Tag:blood infection, ear infection, meningitis, pneumococcal disease, Pneumococcal vaccine

My son is now 2 years and 3 months old. We plan to bring him to the doctor for his Pneumococcal vaccine jab. Doctor says that at his age , he needs only one jab. Below is some information adapted from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Immunization Program. Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine. Vaccine information statement 7/18/2000. Retrieved March 2001, from: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/downloads/vis-PneumoConjugate.pdf

What is pneumococcal disease?

Pneumococcal disease is the main cause of bacterial meningitis (an infection of the covering of the brain) in the United States. Each year, pneumococcal disease causes many health problems in children younger than 5 years, including these problems:

• More than 700 cases of meningitis
• About 13,000 blood infections
• About 5 million ear infections

Children younger than 2 years are at highest risk for serious disease. Pneumococcal disease causes about 200 deaths each year in children younger than 5 years.

What is the pneumococcal vaccine?

Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine is a shot for infants and toddlers. It helps prevent pneumococcal disease, and it also helps stop the disease from spreading from person to person.

The vaccine’s protection lasts at least 3 years. Because most serious pneumococcal infections happen during the first 2 years of life, the vaccine protects children when they are at greatest risk. (Some older children and adults may get the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine–a different vaccine used to prevent pneumococcal disease.) 

Why should my child get this vaccine?

Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine can prevent pneumococcal disease. Pneumococcus bacteria are spread from person to person through close contact. Pneumococcal infections can be hard to treat because the disease has become resistant to some of the medicines that have been used to treat it. This makes preventing the disease even more important. 

Who should get the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine and when?

The following groups of children should get this vaccine:

1. All children younger than 2 years. Healthy infants and toddlers should get 4 doses of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine:

• One dose at 2 months of age
• One dose at 4 months of age
• One dose at 6 months of age
• One dose at 12 to 15 months of age

Children who miss the first dose at 2 months of age should still get the vaccine. Ask your doctor for more information.

2. Some children between 2 and 5 years of age. Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine is recommended for children between 2 and 5 years of age who:

• Have sickle cell disease
• Have a damaged spleen or no spleen
• Have HIV/AIDS
• Have other diseases that affect the immune system, such as diabetes or cancer
• Take medicines that affect the immune system, such as chemotherapy or steroids

3. This vaccine should also be considered for use in all other children between 2 and 5 years of age, but especially those who:

• Are younger than 3 years
• Are Alaska natives, Native Americans or blacks
• Attend group child care

The number of doses a child needs depends on the how old the child was when he or she started getting the shots. Ask your doctor for more details.

Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine may be given at the same time as other childhood vaccines.

Are there some children who should not get pneumococcal conjugate vaccine or who should get it when they are older?

Children should not get pneumococcal conjugate vaccine if they had a severe (life-threatening) allergic reaction to a previous dose of the vaccine.

Children who are moderately or severely ill at the time the shot is scheduled should usually wait until they recover before getting the vaccine. Children with minor illnesses, such as a cold, may be vaccinated.

What are the risks from pneumococcal conjugate vaccine?

In clinical trials, pneumococcal conjugate vaccine was associated with only mild reactions, such as:

• Tenderness or swelling where the shot was given
• Mild fever
• Fussiness
• Tiredness or poor appetite
• Vomiting

A vaccine, like any medicine, could cause serious problems, such as a severe allergic reaction. The risk of this vaccine causing serious harm or death is extremely small. If you have concerns, talk to your doctor.

What if my child has a moderate or severe reaction? What should I look for?

Look for any unusual condition such as a serious allergic reaction, high fever or unusual behavior. If a serious allergic reaction is going to happen, it will happen within a few minutes to a few hours after the shot. Signs of a serious allergic reaction include the following:

• Difficulty breathing
• Hoarseness or wheezing
• Hives
• Paleness
• Weakness
• A fast heartbeat
• Dizziness
• Swelling of the throat

What should I do if my child has a reaction?

• Call a doctor or take your child to a doctor right away.
• Tell your doctor what happened, when it happened and when the vaccination was given.
• Ask your doctor, nurse or health department to file a Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) form, or call VAERS yourself at 800-822-7967.

 

How can I learn more about this vaccine?

• Ask your doctor or nurse. They can give you the vaccine package insert and/or suggest other sources of information.
• Call your local or state health department immunization program.
• Contact the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ( see “Other Organizations”).

