At just six weeks old, baby Jennifer Language of Centurion lost her fight against pneumococcal meningitis in May 2012. She was just one of the 3 608 cases of invasive pneumococcal disease in South Africa that the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) had recorded in the previous year. Despite these deaths in our midst, the [...]
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Breathing Problems in Childhood
Pharmacists will often be consulted about coughs, colds, snotty noses and breathing problems. Recurrent catarrhal conditions are common in childhood – children under the age of five have an average of eight upper respiratory tract infections a year. The pharmacist will often be able to advise and treat with OTC medications. Some conditions require medical [...]
Scars
Scars are areas of fibrous tissue that replace normal skin tissue after injury. A scar results from the biological process of wound repair of the skin and other connective tissues of the body. Thus, scarring is a natural part of the healing process. With the exception of very minor lesions, wounds usually result in some degree of scarring. All [...]
Oral Thrush
Oral thrush is a common and usually harmless fungal infection of the mouth that affects about one in twenty babies. It is most likely to affect children under two years of age, but is most common in babies between one and four months old. It is caused by a microorganism called Candida albicans and is [...]
Measles, Mumps and Rubella – Immunisation and Treatment
Measles, Mumps and Rubella are generally benign childhood infections that resolve spontaneously, requiring only supportive measures and rest. However, there can be complications, especially with measles, while rubella is extremely harmful to the non-immune woman in her first trimester of pregnancy, and a severe mumps infection can potentially impair fertility. Thus it is important that [...]
Worms
About 25% of all the people on earth are infested by various kinds of worms (helminths). Worm infections are the most prevalent infections on the world. The World Bank estimates that 100 million people may experience stunting or wasting as a result of worm infection. Because of their high mobility and lower standards of hygiene, [...]
Summer care for baby
At last summer is here! A time of relaxed fun in the sun and long lazy afternoons swimming and enjoying a braai. But for those with young children, it is also a time to be aware of the dangers of the sun, to be extra vigilant around swimming pools and paddling ponds, and to know [...]
Caring for a newborn baby
Taking care of a newborn can be an overwhelming experience for any mom. The tasks involved in baby care, including feeding, diapering and getting the baby to sleep, can be very stressful. However, being familiar with some of the most common ailments and how to treat them can go a long way to put a [...]
Lice
The bane of many parents’ existence, the head louse is a tiny, wingless parasitic insect that lives among human hairs and feeds on extremely small amounts of blood drawn from the scalp. Lice are a very common problem, especially for children ages 3 to 12 years. Girls are affected more often than boys. Lice aren’t [...]
Oral Thrush
Oral thrush is a condition in which the fungus Candida albicans – also known as yeast – accumulates on the lining of the mouth. Oral thrush causes creamy white lesions, usually on the tongue or inner cheeks. The lesions can be painful and may bleed slightly when scratched. Sometimes oral thrush may spread to the [...]
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