Coughing at night is a common problem with toddlers. It can not only be a difficult for parents but also for other family members. Before thinking of possible cures for the cough, it is important to find out what kind of cough it is. It is important to know if it’s just a mild cough or something bigger and serious.
Most of the coughs get worse at night. The more usual type of cold cough in the night is caused by mucus. The mucus and sinuses produced by the nose keep draining drown the throat. This causes irritation while sleeping and thus triggers cough. Generally this kind of cough is not a huge problem to deal with. Simple things such as room humidification, inhaling steam or a spoonful of honey usually help reduce such cough. Try raising the head by adding a pillow so that the mucus drains down without causing irritation. Do not do this for children below 1 yr. It is only when such cough persists for a long time that you should try consulting a pediatrician, since this can also be asthma. Such persistent coughs can be caused by asthma, allergies or chronic infection in the sinuses.
Parents need to look out if the cough shows any other symptoms such as wheezing while coughing, or if it’s a barky cough or a whooping cough. If such symptoms are seen, consult a pediatrician. A wheezing cough indicates a blockage in the lower air pipe which can be a sign of bronchitis. Barky coughs are signs of croups, a swelling of the larynx (voice box) and the trachea (wind pipe). Whooping cough is another name for a bacterial infection called pertussis. This infection is caused by a bacterium named bordetella pertussis. This type of cough is contagious and needs immediate medical care. If a cough is accompanied with fever then it is a possible sign of pneumonia.
Parents should always remember not to administrate any medicines on their own. The severe cases of cough cannot be cured without medical attention. One thing must be made sure that any of the over-the-counter medicines like decongestants, suppressants or any other type of cough medicine should not be given to children below two years of age. The FDA issued a warning in 2007 warning that children under the age 2 should never be given cold and cough medicines without a doctor’s prescription
Tooth injuries in toddlers can be distressing to both children and parents. Tooth injuries can be a result of anything as trivial as a fall inside the house or even a sport injury. Toddlers facing primary tooth trauma is common. Toddlers being unsteady on their feet, they are likely to suffer from dental injuries. The general dental injuries that toddlers face are knocked out teeth, fractured teeth, forced out of position, loosened, or pushed back up in the gums. There can be additional damage to the bones of the jaw or the tissues of the mouth. The peak period of such injuries in toddlers is 18 to 40 months because this is the period when toddlers increase their mobility.
If a toddler’s baby tooth is dislodged, it cannot be replaced and there is no need to put it back. Since it’s a primary tooth, a permanent one will grow back in its place. The only care to be taken is that it comes out in a proper way. When your child injures his gums or teeth and he is bleeding, put some cold water on a piece of gauze and apply pressure on the injury. In case of a swelling, offer the child an ice pop to suck on. Give the child a cold compress to hold on to the injured tooth. However, a dentist’s attention is always needed. Children suffering from primary tooth injuries may lacerate tissues in the mouth including gums, lips and cheeks. Emergency help is needed if the jaw swells and possible signs of a fracture are seen or if the bleeding of the gums does not stop. In some cases X-rays might be needed to determine the extent of the injury. In case of a concussion, the tooth might change color. The sharp edges of chipped or partially damaged teeth can further create more damage if not taken care of. Loosened teeth can be stabilized. The dentist can smooth of the edges of chipped and partially damaged teeth. Although knocked out primary teeth cannot be replaced, a space maintainer can be put with the help of a dentist to make sure the adjacent teeth don’t space in before the permanent tooth emerges.
The risk of children’s tooth injuries can be reduced by child-proofing the house. Wires or any other object because of which children can trip over are to be kept away. Do not allow toddlers to run while holding any objects in the mouth. If proper care is taken, Tooth injuries won’t be all that distressful.
The rate of speech development in babies differs from one child to another. Most babies won’t speak particular words until they are around a year old. Girls tend to develop speech faster than boys. Children can put together sentences with two- three words by the time they turn two. The strength of the child’s oral muscles helps the toddler speak better. Some exercises can help toddlers’ oral muscles strengthen. The simplest things which help are reading out to the toddler, speak to them and label objects. Exaggerating vowels and consonant sounds makes it easier for children to repeat after you. Talk to them in a sing song manner. Point out objects. Call out their names. Repetition is essential for speech development in toddlers. Although videos are educational and fun for the children, don’t use them as a substitute for conversation. When you use television or videos as teaching tools, encourage your toddler to react.
