Worm Woes
Worried that your child may be vulnerable to worms? Paediatricians tell us
what to do.
Look out for: Pain in the abdomen, irritability, anal itching and vomiting. At times, there may be a skin allergy, cough, wheezing, headache, dizziness and convulsions.
Treat it right: A single dose or a three-day course of oral deworming medicines may do the trick. Deworm your child once in six months, after he turns one. If he is younger, shows symptoms or passes worms in his poop, talk to the doc.
Be careful: Worms can multiply and obstruct the intestines, causing intestinal bleeding. They can also travel to the lungs and cause pneumonia, or to the brain, leading to convulsions. All these are serious medical emergencies.
• Babies delivered by a Caesarean section have a 50 percent increased risk of developing asthma according to a recent Norwegian study published in the Journal of Pediatrics US.
Not Such a Comfort
A research published in the UK journal Family Practice says that ear infections are twice as common in babies who use pacifiers. Child advisors explain why a binky may not be a great trick to soothe your baby.
The theory against the binky is the same as that behind not feeding a baby while he’s lying down. The pacifier will keep the baby from drooling and so any extra saliva produced in his mouth may go the wrong way and end up choking the baby.
Hygiene can be a big issue with a pacifier, especially in warm climates like ours. Unless the pacifier is sterilised each time the baby takes it out of his mouth, infections are easily transmitted.
A sick child, especially one with a cold, should not be given a pacifier, as it blocks his mouth, causing the mucus to enter his middle ear canal, leading to ear infection and aggravating his symptoms.
