Child Specialist

A low birth weight baby is known as a LBW. It is generally less than 2500 g.It basically means the weight of the baby is less than the gestational age. A LBW may or may not be premature. A full term baby can also be LBW if the weight is less than 2500g. A weight less than 1500 g is very low birth weight. Low birth weight babies generally are unable to suck properly. According to Dr Mubina Agboatwalla – A Child Specialist in Karachi   a few days they are fed with a feeding tube. Once sucking settles, breast feeding is started. They cannot maintain their body temperature so need incubator care. In addition, they may be hypoxic so may need oxygen therapy. They are more susceptible to infection, and can develop chest infections or septicemia. They are generally anaemic too LBW babies need special care and good nutritional care.

 Haemhorragic Disease of the Newborn is characterized by bleeding tendency in the newborn. It occurs chiefly due to deficiency of vitamin K in the newborn. Chiefly premature babies, low birth weight babies or babies with an immature liver are affected. It is characterized by bleeding tendency. Generally, the baby may start passing blood in the stool. This may be streaks of blood or frank blood. The newborn may pass blood streaks secretions from the mouth or nasal discharge. Or the baby might bleed from the umbilicus. According to Dr Mubina Agboatwalla – A child specialist in Karachi The baby may or may not be jaundiced. Every newborn needs to be given one dose of vitamin K at birth. Sometimes at birth the hospital does not give vitamin K to the newborn. This also leads to bleeding /Ceratain investigation like bleeding time, clotting time, PT, APTT need to be done to exclude other causes of bleeding. Treatment is giving 3 doses of injection Vitamin K on three successive days.

Typhoid is also known as Enteric fever. It is characterized by high grade fever of 101-104 F of at least one week duration. The fever does not touch the baseline. The child gets high grade fever with chills and shivering. There is weakness and the child looks sick. The child is lethargic. There is associated pain in the stomach and diarrhea. There may be nausea and vomiting and the child does not feel like eating. If not treated in time complications may occur. Ulcers may occur in the small intestine. This can give rise to severe abdominal pain. If timely treatment is not started, the ulcers may rupture. This leads to surgical intervention. In some cases encephalitis may occur. According to  Dr Mubina Agboatwalla – A child specialist in Karachi  diagnosis is based on blood culture. Though a CBC can give some indication. Widal is not recommended and Typhidot is non specific. Treatment is mainly antibiotic. The correct anti biotic has to be given as antibiotic resistence has dev...

Dehydration is a condition leading to loss of water from the body. Dehydration occurs in many conditions including diarrhea and vomiting. Any condition causing loss of water from the body leads to dehydration. Children get dehydrated very fast. In vomiting the child is unable to retain water and gets dehydrated. In diarrhea the child loses water very fast. The stools are very watery. A dehydrated child is generally very lethargic. In infants less than 18 months, the anterior fontanelle is depressed. The eyes are sunken and lusterless.   The tongue is dry and the child feels very thirsty.   The child may cry but there are no tears. The skin is dry is dry and lusterless. The child does not pass urine or very little urine. The breathing may become fast. If dehydration persists, the child might collapse. According to Dr Mubina Agboatwalla – A child specialist in Karachi Severe dehydration requires urgent treatment. Intravenous fluids should be given. Not only is there loss of w...

Eye Infection is common in children. It is known as conjunctivitis. The eye becomes red, swollen and watery. There is yellow colour discharge from the eyes. When the child gets up in the morning the eyes are sticky with a yellowish discharge and the child has difficulty in opening the eyes. Even if one eye is involved the second eye soon gets affected as the child rubs the eyes. The eyes may become painful and there may be accompanying fever and headache. It is also very common in neonates. In some cases the eyelid may be affected. This is known as a chalezion. In other cases the eye lash may be affected. This can lead to the formation of a stye and swelling on the eye lid. Eye infections are contagious and spread from one child to another in school or play groups.  According to Dr Mubina Agboatwalla – A child specialist in Karachi it may also be due to improper hygiene due of the eye. The treatment is to keep the eye clean and to use eye drops. The eye drops are antibiotic eye dr...

Abscess basically means a localized collection of pus.Abscess can occur anywhere in the body. It can occur in the skin or subcutaneous tissue when it is visible and painful. It can occur in the body organs when it is not visible but can give rise to generalized symptoms. It can occur under the skin after an injury, bruise or injury. There is generalized fever, pain at the site of the abscess, redness over the skin, the area is hot to touch and becomes tense. It commonly occurs where there is space e.g. Surface of hands, palm, foot, buttocks or where there is fat tissue. Internal body abscess is more complicated. According to Dr, Mubina Agboatwalla - A Child Specialist in Karachi , depending upon its location the symptoms vary. In all cases there is generalized fever. In lung abscess there may be coughing, with sputum, difficulty in breathing. In liver abscess, pain in upper abdomen, vomiting. In kidney abscess there are urinary symptoms. In such cases diagnosis is based on X ray and ...

Urinary Tract Infections are common in children specially girls. They can occur at any age but mainly after one year of age and older age groups. They are more common in children due to a smaller urinary tract. The main reasons are children drinking less water, some congenital abnormality of the urinary tract or incomplete washing of the genital area by children. The symptoms include fever with or without shivering, increased passage of urine, burning during passage of urine, difficulty in holding urine. There may be pain in the lower abdomen or back.  In some cases this may be accompanied by vomiting or nausea.   Dr. Mubina Agboatwalla - A Child Specialist in Karachi , diagnosis is based on a urine examination. Urine D/R and culture. Treatment should always begin after getting the urine culture and sensitivity. Later ultrasound should be done. Treatment comprises of appropriate antibiotic and plenty of water. This should be accompanied by taking Cranberry juice or Citralka ...