It has been seen that ,parents go for tetanus toxoid vaccine,after every and any type of injury to the child.This is a wrong practice,as it may blunt the effect of previous vaccines ,if the child has received 3 doses of primary vaccination in first year of life and booster at age of 18 months,5 years and 10 years of age.If the child has received vaccine properly at scheduled periods,the vaccine will protect the child against tetanus after minor injuries,without taking any extra vaccine after injury.Child may require extra vaccine in some situations,which will be decided by the doctor.For example if 10 years has lapsed after last dose,then the child may be given extra dose even after minor injury,otherwise no extra dose is required after minor injury.In cases of major and lacerated injury,the child may require extra dose if 5 years has lapsed after the last dose.The national immunisation schedule has been prepared to immunise the child against tetanus,as it is presumed that,the child may face multiple minor injuries during the childhood period.

Sleep is an essential component of life.This stage is more important than awake stage.There is a circadian rhythm of sleep which is regulated by dark and light.

There are two types of sleep.One is quite sleep when the brain remains calm and other is active sleep ,when brain remains active and dreaming occurs during this active sleep.There is an alternating cycle of these two sleep patterns.Initially the sleep cycle is of 50 minutes ,which becomes of 90 minutes later on during preschool age.Baby spend 50% time during each phase.The sleep rhythm is not established at birth ,but begins to develop at about 6 weeks of life and becomes established during 3-6 months of life.Sleep is very irregular during first month of life and during this age ,baby may be active during sleep which may be observed as movements of legs,smiling and sucking during sleep.

Sleep is essential for the adequate development of body and mind.During the period of quiet sleep,blood flow increases through muscles,hormones are released in the body which are essential for the growth of baby.During quiet sleep,tissue growth and repair occurs and energy is restored.

Adequate Sleep time;

0-3 months of age 10.5-18 hours,4-11 months of age 9-12 hours,1-2 years of age 11-14 hours,3-5 years of age 11-13 hours and 6-13 years of age(school age) 9-11 hours

Sleep problems and disorders are mostly seen during school age group (6-13 years of age).If the child does not sleep adequately ,it may cause mood swings,behavioral problems and the dangerous thing which can destroy the career of child -ADHD(Attention deficit and hyperactive disorder)

A child should be taught the importance of good sleep and parents should help in making a regular sleep habit..Child should go to bed at a particular time even during holidays.The room should be conducive for good sleep.The room should be dark ,cool and noise free.TV,Computer and mobile should not be in the room.Watching TV close to the bed time may cause resistance to sleep

Inhalational corticosteroid is the mainstay of treatment for asthma in children.It is effective only when taken with correct technique,taught by a trained Doctor .If the technique is faulty,there will be no benefit of treatment and it will give a false sense of medication being given.In such situations,disease will progress and parents will think that the disease is progressing due to inlaler or there is no benefit of inlaler.PLEASE CLICK BELOW TO WATCH FOR A CORRECT TECHNIQUE OF ASTHMA MEDICATION
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXsG13dzhy4

It is a common practice to visit hill stations during holidays .Some children may develop acute mountain sickness ,the commonest form of high altitute illness when they suddenly go to high altitude on the mountain.The symptoms of this disease are headache,vomiting,tiredness,getting difficulty in sleep and dizziness.These symptoms resolve within 12-48 hours of acclimatization.

If these symptoms are ignored,the child may develop life threatening complications in the form of high altitude pulmonary edema and high altitude cerebral edema.

PRECAUTIONS:One should not travel on high altitude for more than 9000 feet on a single day.After 9000 feets,one shuold not go for more than 500 meters per day.One shuold take 24 hours of rest for acclimatization after every 1000 meters above 9000 feets.One should avoid vigorous exercise 48 hours prior to going up.

On feeling symptoms,one should consult doctor if available.Oxygen therapy may be needed in few cases. If despite treatment,the symptom is not improving,one should get down gradually

Sunscreen should be applied to all children, 15-30 minutes before going out in sun.It is more important for fair skinned children.Dark skinned children have more melanin in their skin to protect from bad effects of sun.But they should also apply sunscreen as the protection that is inherent is not sufficient.Children below 6 months of age should be protected by loose clothes covering all vulnerable areas and hat with brim should be put before going going out in sun.Exposed areas like outer surface of hands should be protected by sunscreen cream or lotion.

According to American Academy of Dermatology,the sunscreen for children should have SPF(Sun protection factor) of at least 30.The sunscreen comes in the market in different formulations,like cream,lotion,gel,and sticks.Sticks can be used for area around eyes and gel can be used on hairy area like scalp.Sunscreen should be applied in sufficient amount.It should be water proof which remains effective for about one hour in water like in swimming pools. If it is not water proof,it should immediately bereapplied while coming out of swimming pool.It should also be sweat proof.If not ,then reapplied after sweating.Usually it should be applied 2 hourly.It should be protective from both UVA and UVB,(Ultraviolet A and B)

There is a general conception among parents that jaundice in newborn baby is the same type as in older child or in adults.

Jaundice in newborn baby is totally different from older child or adults.In newborn baby, jaundice is caused by break down of red blood cells(RBC),whereas in older child and adults,jaundice is caused usually due to inflammation(swellig) of liver.So the jaundice in adults and older children is a sign of hepatitis ,whereas jaundice in newborn is a sign of breakdown of blood.In some circumstances,breakdown of blood is also responsible for jaundice in older child or adults and on the other hand hepatitis is also responsible for jaundice in newborn babies.

Jaundice is the commonest clinical sign in a newborn baby.In newborn babies,jaundice is commonly seen on the skin as increase yellowness of skin after blanching. It appears first on face then progresses downwards .If it appears on the palms and soles,it becomes dangerous and immediate treatment is required..In newborn, slight level of jaundice is normal and does not require any treatment,which is known as physiological jaundice.It disappears automatically in due course of time.But parents should always consult a qualified doctor if a newborn appears yellow..When the level of jaundice is high or prolonged which will be decided by a qualified doctor,it needs treatment and the jaundice is called pathological jaundice.It happens due to various causes ,the most common among them is blood group incompatibility between mother and newborn,mainly Rh incompatibility,when the mother is Rh negative and the baby is Rh positive.

The treatment is phototherapy and in severe cases exchange blood transfusion, in which the whole blood of baby is exchanged with matched blood.

Dengue fever is common in India during mid September to mid November.

It is characterised by fever,body pain,headache,weakness,vomiting and rashes over body.Sometimes rashes appear first with itching ,followed by fever.Usually it starts with fever with cold and cough ,then rashes appear.It gets cured with symptomatic treatment in majority of cases.

Sometimes,it becomes serious when blood pressure stars to fall.Immediate intervention is needed in such cases after hospitalisation of patients.

Platelets start to fall in few cases and sometimes it requires platelets transfusion.

In few serious cases,blood transfusion is also needed.

Whenever your child develops ,fever with cough and cold ,rashes over body,headache with weakness,immediately consult Dr.Dev,Pediatrician and Pediatric Pulmonologist to get your child correctly diagnosed.