Also, there are certain exercises that help children. These are simple things like blowing, sticking out your tongue. They are called as oral motor exercises. These exercises strengthen your toddler’s mouth and tongue muscles. Work your child’s tongue. Stick out your tongue; see if your child imitates you. Push your tongue up, down and sideways. Click your tongue on the roof of your mouth. Stand in front of the mirror and stick out your tongue, make funny faces. While enjoying a lollipop, show them how they can stick their tongue out and lick it. Place something like jelly on your toddler’s tongue; see if they lick it with their tongue. Kids love straws, show them how to blow bubbles in a cup. Place a small piece of paper and show them how to blow it away with a straw. Give your child some yogurt or a milkshake which is difficult for sucking through a straw. Show them how to blow kisses. Open and close your mouth, pucker your lips and swing them to your left and right, give a wide smile, puff out your cheeks by holding in air and then blow the air out. Make your child imitate these actions.
Bubbles are favorites with children. Give them a bubble wand and let them try to blow bubbles through it. While having a bath, show them how to blow bubbles. Remember children like anything which grabs their attention. Make sure you create some fun while practicing these exercises. These exercises will not only be fun but will also help in developing speech.
No more is it a question whether the unborn child will be affected or harmed by the mother smoking or any other forms of nicotine intake but more a question of the number, degree, types, lifetime impact and notice ability of the harms that are inflicted. At the minimum level it unnaturally regulates the pre birth flow of greater than two hundred odd neurochemicals like serotonin, adrenalin and dopamine in the unborn babies mind and body. Researchers have now been able to show that a mother smoking before, during and after her own pregnancy can be the cause of her own daughter’s fertility levels reducing by almost two-thirds. For those women who are pregnant with girls, cigarette smoking and other forms of nicotine intake along with all its toxins significantly lowers the total count of eggs the daughter has and the possible success of fertility treatments when she does have problems.
A team at a hospital in Toronto conducted an investigation on the impact of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons or PAH which is a by product of smoking. PAH’s are all kinds of environmental pollutions that are found in car exhaust, cigarette smoke, the smoke that is produced by combustion of fossil fuel and also in all types of smoked foods. This investigation was conducted on mice. The results indicated that the mice that were exposed did not have lesser pups but the female offspring had seventy percent lesser follicles to help produce egg thus, limiting the possibilities of the daughter being able to reproduce. Hence the key result is that women should quit smoking before they even think of getting pregnant. Although studies have not been able to identify the time length between those who quit smoking and the increase in fertility levels, research has shown that those women who quit smoking a year ago have a better chance with in vitro fertilization.
One theory is that smoking tends to affect the fallopian tubes or the follicles. Resveratrol is an antioxidant found in grape skins and wines which when injected into the mice that were affected by PAH exposure, immediately showed signs of improvement and it prevented the lowering of the egg follicles. However, it does not mean that women who smoke can use the glass of wine as a nutritional supplement to reverse the damage done by cigarette smoking. An important point to note is that the effects of the mother smoking during pregnancy are not only limited to her female children. It can also affect the sperm count of her male offspring.
For a long time now doctors and researchers have been mystified by the reason why high blood pressure has been occurring in pregnant women. A report put together by a research group in Adelaide has been the first of a kind in reporting that when pregnant women were exposed to viral infections of any kind and in particular the herpes viruses there is a definite link between these viruses and the presence of high blood pressure. Hence their results are a big step in ascertaining the causes of hypertension in pre term birth and pregnancy. This research group has thus already shown the link that exists between viral infections and genetic mutations among genes that control the inflammatory process and the blood clotting process. It has also shown the link between the virus and the occurrence of cerebral palsy.
Research found that there is a link between various gene mutations that are hereditary leading and changes in the inflammatory proteins that may possibly result in constriction and dysfunction of a person’s blood vessels surrounding the brain and the placenta which further leads to the increase in blood pressure during pregnancy. If not monitored and treated the results can be lethal and even fatal. More studies and research are underway to look at further links between viral infections in pregnancy and the susceptibility to pregnancy hypertension, cerebral palsy and even premature delivery.
