Health Information
Although the toddler months continue to offer the medical conditions of colds,cuts, bruises, and other minor emergencies, you'll also find yourself dealingwith an emerging personality. The new ability to walk means your child cannow become independent of you - and he might like to make the best of it.You must remain vigilant in the areas of safety and discipline where yourinfant toddler is concerned.Doctors Developmental Visit
Your doctor visits as your toddler grows will probably consistof the following common procedures and questions:- Measurement of your child's length, weight, and head circumference. His growth will be plotted on his own growth chart, and you will be advised of his progress. His measurements will be compared to the average/max/min for his age group. A physical examination checking for normal function of the eyes, ears, heart, lungs, abdomen, heart, hands and feet, etc. The doctor may look in your infant / toddlers mouth for new teeth and signs for the appearance of others.
- A review of your toddler's physical and emotional development through both observation and your report of his progress. Is he trying or starting to walk? Can he recognize or even say his own name? By age 2, can he follow simple instructions? Can he say a few words? Can he combine two words by age 2? Your child's doctor may ask you these questions and others.
- Eating habits. Is he eating more and more table foods? Check out ourKids healthy eating and child nutrition information. Is he interested in finger foods on the tray of his high chair? Can he use a cup? Is he being weaned from the breast or bottle? Most doctors advise a switch from bottle to cup by the first birthday to be sure the bottle doesn't interfere with normal tooth development, and to avoid a struggle with a determined toddler later on. Sleeping with a bottle of juice or milk will only lead to cavities now. Also, after their first birthday, most children can be given foods that were off-limits before, such as cow's milk, citrus fruits, and eggs. Your doctor can discuss these additions to your child's diet with you.
- Your child will receive immunizations during some visits (see below).
This is your opportunity to bring any questions or concerns you may have atthis time. Make sure to write down any specific instructions the doctor givesyou regarding special care. Keep updating your child's permanent medical record,listing information on his growth and problems or illnesses.
Fever
What Is Fever?
Fever occurs when the body's internal "thermostat" raises the body temperatureabove its normal level. This thermostat is found in the part of the brain calledthe hypothalamus. The hypothalamus knows what temperature your body should be(usually around 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, or about 37 degrees Celsius) and willsend messages to your body to keep it that way.Most people's body temperatures even change a little bit during the courseof the day: It's usually a little lower in the morning and a little higher inthe evening and can fluctuate as kids run around, play, and exercise.
Sometimes, though, the hypothalamus will "reset" the body to a highertemperature in response to an infection, illness, or some other cause. So, whydoes the hypothalamus tell the body to change to a new temperature? Researchersbelieve turning up the heat is the body's way of fighting the germs that causeinfections and making the body a less comfortable place for them.
What Causes Fever?
It's important to remember that by itself fever is not an illness - it's usually a symptom of an underlying problem. Fever has several potential causes:- Infection: Most fevers are caused by infection or other illness.Fever helps the body fight infections by stimulating natural defense mechanisms.
- Overdressing: Infants, especially newborns, may get fevers if they'reoverbundled or in a hot environment because they can't regulate their bodytemperature.
- Immunizations: Babies and children sometimes get a low-grade fever aftergetting vaccinated.
- Although teething may cause a slight rise in body temperature, it's probably not the cause if your baby's or toddler's temperature is higherthan 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 degrees Celsius).
How Do I Know if My Child's Fever Is a Sign of Something Serious?
In the past, doctors advised treating a fever on the basis of temperature alone.But now, they recommend taking both the temperature and the child's overallcondition into account.Children whose temperatures are lower than 102 degrees Fahrenheit(38.9 degrees Celsius) usually don't require medication, unless they'reuncomfortable. There's one important exception to this rule: If you have aninfant 3 months or younger with a rectal temperature of 100.4 degreesFahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) or higher, call your baby's doctor or go to theemergency department. Even a slight fever can be a sign of a potentially seriousinfection in very young infants.
For older children, take behavior and activity level into account. By watchinghow your child behaves, you can get a pretty good idea as to whether he or shehas a minor illness or needs to be seen by a doctor. See somechild activities to keep them occupiedwhile they are under the weather.
Note: If at all in doubt, contact your doctor
How Do I Know if My Infant Toddler Has a Fever?
A gentle kiss on the forehead or a hand placed lightly on your child's skinis often enough to tell that your infant toddler has a fever. However, this method oftaking a temperature (called tactile temperature) is dependent on the persondoing the feeling and doesn't give an accurate measure of a child's temperature.By using a reliable thermometer, you can tell if your child has a fever ifhis or her temperature is at or higher than one of the following levels:
- 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) measured rectally (in the bottom)
- 99.5 degrees Fahrenheit (37.5 degrees Celsius) measured orally (in the mouth)
- 99 degrees Fahrenheit (37.2 degrees Celsius) measured in an axillary position (under the arm)
But how high a fever is doesn't tell you much about how sick your child is.A simple cold or other viral infection can sometimes cause a rather high fever(in the 102 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit, or 38.9 to 40 degrees Celsius, range), butdoesn't usually indicate a serious problem. And serious infections may cause nofever or even an abnormally low body temperature, especially in young infants.
Because fevers may rise and fall, a child with fever may experience chills,which occur when the body tries to generate additional heat when the body'stemperature begins to rise. The child may sweat as the body releases extra heatwhen the temperature starts to drop.
Sometimes children with a fever may also breathe faster than usual and mayhave a higher heart rate. You should call your child's doctor if your child ishaving difficulty breathing, is breathing a lot faster than normal, or continuesto breathe fast after the fever comes down.
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