Asthma and Exercise can Go Hand in Hand

Asthma and exercise can go hand in hand. Parents misconceptions that exercise can be risky for their asthmatic children may be partly to blame for levels of physical activity among children with the disease, according to a study by researchers at Johns Hopkins Children's Center.

The study, found that 20 percent of children with asthma do not get enough exercise, even though research has shown that running, swimming and other kinds of physical activity decrease the severity of asthma symptoms.

Researchers conducted a telephone survey of 137 parents of children with asthma and 106 parents of healthy children. About 20 percent of all parents indicated they believed that exercise is dangerous for children with asthma.

About 25 percent of the parents of asthmatic children said they were afraid that exercise would make their child sick, and that their child gets upset with strenuous activity. The children of parents who expressed such views were more likely than other children to be inactive.

"These results are troubling" study lead author Dr. David Lang said in a prepared statement.

"Despite medical advances and a better understanding of asthma, we found that beliefs still exist that exercise is dangerous for asthmatic children and that children with asthma should not exercise. In reality, physical activity has important benefits for all children, including those with asthma," Lang said.

It's essential that pediatrician educate asthmatic children adn their parents about the benefits of exercise, he said.

A Child have a Higher Risk of Dehydration

A dramatic reduction in the amount of fluid in the body causes dehydration, which can be a serious, even life threatening, condition if left untreated. And children, especially babies and toddlers, are at a greater risk of dehydration than adults because they have less fluid reserves and because they are sick more often.

The biggest cause of dehydration in youngsters is diarrheal illnesses

There's the fluid loss from the diarrhea and in addition kids feel lousy, so they don't drink.

Symptoms of dehydration in children include dry mouth, no tears and a lack of urination. Babies less than 3 months should urinate at least once every 6 hours; toddlers should wet at least three diapers a day, and older children should be going to the bathroom at least two to three times in a 24 hour period.

Signs of more serious dehydration include sunken eyes, lethargy and a loss of elasticity in the skin. If you notice these symptoms or a lack of urination, contact your child's doctor.

The first line of treatment of dehydration is drinking fluids, preferably an oral electrolyte solution designed especially for children. Sports drink designed for adults aren't as effective as the ones made for kids.

Encourage you child to take small, frequent sips of a pediatric electrolyte drink any time they're sick with a fever or diarrhea. More serious cases of dehydration may require intravenous rehydration.

Why Does A Baby Thump his Head on the Bed when She's Trying to go to Sleep?

Have you seen you baby thump his head while trying to go to sleep? Don't be alarmed. It's simply his way of lulling himself to sleep. The thumping may be scary to you, but it's usually nothing to worry about. Studies show that up to 15 percent of healthy children do it, and it's three times more common in boys. It typically starts when babies are around eight months old. Only fie percent of children continue to do it for more than a few months. If a child head bangs after his first birthday, experienced a language delay, and avoids eye contact, talk to your pediatrician.

The Reason Why Your Baby Smells So Good

We all know that our baby smells so good. Do you wonder why? Two words: No Sweat. The apocrine glands which are found in the armpits, breast, and groin and are associated with strong body odor, aren't active in puberty. Another reason she smells so good to may be because her scent is familiar. Each of us has our own odor print. Moms have been known to recognize their newborn by scent alone. One theory for this phenomenon: Olfactory cues from her baby may be circulating in Mom's bloodstream during gestation, giving her an early exposure.

5 Ways to Help You Sleep Faster

Here's the latest thinking on how to get that rest and just as important, how to get the very best sleep you can in the time you have, so you wake up refreshed, healthy and happy.

