For most bumps and bruises a kiss will do. For fevers, coughs and colds a visit to the Pediatrician might be in order. But how do you know when a symptom that your little bug collector has is more serious than the rest? Well, besides the obvious things, like gushing blood or getting bitten by a snake, here are a few more subtle symptoms you should watch out for.
1. Refuses to use an arm or leg.
As your little gymnast grows his bones will to solidify and thicken. suddenly one day a fall from a bed could snap a bone that just days before would have been able to bend and spring back. So if your child does break a bone, you might not know it right away. Some kids show pain very vocally, while some will keep it to themselves. However, if your little one is limping, crawling or suddenly left-handed all the time it's time to go get it checked out. A broken bone that is left unset can not only heal improperly and leave a child unable to develop normally but it can sometimes damage other tissue including nerves and blood vessels. So if you have a strong suspicion that your little boy has a broken bone, don't let it go for a few days, head straight in to the hospital for an x-ray.
2. Redness from a bug bite begins to travel up the arm.
Most bug bites, even spider bites will be itchy but ultimately harmless. Of course if your child shows evidence of an allergic reaction you should rush to the hospital right away, but if they just have an itchy bump most of the time it will go away after a day or two. There is an exception to this rule though. Sometimes a bite will develop an infection. The skin does not have to be broken for this to happen, and though there might be a low-level fever it might not be high enough that you would notice. The danger with infection is that it would enter your little entomologists bloodstream and travel to her vital organs. However, as long as you keep an eye on the bite it is easy to tell if this is happening. If an infection is traveling up an arm or leg, you will see a bright red line leading from the bite. Some infections travel faster than others, so as soon as you notice the stripe, get moving!
3. Absence of urine, or urine that smells like solid waste.
After the first 6 months or so most parents start to lose track of how often their baby is peeing. However, it is very important that you keep a habit of making sure that your little toilet-paper sculptor has gone pee at least once a day. If you notice that it has been about 24 hours since the last wee-wee, watch carefully to see if there are any wet diapers or potties over the next 12 or so hours if there are not, take your baby in. Also, if you begin to notice that your child's urine smells just like a poopy diaper this is another alarming indication that there might be something very wrong with his kidneys, bladder or digestive tract and a trip to the hospital is in order.
4. If your child is extremely lethargic.
Now when you think lethargic, you might just think sleepy. Well, what I mean when I say lethargic is if your child is so sleepy that you can put her in a cold bath and she will barely open her eyes for a few seconds. This type of lethargy can be a symptom of quite a few majorly dangerous problems. Whether there is a problem with your doodle-bug's blood sugar or some type of pressure on her brain you want to get the worst possibilities ruled out fast.
5. Inability to keep solid food down over an 8 hour period.
Many viruses and colds can cause your child to vomit. However, no matter what the reason, if your little wall artist can't keep solids down over a fairly long period, chances are that he is in danger of becoming dehydrated. There are many very serious reasons that a child could be vomiting, as well as thousands more that are nothing to worry about. However, if your little one goes too long without taking in any solids, even if he can keep down fluids it is important that you have him checked out. Remember that often fluids will be expelled along with solids when your child throws up, and the serious things that could be causing this type of reaction, which could be anything from an allergic reaction to an obstruction of some kind need to be caught early to prevent serious complications.
I know that most parents who read this are going to feel immediately freaked out, but keep in mind, that most children will probably never have any of these things happen. The purpose of this post is to give you more things to keep an eye out for in the worst cases. Too often if a parent does not know that a certain symptom can be serious it can be left to cause more serious damage before it is eventually discovered and sorted out. If you have found these tips helpful, please forward them to any new and expecting parents that you know. Questions, comments and suggestions are always welcome. Happy parenting!
Showing posts with label hospital. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hospital. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Monday, July 6, 2009
5 tips for parent of premature babies.
Having a baby prematurely is a very difficult thing. There are so many scary outcomes that are possible, and there is very little you can do to help prevent any of them. Your sweet little tiny itty bitty baby is in the hands of people who you hardly know, if at all, and you have to go home from the hospital without her. Every day will bring new challenges, and most likely tears as well. I was at such a loss when my son was born at just short of 26 weeks, I felt very helpless. There were a few wise words that I was told by a dear friend, and a few things I learned along the way, that I will share with you in the hopes that if you find yourself in such a scary situation, you will have some ideas to try while you go through the rough parts.
1. Don't ride the emotional roller coaster.
Every day in the life of a preemie is a new challenge. There is often a new test, or a new medication, or a new supplement, and the medical jargon surrounding everything is confusing at best. I called my friend, who had premature twins, a few days after I got home from the hospital, and asked her how she had survived having her babies away from her for so long. She replied that the best thing anyone had said to her was to stay grounded, and not to let the highs and lows throw your emotions around so much. This was wonderful advice. I recommend that any parent of a premature baby allow themselves to cling tightly to their hope, and let any scary or negative news wash over you without washing away your foundation. After all, since the roller coaster and the foot path arrive at the same destination, take the easier route when you can.
