Helpful Information For Parents

ASTHMA IN CHILDREN AND INFANTS

How can I tell if my child has asthma?

Not all children have the same asthma symptoms, and these symptoms can vary from episode to episode in the same child. Possible signs and symptoms of asthma in children include:

• Frequent coughing spells, which may occur during play, at night, or while laughing or crying
• A chronic cough (which may be the only symptom)
• Less energy during play
• Rapid breathing (intermittently)
• Complaint of chest tightness or chest "hurting"
• Whistling sound when breathing in or out. This whistling sound is called wheezing.
• See-saw motions in the chest from labored breathing. These motions are called retractions.
• Shortness of breath, loss of breath
• Tightened neck and chest muscles
• Feelings of weakness or tiredness

While these are some symptoms of asthma in children, your child's doctor should evaluate any illness that complicates your child's breathing. About half of infants and toddlers with repeated episodes of wheezing with shortness of breath or cough (even though these illnesses usually respond to asthma medications) will not have asthma by the age of 6. Because of this, many pediatricians use terms like "reactive airways disease" or bronchiolitis when describing such children (instead of labeling them as asthmatic).

How common is asthma in children?

Asthma is the leading cause of chronic illness in children. It affects as many as 10%-12% of children in the United States and, for unknown reasons, is steadily increasing. Asthma can begin at any age (even in the very elderly), but most children have their first symptoms by age 5.

There are many risk factors for developing childhood asthma. These include:

• Nasal allergies (hay fever) or eczema (allergic skin rash)
• A family history of asthma or allergies
• Frequent respiratory infections
• Low birth weight
• Exposure to tobacco smoke before or after birth
• Black or Puerto-Rican ethnicity
• Being raised in a low-income environment

Why is the rate of asthma in children increasing?

No one really knows the exact reasons why more and more children are developing asthma. Some experts suggest that children spend too much time indoors and are exposed to more and more dust, air pollution, and secondhand smoke. Some suspect that children are not exposed to enough childhood illnesses to direct the attention of their immune system to bacteria and viruses.

How is asthma in children treated?

Avoiding triggers, using medications, and keeping an eye on daily asthma symptoms are the ways to control asthma in children of all ages. Children with asthma should always be kept away from all sources of smoke. Proper use of medication is the basis of good asthma control.

Based on your child's history and the severity of asthma, his or her doctor will develop a care plan called a written Asthma Action Plan. This plan describes when and how your child should use asthma medications, what to do when asthma gets worse (falls into the yellow or red zones), and when to seek emergency care for your child. Make sure you understand this plan and ask your child's doctor any questions you may have.

Your child's written Asthma Action Plan is important to successfully controlling his or her asthma. Keep it handy to remind you of your child's daily asthma management plan, as well as to guide you when your child develops asthma symptoms. Also make sure your child’s caregiver and/or school teacher has a copy of the Asthma Action Plan, so they will know how to treat the child’s symptoms if he or she should have an asthma attack away from home.

ALLERGIES

Tips to Help Kids Cope With Allergy Symptoms

Managing allergies starts with a medical assessment, says Rod Moser, PA, PhD, in his All Ears blog for WebMD. So before you treat symptoms you think are allergies, be sure that’s what they are with a visit to an allergist. Once you know seasonal allergies are what you’re child is dealing with, these quick tips can offer kids much-needed symptom relief.

1. Stay Inside. The best way to treat allergy symptoms is to avoid allergens to begin with, say the experts at the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI). So when pollen counts soar, keep kids indoors as much as possible. Pollen is usually at its peak mid-morning, early evening, and when the wind is blowing.

2. Use Saltwater. Nasal congestion can be one of the most exhausting symptoms for children with allergies. For relief, older children might want to try nasal irrigation with a saline solution, one of the “best home remedy of all,” says Alan Goldsobel, MD, a California physician and spokesman for the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. You can buy saline at the drugstore or make your own by mixing in a squirt bottle eight ounces of water to one teaspoon non-iodized salt.

3. Stay Hydrated. All that sneezing and blowing can leave a child parched. Keep a water bottle full and close to hand and encourage your children to stay well-hydrated.

4. Warm It Up. A hot shower or bath seems to offer allergy symptom relief for some, says Asriani Chiu, MD, associate professor of pediatrics and medicine at the College of Wisconsin, so encourage kids to enjoy a little tub time.

