Childhood Conditions

Children can suffer from childhood anxiety when they worry excessively about a variety of things such as their grades at school, problems within the family, relationships with peers or how they perform at sports. These children can be hard on themselves and often strive for perfection.

Childhood anxiety can exist on its own or is associated with a medical illness or other illness such as depression.

Signs & Symptoms of Children’s Anxiety include:

• Sweating
• Trembling
• Children’s fatigue
• Children’s impaired concentration
• Irritability
• Excessive worry
• Sense of impending doom
• Children’s sleep disturbances

Back to top.

Asthmatic children have sensitive airways in their lungs which react to triggers causing a ‘flare-up’ where the muscles around the airways squeeze tight. This causes the airways to swell and become narrow making it harder to breathe. A children’s asthmatic flare-up can happen slowly, over weeks or very quickly, within minutes. The sudden or severe asthma flare-up is called a children’s asthma attack.

Childhood asthma can cause taxing daily symptoms that interfere with sports, play, school and sleep. Triggers can include children’s food allergies, inhaling airborne pollen, catching a cold and childhood respiratory infections.

Signs & Symptoms of Children’s Asthma include:

• Shortness of breath
• Wheezing
• Chest tightness or constriction
• Cough (may be the only symptom)
• Cyanosis (blue tinge to lips)
• Accessory muscle use (muscles work harder to breathe)

Back to top.

Children’s ADHD is a common childhood disorder that affects approximately 10% of children. These kids experience persistent and developmentally inappropriate levels of behaviour that can continue into adulthood. Children with childhood ADHD may know what is expected of them but have trouble following through because they are overactive and can’t focus long enough to complete a task.

Symptoms of children’s ADHD vary and are sometimes difficult to recognise. A common sign of children’s ADHD is an inability to identify other people’s needs and desires, they can interrupt others when they are talking and have trouble waiting their turn in the classroom. Children’s ADHD can also have difficulty keeping their emotions in check and younger children can have temper tantrums.

Signs & Symptoms of Children’s ADHD include:

• Doesn’t give close attention to details
• Has difficulty sustaining attention in tasks or play activities
• Does not seem to listen when spoken to directly
• Does not follow through on instructions
• Fails to finish tasks
• Fidgets and squirms
• Has difficulty waiting their turn
• Interrupts
• Is forgetful in daily activities
• Easily distracted
• Children’s Anxiety

Back to top.

Children’s Asperger Disorder is generally considered to be on the ‘high functioning’ end of the spectrum. These children have difficulty with social interactions and exhibit a restricted range of interests and/or repetitive behaviours. They may also have delayed motor development causing clumsiness or uncoordinated motor movements. Compared with other forms of children’s ASD, kids with childhood Asperger’s syndrome don’t have significant delays or difficulties with language or cognitive development.

Signs & Symptoms of Children’s Asperger’s Disorder include:

• Challenges with non-verbal communication e.g. facial expression and gestures
• Talks about themselves rather than others
• Inability to understand social and emotional issues
• Lack of eye contact
• Obsession with specific topics which are often unusual
• One-sided conversations
• Awkward movements and/or mannerisms
• ‘Robotic’ or repetitive speech

Back to top.

Children’s Autism is a very complex disorder involving a series of neurodevelopmental disorders characterised by repetitive behaviours, social withdrawal and communication deficits.

These children have significant impairments in social interaction, social skills and communication. There are two subtypes of autism: (a) Regressive autism; this is where a child develops normally but between the ages of 12 months to 3 years old 30 starts to loose speech and social skills. (b) Infantile autism; where a child doesn’t reach their developmental milestones.

Signs & symptoms of Childhood Autism include:

• Appears not to hear when spoken to
• Has trouble expressing feelings
• Doesn’t know how to connect with others
• Doesn’t want to be touched, held or cuddled
• Repeats the same words over and over
• Responds to questions by repeating it rather than answering it
• Has difficulty communicating needs
• Avoids eye contact
• Makes few gestures when talking e.g. pointing
• Hand flapping
• Rocking backwards and forwards
• Flicking the light switch on and off
• Head banging
• Tapping ears

Back to top.

