Childhood Illnesses

Common Illnesses

Colds - are caused by a virus. It's sometimes difficult to tell wheather a baby actually has a cold or just the normal baby snuffles. A baby with a cold looks miserable and sounds "wet". Mucus flows his nose. The mucus may slip down the back of his throat and make him cough. He finds it difficult to breathe and has trouble eating and sleeping. There's no cure for a cold, nor any medicine which makes the cold get better any faster. You may give your bub some infant paracetamal to help reduce fever and discomfort. But remember that paracetamal is not a cure for the cold itself. Mucus symptons, such as noisy breathing and a blocked nose can persist for six to eight weeks after the cold has gone as babies take a lot longer to clear their bodies of mucus than adults.See your Dr if your baby becomes floppy, developes a fever which won't come down, has difficulty breathing or develops blue lips.

Coughs - When coughing is associated with wheezing, a high fever, breathlessness or sleepless nights you should see your Dr or pharmacist before admistering any cough suppressant.

Croup - involves narrowing of the voice box and windpipe and is more common in toddlers than babies. It usually follows a viral infection in the upper respiratory tract which affects the voice box. The baby's cough sounds like a a baby seal barking. The cough is usually accompanied by a "crowing" noise as he breathes in. A baby with croup may feel a little better breathing warm moist air. This can be created by using a vapouriser or by steaming up the bathroom. If the baby does not respond well to this and has difficulty breathing, go straight to your Dr or the hospital emergency department.

Fevers - Babies and toddlers are more prone to fevers than older children and adults. Fever is the body's natural defence against infection so a fever may accompany an illness, such as a cold or diarrhoea, or it could be present if your child is suffering from an infectios disease like measels or chicken pox. A baby's fever can also be caused by other factors not relating to  an infection, such as over dressing, being kept too long in a hot car or out on a hot day, or following immunisation. Babies whom have been crying or are teething may feel warm, but usually don't have a true fever.

Diarrohea - means there are alot of loose, watery bowel motions which are often mucasy, very smelly and a different colour to your bubs usual stools. Sudden diarrohea is usually caused by a viral infection in the gut (gastroenteritis) It's uncommon for babies who are exclusevly breastfed to get gastroenteritis during the first three months after their birtth. It's also unsual for bottle fed babies in Australia to get gastroenteritis in the first three months as long as the water supply is reliable and correct procedures are used to ensure safe bottle feeding.The correct treatment for diarrohea is oral rehydration with fluids containing some sugar and salt - for eg, diluted (non diet) fruit cordials. This is best achieved by giving frequent small amounts of fluids for 24 hours. However if your breastfeeding, you should continue breastfeeding, offering your bub frequent feeds. Raley babies develope a temporary lactose intolerance following gastroenteritis which means thier watery dirrohea comes back once full strenght formular or milk is reintroduced. When this happens a lactose-free formular is required for two to three weeks until the bowel recovers. Most babies respond well to these measures but, unfortunatly, there are times when the correct advice is not given or parents and health proffessionals underestimate the severity of the illness. If in doubt, take your baby to the nearest emergency department of a major hospital.

Chicken Pox - is preceded by a mild fever and a fussy baby for a day or two. The rash starts as small, raised pink spots which turn into blisters and then form crusts on the baby's trunk. The incubation period is 12 - 21 days so there can be a three week gap between family members becoming infected. Treatment aims to relieve the itch and fever. Give infant paracetamal and warm to hot baths. Add some anti-itch solution, such as pinetarsol, to the bath water. A vaccination is available, and is reccomended at 18 months of age. If pregnant women comes into contact with chicken pox she should consult her Dr to check that she has immunity.

Mumps - is now relativly uncommon, but is an unpleasent disease mainly affecting children between the ages of 5 and 15. The infection affects the glands just below and in front of one or both ears. The ears become swollen and remain painful for six - seven days. Mumps is treated with rest, a soft diet and plenty of fluids. There is now a very effective vaccination against mumps included in your baby's usual immunisation program.

Whooping Cough -  's continued presence is partly due to the fact that immunisation only offers 70 - 80 per cent protection, but is mostly due to families not immunising against it. If your baby has been immunised and does get whooping cough the symptoms are usually milder and less likely to cause complications. Whooping cough starts with a runny nose and progresses over a week to include a dry cough. The cough then develops into bouts of repeated coughing followed by a "whoop" or by vomiting. Small babies tend not to "whoop" but have difficulty breathing and "blue" attacks. They are at great risk and usually need hospital care so they can have round the clock attention. Even mild cases last 6 weeks.

Roseola - An acute viral disease which is most often seen in babies between 6 and 24 months. The incubation period is 10 days. Roseola begins with a high fever for several days, but often there are no other obviouse signs of illness. However, there may be slightly swollen glandsat the back of the baby's head or neck. After a few day's the fever comes down and the baby breaks out in a fine, pink, slightly blotchy rash on his trunk. The rash usually fades within a couple of days. Treatment involves bringing the high fever down with infant paracetamal and, if nessacerry tepid sponging.

Taken from the Babycare Book 2005