Child Specialist

It is very common for children to inhale or ingest foreign bodies. While playing with small beads children tend to put the foreign bead in the nostrils. This can either result in difficulty in breathing or the bead gets stuck in the nose. It can generally not be seen and if you try to take it out with your fingers it gets pushed further. If not taken out infection can develop around it and a foul smelling pussy discharge starts coming out. The child should be taken to the doctor who uses surgical instruments to take the bead out. It is a simple procedure and just takes a few minutes. The other common foreign body is ingestion of a coin. This can either go in the respiratory tract- bronchi or in the gut. If it goes in the gut it gradually comes out over a period of few days in the stools. In either case, it can easily be seen on the X -Ray. Besides, the coin other small foreign bodies like small plastic pieces of toys or metallic nails etc can be inhaled. There is generally a sudden b...

Neonatal Jaundice is characterized by jaundice in the first week of life. This jaundice can be physiological or pathological. Physiological jaundice occurs in 60% neonates and starts on the 3 rd or 4 th day of life. It also occurs in 80% premature babies. A bilirubin level of 13 mg/dl or less does not require any treatment. However, if the bilirubin increases more than 5 mg/dl per day it indicates intervention. Physiological jaundice may stay from 10 days to 2 weeks. According to DrMubinaAgboatwalla a child specialist in Karachi ,it generally resolves by itself or exposure to early morning sunlight. If it increases slightly, then phototherapy may be indicated. Pathological jaundice may be due to a number of reasons. It starts in the first 24 hours after birth. The reasons maybe Blood Group incompatibility, ABO or RH incompatibility, G6PD deficiency, Trauma or bruising, hypothyroidism, biliary aresia, septicemia, congenital TORCH infections etc. In cases where the bi...