A child's development will be greatly hampered by illnesses. A child should be made free from illnesses during childhood itself so that the child id assured of an ailment free life in future. If a child becomes a victim of different ailments, the child is a loser in many counts.The main aspect that a child loses is its precious growth and valuable health. Above all the child develops a plethora of personality disorders.
Illness reins progress
Illness attacks a child on 2 fronts, physically and mentally. Some illnesses like polio. if unattended, may cause physical disability. The damage will not stop here. It deals a mental blow that acts severely on the psyche of the child. The child will always be tjhinking about his disability. The feeling that he is a cripple shatters him. His inferiority complex sets in. He always compares himself with the other normal children of his school and neighbourhood.
Despite development in many fronts. human mentality, when it comes to a a person who is physically handicapped will expose its inhuman face. The society looks down upon the cripples, The society ridicules them. Heckles them
In such a heartless society how a tender hearted kid with disability can live with dignity. It takes an immense mental strength to cope p with the day to day tensions single handed.Owing to this hard living conditions through which a handicapped soul has to pass through, it's important for the parents to have knowledge about a few ailments that are likely to attack the children and their management.
Asthma
The name Asthma has its origin in the Greek language. It means breathlessness. Asthma is Respiratory disease. If Asthma is not identified in time and treated properly, it becomes the curse on the child. It hampers the physical activities which automatically lead to a big blockade to the child's academic advancement.
Factors related to indoor and outdoor pollutants and changes in diet along with environmental factors like chilly wind, dusty fumes. pungent insecticides are said to be the chief causes for increased prevalence of Astrhma.
Now the question is, despite the availability of effective treatment for Asthma, several number of children are becoming the victims of Asthma and forced to lead a l life of 'Asthma Slave' through out the life.
Only reason for this malady looks to me is lack of awareness about Asthma amongst the parents and their inherent superstitious.
beliefs.
Children suffering from Asthma will have wheezing and breathing will be quite rapid. Sides and chest will be heaving up and down. So naturally an Asthmatic child's activities related to school will almost come to a grinding halt.Right now, there is no complete cure for Asthma, but owing to advanced medical developments and amenities are within the reach of all, people can expect to lead a relatively normal life.
Epilepsy
Epilepsy a disabling ailment characterized by seizures. It's more dangerous in the sense it has the potentialities to damage the brain. If the child afflicted with epilepsy gets a fit somewhere on the road, where no known person or familiar person around, its unimaginable even to think of the consequences.
In addition to this epilepsy is viewed as A taboo in the society. The sum total of all will act on the afflicted and cause untold damage affecting the career and health.
Alternatives before the parents
Any activity involving motivation, joy and pleasure are to be treated ideal for the epileptics. Swimming is allowe4d on the condition that someone is there to supervise closely. During educational tours, the accompanying teacher has to explained clearly about the condition of the child and proper medicines are to be given to the person concerned. He has to be briefed all about the remedial measures during the seizures.
Parents to note
Seizure causing factors like fatigue, heavy hunger, constipation, sleep deprivation,dazzling lights etc should be avoided
Obesity
Eating more calories than one Can consume is the basic principle of Obesity. It's an established fact that children with overweight are more prone to diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and arthritis as their age advances. This is one part as far as obesity is concerned in obese children. The other case is they become butt of laughter in school
Besides eating high calorie stuff, junk food, modern way of life which mostly revolves around sedentary life are said to be the chief causes of obesity. Generally a mother showers her love on her dear child through all that stuff which contributes to a large extent.
What parents should note
Parents should know first about the food that contributes to obesity.High fat foods should be treated as enemy number one. High calorie foods and junk food are to be completely avoided. If you want to show your love towards your kid, keep the above food away from the kid. It's a great help you are doing your kid.
Along with this children should be made to play outdoor games, not computer games.. Parents should set the trend. They should leave their cars and power driven other two wheelers. If the parents use a bicycle to fetch the milk packet from the neighbouring market, make your kid too follow you on another cycle.
And last but not the least, ration the TV viewing time.
Vision and hearing impairment
Vision and hearing impairment are two ailments that stand on the way of progress of anybody. More so if children are affected by these ailments. child with poor vision will face innumerable problems in his academic career. And its a not a cake walk for him. He will become a butt of laughter all along the way showered with indignities . Our society is not that kind to lend a sympathetic word to a handicapped person.
So the the onus falls on the shoulders of the parents to save their children from the hardships and stand by his side all trhrough the childhood.
Spectacles and hearing aids
The rapidly growing technology has many things to offer to make the lives of the handicapped easy. If the child feels the spectacles are too big or too heavy for a child to carry it all through the day, there are contact lenses. Now with the arrival of LASIK, a laser treatment, even the contact lenses too can be avoided.
Squint in the eyes can be easily corrected with latest technology.
Similarly, there are hearing aids for external use. In this field too, , even Hearing aids also can be eliminated. Cochlear implants, the newest innovation will enable even a profound deaf person can hear the things clearly.
Parents have a plethora of options before them to help their vision and hearing impaired children.
Involuntary passage of urine during sleep
A common ailment in the children. It is also known as Bed wetting in the common man's language. Its medical name is Enuresis. There are two types of Bed wetting prevalent in the children
Persistent type of Bed wetting
Insufficient or faulty Tooilet training is said to be the reason for this type of Bed wetting
Regressive type of Bed wetting
There are many factors attributed to this type of Bed wetting. Any change in the routineor an incidence of a sad event like death in the family, birth of a sibling to name a few.
If the Bed wetting is due to uriary tract infection, it can be cured throgh medical treatment.
Very simple precautions
Don't allow the child to consume water after dinner time.
Remind the child to pass the urine just before going to bed,
Stuttering
During speaking, a child's speech is repeatedly interrupted breaking the rhythm of speech. Turbulent family conditions, bad parent-child relationship and stress are the reasons attributed to stammering or Stuttering. Among all the reasons for stuttering or stammering, anxiety is said to be the Principal reason .
It goes without saying to what extent a child's development is hindered due to Stammering or stuttering.
Options before the Parents
Parents should know that stammering or stuttering is not a disease. Understanding parents can see stammering and stuttering in their children go away easily by making the child feel easy.Good results can be obtained by making the child believe that they are quite normal. Stammering is more of a psychological case than of physical.
With Speech therapy, Stammering or stuttering can be dealt with effectively. If the child is a victim of emotional disorder,parents can opt for Psycho therapy.
Malodor and other Maladies
Foul smell emanating through mouth is known as Malodor, a consequence of infection. Body deformities like cleft lip and short stature (Dwarfism) to name a few can hamper the mental and physical development drastically.
Nothing like Parental care.
There is no match to parental love and affection. More than any medical treatments Parental care matters more in putting the lives of their children in the path of glory.
Childhood, the best time to mould your kid.
See a potter, how he shapes a lump of lifeless clay in to heart stealing shapes. This he is able to do because the clay was wet. Can he mould those beautiful shapes when the clay is hardened? No. akin to this, use childhood to inject good things in your kid to fulfill both yours and child's dreams.