THE KEY SYMPTOMS OF COLIC INCLUDE LOUD CRYING, OFTEN FOR TWO OR THREE HOURS, AND CLENCHING FISTS
can be treated with paracetamol and there's a wide variety of OTC medicines available that you can suggest for various symptoms.
Teething There’s no doubt that teething can cause a baby major discomfort and distress. Teething gel is fast acting and can be used as frequently as every 20 minutes to provide effective pain relief. Suitable from birth, it is sugar free to avoid damage to new teeth, and contains local anaesthetic to ease discomfort, as well as an antiseptic to help prevent infection. Parents should also be advised to rub baby's gums gently with ice, or to give baby something hard and cold to chew on, such as a chilled teething ring.
Colic Colic is a very common condition, which tends to appear at around two to four weeks of age and can last for three months – or longer in some cases. The key symptoms of this distressing condition include loud crying, often for two or three hours, pulling feet up under the body and clenching fists. Babies can sometimes be
soothed by being rocked in a cradle or by having their stomachs gently massaged. If these measures don't work, then anti-colic drops should be suggested.
Conjunctivitis Sticky eyes or conjunctivitis is the term given to eyes, which are red and sore looking. It is usually easy to diagnose thanks to the distinctive yellow gunge on the edge of the lids, which often causes the lids to stick together after a night's sleep.
If the infection looks mild, the parent should be advised to simply bathe the eye with lukewarm will, but, if the eye looks more 'gungey', then you should advise the parent to go to their GP as a course of antibiotics may be required.
Scarlet fever This disease seems to be more prevalent now than in recent decades. It starts as a red rash which starts on a child's chest and neck and spreads to the whole body, except for their mouth. They will also have a very sore throat and a furry red tongue. An antibiotic may be
prescribed by a GP and this must be taken for 24 hours before a child returns to nursery or school.
Cradle cap This is a form of seborrhoeic dermatitis, which can lead to a dry, flaky and itchy scalp. It’s very common in babies and usually appears during the first couple of weeks following birth. The cause is unknown, but the condition is temporary and harmless. Cradle cap shampoo should be massaged gently but firmly over the entire scalp and will help to lift the scaly patches away, leaving the scalp clear.
Head lice Contrary to public opinion, head lice can't hop, fly or swim, but they're easily transferred because young kids tend to put their heads closer to each other. Suggest to parents that they purchase a special, fine-toothed comb and show them how to use it by coming the hair a section at a time.
If there is an infestation, then recommend a head lice treatment. It may also be an idea to recommend a specific shampoo or treatment, which is designed to ward them off in the future.
PARENTS SHOULD BE ADVISED TO RUB BABY'S GUMS GENTLY WITH ICE, OR TO GIVE BABY SOMETHING HARD AND COLD TO CHEW ON, SUCH AS A CHILLED TEETHING RING
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