Hepatitis B is caused by a virus called Hepatitis B virus (HBV) . HBV attacks the liver and can cause lifelong infection, but usually gets better on its own. If it doesn’t get better within 2-12 days, it’s called chronic HBV which is currently incurable and can cause cirrhosis (scarring) of the liver, liver cancer, liver failure, and eventually death.

Causes

HBV occurs when the blood of an infected person enters the body of an uninfected person. You can get HBV through unprotected sex, sharing needles, having a tattoo or body piercing done with dirty tools that were used on somebody else, sharing a razor with an infected person, through needle sticks or sharps exposures on the job, or an infected mother can give it to her baby during birth.

Signs and Symptoms

About 30% of people have no signs or symptoms. Signs and symptoms are less common in children than in adults. Hepatitis B can almost make you feel like you have the flu.
• Jaundice
• Fatigue
• Abdominal pain
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea, vomiting
• Joint pain

Doctors diagnose HBV with the confirmation of a blood test. Not only does the blood test confirm or deny the presence of the virus, but it will also tell the seriousness of the virus.

Prevention

Health care professionals have found the best course of prevention to be vaccination. In children, the vaccines are given in three doses and provide life-long protection from the virus. The first dose is given at birth, and the entire regimen finished by the age of 6-18 months. In the event that an individual under 18 wasn’t vaccinated in infancy, they can still have the HBV vaccination and may want to consider it. Routine vaccinations for HBV started in 1991. Since then, instances of HBV have dropped by 95% in children and adolescents, and 75% in all age groups.

Treatment

The most common treatment is medication, which helps to reduce the affects of the virus on the liver by slowing it down or stopping the HBV from reproducing. There is no known cure as stated above, but in some rare cases, a person may lose the Hepatitis B virus and develop protective surface antibodies.

Home Remedies
• Regain your energy by including complex carbohydrates in the form of whole wheat and its products. Avoid refined sugars and processed foods in your diet.
• Take proper rest, don’t over-exert your self.
• High proteins can cause further liver damage so include a moderate amount of proteins in the form of skimmed milk, skimmed yoghurt, legumes, pulses and sprouts.
• Decrease overall consumption of fats and oils and include MCTs (medium chain triglycerides) like butter, cream, coconut oil while preparing food as they are rapidly absorbed into the intestine and pose less stress on the liver.
• Have small and frequent meals at regular intervals.
• Avoid the consumption of alcohol completely.

-Anne

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If you have children, you have witnessed a toddler tantrum. It begins with a little whining and pulling or pushing, progresses into the ole throw the body on the ground, and results in a full blown kicking and screaming fit. We’re talking warning-siren-loud screaming, the kind that will wake George Washington from his grave. What can we do to avoid these publicly embarrassing and privately frustrating episodes? There is help for us all.

Know the Signs

Tantrums begin anywhere from 1-3 years of age, and the severity and frequency of tantrums varies from child to child. They usually occur at the most inconvenient times; when you’re on the phone, trying to get out of the house, at the grocery store or in a restaurant.

The best solution would be to diffuse the situation before it gets out of control. Make note of what brings on the tantrums. Is your child bored, tired, sick, hungry, or over stimulated? Watch for pre-tantrum signs. If you notice your child start to whine or grumble, you’ll be in a better position to stop the incident before it becomes a full blown fit.

Know that there are two types of tantrums: manipulative and frustrated. If the child has gotten “their way” by throwing a tantrum in the past, they have learned that it is an effective method. Be firm and consistent, let your child know that no means no, and there isn’t any room for negotiating no matter how loud or out of control they may become. If the tantrum is out of frustration, some comfort and empathy are most likely all that is needed.

What to do about a tantrum

• The most important thing you can do for your child is to stay calm yourself. The more your stress level escalates the more explosive your child’s tantrum will potentially become. Maintain control so that your child can gain his/her control.
• Don’t take it personally. A toddler tantrum is not a reflection of your good or bad parenting skills. Children are not behaving badly at you, but rather trying their best to communicate their frustration and anger.
• Verbalize for the child what he/she may be feeling: “I won’t let you have gum and that makes you mad.” Give your child the words to express their emotions.
• Choose your battles. If the child is pitching a fit because they don’t want to be in the car seat, that is a big deal and compromise cannot be considered. If your child would rather put on a blue shirt instead of an orange shirt, that’s a small problem and mismatched clothes just may save the peace for the day.
• Holding therapy. Sometimes holding your child will help to bring him/her under control. It gives them a safe place to let go of the frustration in the comfort of loving arms. If they are fighting too much to be released, loosen your grip. Also, avoid holding out of anger. Tantrum throwers need a conduit toward control, so any high-strung emotions will overload the child’s circuit and intensify the fit.
• Sometimes ignoring the tantrum will show the child that that behavior will not get results, and he/she will calm down on his/her own.
• Time-out. When ignoring or comforting doesn’t work, remove the child from the activating event or situation. For example, calmly removing to a bathroom in a restaurant or leaving a grocery store and going to the car may solve the problem when other methods fail.