1. Take an evening stroll. Walking around the neighborhood after dinner aids digestion, so your slumber won't be interrupted by stomach gurgling or heartburn. Do it before the sun sets: Insomniacs who were exposed to natural light at dusk tacked on an extra hour of sleep. Evening light helps reset our internal clock, sending a signal to our body that it's time for bed.
2. Minimize midnight worrying. Every evening, write down a few nagging issues that are on your mind, as well as what you plan to do about them. You don't have to have all the answers, just a few ideas. Mapping out possible solutions will quiet your mind and help you rest easier literally.
3. Make your bedroom a blackout zone. Shut the blinds, turn off your computer, keep the TV out of the room, buy a sleep mask. Do whatever it takes to put yourself in total darkness. Even the dim light from a digital alarm clock can affect the body's production of melatonin, the hormone that helps you stay asleep.
4. Establish a sleep ritual. Creating a presleep that's rhythmic and ritualized conditions your body and brain to realize it is indeed sleep time, helping you unwind and fall asleep faster.
5. Let in the a.m. light. Morning light has the most potent effect on helping our body get in sync with the day. So open the blinds the moment you awaken and let the sun shine in.

Your Baby Like to Tiptoe Walking

If your toddler constantly tiptoes, you might think she's got a future as a ballerina, but this walking style is another leftover from life in utero. Babies feet are usually pressed up against their buttocks with their toes pointed downward, which shortens the Achilles tendons. This may make it hard for a young child to put her heels down, and it can take a few months of walking and standing to stretch out her Achilles tendons and calf muscles. If your child never puts her whole foot down or her toes seem stuck pointing down, talk to your pediatrician, these may be signs of cerebral palsy. Also consult your doctor if your child frequently tiptoes after age two. Although some children with autism do walk on their tiptoes, tiptoe walking alone isn't a red flag for autism in toddlers who are otherwise developing normally.

Practical Guide on your Baby's First Cold

Most infants first illness is the common cold. The virus is usually caught from another person in the household. Seeing your precious little baby get so fussy and almost gasp for air can be heart wrenching, especially when no amount of rocking can soothe him. Never give an infant any cold or cough medicine without consulting your pediatrician.

What you can do:

1. Use a rubber nasal aspirator to suck out nasal secretions. Choose an aspirator with a narrow tips to fit into a young baby nostrils.
2. Your doctor will almost probably recommend saline drops to loosen thick nasal secretions.
3. Turn off air conditioning during the illness; use a humidifier.
4. Bring him to a pediatrician if a fever or seizure develops, colds last longer than four days, or baby has difficulty feeding.

Chest Blow can be Deadly for Young Players

Kids into sports such as hockey, football, or baseball face the risk of sudden death form a hard chest blow despite wearing protective chest gear, American researchers warn.

Sports equipment sold on the market may not sufficiently protect young athletes if a blow is delivered directly over the heart at a particular time in its cycle, prompting an irregular heartbeat called ventricular fibrillation, according to a new study presented by the American Heart Association.

Such a RARE but fatal blow can come from a ball, bat, hockey stick, puck or hard contact with another person. The study authors recommend the need for better chest protection to make the sports field safer for young athletes.

Common Causes of Very High Fever in Kids

Fever, or body temperature greater than 37.2 degrees Celsius (oral) or greater than 37.5 degrees Celsius (rectal), is a telltale sign of an infection, but the height of the fever is a poor gauge of the seriousness of the illness. Simple infections may cause very high fever while potentially fatal infections may have low grade fever. The most common causes of very high fever in children are:

1. Tonsillitis
   
2. Ear infections
3. Typhoid fever
4. Urinary tract infection
5. Flu
6. Benign viral infections presenting with high fever and rashes, such as roseola and fifth disease

Call your doctor if:

• Your child is 5 weeks old or younger
• Oral temperature is 38.3 degrees Celsius or higher
• Your child is lethargic, irritable (crying for hours even with minimal stimulation, cannot be consoled), coughing, or has difficulty breathing, a stiff neck or a seizure.
  

How to tell if a child has an Ear Infection

Most Children affected by otitis media do not yet have sufficient speech and language skills to tell someone what is bothering them. That often makes the disorder hard to detect. Parent and caregivers should watch for these common signs.

• Unusual irritability

• Difficulty sleeping

• Tugging or pulling at one or both ears

• Fluid draining from the ear

• Loss of balance

• Unresponsiveness to quiet sounds or other signs of hearing difficulty such as sitting too close to the television or being inattentive

If you notice any of these in a child, consult the doctor. The doctor can diagnose an ear infection by examining ears with special light instrument. Prompt treatment can relieve pain, cure the infection and prevent permanent hearing loss.

