Medical Advices Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Children’

What is influenza?
Respiratory tract disease caused by a highly contagious virus, there are three different types of virus (A, B, C) which can mutate (change), and there are several subtypes. It is more common in autumn and winter. It is important because it affects all ages, and major mutations of the virus usually causes serious complications and even death in a large number of people, often children and elderly.

Is it the same as the common cold the flu?
No, although both are acute respiratory diseases are common symptoms, the organism that causes influenza is different from that causes the common cold or flu.

How do you get the flu?
From person to person through secretions from the nose and mouth (coughing, sneezing, talking, singing) or by direct contact (hands, when the patient does not wash them, kissing). It is highly infectious (3-7 days after onset of symptoms) and increased risk when it occurs in closed rooms (rooms, nurseries, schools, nursing homes, shelters, etc.). It is estimated that this could be an epidemic around the world in a period of 3 to 6 months.

Who is at risk of becoming ill from influenza?
All age groups, but higher risk are children, elderly, pregnant women and people with immune system disease such as chronic lung, heart, kidney, cancer, chronic metabolic diseases (diabetes) anemia and immunodeficiencies (HIV / AIDS) among others.

What are the signs or symptoms to suspect influenza?
Sudden onset (the patient remembers well the time of onset) with fever, headache, pain in muscles and joints, fatigue, watery eyes, sore throat and cough.

The Williams syndrome (also known as the Williams-Beuren syndrome) is a condition that you, like so many other people probably have not heard before. What does it mean? What can we expect? What these children need? These are but a few questions that parents and professionals will deal with a child when the diagnosis is made. This site has some information available, but obviously this is not everything. In some places it is also indicated where further information can be found. Read the rest of this entry »

The pollution would be harmful to the child even before its release to the world. A French team has already shown a few months ago that polluted air during pregnancy could have a significant effect on the size of the child. A U.S. study has shown that pollution is harmful to brain development of fetuses. Exposed children aged 5 years then accuse a delay of a few IQ points compared with similar unexposed.

This study was performed on pregnant women and their children under the direction of Dr. Frederica Ferrara Columbia University. Pregnant women living in the most polluted neighborhoods in New York were followed by portable devices for measuring the air. Then, their children, once born, followed by pediatricians until age 5. The study discovered that children were most vulnerable are equipped with an IQ slightly lower (some points) to less exposed. This difference does not mean it will determine the future and affect the social and intellectual development of children. However, these results tend to prove once again the influence of environment and pollution including pregnancy and its likely impact on the future child. Read the rest of this entry »