Winter is almost here and we do not want to catch cold at all. So, let`s learn some elementary tricks, allowing starting a swarm attack against viral infection, penetrating into our organism.
If you feel you caught cold, it`s useful to rub garlic into your palms and feet, put on woolen socks and lie in bed, holding hands under blanker during whole night. It`s also recommended to rub cider vinegar in your hands before going to bed, putting them in hot water during 10 minutes beforehand. You can rub castor oil in your feet before going to bed and put on woolen socks. To increase medicinal effect you can add turpentine (1 table spoon) in warmed castor oil (2 table spoons) and rub this mixture in your chest before going to bed.
If you notice first cold symptoms, drink hot raspberry, lime-blossom and lemon tea or hot milk with honey and small quantity of soda, stick capsicum plaster to heels or put on socks with dry mustard, lie in bed, cover yourself with a warm blanket and try to fall asleep.
Drops
If you or your baby suffer from coryza, don`t rush to buy nasal drops. Warm olive, peach, dog-rose, sea-buckthorn, menthol or sunflower-seed oil, and also vitamin A Solutio oleosa will be much more efficient.
You will probably find several garlic cloves in every house. You can prepare garlic drops of it. Peel of 3 garlic cloves, pound them, pour with 50 ml of boiling water, leave for 2 hours and drop in nose several times per day.
Onion juice is also efficient. Grate onion clove small and squeeze onion gruel. You will need just 1 drop of onion juice for 1 table spoon of water.
Drop this mixture in your nose every hour.
If you have honey, prepare honey drops. Dilute honey (better white) with warm water in proportion 1:2 and drop 5-8 drops in each nostril 3-4 times per day.
Inhalations
As a rule, steam inhalations are used twice a day - in the morning and evening. Duration of any inhalation should not exceed 15 minutes for adults and 5-7 minutes for children, as longer procedures can increase huskiness and cause irritation of already inflamed nasopharynx.
Inhalations are carried out at least 30 minutes after meal. During inhalation you should not look aside - read or talk. If your nasopharynx is affected, then you should inhale through nose and breathe out through nose and mouth. If your bronchi are affected, inhale through mouth and breathe out through mouth and nose.
Anyway, after breath you need to outwind for several seconds, then make a deep outward breath. Breathing should not be rapid, to avoid cough.
Most often they use potato for breathing above it. But there are also lots of other much more efficient compositions for inhalations. Here`re some of them:
- add 5-10 drops of iodine tincture or 1 tea spoon of onion juice in a kettle of boiling water (4-5 glasses);
- put 3 table spoons of pine buds in a pan, pour with 0,5 liters of boiling water, heat during 3-5 minutes on weak fire, remove decoction from fire and put a pan on a scorching brick;
- add 2-5 drops of eucalyptus, menthol or fir oil in a kettle with 250 ml of boiling water;
- our 250 ml of boiling water in a tin and add small quantity of Vietnamese balm.
Compresses
Compress is used for quick resorption of local inflammatory processes. It is put to a problem area - throat, ear, chest, back, nape, feet, legs. Compress should consist of 4 layers.
The first one - is a rag of material, folded in 2-3 layers and moistened in room temperature water or vodka: squeeze it and put on body.
Second one - oil-cloth, waxed paper or cellophane.
Third - cotton wool.
Fourth- material or bandage for wrapping and this way compress is fixed on body tightly (avoid compressing vessels). You can also put on a woolen scarf on top.
First layer`s size should be slightly bigger that a part of body where compress is put. Every other layer`s size is 2-3 cm bigger than previous.
Duration of compress is from 1 to 12 hours, depending on a patient`s age, severity of illness and kind of compress. Folk medicine has lots of remedies, which can be used for cold treatment at home.
- Moisten cloth in sunflower-seed oil and apply on body for 4 hours.
- Apply a night compress: mix 50 ml of vinegar, 20 ml of camphor-oil and 30 ml of vegetable oil.
- Mix ground red pepper with slightly squeezed gruel of grated potato, apply to neck, chest, legs, feet or behind ears.