Prevention

It may be hard to always anticipate and avoid a tantrum, but there are some things that can be done that may lessen the likelihood of an episode.
• Make sure your child is well rested. Try to schedule your day so you aren’t out and about at nap or bed time. A tired child makes a cranky child.
• Plan ahead to ensure the child isn’t getting overly hungry or thirsty. Make sure to bring snacks and drinks with you on errands and visits with friends. At home, eat meals and snacks at consistent times every day.
• In order to way-lay boredom, involve the child in a task. If you’re at the grocery store, have the child help put the groceries in the cart. Give the child an extra dust rag, and have them follow behind you or along beside you while you do your housework. Yard work is a little trickier, but with a child-sized rake, raking leaves becomes a family affair.
• Make the rules known, and follow through with consequences of broken rules. If a house rule is no sweets before dinner, then don’t give in on occasion. This will confuse the child, and bring on a tantrum.
• Be consistent in your approach. Whatever method you use to diffuse the tantrum whether it is to ignore it or remove the child into a time-out, make sure the consequences are the same. A child needs consistency in order to learn trust and that negotiation will not be allowed. Once it’s obvious that a tantrum won’t get the child his/her way, he or she will cease using it as a method of manipulation.

Remember that tantrums are a normal thing for toddlers and preschoolers to do. If the problem persists in school aged children, a larger psychological disorder should be ruled out.

-Anne

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Croup is a word I always associate with life on the prairie—a deadly disease brought on by poor nutrition, diphtheria, and pertussis. Before the turn of the century, and without the advent of the DTP vaccination, that would have been true. Once deadly, croup is usually harmless and extremely treatable today. If the cough from your child’s cold starts to sound like the family dog, he/she just might have croup.

Causes:

Croup, or laryngotracheobronchitis, is a childhood illness identified by a cough that sounds like the bark of a seal or dog. Croup predominately occurs between the ages of 3 months to 5 years, but can be seen in children as old as 12-15 years. It’s caused by the inflammation of the trachea or larynx usually due to a virus of the upper respiratory system, but may also be caused by bacteria or allergies.

Symptoms:

The initial symptoms are like that of a cold—a runny or stuffy nose accompanied by a cough and maybe fever. As the lining of the windpipe and the voice box becomes inflamed and swollen, the child develops a hoarse cough, the tell-tale sign of croup. The upper airway may swell to the point where it is partially blocked off, making it difficult for the child to breathe.

With severe croup, there may be a high-pitched or squeaking noise when inhaling which is called stridor. The child’s breathing will be quite fast due to the restricted airway, so less oxygen is being taken in. The child may also appear pale or bluish around the mouth because of the lack of oxygen. Opening the airway immediately is crucial.

Symptoms of croup often worsen at night and when the child is upset or crying. In addition to the effect on the upper airway, the infections that cause croup can result in inflammation further down the airway, including the bronchi (breathing tubes) and the lungs.

The symptoms of croup generally peak 2 to 3 days after the symptoms of infection start. Croup resulting from viral infection usually lasts less than a week.

Treatment:

• Put a small chunk of unslaked lime in a bowl of steaming water. Place a small blanket or towel over the child’s head to retain steam. The steam usually provides immediate relief for the child to breath easier.
• Run a hot shower until the bathroom fills with steam. Sit with child for 10-20 minutes in steamy bathroom. A cool-mist humidifier may also help.
• Apply a wet flannel dipped in cold water and wrung out onto the neck and lay a dry cloth over it. The cold water helps to draw the blood away from the larynx and air passages and also dilates the tubes and gives relief. Take great care not to get the child wet as this will cause him/her to become chilled, and may worsen the symptoms.
• Mix pulverized alum with sugar or honey or molasses; mix together and give half teaspoonful doses or less. Use only in extreme emergency for infants. This is one of the good old-fashioned remedies that nearly every mother has used. It acts simply by inducing vomiting and allowing the air tubes to relax. Repeat in five to twenty minutes until vomiting occurs.
• Gently rub eucalyptus oil on the chest; works as an expectorant to loosen up phlegm, and an inhalant to open constricted air ways.
• Carrot soup can be beneficial as sometimes croup can be a Vitamin A deficiency. Diluted chamomile tea also to help with symptoms.

