HealthyLife Articles

Category: Children’s Health

Eye Problems

Children’s Health

Signs, Symptoms & Causes

There are many kinds of eye problems that children get. Here are some of them:

* Blocked tear ducts. Tears made by the eye can’t drain into the tear ducts if they are blocked. The baby’s eyes water even when the baby is not crying. This usually happens to babies up to 2 months old. Most blocked tear ducts open up by the time the child is 1 year old.

* Crossed eyes. Often, this problem goes away with no treatment.

* Swelling and pain inside the eyelids and on the whites of the eyes. This is called conjunctivitis. There are many kinds of conjunctivitis. Pinkeye is one kind. It is an infection. Other infections, chemicals, allergens, or things that get in the eye can also cause conjunctivitis.

* Drooping eyelid over part of the eye. This is called ptosis. It is usually caused by weak nerves in the eye lid. Your child can be born with it. Or it can happen with another muscle problem.

* Sty. This is an infection on the eyelid. It looks like a pimple. Most sties go away with home treatments.

* Vision problems. Here are a few examples:

– Nearsightedness (can’t see things far away).

– Farsightedness (can’t see things close up).

– Astigmatism (blurry vision from an eye that is not shaped right, or from losing an eye).

It’s hard to know if your child has vision problems until he or she is 3 years old. (The eye is still developing until then.)

* Take your child for their first eye exam at 3 years old.

* Take your child for another eye exam before he or she starts school.

* Watch for problems at any age. Look for changes in the eyes, eyelids, or the skin around the eyes.

Questions to Ask

Self-Care

A doctor should treat a hurt or infected eye. But you can treat some eye problems at home.

* For a blocked tear duct:

1. Wash your hands.

2. Press gently on the inner corner of the eye with a cotton swab. Press up, not down, for a few seconds to a few minutes.

* For dry eyes, try over-the-counter “tears.” Some kinds are Ocu-Lube®, Refresh®, or Liquifilm®. Wash your hands before you put drops in the eyes. If your child’s eyes don’t get better, take him or her to the doctor.

* To help with an insect bite, gently wash the eyes with warm water.

* To help the pain of a hurt eye that is not infected:

– Put a warm (not hot), wet wash cloth on the eye for 5 minutes. Do this 2 or 3 times a day.

– Use over-the-counter eye drops.

– Don’t let your child wear contact lenses or makeup until the eye is better.

* If the eye is infected:

– Wash your hands and your child’s hands every time you touch the eye. (Pinkeye is very easy to catch.)

– Don’t share a towel with someone who has pinkeye.

– Keep your child away from light if he or she got pinkeye from the measles.

– Don’t cover the eye. This can make the infection worse.

* Here’s how to get something out of your child’s eye: (Make sure you can see the speck before you try to get it out.)

1. Wash your hands.

2. Drip clean water into the eye to rinse it.

3. Twist a piece of tissue at each end. Wet the tip with tap water, not spit. Gently touch the speck with the tip. The speck should stick to the tip.

– Tell your child to look down if the speck is under the upper lid. Pull the upper lid away from the eye. Do this by gently pulling on the eyelashes. When you can see the speck, try to touch it with the tissue.

– Don’t rub the eye. And never use anything sharp to touch your child’s eye.

4. Gently wash the eye with cool water.

* To help with pain from a sty:

– Put a warm (not hot), wash cloth on the sty 3 or 4 times a day for 5 or 10 minutes each time.

– Keep your child away from dust and dirt that can get in his or her eyes.

– Don’t poke or squeeze the sty!

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Seizures

Children’s Health

And How to Keep Your Child From Getting Fever Seizures

Signs, Symptoms & Causes

A seizure is like a short-circuit in the brain. Information in nerves in the brain gets mixed up. There are many forms of seizures.

A general seizure. This affects the whole brain. A convulsion happens with this kind. These are signs of a convulsion.

