Vaccines are important to prevent contagious disease like polio, chicken pox and tetanus. In fact the vaccination process has saved millions of lives in the world, much more than that by pills and operations.

If your child is having Asthma….

It’s extremely important to avoid factors that trigger episodes of wheezing.

Asthma is very common among children, but that doesn’t mean it persist in to adulthood. But even with medical treatment, it is difficult to cure asthma if the precipitating aspects are not controlled.
Try to identify the factors in your household environment that induce the child’s wheezing episodes. Some of the common causes are house dust, wool toys, fur of household pets, cockroach excreta etc.

Vomiting and diarrhea (frequent, watery bowel movements) can be caused by viruses, bacteria, parasites, foods that are hard to digest (such as too many sweets) and other things. Vomiting and diarrhea can be harmful to children because they can cause dehydration. Dehydration occurs when too much fluid is lost from the body. Signs of dehydration are listed below. Young babies can become dehydrated quickly. But dehydration can occur in a child of any age.

Signs of dehydration

* Irritability
* Not eating as well as usual
* Weight loss
* Not urinating as often as usual
* Urine that is darker than usual
* Fast heartbeat
* Dry mouth
* Thirst (babies may show thirst by crying and being irritable and eager to drink when something is offered)
* Sunken eyes
* No tears when crying
* Sunken soft spot in babies younger than 18 months
* Skin that isn't as springy as usual

If the child has had several bouts of vomiting or diarrhea, he or she will need to drink fluids to replace those lost with vomiting and diarrhea. Older children can be encouraged to drink water and other clear fluids. Baby or toddler can be given an oral rehydration solution (ORS), which contains the right mix of salt, sugar, potassium and other elements to help replace lost body fluids.

If the child is vomiting, try giving him or her small amounts of ORS often, such as 1 teaspoonful every minute. When the child is able to keep the drink down, slowly increase the amount. If the child keeps vomiting, wait 30 to 60 minutes after the last time he or she vomited, and then give him or her a few sips of ORS. Small amounts every few minutes may stay down better than a large amount all at once. When the child stops vomiting, the amount of ORS can be increased.

Febrile seizures are full-body convulsions caused by high fevers. They affect children 6 months to 6 years old, and are most common in toddlers 12 to 18 months old. The seizures typically last for a few minutes and are accompanied by a fever above 102° Fahrenheit (38.9° Celsius).

Although they can be frightening, febrile seizures usually stop on their own and don't cause any other health problems. Having one doesn't mean that a child will have epilepsy or brain damage.

About Febrile Seizures

During a febrile seizure, a child's whole body may convulse, shake, and twitch, and he or she may moan or become unconscious. This type of seizure is usually over in a few minutes, but in rare cases can last up to 15 minutes.

Febrile seizures stop on their own, while the fever continues until it is treated. In some cases, children feel sleepy afterwards.

No one knows why febrile seizures occur, It has been theorized that the seizure is triggered by the rapidity of the rise in temperature, rather than the actual temperature reached.

Febrile seizures are not considered epilepsy, but a child who has had a febrile seizure has a slightly increased risk of developing epilepsy, especially if there is a family history.

Delmon Hospital
No.58, Galle Rd., Wellawatte.
Tel : 503295

Asiri Hospitals
181, Kirula Road,Narahenpita,
Colombo 05,Colombo
Tel: 500608 ~ 11, 593930,
593929, 508766, 508767,
074513939, 07451

Arogya Hospital (Pvt) Ltd.
Gampaha, Sri Lanka
Tel : 033 24592

Durdans Hospitals
Colombo 03, Sri Lanka
Tel : 575205-7, 575402-3

Nawaloka Hospitals (pvt) Ltd
Colombo 2, Sri Lanka
Tel : 304444-56