Baby botttle Tooth decay

Baby bottle tooth decay is caused by prolonged contact with almost any liquid other than water. The condition can stem from putting your baby to bed with a bottle of formula, milk, juice, soda or other soft drink, or by allowing your baby to suck on a bottle for prolonged period, either while awake or asleep.
Take these steps to help prevent decay, advises the American Academy of Pediatrics:

• Never put your child to bed with a bottle.
• Only give your baby a bottle during meals.
• Teach your child to drink from a cup/ sipper as soon as possible, usually by age one.
• Keep your baby's mouth clean
• Use water and a soft child-sized toothbrush for daily cleaning once your child has seven to eight teeth.
• By the time your toddler is 2, you should be brushing his teeth once or twice a day, preferably after breakfast and before bedtime. Once you are sure your child will not swallow toothpaste, you should begin using one that contains fluoride.

(HealthDay News)

Mouth Ulcers in children (Aphthous Ulcers)

Hi,
It has been a long time since the last post.....
Nowadays we are seeing a lot of kids with painful mouth ulcers in our OPD, this causes misery not only to the child but the entire family as thechild is unable to eat even though he/she is feeling hungry!
Here are a few tips to treat this common condition:
HOME CARE
Rinse the child's mouth 3 or more times a day with salt solution (1/2 teaspoon salt to 8 oz. water).
Clean sores frequently with 2% hydrogen peroxide/ chlorhexidene solution on a cotton applicator (an ear bud may be used as an alternative).
If your child's canker sore is caused by a rough tooth or braces, consult your dentist. The sore won't heal until the cause is eliminated.
MEDICATION
Your doctor may prescribe:
Topical anesthetics like xylocaine jelly 2 % to relieve your child's pain.
A mixture of Digene and Benadryl can be applied locally on the ulcer (with a cotton ear bud/applicator) to heal it
Rarely in case of severe disease an oral steroid solution may be prescribed by the doctor.
ACTIVITY
No restrictions.
DIET & FLUIDS
Avoid Spicy Food.
Encourage your child to drink as many fluids and eat as well-balanced a diet as possible while healing.
To minimize pain, let your child sip liquids through straws.
Foods that cause the least pain are cold milk, yogurt, ice cream, and custard.
OK TO GO TO SCHOOL?
When appetite has returned and alertness, strength, and feeling of well-being will allow. Keep the child's eating and drinking utensils separate until sores heal.
CALL YOUR DOCTOR IF
Your child's temperature rises to 102F (38.9C) or higher.
Ulcers don't improve in 3 days despite treatment.
Pain is unbearable and isn't relieved by treatment.
A child with aphthous ulcers loses weight.
For more details read Mdadvice

Your Feedback Question: Chicken Pox vaccination

The following message was posted on one of my blogs, and I thought I would reply online so that everyone could benefit!
Question: MY CHILD WAS GIVEN THE CHICKEN POX VACCINE AND THE DOCTOR AND I DID NOT KNOW SHE HAD THE CHICKPOX THE SAME DAY SHE GOT THE VACCINE. SHE STILL BROKE OUT WITH THE CHICKPOX EVEN THOUGH SHE HAD THE SHOT. MY CONCERN IS WAS THEIR ANY HARM IN GIVING HER THE VACCINE WHEN SHE HAD THE CHICKEN POX?
Answer: There is no need to worry. The chicken pox vaccine is not going to cause any problem to your child. At best it may cause the chicken pox to be milder, at worst it may not make any difference.
In fact we recommend chicken pox vaccine to contacts of an active patient with chicken pox, as it may prevent / reduce the severity of chicken pox in the family member.
I hope this helps!