13 Childhood Diseases To Watch Out For In Namibia
Childhood is a time of exploration. Kids are always playing in the dirt, touching and placing objects into their mouths. It’s how they discover the world around them, and this helps your toddler or child to build a strong and healthy immune system.
Unfortunately, they also spread infections quickly. Think about when your toddler has a cold. They don’t reach for a tissue to wipe their nose. They use the sleeve of their shirt or their hand. Then they rub their eyes before picking up toys, touching objects, and the cycle goes on.
An unwell child will quickly spread the virus from their face to another child. So, it’s essential to keep your child home when they are ill.
To help you determine whether your little one needs medical care, we break down 13 common childhood diseases in Namibia, their symptoms, and how to treat them.
- Bronchitis
- Chickenpox
- Common cold
- Diarrhoeal disease
- Earache
- Hand, foot, and mouth
- HIV
- Malaria
- Measles
- Pneumonia
- Roseola infantum
- Tuberculosis
- Urinary Tract Infection
1. Bronchitis
Bronchitis is an infection of the bronchial tubes that carry oxygen to and from the lungs. It can be an acute infection that usually goes away on its own, or it can be chronic bronchitis that never completely goes away. Children with allergies, chronic sinusitis, asthma, and enlarged tonsils and adenoids are most likely to develop bronchitis regularly.
Treatment:
Most doctors recommend bed rest and plenty of fluids. Some will administer antibiotics and steroids such as cortisone and a bronchodilator cough syrup. For young children, it’s worth purchasing a humidifier for their room as this can help them breathe easier. Rubbing VIX on their chest and back can also help to open their airways.
Complications:
Bronchitis itself isn’t fatal. But in severe cases, acute bronchitis can cause pneumonia, and if left untreated, it can be fatal in immune-compromised children. Don’t wait to contact your doctor if your child is an asthmatic or undergoing chemotherapy.
Symptoms:
- Wheezing
- Dry cough or mucus-filled cough
- Runny nose
- Sore throat
- Fever
- Short of breath
- Tight chest
- Back and muscle pain
2. Chickenpox
Chickenpox is a highly contagious viral infection that usually lasts up to 10 days. Most children experience a mild form of the disease and feel a little unwell. But children with low immune systems, such as chronic asthmatics and children on chemotherapy, may need to be hospitalized.
Treatment:
In most cases, chickenpox doesn’t need medical treatment. Doctors may prescribe an antihistamine cream to prevent scratching and paracetamol to help with headaches and fever. Children who experience a severe reaction will be treated with antiviral medication or antibiotics.
Complications:
Chickenpox is only ever life-threatening in young babies and the unvaccinated. Deaths are rare, but they do occur.
Symptoms:
- Headaches
- High temperatures
- Loss of appetite
- Fatigue
- Red rash (raised pink bumps)
- Itchy fluid-filled blisters
- Scabs that form over the broken blisters
3. Common cold
The common cold is a contagious respiratory infection affecting the nose and throat area. It occurs most frequently in children under six years of age. It’s not uncommon for children to have six or more colds a year, especially if they’re at school.
Treatment:
Because the common cold is a viral infection, antibiotics are ineffective. Your doctor will recommend plenty of fluids, saline nasal spray, and bed rest. A cold typically lasts anywhere up to two weeks. Unless it goes into your child’s lungs and becomes bronchitis, your doctor won’t prescribe medication.
Complications:
Colds are only dangerous to newborns or children with compromised immune systems. Speak to your doctor if you have any questions or concerns.
Symptoms:
- Cough
- Runny nose
- Sore throat
- Feeling tired
- Sneezing
4. Diarrhoeal disease
Diarrhoea occurs because of malnutrition, drinking contaminated water, poor hygiene and sanitation, and children not getting enough breast milk. It’s most prevalent in the rural and impoverished areas where there is inadequate sewage removal, crowded living conditions, and no access to childhood immunization programs.
Treatment:
Diarrhoea is best treated with an oral rehydration solution (ORS) or sugar and salt dissolved in clean boiled water. In severe cases, your doctor will supplement the treatment with a 14-day course of 20 mg zinc tablets.
Complications:
Diarrhoeal disease is responsible for 19% of all deaths in children under five years of age, so don’t let it go untreated for too long.
