Childhood diseases

From the medical point of view a child is a person who has not reached puberty. And from the legal point of view a child is a person who has not attained majority. In Russia, for example, a child attains majority at eighteen years old.

In the period between the time of birth and adolescence children may experience some diseases. The term “childhood disease” is sometimes subjective, and does not refer to an accepted, categorical list. Nearly all the diseases in this list can also be contracted by adults, and, of course, all children can contract diseases not categorized as "childhood diseases". Classification of all childhood diseases is extensive and includes several groups:

· common infectious diseases (chickenpox, diphtheria, whooping cough, measles, rubella, scarlet fever, mumps, etc.);

· upper respiratory tract infections (adenoviral infection, influenza, herpes simplex, etc.);

· intestinal infections (dysentery, rotavirus infection, polio, typhoid, etc.);

· diseases caused by parasites.

Some of childhood diseases are vaccine-preventable. Childhood vaccination schedule contains information about vaccine-preventable diseases. In Russia such schedule is officially named as National Vaccination Calendar and issued by the Ministry of Health. This calendar lists diseases and recommended ages they should be done at. Against some diseases a child must be vaccinated two or three times at the definite age. According to this schedule, children in RF should be vaccinated against: Haemophilus influenzae type B, tuberculosis, diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), tetanus (lockjaw), poliomyelitis (polio), measles, rubella (German measles), mumps and acute viral hepatitis B.

Any person must be prepared to recognize if a child is ill and care of him. This is just an everyday part of providing quality child care. Symptoms of illness can appear very rapidly. Care of an ill child who begins with making the child comfortable. Every child care facility needs a quiet place where an ill child can have a rest and can be closely supervised by an adult. Notify the parent or alternate as soon as you have determined that their child is ill. The parent can then begin to make alternate work arrangements or call for a doctor’s appointment as soon as she/he learns of the illness. If a child is seriously ill, ask the parent or alternate to come immediately. It is important to be knowledgeable in first aid and CPR (cardio-pulmonary resuscitation) in the event of a true emergency.

WHO and UNICEF have drawn up a list of essential drugs to treat the most common childhood diseases. They include: oral antibiotics, an antimalarial drug, oral rehydration salts, vitamin A, treatment for intestinal worms, and treatments for eye and skin infections and mouth ulcers. Meanwhile improved training of health workers would help ensure rapid diagnosis of life-threatening diseases - especially where children are suffering from more than one condition.

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