Common Childhood Illnesses

While asthma does not have a specific cause, it can be due to a combination of environmental and inherited (genetic) factors.

Exposure to various irritants and substances that trigger allergies (allergens) can trigger signs and symptoms of asthma. Asthma triggers are different from person to person and can include:

• Airborne allergens, such as pollen, dust mites, mold spores, pet dander or particles of cockroach waste

• Respiratory infections, such as the common cold

• Physical activity

• Cold air

• Air pollutants and irritants, such as smoke

• Certain medications, including beta blockers, aspirin, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) and naproxen sodium (Aleve)

• Strong emotions and stress

Signs & Symptoms:

1. Shortness of breath

2. Wheezing when exhaling

3. Coughing

4. Chest tightness

What to do: Inhalers

1. Learn how to use an inhaler.

2. Check that your child is using the right spacer for his / her age.

3. Wash spacer at least once a month.

4. Soak in washing liquid and hot water without rinsing.

5. Air dry, do not use cloth.

6. Check the expiry date on the inhaler.

At home

1. Keep the house dust-free

2. Refrain from smoking

3. Follow asthma action plan

4. Maintain a routine - do a puff every morning and night

In school

1. Inform teachers of your child’s condition

2. Prepare an inhaler for school use

3. Ensure that your child has the blue inhaler at all times

• Contact with droplets that contain the virus made when a person sick with HFMD coughs, sneezes, or talks.

• Touching an infected person or making other close contact with them, such as kissing, hugging, or sharing cups or eating utensils.

• Touching an infected person’s poop, such as changing diapers, and then touching your eyes, nose, or mouth.

• Touching objects and surfaces that have the virus on them, like doorknobs or toys, and then touching your eyes, nose, or mouth.

1. Rash and blisters on child’s ears, palms, feet, buttocks, and/or painful mouth ulcers

2. Fever, sore throat, reduced appetite

1. Visit the doctor immediately

2. Inform your child’s school.

3. Give your child plenty of water / fluids.

4. Ice cream and cold drinks can help to reduce pain.

5. Switch to soft diet (eg. porridge, soup, puree) because mouth ulcers are painful.

6. Do not share food with your child.

7. Wash your hands after each contact.

• It spreads from person to person through direct contact with the virus. You can get chickenpox if you touch a blister or the liquid from a blister. You can also get chickenpox if you touch the saliva of a person who has chickenpox. The virus enters the body by the nose or mouth and can make you sick, too.

• It can also be spread to you through the air if you are near someone with chickenpox who is coughing or sneezing.

• A pregnant woman with chickenpox can pass it on to her baby before birth.

• Mothers with chickenpox can also give it to their newborn babies after birth.

1. Small red dots on abdomen, back or face

2. Blisters

3. Fever

4. Runny nose

1. Relieve fever with children’s paracetamol.

2. DO NOT give aspirin as they may cause side effects.

3. Inform your child’s school.

4. Keep child’s nails short.

5. Manage itch with antihistamines or cold baths.

• Playing sports in a dangerous manner

• Road traffic accidents

• Lack of safety precautions when commuting on vehicles

• Falling on slippery ground

*Note that the list is non exhaustive as there are many ways that young children can get injured easily

1. Bruising

2. Bleeding

3. Headaches

4. Vomiting once or twice

5. Brief loss of consciousness

1. Apply pressure with gauze to the wound until the bleeding stops.

2. Place an ice pack on any bumps to reduce swelling (up to 15mins).

3. Watch your child closely for the next 24 hours for any unusual symptoms.

4. Seek medical advice if your child has any of the signs and symptoms stated above.

5. Implement extra precaution when your child is conducting any potentially unsafe activities

• Infection - viral infections (less often bacterial) are responsible for causing fever, which ultimately results in febrile seizures.

• Post-vaccination seizures - childhood vaccinations such as the diphtheria, tetanus and measles-mumps-rubella vaccine could also cause fever, which brings about the febrile seizure.

