Children’s Diseases – Some Help For Parents

Little Susie has a low grade fever. She’s been fussy all morning and you just noticed that she’s got a slight rash appearing on her neck and tummy. She’s not hungry and doesn’t want to drink anything either. Before you panic, there are a lot of things that could cause the same symptoms. The list of childhood diseases and infections goes on and on. A parent can become overwhelmed at the multitude of health threats their child faces. What may seem to be a severe health problem could turn into something as simple as a heat rash or any over-tired toddler.

These are a few things to consider as you comfort your baby – and keep in mind that if you really aren’t sure of your baby’s condition, always call your physician.

Measles is a respiratory infection caused by a virus and is highly contagious. This disease occurs most often in late winter and spring.

The first symptoms resemble the flu; high fever, runny nose, hacking cough, and watery red eyes. There are also small red spots with blue-white centers which appear in the mouth. Then a full-body rash appears, red or reddish-brown in color, first on the forehead, spreading down the body to the feet.

Symptoms usually last about 2 weeks. Since measles is a viral infection, there is no medical treatment and the symptoms go away once the virus has run its course. There are some things you can do to make your child more comfortable while they are sick.

• Make sure the child receives plenty of clear fluids such as water, tea, lemonade, or fruit juice to replace the fluids lost with the fever.
• Use a cool-mist vaporizer to sooth breathing passages and relieve cough.
• Make sure the child gets plenty of rest.
• Give the child a non-aspirin pain reliever/fever reducer such as acetaminophen for their fever. Never give aspirin to a child with a viral illness, as aspirin in such cases has been associated with Reye’s syndrome.

Because of the contagious nature of measles, the child should be kept insolated to keep from spreading it to others. When the child coughs or sneezes, the virus droplets enter the air and spread to those nearby.

A child diagnosed with measles should be monitored closely for any sign of complications. Measles can, in some cases, lead to other problems, such as infections like pneumonia, bronchitis, bronchiolitis, encephalitis, and myocarditis. The child may also be more susceptible to ear infections or other problems caused by bacteria.

To protect your child from contracting measles, you should have them vaccinated. The measles vaccine is part of the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) immunization given to children at 12 to 15 months and again at 4 to 6 years of age. The measles vaccine is not given to children under 12 months old; they are usually protected by the antibodies passed to them from their mother.
There were thousands of cases of measles in the United States in 1950, but due to immunizations, that number has steadily decreased. In 2002 there were only 44 reported cases.

Rubella is caused by the rubella virus and primarily affects the skin and lymph nodes. Rubella is commonly known as German or 3-day measles and is a contagious infection.

Many children with rubella have few or no symptoms. For those who do manifest symptoms, they may include a mild fever, which may last one or two days, swollen, tender lymph nodes, and a rash. The rash may resemble many other viral rashes, being pink or light red in color, beginning on the face and spreading downward. The rash may itch and usually lasts for three days. As the rash clears, the skin occasionally sheds in fine flakes.

As with other viral infections, immunization is the best preventative. The rubella vaccine became available in 1969. Before the vaccine, rubella epidemics occurred every six to nine years.

Mumps is also a viral illness; hence no medical treatment is available. Most cases of mumps occur in children ages 5 to 14.
Symptoms usually begin with a fever, followed by headache, fatigue, muscle aches and loss of appetite. Swelling of the glands (salivary) below the ears near the jaw line then occurs, giving the child “chipmunk cheeks.”

Mumps is contagious and can be spread through direct contact with the infected child or by the child sneezing, coughing or laughing. Children who have mumps are most contagious from two days before symptoms appear to six days after they end. The incubation period for mumps is on an average, 16-18 days.

There are cases, however, where the symptoms of mumps are so mild that no one suspects an infection. It is believed that one in three may have the infection without apparent symptoms. The virus can still be spread from these children.
Serious problems from mumps rarely occur, but could include swelling of the brain (encephalitis) or spinal cord (meningitis), and deafness.

To prevent or greatly reduce their chances of contracting the mumps virus, your child should be immunized with the MMR vaccine. Since the inception of this vaccine, mumps cases have been reduced from 200,000 cases in 1967 to less than 1,000 per year.
Chickenpox is an infectious disease caused by the varicella virus. It is a contagious disease and spreads very easily from one child to another. Most cases occur in children under 15. Older children can also get chickenpox and tend to get sicker from it.

Symptoms include fever, headache, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, mild cough and runny nose, and an uncomfortable, itchy rash. The rash is blister-like and appears on the face, scalp or trunk. The duration of the disease is usually 5 to 10 days.
While there are no miracle cures for chickenpox, there are things that parents can do at home to relieve some of the child’s symptoms and make them more comfortable.

• Trim your child’s fingernails because scratching the rash may cause an infection.
• Calamine lotion for itching.
• Aveeno (oatmeal) baths may help to relieve some discomfort.
• Use non-aspirin medication such as acetaminophen for fever and aches. Never give your child aspirin or aspirin-containing products as they have been associated with Reye’s syndrome.

The chickenpox vaccine can help prevent most cases, or make it less severe if the child does get it. The vaccine became available in 1995, before which about 4 million Americans, mostly children, contracted chickenpox each year.

Once you catch chickenpox, it usually lies dormant in your body forever. The virus can cause shingles in adults.

Reye’s syndrome (RS) can occur at any age, but is primarily a children’s disease. It affects all organs of the body but is most harmful to the brain and liver. RS causes an increase of pressure inside the brain and large accumulations of fat in the liver and other organs.

RS usually occurs during recovery from a viral infection, such as flu or chicken pox. Symptoms include vomiting, listlessness, delirium, convulsions, disorientation, and loss of consciousness. Medical treatment should be sought immediately if these symptoms are present during or soon after a viral illness.

There is no cure for RS and the cause continues to be a mystery. Studies have shown, however, that the risk of developing RS is increased with the use of aspirin or medications containing aspirin. Statistics indicate that when RS is diagnosed and treated early, the chances of recovery are excellent.

This covers only a small portion of the infectious diseases which threaten the health of American children today. Preventative medicine in the form of immunizations has brought us a long way, but they are not 100%. Parents must be diligent in educating themselves about these potentially serious illnesses. Know the symptoms and communicate any concerns to your child’s doctor.