Is my child at risk of contracting COVID 19?

covid-19 resources, Health Care Tips

  Reports have it that children may not spread COVID 19 as much as adults do. However, as the US plans return to work after lockdowns, it is important for parents and school health facilitators to follow the CDC’s guidelines on children’s healthcare and well-being.   Most children over a year old may show mild symptoms of COVID 19. If they have a fever, cough, runny nose or diarrhea, it will be hard to ascertain if the symptoms are a result of the child having contracted the virus.  Therefore, it is recommended that in such instances they stay away from older people in the house, like grandparents.   As for a solution, wearing facemasks is now recommended by the CDC (for those who are 2 years and old). When children gather in public places, like grocery shops or pharmacies, where maintaining social distance is difficult, it is best for them to be in a mask. The same rule applies if you are from an area with high number of COVID 19 cases.   Latest reports have shown how 1 in 4 patients with the virus did not show any signs of the illness. So, wearing masks is a great way to prevent the spread. Also, ensure regular handwashing and sanitization as recommended by the CDC and health authorities. It would be best if you keep in touch with healthcare providers and health officials for specific guidance on the best measures to take to keep your children and yourselves safe.   However, if your child is showing symptoms of the illness, such a shortness of breath and fever, after coming in contact with someone you know who’s had the virus or you live in an area heavily affected by COVID 19, seek medical help.   For more information on, contact your local health department.  If you are at high risk of contracting the virus, the local health department will guide you on where you can get yourself and your kids tested, and will help you find the best care.  This is an essential step because most doctors are not available to test for COVID 19 at this time.     What should I do if my child is ill?  Children very often have mild illnesses and you can safely treat them at usual. However, if you find your child’s symptoms are not mild, it is recommended that you call a doctor before heading to a clinic to limit the chances of your child from getting the virus. If you don’t have a doctor, you can get in touch with your local clinic, urgent care center or emergency room before you head over as they can provide help via phone without you having to visit in person.

Helping children understand emergencies and cope with it

covid-19 resources, Student Health Care

Times like the one we’re in now are putting people under immense pressure, stressing them out – and it is no different for our children. Children react to emergencies and situations such as these differently, and how they would depends on many factors such as their age, previous experiences and the amount of exposure they’ve had to the situation. Some children are quick to react to such situations, while others may show signs of difficulty at a much later stage. Much of the child’s reactions takes after what they see in the surrounding environment. This makes it important for the parents to remain calm and discuss matters to them in an age-appropriate way as well as carefully monitor what the child is being exposed. Talking to children calmly and confidently reinforces their confidence and helps them to prepare better for the situation at hand and what’s coming after. What causes an emotional effect on children during emergencies? The damage caused by epidemics can be overwhelming. Separation from school, family and friends can create a great deal of stress and anxiety in children. These are some main causes of anxiety and stress in children: Direct involvement with people who’ve been found as COVID 19 positive The thought that a loved one may die Losing a family member/friend/acquaintance How parents and caregivers react to the situation Separation from school and friends Exposure to media Helping children understand facts and cope These situations can engender varied responses in children. To help them cope, you must first set a good example by managing your stress with healthy lifestyle choices. This prepares you to respond to unexpected events, making you take better and balanced decisions that are in the best interest of your family and loved ones. Encourage your children to talk about the situation. Make yourself available and listen to what they are saying. Children must know that you’re always ready to answer their questions. Reassure your children by remaining calm. Children can pick hints from what you say and how you say it. So, it is important for you to remain calm and reassure them Everybody is equally at risk of an attack from a virus, irrespective of race and ethnicity. Do not create any biases. Give information appropriate for the age of the child. Talk to them about how some information they’re viewing may not be correct. Promote healthy practices among yourself and your children. Encourage them to wash their hands, stay away from people who are coughing or sneezing, cough or sneeze into their elbows or tissue. Exposing children to intense media coverage can scare and disturb them. So, monitor the information they’re consuming. Make your children stick to a routine to give them a sense of structure. This could make them feel more relaxed. When they’re past the situation, help them go back to their normal activities such as going to school, playing with friends and so on. Help your children feel a sense of control when this is over. Share the right information and help them stay calm. Let them mentally prepare themselves for the changes and gain an understanding of what has passed.  

