I was inspired to create this thread to reach out to our moms and dads out there who are not in the know of the key things to do when their babies fall ill as well as to teach on how best to prevent illnesses.

As a practising pediatrician "in training", I am often amazed and disturbed at the attitude and most importantly lack of general knowledge that I encounter in caregivers when attending to their kids in the hospital. Occasionally, I meet the enlightened ones who make it a point of duty to know everything there is to know about the illness their children have and I am here to encourage all parents to do same.

So, in the spirit of enacting a change, I have decided to do something about it by creating this thread to educate parents on how best to PREVENT diseases and of course when the diseases come, how best to approach them to ensure your baby comes out of it without any hassles. Afterall, as parents, all we want is for our babies to grow up as healthy intelligent adults who can live productive lives. I am here to show you how best to achieve that.

I will use a laid back language and try to make my posts as simple as I can for easy comprehension . I will any appreciate any contributions from well meaning readers.

Thank you
Peacettw@gmail.com

There are so many things to talk about but let me start with the most challenging
Proper health seeking behavior. I will paint a case scenario to drive the point home faster.
Every parent knows when his or her child starts acting strange, it can come in subtle ways, the once lively child suddenly being quiet, or the quiet child suddenly becoming unduly active….etc. At first, you observe him, and then when other things start kicking in like fever, vomiting etc, you finally decide to take him to the chemist..the man down the corner who mans a drug shop and calls himself a pharmacist with no actual training. Now, at the chemist, you explain what you have noticed, and the chemist without running any test, some don’t even touch the child to check for temperature, goes on to “mix some drugs”, declaring it to be malaria and typhoid. Thanking him, you pay him and take your child home to give him the drugs… but instead of getting better, he gets worse, the fever seems to be rising more, he is no longer eating, is getting increasingly weak, and vomiting more.
A second visit is made to the chemist, and this time, he tells you that because he is vomiting, the drugs are not doing its work. He convinces you that giving him 2 tablets of paracetamol wil stop the fever completely and then goes ahead to give him an injection to stop the vomiting.
Happy, that an “injection” has been given, you go home only to discover 2 hours later that your child is no longer responding to calls nor pain, and is now bleeding from the mouth, nostrils, and every orifice and without being prompted, you finally decide that it is time to get to a hospital.
The above is just a typical scenario of what goes on in most homes.
Now on coming to the hospital to see the typical doctor, the following questions will be asked after stabilizing the child of course
1. Can you tell me the name of the disease that the chemist was treating your child for?
2. Was any test done to confirm this?
3. Can you tell me the name of the drugs that was given to the child?
4. And if you know this, the dosage?

It is VERY IMPORTANT to know for sure what disease your child has. Not only will you treat that child appropriately, it can inform you on how best to avoid it from happening again. Eg using insecticide treated net to avoid malaria, or using clean drinking water to avoid typhoid.

Again, it is absolutely important to know exactly what drugs are been given to your baby and the dosages ie the number of tablets and if liquid, the mls given. This is because there are some drugs that are not good for children because of its adverse effects eg aspirin and tetracycline and some if given in excess, causes a lot of problems eg paracetamol which leads to liver failure and presenting as yellow eyes and bleeding from everywhere.

To end this, this is the exact dose of paracetamol (PCM) to give your child based on their weight
For a baby up till 3 months , 2.5mls of PCM per dose
3months to 6 months, 3 mls or still give a quarter tablet
Above 6months to 2 years, 5 mls, for the tablet, still give about a quarter of a tablet

One might wonder, why the mls are going higher as the child gets older, but the tablet dose remains same. This is simply a way to tell you that tablets originally are being made for adults hence the syrups, suspensions, elixirs etc been developed for children in order to aid in getting the actual doses given.

Okay everyone, hope you learnt something today. Will come back later with more tips on how to combat vomiting and diarrhea

DEBUNKING THE MYTHS

There are several beliefs that have stood the test of time that we come across daily in our practice. While I respect cultural beliefs and differences inherent in our society, the truth still remains that some of these beliefs are killing our babies.