Early to Bed, give Excellent benefits to your Kid

I know it can be sometimes hard for this energetic bundle of joy to mellow down and get ready to sleep. They almost always beg to stay a little longer, play more, ask for an extra hour to stay on a computer, but all this has to stop, and you have to say "forget it".

There was a study conducted on fourth and sixth grade children that up to one extra hour of sleep markedly improved their performance on tests assessing attention span and memory, both of which are necessary for optimum school performance.

If fourth graders gets an extra hour of sleep, they can function on tests as if they were two or more years older.

Risk Reducing Precautions When it Come to Dealing With Lice

Those nasty little irritating buggers. If your child comes home from school scratching his head, lice may be finding a home in his hair. Anyone can get lice - especially your little angel - mainly because from head to head contact or sharing hats, brushes or headrests.

• Check all family for lice and nits (lice eggs) at least once a week. Only those infested should be treated. What are Lice? Lice are reddish brown wingless insects, nits are grayish white always oval shaped, and are glued at an angle to the side of the hair shaft.

• Be sure not to confuse nits with hair debris such as bright irregularly shape clumps of dandruff. Lice treatment is not appropriate for hair debris.

• Consult your pharmacist or physician before using lice treatment pesticides when the person involved is pregnant, nursing, has allergies, asthma or epilepsy. Never use a pesticide on or near the eyes.

• All lice killing products are pesticides. If you choose to buy an over the counter treatment, follow the directions carefully and with caution. Manual removal is always a safe alternative.

• Use product over the sink, not in the tub or shower. Always keep the eyes covered.

• Separate hair in sections and remove all attached nits with a comb, baby safety scissors, or your fingernails.

• Wash bedding and recently worn clothing in hot water and dry in a hot dryer. Combs and brushes may be soaked in hot water for 10 minutes.

• Avoid lice sprays. Vacuuming is the safest and best way to remove lice or hairs attached nits from upholstered furniture, rugs, stuffed animals and car seats.
  

Facts about Lice

Does your little bundle of joy have lice or a member of the family? Here are some important facts about Lice:

• Hatched lice live for only a day or two without human host. So you don't need to seal the stuffed animals for two weeks at a time (two days is fine), vacuum daily or do laundry constantly. Just vacuum, and wash all hats, bedding and brushes once using hot water.

• They can't or jump through the air. (But they do crawl really fast).

• Head lice don't carry any disease and there aren't any medical conditions or infections transmitted by head lice. They're just a nuisance.

• Getting lice doesn't reflect bad hygiene. In fact, they prefer clean hair, perhaps because it's less greasy - so they can get a better grip.
  

Ways to help protect your little one from Food Allergy

Food allergy is an abnormal response of the body's immune system to a food trigger. Because babies have underdeveloped immune and digestive systems, they tend to be prone to food allergies. Reactions to food occur most often in infants and children. Symptoms sometimes do not appear on the skin but develop as colic or even lead to problem with growth.

Identifying allergy causing foods and avoiding exposure is the only way to prevent a reaction. Here are some ways to help:

• Breast feed your child for as long as possible. Exclusive breast feeding of infants for the first 6-12 months of life delays the onset of allergy symptoms by postponing baby's exposure to food triggers. Remember that allergic substance may cross over to breast milk, so take care of your diet.

• Visit the doctor. Seek advice from a pediatrician or a pediatric allergologist (a specialist on children's allergies) to get a specific diagnosis and rule out allergy problems. Your doctor will examine your baby and ask about any family history of food allergies. Your baby may have to undergo specific test, such as allergy skin test, to accurately diagnose potential food triggers.

• Keep a baby food diary. Write down everything your baby eats, from milk to fruits to vegetables. Note patterns in the symptoms (such as colic and hives) your baby had how long after eating these occur. This record will help you tell if food is causing the allergic symptoms.

• Switch to hypoallergenic (HA) formula. If for some reason, a mother can't or has decided not to breast feed, switching to an HA formula is the best alternative. Putting your baby on HA formula will help him, should he be allergic to cow's milk.

• Read food labels or ask questions. When your baby is eating away from home, consider ingredients and food preparation methods carefully. Remember that trigger items, particularly peanuts, eggs and milk, maybe present in the food in small doses.

