Care for child

Ringworm of the head, also referred to as tinea capitis, is a very common condition in children generally occurring between the ages of 3 – 7 years. Tinea capitis is an infection caused by fungus. Millions of people are carriers of the fungus that causes tinea capitis, but do not show symptoms. In the United States, infection is usually transferred from human to human or from animal (pets) to human. This transfer can occur anywhere but for children it often occurs at daycare and at school. This infection does not pose a significant health risk to the child, but hair loss can occur and treatment can improve the child’s self-esteem, especially if the infection and resulting hair loss are extensive.

The appearance of tinea capitis may vary and depends upon the amount of inflammation involved. There may be one or several scaly (flaky) circular patches. Alternatively, the scales may be widespread, similar to dandruff. Some infected areas may have broken hairs giving the appearance of small black dots. In some cases, crusted yellow patches accumulate around a hair shaft. This patch can thicken producing a cheese or mouse-like odor. Tinea capitis can also cause localized boggy swelling and pus filled bump formation which can be accompanied by enlarged neck lymph nodes and fever. The pus filled bumps can also spread throughout the scalp.

Diagnosis of tinea capitis may require scraping of the scales from the scalp or removing infected hairs for culture. Without treatment, tinea capitis can spread to other body locations or lead to permanent hair loss. For children, there is only one approved drug for treatment in the United States, griseofulvin by mouth. This medication works best when taken with fatty foods. Typically, the child has to take the medication for 6 to 8 weeks. Re-infection can be avoided by throwing away all combs, brushes, hair ornaments, hat and helmets one treatment has been started. Children should be taught never to share combs, brushes, hats, etc.

The psychological impact on children from this disease can be extensive due to the scaling and hair loss. Rejection from family members and mockery by classmates can be devastating. Therefore, early diagnosis and treatment should be sought as it can be a great comfort to these children.

It’s as simple as providing a doctor’s certificate and getting your money back – minus child-care benefits.

“When you are trying to work and you have young children in child care and they are unwell it gets very expensive,” Ms King said.

“You have to pay the fees to keep the place. I thought, wouldn’t it be great if there was some kind of insurance around that covered that gap.” Ms King, who runs baby expo company Parenting Australia, took her proposal to Telstra Businesswoman of the Year, Carole-Anne Priest, chief executive of Altiora Insurance Solutions.

“She thought it was great and the product came to the market really quickly because there was nothing out there like it,” Ms King said.

The idea of pitching insurance at the young parent market has caught on. Ms Priest visited Lloyds of London last week to discuss a number of other specifically tailored insurance products.

The child-care cover costs $61 a year for people who pay up to $200 a week in fees and $91 for those who pay more than $200 a week.

Ms King said the daily cost of child care in Sydney ranged from $70 to $120 depending on the child-care centre.

Working mother Julie Blair took out the cover after her 14-month-old baby Connor fell ill with gastroenteritis.

When Mrs Blair went back to full-time work as a scientist in September, her son picked up the stomach bug in his first week in child care. He then had three colds.

“In the first six weeks he came down with something different each week,” she said.

Connor attends the Stella Maris Child Care Centre in Frenchs Forest five days a week.

If he is sick for a week, the Blairs are left $425 out of pocket.

Mrs Blair decided to take out the insurance in October. “It’s more for our own peace of mind,” she said.

The cover meant that she did not have to pay out for child care on top of staying at home and losing income.

Tanya Durant from Glenwood is a single mother who works full-time.

She got the cover a few months ago after being stuck when her four-year-old daughter, Abi, had gastroenteritis and was in hospital for a week.

“Both my children are in day care. It’s a bit like a tag team – one’s sick when the other isn’t,” she said.

“I’m running out of sick days and there’s the double compounded cost factor … which is what motivated me to get the insurance.”

An important part of helping your child be ready for school success is making sure your child gets healthy meals and snacks and regular physical activity at home and in child care. Follow the simple guidelines and tips below at home, and talk to your child’s caregiver about healthy eating and physical activity.

Healthy Eating

Healthy eating means choosing foods from all the food groups that will provide the nutrients (vitamins, minerals, fiber) needed for strong bodies and minds. It also means paying attention to portion and serving sizes. Portion sizes and servings should be smaller for children than for adults.

The basic food groups are:

* meats and poultry,

* milk and dairy,

* grains and bread,

* vegetables, and

* fruits.

For more information on the many varieties of foods and the recommended daily requirements, visit the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s web site that has the Food Pyramid and other helpful nutritional information. You can also ask your family physician for nutritional guidance.

Try these tips to help your children eat healthy:

* Talk about it. Teach your children about the different food groups and how important it is to eat a variety of good foods.