Here are some of the beliefs that need to be debunked

1. There is nothing like “nla” and “nta”. I must confess that up till now, I still don’t understand the true meaning of these two terms since it is interpreted differently by many. But from the general opinion, nla and nta are skin lesions and excessive passage of golden brown stools observed in babies. For these, parents go to traditionalists who give them drugs to cure this only to come down with liver and kidney failure due to its toxicity and many die.
Oh, and by the way, if a child is on exclusive breast feeding, up to 10x of stooling per day is normal. And if you google benign neonatal skin diseases, you will be amazed at how many they are, they are absolutely benign and go after a short while with no problems whatsoever. The most common being ERYTHEMA TOXICUM.
So mothers, your newborn having rashes and stooling so many times a day while on breastmilk is absolutely benign.

2. IT IS AN ATTACK. My dear, i am here to tell you that it is most likely NOT AN ATTACK.
If your child is jerking, it is called SEIZURES
Crying and fainting only to get up again- BREATH HOLDING SPELLS
Crying out at night in terror only to forget what transpired the night before the next day- NIGHT TERRORS
All the male children dying off in your family- X-LINKED RECESSIVE DISORDER
No head at birth- ANENCEPHALY
Many heads at birth- CONJOINED TWINS
Giving birth always before due date: there are so many differentials here that I cant list them all

3. Rubbing of a dark goo in the middle of a newborn head scalp to cure the opening there. That opening is absolutely normal and is called an ANTERIOR FONTANELLE. Infact, what will be abnormal is if your baby’s head has no opening, and then we will be dealing with a medical condition called CRANIOSYNOSTOSIS which trust me, in its most severe form leads to mental retardation

4. If your baby has jaundice, no amount of glucose water will make that jaundice go away. Please note, JAUNDICE ON THE FIRST DAY OF LIFE IS NEVER EVER A GOOD THING. GO TO THE HOSPITAL ASAP

5. TRADITIONAL DRUGS ARE DANGEROUS. There is no other way to say this, adults have gotten away with drinking bucket loads of herbal drugs just because their kidneys and liver are matured enough to deal with that junk. Sadly, for children, it is not the same and their tiny immature kidneys and liver fail when faced with such an herculean task of clearing the toxins their body is riddled with.

6. SPIRITUAL HEALING. Everyone believing that all diseases can be cured with prayers even HIV. I believe in God, please don’t get me wrong, but I am yet to see a disease cured just with prayers without any drugs given. If God in his infinite wisdom gave man the knowledge and wisdom to create drugs, then surely, drugs are not meant to be viewed as therapy for those with little faith. Having that belief that can get your child killed.

7. Taking your child to a herbalist after a dog bite. My colleagues and I were forced to go a nearby village (after having 3 mortality cases due to rabies) to visit their priests and local chiefs to educate their wards to take their children that were bitten by dogs to the hospital. Till this date, RABIES HAS NO CURE and has 100% mortality. The same behavioural approach should apply to nail punctures to avoid tetanus.

8. There is no such thing as BREAST MILK IN MOTHER’S BREASTS SPOILING. It really makes no sense. I still can’t understand the rationale. Maybe someone can care to explain.

These are the ones I can remember that are the most common challenges we face. Let us join hands in educating our sisters, mothers, aunties and the men to help debunk these myths.

Well done! some really horrifying stuff parents do to babies in ignorance.

Once heard a father telling a mom that because the baby cried so much earlier in the day, to make sure she administers paracetamol so the said baby will not run a temperature and fall sick. Mind you the baby has not ran any temperature

@op God bless u for sharing knowledge

hi. thanks for this. very educative. my son is almost 3 years now and atleast once in a month or two we would have a cause to go visit a doctor either for cough and cartarhh or for sepsis. its begining to disturb me cos i feel the rate at which he takes antibiotics is getting too much (or so i think). try as much for him to eat healthy and keep the environ clean but i still have to face this every once in a while plus when anyone around him starts sneezing or coughing, trust him to come down with same. really worried and the pediatricians keep telling me he is a
child and its totally normal cos of the still developing immune system.

