Child Specialist

According to Dr Mubina Agboatwalla-child specialist in Karachi , headaches in children may be due to a number of reasons including eye sight problems, nasal congestion, too much screen time or migraine. As such migraine in children does not present with classical features but starts manifesting at 6-7 years or above. The child starts getting episodes of headache off and one eg once in two weeks or so. There maybe associated vomiting and the headache lasts for half an hour or so. Visual testing is normal. Certain factors predispose eg bright lights, increased screen time, chocolates, cheese etc.  The headache subsides on its own if the child sleeps for sometime in a dark room. Simple medicine like Syp. Paracetamol helps in relieving the headache.

Q 1. My child has malaria. What are the symptoms and what is the treatment. Ans 1. Malaria is caused by   bite of the anopheles mosquitoe. It is caused by a parasite Plasmodium vivax and plasmodium falciparum. There is high grade fever and shivering. The fever may occur daily or on alternate days. Body aches and pains and sweating as the fever subsides. If not treated it can lead to a number of complications including involvement of the brain leading to cerebral Malaria causing fits and drowsiness, Black water fever involving the kidneys leading to breakdown of red blood cells, haemoglobinurea and reddish black urine and finally renal failure. Treatment in simple fever comprises oral antimalarial or in case of complications intravenous antimalarial. https://www.drmubinaagboatwalla.com/

 Epigastric pain means pain in the central abdomen just below the sternum and ribs. This type of pain originates in the first part of the stomach and is due to inflammation in the lining of the stomach due to gastritis. The pain may radiate up to the chest due to gastro oesophageal reflux. GERD. It may be accompanied by nausea and vomiting. There maybe gases and bloating. It may be a dull type of deep seated pain or maybe be a sharp piercing pain. The pain is increased by eating spicy or greasy food or by drinking fizzy drinks. Increased acidity leads to this inflammation. Fast food, spicy food all leads to gastritis. There may or may not be accompanying diarrhea. The treatment is initially to take antacids and avoid spicy food. AS it occurs in older children , those above fifteen years can be given omeprazole. Website Link - http://www.drmubinaagboatwalla.com/

 Q. My 11 old daughter has severe pain in the abdomen below the sternum. What are the reasons and what can I Do about it. A. This pain below the sternum is known as epigastric pain. This pain due to gastritis and is common in young girls and boys as well as adults. It is due to inflammation of the gastric lining and due to increased acidity. It can occur due to a number of reasons but mainly by eating too much spicy and greasy food. Eating masala fries and chips or hot sauce. Drinking too much pepsi and other cola drinks damages the stomach lining. The pain occurs just below the sternum and ribs and is a sharp pain which increases on eating. The dull pain remains constantly. The child may feel nauseated or does not feel like eating. Most important is to avoid eating greasy and spicy food. Soda drinks should be avoided. Antacids should be given. Website Link -  https://www.drmubinaagboatwalla.com/

  Q. Do children develop kidney stones ? If yes then what are the symptoms and how can they be treated. A. Yes children as young as one year can develop kidney stones. Generally the stones are small and are found either in the renal pelvis or ureter. As they move down the ureter they can cause severe shooting pain in the back or in the flanks. This generally occurs when the child does not drink enough water. Atleast 8 glasses of water should be taken. Renal colic happens specially in the summer months. The urine may contain small quantities of red blood cells. It may or may not be accompanied by a urine infection. The pain is extremely severe and a shooting type of pain. There may be associated vomiting. Plenty of water should be given to flush out the stones. In rare cases laser surgery can be done. Website - https://www.drmubinaagboatwalla.com/

  Q. My child is very constipated. She is 5 years old. What should I do? A. Constipation is a matter of lifestyle and diet.   Children eating a lot of fast food including pizza, burger, up cakes are more prone to develop constipation. Diet containing   flour , rice and sugar promotes constipation. Noodles should be avoided too. In addition, exercise has an important role to play. Healthy exercise promotes healthy gut movement. Fruits and vegetables also prevent constipation. Constipation results in hard stools. The child finds it difficult to pass stools and tries to hold the stools. Which makes them harder. And thus a vicious cycle is set up. Laxatives are advised to soften the stool but it should be accompanied by dietary changes and exercise. Website Link - http://www.drmubinaagboatwalla.com/

  Q. My child’s tonsils are very enlarged. Should I get them removed ?? A. You should get one thing clear is that tonsils are lymphatic tissues that protect the germs from entering the pharynx. In the young age group they provide a lot of protection.. They sometimes become enlarged due to infection but can be treated with medicines. However, in no condition should they be removed. Unless and untiAgter 5 years they start to get smaller. l they become so large as to prevent swallowing. They are like the pillars of protection. Keep a good oral hygiene and gargle daily with salt water. Website Link - https://www.drmubinaagboatwalla.com/

  Q.   My 3 month old infant takes out milk after every feed. What should I Do???? A. If the infant takes out milk after every feed, it is probably due to reflux. This is because the sphincter between the stomach and oesphagus is a bit loose and the milk regurgitates back. This is known as gastro oesophageal reflux. The management is to keep the baby at an angle of 45 degrees with the head in the up position. This should be done for 24 hours. There is a special milk known as AR (Anti Reflux) milk. This helps to prevent reflux. This milk should be started and continued for a few months. With time by 10 months to 1 year of age the reflux resolves by itself. You can then switch to regular milk.   Website Link: http://www.drmubinaagboatwalla.com/