Your child eats too little or, on the contrary, too much, he sleeps bad or has sudden fits of anger – as a rule, this worries careful parents, the rest are just giving up on it: why bother because of small things! And meanwhile, some peculiarities of behavior and state of a child’s organism give warning of his predisposition to these or those diseases or even of their development long before a doctor diagnoses them.
Usually parents pay attention to a child’s body temperature: if it is normal – then everything is ok, high – he should take aspirin. However, it is not so simple. For example, temperature raises, and hands are cold like ice. This tells about a spasm of peripheral blood vessels. And, besides aspirin, it would be good to give an injection of analgin, diphenylhydramine and nicotinic acid – a vitamin, dilating small blood vessels.
If a baby’s hands are always cold, this tells that excitability of his nervous system is heightened. In general, defect of heat regulation tells about vulnerability of a children organism, inability of its nervous system to cope with stresses. This concerns also such peculiarity of a baby, as sweatiness. Palms that are always wet, underwear that is covered with sweat, even if there were no any active games, – this is a signal of some defects in nervous regulation of organism. Other signs also testify to a state, close to neurosis, – a baby likes fingering something, biting nails, starts often suddenly, speaks while sleeping (don’t worry, if this happens from time to time, but if this repeats every night, then there is sense to consult a neuropathologist).
If a child is always nervy, excitable, if it is difficult for you to carry him away with a game, and having started a game, he already cannot stop, falls into a reverie, reacts to attempts to interfere aggressively, goes into long hysterics, then you should not allege on his bad character – these are symptoms of heightened intracranial pressure. Such child should be observed by neuropathologist constantly. Defects of thyroid gland’s work also may cause excessive excitability of nervous system. And you baby also may have rapid pulse. Slightly bulging eyes also tell about excess of hormones of thyroid gland. In this case you should consult endocrinologist. Old school doctors started examination with a request to show one’s tongue, even if a person suffered from back or stomach pains. Tongue is a mirror of alimentary canal, all our diseases are “pictured” on it, not worse, than on a prescription blank.
If there is a constant yellow or white fur on a tongue, this testifies to defect of stomach’s or bowels’ work. So-called “geographic” patterns on a tongue also should put you on your guard, they often are observed after long taking of antibiotics or while dysbacteriosis, lack of wholesome bacteria, populating it.
Your child’s skin also can tell a lot about his organism state. Thus, while dysbacteriosis it is dry, peels off, allergic rash often appears on it. If lips are dry and chaps, this may happen due to serious defects of stomach’s and bowels’ work. So-called “marble” skin – pale, with clear drawing of small veins, situated close to skin surface, slightly spotty, also should put you on your guard. Quite probably, there are defects in your child’s involuntary nervous system’s work, which controls work of our internal automatically. This may lead to quick fatiguability, irritability, headaches.
Shadows under eyes testify to lack of iron or some vitamins in a child’s organism. If “sacks” are formed under lower eyelids, don’t hurry to make a conclusion about bad work of kidneys – probably, this is just a peculiarity of hypoderm.
Pay attention to nails – during teen age period they can crumble, white lags are formed on them, which “signal” of lack of calcium in organism. Its lack also influences state of teeth. In general, teeth are an index of the whole osseous system’s state in organism. If something is wrong with them, then a child’s bones have same problems.
Most often parents pay attention to very obvious things: for example, appetite and sleep. Does bad appetite tells of something? Of course, as this is a reflection of general state of a baby’s nervous system, its balance, comfort.
If a chills is a so-called “bag of bones”, has shadows under eyes, he catches cold often, you may suspect of his susceptibility to tuberculosis and in this case you need to consult phthisiatrician urgently. However, if a child eats a lot, regardless of his physical activity, and does not gain weight, this may tell about presence of worms or some psychological problems. Appetite should correspond to energy organism spends, and when a child is not mobile, likes playing quiet games, you should not worry he eats little. If, on the contrary, he is rushing about during whole day and comes back home with his tongue hanging out, most likely, you will not have to persuade him eat properly.
A child’s bad sleep also worries parents. Most often healthy children don’t awake in the night, but can fall asleep nor so quickly. Think whether your child sticks to a certain day schedule, goes to bed in a certain hour, watches scary cartoons or thrillers before going to bed, sitting evenings away at computer. All this excites a child’s nervous system, confuses his biorhythms.
Yana Mikheeva is the creator of Baby Health Directory – Pregnancy, Birth, Parenting and Baby Care resources. Are you going to get pregnant? Visit our friendly resource and read information on pregnancy and parenting, painless childbirth, growth and development of a baby, baby health, safety, signs of pregnancy.
She also has All about women site where you can find articles on various subjects, such as: diets, receipts, health, cellulite, figure, aromatherapy, wholesome food, psychology of relationships, pregnancy, parenting, fashion and many others.