Health Tips
This article was extracted from UK Mother & Baby magazine Dec 99 issue. You can't avoid winter coughs and colds, but here's how to keep your child as comfortable and happy as possible.
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Chapped skin
Sore, dry skin that has cracked due to exposure to either cold or holt dry air.
Symptoms
* Dry, cracked skin, usually on exposed areas, such as the lips, fingers, face and ears
* Bleeding if the cracks are quite deep.
What to do
Keep your child warm and covered during very cold weather. Use gloves and hat with earflaps and use the rain guard on his pushchair in windy conditions. Keep your child skin moisture with an appropriate emollient cream(ask your pharmacist for advice). Use slave on his lips and try to discourage him from licking them, as this dries them out even more. if his chapped skin becomes infected (red, swollen and oozing pus), or won't heal, take him to see your GP.
Top Tip
Put petroleum jelly under your child's nose when he has a cold to prevent sore, chapped skin.
Colds
A viral infection in which the mucus membranes lining your child's nose and throat become inflamed.
Symptoms
* Sneezing
* Runny or blocked nose
* Sore Throat
* Coughs
* Loss of appetite
* Possibly fever(a temp. above 98.6 �F/ 37 �C).
What to do
Give your child the appropriate dose of infant paracetamol (normally for babies over 3 mths) to reduce fever and soothe a sore throat. Avoid giving him any other medicines that contain paracetamol at the same time. If your baby has a blocked nose and difficulty feeding, ask your pharmacist for some saline nose drops. You should also offer your child plenty of fluids and humidify his room by hanging damp towels on a radiator, or try breaking a decongestant capsule, such as Karvol, into a bowl of hot water and putting it under the cot.
Top Tip
Put 5 drops of lavender oil in your child's bedtime bath to fight infection and encourage sleep.
Coughs
Coughs often accompany colds, and are usually caused by viral infections.
Symptoms
* A productive coughs, which produces mucus
* A non-productive cough, which occurs as a reaction to irritation in the throat.
What to do
If your child's cough is productive, encourage him to bring out the phlegm and spit it out. If he doesn't understand how to do this, lie him face down across your lap and pat his back during coughing attacks. Ask your pharmacist to recommend a suitable expectorant cough medicine, which will help your child cough op the phlegm, or a soothing one for a dry cough. As with treatment for colds, offer plenty of fluids and humidify your child's room.
Top Tip
If your child is coughing at night, raise the head of his cot by putting two telephone directories underneath.
Earache
The most common cause of earache in young children is an infection of the middle ear (otitis media). As the inflammation worsens, the middle ear fills with fluid, increasing the pain.
Symptoms
* A baby who cannot pinpoint pain may pull at his ear or rub the side of his face
* A baby will be grisly and generally unwell
* An older child may complain of earache or headache and may be slightly deaf
* Fever (temperature above 98.6 �F/ 37� C).
What to do
Consult your GP. He may prescribe pain relief, possibly with antibiotics.
Top Tip
If your toddler has earache, encourage him to lie with the affected ear against a hot water bottle filled with warm (not hot), wrapped in a towel (never leave him alone with the hot water bottle).
Flu
Flu is caused by the influenza virus. Symptoms are similar to cold, but more severe.
Symptoms
* Fever (temperature above 98.6 �F/ 37� C)
* Cold symptoms (Click here to see Colds)
* Aches and pains
* Headache
* Poor appetite
* Listlessness
* Vomiting.
What to do
Headache, vomiting and listlessness can all be signs of potentially dangerous illnesses, such as meningitis, so see your GP so that he can rule out anything serious, especially in young babies. Give your child the appropriate dose of infant paracetamol to reduce his fever and ease aches and pains. Offer plenty of fluids and encourage him to rest.
Top Tip
Gently sponge your child's face, arms and body with tepid water to help control a fever.
Sore throats
Most sore throats are caused by viral infections, although around 20% are bacterial and may need antibiotic treatment.
Symptoms
* Difficulty swallowing
* Swollen glands
* Swollen tonsils
* Sometimes fever (temperature over 98.6 �F/ 37 �C)
* Sometimes earache (click here to see earache).
What to do
mild sore throats usually clear up without treatment, but if a sore throat persists, consult your GP as the infection maybe bacterial and require antibiotic treatment. To soothe your child at home, give the appropriate dose of infant paracetamol. Offer your child plenty of fluids, and mash or liquidise his food if he is finding it difficult to swallow.
Top Tip
Treat your child to ice cream when he has a sore throat- the cold will soothe it.