Whooping Cough: Symptoms, Treatment, Prevention

Pertussis, more commonly known as whooping cough, is a bacterial infection caused by the Bordetella pertussis bacterium. The illness typically targets a person’s respiratory system. Whooping cough is a common illness in very young infants and children that have not been vaccinated.

It is difficult to diagnose whooping cough during the early stages of the illness because the infection shares many symptoms with the common cold: a runny nose, fever, cough, and sneezing. However, the mild cough progresses into full-blown coughing after a week or two. The more serious coughing fits can last for over a minute, making it difficult to breathe. After a coughing fit, the sick person typically makes a “whooping” sound as he or she gasps for air.

If your child starts to exhibit symptoms of whooping cough, be sure to bring him or her to a pediatrician. The pediatrician will then confirm the disease by taking a history of symptoms or taking fluid samples for a laboratory test. If the presence of whooping cough is confirmed, the pediatrician will prescribe antibiotics.

Fortunately, the disease can be prevented by having your child vaccinated with the DTaP vaccine. Public health officials advise parents to make sure their children have received all five doses of the DTaP vaccine before the child reaches six years of age. The vaccine is readily available in all pediatric practices.

Important Childhood Vaccinations Your Child Needs

Vaccinations are important in preventing the spread of deadly diseases. In fact, they are the reason why the world no longer has to worry about smallpox.

Seeing as the immune systems of young children are still developing, it is important to have them vaccinated for certain diseases that tend to affect children. Here is a short list of the most important childhood vaccinations:

MMR

The MMR vaccine protects children from three different diseases: measles, mumps, and rubella (German measles). All three are highly dangerous and highly infectious, but can easily be prevented. Recently, cases of measles have been increasing in the United States due to a low vaccination rate, making it even more important for children to get vaccinated.

Varicella

The varicella vaccine protects a child from contracting chickenpox. It is advised that a child be vaccinated for chickenpox before he or she reaches 13 years of age. Many schools require parents to show proof that their child has been vaccinated for chickenpox before admitting the child to the school.

Flu

The flu can cause dangerous complications such as pneumonia and bronchitis. Although the flu vaccine does not guarantee a child will not contract the flu, studies have shown that the vaccine significantly reduces the chances of a child developing flu complications. According to officials from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, everyone six months of age and older should be vaccinated for the flu every year.

Important Childhood Vaccinations Your Child Needs

When Pinkeye Needs Medical Attention

Conjunctivitis, also known as pinkeye, is a highly contagious medical condition that is common in children. Pinkeye develops when the conjunctiva becomes inflamed due to a bacterial or viral infection. Common symptoms of the infection include itchy or burning eyes, a redness in or swelling of the white of the eyes, and a crusting of the eyelids.

Once you notice that your child has developed these symptoms, it’s best to bring him or her to a trusted pediatric clinic to determine the cause of the infection. Although a pediatrician will prescribe house rest for both bacterial and viral infections, bacteria-based pinkeye clears up faster because of the antibiotics that pediatricians prescribe. The infection will typically last 7 to 10 days after the development of symptoms.

During the period of house rest, be sure to follow any instructions from the pediatrician to ensure an uneventful, yet effective, recovery. However, if your child experiences moderate or severe pain in the eyes or increased sensitivity to light, contact a pediatrician immediately. The latter symptoms are not typical of pinkeye cases and may be a precursor for pinkeye complications or a more sinister disease.

Likewise, contact a doctor if your child has a preexisting immunity issue, or bring him to a pediatrician immediately if symptoms are only getting worse after using antibiotics for 24 hours.

When Chickenpox Needs Medical Attention

Chickenpox is one of the most infamous childhood viral infections. Caused by the varicella-zoster virus, chickenpox causes red, itchy blisters to develop on the skin. For the most part, chickenpox is not a serious disease, with many cases lasting for 10 to 12 days only. In fact, pediatricians recommend letting the disease run its course.

When your child develops the trademark blisters of the disease, bring him to a pediatrician immediately to confirm the presence of chickenpox. If chickenpox has been confirmed, you can prepare home remedies like oat baths and bergamot oil to relieve your child’s itching throughout the duration of the disease.

However, if your child experiences severe headaches, an oversensitivity to light, breathing difficulties, or the development of rashes on the eyeball, call a pediatrician immediately. These are not typical chickenpox symptoms and may indicate the presence of a more serious disease.

After fully recovering from chickenpox, the chances of contracting the disease a second time is quite rare. However, a dormant version of the varicella-zoster virus can hide within the body and reappear years later as shingles, an infection similar to chickenpox that affects the nerve area. As such, people who have had chickenpox should closely monitor themselves for symptoms of shingles: severe pain and rashes on one side of the body, high fever, and tender lymph nodes.