Tag:baby communication, baby sign language, baby talk

My little prince will be 2 years old in a week’s time. At this stage he is able to utter simple words and make a simple sentence such as “take back home”, “baby eat porridge” or “papa drive car”. He calls himself baby. At times he calls himself “wa wa” . Not sure where he learns it from. Maybe because of the sound of baby crying. If only he can tell why.

As parents, how we wish we could understand our babies, especially when they are at the young age of a few months old. I can still remember how frustrated I was when our baby cried trying to tell us something but we just could not make out what he wanted. We can only assume and guess. Is he in pain or hungry?  Now that he is able to talk, it is very much easier to communicate with him.

When he was about a year old, I noticed that he used to point at things that he wanted. He wanted to communicate but not able talk, so he used his hands to show. At times he threw tantrums and got irritated just because we did not understand what he was trying to tell us. Yea, if only we could communicate then.

I have come across recently an article which says that baby can learn sign language even at the young age of 6 months old. By 7 to 8 months old, he is able to use the sign language. If only I have come across this when my baby was 6 months old then. Much frustration could have been avoided. We could have taught our baby sign language. Beside communicating, he could be more intelligent , better IQ,  more confident  and high self-esteem as explained by Maria Sinclair, Managing Director of Baby Sign Online.

If you have a baby and you may want to learn how to use sign language. Do not let the chance pass by just like what we did. If only we can turn back the clock.

Tag:bowel movement, constipation, constipation treatment, hard stool, signs of constipation

How do you tell whether your child is having constipation? When it comes to bowel movement, there is no normal number of times or schedule that your child passes a stool – just what is normal for your child. He may have bowel movement after a meal , every day or every two days. It is also very much depends on his diet. Drinking more water and diet rich in fiber will make bowel movement easier. Each individual has its own pattern. High level of physical activities and the rate he digests his food will also effect the bowel movement.

Signs of constipation.

If you think that your child is constipated, look out for the following signs:
1. Less frequent bowel movement. If he has not had one for four or more days and feels uncomfortable when he does have one.
2.  Dry and hard stools that are difficult to pass.
3. Loose or very liquid stools in your child’s diaper or underwear. Liquid stools can slip pass the blockage in the lower intestine. When you see this, don’t assume that he has diarrhea. It may be evidence of constipation.

The reason for constipation.

The common reasons for constipation are:
1. Lack of or eating too little fiber food such as fruits, vegetable and whole grains. Too much of diary products such as milk, cheese, yogurt or peanut butter can lead to constipation.
2. Stress of toilet training. A child may deliberately hold back his stools if he feels pressured about toilet training.
3. If he didn’t spend enough time to completely remove his bowel and feces buildup may cause the colon to stretch and cramp.
4. Dehydration cause by lack of liquid intake. His system will absorb liquid from what he eats and drinks and from the waste in his bowels as well. This will result in hard and dry stools.
5. Lack of activity. Being active helps the blood flow to your toddler’s digestive system.

Treatment for constipation

1. Try to include more fiber in his diet.
2. Increase his fluid intake. Water is the best choice. A little fruit juices or prune juice may help but do try to limit it to 4 ounces a day in order not to ruin his appetite and prevent tooth decay.
3. Encourage him to be more active to get blood flow to his digestive system.
4. Don’t pressure him to toilet train before he is ready to avoid toilet training anxiety.
5. Talk to your doctor about treatment options such as using laxatives, lubricants, or suppository.

Tag:ultrasound, urinary tract infection, UTI

My little prince has gone for an ultrasound test to rule out any urinary tract blockage which may cause urinary tract infection. This was done on the advice of his doctor. It was a long wait at the hospital on the morning that we went but the wait is worth it. The results was comforting as the kidneys, bladder and ureter are all normal. No abnormalities were observed.

He is fine now and eating well. Having a good appetite and as cheeky as usual. What a joy to see him in good health. Hopefully that he will put on more weight as he is quite a bit under weight. Way to go my little one.

Tag:bacteria, Klesiella, urinary tract infection, urine infection, UTI

This article is a follow up to my article entitled urinary tract infection. My 20 months old son has recovered from urinary tract infection after a week on antibiotic. The fever subsided and he is now back to his normal self. Following the advise of his doctor, we sent his urine for culture 3 days after he completed his course of antibiotic to ensure that all the bacteria was destroyed. We do not want any remnants to create another round of infection.

4 days later, we got the results. It actually gave us a shock. The culture showed a new strain of bacteria call Klebsiella infecting his urine. This strain of bacteria is not common and ussually acquired from an admission to the hospital. And this is one nasty bacteria which can also cause pneumonia. On the night of getting the results, my son came down with slight fever and runny nose. The first thought that came to my mind is that the new strain of bacteria is acting up. Fearing the worse, we sent another urine sample to the same lab to confirm the earlier results and another one to a different lab just to double confirm.