* Eat together as a family. Practice what you teach. Parents serve as role models for developing lifelong habits.

* Limit or eliminate foods with sugar: candies, pastries, soft drinks.

* Give younger children small portions. Let them ask for more if they want more.

* Give younger children 5 or 6 mini-meals a day. They have smaller stomachs. It may be an easier way to make sure they get a variety of foods throughout the day. The whole family may want to try this as well. Small mini-meals throughout the day can prevent overeating and high calorie snacking.

* Provide nutritious snacks: fresh fruits, low fat cheese, and cereal with low fat milk.

* Limit eating at fast food restaurants. Fast foods are typically high in fat.

* Don’t expect a clean plate. This can lead to overeating.

* Try a variety of low-fat cooking recipes. Find healthy foods your children will love.

Fitness Fun

Along with eating healthy parents will want to make sure their children are physical fit. Eating and fitness go hand-in-hand. The body was meant to be nourished and it was meant to move. Watch young children and you will see how natural it is to run, skip, and jump. If your children are already physically active every day, encourage them to continue. Try these tips to help your children get moving:

* Let your infant roam around, safely, as much as possible-limit time in strollers and playpens.

* Make sure your children get outside to play at least 20 to 30 minutes everyday.

* Plan weekly family outings that involve being outdoors: biking, swimming, Frisbee.

* Have a variety of fun equipment that promotes fitness: bouncing balls, basketballs, soccer balls, jump ropes, badminton, hula hoops, and bicycles.

Healthy Child Care

Talk to your child’s caregiver about healthy eating and fitness. First, you will want to make sure you have any dietary restrictions or requirements in writing to avoid miscommunication. In addition, you can share these kinds of articles with your child’s caregiver, and encourage practices that support health and nutrition. For example, find out if children are being fed family style. Family style eating is ideal, because it allows your child to practice pouring and serving, and enjoy social time with the caregivers and adults.

Also ask about and observe the types of physical activity your child is getting at child care. Even babies need chances to move around and be outside every day!

When you partner with your child’s caregiver for nutritious eating and fitness routines, you are giving your child a healthy start to school success.

(1). What are the common causes of newborn deaths and are they preventable?

The common causes of newborn deaths in our country are:

A. Infection – 52%

B. Asphyxia or lack of oxygen to fetus and newly born baby – 20%

C. Prematurity, babies born much before completing 9 months of pregnancy – 15%

D. Congenital malformations, birth defects and other miscellaneous causes – 13%

Most of these are preventable to a large extent.

(2). What are low birth weight babies and why are they special?

Babies born with a birth weight of less than 2500g are low birth weight babies (LBWB), those with birth weight less than 1500gms are very low birth weight babies (VLBW) and those with a weight of less than 1000gms are extremely low birth weight (ELBW). In India nearly one third of all newborn babies have low birth weight.

The common causes of low birth weight babies are:

A. Frequent pregnancies

B. Poor care during pregnancy

C. Poor nutritional status of mother

D. High blood pressure, anemia, infections

E. Tobacco use by mother

F. Low maternal literacy

G. Pregnancy at young age

A large number of the above mentioned predisposing factors for low birth weight babies can be prevented by health education. Maternal nutrition plays an important role in newborn health. Keeping this in mind the stress is on increasing awareness amongst the public, health personnel regarding the importance of nutritional status and health of the girl child, the future mother. “Every delivery to be attended by trained personnel”.

(3). What can be done to improve the outcome of newborn babies?

A. Education of expectant mothers about various problems during pregnancy which can affect the baby.

B. Basic minimum care during pregnancy, nutrition counseling and supplementation of iron and vitamins.

C. Preferably deliveries to be conducted at the institution or by trained medical personnel. All high-risk pregnancies where problems are anticipated should be conducted at hospitals or institutions.

D. Provide essential care to all newborn babies.

E. Early diagnosis of problems in newborns and early referral to hospitals for optimum care and treatment.

F. Transportation of newborn babies should be such that the baby doesn’t become cold during transfer.

(4). Essential newborn care

A. Good antenatal care, maternal nutrition, prevention and treatment of anaemia and tetanus toxoid immunization to the mother.

B. Delivery conducted by trained personnel.

C. Prevention and early treatment of infections.

D. Recognition of danger signs of disease and early referral to a medical facility.

E. Stable and safe transport.

F. Resuscitation of newborn.

G. Gives warmth to the newborn baby i.e. to prevent baby becoming cold.

H. Early and elite breast feeding for 6 months.

Prenatal Period is the time from start to birth, roughly a nine-month period. Infancy is the development period that extends from birth to 18 to 24 months. They are very dependent on adults. They start to learn the language, social learning, and symbolic thought. They explore sensor motor organization like sense of touch, sense of taste, sense of sound, sense of smell and sense of sight.

