advantage of occasions when he or she needs a nonprescription remedy – aspirin for a slight headache, perhaps. If the child is willing, show him or her how to put the pill on the back of the tongue and swallow it with a drink or with a half-teaspoonful of ice cream, stewed apple, or jelly. Whenever a child is taking a pill, watch to be sure the medication goes down smoothly and the child is in no danger of choking.

A final word: don’t ever try to fool a child into taking medication by saying it’s “a sweet” or “just like sweets.” Very many cases of drug poisoning have occurred in children who helped themselves to medications that looked or tasted like sweets. Many doctors even discourage the use of children’s vitamin pills that are sweet-flavoured, brightly coloured, or shaped like cartoon characters. Such products blur the distinction in the child’s mind between sweets and drugs and the child may make a tragic mistake.

*257/84/5*

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Posted by admin on April 28th, 2009 :: Filed under General health
Tags :: General health

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Anaemia occurs when there is too little hemoglobin in the blood. Hemoglobin is the substance that carries oxygen in the blood and gives the blood its red color. Normally, hemoglobin is contained within the red blood cells (RBCs). A child can be anemic because there are too few RBCs, because each RBC contains too little hemoglobin, or as a result of both conditions.

There are more than 30 types of anaemia, each with its own cause and treatment. The most common is iron deficiency anaemia. Anaemia can occur at any age. Some forms run in families; others are acquired.

Among the most common causes of anaemia are a poor diet that does not include enough of the nutrients needed to manufacture hemoglobin (iron, protein, folic acid, vitamin Bi2, and copper); the loss of blood by internal or external bleeding; a failure to absorb nutrients, even though they are eaten; the formation of abnormal (short-lived) RBCs; an inability of the bone marrow to produce RBCs fast enough; and the too-rapid destruction of normal RBCs within the body. In addition to the many diseases that are forms of anaemia, many other illnesses can produce anaemia.

Signs and symptoms

Most cases of anaemia produce no symptoms. However, tiredness, shortness of breath, rapid pulse, and jaundice (yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes) may be clues. If a child looks pale, check the nail beds, the inside of the eyelids, and the membranes inside the mouth for additional colorlessness. Also watch for these possible causes of anaemia: vomiting of blood; blood in the stools (red or tarry-black bowel movements); excessive menstruation; a grossly inadequate diet; chronic diarrhea; and exposure to poisonous substances.

If you think your child might have anaemia, see your doctor. The presence and type of anaemia can only be determined by laboratory tests. Periodic examinations and a medical history taken by a doctor can help detect anaemia early, an important factor in treatment. If one family member has anaemia, watch for symptoms in other family members.

Home care

Never attempt to treat anaemia yourself. The wrong treatment can be harmful and will make a proper medical diagnosis difficult. All children should receive a balanced diet to prevent anaemia caused by lack of proper nutrition.

Precaution

Iron overdosing is the second most common poisoning among children in this country. If iron supplements are prescribed by your doctor, keep them out of the reach of children. Some iron medicines are sweet, and children might mistake them for candy.

Medical treatment

To evaluate your child for anaemia, the doctor will give your child a physical examination, take a medical history, and test for simple total blood count. Your doctor may also need to take a reticulocyte (young RBC) count, platelet (a blood element that aids in clotting) count, and measurements of iron and of the iron-binding capacity in the blood. More extensive testing, if necessary, will include hemoglobin electrophoresis, sickle cell test, urinalysis, test of stools for hidden blood, examination of bone marrow, test for poisons, examination of the child’s parents’ blood, X ray of the intestinal tract, and blood chemistries. These tests will determine the type of anaemia.

The treatment prescribed may include adding supplementary iron and vitamins to the diet, a change in diet, and-though rarely-a blood transfusion. Iron or vitamin injections also are rarely called for and, if given, are administered for the first one or two doses only.

As treatment proceeds, be sure additional tests are scheduled to check on the effectiveness of the treatment. The proof of proper treatment is in the cure.

*11/84/5*

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Posted by admin on April 28th, 2009 :: Filed under General health
Tags :: General health

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Sometimes friends ask me to stay on for a meal at night after school, but I can’t because of my evening insulin dose. It is too far to go home just for an insulin injection.

Don’t let your diabetes routine spoil things for you. What are the options?

1.     Miss out on your evening dose that night. If it is a small dose and you are careful with what you eat and pretty accurate this might be all right. Check your blood glucose when you get home, and if it is high give a small dose of quick acting insulin before supper.

2.     Refuse the invitation and go home for insulin. Not a good idea. Even if you didn’t want to stay you shouldn’t use diabetes as an excuse.

3.     Ring up your parents and ask them to drive over with your insulin and syringe. This would answer your problem but would it be fair to ask? Only you (and they) could answer this.

4.     Stay for the meal and plan to have a modified dose of insulin when you get home. About two thirds of the usual dose at supper time would probably cover you satisfactorily, but check your blood glucose. You could need a little more of the quick acting insulin if it is high. I favour the fourth option but discuss it with your parents when the occasion arises.

I am going on a school camp. What should I do about blood tests and insulin?

The best way to enjoy your camp is to make sure you don’t have a hypo, or let your diabetes get out of control. Be prepared for activity, perhaps delayed meals and unusually late nights.

Take a good supply of syringes, an extra bottle of each insulin (in case of accidents) blood testing strips, urine-ketone strips and a good supply of carbohydrate exchanges, such as dried food, barley-sugar, other lollies and biscuits. It may be best to take the blood testing strips that don’t need a meter (BM Test Glycemie 20-800 or Glucostix).

Make sure a responsible adult knows about your diabetes and what to do if you have a hypo.

Make sure that your friends know that you will need insulin injections and may need extra food or sugar.

Divide your supplies of insulin and syringes into two packs. You carry one and a responsible friend or adult carries the other. A lost pack could otherwise spoil the camp.

Discuss what to do about blood tests and insulin in advance with your doctor. Here is my suggestion: Do a blood test when you get up. If it is low have some sugar at once while waiting for breakfast. If it is high and you don’t feel well check for urine-ketones. You could need extra quick acting insulin if ketones are positive but check in advance with your doctor how much you would give.

Otherwise have a slightly reduced dose of insulin because you will probably be pretty active at camp and need less insulin because it works more efficiently this way. Have extra carbohydrate during the day if you are very active, especially hikes or swimming.

If a meal is delayed have one or two exchanges at the usual time while you wait for the meal. Have your evening dose of insulin just before the evening meal, but reduce the dose to prevent a night time hypo.

Do a blood test before you go to bed. If it is low have an extra starch exchange to make sure that you don’t become hypoglycemic during the night.

With these precautions you should have no trouble – and your parents won’t need to worry about you either.

*96/54/5*

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Posted by admin on April 28th, 2009 :: Filed under Diabetes
Tags :: Diabetes

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