What You Should Do If Your Infant Has a Seizure

As a new parent, watching your infant suffer with a seizure can not only be devastating, but leave you feeling helpless and inadequate as a parent. The first time you see your infant having a seizure is usually the worst and it is not until you understand what is happening and what to do that you will feel more comfortable handling the situation.

Infant seizures are not uncommon and usually the Infant will be fine afterwards. Seizures will only last a few minutes and eventually will stop without any intervention. These seizures or convulsions are the result of abnormal brain nerve cell activity that causes unconsciousness, rigidity in the arms and legs, and twitching of the face or limbs. Most infant seizures are related to fevers, however, recurrent seizures with no fever may indicate a seizure disorder and should be diagnosed by a doctor or pediatrician.

Febrile Seizures

Febrile seizures have a short duration of five minutes or less, are triggered by a high fever and usually indicate an underlying illness. They can be sudden, but after the first episode do not usually reoccur. What's important here is to find out what the underlying illness is that is creating the high fever. Many times, the seizure is the first indication that your infant has some kind of illness.

Although the seizure will only last a few minutes, there are steps that should be taken. First, remove any objects in the immediate area so if the child starts flinging around no injuries will occur. You will want to bring the fever down and the best way to do this is by removing the infant's clothes and applying cool cloths to the Infant's head and chest. Always use cool water, do not use rubbing alcohol. Placing your Infant into a cool bath during a seizure is not recommended and can be very dangerous.

In the event your infant starts vomiting, turn him to his side or lay him down on his stomach. Try to remove any vomit so as not to block his breathing and prevent choking or aspiration. If the Infant starts to have labored breathing gently pull his mouth open from the back sides of the jaw bone using two of your fingers.

Once the seizure is over and your child is awake, notify your doctor or pediatrician right away or take the infant to the emergency room of nearest hospital or clinic for a full examination. As previously mentioned, an underlying illness is usually present and this needs to be treated.

Seizures With No Fever

These types of seizures should be treated the same as Febrile Seizures except for the fact there is no fever, so cooling down the Infant is not necessary. Keep the infant comfortable, away from any objects and do not try to restrain the Infant in any way. Sometimes during a seizure, the infant will stop breathing momentarily. Do not be alarmed or try CPR, the child will start breathing again on their own without any intervention on your part.

Many parents fear that their infant will choke on their tongue or bite it off. There is no way that the Infant will swallow their own tongue and rarely does the child do severe damage to their tongue or bite it off. These fears are unfounded and you should never stick your fingers or any other object into your Infant's mouth during a seizure.

As with febrile seizures, once the seizure has ended and your Infant is conscious and awake, seek medical attention for a full examination, diagnosis and treatment.

Although frightening, seizures are common place and rarely result in brain damage of any kind. If your infant has a seizure, remain calm, follow these simple steps and then follow up with a medical professional for treatment.

Gunawan Harinanto is a Happy Dad with one handsome boy, and webmaster of Baby First Care site. Please visit his site to get more info on Infant Seizure.

Strep Throat - A Common Disease Among Children

Strep throat (usually a more severe form of sore throat) is a very common disease, afflicting thousands of people during flu seasons. Although strep throat can be developed by anyone, at any time, the disease is most often seen in children, who tend to catch the disease in winter or spring. According to statistics, strep throat has the highest incidence in children and teenagers with ages between 5 and 15. Strep throat refers to throat infection with bacteria called Streptococcus pyogenes. The disease is generally manifested by reddish aspect of the throat, intense throat pain and discomfort, difficult swallowing, headache, fever, cold chills, pronounced fatigue and nausea. Although most cases of strep throat don't involve serious complications, sometimes the disease can lead to coronary damage, kidney affections or rheumatic fever.

Most of the time, strep throat is acquired by entering in contact with persons infected with the causative bacteria. The bacteria responsible for causing strep throat are highly contagious and they can be easily contracted by air, saliva or nasal secretions. Proper hygiene can substantially reduce the risks of infection with Streptococcus pyogenes and thus you should instruct your child to frequently wash his / her hands and avoid interacting with contaminated individuals during epidemics. In case you have become afflicted by strep throat, it is very important to properly wash eating utensils and dishes and to avoid sharing food or drinks with your child and other members of the family.

Strep throat usually requires paying a visit to the doctor's office. While home remedies may provide temporary relief for the symptoms of strep throat, the infection can only be overcome with proper medications. If the doctor confirms the presence of bacterial infection in the throat (by taking a sample of mucus from the throat and analyzing it in the laboratory) he will prescribe a course of antibiotics to deal with the infection. Common antibiotics used in the treatment of strep throat are penicillin V, erythromycin and clarithromycin.

Although most symptoms of strep throat will begin to ameliorate within the first few days of treatment, it is very important to complete the course of prescribed medications in order to fully eradicate the infection and to stop it from recurring. Strep throat doesn't require bed confinement, and patients are allowed to carry on with their regular activities over the entire duration of the treatment. After 2 or 3 days of treatment the disease loses its contagious character and patients can interact with other persons without the risk of transmitting the infection. However, it is still advisable to maintain proper hygiene and take other precautions until the disease is fully overcome in order to prevent contaminating other persons with the bacteria.

By Groshan Fabiola

For more resources on different strep throat subjects check out this links. You can find great content regarding strep throat symptoms, strep throat in adults, treatment for strep throat and many more strep throat related issues.