Early childhood is the development period that extends from the end of infancy to about 5 to 6 years of age. This period is called the preschool years. During this time, young children learn to become more self- enough. Their language expands; they develop school readiness skills like identifying letters and to follow instructions. They spend many hours in play and with peers.

Immediate Nursing Care Of New Born

(1). Check the Apgar score at 1st minute and 5th minute

(2). Provide vitamin k 1mg intra muscularly

(3). Immunization

(4). Provide immunization card to mother

(5). First thing care is ore-nasal suctioning, clamp the umbilical cord and cut the cord

(6). Wipe the baby with clean towel

(7). Grasp the baby and keep it warmer

(8). Eye care and cord care using aseptic technique

(9). Nutrition: explain advantages and importance of breast feeding

(10). Elimination: check for passage me conium black and terry stools passing with first 24 to 28 hours after birth.

(11). New born should void within first 24hours of life

(12). Hygiene: while cleaning genital area wipe from front to back so feces do not contaminate genital area

(13). Keep diaper clean and dry which is best prevention against diaper rash

(14). Rest and sleep: provide adequate rest to new born since new born will sleep for 18 to 22hours per day

(15). Avoid sharp instrument and electrical sockets in bed

(16). Protect baby from hypothermia, infection and malnutrition.

(17). 30,000 kids die every day. Learn how you can help save them!

(18). Provide supine or side line position for sleep of infant

(19). Safety and injury prevention

(20). Side reels of baby cradle should be up

(21). Avoid over covering of new born

Parents Knowledge

Becoming a parent is a sole and happiest moment for everyone. After all the weeks of preparation and planning you can now hold your baby. The responsibilities of a ‘Mother’ and ‘Father’ come with the arrival of your baby.

Some important things that parents should keep in mind

(1). Keep a supply of first aid equipment in your house.

(2). The baby must be kept warm and dry to prevent heat loss.

(3). decide cotton cloths for babies to avoid skin allergies. .

(4). Never leave a young child along with your baby; he might pick him up and drop him or give him dangerous objects to play with.

(5). Mother should eat a well balanced diet which is more important if you are breast feeding.

(6). Breast milk alone should be given till the baby is at least 4 months. Even in very hot climate there is no need to give extra water.

(7). Oil should not be put in ears or nose. It can cause serious damage and infection.

(8). Strong odoured soaps and cosmetics should be avoided rather mild soaps should be used. These may lead to skin allergies and rashes.

(9). Never leave the baby alone in the bath even for a second.

(10). No home remedies should be given even for minor problems. Consult your doctor as soon as you feel something is wrong.

Mothers Advice

Breast Feeding

Breast feeding is the natural way of feeding your baby. Nature designed human milk especially for human babies, and it has several advantages over any substitute ever developed. Feeding your baby should be a pleasure. The baby should be at the breast immediately after birth. The vast majority of newborns can be put to breast within minutes of birth. There is no substitute for the colostrums (the thick yellowish fluid) that your breasts produce in the first few days and feeding your baby this will give him with precious antibodies to help him fight infection and built up immunity in the early months. Studies have also shown that skin to skin contact between mothers and babies keeps the baby as warm as an incubator. Breast milk contains just the right balance of nutrient, and it contains them in a form most easily used by the human baby’s immature body systems.

Breastfeed whenever your baby is hungry without any restriction of time. Provide for your baby even during the night. You can breastfeed the infant even lying down although the best way is to sit upright and feed. It is a ordinary doubt for breast feeding mothers whether their baby is getting enough milk. You can find out, by checking whether the baby is passing colorless urine at least 8 – 10 times a day.

How to Breast Feed

(1). Hole your breast with your index and medium fingers.

(2). Introduce your nipple and areola (the dark circle around your nipple) inside the baby’s mouth.

(3). Feeding while lying down is more comfortable but don’t fall asleep or the child could involuntarily be suffocated if you roll over with the breast still in his mouth.

(4). After breast feeding burp up any swallowed air, giving him soft strokes on the back

(5). Wash your hand and nipples with water and soap.

(6). Sit comfortably in an upright position with your back supported and hold your baby with her head up. Put a pillow on your lap to bring the baby to the right level of the breasts.

(7). Feed at one breast at a time till it is empty (because the initial milk (foremilk) is watery (contains sugar and proteins) and quenches the baby’s thirst while the milk that is secreted later (hind milk) is rich in fats and satisfies baby’s hunger.)

(8). After the first breast is empty, burp her and shift to the second breast.

(9). You can alternately start the feeds at either of the breast.

(10). Put your small finger in the baby’s mouth in order to take out your breast easily.