* The neck muscles or all the body muscles get stiff.

* The arms or legs jerk around.

* The eyes roll up and back in the head.

* The child falls down.

* The child blacks out.

* The child wets or soils his or her clothes.

An absence seizure. A convulsion does not happen with this kind of seizure. These are signs of this kind of seizure:

* The child stares into space. It looks like the child is not paying attention.

* The child smacks his or her lips.

* The child may blink over-and-over.

Seizures that come with a high fever.

In fact, high fevers cause most seizures in children ages 6 months to 5 years old. This happens when the body’s own temperature control isn’t working just right yet.

Sicknesses that make a child’s temperature go up fast can bring on seizures. Here are some other causes of seizures:

* Epilepsy.

* Poisons.

* Infections that cause a high fever.

* Drugs.

* Reye’s Syndrome.

* Snakebites.

* Some vaccinations.

Most seizures last from 1 to 5 minutes. Short seizures don’t cause problems unless the child stops breathing and turns blue. But a seizure that lasts longer than 5 minutes can be a sign of a big problem. Let your child’s doctor know if your child has any kind of seizure.

How to Keep Your Child From Getting Fever Seizures

Keep trying to bring the fever down until it is 101ºF or less. Try to bring your child’s fever down fast:

* Dress your child in light, loose clothes or take off most of his or her clothes.

* Ask your doctor about fever-lowering suppositories.

* Put washcloths rinsed in lukewarm (not cold) water on your child’s forehead and neck. Don’t use rubbing alcohol.

* Give your child acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Make sure you give the right kind and dose for his or her weight. Do this if the fever gets above 103°F. (Note: Do not give aspirin. Aspirin and other medicines that have salicylates have been linked to Reye’s Syndrome.)

Questions to Ask

Self-Care

Don’t panic! A fever seizure will stop by itself in a few minutes. The two things you can do are:

* Try to keep your child from getting hurt during the seizure.

* Lower his or her fever.

Follow these tips during the seizure:

* Protect your child from falling and hitting his or her head. (Watch out for tables and sharp things.)

* Make sure your child can breathe:

– Roll the child on his or her side so spit can drain from the mouth.

– Gently pull on the jaw and bend the neck back. (This opens up the throat.)

* Don’t put anything in your child’s mouth. Children hardly ever bite their tongues during a fever seizure.

* Don’t give your child any medicine, food, or drink by mouth.

Follow these tips after the seizure:

* If the seizure was from a fever, start lowering the fever. Sponge your child’s body with lukewarm water. Don’t use rubbing alcohol. Don’t put the child in a bathtub. Don’t use an ice pack. It drops the temperature too fast.

* Your child will probably be sleepy after the seizure. He or she may not remember anything. This is O.K.

* Dress the child in light, loose clothes. Put him or her to sleep in a cool room.

* Let your child’s doctor know about the seizure.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Fever In Children

Children’s Health

How do you know when your child has a fever?

* Your child’s chest or forehead may feel hot.

* He or she may sweat or feel sick.

* Your child’s temperature is:

– Higher than 99.5ºF by mouth or ear. (Higher than 100.5ºF with a pacifier thermometer.)

– Higher than 100.4ºF by rectum.

– Higher than 89.5ºF under the armpit.

Signs, Symptoms & Causes

Fever is a sign of another problem. Your child may have an infection. Exercise, hot weather, and shots like DTaP and MMR can also make your child’s temperature go up.

A thermometer measures temperature. There are many kinds of thermometers:

* Pacifier thermometers. These are for children 3 months old to 2 years old.

* Digital thermometers run on batteries. They are good and work in less than 30 seconds. (Make sure the batteries are good.)

* Temperature strips go on the forehead. They are easy to use, but do not give a good temperature reading.

* Ear thermometers work in 2 seconds or less. They are as good as oral thermometers, but they cost more.

