4 Common Childhood Health Problems

Your precious bundle will always find ways to keep you on your toes and worrying about them. Occasionally your little one can develop childhood illnesses. This guide will talk about a few examples of childhood illnesses and how to overcome them.

Baby Acne 

Your baby’s skin is so sensitive, they have been protected inside your body for the past 9 months so as they are exposed to the big wide world it can be a bit of a shock on the skin. No wonder it responds with an outbreak of acne. As your baby is being born your hormones may have passed over through the umbilical cord so it is your hormones coursing through their body causing them baby acne. It is thought that up to 20% of newborns can suffer from baby acne and it could last up until they are three months old. It can continue past three months however, it is then known as infantile acne rather than baby acne.

There are ways to get rid of baby acne but due to their sensitivities then you have to ensure you are very careful and gentle. You must never scrub your little ones’ skin, this can be painful, cause the skin to break, and introduce an infection which is the last thing you both need. You can wash their skin, pat it dry and then apply a baby-friendly fragrance-free moisturizer. 

For a more natural way of dealing with baby acne, you can try the tried and tested use of coconut oil. Simply push some on a cotton wool ball and wipe gently over your baby’s acne. Coconut oil will hydrate the skin as it is a great moisturizer. Another natural method, if applicable that hasn’t been scientifically tested or proven but many people swear by is using your breast milk to clear up baby acne. Your breast milk can kill microorganisms growing on your baby’s skin which could be causing acne, it also contains antibodies that improve the immune system and kick start it into fighting its own battles. 

Hearing loss 

Hearing loss is very common in children and it has many causes. Occasionally there are complications during your baby’s birth that can lead to hearing loss. There may also be an infection present that has been passed from yourself onto the baby. Some babies can suffer from meningitis, this can have different symptoms in different children but one of the issues caused is hearing impairment. Genetic disorders can often be associated with hearing loss as well, one such example is down syndrome. 

Hearing loss in children can be detrimental to their speech, language, and social development. If your child cannot fully hear the sounds and words being spoken to them then they may have delayed speech or not pick up on speech at all. This will mean that you and your child will have to learn to communicate in other ways such as sign language. 

There are of course some cases where there is no cause of hearing loss, it is just one of those unfortunate occurrences.
Newborn screening tests are usually performed while the baby is still in hospital, it is painless and babies usually sleep for the majority of the test. They are testing for any hearing loss or hearing impairments. If your baby doesn’t pass their initial screening then make sure you are referred to get them a full hearing test. The sooner these problems are picked up the more chance there is of your child having a fulfilled life and reaching their full potential. Ask your audiologist about ways you can help your child deal with their hearing loss and if there are any treatments available.

Frequent Colds

If your child is one of the unlucky ones they will catch every germ going around, especially when they attend nursery and school. Common colds are awful in babies and children and can completely wipe them out leaving them feeling very lethargic. 

Most babies will breathe through their noses when they are born as this makes it easier for them to breathe while you are feeding them. They do have the ability to mouth breathe however, a lot of babies if not all will prefer to nasal breathe. However, this is not always good news. If your baby gets a cold and doesn’t have much experience of mouth breathing then they will struggle when their nose is blocked. To make it easier for them you can get a baby saline spray which works by thinning the mucus in the nose to allow them more room to breathe. You can also buy nasal aspirators, although rather disgusting they do work a treat at clearing all the snot and mucus out of your baby’s nose. 

ChickenPox

The good old chickenpox, who can leave this off the list of childhood health problems. It is so common in childhood that 90% of adults are immune to it due to having it as a child. A lot of children will catch it at some point during their time spent at nursery or school, chickenpox parties used to be a thing amongst the moms so they could get it out the way and not have to worry about their children getting it at a later stage.

Some children can catch it from their older brothers or sisters so can be very young when trying to deal with it. This is better in a way because then you will not have to deal with the constant reminders about not itching. 
There are lots of remedies out there now for your little ones suffering from the pox, these include rubbing calamine lotion over them to soothe the itching. Bathing them with oats is a great way to ensure the itch stays away for at least a little while, the oats react with the bathwater creating a lovely, soothing, moisturizing effect on your child’s skin.

We hope this gives you some reassurance your child is not alone in suffering from these conditions, it can be so tough as a parent to watch your child go through something major but there is light at the end of the tunnel, keep doing a great job of raising those little ones.