High blood pressure occurs in approximately ten percent of all first pregnancies. This is especially so in developed countries like United States, UK and Australia. If the infection is not treated it can be the cause of uncontrollable epileptic fits of eclampsia which results in loss of both the baby and the mother. It is one of the most common causes of pregnancy and maternal deaths in the Third World nations. Samples were taken from 1326 newly born babies over a period of ten years which indicated the presence of a nucleic viral acid. 400 odd babies were then found to have cerebral palsy.
Rubella also known as German measles has been found to be a cause of congenital birth defects among pregnant women who catch the virus in their first trimester. This can also lead to miscarriages occurring. However, rubella is not a common virus due to the vaccinations against which is a component of the MMR vaccination. Doctors are constantly watching out for this virus and conduct regular tests on women as a part of the prenatal blood testing. Parvovirus B19 is the cause of the fifth disease which is a mild sickness. It can cause hydrops fetalis if a pregnant woman is exposed to it and may end up miscarrying in up to five percent of the cases.
Discussions in various forums in the last few decades have been on including sex education as a part of school curriculums. While education systems in many countries have advocated and implemented this as an acceptable way to control teenage pregnancies, in several others, ‘sex’ is still a taboo word.
Education boards however are still not very clear on what should be part of the education programs to ensure greater understanding and comprehension among the student community. In several convent and state run schools sex education is restricted to teaching students the need to abstain from sex. This is not effective as compared to a full-fledged sex education system which talks not only about abstinence but also teaches about contraception and birth control. To validate this it is important to understand why teenagers indulge in early sex. While there is a definite sense of excitement and adventure in exploring the uncharted ‘territories’ a lot of it has to do with peer pressure in terms of who is the ‘coolest dude’ or the ‘hottest babe’.
Apart from abstinence and birth control some of the key areas that sex education should focus on are creating awareness of various kinds of sexually transmitted diseases, unravel the myths that teenagers have around sex and also use counseling to deal with teenagers who cannot handle the ‘peer’ pressure. Studies have shown that approximately twenty to twenty five percent of decline in pregnancy numbers among teens since 1991 is thought to possibly be related to a decline in sexual activity and behavior among the teens. The other eight odd percent of decline in pregnancies among teenagers is believed to be due to more effective and pertinent birth control procedures and practices. Most noteworthy is the fact that regular condom usage has increased vastly over the last few years. Some of the other components of sex contraceptive education include the need for teenagers to develop communication skill and thus be more informed in sexual decision making so that when the act does not happen inadvertently. Teenagers should be made aware of the results of giving birth to children at a very young age and also how teen pregnancies can be harmful to the mother and the baby. Hence the need is strong that the teens be educated and correctly informed on how to avoid sexual behavior that is risky and thus how to protect themselves and consequently their reproductive health.
Technology has helped in introducing birth control methods beyond the commonly used contraceptives and pills. Recent developments like Intra-Uterine Devices are gaining popularity as they are economical, involve a one time visit to the gynecologist and have minimal temporary side effects.
Diabetes or diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder characterized by high levels of sugar in the blood stream. High sugar levels in the blood are caused by the inability of the pancreas to produce sufficient insulin-type 1 diabetes or the inability of the body to make proper use of the produced insulin-type 2 diabetes. Various studies and forms of research carried out have proven that the number of women, who are diagnosed to be diabetic before a pregnancy, has doubled. In earlier times as well, there were a number of women who were known to be diabetic, but in the recent past, one of the main causes of diabetes before a pregnancy has been obesity and weight gain. In addition, lack of exercise, stress, hypertension, high cholesterol and unhealthy eating habits are other factors that contribute to the increase in diabetes in young women.
During a pregnancy, the blood tends to absorb more glucose from the food eaten and the pancreas is unable to produce sufficient amounts of insulin. This results in a further increase in blood sugar levels. In addition, increase in maternal weight during a pregnancy is inevitable and this increases the risks of related complications further. As the child develops within the womb, the mother is careful not to undertake any strenuous form of exercise that could endanger the good health of the child that she is carrying. Restricted movement and exercise also lead to an increase in weight because all the calories that are provided by the nutritious food are not utilized. They are stored as fat in the body and cause further weight gain. Diabetes during pregnancy increases the chances of early miscarriages, preterm births, still births, congenital defects and babies with large birth weight.