5. Keep It Cool. To keep pollen out when the weather’s hot, air condition your car and home and keep windows closed.

6. Deal With Dry Air. A little moisture in the air makes breathing easier for most, so if you suspect the air in your house is dry, you may want to turn on a humidifier. But be careful: Humidity over 40% can encourage the growth of indoor allergens like mold and dust mites.

7. Go Cold. When itchy eyes are driving your kid crazy, try a cold compress, says Chiu, which may help reduce the itch and inflammation.

8. Keep Your Hands to Yourself. And encourage kids to avoid rubbing their itchy eyes. Rubbing will only irritate them -- and could make the itchiness even worse.

9. Spice It Up. If your kids enjoy spicy foods, a piquant dish made with cayenne pepper, hot ginger, fenugreek, onions, or garlic may help thin mucus and clear nasal passages.

10. Use Top Tissues. When kids’ allergies are at their peak, tender noses can get sore pretty fast. Look for tissues with lotion or other soothing additives.

11. Rub Jelly On It. And if your child’s nose is raw and red from blowing, you can soothe their sniffer with a dab of petroleum jelly.

12. Gargle to Relieve Sore Throats . If postnasal drip leaves your child with a sore throat, gargling with warm salt water made of 1-2 tablespoons of table salt in 8 ounces of water may ease the pain.

13. Drink Warm Tea. Drinking more fluids can also help sooth tender throats. Try a weak tea with honey and lemon. Bonus: The steam from a piping hot cup may relieve sinus congestion, too.

14. Get Face Time. Warm compresses applied to the face may also help soothe a child’s sinus pressure and pain.

15. Avoid Milk. Some folks may find milk can make mucus worse, though “that’s not a proven concept,” says Goldsobel. If in doubt, it may be a good idea to steer clear of milky goodies when kids are coping with allergy symptoms.

16. Avoid Certain Foods . If your child is allergic to ragweed, they may also have an allergic sensitivity to certain foods. Symptom-provoking foods to avoid may include bananas, melons, chamomile tea, sunflower seeds, and cucumbers.

SPORTS SAFETY FOR KIDS

Sports and physical exercise have both physical (fitness, coordination, and weight maintenance) and emotional (self-esteem, self-discipline, and confidence) benefits for children. However, participation in sports always carries the risk of injury, and children's sports are no exception. According to statistics from the U.S. National Institutes of Health(NIH), children aged five through 14 sustained an estimated 2.38 million sports and recreational injuries per year from 1997 through 1999. While the majority of sports injuries are minor, some can result in serious conditions and even lifelong medical problems.

Since children's bodies are still growing, the potential for damage to bones, tendons, muscles, and ligaments is greater than that for adults. Growing bones contain anatomic regions known as growth plates (regions of cartilage where bone growth is occurring) that are weaker than surrounding tissues and are particularly vulnerable to injury. This means that an injury that might lead only to minor damage in an adult could lead to a serious growth plate injury and even a broken bone in a growing child. Children who play contact sports are also at risk for trauma to the spinal cord and neck.

Parents (and coaches) can take the following steps to help reduce the risk and severity of sports- and recreation-related injuries in their children:

1. Try to group children according to weight, size, and skill rather than chronological age, particularly for contact sports. Sometimes children who are small for their age attempt to perform beyond their capacity in order to keep up with larger and stronger peers, resulting in an increased risk for injury. Find out how a particular sports program groups its participants. Some programs even take into account parents' ratings of their child's aggressiveness and competitiveness when forming leagues.

2. Be sure all sports equipment and playing fields are safe and properly maintained. Over 200,000 injuries occur on playground equipment each year, and unsecured or defective equipment can increase the risk of harm.

3. Use properly-sized, safety-tested, and well-fitting protective gear when appropriate for a particular sport. Be sure that children understand the correct use of protective gear.

4. Visit your pediatrician for a pre-season physical examination before beginning a sport.

5. Never push a child to play a sport if he/she feels uncomfortable or physically incapable of participating in the sport. Likewise, don't push a child who is injured while playing to continue playing or "work through" the pain of an injury. Even if a child normally enjoys a particular sport, don't insist on participation if he or she is very tired or unwell.

6. Find out about the facilities and coaches at your sports facility. Certified athletic trainers are present at many facilities who have experience in preventing and recognizing sports injuries.

7. Always seek medical care when a child becomes injured or develops a persistent and symptom that interferes with his or her ability to play.

All information is courtesy of : www.webmd.com