-Anne

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When raising babies, diaper rash is the most common problem parents’ face. My two-year-old had a recurrent rash that resulted in open sores and sleepless nights for us both. A battle ensued with every diaper change. I had to find a way to make changing time more comfortable for my daughter and more efficient for me. Over-the-counter ointments just weren’t cuttin’ it. In addition to the painful rash, I found that the wipes were irritating the already affected area. Convenience had to take a back seat to comfort for my baby.

Causes:

Diaper rash occurs when there is extensive contact with stool, urine, perspiration, soaps, dyes, creams, and chafing of the diaper which causes a skin reaction. The rash is centralized around the groin area, typically only the buttocks and genitals are affected. If the rash branches out from this area, yeast infections, psoriasis, eczema or other dermatological conditions must be ruled out.

Treatments:

After reading Maribeth Riggs’ book, Natural Child Care, I found a wonderful, organic cream to aid in the healing of my daughter’s chronic rash. The ingredients combine to form a natural antiseptic and antibacterial agent which soothes and nourishes babies’ tender skin.

Ingredients:

1 Tbl. Chickweed
1 Tbl. Marshmallow root
1 Tbl. Comfrey root
1/8 tsp. Goldenseal root powder
1 cup Sweet almond oil
1/4 cup Beeswax

1. Combine the chickweed, marshmallow root, comfrey root and goldenseal root powder in a cast-iron frying pan with the sweet almond oil.
2. Gently fry the mixture for 5 to 10 minutes making sure not to let the herbs burn.
3. When the mixture is hot, add the beeswax and melt it down.
4. When the beeswax is completely melted, strain the mixture through cheesecloth into a small, labeled jar with a tight-fitting lid.
5. Refrigerate the ointment until it solidifies. The final ointment is an opaque tan color and smells of beeswax and comfrey root. Keep the ointment in a convenient place near the infant’s changing table, away from heat. Discard any used portion after 2 months.

Apply the ointment onto diaper area at every diaper change. If the rash doesn’t clear up in 3-4 applications, or the rash keeps reappearing, the investigation of dietary factors or other skin irritants or conditions is advised. The ointment won’t work unless it’s also used in conjunction with proper hygienic care of the infant or toddler. This ointment also treats acne, sunburn, mild abrasions and hives.

Prevention:

• Change soiled diapers frequently and as promptly as possible
• Alternate between disposable and cloth diapers
• Use protective ointments such as beeswax, calendula, zinc oxide
• Use a wet wash cloth with mild soap to wash area and avoid the use of disposable wipes that may irritate the skin
• Allow child to go without diaper periodically, and frequently air-dry the diaper area
• Avoid the use of talcum powder or cornstarch. If you feel a powder must be used, substitute a clay product

–Anne

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Infant colic is enough to give any new parent a headache and spark worry. Why is my baby crying? Is he in pain? What am I doing wrong? Usually, nothing.

When babies have infant colic, they cry or scream frequently (about 3 to 4 hours a day consecutively) without any discernable reason. They’re not hungry or wet or in pain. They’re just colicky. Colic usually occurs in infants that are just a few weeks old, and can last for the first couple months of a child’s life until it disappears without a trace, oftentimes quite suddenly. Infant colic is also sometimes called baby colic or three month colic.

What causes colic?

There is no absolute cause for baby colic. It could be many things. A lot of people believe colicky babies are the result of gas that’s constantly trapped in the digestive track. Some say lactose intolerance may be the underlying cause. Others say it’s just a baby’s inherent disposition to be fussy. It could be anything.

Home remedies for infant colic

Swaddling your baby may help with colic and improve your baby’s sleep. Swaddling is also a great way to bond and spend time with your baby, while offering a sense of security along with your love.

Gentle ambient music with rich low tones can help soothe your baby, allowing you both to get a good night’s rest. It’s really relaxing to listen to! There are a lot of free ambient tracks you can download legally on the internet by independent / amateur musicians. But remember, it’s always good to support the artist and donate or buy a CD! Take this site for example.

White noise or heartbeat CDs can also soothe a baby with colic, most likely because it resembles what they once heard in the womb. You can find these special sort of CDs online in many places.

Done feeding? Burp your baby! And do it more often, especially if you find your baby’s colic to be connected to trapped gas.

If your baby is on the bottle, talk to your doctor and try switching to another formula. Maybe a lactose intolerance is to blame. Nursing mothers should watch their diet, since colic may be brought on by a reaction to the food you ate that’s transferred into breast milk.

-Magdalena

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