- If you suffer from fever, put horse-radish gruel on cloth and apply to nape for 30 minutes.
- Mix pounded potato, boiled in jacket, with honey, vegetable oil, spirit, mustard and apply to back in the form of flats. If you have high temperature, grate 2 raw potatoes in jackets, add 1 table spoon of vinegar, wrap received paste in a clean cloth or gauze and put to forehead - fever will disappear during an hour.
Baths
Baths with medicinal herbs give a good result while colds, but you should remember that one cannot take bath, if he has high temperature and bad state of health. Water temperature should be between 35-37C, and duration of bath should not exceed 15 minutes. Best of all is to take baths before going to bed or 1 hour before eating.
To prepare medicinal baths it is recommended to add such plants, as chamomile (flowers), pine-tree (needles and shoots), oak and birch leaves, mint, marjoram, wormwood, sage, valerian, milfoil in water. 300-400 g of stuff is poured with a bucket of boiling water, extracted during an hour, filtered and poured into bath. You can use 1-2 plants, but decoctions of 4-5 plants give stronger medicinal effect.
Mustard hot footbaths contribute to quick recovery while cold. They are prepared this way: dilute 250-400 g of dry mustard in warm water to receive sour cream consistence and pound until you sense acrid mustard smell. Pour received gruel in a basin and shake it up carefully in water. Duration of such bath is 5-6 minutes. After bath you should rinse feet quickly and lie in bed, wrapping yourself in a warm blanket.
If you notice cold symptoms in yourself, change your food ration urgently. Refuse from fat heavy food for 1-2 days. Switch to a cleaning diet. Eat in general salads, vegetable soups and fruits. Drink more. Diaphoretic teas and fresh juices are very health-giving, especially pine-apple juice.
Source: baby-health.net
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Breastfeeding while on seizure meds doesn't harm babies
Mothers who breastfeed while on certain seizure medications do not appear to harm their children's cognitive development, a new study finds.
"Our early findings show breastfeeding during anti-epilepsy drug treatment doesn't appear to have a negative impact on a child's cognitive abilities," study author Kimford Meador, of the University of Florida at Gainesville, said in a prepared statement. "However, more research is needed to confirm our findings, and women should use caution due to the limitations of our study."
The study was expected to be presented Thursday at the American Academy of Neurology annual meeting, in Chicago.
The cognitive development of 187 2-year-old children whose mothers were taking the epilepsy drugs lamotrigine, carbamazepine, phenytoin or valproate were tested in the study. Of these children, 41 percent were breastfed.
The children of mothers who breastfed while on the epilepsy medications actually scored consistently higher on IQ tests than those children in the study who were not breastfed. However, the results were not significantly different after adjusting for the mother's intelligence as the children who were breastfed also had higher IQs.
While animal studies have shown that some anti-epilepsy drugs can cause cells death in immature brains, Meador said beta estradiol, which is the mother's sex hormone, is thought to prevent that from occurring.
The study will continue and, ultimately, examine the effects of in utero anti-epilepsy drug exposure on children at 6 years old.
What you can do? Breastfeed your child if you can. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding your baby for at least the first year of life, and longer if both you and your child wish to continue.
Source: babycenter.com
"Our early findings show breastfeeding during anti-epilepsy drug treatment doesn't appear to have a negative impact on a child's cognitive abilities," study author Kimford Meador, of the University of Florida at Gainesville, said in a prepared statement. "However, more research is needed to confirm our findings, and women should use caution due to the limitations of our study."
The study was expected to be presented Thursday at the American Academy of Neurology annual meeting, in Chicago.
The cognitive development of 187 2-year-old children whose mothers were taking the epilepsy drugs lamotrigine, carbamazepine, phenytoin or valproate were tested in the study. Of these children, 41 percent were breastfed.
The children of mothers who breastfed while on the epilepsy medications actually scored consistently higher on IQ tests than those children in the study who were not breastfed. However, the results were not significantly different after adjusting for the mother's intelligence as the children who were breastfed also had higher IQs.
