Vaccine Preventable Diseases: POLIO

Polio For parents of an earlier era, polio was one of the most feared infectious  diseases. Many were worried about letting their children swim in public  swimming pools or get together at neighborhood movie theaters because  they were afraid that their youngsters might become the next victims of  polio. After the polio vaccine became widely available in the mid-1950s, the world saw a dramatic decline in this disease. Polio is caused by a virus that affects infants and young children more often than other age groups. It is spread through close person-to-person contact and can produce paralysis of the muscles. Some cases are  mild, but others are much more severe, leaving people physically impaired for the rest of their lives. Thanks to the polio vaccine, the wild poliovirus  has been virtually eliminated from the United States and much of the rest of the world. Signs and Symptoms For most people, polio may cause no symptoms at all. At times, however, it  can impair and paralyze the arms and legs. It causes death in some people, most often when the muscles involved in breathing become paralyzed.  When symptoms occur, they may begin with a low-grade fever and a sore throat, beginning about 6 to 20 days after exposure  to the poliovirus. Some children may also have pain or stiffness in the back, neck, and legs, although these symptoms may not last long. When polio results in paralysis, the muscle pain can be severe. The most contagious period for polio is 7 to 10 days before the appearance  of symptoms. It can continue for another 7 to 10 days after symptoms  surface. No treatment is available for polio. Some children fully recover from polio, but others are disabled for a  lifetime or may die from the disease. To protect your child from polio, make sure that he is properly immunized against the disease. Source: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/vaccine-preventable-diseases/Pages/Polio.aspx

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ACL Injuries in Young Athletes

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of the four major ligaments that stabilize the knee joint; ligaments are tough, non-stretchable fibers that hold bones together. The ACL—along with the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), medial collateral ligament (MCL), lateral collateral ligament (LCL), and menisci (cartilage pads) —help keep the knee stable from sliding, rotating, and […]

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Bee or Yellow Jacket Sting

Is this your child’s symptom? Sting from a bee, hornet, wasp, or yellow jacket Over 95 percent of stings are from honey bees or yellow jackets The main symptoms are pain and redness Cause of Bee Sting Reactions The bee’s stinger injects venom into the skin. The venom is what causes the symptoms. Local Skin […]

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Sunburn

Is This Your Child’s Symptom? Red or blistered skin from too much sun The redness, pain and swelling starts at 4 hours after being in the sun It peaks at 24 hours, and starts to get better after 48 hours Severity of Sunburn Most sunburn is a first-degree burn that turns the skin pink or […]

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Swimmer’s Ear in Children

Swimmer’s ear, which doctors call otitis externa, is an infection of the skin inside the ear canal or outer ear. This type of infection occurs most often after swimming or other activities that allow water into the ears. What causes swimmer’s ear? Swimmer’s ear develops because moisture in the ear canal encourages the growth of certain bacteria. […]

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Probiotics

Can probiotics help when my child has an infection and needs to take antibiotics? Christine Waasdorp Hurtado, MD, FAAP Answer Antibiotics can kill both good and bad bacteria in your child’s gut. This may throw your child’s gut “microbiome” out of balance. The microbiome is made up of the microscopic organisms—bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites—that […]

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