2. Get a good primary nurse.
I wasn't sure what a "primary" nurse was when my husband and I were told we could choose one to help us oversee our son's medical care, but I began watching each of the nurses that interacted with my son each time I was in the hospital, and soon got a strong feeling of confidence in one kind lady in particular. I asked her to be my son's primary, and luckily for us she accepted. I came to find out that a primary nurse will work almost exclusively with your baby whenever they are on duty. He or she will communicate with the doctors, speaking their same language, and make recommendations that the doctors may not have thought of if they are less familiar with your baby's particular case. If you are lucky enough to get a truly amazing primary nurse, she or he may call on days off to check in with the nurses on duty to make sure they are doing everything just the way your baby likes it. He or she will sometimes be a sympathetic ear, a teacher and a friend, keeping an eye on your needs as well as those of your baby. I cannot say how much I will always be grateful to my son's primary nurse, and I highly recommend to every parent of a preemie that they ask for one as well.
3. Visualization.
Another thing that was a huge help to me was when the supervising physician over the nursery walked my husband and I through the NICU to the area where the oldest babies were. These were the ones who were just about ready to go home. He pointed out one little baby boy who he told us was born at the same gestational age as our son. This boy looked completely normal. He was fat and wiggly, and looked just like a regular newborn baby! That image inspired a vision in me of my boy. I imagined him with wild curly hair, running around a park as a young child. As I sat by my baby's isolette, watching him breath each day, this vision of the future warmed my heart and let me look past all of the wires and tubes, bandages and bruises. I think that my positive thoughts could only have done good for my little muscle man. I know that the calm you feel when looking on a bright future can give you strength, and I believe that our babies understand our strength as a positive energy that helps them keep working so hard to grow.
4. Celebrate the little things.
In my heart, I celebrated my son's first week of life like it was his first birthday. Obviously my husband and I didn't throw a party every time he had a good blood test, or went more than a couple of days without having a "Brady" (Bradycardia: an episode of extremely low heart rate accompanied at times by breathing difficulties.), but we would have a quiet little celebration together at home that night. I called my mother to update her on every little milestone that my son passed. Other parents, who were even better at this, had a big chart on the wall by their baby's isloette, that tracked each ounce of weight he gained with bright stars and was covered with cheery messages left by visitors. I even soaked up some of the positive energy that radiated from that beautiful poster. However you do it, find some way to enjoy and share your tiny one's achievements, no matter how small. I think you'll find that it will really give you a positive boost, and everyone needs those.
5. Focus on what you can do.
The worst part of being the parent of a premature baby for me was the complete lack of control. I'm not a complete control freak, but when it came to my baby, I always thought that my husband and I would be the ones to provide our son with the basics of his care. It was difficult to accept that I would not be the first person to change his diaper, or give him a bath. There seemed to be so little I could do for him, yet when my husband and I decided to simply look on the bright side, and to do our best at what we could do, we discovered quite a few little things that we did religiously. I was given a "scent doll" that I would take home and sleep with every week or two for a few days, then I would place the doll in the isolette so my son could smell me. My husband bought a small tape recorder and recorded himself and me reading stories and singing songs. We would have the nurse turn on the recording for a few hours every day at a low volume, so he could hear our voices (as he would have if he was still in my womb) while we weren't there. I went and visited with my baby every day that I was allowed (there were a couple days when I was sick and was not allowed to visit), and pumped my breast milk every 2 to 3 hours around the clock, carefully labeling and freezing each bottle to take to the hospital. My husband and I threw ourselves a baby shower, and organized his crib and changing table for when he would come home. We learned how to practice the "containment hold" and do the "kangaroo hold" as well as learning how his oxygen tanks worked, so we could bring him home even though he still needed oxygen. We took CPR classes, read the medical literature the hospital kept sending home with us, and basically did many of the things we would have done in anticipation of our baby's arrival had he still been in my tummy. I found that the more I was focused on the next small task that I could do for my baby, the smaller the obstacles we needed to overcome seemed.
Every baby will come with challenges and difficulties, but some will be harder than others. Preemies come with their own set of challenges and trials, but the good moments are so very very sweet and precious because they come along a bit more rarely. Don't let yourself get bogged down in all of the things that might go wrong, just keep doing what you can do and keep a positive outlook as much as you can. Don't be afraid to lean on friends, family, and even strangers for support, because at times we all need a little extra boost. I hope these tips prove useful to you, and if you know any parent of premature babies who might need these tips, please forward them. Questions and comments are always welcome. Happy parenting!