1. Seizures when your child is having a fever

2. Twitching of limbs

3. Eyes rolling backwards

4. Foaming at mouth

5. Loss of consciousness

1. DO NOT put anything into your child’s mouth.

2. Make sure your child’s surroundings are safe.

3. Put him/her on the floor and turn them to their side to prevent choking.

4. See the doctor when your child stops having seizures.

Emergency - call 995 immediately if:

1. Seizure lasts more than 5mins

2. Your child has difficulty breathing

3. Your child has a stiff neck

4. Your child is still unconscious after 30 mins

• Lack of dietary fibres from vegetables and fruits

• Lack of exercise

• Inadequate fluid intake

1. Cannot pass motion easily

2. Harder, stiffer, pellet-like stools

3. Pain and strain when passing motion

1. Drink more water or fruit juice.

2. Eat more fruits and vegetables.

3. See the doctor if constipation persists.

• House dusts mites and pollens

• Food allergies

• Extended exposure to dry air, extreme heat or cold

• Some types of soap, shampoos that cause dander, bubble bath products, body wash, and facial cleansers

• Laundry detergents and fabric softeners with chemical additives

1. Long-term flaky, dry skin

2. Red, scaly, scratched rashes

3. Frequent scratching due to itch

4. Itch worsens when there is dust, sweat, stress

1. Moisturise regularly, twice a day (especially after bathing).

2. Shower in luke-warm or cold water

3. Avoid things that trigger the itch (eg. dust, wool, soaps or detergents that cause itch).

• Direct contact transmission

Head lice often spread from one person to another by direct head-to-head contact, often within the family or with close friends

• Indirect contact transmission

Insects may spread from one person to another through personal items, such as cap, earpiece, headphone and towels

1. Itchiness on scalp

2. Tickling feeling of something moving on head / hair

3. Sores from scratching and red bumps on scalp

4. Difficulty sleeping

5. Lice eggs in hair (small white object)

1. Apply Malathion for a day, reapply one week later.

2. Remove lice every 3-4 days for 3 weeks

   • By hand OR,

   • Using a fine tooth comb on your child’s wet, conditioned hair.

3. Wash contaminated items (eg. clothes, bedsheets, pillowcase, towels).

4. Avoid head-to-head contact with others.

There is no exact reason for myopia because it is a mix of hereditary and environmental factors. However, some causes are commonly attributed to the development of myopia in today’s world:

• Using electronic devices at close distances for prolonged periods, without adequate eye breaks

• Too little outdoor activities

• Genetics

1. Complaints of blurry vision (not able to focus on distant objects)

2. Squinting to try to see better

3. Frequent eye rubbing

4. Frequent headaches

1. Getting a pair of glasses helps to correct the refractive error caused by myopia

2. Contact lenses could be an alternative option for glasses when conducting activities that require lots of movement

3. Limit screen time on electronic devices and keep an arm’s length when using these devices

4. Take frequent eye breaks by looking out of the window at distant objects (practise focusing the eyes)

5. Do not use your phone in the dark because it will further damage the eyes

Note that dental caries require a mix of factors (time, food, bacteria and the tooth itself present) to be able to develop.

• Accumulation of dental plaques on biting surfaces, between teeth, fissures and pits on molars and any place that is hard to clean

• Consuming sugary processed beverages and food where

  • They stick to tooth surfaces

  • They do not require much chewing

  • They are consumed in high frequency

• Inadequate brushing with fluoride toothpaste

• Salivary production is limited due to disease such as diabetes and certain medication, which leads to dry mouth

1. The early stages of decay are usually painless and only regular professional examinations can help detect the decay at this point. However, when the enamel is damaged and dentin is exposed, tooth sensitivity develops

2. Tooth pain when drinking, eating and especially when biting

3. Cavities formed in late stage caries

4. White or yellow rough surfaces that appear chalky

1. Seek professional help from a dentist to assess the severity of the carious lesion upon feeling tooth pain or sensitivity

2. Arrest and avoid having any caries via preventive measures:

   • Brush all surfaces of teeth slightly angulated towards the junction where the gum meets the teeth - for at least 2 minutes and twice daily

   • Make sure to use fluoridated toothpaste - at least 1200 PPM of fluoride available (check the labels for details if available)

   • Floss between teeth to remove stuck food residues

   • Use mouthrinses after brushing your teeth by rinsing ideally for 1 minute and spitting out (It is not necessarily to have mouthrinse if you do not get caries often)

3. Visit dentists at least every 6 months if your kid’s teeth are healthy and more frequently if he or she experiences many caries

4. Reduce intake on sugary and processed food such as cakes and sweets. Fruit juices are concentrated with free sugar and should also be avoided if possible