Common Childhood Diseases
Common Childhood Diseases
1.1 Introduction
Children are more prone to diseases. They catch disease easily and recover fast too. You must learn to protect your children from diseases and also from many other problems which can be prevented, if you care a little.
In this lesson, you will learn about some diseases which are more likely to affect a child in the first few years of life.
1.2 Objectives explain the importance of immunisation for children; give the immunisation schedule for children; group some common childhood diseases as
a) those against which a child can be immunised
b) those which occur repeatedly, but are not severe; explain the causes, symptoms and prevention of common diseases; take care of a sick child.
1.3 Immunisation Schedule
Even though medical science has not advanced to the stage when a person could be immunised against all the diseases, immunisation against many diseases is possible. Most of the immunisation shots have to be administered during childhood- only then are they effective.
In the case of some of the diseases, immunisation has only a short term effect and therefore has to be taken repeatedly. For example, immunisation against typhoid has to be taken every year. Similarly, to guard against tetanus, you should take immunisation every year. If this is not the case, then it must be definitely taken if an injury has occurred or an accident has taken place.
On the other hand, in the case of tuberculosis, the immunisation shot taken during infancy is effective for the entire lifetime. The same is true for diphtheria, whooping cough, polio and measles also. Timely immunisation of the child against diphtheria, whooping cough, tuberculosis, measles, chickenpox and polio, gives protection from these diseases forever. Immunisation, however, is effective only if it is given at the right age. The following table gives you the immunisation schedule and the correct age at which immunisation against the various
1.1 Introduction
Children are more prone to diseases. They catch disease easily and recover fast too. You must learn to protect your children from diseases and also from many other problems which can be prevented, if you care a little.
In this lesson, you will learn about some diseases which are more likely to affect a child in the first few years of life.
1.2 Objectives explain the importance of immunisation for children; give the immunisation schedule for children; group some common childhood diseases as
a) those against which a child can be immunised
b) those which occur repeatedly, but are not severe; explain the causes, symptoms and prevention of common diseases; take care of a sick child.
1.3 Immunisation Schedule
Even though medical science has not advanced to the stage when a person could be immunised against all the diseases, immunisation against many diseases is possible. Most of the immunisation shots have to be administered during childhood- only then are they effective.
In the case of some of the diseases, immunisation has only a short term effect and therefore has to be taken repeatedly. For example, immunisation against typhoid has to be taken every year. Similarly, to guard against tetanus, you should take immunisation every year. If this is not the case, then it must be definitely taken if an injury has occurred or an accident has taken place.
On the other hand, in the case of tuberculosis, the immunisation shot taken during infancy is effective for the entire lifetime. The same is true for diphtheria, whooping cough, polio and measles also. Timely immunisation of the child against diphtheria, whooping cough, tuberculosis, measles, chickenpox and polio, gives protection from these diseases forever. Immunisation, however, is effective only if it is given at the right age. The following table gives you the immunisation schedule and the correct age at which immunisation against the various