@OP,thks for dis post, just last week my friend told me to get a teething drug for my 4months old baby without doctors recommendation.

thx op.grt one!bt u gve drugz accopding 2 weight 4 babiez

Hello guys, thanks for the positive feedback. About to travel now, so will answer all your questions when I arrive at my destination. @ rosarie, yes dear, we give drugs according to weight. That is the only way we avoid over dosages. Later

@Op please check your inbox... We need to discuss an idea. You've inspired me to help so please, for the sake of these children respond. Thanks

Thanks for this. I saw a nigerian woman pour ibuprofen into a cup for her toddler. Right here in the US where every bottle of medicine has clear instructions on dosage. I almost cried. I'm sure she has been feeding that boy ibuprofen like juice since he was a baby. Hopefully, this thread helps someone

op, thanks 4 educating me on dis
tho m not yet a dad

@ op, as regards †ђξ breast feeding ish, does it mean a mother who doesn't breastfeed a child for a whole day can continue breastfeeding d next day? It won't harm †ђξ child?

vivalableue:
@Op please check your inbox... We need to discuss an idea. You've inspired me to help so please, for the sake of these children respond. Thanks

Hello dear, you can send me an email directly to my mailbox peacettw@gmail.com

kamsioghene:
@ op, as regards †ђξ breast feeding ish, does it mean a mother who doesn't breastfeed a child for a whole day can continue breastfeeding d next day? It won't harm †ђξ child?

Yes, you can continue feeding for as long as you like no matter the length of time of interruption. The breastmilk will remain fresh and will never harm your child.

I am currently preparing for an exam but will answer any question to the best of my ability. Just send it to my mailbox peacettw@gmail.com
Please feel free to ask me anything concerning drugs, illnesses, behavioural changes etc. Take care

soulglo:
Thanks for this. I saw a nigerian woman pour ibuprofen into a cup for her toddler. Right here in the US where every bottle of medicine has clear instructions on dosage. I almost cried. I'm sure she has been feeding that boy ibuprofen like juice since he was a baby. Hopefully, this thread helps someone

My dear, it is truly amazing. Ibuprofen has serious side effects... Bleeding disorders, peptic ulcers etc. I am truly hoping that this thread helps a lot of parents to be more informed on how best to go about their kids' health concerns

Tuktuk:
hi. thanks for this. very educative. my son is almost 3 years now and atleast once in a month or two we would have a cause to go visit a doctor either for cough and cartarhh or for sepsis. its begining to disturb me cos i feel the rate at which he takes antibiotics is getting too much (or so i think). try as much for him to eat healthy and keep the environ clean but i still have to face this every once in a while plus when anyone around him starts sneezing or coughing, trust him to come down with same. really worried and the pediatricians keep telling me he is a
child and its totally normal cos of the still developing immune system.

Yes it is normal because the body is just building its immunity. Also please stop giving antibiotics, it only makes things worse. I give my son vitamin c everyday to fight infection, as much as people carry him, cold never proceeds further than the initial sneeze, no serious infection. Maybe you should try that. I personally hate antibiotics.

So before I go on to read my books, let me share a bit of info on milestones. All babies around the world is expected to achieve certain milestones at a certain time frame. This is how we know that your baby's brain is growing well. To define milestones in its simplest term, it means the skills your baby acquires as he or she gets older in order to adapt to this world.