• Learn how to manage your baby if he consumes a trigger food. Ask the doctor for advice on medicines that you can give during an allergy attack. In severe cases of food allergy, such as anaphylaxis, epinephrine may have to be used.

• Post doctor's instructions in a prominent place. Make sure that everyone in the family knows where your cue card is posted and how to go about managing allergic symptoms.
  

Kids can get Kidney Stones

I read this in a magazine at out library, and this is one article which we parents should be aware of. Kidney stones may seem like an adult condition, but doctors say this painful problem is rapidly on the rise in children, typically striking around age five. Experts don't fully understand what's behind the increase, but they think kids are eating too many sodium foods (think fast food and quick fix dinners) and not drinking enough water. Stones form when kids urine is too concentrated with salt and other minerals.

If your child has pain in her mid to lower back or belly, and blood in her urine, a fever or vomiting. Go to your doctor or the E.R. right away, she may need surgery. Once a child has had one stone, she has a 50 percent chance of having another.

What to do for common for common household injury such as burn

Burn is a common household injury, particularly in the kitchen, burn such as coming from a boiling water or grease. What to do when this happen is to immediately cool the burn with clean water as soon s possible. Perform the cooling for no more than 10 minutes. Do not apply ice directly on the burn since it can worsen it.

I remember before some people would advice that when you get burn, just put toothpaste, butter, ointment etc. These things may help bring down the temperature of the burn, but it will give the attending doctor a herder time after wards. These substances are harder to remove from the burn compared to water.

Another thing to do is to leave any resulting blister alone. Blisters are the body’s natural way of healing. You’ll cause more damage by bursting them.

Warning Signs For Your Baby

I read once in an article about alarming behaviors that your baby might display. It is advise that you contact your physician if your baby is displaying the following alarming behaviors.

BY 3 MONTHS:

• Does not seem to respond to loud noises
• Does not smile at people
• Begins babbling, but does not try to imitate any of your sounds
• Crosses eyes most of the time
• Does not pay attention to new faces, or seems very frightened by new faces or surroundings
  
• Experiences a dramatic loss of skills he once had.

BY 7 MONTHS:

• Refuses to cuddle
• Shows no affection for his caregiver
• Doesn't seem to enjoy being around people
• Does not turn head to locate sounds
• Seems impossible to comfort at night
• Does not smile on his own
• Does not laugh or make squealing sounds
• Does not actively reach for objects
• Does not follow object with both eyes at near and far ranges
• Does not try to attract attention through actions
• Shows no interest in games of peek a boo
• Experiences a dramatic loss of skills he once had

BY 12 MONTHS:

• Does not play with toys or caregivers
• Does not vocalize to meet needs
• Does not search for objects that are hidden while he watches
• Say no single words ("mama" or "dada")
• Does not learn to use gestures, such as waving or shaking head
• Does not point to objects or pictures
• Experiences a dramatic loss of skills he once had.

Sleeping Guide For Your Baby

• Newborns require 16 to 20 hours of sleep per day and typically sleep in two to four hour periods separated by one to two hour intervals of wakefulness.

• Infants at four months old generally require 14 to 15 hours of sleep per day.

• Most infants between six and twelve months of age require 13 to 14 hours of sleep per day. They nap between two and four hours divided into two naps per day.

• Toddlers aged 12 to 36 months require about 12 hours of sleep per day.
  

Vesicoureteral Reflux

Ive never heard of this condition before, but i got to know it cause my baby have this condition. Vesicoureteral Reflux is the backup of urine from the organ that stores urine (bladder) into the tube that carries urine from the kidney to the bladder (ureter) during urination.

Vaccination Mark

Ever wondered why hair wont grow on your vaccination mark?? Here's the reason why, a vaccination mark is nothing more than a scar tissue. A Vaccination mark is nothing more than a scar tissue. A vaccination causes inflammation intense enough to destroy the hair follicles in its vicinity. Any deep injury to the skin will destroy hair follicles and cause hair loss. One can transplant hair onto a vaccination mark, but one can never bring a dead hair follicle back to life