Flu Vaccines Options for Children

Once children reach the age of six months, influenza vaccinations become a viable option for fighting against the flu. In fact, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that children be given the annual influenza vaccination once they are old enough. Seasonal flus are one of the most common illnesses in the country due to their highly contagious nature, affecting both children and adults. As such, getting vaccinated every year can drastically reduce the risk of becoming infected with the flu.

The problem with flu vaccinations is that many young children are afraid of needles and injections, with many children dreading or resisting pediatricians administering the shot. Fortunately, advances in medical technology has allowed vaccinologists to create more flu vaccine options available to the general public.

While the traditional flu shot is still available, vaccinologists have come up with annual influenza vaccine formulations that protects people from four dominant strains of the virus, which is a great improvement from the older trivalent vaccines. In addition, the use of nasal spray vaccinations has been growing in popularity, particularly for children who are afraid of needles. Children who couldn't get flu vaccines in the past due to egg allergies (the use of chicken embryos was the traditional methodology in producing flu vaccines) can now get vaccinated due to a new egg-free flu vaccine that was developed.

Choosing the Right Pediatrician for Your Children

Since there are several significant differences between the body of a child and that of an adult, the medical needs of a child correspondingly vary from those of an adult. As such, children are brought to pediatricians for their medical concerns until their late teens, after which time, they would need to see general practitioners or specialists. Pediatricians, however, are truly specialized in the unique needs of children, which is why it is important for parents to choose their children’s doctor judiciously.

Some doctors recommend looking for a pediatrician as early as 28 weeks into the pregnancy. Deciding on a pediatrician early allows parents to establish a connection and comfort level with the doctor; choosing early also allows the pediatrician to be on hand during the childbirth to conduct any necessary examination on your baby, especially if there is a complication during birth.

Take the time to thoroughly research on the qualifications of pediatricians to ascertain that they meet your particular needs. Although friends will suggest a good pediatrician, their needs may be different from yours; and good pediatricians are not a one-size-fits-all investment. Take the time to know where a pediatrician studied and his or her philosophies on child rearing. Set appointments with the pediatricians that you feel meet your needs in order to get a feel of how they interact with you and your future family member.

What You Need To Know About Well-Child Care Visits

Well-child care visits are important in ensuring your child’s good health. This basically involves regular checkups and wellness examinations in a trusted pediatric clinic, from the time the child is one week old until he or she becomes older.

As opposed to doctor's visits when the child is sick, a well-child visit is more of a regular activity to monitor the child’s overall health and general well-being. The main objective is to make sure that the child is growing normally in all aspects, and to arrest wrong child-rearing practices as early as possible. The child’s height, weight, and other information relevant to his growth and development are recorded and reviewed by the doctor, especially among infants and toddlers.

There are also physical examinations to check vision, hearing, heart activity, reflexes, and the like. Furthermore, necessary immunization shots are administered to prevent life-threatening diseases such as hepatitis, influenza, meningitis, and polio. Nutrition and diet are also discussed with parents during these checkups, with some clinics requiring the older children or teenagers to undergo urinalysis or blood pressure screening.

For parents, a well-child visit is also an opportune time to openly discuss your child's health with the pediatrician. Why wait until it's too late before taking your child to a doctor, when you can do something to aid his or her physical, emotional, and mental development right now? 

Pediatrics in Littleton: Quick Tips for Preventing Whooping Cough

Andrew M. Seaman wrote in an article in reuters.com last September 13 about the higher risk of children being diagnosed with whooping cough, a.k.a. pertussis, if they are behind their diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis (DtaP) shots schedule.

Quick Tips from a Pediatrician in Littleton on How to Prevent Flu

Some parents think that the flu is just a simple stomach bug. However, they should always remember that flu is more dangerous than a typical cold or tummy ache. A September 16 article in CNN.com written by Dr. Jennifer Shu gave 5 different ways that could help protect children from the flu season.

Pedia Power: Child Rearing with a Pediatrician

Kids are a lot more fragile than adults in more ways than one. Since their developing bodies have yet to reach their full strength and capacity, children are at the mercy of numerous diseases and illnesses. Even something as simple as a cold, which is nothing more than a nuisance for adults, can be completely devastating for a young one. Parents need to look after their children carefully and closely, and they may want to enlist the help of a pediatrician.

A pediatrician is a physician who specializes in the care and treatment of child patients. They're responsible for helping kids get through life by overseeing aspects of their well-being, like their diet, vaccination, vitamin and mineral intake, and so on. They're also around to help parents better raise their kids by giving medical advice or prescription.

Parents will find a pediatrician very useful; from the moment the mother gives birth, the parents can already approach a pediatrician for guidance on how to rear the baby. Sticking to the child’s pediatrician throughout his or her growing years has the advantage of familiarity; there's no better doctor than the one who's been attending to your kid for years. A child’s health is a delicate thing, and pediatricians can help moms and dads preserve it.