Type 1 diabetes is classed as autoimmune disease, a condition in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the body. The job of the immune system is to guard against germs like bacteria and viruses. When it senses these foreign invaders, it sends out an army of fighter cells to attack them.
Normally, the immune system can tell the difference between foreign cells and your own cells.

In the case of Type 1 diabetes the immune system cells destroy the cells in the pancreas that create insulin. Insulin is the hormone that signals your blood cells to take up glucose, which regulates blood sugar levels. Without enough insulin, blood sugar levels can become extremely high and cause long-term damage to your body.

Signs & Symptoms of Childhood Type 1 Diabetes include:

• Excessive hunger
• Excessive thirst
• Blurry vision
• Fatigue and weakness
• Frequent urination
• Nausea and vomiting
• Abdominal pain
• Dramatic weight loss in a short period of time
• Poor wound healing
• Fruity breath

Back to top.

Bed wetting can cause your child embarrassment and it’s a very frustrating experience for parents. And this is why it is an important reason to treat bed. As most bed wetting children feel alone with their problem, encourage family members and other sufferers to share their experiences and offer moral support to the child. The knowledge that another family member had and outgrew the problem can be therapeutic.

Encourage the child’s attention to a normal daytime voiding pattern. When voiding, the child should relax, use optimal posture and take the time to completely empty the bladder.

Common Causes of Children’s Bed Wetting Include:

• Bed wetting is sometimes associated with food allergy or intolerance.
• Children should be instructed not to drink to excess with the evening meal and to minimise fluid intake after mealtime.
• Common sense modifications of fluid intake are necessary to maintain hydration in children who play sports or who are otherwise physically active in the evening after mealtime.

Back to top.

Children’s chest infection, also called children’s bronchitis or children’s pneumonia is an infection to the airways or lungs and is common, especially after a cold or flu’. Children’s bronchitis is mostly caused by a virus, whereas pneumonia is caused by bacteria.

Infants and young children, especially if they have developmental problems are at higher risk of developing childhood bronchitis.

Children’s chest infections are highly contagious and spread when an infected child coughs or sneezes and the droplets are launched into the atmosphere. These droplets can also land on surfaces and objects such as toys and the children’s infection can spread when these objects come into contact with the child such as when putting a toy in their mouth.

Signs & Symptoms of Children’s Chest Infections include:

• Children’s persistent cough
• Children’s cough that produces mucous
• Burning sensation in chest
• Children’s sore throat and fever
• Children’s fatigue
• Children’s wheezing
• Children’s shortness of breath
• Children’s chest pain or tightness

Back to top.

Children’s constipation is a common problem, your child should have one or two bowel movements each day. If your child suffers from bad moods, children’s anxiety, childhood depression or poor immunity, constipation could be an underlying cause.

When your has children’s constipation, food is not being eliminated from their gut and consequently their body has to compact the waste into their large intestine by drawing the water content from the food. This makes the stool hard, dry and painful to pass creating a fearful situation where they hold on for as long as possible making the next bowel movement another terrifying experience. Most childhood constipation has no underlying medical condition and are often labelled as having functional children’s constipation or acquired megacolon.

Other types of children’s constipation is they have regular bowel movements but the stool looks like ribbon, coming out in thin strips. This type of stool is what we call an overspill, the bowel is so compacted with faeces that a passage is created to remove the squishy stuff in the middle. “Rabbit poo” is another common type of childhood constipation where small only pellets are passed and the bulk of stool is compacted and stuck to the gut lining.

Signs & Symptoms of Constipation includes:

• Infrequent, difficult passage of stools (less than three to four times a week)
• Stools are harder than normal, possibly impacted
• Mucous in the stool
• Children’s Bloating
• Abdominal distension
• Straining during bowel movement
• Feeling of incomplete bowel movement

Back to top.

Children’s Croup often starts as a cold and if there is enough coughing and inflammation, a loud barking cough will develop. Symptoms are often worse at night time and aggravated by crying and coughing and if the child becomes anxious. Children under 3 years of age are most susceptible to croup because they have smaller airways.

