Common Childhood Illnesses

Everyday Cold
A cold is an infection of the upper respiratory system. A cold affects your nose, throat and ears. There are over 2000 cold viruses that cause colds.

Colds are spread through air droplets. When someone sneezes or coughs, mucus drops float in the air. Breathing in these droplets spreads the cold from one person to another. You can also catch a cold if you touch your nose after touching something with the cold virus on it.

Symptoms

  • sneezing, runny nose, watery eyes
  • coughing
  • congestion
  • body chills
  • low grade fever

Helping your child feel better

  1. Practice healthy habits: If you eat a balanced diet and get regular exercise, your immune system will be ready to fight colds.
  2. Rest: Make sure your child gets plenty of rest when he or she has a cold
  3. De-stress: Kids who are stressed out feel worse when they have colds. Relax, listen to music, read a book or watch a movie.
  4. Take a steamy shower to relieve a stuffy nose or run a humidifier.

Prevention
Remind your child the importance of good hand washing. Offer your children a balanced diet and encourage good sleeping habits.

The “Flu”
Influenza is also called the flu. The flu is an infection that causes sudden onset of fever, chills, cough, body aches, and headaches.
The flu virus spreads by air droplets that spray out of an infected persons mouth and/or nose when he or she sneezes, coughs, or even laughs. You can also catch the flu if these drops get on your hands and you touch your nose or mouth.

Symptoms

  • sudden onset fever
  • headache
  • extreme tiredness
  • dry cough
  • sore throat
  • runny or stuffy nose
  • muscle aches
  • stomach symptoms

Helping your child feel better

  1. Have your child drink lots of fluids
  2. Offer Tylenol or Ibuprofen to relieve symptoms of fever, aches and pains.
  3. Make sure your child gets plenty of rest.


Should your child get the flu shot?
Young children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years should get a flu shot. Some pediatricians recommend children under the age of 8. Other children who need a flu shot are kids with lung disorders, including asthma and children who have immune system problems. Please do not hesitate to call me or ask your pediatrician if you have any questions or concerns about the flu.

Pinkeye
Conjunctivitis is the most common eye problem kids can have. It can cause red, itchy and inflamed eyes. It can also produce a clear, white, or yellow/greenish gooey liquid to collect in the eyes.

Most children get conjunctivitis from bacteria. It is easy to catch through touching. A child can get it by touching the hand of an infected person who has touched his or her eyes. If the child then touches his or her eyes, they can spread the infection to themselves. Children can also get conjunctivitis because of allergies.

Conjunctivitis is highly contagious and children who have conjunctivitis must stay at home until they have been treated for at least 24 hours

Symptoms

  • itchy, red eyes
  • drainage (white, yellow, or greenish)


Helping your child feel better

  1. Notify your pediatrician if you suspect your child has conjunctivitis. The doctor will prescribe antibiotic eye drops or ointment.
  2. Offer your child a warm washcloth to place on their eyes. (Washcloths should go right into the laundry to prevent spread.)
  3. Remind your child to wash his or her hands frequently and try not to rub his or her eyes.


Strep Throat
Strep Throat is a disease caused by a bacteria called group A streptococci. These bacteria cause 15-20% of all sore throats and can be found in your throat or on your skin. Strep throat is spread when healthy people come in contact with someone who is infected with Strep. When the person with strep throat sneezes or blows his or her nose and you are close by or if you share the same cup, forks, spoons etc., the bacteria can spread to you.

Symptoms

  • scratchy, horse voice
  • sore throat
  • cold symptoms
  • stomach aches
  • may or may not have a fever
  • occasionally joint pain


Helping your child feel better

  1. If you suspect your child has strep, please keep him or her home from school and have your child seen by his or her pediatrician. Strep is treated with an antibiotic and a child must be taking the antibiotic for at least 24 hours before he or she returns to school.
  2. Offer your child Tylenol or ibuprofen to help with fever, sore throat, aches and pains.
  3. Offer your child soothing drinks


Prevention

  • Remind your child of the importance of good hand washing, especially before meals.
  • Wash all dishes and utensils in hot, soapy water and remind your child not to share cups, utensils and straws with other children.


Ear Infections
Middle ear infections are one of the most common childhood problems. The infection happens when a virus or bacteria gets into the middle ear and the area fills up with fluid (or pus). When the pus builds up, your child’s ear will start to hurt. You cannot catch ear infections from other people, though you might catch a cold, which can lead to an ear infection.