Symptoms:
- Abdominal cramps or pain
- Loose and watery stools
- Fever
- Nausea and bloating
- Mucous in the stool
5. Earache
Almost all children develop earache at some point. It can occur because of a swimmer’s ear (an infection in the ear canal), fluid behind the eardrum, or a middle ear infection. Children under five are most at risk of developing earache because they’re prone to colds or upper respiratory infections.
Treatment:
To reduce the infection, your doctor will recommend antibiotics and ibuprofen to help manage the pain. If your child continues to suffer from ear infections, you’ll be referred to an ENT who may recommend grommets.
Complications:
While an ear infection cannot lead to death, recurrent ear infections can cause burst eardrums. Each time the eardrum bursts, it develops scar tissue, which can eventually lead to hearing loss. If your child complains of pain in their ear or you notice blood, contact your doctor immediately.
Symptoms:
- Pulling on the ear
- Redness or swelling on the outer ear
- Leakage such as blood
- Trouble hearing
- Popping sound
- Headache
- Fever
- Vomiting
- Ear pain
- Irritability
6. Hand, foot, and mouth
Hand, foot, and mouth is a common childhood disease that spreads through coughing, sneezing, and close contact such as kissing, hugging, or sharing toys and cups. It most typically affects children under five years of age.
Treatment:
Because hand, foot, and mouth is relatively contagious, your doctor will recommend that your child remains at home. It’s best treated with an anti-itch cream such as calamine lotion and aspirin or ibuprofen for pain. It takes up to 10 days for the virus to go away.
Complications:
While the disease can cause complications, it’s not fatal. Hand, foot, and mouth complications include dehydration, viral meningitis, encephalitis, and paralysis.
Symptoms:
- High temperature
- Sore throat
- Blisters (these can be painful)
- Lethargic
- Cranky
- Loss of appetite
- Feeling unwell
- Rash or spots
7. HIV
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a virus that attacks your child’s immune system weakening it to the point that it’s unable to fight off infections of the body. In most children living with HIV, the virus was passed on during birth or through breastfeeding.
Treatment:
If given antiretroviral drugs, children with HIV can lead a normal life. Unfortunately, the medicine can’t cure your child, but it can prevent massive damage to your little one’s immune system.
Complications:
Currently, the life expectancy of children diagnosed with HIV and not getting treatment is ten years. However, available treatment gives HIV-positive children a chance to live a full, normal life span.
It is also important to note that there are programs available in Namibia, for example, HIV PMTCT, that almost 100% guarantee an HIV-positive mother to have an uninfected baby.
Symptoms:
- Weight loss
- Delayed growth
- Regular fevers
- Low energy levels
- Frequent diarrhoea
- Enlarged lymph nodes
- Frequent infections
8. Malaria
Malaria is an infection resulting from a mosquito bite. The mosquito carries parasites from an infected host and passes them on. It commonly occurs in warm tropical areas. Anyone can become infected with malaria, but children and pregnant women are most severely affected by the disease.
Treatment:
Malaria is treated with anti-malaria drugs administered intravenously, via injection, or through the mouth. The quicker malaria can be diagnosed, the better. When caught early, a patient can be well within two weeks. Recently they have started trialling a malaria vaccine, so hopefully, in future, this disease can be prevented.
Complications:
Worldwide, 500000 people die from malaria every year. The severity of the illness ranges from one person to the next. Some experience very mild symptoms, while others are violently ill. It can be life-threatening, particularly to children who are malnourished.
Symptoms:
- Drowsiness
- Chills and a fever
- Sweating
- Headaches
- Nausea
- Aches and pains throughout the body
- Seizures
- Loss of consciousness
- Dehydration
- Anaemia
9. Measles
Measles is an incredibly contagious virus that spreads through the air. In children under five, it can cause serious health complications such as encephalitis, pneumonia, and hearing loss in children. Vaccination is crucial. And while a small number of MMR vaccinated children may still contract measles, they will only develop mild symptoms.
Treatment:
Because the virus doesn’t respond well to antibiotics, your doctor is likely to recommend ibuprofen to help with pain and reduce the fever, bed rest, fluids, vitamins, and using a humidifier to ease a sore throat.
Complications:
Three out of every 1000 children that get measles die. It’s vital that you seek medical attention if you suspect your child has measles.
Symptoms:
- A cough
- Fever
- Red and watery eyes
- Sore throat
- Rash
- White spots in their mouth
10. Pneumonia
Pneumonia is a lung infection that commonly occurs in children under the age of five. It can be mild or severe and is caused by a virus or bacteria. Pneumococcal pneumonia can be prevented by a vaccine.