Signs & Symptoms of Children’s Croup include:

• Barky cough
• Fever
• Hoarse voice
• Common cold symptoms

Back to top.

Childhood depression is different from the ‘blues’ a child might experience as everyday emotions that can naturally occur as a child develops. If a child is sad from time to time, this doesn’t necessarily mean they have significant children’s depression.

Children’s depressive disorder is when life experiences of loss, anger, sadness or frustration outweigh a child’s ability to effectively cope with daily experiences and is characterised by a depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day. This interferes with their normal social activities, interests, schoolwork or life around their family.

Signs & Symptoms of Childhood Depression include:

• Fatigue and loss of energy
• Feelings of worthlessness
• Poor concentration
• Feelings of hopelessness and sadness
• Significant changes to appetite – weight loss or gain
• Inappropriate guilt
• Self-reproach
• Irritability or anger
• Changes to sleep
• Crying

Back to top.

Children’s Dermatitis, also known as ‘atopic dermatitis’ is an inflammatory skin condition characterised by an itchy, scaly red rash. In some children the itchiness is so severe it can interrupt their sleep and scratching their skin can lead to infection. Symptoms can be painful, cause blisters and changes to the colour of their skin. Rashes appear on the legs, arms, face and hands.

Children with a family history of allergic conditions such as asthma or hay fever have an increased risk for developing eczema. Children’s dermatitis is often associated with childhood food allergies but flare-ups can also be caused by soap, dust mites, mould, pollen, dog or cat dander, woollen clothes, dry climate and other variables.

Signs & Symptoms of Children’s Dermatitis include:

• Dry, red inflamed skin lesions that appear on face, neck trunk and particularly flexures of elbows and knees
• Itching and/or oozing and crusting of lesions
• Blistering of skin, particularly on the hands and feet
• Skin can become wet and weepy if infected
• Peeling
• Swollen
• Sore
• Bleeding

Back to top.

Children’s Diarrhoea is often a symptom of an underlying condition, for example, it could be related to children’s food intolerances or a childhood infection in the digestive tract. Children’s diarrhoea is marked by the frequent passage of loose, watery stools. Persistent childhood diarrhoea becomes a problem because nutrients aren’t being absorbed from food which can lead to conditions such as malnutrition if not treated. There is also a risk of dehydration which is a particular concern with infants and requires immediate medical attention if it persists for more than a few days.

Causes of Childhood Diarrhoea include:

• Bacterial infection
• Recent antibiotic use
• Nervous anxiety
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• Teething
• Food allergies or sensitivities
• Excessive vitamin C

Signs & Symptoms of Childhood Diarrhoea include:

• More than 3 bowel movements a day
• Nutrient malabsorption
• Weight loss
• Bloated sensation
• Abdominal discomfort, cramping and/or pain
• Increased thirst associated with dehydration
• Fever (if associated with infection)
• Diarrhoea and alternating constipation
• Frequent and loose, watery stools
• Dehydration

Back to top.

If your child struggles in the classroom with tasks such as reading, writing and mathematics they may have childhood dyslexia. Children with childhood dyslexia can’t complete tasks as easily as their peers. This can lead them to thinking they are ‘dumb’ or ‘stupid’ which can have a long term negative impact on their self-esteem. It’s important to remember that intelligent people can have childhood dyslexia too.

Signs & Symptoms of Children’s Dyslexia include:

• Inability to follow through on instructions
• Clumsiness
• Dislikes reading or finds reading hard
• Failure to recollect facts
• Difficulty sustaining attention in tasks or play activities
• Difficulty learning new facts and/or skills
• Inability to listen when spoken to directly
• Have trouble spelling common words
• Does not feel very confident about school work
• Poor performance at school
• Language difficulties and/or trouble with words
• Easily distracted
• Forgetful with daily activities

Back to top.

Children’s ear infections are inflammation of the middle ear that also commonly involves inflammation of the eardrum and a build-up of fluid in the middle ear.

