Helpful Tips for Parents of Children With Kidney Diseases

It is certainly devastating to know that your child has been diagnosed with chronic kidney disease. But once you have accepted this fact, you should learn how to cope with your child's CKD and participate actively in his care. This means you should work together with health care professionals.

The question that is hounding parents is how to go about it? How can they help their children? The first thing to keep in mind is to build a respectful and cooperative relationship with the health professionals who are taking care of the child's medical needs. During treatments or any hospitalizations you should try to go with your child. If there are instances where you cannot accompany your child make sure that another family member or close friend can go. It is also good to keep a record of your child's medical history so that it's easier to track medication and other treatments, especially when you are dealing with a new doctor.

During a doctor's visit, encourage your child to ask questions. He may ask questions that you were afraid to ask. Explain to him that the health care personnel composed of doctors, nurses, dieticians among others, want him to feel better even though they must inflict pain or make him feel uncomfortable sometimes. Don't lie to your child about treatments; however you also don't have to apologize for these procedures. Explain to your child what are being done at doctor's offices, dialysis units and hospitals to take away his fear. Try to maintain a daily routine during hospitalization so that your child is not subjected to uncalled for surprises.

Meanwhile, parents should also explain to their children the diet restrictions resulting from their CKD. Tell your child to make a list of his favorite foods and bring this list to a dietician to check if these foods can be included in his/her diet. Never bribe or force a child to eat because it turns mealtime into an ugly experience.

On taking medication, make it clear to your child that he has no choice but to take the medicine. Children usually don't like taking medicines because they don't taste good. One trick is to offer them the choice of when and where to take the medicine. This way the "distasteful" medicine is expected at a certain time and place and makes the experience less "dreadful." For babies and children, you can use the syringe without needle. This is easier because the medication goes directly into the mouth without having the child taste or smell it. Plain water also helps with any medication. If your child is on a fluid restricted diet you can schedule his fluid intake during medicine time.

Bedwetting Issues and Children's Well-Being

Parents may consider nocturnal enuresis as a natural part in the developmental stage of children but they need to make sure that their children are able to deal with it very well. Though most of the time children are able to overcome it on their own, there are those who suffer from it until they reach their adolescent stage. There are various causes for the bedwetting problem of children but with proper care and understanding from the parents, the kids will be able to outgrow it in time. What is important is that they are able to go through it without being psychologically and emotionally scarred because of unpleasant experiences that are related to bedwetting issues.

Parents may also experience some difficulties in handling bedwetting problems especially if their kids have the problem for a prolonged time. However, they must restrain themselves from punishing their kids because it will just make matters worse. They also have to understand that scolding as well as humiliating their children will not resolve the problem but it will only cause their kids to be hurt and to feel troubled for the rest of their lives. It is important for parents to determine the underlying cause of the problem. They may consult with their children's pediatrician to check that there is no medical cause.

At times, nocturnal enuresis may occur because children have a small bladder that cannot hold too much urine. Other times, parents may have passed it on to their children as it can be inherited just like any other prominent family trait or characteristic. The presence of worms in the body of children may also cause the bedwetting problem. Parents together with the guidance of their doctors may be able to help their children maintain healthy bodies through hygiene and proper health care. With these various causes of bedwetting issues, parents have to be more considerate of their children and they should do all that they can to help them out.

Parents also have to understand that the psychological impact of the bedwetting issues among children has far greater effect on their well-being until they grow up as adults. Any underlying medical issues should be addressed. Simply ignoring the problem may at times be the solution especially if it is just part of the growing up process. However, there are cases when medication or treatment may be necessary. It may be a little more work and sacrifice for parents but they should help their children in stopping the problem without too much stress on them and on their kids as well.

Basic Dental Care - Infants and Children

You know that you should brush your teeth at least twice daily to maintain proper dental health. But do you know how your infant's or young child's teeth should be taken care of? It is just as important for their teeth to be maintained, to ensure healthy tooth growth and proper development.

Infants always require special attention since they cannot take care of themselves. They do not have visible teeth, but this does not mean that they do not require dental attention. On the contrary, it is quite necessary to keep their gums and mouth healthy. First, a dental history of the mother should be obtained in order to determine possible dental problems for the child. Hopefully this history will aid in disease prevention.

About the time an infant is six months old, he should be taken to a doctor and screened for signs of tooth development. Children should see a dentist by the time they are twelve months old. If they are not seen by their first birthday, they should be seen by a dentist no later than six months after the primary teeth start to develop. These are important check-ups for your child to have, just like other routine doctor visits.

As a parent, you have a primary role in continuing to maintain the dental health of your child, who is not able to brush or floss on his own. Before the primary teeth develop, you can use a small soft cloth to wipe your child's gums. This will clear away any excess food that may still be left in his mouth. When your child reaches one year of age, the primary teeth should start to develop. You will need a pea-sized amount of toothpaste to brush and clean the primary teeth. You can floss too if you like, but there are not enough teeth to make flossing very effective. You will need to care for your child's teeth this way until he is old enough to do it on his own.

When your child reaches the age of three or four, you will need to teach her what you have been doing for her up until this point. You should instruct your child on the proper way to brush her teeth. Remember to reinforce the idea that she should not swallow the fluoride toothpaste. You may be able to help teach your child how to brush simply by brushing your teeth at the same time that she brushes her teeth. At this age, your child is learning a lot through the senses. If she sees you brushing your teeth in a certain manner, she may mimic that same way of brushing.

Finally, when your child's teeth are touching each other, it is time to start flossing. Again, you will need to show your child how to floss his teeth since he has never done this before. Many different types of floss are available for children to use.

The entire time that you are helping your child become a better tooth brusher, you can also be teaching her about healthy eating habits that will preserve her teeth. Teach your child what sugary drinks do to teeth and suggest healthier alternatives. With these suggestions, your child's dental health should be great!