Impact of ADHD in the US School Children

Impact of ADHD in the United States School Children

Health Care Tips, Student Health Care2 Comments

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a seemingly serious mental ailment which falls under the neurodevelopmental type. Children with ADHD have trouble being attentive and experience hyperactivity. They also face problems while dealing with emotions. This often affects their daily activities at school and at home. However, these types of children often give constant attention to certain kinds of tasks which they find interesting. How are children affected by ADHD? ADHD is characterized by poor concentration and kid pays less attention in school. ADHD affects the child’s social skills too. Few most common social challenges caused by ADHD are as follows:  The child gets too emotional, anxious and overreacts to situations: This is characterized by scenarios like the child loses mind control and becomes less aware of social situations. He/she gets provoked easily and may lash out physically and get into violence and associated crimes at a younger age. Parents and teachers can point out these changes in a child’s behaviour and instruct accordingly so that the child exercises better control over his emotions and associated actions. The Child often fails at making new Friends: Irritating behaviour is most common amongst children with ADHD. This way the child often faces trouble while trying to make new friends. They behave in a mindless way without thinking about how their behaviour negatively impacts others. They have poor listening skills, interrupt others while talking and fail to interpret what others say during a conversation. This results in pathetic communication. Role-plays which imitate social situations can help the child improve. The Child sometimes makes new friends but are unable to sustain the friendship: Kids with ADHD are demanding and intense most of the times. This high level of expectations results in losing friends easily because friends are unable to meet the expectation levels. Kids with ADHD are quite impatient in social situations and less sacrificing and lacks empathy. Motivating the child to take part in group games where the kid gets a chance to learn to give and take principles can help in this regard. The Child often struggles with good conversations: Kids with ADHD often derogates from most conversations. These kids easily get distracted from the conversation and engage the mind with unrelated thoughts. Recording the child’s conversation and pointing out instances where the child deviates from the conversation is one way of showing how ADHD situation can be cured. Once the kid understands the deviation, he can take steps to correct it. The Child is often portrayed as unreliable: Kids with ADHD often lack self-control, and this leads to situations where a child fails to make solid plans which get implemented. This often gets misinterpreted as unreliable nature and others start keeping low trust on the kid. This has a serious impact on kid’s motivation levels, especially during group projects. Making checklists on how to measure a child’s progress in group activities is a method of correction. How common is ADHD among kids? The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 11 percent of all children in the U.S. aged 4-17 has been diagnosed with attention deficit disorder (ADHD or ADD) — that was roughly 6.1 million American children in 2016, a 43 percent increase since 2003. According to its 2015 report, the CDC says the total number of Americans — adults and children — with ADHD continues to rise — up from 7.8 percent in 2003 to 9.5 percent in 2007 and 11 percent in 2011. Why is ADHD raising in the U.S? Boys are nearly three times more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD (13.2 percent) than are girls (5.6 per cent). In adults, the rate is much lower (about 4.4 percent), but experts caution that this reflects only reported diagnoses; the prevalence of ADHD may be significantly higher since many adults, particularly women with inattentive symptoms, remain undiagnosed. ADHD is a growing concern in the US since this is quite common in children and parents. Following are the main reasons which are supposed to cause ADHD: What schools can do for ADHD affected students? Chemical Imbalances in the brain and associated organs which may be due to medications or injuries or other illnesses. Substance abuse during pregnancy which can impact the child’s brain development.  Nutrition imbalance and side effects due to pollutants and pesticides. There are many unknown environmental factors too which contribute towards raise in ADHD. Schools can discuss the concerns with parents and take decisions as to how the situation can be improved. If the child’s behaviour affects the ability to learn treatment plans can be discussed and crafted. Schools can also arrange medical camps with expert doctors who would suggest and prescribe medications and treatment programs. If there is a proper collaboration between parents, doctors and teachers ADHS can be diagnosed and prevented to a great extent.  Student’s overall performance and health status are monitored by schools using many advanced Digital health record systems like Eduhealth. Exact diagnosis, preventive treatments and medicine prescriptions can be managed easily in schools by adopting digital health record systems. Get in touch with us to know more! Source: https://www.additudemag.com/statistics-of-adhd/