Know what common illnesses can affect your baby and children before they strike

Sick babies, my baby is sick what can I do?, childhood illness what are they ?, baby illnesses is my child sick ?.At some time as a parent you will come across your baby orall of your children getting sick or picking up a germ or disease that can make them poorly. lets take a look at 6 of them and how as a parent you can prepare yourself just in case and help them recover.

1. Croup attacks babies 6 m-3 years.a child may have cold symptoms, like a stuffy or runny nose and a fever. As the upper airway (the lining of the windpipe and the voice box) becomes progressively inflamed and swollen, the child may become hoarse, with a harsh, barking cough.often worse at night and when children are upset or crying.Some children are more prone to developing croup when they get a viral upper respiratory infection.The best way to expose your child to moist air is to use a cool mist humidifier, or run a hot shower to create a steam-filled bathroom where you can sit with your child for 10 minutes.A boiling kettle steam can have the same effect but becareful of scalding near children Breathing in the mist will sometimes stop a child from severe coughing.

If at all worried you doctor will tell you if  steroids are needed. you can help your child by having clear fluids to drink at the side of the bed at night to help keep the throat moist.Croup can often return again.

2.scarletina Scarletina is a rash caused by infection somewhere in the body.If you suspect this rash, even in a child with no complaint of sore throat, you should get medical attention for proper diagnosis and treatment with a complete course of an antibiotic.A week or two after the rash fades you may notice some peeling of the skin especially of the arms and chest, and perhaps even peeling of the fingers and toes if the rash was severe. This is normal.

3.Chicken pox Chickenpox is a mild but highly infectious disease that most children catch at some point.most common in children who are between two and eight years of age, although you can develop chickenpox at any age. You are infectious from about two days before the rash appears until roughly five days after. Therefore you or your child should stay at home until all of the blisters have fully crusted over, and this usually happens five to seven days after the first blister appears. After the last blister has burst and crusted over, you are no longer infectious.

let your child wear cotton clothes, if the tops are scratched off scaring can occur.Use calamine lotion to help stop the itching. seek a doctor to confirm a diagnosis.

4.Threadworms Threadworms are common but are not usually serious. Threadworms infect the gut and lay eggs around your anus which causes itch. Treatment usually includes medication plus hygiene measures. Medication kills the worms, but not their eggs which can survive for two weeks. Therefore, you also need strict hygiene measures for two weeks after taking medication to prevent you from swallowing eggs which may cause a new infection. All household members should be treated at the same time, including those without symptoms.

You usually notice them when chaning a nappy of a child goes to the toliet itching occurs at nightime so make sure your child wears clean pyjamas until cleared up.You often do this without realising while you are asleep. When you scratch, eggs get onto your fingers and under your nails. You may then swallow some eggs if you put a finger into your mouth.

5.Scabies Scabies is a skin condition caused by a tiny mite. It usually causes a typical itchy rash. It can affect anyone of any age. It can be passed on to others by close skin-to-skin contact, most commonly by holding hands. Treatment with a cream or lotion will usually cure scabies, but you need to apply it properly to every part of your body. Two applications of treatment are needed, seven days apart.You need close skin-to-skin contact with an infected person to catch scabies. Most cases are probably caught from holding hands with an infected person. The hand is the most common site to be first affected.However, to play safe, it is best to treat bedding, towels, etc, as described later on.

Sometimes outbreaks of scabies occur in nurseries, residential homes, etc, where people are in regular close contact.Children should stay off school until the first application of treatment has been completed. If you wash your hands or any other part of your body during the treatment period, you should re-apply the cream or lotion to the washed areas.

6.Meningitis 

Meningitis and septicaemia (blood poisoning) are not always easy to recognise, and symptoms can appear in any order. Some may not appear at all. In the early stages, the signs and symptoms can be similar to many other more common illnesses, for example flu.Trust your instincts. If you suspect meningitis or septicaemia, get medical help immediately.

Early symptoms can include fever, headache, nausea (feeling sick), vomiting (being sick), and muscle pain, with cold hands and feet.
A rash that does not fade under pressure (see ‘The Glass Test’) is a sign of meningococcal septicaemia. This rash may begin as a few small spots anywhere on the body and can spread quickly to look like fresh bruises.

The spots or rash are caused by blood leaking into the tissues under the skin. They are more difficult to see on darker skin, so look on paler areas of the skin and under the eyelids. The spots or rash may fade at first, so keep checking.

Bacterial meningitis and meningococcal septicaemia are medical emergencies and need immediate treatment with antibiotics, together with admission to hospital. Some people will be cared for on a general ward, with close observation. Others may need to be cared for in an intensive care unit where their condition can be more closely monitored.

for articles on children or tiny baby clothes visit our superstore at http://cheekychumsonline.co.uk or http://www.tiny-baby-clothes.co.uk