While animal studies have shown that some anti-epilepsy drugs can cause cells death in immature brains, Meador said beta estradiol, which is the mother's sex hormone, is thought to prevent that from occurring.
The study will continue and, ultimately, examine the effects of in utero anti-epilepsy drug exposure on children at 6 years old.
What you can do? Breastfeed your child if you can. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding your baby for at least the first year of life, and longer if both you and your child wish to continue.
Source: babycenter.com
Saturday, July 05, 2008
Mom's Vitamin D Levels Affect Baby's Dental Health
FRIDAY, July 4 (HealthDay News) -- Babies born to women with low levels of vitamin D during pregnancy may be at increased risk for tooth enamel defects and early childhood tooth decay, a Canadian study finds.
Researchers at the University of Manitoba analyzed the vitamin D levels of 206 women in their second trimester of pregnancy and found only 21 (10.5 percent) of the women had adequate vitamin D levels. The women's levels of vitamin D were related to the frequency of milk consumption and prenatal vitamin use.
The researchers also examined 135 infants and found that 21.6 percent of them had enamel defects and 33.6 percent had early childhood tooth decay. Mothers of infants with enamel defects had lower, but not significantly different, mean vitamin D concentrations during pregnancy than mothers of infants without enamel defects.
Mothers of infants with early childhood tooth decay had significantly lower vitamin D levels than mothers of cavity-free infants. Infants with enamel defects were significantly more likely to have early childhood tooth decay, the researchers said.
The study, expected to be presented July 4 at the General Session of the International Association for Dental Research, in Toronto, is the first to show that pregnant women's vitamin D levels may affect the dental health of their infants.
Source: HealthDay News
Researchers at the University of Manitoba analyzed the vitamin D levels of 206 women in their second trimester of pregnancy and found only 21 (10.5 percent) of the women had adequate vitamin D levels. The women's levels of vitamin D were related to the frequency of milk consumption and prenatal vitamin use.
The researchers also examined 135 infants and found that 21.6 percent of them had enamel defects and 33.6 percent had early childhood tooth decay. Mothers of infants with enamel defects had lower, but not significantly different, mean vitamin D concentrations during pregnancy than mothers of infants without enamel defects.
Mothers of infants with early childhood tooth decay had significantly lower vitamin D levels than mothers of cavity-free infants. Infants with enamel defects were significantly more likely to have early childhood tooth decay, the researchers said.
The study, expected to be presented July 4 at the General Session of the International Association for Dental Research, in Toronto, is the first to show that pregnant women's vitamin D levels may affect the dental health of their infants.
Source: HealthDay News
Shaken Baby Syndrome - Topic Overview
What is shaken baby syndrome?
Shaken baby syndrome (SBS) is a form of child abuse. It refers to brain injury that happens to the child. It occurs when someone shakes a baby or slams or throws a baby against an object. A child could be shaken by the arms, legs, chest, or shoulders.
Some experts use the term shaken-impact syndrome, because injury from throwing a child against a surface can equal that of shaking.1 Many doctors use the term "abusive head trauma" or "intentional head injury."
Shaken baby syndrome often occurs when a baby won't stop crying and a caregiver shakes a baby out of frustration. To help prevent this problem, learn healthy ways to relieve stress and anger, and carefully choose your child care providers.
Normal play, such as bouncing a child on a knee or gently tossing a child in the air, does not cause shaken baby syndrome.
Shaken baby syndrome occurs mostly in children younger than 3, and is most common in babies younger than 1 year of age. But it also can affect children up to age 5. Shaken baby syndrome can cause serious long-term problems.
What causes the brain injury?
Shaking or throwing a child, or slamming the child against an object causes uncontrollable forward, backward, and twisting head movement. Brain tissue, blood vessels, and nerves tear. The child’s skull can hit the brain with force, causing brain tissue to bleed and swell.
Young children are most likely to have brain injury when they are shaken or thrown because they have:
- Heavy, large heads for their body size.
- Weak neck muscles that do not hold up the head well.
