Most parents get worried when the find their baby suffering from a minor cold or starts to vomit all of a sudden. There’s no need to get alarmed. You’re newborn baby is vulnerable to certain diseases as he or she is getting acquainted to the environment. As the microbes, germs and bacteria are quite alien to your baby he or she will react to it almost immediately.
In tropical countries like Sri Lanka it is very common to flue like symptoms due to the weather changes.
The BabySpace in this article will help you understand the most common baby illnesses and what needs to be done without burdening yourself and your partner to rush to the family doctor every time the little one sneezes.
How do I know that my baby is sick?
The best person to tell you if there is something’s up is your baby him or herself. As babies have their own way of communicating about their ailments you have no need to worry.
The slightest behaviour change in your baby will show if your baby have contacted a common cold.
The following are some of the most common illnesses that you need to know about.
Common colds
Colds can be triggered with a simple stimulant. That could be a little change in the season or a dust particle that entered your baby’s system. Since your baby’s immunization is quite weak he or she will catch at least 6-10 colds in the first year.
What most parents fail to notice is that running to a doctor whenever the baby catches a cold and then giving the baby the antibiotics the doctor prescribes is not very helpful. since babies are getting acquainted to the atmosphere his or her immunization systems gets strengthened gradually and when you give antibiotics at an earlier age this will cause the baby t get used to them. Which is not healthy.
Colds causes irritation and this leads to swelling of membranes of the respiratory passages, nose and sometimes the ear.
Symptoms: the most common symptom is when your baby’s breathing passages fill with mucus and cause the baby to breathe faster and cough and sneeze. Changes in the sleeping patterns and decreased appetite could also mean that your baby is down with a cold.
Treatment: Sitting your baby up next to a bowl of steaming water will help to loosen the congestion in the respiratory passages. Also make sure that you keep his or her nose clean at all times. Provide the baby with more fluids (warm) and avoid giving cold food that will acceleration the illness. The cold may stay for a week, so don’t panic if it doesn’t go down within three days. Let your baby get plenty of rest as the body needs energy to fight the germs.
Always keep the place your baby rest in clean and germ free. This doesn’t mean that you have to keep the place clean as clean as a new pin. Give space for your baby to get exposed to the germs too.
It is best that you consult your doctor when your baby who is under three months catches a cold for the first time. If the baby gets a cold with fever or if her nails and lips turn a shade of purple rush to the doctor.
Vomiting
Vomiting is very common in babies and these are caused by different stimulants. Most common of them is the stomach virus.
Most parents confuse vomiting with possetting. Possetting occurs when your baby sick back a portion of his or her feed and this is normal. Eventually the baby will get used to it and grow out of the habit.
Vomiting generally starts when your baby is a couple of weeks old.
Treatment: As vomiting occurs when your baby rejects certain food and chemical that is fed to the baby (mostly through mother’s milk), make sure you identify what food the baby is allergic to. Also keep the baby hydrated.
If your baby starts to vomit in red or green then it is time to take your baby to a doctor because this means that there is something wrong with his or her digestive system.
Fever
This is not an illness of its own, but merely a symptom of another disease.
Symptom: If your baby’s temperature increases (even slightly) or if he or she looks flushed then this means that fever is on its way. If the baby is up all night and seems restless this indicates fever.
Treatment: give your baby a sponge bath. If the fever is not paralleled with a cold there is no need to worry. Keep the cot he or she rests in fully ventilated and keep the baby fed.
Colic
This is also one of the most common illnesses among babies. The uncontrollable crying that at times continues for three hours a day is unbearable but this is natural. This occurs when the baby is fed with artificial food which he or she is sensitive to.
Symptoms: When the baby starts to cry for half an hour or more. If the baby doesn’t get consoled easily this could mean he or she is colic. Passes out gas and seem very irritable.
Treatment: Identify the food that the baby shows sensitivity to and avoid feeding it with it in future. Mothers who are breast feeding their children should change their diet. Try avoiding garlic, onions and spicy food at the start and if colic continues, avoid dairy products.
Constipation
Infrequent bowel movements, difficulty in passing stools as they are dry and hard is signs of constipation. This condition is quite common among babies and they don’t always last long.
Symptoms: Difficulty in passing stools followed by pain. Vomiting, nauseousness and weight loss are some symptoms of the disease.
Treatment: Massage your baby’s thigh and stomach when he or she needs to take a poop. Make sure that you give your baby enough fluids to keep the stools soft and watery. Add enough fiber rich food to the baby’s diet.
Diarrhea
Diarrhea takes place when the baby’s bowel movement is loose and very watery.
Symptoms: Very loose bowels and stool passing, very frequent bowel movements, loss of appetite and sometimes high fever with vomiting or nauseous ness.
Treatment: As water is lost from the baby’s system when diarrhea takes place keep the baby hydrates as possible and also make sure that lost salts is replenished by giving the baby oral re hydration solution. As lactose is the cause behind this ailment try and avoid it for a few feeds and feed your baby normally.