Keeping in mind the fact that pre-pregnancy diabetes rates are increasing, it is important for all women to keep an eye on their lifestyle. This can be done by keeping a check on the regular diet and avoiding all fatty and deep fried foods. Similarly, foods that are excessively sweet should also be avoided. The consumption of fruits and vegetables is recommended as they are easier to digest and provide the body with complete nutrition. Exercise plays an important role in keeping weight gain under control, and a brisk walk or swim everyday will work wonders. The consumption of water at regular intervals is also known to help increase metabolism in the body, thereby breaking down fat cells that have been stored.
Pregnancy is a splendid phase in a woman’s life which comes with numerous challenges and responsibilities. With the onset of pregnancy, there are a number of doubts that cross an expectant mother’s mind. At this time, the most crucial question that props up before the mother-to-be is whether she can continue her normal routine without posing any risk to the well being of her developing baby.
Most women go through the term of the pregnancy without having to alter their normal routine and work schedule. Many women opt to carry on working through the pregnancy term but consulting your gynecologist before doing so is highly recommended. Pregnancy can be a very tiring time and those who choose to work through the period should ensure that they get sufficient nutrition and rest. Small meals spread throughout the day are advisable as they ensure that the stomach is never empty. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and should be wholesome. A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts and dairy products is the most suitable as it provides the body with essential nutrients and fiber without being heavy on the digestive system. Meats are more difficult to digest and should be avoided. Skipping of meals and unhealthy eating habits should be avoided completely. Sufficient rest allows the body to rejuvenate, thus enabling it to function effectively.
Stress should be avoided at all costs as it can lead to complications during pregnancy and can also leave a lifelong impression on the developing baby. Deep breathing exercises and meditation techniques are recommended to keep the body and mind relaxed. The use of comfortable clothing and footwear also prove beneficial as they reduce the strain on the body thus reducing fatigue and uneasiness. The body is not as flexible as before, during a pregnancy. Hence, any extra work may result in overexertion that may threaten the pregnancy. Overexertion can affect the development of the baby and also lead to other complications like preterm delivery and miscarriages.
It is essential to keep in mind that the body undergoes numerous changes during pregnancy. Almost every aspect of life is different when expecting a baby. Many women experience different signs and symptoms and usually neglect them assuming that they are normal during pregnancy, especially in first time pregnancies. However, some of these symptoms like headaches, swelling and lower back aches may be warning signs of certain complications. Hence, speaking to your gynecologist about any new experience is recommended so as to ensure that the pregnancy progresses smoothly and your baby is safe.
A pregnancy is a time for any expectant mother to be careful of her health, not only for herself but also for the sake of the child that is developing within her womb. With the advancement in technology and further study on various topics being carried out, doctors and scientists have had their attention drawn to a gene that is believed to cause complications in a pregnancy. The catechol-o-methyl transferase enzyme is one of many that could lead to a degradation of the neurotransmitters in the body, and the name given to the gene that causes the aforementioned condition is COMT.
Because of the damage caused by COMT, the placenta is not able to receive the right amount of oxygen required for proper development of the growing baby. When the placenta does not receive the correct amounts of oxygen, it leads to the occurrence of a condition known as Preeclampsia. The primary symptoms of preeclampsia are high levels of protein in the urine, swelling of the body, drastic changes in the output of urine, changes in reflex reactions, severe headaches and high blood pressure. Although a certain amount of swelling is generally associated with a pregnancy, in the event that the swelling does not subside, and there is evidence of other symptoms, it is advisable that you visit your doctor to rule out the possibility of preeclampsia. Preeclampsia is a condition that is known to affect approximately five out of hundred pregnancies and could prove to be dangerous for both, mother and child. Women at risk of suffering from preeclampsia are those who are over the age of forty, women who have a history of high blood pressure, women who are expecting more than one child and those who are overweight even before the pregnancy.
Preeclampsia can cause a number of complications in a pregnancy that include premature birth, children born with low birth weight and children who suffer from epilepsy, while still other children face difficulties with hearing and vision. The regular recommendations made for treatment of pregnancy complications caused by the COMT gene, with respect to preeclampsia include getting enough bed rest and not putting too much of a strain on the body, injecting magnesium into the veins to avoid any seizures brought on by preeclampsia and keeping a check on the fluid intake during the pregnancy. However, the only tested cure for preeclampsia and other pregnancy complications caused by COMT, is the birth of the baby since it causes the removal of the placenta.