Acute children’s ear infections are due to either a bacterial or viral infection, usually secondary to a children’s upper respiratory tract infection (cold’s, ‘flu or children’s whooping cough). It’s a common complaint in young children from 3 months to 3 years of age.

The first symptom is usually a persistent severe children’s earache as the drum inflames and pressure builds up behind it. Hearing loss may occur along with fever, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. Babies may demonstrate irritability, fussiness or difficulty in children’s sleeping, feeding or poor hearing. In severe cases, the ear drum may painfully rupture where pus drains into the ear canal and may become visible.

Signs & Symptoms of Children’s Ear Infections include:

• Children’s earache – the fluid in the middle ear may push on the eardrum, causing ear pain. An older child may complain of an earache, but a younger child may tug at the ear or simply act irritable and cry more than usual.
• Lying down, chewing and sucking can also cause painful pressure changes in the middle ear
• A child may eat less than the normal amount or have trouble sleeping.
• If the pressure from the fluid build-up is high enough, it can cause the eardrum to rupture, resulting in drainage of fluid from the ear.
• Fever
• Children’s nausea and/or vomiting
• Decreased hearing
• Dizziness and irritability

Back to top.

Children’s eczema is chronic, superficial inflammation of the skin that is often seen in children with a family history of children’s allergic rhinitis (hayfever), children’s asthma or children’s dermatitis. Seventy percent of children’s eczema starts under 5 years of age and approximately 50% of infants who suffer from children’s eczema will continue to have one or more symptoms into adulthood. Children’s eczema can be very stressful where significant lifestyle changes are required, such as missing out on fun activities like going for a swim or playing sports.

Signs & Symptoms of Children’s Eczema include:

• Itching and/or oozing and crusting of lesions.
• Blistering of skin, particularly on the hands and feet.
• Skin can become wet and weepy if gets infected.
• Dry, red inflamed skin lesions that appear on face, neck trunk and particularly flexures of elbows and knees.

Back to top.

Children’s food intolerances are caused by a chemical reaction and symptoms are usually limited to digestive problems. They do not involve your children’s immune system and don’t cause the severe allergic reaction of children’s anaphylaxis.

With children’s food intolerances, small amounts of the offending food can still be an irritant to the gut lining, and can often be tolerated without causing symptoms. Children’s food intolerance symptoms can occur immediately after eating the offending food but they can also take 12 to 24 hours to develop. Because there is no immune involvement, children’s allergy testing will not identify a childhood food intolerance.

Signs & Symptoms of Children’s Food Intolerances include:

• Children’s Nausea
• Children’s Cramping
• Children’s Vomiting
• Children’s Flatulence
• Children’s Diarrhoea
• Children’s Abdominal pain
• Children’s Nervousness
• Children’s Sweating
• Children’s Palpitations

Back to top.

Children’s hives is an outbreak of swollen, pale red bumps on the skin. They can suddenly appear either in response to a children’s allergic reaction to chemicals in processed food such as artificial colours, flavours and preservatives. Other causes include insect stings, sunlight exposure or some medications.

Children’s hives can appear anywhere on the body including the tongue, lips and ears and usually itch but they can also sting or burn. Childhood hives can last for hours or for one day before they start fading.

Signs & Symptoms of Children’s Hives include:

• Red or white welts usually on the face, trunk or legs
• Welts change size, shape and colour
• Itching
• Swelling that causes burning sensations or pain
• Can flare at any time when triggered, e.g. exercise, heat or stress

Back to top.

If your child struggles in the classroom with tasks such as reading, writing and mathematics they may have children’s learning difficulties. Children with these problems can’t complete tasks as easily as their peers can. This can lead them to thinking they are ‘dumb’ or ‘stupid’ which can have a long term negative impact on their self-esteem. It’s important to remember that intelligent people can have childhood learning problems too.

Signs & Symptoms of Children’s Learning Difficulties include:

• Poor performance at school
• Language difficulties and/or trouble with words
• Easily distracted
• Forgetful with daily activities
• Failure to recollect facts
• Difficulty sustaining attention in tasks or play activities
• Difficulty learning new facts and/or skills
• Inability to listen when spoken to directly
• Inability to follow through on instructions
• Clumsiness
• Dislikes reading or finds reading hard
• Have trouble spelling common words
• Does not feel very confident about school work

Back to top.

