Funny how coincidences occur. So just when my daughter and I had caught this strange and miserable bug that little O had, I open a page of last month’s issue of Parents magazine and there it was, an article on “Know The Bad Tummy Bugs” or something to that effect. And there it was, the Norovirus, the bad guy who had invaded our bodies.

Thats a photo of him above by the way, in all his grim 3D glory. Heres what you need to know, as it is a very common virus:

Norovirus is the most common cause of infectious gastroenteritis in England and Wales. Although relatively mild, norovirus illness can occur at any age because immunity to it is not long-lasting. The disease was historically known as “winter vomiting disease” due to its seasonality and typical symptoms. Outbreaks of Norovirus gastroenteritis are common in semi-closed environments such as hospitals, nursing homes, schools and cruise ships.

How does Norovirus spread?

The virus is easily transmitted from one person to another. It can be transmitted by contact with an infected person; by consuming contaminated food or water or by contact with contaminated surfaces or objects.

What are the symptoms?

The symptoms of norovirus infection will begin around 12 to 48 hours after becoming infected. The illness is self-limiting and the symptoms will last for 12 to 60 hours. They will start with the sudden onset of nausea followed by projectile vomiting and watery diarrhoea. Some people may have a raised temperature, headaches and aching limbs. Most people make a full recovery within 1-2 days, however some people (usually the very young or elderly) may become very dehydrated and require hospital treatment.

[tags]norovirus, stomach virus, kids disease[/tags]

What is it about germs that make them spread like wildfire, especially with kids? While we were at hospital Dr.J warned me to try and refrain from getting too close to O, and not kissing him or sharing drinks, food and so on. Was she insane? Did she think I would stay at an arm’s length of my son who was in hospital for the first time? Bring on the outbreak and let me kiss my baby.

By the next morning, O had started to recover fast. After finishing his bowl of clear soup, he moved on to some white bread (I made the exception because of the circumstances), and by lunchtime, he was up and about, roaming the pediatric ward while I held his I.V. drip.

Big sis came to visit with Grandma, and despite more stay-away warnings from Dr.J, she promptly jumped into the hospital bed with her little brother (to his delight!) snuggeling to watch the Playhouse Disney channel, which we don’t get at home. Being the affectionate (well, sometime) bis sister that she is, I think she felt sorry for her little brother (with a needle and tube stuck on his hand, no less) and wouldn’t stop hugging and kissing him. When it was time for Grandma to take her to lunch at the mall she refused to leave and eventually was persuaded to go downstairs to the hospital cafeteria.

By the following day, you can guess what happened. O was nearly back to his old cheery self, my daughter was vomiting and I had diarrhea.

[tags]outbreak, hospital, virus[/tags]

Like they say, theres a first time for everything, and it was the first time for me to have one one of my children be admitted to hospital. We were lucky, I suppose, as the pediatric floor was initally full, and Dr.J told us we’d have to head for the emergency room until a bed became vacant. A few minutes before we left the house, however, she texted me to say to head straight for the admissions desk, as a room was now available. I was about as chuffed as one could be when their child is about to be admitted to hospital. Relieved that we wouldnt be spending a good part of the night at the emergency room, but still feeling pretty anxious.

The pediatric ward was the same as all the other hospital floors, except for colourful animal signs as the room numbers (ours was a panda), and a cheery-looking playroom which unfortunately had a forbidding sign taped on the door saying “closed for general cleaning”. Hurumph. My sister helped us check in and get sorted in the room (hubby is abroad - dang! of all times when I could do with husbandly support), and within minutes the resident doctor and some nurses came in to see my little O.

Weak as ever, O was a dream when they put in the i.v. drip, with hardly any complaining except for a small cry when the needle went in (this impressed the doctors who were expecting the usual struggle at this particular floor). Within minutes he was fast asleep. Probably from the sheer exhaustion of the day, poor thing. I was pretty beat myself, so after a quick trip to the basement cafeteria for some supplies, I watched American Idol until I fell asleep only to be awoken by a nurse two hours later.

[tags]sick kids, hospital, pediatric ward[/tags]

Amid all our pirate excitement ( We had been practicing our pirate lingo at home, the birthday girl happily calling everyone in our household “Landlubber!“), I came home (with my find for the day no less, gold and black pirate hand hooks on sale for just 50 cents each!) to find my nearly-two-year-old boy (also a celebrant-to-be), vomiting.

Our nanny said that it was the second time that day, and she didnt’ seem to be too concerned. We gave him some water, and 5 minutes later he vomited it out. Then we tried juice. It came out. Then an ice lolly. Out. Ice chips. Out. More water. out. This went on for the next 2 hours. He was vomiting absolutely everything within minutes, it was of the frightening “projectile” sort.

