6 Common Child Diseases

Introduction

Another one of the days when your child has to take off from school because he/she isn’t feeling well, and the teacher had already rung up at the house last week, inquiring about your child’s absence. Oh these child diseases  and how they add to your fatigue! The worst comes when the diseases are unfathomable and you fail to diagnose the problem. So what are some of the child diseases that you should be acquainted with so that you can take maximum precautions against them and make your child’s life a happier one to live?

History

In the olden times it was quite difficult for parents to find solutions to child diseases due to a lack of research and development in the respective field. However, nowadays, right from the moment the child is born; doctors give a whole list of steps that parents should follow in order to ensure a healthy and safe environment for their children. Among other things, doctors often mention the most likely and the most common diseases that children would experience in the early years of their lives. Let’s see what these diseases are.

Features

First and foremost, the ‘fifth disease’ is a disease that is rampant among children. Also known as the ‘slapped cheek’ disease, the child suffering from this disease is often seen to have red spots on the cheeks, thighs, arms, buttocks and the nose. It also causes a high fever. A large proportion of children experience this disease after the age of 19, however, a handful do experience it before the age of 5 too. A second childhood disease is the dreaded ‘chicken pox’. In this, the child also has high fever which is accompanied by red blisters on the entire body. The blisters initially materialize on the back or the stomach and then gradually spread to the entire body. These blisters are extremely itchy especially when the child starts recovering from chicken pox and these blisters begin to turn black. Following the chicken pox, children can also be victimized by the Reye’s syndrome. This is featured by a swelling in the brain, difficulties in digestion due to a damaged liver, seizures and a lot of sudden changes in personality. A fourth disease common amongst children is the scarlet fever. In this, the child undergoes a period of sore throat coupled with a level of fever that is not too high, as well as some rashes which find their way in the groin or the arm pits. Another condition of the scarlet fever is a ‘strawberry tongue’ whereby the child’s tongue turns a shade of red and obtains a rough texture. Moreover, children experience the ‘whooping cough’ which can be identified with non-stop coughing especially during the nights. The coughing can reach a higher level that eventually makes the patient feel nausea tic. Lastly, Impetigo is a bacterial skin disease that children often suffer from. It results in blisters that are filled with contaminated puss which, if touched by anyone else, can be transferred to that person as well and hence is not only one of the child diseases, but also among elderly diseases.

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