Treatment:
Bacterial pneumonia is typically treated with antibiotics and steroids. A child may be hospitalized, placed on a drip, and given oxygen, depending on the severity. If it’s viral pneumonia, the doctor will likely advise bed rest, a saline nasal spray, and that the child drink plenty of fluids. It’s also a good idea to get a humidifier for the child’s room.
Complications:
While most healthy children’s immune systems are strong enough to fight pneumonia without requiring medication, those with a compromised immune system are at a higher risk of fatality.
Symptoms:
- Tight or wheezing chest
- Difficulty breathing
- Wet cough
- Headache
- Fever or chills
- Congestion
- Green or yellow mucous
11. Roseola infantum
Roseola infantum is an infection that commonly occurs in children under five. Most don’t even know they’ve had it, as the symptoms can be mild. After being exposed to the virus, it can take anywhere between seven days and two weeks for your child to show signs.
Treatment:
For the most part, your doctor will advise bed rest, plenty of fluids, and medication to help bring the fever down. If the fever persists beyond five days, contact your doctor.
Complications:
Thankfully, roseola isn’t fatal. While it does cause a mild fever, most children sail through the illness. Some will get a few pink spots on the back, chest, and stomach. For others, these will spread to their neck, arms, and legs. Luckily these spots aren’t itchy.
Symptoms:
- Fever lasting between three and five days
- Rash (pink spots with a white ring around it)
- Sore throat
- Runny nose
- Cough
- Swollen glands
- Mild diarrhoea
- Irritability
12. Tuberculosis
TB is a chronic infection mostly occurring in the lungs, but it can also affect the lymph nodes, kidneys, spine, or brain. It spreads through airborne droplets, which a child then breathes in. Roughly 1 million children worldwide are infected with tuberculosis every year.
Treatment:
Tuberculosis in children is preventable and treatable. For children with latent TB, doctors will prescribe medications that can be administered weekly or daily over several months. Children with active TB may be admitted to the hospital for a short-term stay. They’ll also be given between two and four medicines which they’ll need to be on for at least six months. All children are given the Bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccine shortly after birth.
Complications:
If left untreated, TB can be fatal, especially in children under five years of age. Paediatric tuberculosis is curable, so if you suspect your child is ill with the disease, seek medical help.
Symptoms:
- Persistent cough
- Lethargic
- Feeling sickly
- Weight loss
- Night sweats
- Fever
- Slow growth
- Chest pains
- Coughing up blood
You can read about symptoms and treatments relating to Tuberculosis here.
13. Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)
Urinary tract infections are common in children. While it is a short-term illness, it can cause a lot of discomfort and pain for your baby or child. It occurs because of bacteria entering the urinary tract through the anus and genital area. It can be challenging to diagnose in babies and small children as they can’t articulate the symptoms they’re experiencing. If you suspect your child has a UTI, see a doctor immediately.
Treatment:
Your doctor will treat your child’s infection with antibiotics such as Augmentin. These can be administered orally or intravenously. They may also prescribe aspirin to help with the fever and pain.
Complications:
While a urine infection isn’t fatal, roughly 3% of children may develop kidney problems later in life, including scarring. This can also lead to renal failure, hypertension, and toxaemia in pregnancy. So, it’s vital that you act quickly.
Symptoms:
- Pungent smelling urine
- Abdominal pain
- High temperature
- Irritability
- Vomiting
- Dialarhoea
- Jaundice
- Weight loss
- Frequent urination
- Burning sensation
- Back pain
- Fatigue
Immunisation against childhood diseases
To give your child the best shot at a healthy and happy life, ensure they get vaccinated against common childhood diseases. Immunization protects your child and anyone they encounter daily. It also ensures they’re more able to fight off viruses, so it’s vital that you vaccinate your child.
Learn more about your baby’s immunization schedule here.
If you’re sceptical about the effectiveness of childhood vaccines, we’ve compiled a blog debunking seven popular vaccine myths.
Next Steps
Most childhood diseases are preventable and treatable. Vaccines have helped to reduce the occurrence of many childhood diseases. If you want to give your child the best shot at a healthy and happy life, vaccinate. Contact our Well Baby and Mother Clinic on +264 64 218 900 to discuss any childhood vaccinations your child requires.
If you suspect your child is ill and requires immediate medical attention, speak to one of our specialist paediatricians or come to Welwitschia Hospital. Call us on +264 64 218 911 or email hello@welwitschiahospital.com.
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