I had of course called my pedia Dr.J by now, who told me that if I wasnt able to replace what he was vomiting out in the next hour or two, he’d probably have to be admitted to hospital that evening. Two hours later it was the same. He was vomiting every single thing that went in his mouth. He was also criying by now, and saying “Mommy, owie!”. It was heartbreaking. After a few more calls to Dr.J, I called my Mother to come and spend the night at our place and we headed for the hospital.

[tags]vomiting, sick kids, virus[/tags]

What is it about colds? One person has it, and then it spreads like wildfire. About the same time my kids got their cold, so did my sister. She believes the culprit was in the playplace she took them to last week, somewhere hidden behind the colourful slides and padded floors. Funny though, as the place makes you put on antibacterial gel before and after playing. Hmmmm…. But now that I think of it, Dr.J (our pedia) told me some time ago that those gels DO NOT work. Well, maybe just a bit, but she advised that ordinary rubbing alcohol did the job (in killing germs) about 100 x better!

Unfortunately, the cold virus hit hmy sister much worse than my kids - and she still has the sniffles today. My kids are now germ-free, thanks to Mom’s Home Remedies (I told you they really work).

Which is why I want to keep them that way (healthy, that is) as we are all going to Thailand soon for a family holiday. So here is something that went into my inbox today care of Baby Center, which couldn’t have come at a more useful time. It agrees with my advocacy of Vitamin C, but also gives some other tips on staying-germ free:

Question: How can I keep from catching my child’s cold?

Answer: “Colds” are upper respiratory infections caused by many different viruses. These viruses can be spread in the air by sneezing or coughing and by contact with infected surfaces. Therefore, good hand washing — with soap and warm water — is always encouraged both for children and adult caretakers.

Wash your hands before preparing or eating food, after changing any diapers, and after using the toilet. And help your toddler wash his hands after using the toilet and before eating. Antibiotic wipes can be used for surfaces children commonly touch. (Some grocery stores now offer antibiotic wipes to clean handles of grocery carts before using the cart.) It also helps to not share cups and utensils with your toddler, especially during “cold” seasons. (You might use disposable cups in your bathrooms.)

Some people promote the use of 500-1000 mg of Vitamin C, as well as echinacea and zinc (check the recommended dosages on the bottles) at the onset of upper respiratory symptoms, to help shorten the length and severity of symptoms; it’s worth a try if you do seem to be catching your toddler’s cold.

[tags]Kids,Germs, Cold Virus, Kids Health[/tags]

A couple of days ago my kids woke up sneezing, coughing and with very runny noses. As you probably know by now, Halloween is a BIG deal at our house, so it couldn’t have happened at a worse time. And with another big Halloween party happening tomorrow, and trick or treating on Tuesday, the mission was clear - I had to get them better FAST.

So apart from our Pediatrician, Dr.J’s usual measures of regular over-the-counter meds, I have a tried-and-tested arsenal of “alternative” methods which I use on my kids and husband, as well as myself. So at the risk of sounding like a granola-organic Mom (which I am fast becoming), here it is:

Vitamin C - I have found a high-dose pediatric syrup, so when the cold symptoms set in, I give around 500 mg to my 20 month old, and about 1,000 mg to my 4-year-old. The regular ones with lame amounts like 100 mg and are really just sugar, are a waste of time in my book. Don’t be afraid of large amounts of C - it REALLY does work.

Zinc - I give them a multivitamin daily with this anyway, but increase the dosage when they have a cold.

Echinacea - The drops I have have both echinacea and goldenseal, which I give 3x a day.

Honey Turmeric - This is my Mom’s remedy for a cough. My kids have gotten used to the taste and now ask for it when they feel a cough on them. Its basically 1/2 tsp each of ground cinnamon and ground turmeric, mixed in a tablespoon of virgin honey (use the runny kind for easy swallowing). For adults, a raw garlic clove, chopped and heated for 10 seconds in a pan, should be added in. This is a really potent antibiotic and should be taken 2-3x a day. If I do the garlic bit I give some to my husband too and vice versa. You get the idea.

Bioplasma - These homeopathic tissue salts are just amazing. My Aunt’s homeopath highly recommended this, saying we could even take it everyday (ill or not) for optimum good health. And when its for a cold or other malaise, you can take it every 15 minutes for acute conditions and it will NEVER cause an overdose. He even said it would be good for our 10 year old Basset Hound….so, now my kids are taking it every hour.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, Bioplasma “….is a combination of all 12 of Schuessler’s Cell Salts“…whatever that is. I’m a big fan of Homeopathic remedies, which gives me an idea that I should post more about that…. But anyway, I’m crossing my fingers now….

[tags]kids colds,kids health,homeopathic remedies kids,alternative health,echinacea,halloween[/tags]

Upon hearing the unsettling news of my kids’s condition (my four-year-old was
also developing the rash and complaining of “owies” in her mouth), I dutifully rang my friend M, whose kids were scheduled to come to my place that afternoon for playgroup.