Symptoms

  • ear pain
  • difficulty hearing
  • fever

Helping your child feel better

  1. If you suspect your child has an ear infection, take him or her to their pediatrician. If your child has an ear infection, the doctor may prescribe an antibiotic, which will usually clear up the infection in a few days.
  2. Offer your child Tylenol of Ibuprofen for the pain and fever.
  3. Rest and plenty of TLC.


Head Lice
Every year, between 6 and 12 million people worldwide get head lice. Most of these millions are children in school or day care settings.

Head lice are small insects that mainly live on the scalp of a human host. Their presence does not indicate lack of hygiene or sanitation practiced by their host. Head lice are equal opportunity insects; they do not make socio-economic class distinctions.
Head lice are mainly acquired by direct head to head contact and/or can be transferred with a shared comb, hats and other hair accessories. Head lice cannot jump from one person to another. Treatment for head lice should be considered only when active lice or viable eggs are observed.

Symptoms

  • Itchy hair


Helping your child feel better

  1. If you are sure your child has head lice, call your pediatrician or ask your local pharmacist about the appropriate one time chemical shampoo to use on your child.
  2. Educate your child and remind them not to share hats or any type of hair accessory.
  3. What should be cleaned?
  • Wash and dry with heat pillowcases, sheets, nightclothes, towels and stuffed animals.
  • Wash in hot water combs, brushes, hats and other hair accessories
  • Vacuum carpets. Upholstery, and car seats


Prevention

  1. Educate your children to never share their hats, comb, brush, barrettes, or other hair accessories.
  2. Always have your children bring their own pillow and sleeping bag when sleeping away from home.


We at Brookwood School follow the guidelines for managing head lice in a school environment provided by the Harvard School of Public Health. As a general rule we DO NOT subscribe to no-nit policies. These policies are almost always counterproductive when applied. NO-NIT policies tend to be based on intolerance and misinformation, rather than objective science. At no time should a child feel excluded from school or any other extracurricular activity because of head lice. If you are concerned that your child may have head lice or have any questions, please call me at 978-526-4500.

Ticks and Lyme disease
A tick is part of the arachnid family. A tick attaches itself to the skin of an animal and sucks the blood. There are hundreds of types of ticks on the plant, but the ticks we hear about the most are dog ticks and deer ticks.

The deer tick is about the same size as the head of a pin. One of the diseases a deer tick can carry is Lyme disease. Lyme disease is a bacteria that can cause joint pain as well as some other neurological problems if not treated appropriately.

What to do if you notice a tick on your child

  1. Using tweezers, grab the tick as close as possible to the skin, and pull the tick off in one motion. Do not cover the tick in petroleum jelly or rubbing alcohol. If any part of the tick is left behind, it should be removed with a sterile needle or pin. Once removed squeeze the tick between clear tape, in case you need to show it to a doctor.
  2. Once the tick is removed wash the site well with warm soapy water.
  3. Watch the site closely over the next two weeks for signs of a bulls- eye rash, which may form around the site.
  4. Monitor for other signs and symptoms of Lyme disease.

Symptoms

  • feeling tired and achy all over, like you have the flu
  • joint pain
  • red or swollen joints
  • headaches

If your child has any of these symptoms, please consult your pediatrician who will determine if your child should be tested for Lyme disease.

Prevention

  1. Try to avoid tick habitats (woody, moist, shady, brushy, leafy and overgrown grassy areas.
  2. Use insect repellant on clothing and exposed skin
  3. Wear light colored clothing if going into the woods or tick habitats (it is easier to spot a tick on light colored clothing)
  4. Do daily tick checks on your children.


In an effort to reduce the number of ticks in our community, every spring Brookwood places Dammanix tubes in several locations including the lower school wooded area and the ropes course. Dammanix tubes are a safe, effective, biodegradable product. While not harmful to humans and local wildlife, Dammanix tubes have been proven effective in greatly decreasing tic populations.

West Nile Virus and EEE
West Nile Virus and EEE (Eastern Equine Encephalitis) are both diseases caused by infected mosquitoes. It is important to remember however that not all mosquitoes are infected with these viruses and not everyone who is bitten by an infected mosquito will get a virus. Many children infected with West Nile and EEE have no apparent illness.

Symptoms

  • fever
  • headache
  • muscle aches
  • tiredness
  • joint pain
  • neck and back stiffness

In the most rare and extreme cases, these viruses can cause a condition called encephalitis, which is a swelling of the brain.

How to protect your children

  1. Use insect repellants that include DEET, lemon eucalyptus, or picaridin.
  2. Avoid having your children play outside during early morning and evening hours.
  3. When possible have your children wear socks, long sleeves, and long pants when playing outside. Avoid having your children play near standing water.


Sporting events at Brookwood are typically completed before evening hours, however mosquito spray with DEET is available from the coaches.