We got the results of the second sample from the first lab which tested positive for Klebsiella earlier. This time the results is negative. There is no bacteria growth in the urine. That means to say that the first results is not accurate. The sample may have been contaminated in the lab. This shouldn’t have happened and caused us unnecessary worries. Meanwhile we are waiting for the report from the other lab. If it is negative, then it proves that the first Klebsiella results is wrong and not accurate.

Tag:bacteria, urinary tract infection, urine test, UTI, VCUG

My 20 months old toddler was down with high fever last week for 5 days. Thought that it was viral fever as doctor couldn’t find anything wrong with him. On looking back to the first day when he had fever, we realised that his urine had an odd smell. So we decided to send his urine for a urine FEME test. The result showed that there are white blood cells in his urine. This is a sign of urine infection but can only be confirmed by a urine culture. He recovered and has no more fever after 5 days. But today, four days after the fever subsided, it came back again. It was good that yesterday, we decided to send his urine for another urine FEME test and culture. Again the test confirmed that there are white blood cells in his urine and the culture shows positive for bacteria. Thus it is confirmed that he has urinary tract infection (UTI). The doctor put him on antibiotic to clear the infection.

The doctor told us that for a boy especially under two years old, there is a possibility that there are some problems with the child’s urinary tract. Problems that cause UTI may include blockages and a condition called vesicoureteral reflux (VUR). VUR is where urine from the bladder backs up into the kidneys. VUR is found in 30 to 40 percent of babies and young children who have UTIs.

The doctor recommended some tests to be done to rule out blockages and VUR.

1. Ultrasound which uses sound waves to show a picture of the kidneys and bladder.

2. A voiding cystourethrogram (VCUG) which will show whether urine is backing up from the child’s bladder into the kidneys.During VCUG, X-rays are taken before and after a liquid dye is put into the bladder using a tube through the urethra.

The thought of VCUG and how they insert the tube worries me a lot. I can’t bear to see my little child goes through all these. The pain and the discomfort he has to go through. I will just pray that his infection is caused by bacteria from outside and not due to internal problem. Then he does not have to go through all these.

Tag:childrens weight, overweight, underweight

In an Australian study that looked into 2,100 children and their parents, it has been noticed that many parents have overlooked their children’s weight problems because they think that their kid’s weight is healthy.The researchers from The University of Melbourne have found that 43% of parents with underweight or overweight children believed their children had an average weight.

According to Dr Pene Schmidt, parents are more likely to take the necessary preventative actions if their perception of their child’s weight are correct.

But it is difficult to make the distinction nowadays. Fat or big is now common and seen as normal. So I guess it is easier to notice smaller built kids compare to big built kids.

My son age 20 months old but weighs only 8.5kg. We are concerned about his growth rate but it comforts us because he is eating well but just never put on weight. He has been on below 3rd percentile growth rate since when he was a few months old. His doctor said as long as his growth rate is constant even though it is below 3rd percentile, he is fine. Should there be a sudden drop from where he is now, then we should send him for a proper checkup. Hope he will put on more weight from now on.

Tag:medicine, over the counter drugs, prescription

It is not safe to give your child over-the-counter drugs especially if they are under the age of 4 years old.

In January 2008 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommended that these drugs should not  used to treat infants and children under 2 years of age. These drugs can have serious and even life-threatening side effects. And as of October 2008, under pressure from the FDA, drug makers are now relabeling their products to inform the consumers that these drugs should not be given to children under 4.

If your baby has fever, consult your doctor about giving him infant acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Don’t ever give your baby aspirin as it makes him more susceptible to Reye’s syndrome, a rare but potentially fatal disease.

I have always kept a bottle of the medicine such as for flu or fever prescribed by my pediatrician in the fridge so that I can give it to my child when necessary. I felt that this way is better because the medicine was prescribed by a qualified doctor and not over the counter. It is safer to give my child medicine that is prescribed by a pediatrician. But I make sure that I don’t keep the medicine for too long. I will always get a new bottle and discard the old ones when there is a visit to the doctor when my child is sick. Be sure to ask the doctor for the correct dosage if you do keep the medicine in the fridge like I do because as the child grows older, the dosage has to be increased.

Tag:breastfeeding toddler

After posting the article on breastfeeding a toddler earlier, I came across this picture and I had a good laugh. So I thought I might as well post it here to warn mothers who breastfeed their toddlers.