Funnily enough, she was really cool about the entire “Hand Foot Mouth” thing, and said her kids probably had it too by now so another day wouldnt make a difference anyway, so would it be ok if they came over as planned? Oh, ok then.

But for Moms who are probably more OC about hygene like I am ( and I can name a couple), it pays to know how to prevent this kind of thing from happening.

Here’s what I found, also useful for any other infectious disease our kids are exposed to in this big wide world of ours, courtesy of the National Center For Infectious Diseases:

“Specific prevention for HFMD or other non-polio enterovirus infections is not available, but the risk of infection can be lowered by good hygienic practices. Preventive measures include frequent handwashing, especially after diaper changes (see “Handwashing” in: An Ounce of Prevention: Keeps the Germs Away), cleaning of contaminated surfaces and soiled items first with soap and water, and then disinfecting them by diluted solution of chlorine-containing bleach (made by mixing approximately ¼ cup of bleach with 1 gallon of water. Avoidance of close contact (kissing, hugging, sharing utensils, etc.) with children with HFMD may also help to reduce of the risk of infection to caregivers.”

[tags]Hand foot mouth disease,infectious diseases children, kids health, coxackie[/tags]

My sincere apologies for the disturbing images, but sadly this is what I’ve been faced with lately. You see, my two kids were just diagnosed with Coxackie virus, otherwise known as Hand Foot Mouth disease. And, NO it has nothing to do with the mad cow thing (Foot and Mouth)- which I had to reassure my husband of vehemently when I told him the news.

It all started when I noticed some strange, blistery, pimply spots on my son’s hands and feet. When it didn’t disappear in a day (as many of these rashes do), I dutifully visited our pediatrician Dr. J, thinking she might as well check it out since he was due for a shot anyway.

One look and she told me he had HFM disease, which was obvious as he also had another big symptom - losing his appetite lately with solid food and saying “owie” when he ate. When Dr.J that it was no big deal (in spite of its rather sketchy name), fairly common in babies and young children, and self-limiting (read: no meds necessary except for paracetamol in case of fever, which neither of my kids got), I honestly felt more “ICK” than anything else, especially when I realized that this icky virus was probably spreading among the kids at school, playgroup or even at Gymboree. Ick!!

Dr.J then advised me to tell the Moms and teachers that my kids had (gulp) “it”, and to keep them away from other kids for another 5 days or so as it was HIGHLY contagious. Although, contagious kids may never even develop symptoms, or just have some of them.

[tags]Hand foot mouth disease,coxackie virus,kids disease,kids health[/tags]

To de-mystify ADHD a little more , here are the symptoms the doctor will be watching out for, classified into the classic three types. Read and learn:

1. an inattentive type, with signs that include:

* inability to pay attention to details or a tendency to make careless errors in schoolwork or other activities
* difficulty with sustained attention in tasks or play activities
* apparent listening problems
* difficulty following instructions
* problems with organization
* avoidance or dislike of tasks that require mental effort
* tendency to lose things like toys, notebooks, or homework
* distractibility
* forgetfulness in daily activities

2. a hyperactive-impulsive type, with signs that include:

* fidgeting or squirming
* difficulty remaining seated
* excessive running or climbing
* difficulty playing quietly
* always seeming to be “on the go”
* excessive talking
* blurting out answers before hearing the full question
* difficulty waiting for a turn or in line
* problems with interrupting or intruding

3. A combined type, which involves a combination of the other two types and is the most common

[tags]ADHD,ADD,Kids,Health[/tags]

As you’ll easily notice from my last posts, my four-year-old is a handful these days. She shouts at the top of her lungs as often as she can, cannot seem to sit still at home for longer than 5 minutes and will do all that is humanly possible for a preschooler to avoid bedtime - or prolong it at least.

The night before last I found her sleeping on the floor in her bedroom, and last night she asked if she could sleep there again. Is this weird behaviour or normal for someone her age?

Anyway, at a meeting at her school the other day where we Moms were roped in to organizing an entire classroom as Mexico (food, costumes,decor and all-yaaaa!) for UN month, her principal started talking about a new music-based program starting for kids with special needs - like ADHD- and I swear, I just felt she was pointedly looking at ME.

I nodded emphatcally to the Principal, but inside a wave of paranoia swept over me. Did she think my daughter had ADHD? To be honest, I don’t really know what it is exactly. I just hear about it everywhere - on tv, through friends, spoken casually in conversation like its the most normal thing in the world.

When I told my husband my worries, he brushed me off saying our daughter was a normal, energetic kid just like he was. Yes, “normally energetic” is ok, but a label like ADHD on your child is a nerve-racking prospect.

So before any more paranoia sets in, I’m off to google for a bit of educating.

[tags]adhd,parenting,kids,mums,mothers,fathers[/tags]