- Delicate blood vessels in their brains.
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms vary among kids based on their age, how often they've been abused, how long they were abused each time, and how much force was used.
Mild injuries may cause subtle symptoms. A child may vomit or be fussy or grouchy, sluggish, or not very hungry. More severe injuries may cause seizures, a slow heartbeat, trouble hearing, or bleeding inside one or both eyes.
It is important to get help if something doesn't seem right with your baby. Shaken baby syndrome may cause only mild symptoms at first, but any head injury in a young child can be dangerous. A child who has trouble breathing, is unconscious, or has seizures needs hospital care right away.
Symptoms can start quickly, especially in a badly injured child. Other times, it may take a few days for brain swelling to show symptoms. Often the caregiver who shook the child puts the child to bed in the hope that symptoms will get better with rest. By the time the child gets to a doctor, the child needs urgent care. In some cases, the child may be in a coma before a caregiver seeks help.
Shaken children may also have other signs of abuse, such as broken bones, bruises, or burns.
How is shaken baby syndrome diagnosed?
Doctors may first suspect shaken baby syndrome when caregivers give vague or changing information about what has happened to the sick child. For example, the caregiver may tell a doctor that the child fell out of bed and then later say that a sibling or a pet caused the injury.
Shaken baby syndrome can be hard to detect because often there aren't clear signs of abuse. A baby may vomit, have a poor appetite, or be fussy or sluggish. These symptoms may at first seem related to an infection, such as the flu or meningitis. Sadly, you may not find out that shaken baby syndrome caused your child’s injury until repeated abuse or more severe harm occurs.
Doctors check for shaken baby syndrome in several ways. They ask for a child’s medical history. They may also do a physical exam and blood tests. Imaging tests such as X-rays, a CT scan, or an MRI can look for bleeding problems or other injury.
A doctor may also do tests to rule out other conditions. For example, a lumbar puncture checks a baby's spinal fluid for signs of meningitis. Blood found in this sample could point to a shaking injury.
A doctor who suspects shaken baby syndrome must report it to the local child welfare office and police.
If you suspect child abuse and the child is not in immediate danger, call local child protective services or the police. Do not confront the person who may have abused the child. This may cause more harm to the child.
How is it treated?
A child with shaken baby syndrome needs to be in the hospital, sometimes in an intensive care unit (ICU). Oxygen therapy may be used to help the child breathe. Doctors may give the child medicine to help ease brain swelling. Sometimes a cooling mattress will help lower the child's body temperature and reduce brain swelling too. A child who has severe bleeding in the brain may need surgery.
Depending on the symptoms, doctors may try seizure medicine, physical therapy, or other treatments.
What are the long-term problems from shaken baby syndrome?
About 1 out of 4 children who are forcefully shaken or thrown against an object die from their injuries.1 Those who survive may have brain and vision problems that can last forever. These problems can include:
- Seizures, which are sudden bursts of abnormal electrical activity in the brain. A baby may have uncontrolled muscle movement and be unable to speak, see, or interact normally.
- Muscle stiffness (spasticity) that results in stiff, awkward movements.
- Mental retardation that can affect every area of a child's life, such as learning to talk or being able to care for himself or herself in the future.
- Blindness or trouble seeing.
- Physical or emotional growth delays.
- Learning or behavior problems that may not appear until the child starts school.
Source: Healthwise
Shaken baby syndrome (SBS) is a form of child abuse. It refers to brain injury that happens to the child. It occurs when someone shakes a baby or slams or throws a baby against an object. A child could be shaken by the arms, legs, chest, or shoulders.
Some experts use the term shaken-impact syndrome, because injury from throwing a child against a surface can equal that of shaking.1 Many doctors use the term "abusive head trauma" or "intentional head injury."
Shaken baby syndrome often occurs when a baby won't stop crying and a caregiver shakes a baby out of frustration. To help prevent this problem, learn healthy ways to relieve stress and anger, and carefully choose your child care providers.