1. Don't ride the emotional roller coaster.
Every day in the life of a preemie is a new challenge. There is often a new test, or a new medication, or a new supplement, and the medical jargon surrounding everything is confusing at best. I called my friend, who had premature twins, a few days after I got home from the hospital, and asked her how she had survived having her babies away from her for so long. She replied that the best thing anyone had said to her was to stay grounded, and not to let the highs and lows throw your emotions around so much. This was wonderful advice. I recommend that any parent of a premature baby allow themselves to cling tightly to their hope, and let any scary or negative news wash over you without washing away your foundation. After all, since the roller coaster and the foot path arrive at the same destination, take the easier route when you can.
2. Get a good primary nurse.
I wasn't sure what a "primary" nurse was when my husband and I were told we could choose one to help us oversee our son's medical care, but I began watching each of the nurses that interacted with my son each time I was in the hospital, and soon got a strong feeling of confidence in one kind lady in particular. I asked her to be my son's primary, and luckily for us she accepted. I came to find out that a primary nurse will work almost exclusively with your baby whenever they are on duty. He or she will communicate with the doctors, speaking their same language, and make recommendations that the doctors may not have thought of if they are less familiar with your baby's particular case. If you are lucky enough to get a truly amazing primary nurse, she or he may call on days off to check in with the nurses on duty to make sure they are doing everything just the way your baby likes it. He or she will sometimes be a sympathetic ear, a teacher and a friend, keeping an eye on your needs as well as those of your baby. I cannot say how much I will always be grateful to my son's primary nurse, and I highly recommend to every parent of a preemie that they ask for one as well.
3. Visualization.
Another thing that was a huge help to me was when the supervising physician over the nursery walked my husband and I through the NICU to the area where the oldest babies were. These were the ones who were just about ready to go home. He pointed out one little baby boy who he told us was born at the same gestational age as our son. This boy looked completely normal. He was fat and wiggly, and looked just like a regular newborn baby! That image inspired a vision in me of my boy. I imagined him with wild curly hair, running around a park as a young child. As I sat by my baby's isolette, watching him breath each day, this vision of the future warmed my heart and let me look past all of the wires and tubes, bandages and bruises. I think that my positive thoughts could only have done good for my little muscle man. I know that the calm you feel when looking on a bright future can give you strength, and I believe that our babies understand our strength as a positive energy that helps them keep working so hard to grow.
4. Celebrate the little things.
In my heart, I celebrated my son's first week of life like it was his first birthday. Obviously my husband and I didn't throw a party every time he had a good blood test, or went more than a couple of days without having a "Brady" (Bradycardia: an episode of extremely low heart rate accompanied at times by breathing difficulties.), but we would have a quiet little celebration together at home that night. I called my mother to update her on every little milestone that my son passed. Other parents, who were even better at this, had a big chart on the wall by their baby's isloette, that tracked each ounce of weight he gained with bright stars and was covered with cheery messages left by visitors. I even soaked up some of the positive energy that radiated from that beautiful poster. However you do it, find some way to enjoy and share your tiny one's achievements, no matter how small. I think you'll find that it will really give you a positive boost, and everyone needs those.
5. Focus on what you can do.
The worst part of being the parent of a premature baby for me was the complete lack of control. I'm not a complete control freak, but when it came to my baby, I always thought that my husband and I would be the ones to provide our son with the basics of his care. It was difficult to accept that I would not be the first person to change his diaper, or give him a bath. There seemed to be so little I could do for him, yet when my husband and I decided to simply look on the bright side, and to do our best at what we could do, we discovered quite a few little things that we did religiously. I was given a "scent doll" that I would take home and sleep with every week or two for a few days, then I would place the doll in the isolette so my son could smell me. My husband bought a small tape recorder and recorded himself and me reading stories and singing songs. We would have the nurse turn on the recording for a few hours every day at a low volume, so he could hear our voices (as he would have if he was still in my womb) while we weren't there. I went and visited with my baby every day that I was allowed (there were a couple days when I was sick and was not allowed to visit), and pumped my breast milk every 2 to 3 hours around the clock, carefully labeling and freezing each bottle to take to the hospital. My husband and I threw ourselves a baby shower, and organized his crib and changing table for when he would come home. We learned how to practice the "containment hold" and do the "kangaroo hold" as well as learning how his oxygen tanks worked, so we could bring him home even though he still needed oxygen. We took CPR classes, read the medical literature the hospital kept sending home with us, and basically did many of the things we would have done in anticipation of our baby's arrival had he still been in my tummy. I found that the more I was focused on the next small task that I could do for my baby, the smaller the obstacles we needed to overcome seemed.
Every baby will come with challenges and difficulties, but some will be harder than others. Preemies come with their own set of challenges and trials, but the good moments are so very very sweet and precious because they come along a bit more rarely. Don't let yourself get bogged down in all of the things that might go wrong, just keep doing what you can do and keep a positive outlook as much as you can. Don't be afraid to lean on friends, family, and even strangers for support, because at times we all need a little extra boost. I hope these tips prove useful to you, and if you know any parent of premature babies who might need these tips, please forward them. Questions and comments are always welcome. Happy parenting!
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