You may not need to treat your child’s fever if it isn’t high and he or she feels O.K. But you should treat your child’s fever if it is high and your child feels bad or the fever makes it hard for your child to drink, eat, sleep, or do normal things.

You can take your child’s temperature by mouth, armpit, ear, or rectum. (The rectum is the opening where you pass solid waste.) A rectal reading is better than a mouth reading. It is 1°F higher than a mouth reading. An armpit reading is 1°F lower than a mouth reading, but does not give as good a reading.

Questions to Ask

Self-Care

* Make sure your child drinks a lot of fluids. Give fruit juice, water, and other cool drinks.

* Dress your child in light clothing.

* Have your child rest.

* For a high fever, sponge your child with warm (not cold or cool) water. Don’t use rubbing alcohol. Don’t let your child shower. Showering can make the fever go up.

* Give your child acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Make sure you give the right kind and dose for his or her weight. (Note: Do not give aspirin. Aspirin and other medicines that have salicylates have been linked to Reye’s Syndrome.)

* A fever can occur with other health problems. They include:

– Chickenpox.

– Coughs.

– Croup.

– Cuts, Scrapes & Punctures.

– Diarrhea.

– Earaches.

– Flu.

– Headaches.

– Seizures.

– Sore Throats.

– Swollen Glands.

– Wheezing.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Getting Your Kids To Eat Right

Children’s Health

Persuading your child to develop good eating habits can be a challenge. Here are some pointers.

* Start your child’s day with a good breakfast. Hot cereal is a better choice than over-sweetened breakfast foods that are heavily advertised to kids.

* Buy snacks that are low in fat, sugar, and salt. Fresh fruit, unbuttered popcorn, whole-grain muffins, juice, milk, and yogurt are tasty, nutritious foods that appeal to kids. Crackers with small amounts of peanut butter or cheese are also acceptable between-meal treats.

* Limit fast-food meals. A steady diet of fast-food menu items tends to be high in fat and generally doesn’t provide all the essential nutrients a child needs.

* Don’t punish or reward behavior with food. Punishing children by withholding food can deprive them of required nutrients. Rewarding them with food can encourage overeating and weight gain.

* Set a good example. Children can’t be expected to adopt good eating habits if parents don’t.

For nutrition-packed school lunches:

* Try sandwiches, using turkey, chicken, peanut butter with no added oil or sugar, and low-fat cheese or tuna fish instead of processed lunch meats.

* Pack finger foods like grapes, carrot sticks, celery stalks, and other fruit or crunchy vegetables instead of potato chips. Single-serving cans of fruit or applesauce are also handy ways to round out a lunch.

Beware of convenience foods that claim to be nutritious.

Here are some of the traps to look out for.

* Fruit drinks. Some contain only a small amount of fruit juice, but a lot of added sugar.

* Breakfast bars. These usually contain lots of sugar and very little in the way of nutrition.

* Pre-popped popcorn. Some popcorn products have a lot of oil, salt, and contain artificial coloring.

Teach Teens to Snack Wisely

Once kids reach their teens, they tend to eat what they want, when they want it. But these years of rapid growth and change call for added nutrients which might be lacking in diets that are hit-or-miss. And as their bones grow rapidly, teens need plenty of calcium. Adolescent girls need plenty of iron to offset iron lost due to menstrual flow. If the right foods are available, between-meal snacking can actually boost a teen’s intake of those critical nutrients.

* Leftovers, like chicken drumsticks, are high in iron and make good late-night snacks.

* Low-fat milk, yogurt, and cheese can provide needed calcium.

* Keep the kitchen stocked with whole wheat crackers, sliced watermelon, fruit salad, and other ready-to-eat alternatives to junk food.

* Encourage teens to invent their own, easy-to-eat snacks, like “ants on a log”-celery stalks stuffed with peanut butter and dotted with raisins.

Resources

ChooseMyPlate.gov

www.choosemyplate.gov/kids/index.html

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026