Children’s molluscum is a skin infection caused by Molluscum Contagiosum Virus that produces benign raised lesions or bumps on the upper layer of the skin. They disappear on their own without leaving marks and are usually painless. Childhood Molluscum is spread by direct contact with the lesion on another infected child or a contaminated object such as a toy or piece of clothing.

The average incubation period is between two to seven weeks but you may not see symptoms for up to six months. The virus can be difficult to treat if your child’s immune system is weakened.

Signs & Symptoms of Children’s Molluscum include:

• Bumps may appear alone or in a patch of up to 20
• Very small and shiny
• Flesh or white coloured
• Shaped like a dome with a dint in the middle
• Can appear anywhere on the body

Back to top.

With 1 in 4 children struggle to manage a healthy weight. Obesity has been shown to have a substantial negative effect on longevity, reducing life expectancy by up to 20 years. So serious are the potential repercussions for children that a report published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2005 determined that this generation of children may be the first that do not outlive their parents.

Risk Factors & Reasons for Childhood Obesity include:

• High energy food intake and lack of physical activity
• Dysbiosis (imbalance of gut bacteria) in infanthood (may be a result of diet or antibiotic use)
• Chronic ear infections (may increase preferences for sweeter and saltier ‘junk’ foods)
• Childhood stress
• Overweight parents doubles the risk for overweight children
• Maternal smoking during pregnancy
• Gestational Diabetes
• Nutritional deficiency in pregnancy, especially folic acid and vitamin B12
• Low birth weight
• Not breast feeding. Various theories why, but bottle feeding tends to introduce solids earlier.
• Poor sleep
• High TV and technology use.

Back to top.

This diagnosis is given when a child has marked social impairments but doesn’t meet the full criteria for either children’s autism or children’s Asperger’s syndrome. However, these kids may experience communication impairments and/or restricted or repetitive interests, activities and behaviours.

Signs & Symptoms of Children’s PDD-NOS include:

• Atypical or inappropriate social behaviour
• Poorly developed speech
• Difficulty with transitions
• Increased or decreased sensitivities to senses such as sound, smell, touch and sight
• Repetitive behaviour e.g. opening and closing doors or switching lights on and off

Back to top.

Whether your child has a simple childhood cold, children’s ear infections or suffers from childhood recurring infections, this is all a sign that their children’s immune system is failing to defend them. Children are constantly exposed to viruses and bacteria every day especially when attending childcare or kindergarten and some cope better than others. The reason for this difference in susceptibility is how strength and effectiveness of their immune. If your child’s immune system is robust, then even if they are in a crowd of sick kids they won’t develop symptoms of a children’s infection. On the other hand, if their immune system is struggling, then they will be sick more often and take longer to recover.

Signs & Symptoms of Children’s Poor Immunity include:

• Children’s colds and ‘flu
• Children’s ear infections
• Children’s skin rashes
• Children’s bacterial infections
• Children’s viral infections
• Excess mucous – nose, ears, sinuses or chest
• Children’s Fatigue
• Pale skin
• Shadows under eyes

Back to top.

The increased environmental exposure to germs when your child mixes with large numbers of children either at childcare or school is a leading cause of recurring infections. It is common for children to have 6 to 10 children’s upper respiratory tract infections (URTI’s) in a year and this figure can double when attending childcare. The peak incidence is at 6 to 12 months of age. Children’s URTI’s including common cold, sore throat, tonsillitis and ear infections constitute over 80% of the total episodes of children’s respiratory infections. These illnesses have the ability to impact and disrupt the entire family.

Signs & Symptoms of Children’s Recurring Infections include:

• Children’s colds and ‘flu
• Children’s ear infections
• Children’s skin rashes
• Children’s bacterial infections
• Children’s viral infections
• Children’s respiratory symptoms of pain and excess mucous that may affect nose, ears, sinuses or chest.
• Children’s fatigue
• Pale skin
• Shadows under eyes

Back to top.