Normal play, such as bouncing a child on a knee or gently tossing a child in the air, does not cause shaken baby syndrome.
Shaken baby syndrome occurs mostly in children younger than 3, and is most common in babies younger than 1 year of age. But it also can affect children up to age 5. Shaken baby syndrome can cause serious long-term problems.
What causes the brain injury?
Shaking or throwing a child, or slamming the child against an object causes uncontrollable forward, backward, and twisting head movement. Brain tissue, blood vessels, and nerves tear. The child’s skull can hit the brain with force, causing brain tissue to bleed and swell.
Young children are most likely to have brain injury when they are shaken or thrown because they have:
- Heavy, large heads for their body size.
- Weak neck muscles that do not hold up the head well.
- Delicate blood vessels in their brains.
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms vary among kids based on their age, how often they've been abused, how long they were abused each time, and how much force was used.
Mild injuries may cause subtle symptoms. A child may vomit or be fussy or grouchy, sluggish, or not very hungry. More severe injuries may cause seizures, a slow heartbeat, trouble hearing, or bleeding inside one or both eyes.
It is important to get help if something doesn't seem right with your baby. Shaken baby syndrome may cause only mild symptoms at first, but any head injury in a young child can be dangerous. A child who has trouble breathing, is unconscious, or has seizures needs hospital care right away.
Symptoms can start quickly, especially in a badly injured child. Other times, it may take a few days for brain swelling to show symptoms. Often the caregiver who shook the child puts the child to bed in the hope that symptoms will get better with rest. By the time the child gets to a doctor, the child needs urgent care. In some cases, the child may be in a coma before a caregiver seeks help.
Shaken children may also have other signs of abuse, such as broken bones, bruises, or burns.
How is shaken baby syndrome diagnosed?
Doctors may first suspect shaken baby syndrome when caregivers give vague or changing information about what has happened to the sick child. For example, the caregiver may tell a doctor that the child fell out of bed and then later say that a sibling or a pet caused the injury.
Shaken baby syndrome can be hard to detect because often there aren't clear signs of abuse. A baby may vomit, have a poor appetite, or be fussy or sluggish. These symptoms may at first seem related to an infection, such as the flu or meningitis. Sadly, you may not find out that shaken baby syndrome caused your child’s injury until repeated abuse or more severe harm occurs.
Doctors check for shaken baby syndrome in several ways. They ask for a child’s medical history. They may also do a physical exam and blood tests. Imaging tests such as X-rays, a CT scan, or an MRI can look for bleeding problems or other injury.
A doctor may also do tests to rule out other conditions. For example, a lumbar puncture checks a baby's spinal fluid for signs of meningitis. Blood found in this sample could point to a shaking injury.
A doctor who suspects shaken baby syndrome must report it to the local child welfare office and police.
If you suspect child abuse and the child is not in immediate danger, call local child protective services or the police. Do not confront the person who may have abused the child. This may cause more harm to the child.
How is it treated?
A child with shaken baby syndrome needs to be in the hospital, sometimes in an intensive care unit (ICU). Oxygen therapy may be used to help the child breathe. Doctors may give the child medicine to help ease brain swelling. Sometimes a cooling mattress will help lower the child's body temperature and reduce brain swelling too. A child who has severe bleeding in the brain may need surgery.
Depending on the symptoms, doctors may try seizure medicine, physical therapy, or other treatments.
What are the long-term problems from shaken baby syndrome?
About 1 out of 4 children who are forcefully shaken or thrown against an object die from their injuries.1 Those who survive may have brain and vision problems that can last forever. These problems can include:
- Seizures, which are sudden bursts of abnormal electrical activity in the brain. A baby may have uncontrolled muscle movement and be unable to speak, see, or interact normally.
- Muscle stiffness (spasticity) that results in stiff, awkward movements.
- Mental retardation that can affect every area of a child's life, such as learning to talk or being able to care for himself or herself in the future.
- Blindness or trouble seeing.
- Physical or emotional growth delays.
- Learning or behavior problems that may not appear until the child starts school.
Source: Healthwise
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