| Asthma doesn't have to be a foregone conclusion for your child, even he is at
high risk. There's a lot u can do, both during pregnancy and in the early years of u'r child's life,to delay, diminish, or even prevent the disease from developing in the first place. Here are seven health-saving step u should take.. |
Having lots of allergies as a baby is one of the biggest risk factors for developing asthma in childhood, a recent study shows. You can reducee u'r child's risk of developing allergies by limiting u'r own exposure to allergens such as household dust, dustmites, and grass pollen during pregnancy. A baby's immune system actually recognizes these substances in the womb. If u have a history of allergies, you should also monitor u'r intake of cow's milk, eggs, peanuts and soy products-common food-allergy triggers in kids-and avoid them altogether once u'r nursing.
This is one of the most effective preventive measures against asthma. Breast milk fortifies an infant's immune system so that it can fight off respiratory-tract infections, which, like allergies, are strongly tied to asthma. In a study involving asthma almost 3,000 children, babies who were given any milk in their first four (4) months were twentyseven percent (27%) more likely to develop asthma by age Six (6). If at all possible, u should breast-feed for atleast six months before introducing any formula or solids to your baby. If u do supplement with formula and u have suffered from allergies or asthma, go with a hypoallergenic formula. High-risk kids shouldn't have dairy products before age 1, peanuts before age 2 or fish before age 3.
Don't smoke during pregnancy, and if u have quit, don't start again once the baby is born. In fact, don't allow any one to smoke in u'r home. Taxins can linger in furniture and carpets after the smoker has left. The association between secondhand smoke and the onset of the childhood asthma is strong. In a recent report, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said that preschool children who are exposed to secondhand smoke suffer from reduce lung function and an increased number of respiratory and ear infections. These factors put them at greater risk of asthma. And u'r home isn't the only place to heed this warning. Avoid Smoke in the restuarants homes of the baby-sitters, grandparents and neighbours too.
The avearege bedroom pillow is homee to a whopping 250,000 dust mites. And dust mite droppings lead the list of household allergens that may cause asthma.
Other asthma triggers included pet dander, cockroaches, and mold. To limit u'r child's exposure,take the following steps inside u'r home:
Seal mattresses and pillow in airtight coversto get rid of dust mites. Wash linens weekly in hot water, and toss u'r child's favourite stuffed animals in the laundry regularly too.
Researchers serveyed the parents of nearly 4,000 children and found that kids who entered day care before age 2 were more likely to develop asthma than kids who started later. The link is similar to that of Secondhand smoke-children who are put in day care earlier have a higher rate of respiratory and ear infections, which can incresase asthma risk 'Exposure to so many germs before a child's immunse system is developed takes its toll. It may not be possible to kee a chilkd away from day care till he's 2, but do your best to choose a dry-care setting tim serves fewer kids.
Obesity from lack of exercise another childhood health crisis, is helping fuel today's asthma epidemic. Overweight children are twice as likely to develop asthma as normal weight kids. Which in turn may cause a child's airways to become narrow and hypersensitive. To keep u'r kids at a healthy weight, restrict television and computer timings and take them outside to play frequently. Onw caveat: Because the link betweenasthma and outdoor pollution remains unclear, the EPA recommends that parents be aware of ozone levels and limit their children's time outdoors on high-ozone days.
Synthetic carpeting and new furniture frequently contain a host of poisions that are emitted during the early part of a product's life span. Cotton or wool are the healthiest choices, but if u do by synthetic carpeting for any room in the house, leave it out on ur backpoarch or in the garage for atleast a week so that it can air out. Do the same for the new baby and kid's furniture. Finally, whenever possible, open ur windows to let stale air out of ur house.
Eighty percent of children with asthma develop symptoms by age 5. Attacks may be triggered by infections, exercise even laughing ot crying. But the attack varies in severity, which is why it can be difficult for parents-and sometimes doctors-to distinguish mild asthma symptoms from a cold or from seasonal allergies. If ur child is persistently showing the symptoms listed at right, however u should talk to ur doctor. If he doesn't diagnose asthma but the symptoms persist, consider seeing a pediatric a;;ergist. Asthma red flags in achild include: |
A nagging dry cough that wan't go away. A wheezing sound when he/she breathes. Frequent episodes of rapid breathing or shortness of breath. A feeling of tightness in his/her chest. Symptoms that get worse ar night or sometimes after vigorous activity. |