An infection is caused when microorganisms invade tissues of the body and cause diseases. Infectious diseases can affect people of all age groups, but are more common in children and infants, as their immune system is not completely developed.

Paediatric Infectious Diseases Specialists:

Children can get infected by various agents like fungus, bacteria, virus, etc. Many infectious diseases which are common in children are quite rare in adults and hence, general physicians have difficulty in diagnosing or treating the condition. 

Specialists in this field are specifically trained to diagnose and treat infectious diseases in children and are experienced in handling rare infections as well.

Treatments offered:

Paediatric infectious disease specialists provide treatment to a wide range of childhood problems like:

• Severe, complicated, or recurrent infections
• Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection
• Infections on immune modulating therapy
• Illnesses which do not have a clear cause
• Respiratory infections
• Bone and joint infections
• Transplant infections
• Infections acquired during travel
• Primary immune deficiency
• Tuberculosis
• Meningitis
• Hepatitis
• MRSA infection, Lyme disease, etc.

Though most infections in children are minor in nature and are easily diagnosed and treated, some infections are hard to diagnose and treat. This also includes recurrent infections or those having no clear cause. Paediatric infectious diseases specialists are highly qualified and experienced in handling childhood infections, including the rarer ones.

Motherhood’s team of paediatricians and other specialists is dedicated to providing you and your child with the best possible treatment and care. Our multidisciplinary team is highly qualified and experienced in handling various common and rare childhood infections. We also house state-of-the-art equipment to provide your child with safe and holistic treatment.

Pediatrics Asthma Management

Asthma is a condition in which a person’s airways swell up, become inflamed, and narrow. Also, an excess amount of mucus is produced and all these factors lead to a difficulty in breathing. It is a very common condition and affects people across all age groups. The severity of asthma can range from a mild to a life-threatening condition and hence, immediate treatment must be provided. Paediatric asthma is not a permanent illness like in adults. Most babies outgrow these issues with age.

Childhood asthma:

As already stated, asthma affects people of all age groups and asthma is also quite common among children. Childhood asthma can interfere with the daily activities of the child and cause problems while playing, sleeping, studying, etc. 

Childhood asthma is not that different from adult asthma. With proper precaution and care, the symptoms of asthma can be managed to a large extent and damage to the lungs can be prevented.

Is your child suffering from asthma?

Here are some of the most common symptoms of asthma in children:

• Wheezing sound during exhalation
• Frequent cough that worsens while sleeping on exposure to cold air, or during a flu
• Tightness in the chest
• Shortness of breath
• Fatigue

These symptoms can make activities like playing sports, cycling, exercising, etc, difficult. If you notice the above symptoms, it is highly recommended that you visit a paediatrician.

Moreover, if your child faces extreme difficulty in breathing or shortness of breath, the condition may require immediate medical intervention.

Management of Paediatric Asthma:

Managing asthma in children is a bit more difficult when compared to adults, as children often cannot convey the difficulty or the symptoms in a clear manner. Moreover, various other conditions like rhinitis, sinusitis, etc. may also cause symptoms like that of asthma, making diagnosis even more difficult. The common diagnostic tests for asthma include:

Spirometry: The doctor may do several lung functions tests like spirometry to diagnose airway obstruction accurately. Spirometry measures how much air your child can exhale and how quickly it happens.

Exhaled Nitric Oxide Test: If lung function tests are not enough, the doctor may do an Exhaled Nitric Oxide Test to confirm the diagnosis.

It is to be noted that these tests are not very effective in very young children (below five years of age) and hence the diagnosis may require additional information from you or the child.

The treatment method depends on many factors like the age of the child, the severity of asthma or if the condition is triggered by allergy, etc. The doctor may prescribe long-term medications like inhaled corticosteroids, leukotriene modifiers etc. Besides, if the condition is triggered by an allergy, the doctor may prescribe allergy medications or immunotherapy. These may be complemented by lifestyle changes, reducing the exposure to allergens, etc.

Management of paediatric asthma requires immense skill and experience. Motherhood’s team of highly qualified paediatricians and other specialists are fully equipped to treat childhood asthma. At Motherhood, we constantly strive to provide your child with comprehensive and holistic paediatric care.

Pediatrics Dermatology

Dermatology is the branch of medicine that deals with the diseases of skin, hair, and nails. Paediatric dermatology specifically deals with skin problems in children (from newborns to adolescents). Paediatric dermatologists specialise in the diagnosis and treatment of a wide variety of skin conditions in children.

Common skin conditions in children:

Skin conditions are quite common in infants as well as adolescents. Some of the most common skin conditions include:

• Birthmarks (vascular and pigmented)
• Atopic dermatitis
• Contact dermatitis
• Moles and warts
• Skin infections
• Rashes
• Genodermatoses (inherited skin conditions)
• Collagen vascular disorders
• Acneiform eruptions
• Psoriasis

Why Paediatric Dermatology?

Paediatric dermatologists specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of such skin conditions in children. Many of these conditions which affect children are not common in adults (like infantile haemangioma blood vessel growth) and some conditions manifest in children in a different way as compared to adults (psoriasis for example). 

Thus, diagnosis and treatment of skin problems in children require special skills and expertise, which paediatric dermatologists possess.
Moreover, children also find it difficult to convey their problems and are unable to precisely answer medical questions. 

Paediatric dermatologists know how to examine and treat a child in a friendly and empathetic manner.

Services offered:

Paediatric dermatologists offer a wide variety of services including:

• Accurate diagnosis of various skin conditions common in children
• Prescription treatment for conditions affecting the skin, hair, or nails
• Performing surgical operations like biopsies, removal of lesions, etc.
• Laser treatment of vascular birthmarks

At Motherhood, we care for your health as well as the health of your child. Our team of paediatricians and other specialists is highly qualified and experienced in treating various childhood conditions including skin disorders. At Motherhood, we provide global standards of treatment and paediatric care.

Pediatrics: Minor Illnesses and Injuries

Newborns and children in their early years are prone to various illnesses and injuries. Children grow rapidly during the early years as they are not yet fully developed, both physically and mentally. Even the immune system is not completely developed, and hence preventive measures must be taken to prevent minor illnesses and injuries in children.

Common Illnesses:

Some of the most common paediatric minor illnesses are:

• Common cold: Young children are often affected by the common cold (some children get common cold up to eight times a year). Symptoms include runny nose, fever, nasal congestion, headache, etc.
• Sinusitis: in children, bacterial infection leading to inflammation of the sinuses is also common. Antibiotics may be required for the treatment of sinusitis in children.
• Sore throat: This is another common paediatric illness. It is often painful and causes difficulty in swallowing food or water.
• Ear pain: Another common and painful condition common among children is ear pain. It can have multiple causes including ear infection, infection of the skin, sinusitis, etc.
• Urinary tract infections: If your child complains of a burning sensation while urination, or frequently urinates, he or she might be suffering from urinary tract infections.
• Skin conditions: Bacterial infection or allergic reactions are quite common in children leading to rashes, redness in the skin, itching, etc.