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The Facts about Fever
“Fever Phobia” has been around for a long time. Everyone knows that when a child’s body temperature is elevated and the heat is felt on the skin, he is ill. The febrile illness causes anxiety since it could prove to be serious. Although the child is usually only mildly ill with a self-limited viral illness or an easily treated bacterial illness such as strep throat, there is a small possibility that he could, G-d forbid, have a life-threatening bacterial illness such as meningitis, pneumonia or septicemia.
Treating Strep Throat
Most sore throats are the result of viruses, allergies or changes n the weather. A small percentage of all sore throats result from the bacteria Group A Streptococcus (“Strep”). Bacterial sore throat in adults usually accompanied with fever, swollen lymph nodes in the neck, and a lack of cough. Small children usually will have sore throat and fever alone but occasionally there can be headache, abdominal pain or a sandpaper like pink rash called scarlet fever.
Vaccine Concerns
Probably the most significant innovation in medicine in the last 200 years is the vaccine. It has already saved more lives more than any other medical discovery to date. Thanks to vaccines, we now live (almost completely) without the terrible threat of: mumps, measles, whooping cough, tetanus, Paralyzing children, diphtheria, and Hepatitis type A and B. All these diseases are now extremely rare thanks to vaccines. Other diseases such as meningitis have also been significantly decreased. Recently there have been other vaccines introduced to Israel including: Rotateq and Rotarix (against severe diarrhea), Gardasil and Cerverix (against cervical cancer and genital warts) and Prevenar(against pneumonia, ear infections, blood infections and meningitis).
Causes and Treatment of Post Partum Depression
The post partum period is generally thought of as a happy and exciting time for new mothers. For those who have not experienced post partum depression, it is difficult to believe how sad and lonely this period of time can be for some women. The physical, psychological and hormonal changes, coupled with sleep deprivation following childbirth, make this period of time one of susceptibility to many mood disorders, the most common of which is post partum depression. This condition is seen in 8-15% of women after childbirth, and can occur any time within the first year after delivery. The onset is commonly within the first 6 months after childbirth. Similar to other forms of depression, PPD is characterized by sadness, tearfulness, feelings of guilt and inadequacy, difficulty with sleep and appetite, irritability, difficulty with memory, concentration and fatigue. The symptoms of depression should be distinguished from those of “post-partum blues” which affects 50-70% of new mothers, usually within 3-5 days of delivery. Women who suffer from post partum blues have milder symptoms which are transient, and resolve within two weeks.
Care after Brit Mila
After a brit mila, there will usually be swelling, redness and a yellowish discharge in the area of the brit. After the bandage is removed, one should wash the area with warm water with each diaper change and spread Vaseline on the penis in order to make the baby more comfortable and prevent the skin from sticking to the diaper. Once should continue this treatment until the swelling and redness subsides (3-14 days after the brit). It is important to note that there is a good stream of urine after the brit as very rarely the bandage can be wrapped too tight and cause an obstruction. In case of fever over 37.8, the baby is not urinating every six hours or there is marked swelling in the area, one should see the pediatrician immediately.
Matzot, White Potatoes and the Glycemic Index
Carbohydrates have been traditionally classified as simple (ie.sugars) or complex ( ie.starches) on the basis of the number of sugar molecules in their chemical structures. It had been assumed that complex carbohydrates cause smaller rises in blood glucose than simple carbohydrates.
How to Prevent Choking and Perform the Heimlich Maneuver
The mechanism for chewing and swallowing is underdeveloped in this age group and so they are more likely to inhale food or an object into their trachea. In addition the trachea itself is quite narrow at this age which exacerbates the possibility of choking on food or small objects. Foods that are round or hard are the most common sources of choking and include: grapes, hot dog, olives, apple, carrot, popcorn, Bisli, raisins and candy. These foods are very easily inhaled into the lungs during eating. In addition there is choking danger in many small toys but especially: marbles, Lego, metal cubes, and toys that can be disassembled to small pieces.
Understanding Breastfeeding
Everyone knows that the natural way to nourish an infant is to breastfeed. The English word nursing is from the same source as nourishing. It seems like it should be as natural as pregnancy, labor and delivery. The problem is, breastfeeding doesn’t always work out well for the mother and the baby. There are many factors involved which can influence the success or failure of nursing. Here is an overview of the subject.
Constipation in Children
The miserable symptoms of constipation can occur at any age. The problem is defined as difficulty passing bowel movements. Constipation can also cause poor appetite, irritability, abdominal pain, rectal pain and bleeding. Here is a basic overview on this common problem.
Preventing SIDS
Since 1994 the American Academy of Pediatrics has advocated that infants should sleep on their backs to prevent “crib death.” The campaign, called “Back to Sleep,” was undertaken in response to research published first in New Zealand, then Australia, England, and many other countries, which showed that infants who sleep on their tummies had a statistically significant greater risk of crib death than infants who sleep on their backs. It has been speculated that the reason for this is that infants, who cannot roll over, will sometimes breathe in their own exhaled carbon dioxide when they are sleeping on their faces. This causes a deeper sleep, in which their muscle tone becomes so relaxed that they allow themselves to smother.