Child's Health

When we talk about the importance of vaccinating children, we do it not only for their own benefit and protection in the short and long term, but to keep group immunity high and thus protect those who, for different reasons, cannot get vaccinated. Such is the case of immunosuppressed children, as the protagonist of the story we share.

Certain oral habits such as sucking your finger, or sucking the pacifier or the bottle for a long time may end up causing oral malformations in the child, such as crowding of the teeth or changes in maxillary growth patterns. The good news is that if the bad habit is abandoned between four and six years, these injuries can be reversed in a high percentage of cases, thanks to the joint treatment between the dentist-orthodontist and speech therapist.

For a few years it has been recommended in Spain to supplement babies with vitamin D, when there are deficiencies in many children despite the usual recommendation to live a lot abroad. The supplement is nothing more than a small dose of vitamin D that prevents deficiency in all children, because those who lack can do very well and those who do not lack do not pose any problem.

Summer is approaching giant steps and with it comes family leisure outdoors and the occasional getaway to the beach or the mountain. Therefore, before the openings of the swimming pools give the official start of the summer season, we explain what must be taken into account so that children benefit from the benefits of the sun, but well protected.

There are families who decide to spend vacations outside our country. Whether to visit friends or family, live new experiences, or meet other cultures and treasure memories, many parents are encouraged to travel with their children from an early age to international destinations. But the Vaccine Advisory Committee of the Spanish Association of Pediatrics (CAV-AEP) recalls the importance of having children properly vaccinated before embarking on an international trip.

Today the National Celiac Day is commemorated in Spain, a date proposed by the Federation of Celiac Associations of Spain (FACE) to give visibility and support to the Celiac collective, while seeking to raise awareness of all sectors of society. According to SEGHNP, it is estimated that celiac disease affects one in 71 children in Spain and can occur at any age, both in infants when introducing complementary feeding, as in children and adolescents.

Ophthalmological examinations in early childhood are very important to detect and diagnose some visual anomalies early, in order to avoid further problems in learning. One of these anomalies would be color blindness, a defect in vision that affects the perception of colors and that has a genetic and hereditary component.

This week, a two-year-old girl has died electrocuted in India by sucking the charger of a mobile phone connected to the power. As reported by The Times of India, the mother took the phone but left the charger and the little girl took the end of the cable that connects the mobile to the mouth.

Today, May 24, National Epilepsy Day is celebrated, a neurological disease that is caused by excessive discharge of brain neurons and manifests before age 12 in one in four cases. The Spanish Association of Pediatrics (AEP) explains that there are different types of epilepsy and explains the symptoms that accompany it and that indicate that we have to see a doctor immediately.

Eating disorders are a priority public health problem, and especially is childhood obesity, which has multiplied by 10 in the last 40 years, so much so that it is already considered the "epidemic of the 21st century." Effective measures are required to promote healthy eating habits among children, and some autonomous communities are already taking important steps.

From the multiple daytime naps of newborns, to half-hour naps in nursery school. The schedule and sleep time varies with the child's age, as his own circadian rhythm is regularized, or in other words, his internal biological clock. But these breaks during the day are still essential during their first years of life.

After delivery, the medical team is responsible for taking some important data of the baby at birth, among which is its weight. The baby's weight is something that greatly influences his state of health, not only during his first months, but throughout his life. Ideally, all babies are born with a weight within the normal range, however it is not always the case.

Sherrie Sharp was 20 weeks pregnant when on a routine prenatal examination they detected that her baby had spina bifida, a malformation that exposed the spinal cord and could cause paralysis and lack of control of the sphincters. And as the risk was greater the more time passed, the surgeons at King's College Hospital (London) decided to perform a pioneering operation in the United Kingdom: operate the baby with spina bifida inside the mother's womb with a laparoscopic surgery known as' eye of lock ', at 27 weeks gestation.

There are experiences that a child should never have to go through, and certainly cancer is one of them. Therefore, it is impossible not to get excited when we know stories of children who face this disease without losing their smile, and with overwhelming strength and optimism. Such has been the case of Audrina, a small British woman who has managed to overcome an aggressive neuroblastoma and has celebrated it with a firm and imperial step, disguised as a Star Wars soldier and ringing the bell that marks the end of her treatment.

In the first two months of 2019, 34,300 cases of measles have been recorded in 42 European countries, according to the latest report from the World Health Organization (WHO). These data confirm the alarming growth of the disease in the last three years. Ukraine has been the most affected country, followed by Serbia and France.

Scientific evidence has shown that vaccines are safe and save millions of lives every year, so it is essential to disseminate truthful and proven information about them. A couple of months ago Facebook announced that it was joining the anti-vaccine fight by eliminating content that disseminates false information, so did YouTube and Amazon, and now Instagram joins.

The World Health Organization (WHO) warns that 80 percent of adolescents do not exercise enough and that insufficient physical activity is one of the main risk factors for death in the world. The report 'Young woman and physical activity', from the Rey Juan Carlos University (URJC) and the Mapfre Foundation, further details the situation by confirming that 76% of young girls between 12 and 25 do not meet the minimum recommendations of physical activity of the WHO, which involve at least 60 minutes of physical activity per day and activities that strengthen the muscles and bones, at least three times per week.

When our little lironcitos sleep more hours than usual, we immediately think "it is growing". But what is true in this belief? Is it true that children grow up while they sleep? Well yes, it's true, science confirms it. Sleep is essential for the good health of the little ones.

The sex hormones that the body begins to make during puberty are responsible for the physical changes that children experience during adolescence; a stage that, according to WHO, ranges from ten to 19 years. Acne is common to many teenagers. And although it is something temporary that disappears over time, it can sometimes cause serious problems of self-esteem.

Among the most important and worrying health news of recent years, there are measles outbreaks that have begun to appear in various parts of the world. This has largely happened to the anti-vaccine movement, which was recently listed by the World Health Organization (WHO) as one of the 10 threats to global health in 2019.