Mothers, be warned. This may happen to you if you are breastfeeding your toddler

Tag:breastfeeding toddler, breastmilk

My boy is now 19 months old and is still breastfeeding.

He loves the comfort of being held by his mum. Not sure whether there is any more breastmilk at this stage but he seems to be sucking away. While browsing the net to find the answer to my question whether there is still breastmilk supply, I came across this article written by Dr Jack Newman, the breastfeeding expert, which I would like to share with you who may have the same question in mind. 

Breastfeeding a toddler - why on earth?

Because more and more women are now breastfeeding their babies, more and more are also finding that they enjoy breastfeeding enough to want to continue longer than the usual few months they initially thought they would do it. UNICEF has long encouraged breastfeeding for two years and longer, and the American Academy of Pediatrics is now on record as encouraging mothers to nurse at least one year and as long after as both mother and baby desire. Breastfeeding to 3 and 4 years of age has been common in much of the world until recently, and breastfeeding toddlers is still common in many societies. 

 Why should breastfeeding continue past six months?

Because mothers and babies often enjoy breastfeeding a lot. Why stop an enjoyable relationship?

But it is said that breastmilk has no value after six months.

Perhaps this is said, but it is wrong. That anyone can say such a thing only shows how ignorant so many people in our society are about breastfeeding. Breastmilk is, after all, milk. Even after six months, it still contains protein, fat, and other nutritionally important and appropriate elements which babies and children need. Breastmilk still contains immunologic factors which help protect the baby. In fact, some immune factors in breastmilk which protect the baby against infection are present in greater amounts in the second year of life than in the first. This is, of course as it should be, since children older than a year are generally exposed to more infection. Breastmilk still contains factors which help the immune system to mature, and which help the brain, gut, and other organs to develop and mature.It has been well shown that children in daycare who are still breastfeeding have far fewer and less severe infections than the children who are not breastfeeding. The mother thus loses less work time if she continues nursing her baby once she is back at her paid work.It is interesting that formula company marketing pushes the use of formula (a rather imperfect copy of the real thing) for a year, yet implies that breastmilk (from which the imperfect copy is copied) is only worthwhile for 6 months. Too many health professionals have taken up the refrain.

I have heard that the immunologic factors prevent the baby from developing his own immunity if I breastfeed past six months.

This is untrue; in fact, this is absurd. It is unbelievable how so many people in our society twist around the advantages of breastfeeding and turn them into disadvantages. We give babies immunizations so that they are able to defend themselves against the real infection. Breastmilk also allows the baby to be fight off infections. When the baby fights off these infections, he becomes immune. Naturally.

But I want my baby to become independent.

And breastfeeding makes the toddler dependent? Don’t believe it. The child who breastfeeds until he weans himself (usually from 2 to 4 years), is generally more independent, and, perhaps more importantly, more secure in his independence. He has received comfort and security from the breast, until he is ready to make the step himself to stop. And when he makes that step himself, he knows he has achieved something, he knows he has moved ahead. It is a milestone in his life.Often we push children to become “independent” too quickly. To sleep alone too soon, to wean from the breast too soon, to do without their parents too soon, to do everything too soon. Don’t push and the child will become independent soon enough. What’s the rush? Soon they will be leaving home. You want them to leave home at 14? Of course, breastfeeding can, in some situations, be used to foster an overdependent relationship. But so can food and toilet training. The problem is not the breastfeeding. This is another issue.

What else?

Possibly the most important aspect of nursing a toddler is not the nutritional or immunologic benefits, important as they are. I believe the most important aspect of nursing a toddler is the special relationship between child and mother. Breastfeeding is a life affirming act of love. This continues when the baby becomes a toddler. Anyone without prejudices, who has ever observed an older baby or toddler nursing can testify that there is something almost magical, something special, something far beyond food going on. A nursing toddler will sometimes spontaneously break into laughter for no obvious reason. His delight in the breast goes far beyond a source of food. And if the mother allows herself, breastfeeding becomes a source of delight for her as well, far beyond the pleasure of providing food. Of course, it’s not always great, but what is? But when it is, it makes it all so worthwhile.And if the child does become ill or does get hurt (and they do as they meet other children and become more daring), what easier way to comfort the child than breastfeeding? I remember nights in the emergency department when mothers would walk their ill, non nursing babies or toddlers up and down the halls trying, often unsuccessfully, to console them, while the nursing mothers were sitting quietly with their comforted, if not necessarily happy, babies at the breast. The mother comforts the sick child with breastfeeding, and the child comforts the mother by breastfeeding.