Constipation in Babies - Making Things Flow Easier

Your one month old baby grunts and strains as he tries to move his bowels. As a mother, you are typically worried that he may be constipated - you can definitely tell from the look on his face that he is having some major difficulties. So, you call his doctor for some expert opinion. You want to know for certain if it really is constipation and guess what? He told you that you don't have anything to worry about as long as his stool remains soft and moist! No, your baby is not suffering from constipation!

But what about all that grunting? Doesn't it indicate that something is wrong? Doesn't it suggest constipation? According to medical experts, all newborn babies grunt but it does not mean that they are having difficulty in moving their bowels. Basically, they grunt and grumble because their abdominal muscles are not yet as strong as that of an adult's and they need to strain more to push the stool out.

However, when real constipation occurs, you definitely need to have your baby checked by a qualified practitioner. Constipation can be a symptom of a more serious physical or emotional condition and may even indicate an intestinal blockage in younger babies.

To be thoroughly safe, you need to be on the lookout for any significant changes in your baby's stool or bowel movements. And if the baby you are nursing does not move his bowels in 2 days or more, it really is high time for you to consult your doctor about it.

So, what do you need to do once your baby has been diagnosed with constipation? To help your baby move his bowels more easily, try these simple surefire tips:

o Try using suppositories. Glycerin suppositories are safe enough to be used for small children and infants alike. These thin, waxy substances help relieve constipation by stimulating the rectum and by "greasing the walls" to allow for an easier elimination of body wastes. However, be sure to use suppositories only when extremely necessary. Using suppositories on a regular basis may not be good for your baby since once he or she becomes dependent on it, your child will not have a bowel movement without it!

o Enlist the aid of the thermometer. Using a rectal thermometer approved for child use can help your child if he or she is being troubled by constipation. How do you use it? Simply apply some petroleum jelly onto the rectal thermometer and insert it into the baby's rectum. Be careful not to insert it more than 2 ½ inches deep. Don't worry if you see traces of feces in the thermometer as you take it out. It just means that the treatment has been proven effective once again!

o Sweet does it! So, you really need an effective treatment for your baby's constipation, don't you? Well, try this! Add a teaspoon of Karo syrup in about 6 to 8 ounces of your baby's formula and you can say goodbye to your baby's constipation for good! The syrup draws enough water as it travels to your child's digestive tracts thereby keeping the stools soft.

No one deserves to suffer from constipation - especially not the babies and younger children! Just follow these tips and you can be sure to keep constipation in babies and children at bay.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Constipation

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Learn to Photograph Babies and Capture Those Special Moments

Unless a baby is sound asleep, taking a picture of a baby is not easy. However, if you can manage to develop enough patience to capture your baby in an unforgettable pose, the picture can be extremely valuable.

Photographs like this will be treasured for years and years and hold special meaning for you as well as your children. You will find out just how valuable these pictures are when your teenager brings home someone special for you to meet. You may have read an article about children photography and have the belief that the same techniques that are used to photograph children will work as well when photographing babies. Is this is what you think, you had better reconsider. There are some special considerations needed when photographing infants and toddlers and you will quickly understand why once you try to do it. As babies grow older they start to understand your wishes and will usually respond accordingly. This definitely makes taking those pictures much easier. An infant or baby up to twelve months old will have no idea what you mean when you ask them to "say cheese".

From birth to twelve months of age, infants go through a number of stages of growth. Often, capturing the perfect pose will largely depend on the stage the baby is in. We are going to take a closer look at baby photography and the best techniques to use at each stage of growth.

Birth to 10 weeks - Take full advantage of the photography opportunities you have at this stage because it gets harder later on. Babies at this age will not move around to much and spend almost all their time either lying on their stomachs or backs or held in your arms. You will get the best possible head shot of your infant if he or she lies on their back. Point the camera toward your baby's beautiful little head and start snapping.

10 weeks to 6 months - At this point, babies are fully capable of holding their heads up themselves and this makes a huge difference when taking pictures. Babies at this age are known to roll over frequently, flipping from their stomach to their back. Babies are now more aware of their surroundings and like to reach out to things. You can get great shots by getting their attention right before you take a picture. To do this, casually play with something that interests your baby and quickly pull the object toward the camera without blocking the lens. If this trick works as planned, your angel will focus his or her attention on the object and therefore the camera, providing a perfect shot. You can try teasing a smile out of your baby by gently tickling the lips with a plush toy before you pull it away.

6 months to 9 months - By the time your baby has reached this age, he or she will be able to sit up without any help, crawl, and stand with the support of a chair or table. A baby's behavior is rather unpredictable at this phase. They can go from laughing, to crying, to a full-blown tantrum in a matter of seconds. You will have probably learned to handle the camera well by now which is a good thing because you will have to do your work as quickly as possible. You can try the tickle trick, but its success will likely be rather short-lived.

9 months to 12 months - Your precious baby has certainly come a long way. He or she is no longer restricted to wriggling around on their back. Once a baby has reached this stage it will be very aware of its surroundings and will try to investigate everything. Babies at this age demand a lot of attention from you so you will have to be able to play while snapping those pictures. One very easy game that all babies love is the classic "peek-a-boo". Playing this well loved game will surely provide you with some twinkling eyes and gorgeous smiles.

Bennetta Elliott is writer of Personalized Gift Express which sells unique personalized gifts and favors for every occasion. They offer a great selection of personalized baby gifts.