Handling Cold, Cough, Fever & Flu

It's not the first time that Belle having a cold & fever. In fact, this probably the 6th time in her life. Nevertheless it still made me sad to see her suffer, hear her cry, waking up several times from sleep at night perhaps feeling uncomfortable of her itchy throat.

But I tried to remain calm and do whatever i can to ease her pain. I've did some research from books, internet and join a parenting mailing list. Most of the info said that cold/flu are common for children and no medication are needed as long as we are sure that the child is having a flu, not other type of flu (such as Hongkong Flu, Singaporean Flu a.k.a HFM, or the latest one swine flu) then home treatment would be sufficient. There are some reasons also why we shouldn't give any antibiotic nor any medicine, especially to babies. In simple explanation, because Flu/cold caused by virus not bacteria, while antibiotic only kill bacteria and excessive use of antibiotic can also kill useful bacteria in our body.

I experienced it myself. Last time Belle got flu, because we were so panic so we brought her to doctor. I told the doctor that i don't want him to give my baby (that time she was only 6 mths old) antibiotic. So he gave her 3 kinds of medicine: 1. Vitamin to keep up her stamina; 2. To cure her cough; 3. For allergy or runny nose. So we went home with those pills and guess what happen that night...?? Belle behaved 'abnormal', she couldn't sleep (not because of the cough or pain because she looks sleepy and drowsy), she keep pulling her ear, shaking her head and became hyperactive though her eyes remain shut. Of course i was panic, i tried to find out about the prescription through www.medicastore.com and the result was quite shocking. One of the medicine (i better not mention the name) could caused heart and kidney attact, imagine if this could harm an adult body, moreover to babies. I stop all the medicine right away and from that time i start to be more careful to give anything to my baby. I became more aware, active in mailing list and re-read all the articles + books about common problems in pediatric.

Below are a summary of all the information i gathered about Cold, Flu and Fever:

COLDS AND FLU

Viral infection is known as the main caused. Normally it will occur for as long as 5 days (between 3-14 days), depends on the person's stamina and depends whether the child live with other children (older ones at school age). If so, he/she will be more potential to get caught of flu.

There is no specific medicine to improve one's stamina. The child's stamina against the flu virus will be improve itself in accordance with time.

Some Tips and Trick in doing Home Treatment:


- Encourage your child to drink a lot of water, little bit at a time but often
- To avoid the mucus getting thicker and block the child breath, give the child solution of sterilized salt as nose drop. This won't caused any side effect.
- warm water vaporizer also can help if child start having difficulty breathing
- If child cannot sleep at night because the nose has been blocked, give nose drop to ommit the swelling inside the nose (Breathy)
- Maintain a Humid environment and avoid dry one like room with air conditioning. If possible, put one bucket fill with boiled water after the child fall asleep.
- You can give Paracetamol – if the baby/child look very uncomfortable or having high fever (>38.5)
- On the other hand, we often mixed up between allergy and flu. The case for allery, child will also have runny nose but without any fever.

There are so many myths in handling cold and flu in babies or toddler. There are also some methods that cannot be implemented anymore due to new findings/research on the dangerous, one of them that i could remember is not to compress your fever baby with cold/ice water. Some people even put alcohol. Don't ever use this treatment anymore as this could harm your baby. WHY? Because the body temperature will drop too quickly.

Some parents also afraid to bath their children when having cold and fever. In fact, it is recommended to give your baby a bath, but make sure the water is luke warm to warm. (Again, never bath with cold water, shivering could worsen the fever, not help to reduce it) Also you can add some oil such as eucalyptus when the bath nearly finish. the aroma steam could help to release the block nose.

Last but not least, keep in mind that having a cold and fever doesn't mean that your child is having a weak immune system. Actually, a healthy child can easily become infected with one of at least 200 different viruses that cause the common cold. Moreover, never overreact when your baby having a fever. A Fever is normally a sign that your (or your child) body is fighting the infection. In other word, it mean that his/his immune system is working well.

Preventive:
- wash hand regularly (before eating, during playing, at all times)
- Avoid any contact with any child/adult having flu
- Keep all area in the house clean (bath room, kitchen, play area, etc)

When do we have to visit doctor?
- Persistent cough, fever > 72 hours
- If child having asphyxia, starting to choke, nail and lips look pale and blue
- Child becoming unsettle, cry a lot or sleep a lot (very hard to wake up)

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Autism VS MMR

"Should i give this kind of vaccination to my baby on schedule, later or never?" this question has been haunted me eversince our last visit to the pediatrician, after we settle back again in Batam, after Jakarta long holiday. The doctor said that Belle,10 months old at that time didn't need to take immunization for campak (measles), supposed to be taken when she was 9 mths old. His reason was because this kind of shot (campak) only prevent from a disease (perhaps different kind of measles, local measles?) that most likely infect children with poor intact of nutrition. Having consider that Belle is well maintained (Thanks God) and has had adequate nutrition, he said that this campak vaccin is not really necessary, as we skipped it anyway. Therefore, he suggested straight away to give Belle MMR next month when she reach 12 mths old.

