Category Archives: Childcare

Stem Cells Therapy For Chronic Liver Disease in Children

Children suffering from a chronic liver disease which causes irreparable damage to the organ may get a new lease of life as doctors at AIIMS in New Delhi, India’s premier medical institute, have achieved initial success in their experiments with stem cells.

A team of five doctors at AIIMS tried stem cell treatment for liver repair in children suffering from ‘biliary atresia’ and saw improvement in the physical condition of the children. The team doctors —  D K Gupta, Lalit Kumar, Shilpa Sharma, Sidharth Datta Gupta and Sujata Mohanty –were working on this experiment since 2005.

Comments by Dr D K Gupta, Professor and Head of the department, paediatric surgery, AIIMS:

We have tried stem cells in children suffering from biliary atresia. In some of children, these stem cells have regenerated as liver cells resulting in improvement in the physical condition of children. This is a positive beginning as liver is the most complex organ and is made up of large number of different cells. With bone marrow stem cells successfully regenerating into liver cells, we can say we have been able to locate the markers of these liver cells.

Breast Feeding Benefits and Other Options

Here’s an informative video on the benefits of breast feeding and options available to women if they are unable to breast feed their baby for any reason.

How to Control Asthma In Children?

Asthma could be a life threatening disease for the millions of children affected by this chronic condition. The asthmatic person feels as if they cannot breathe. And it is frightening to the children, the parents, their teachers and other caregivers.

Fortunately, there have been significant developments in the treatment of asthma in children.

Asthma in children affects children the same way this condition affects adults. The airways in the human body are constricted when an asthma attack occurs.

It often results in wheezing and a whistling sound when breathing. Asthma can also make the child feel as if their chest is very tight, and they often have a coughing spell.  It creates fear in children because they think they might die.

Asthma in children is the result of the same conditions as asthma in adults. Excessively hot, cold or moist air is often the trigger that causes an asthma attack. Smoke in the atmosphere can trigger an asthma attack in children and adults. Strenuous work or play can bring on an asthma attack.

Asthma In Children Can Be Controlled

There have been some significant developments that provide freedom for children affected by asthma. There are some great inhalers that children can use on their own if they have an asthma attack. These inhalers can be put in their pocket or backpack to be pulled out to relieve the symptoms of an attack. These inhalers provide security to children who might be worried that they could have an attack at any time.

There are also medications for asthma in children. These medications have been developed through expert medical research, and the treatments continue to improve. These treatments make the use of the inhalers less frequent.

Stress is often a cause of asthma, and the worry of having an attack can add stress to the lives of young children.

The medications and inhalers reduce the worry that young children might feel because of previous asthma attacks. Most young children today can live a fully independent life without worrying that they will have trouble breathing because of asthma.

Symptoms andTreatment of Bronchitis and Pneumonia

Bronchitis and pneumonia has some of the same symptoms so therefore, many people believe that treating bronchitis and pneumonia will also share some of the same remedies. This theory is true up to a point, but you have to understand first the type of bronchitis and pneumonia that you might have. Those illnesses caused by a virus will be treated differently than those that are caused by some type of bacteria.

The basic difference between bronchitis and pneumonia is that bronchitis is primarily an inflammation of the air passageways called bronchi that lead from the trachea to the lungs. With pneumonia, there is an actual infection of the lungs with the alveoli (air sacs) filling up with fluid or pus, causing breathing problems.

Understanding the Differences in Bronchitis and Pneumonia

Both bronchitis and pneumonia can start out innocuous enough from a cold or even an allergy. With bronchitis, you may develop a dry cough in the beginning but within a day or two you could have a moister cough which may bring up clear, yellowish or green phlegm. With pneumonia, the cough comes up from the lungs and may be green or spotted with blood.

In terms of fever, you may get a mild one with bronchitis but pneumonia will usually cause you to have a higher fever of about 101?F or higher. In addition, the best way to determine pneumonia is to have a doctor x-ray your chest area. Bronchitis will present clear lungs while pneumonia will show signs of infection.

In treating bronchitis and pneumonia, it is also important to know whether they were caused by a virus or bacteria. Often , the doctor will test the mucus for signs of bacteria as well as conduct a blood test to verify things. When it comes to a bacterial infection, treating bronchitis and pneumonia will usually be through various forms of antibiotics. The blood and phlegm test will help doctors pinpoint what type of bacteria is present so that the proper antibiotic treatment can be chosen.

Treating Bronchitis and Pneumonia when Caused by a Virus

When a virus is the cause of these respiratory illnesses, there is no drug that can help so the infection has to run its course. With bronchitis, it may take a week or two to clear up the infection and start feeling more normal. However, with pneumonia, the time frame could be several months because lungs take longer to heal.

Treating bronchitis and pneumonia caused by viruses usually boils down to the symptoms. You can treat the symptoms and provide yourself some relief while the illness runs its course. Some remedies that can be used when treating bronchitis and pneumonia include breathing in steam several times a day either through a shower or vaporizer and drinking plenty of fluids like water, juice and soup which work to thin the mucus so that it can be expelled easier. Oxygen treatments may be necessary for viral pneumonia sufferers when breathing becomes labored or difficult.

How To Treat Infant Yeast Infection?

Q: Can infants also get yeast infection?

A; Yes, any baby can get an infant yeast infection which commonly occurs in the moist diaper area. An infant yeast infection will typically start out like a diaper rash, but it won’t go away and it won’t heal like a diaper rash. Babies can also get a condition known as thrush which is a yeast infection of the mouth. With this condition the cheeks, gums and tongue will develop white patches. You should take a baby to the doctor to have an infant yeast infection properly diagnosed especially if you haven’t dealt with an infection of this kind before.

A baby with an infant yeast infection will be a baby in distress which can be difficult for parents to deal with. Delivery can spread an infant yeast infection such as a mother with a yeast infection or during breastfeeding if the mother also has a yeast infection.

Although an oral yeast infection can develop in a baby even when there is no yeast infection present.

An infant yeast infection can be experienced by both sexes. You will often think it is a diaper rash, but it won’t go away after the typical one or two day period of diaper rash. Bacteria grows in warm, moist areas on both babies and adults. This is why women have extra concern in their vaginal areas although if a baby isn’t attended to then the perfect environment for the bacteria can develop.

Also a baby on antibiotics is more susceptible since the medication will kill the healthy bacteria that help to keep down an infant yeast infection.

An infant yeast infection can easily involve both the mouth and the diaper area since it typically spreads through a babies digestive tract. Take a good look at your babies diaper rash and try to determine if there are a lot of pus-filled bumps or if they are forming a pattern. Often typical treatments for diaper rash won’t work and it won’t disappear on its own after awhile.

Q: When Should You Go To The Doctor?

A: If you are a first time parent you will likely be very concerned and you will probably want to take the baby to the doctor right away to look at the rash. If the same child has a recurrent problem of yeast infections then perhaps your doctor can help with some suggestions on how you can prevent an infant yeast infection. For babies on antibiotics the condition may be around for the course of the medical treatment. Although the best treatment a parent can do is to keep the diaper area as dry as possible and don’t fasten diapers too fast, be sure to leave some area for air circulation.

Q: Any OTC Medications? 

Yeastrol™ is a homeopathic product that works like nothing else on the market today. Experts in homeopathic treatments have combined 12 ingredients to fight not just the itching “but multiple symptoms of yeast infection” from the inside out! And Yeastrol gets into your system quickly, with just two simple sprays under the tongue, three times a day. And you get 2 bottles free.