8 Common Child Health Issues

Children are prone to several types of pediatric diseases during their early years. Some children fall prey to these due to undernourishment and a compromised immune system, while others have certain defects and conditions since birth due to several possible complications during pregnancy. However, many of these can be cured by pharmacological treatment or surgical interventions. Even so, parents need to be extra careful and watchful about the developing symptoms which might not in many cases be obvious to the unobservant eye.

Some of these diseases are mild, harmless, and fairly common. These can be treated at home itself by parents, while in severe cases might call for expert medical attention. Reading further, parents can have an in-depth perspective about 8 most common pediatric diseases that their child can face and ways to deal with them most effectively.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus infection

This is one of the most common respiratory illnesses that can affect children between the ages of 2 to 5 years and can only be considered severe for children below the age of 2 years. Pediatricians claim that RSV is the most common kind of disease that lands babies into intensive care. The symptoms for this disease are similar to the common cold or the flu wherein the child has a runny nose along with chest or nasal congestion. In such a case it is best to consult a pediatrician and proceed with prescribed treatment.

Fifth Disease

Another similar viral infection in children between the ages of 5 to 15 years is the fifth disease. Its symptoms include a mild to medium grade fever, swellings at the joints, and even common cold symptoms like a runny nose. The fifth disease is considered contagious but once rashes begin to develop on the body, the disease can be considered almost over and no longer contagious. Despite this, a pediatrician should be consulted.

Urinary Tract Infection

A urinary tract infection or UTI can occur in infants. It is considered more painful for children due to an extreme burning sensation during urination. It is caused due to the build-up of bacteria in the urinary tract or bladder of the child. It may also be characterized by abdominal pain and unusual wetting of the bed by the child. A pediatrician should be consulted immediately to begin a simple course of antibiotics to treat it.

Bronchiolitis

This is yet another viral infection of the lungs in children and can persist for quite a long time. Antibiotics will be useless in this case and the best line of treatment often recommended by pediatricians is close monitoring of the child’s breathing and any difficulties associated with it and a course of bronchiolitis medication. Like most viral infections, they resolve on their own with proper care.

Bacterial Sinusitis

This is a bacterial infection of the sinus passage of your child. It can be identified by symptoms similar to the common cold, but lasting more than 10 days. It is also characterised by thick yellow nasal discharge and a mild to medium grade fever. It can be treated with appropriate antibiotics as per a doctor’s prescription.

Common Cold

A viral infection of the upper respiratory tract causes the common cold and symptoms for this include cough, runny nose, and congestion. Basic home remedies can be applied to comfort your child but the virus usually runs its course and nothing else can be done about it.

Pneumonia

Being one of the most common pediatric diseases, parents can control viral pneumonia by keeping their child hydrated, well-rested, and give them over-the-counter (OTC) fever medication like paracetamol and ibuprofen. Bacterial pneumonia is more severe and a full course of antibiotics is needed based on a doctor’s prescription.

Persistent Ear Pain

Ear pain can be due to several reasons and the only way to know that is an in-office ear examination of your child’s ear canal by a pediatrician. It can be due to a bacterial or viral infection or even other underlying causes. In case of a bacterial infection, antibiotics may be prescribed and for viral ones, medication to ease the pain is usually given.

Conclusion

With the help of this list of common illnesses, parents can be fairly equipped with pre-requisite knowledge on the different types of common pediatric diseases that their child can contract. However, parents should always take the help of qualified doctors. Talk to a specialist online on DocsApp to obtain an accurate diagnosis of the child’s condition.

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