MMR has became a big issue these last decade when someone suspect that this kind of immunization can caused autism to a child. I heard about this quite a long time ago but never take too serious concern until now, when we have to decide whether to give the vaccine or wait til later. I did the goggling and seek for advice, opinion from friends and some health mailing list i joined. And the result for this re-researching was i becoming more confuse. Out of 10 people that i asked for opinion, 9 of them said that they wait until their child big enough (2 or 3 years old) and already walk and talk fluently. Honestly i didn't feel that I'm 100% agree with their advice.

MMR schedule for babies between age 15-18 mths old, in Indonesia. Even in Australia and other countries It schedule earlier: for 12 mths old babies. So, I think it will be very risky if i have to wait that long and also the possibility that my baby can be contagious with either Measles, Mumps or Rubella will be greater. I also found out that autism, actually can be detected as early as when the baby is 10 mths old, even 6 mths old. The reasons why parents nowadays becoming (too) worry are because autism has been known or similar as speech delay ability in children. Whilst, autism the symptoms actually more vary and different than that.

I did the goggling again and found this useful info about some symptoms or guideline whether your baby has autism or not:

By 2 to 3 months, your baby is not making eye contact.
* By 3 months, not smiling at you and recognize the sound of your voice.
* By 6 months, no laughing or giggling
* By 9 months, no babbling.
* By 1 year, not recognizing when you call his name
* By 1 year, showing disregard for vocalizations, but has a keen awareness of environmental sounds.
* By 1 year, no back-and-forth communications with you.
* By 16 months, no words.
* By 18 months, not pointing to things that interest him.
* By 24 months, no two-word meaningful phrases.

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Selecting The Right Type of Stroller For Your Lifestyle

Having a baby is exciting, but also very tough! There are tons of decisions you will make throughout your pregnancy, throughout your babies infancy and during their entire lives! One of those early decisions you will have to make is what type of stroller to by your precious baby. In case you weren't aware, a stroller is a must have item for all new parents! Most parents buy their first stroller before they even buy a crib for their newborn. You can use your stroller from day one!

It's easy to get wound up over the selection process. Fortunately if you use the tips below for selecting the right type of stroller, you won't have any trouble at all selecting the right stroller! Here are some important considerations when buying a stroller for your baby.

Selecting a Style There are many different 'styles' of stroller. Here are just a few:

* Conventional stroller – this is your standard stroller. Most come with a harness or belt to keep your baby safe and secure, a snack tray, maybe a cup holder, foot brakes and removable padding to keep your baby comfortable. A conventional stroller may range in price from $30-$300 or more.
* Tandem or double – if you are having twins or have two babies close in age, a double stroller may be your best bet. You can buy a side-by-side version or a front to back version. While bulky, these strollers do come in handy when shuffling around your little ones.
* Exercise or Jogging – these strollers are increasingly popular in recent years. While many are more expensive than traditional models, most parents feel the added investment is well worth it. Most exercise strollers come with a durable aluminum frame. They can carry your toddler up to 80 pounds, twice as much as conventional strollers. Exercise strollers usually easily fold like any other model. They are a good selection for parents on the go who want to get fit while entertaining their child.
* Lightweight – lightweight strollers feature lightweight materials. Most weigh less than 20 pounds. Most average 12-15. This is a bonus especially if you plan to haul around a hefty 30-pound toddler. Remember the heavier your stroller the more weight you'll push around. A lightweight stroller makes quick trips to the grocery store a lot easier. Some families opt to have a lightweight and a conventional stroller in the house. They can use the lightweight stroller for traveling and the conventional stroller for walks around the block.

The first thing you should do when hunting for a stroller is decide what style best meets your needs. Once you do this, you can start looking for a stroller that has the unique features and accessories you feel make the package complete.

Stroller Accessories and Features Once you decide the style of stroller you need, it's time to select accessories and features. Some strollers come fully loaded with accessories and features. You may pay a little extra, but you won't have to buy these features separately. Here are just a few accessories and features that most parents find useful when buying a stroller:
o Extra cup and snack holders for parent and child.
o Weatherproof fabric.
o Additional rain or insect mesh shield.
o Adjustable canopy to keep sunlight away from your child regardless of the direction you turn.
o Reflective materials to keep you visible when walking during dusk or in the evening.
o Foot and hand brakes.
o Built in shock absorbers.
o Built in toys to entertain your child.

One feature you can't live without is an adequate harness. Look for a stroller with a three or five point harness to keep your infant safe and secure while riding. You should always belt your child when riding, even when they are an infant, to make sure they don't accidentally slip out of the stroller and hurt themselves.

Before shopping for your stroller, create a list of the key features and the style of stroller you plan to buy. This will help reduce your list of 500 strollers to perhaps 20. Once you have narrowed your list you can look at dozens of online reviews to select the perfect stroller for you and your family.

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