So, it starts from head to toe and goes like this

Social smile (your baby smiling back when smiled at) 4 to 6 weeks
Head control: 2 to 3 months
Sitting with support 4 to 5 months
Sitting without support 5 to 6 months
Crawling 8 months
Standing with support 9 months
Walking 12 to 13 months

There are many more milestones, but the above is the summary of what you will be asked when you get to a tertiary institution.
The reason we ask is that if your baby is attaining her milestones later(3 months later) than the average which I have stated above, then it is possible that there just might be a problem and I will advise you to see a doctor.

honey86:

Yes it is normal because the body is just building its immunity. Also please stop giving antibiotics, it only makes things worse. I give my son vitamin c everyday to fight infection, as much as people carry him, cold never proceeds further than the initial sneeze, no serious infection. Maybe you should try that. I personally hate antibiotics.

I agree with you here. It really isn't safe giving your child antibiotics all the time. It creates a state of drug resistance. Moreover, most cough and catarrh are caused by viruses and there are no antibiotics for viruses. In other words, there are no drugs for it. When we give antibiotics, then we are suspecting a bacterial infection in addition to the viral infection, otherwise, if it is just viral, then it is self limiting meaning it will go on its own in about a week.

In my center, we really don't treat simple cough and catarrh by giving antibiotics. I say simple, because a doctor listens to the chest to rule out serious infection as well as access for signs of difficulty in breathing. When these are present, then it is no longer simple but complex. Hence we advise mothers of any baby less than 6 months with cough and catarrh to visit the hospital cos it just might be the complex type.

Nice thread..we Nigerians just like self medicating.I too was told to give my 4 month old baby paracetamol everyday in 'preparation for teething' thank God I was one of those first time mums who listened to my GP and health visitor in totality.


I remember how it was odd to me that my GP never prescribed anti biotics but now I am used to it.

I tell you, my mum brought ampiclox to administer to my one week old baby. I asked what for, she said to prevent jaundice. I told her no and stood my ground. Imagine what would have happeened if i agreed, i would have open up the chap for serious infection.

honey86:
I tell you, my mum brought ampiclox to administer to my one week old baby. I asked what for, she said to prevent jaundice. I told her no and stood my ground. Imagine what would have happeened if i agreed, i would have open up the chap for serious infection.

My dear, I have developed an attitude of being accommodating when I see parents who give their babies anything and I mean anything just to make their children better. I really can't say it is entirely their fault. In fact, I think the doctors, other health care givers and the government should take a larger share of the blame for failing to educate and bring appropriate health care down to the grass roots. These days, people trust and believe the chemists, herbalists, traditionalists, etc than a doctor to provide them with effective health care. In a society where that happens, then we the health care team has failed.

This thread might not mean much but I will be happier knowing that I am informing a few who by word of mouth will also inform others. Who knows we can achieve more things as time go on.

Concerning jaundice, any yellowness of the eyes in a newborn should pls be reported in a health care center. Jaundice has a predilection for affecting the brain and rendering a child to be mentally retarded for life. It is imperative and very important that you report any jaundice to your doctor. Most importantly, you can be in control of the situation by reading all about jaundice online on baby friendly forums out there.

It is important to note that no amount of glucose water, breast milk in eyes, ampiclox or any other drugs can remove jaundice from a child's system. The only effective treatment is phototherapy which helps break the jaundice to non harmful products that will no longer affect the brain or if the jaundice is so bad, an exchange blood transfusion will be carried out which is much quicker since we don't want the jaundice to damage anything.

Jaundice occurs when the red blood cells break down for whatsoever reason releasing jaundice as its by products. Sometimes, the problem can come from the liver been immature and so on.

I love threads like this.

peacettw:

Yes, you can continue feeding for as long as you like no matter the length of time of interruption. The breastmilk will remain fresh and will never harm your child.

Thanks for †ђξ info. God bless

kamsioghene:

Thanks for †ђξ info. God bless

You are welcome dear, God bless

DVMtuppence:
op, thanks 4 educating me on dis
tho m not yet a dad

Then try to be a Dad as fast as possible,lol

Very educative... I also have problems with the way our doctors administers antibiotics to my 2years old son....

any time I get to the hospital.... They make it a point of duty to administer antibiotics.

Nice thread. Plz doc whre ar u?

Wow! Thanks so much

Very educative, Nice job o.p