Read What to Expect the Toddler Years Online
Authors: Heidi Murkoff
What to Expect the Toddler Years (291 page)
1 cup unsweetened fruit juice, or fruit juice blend
1
/
2
cup fruit juice concentrate
1
/
2
cup fruit, such as sliced fresh banana, peach, or apricots; or drained canned juice-sweetened fruit (optional)
1. Combine the gelatin and the water in a small saucepan. Stir and let stand to soften the gelatin, 1 minute. Heat over medium-high heat just to boiling. Remove from the heat and stir in the juice and juice concentrate, blending until the gelatin is dissolved.
2. Pour the mixture into a shallow bowl or 4 individual custard cups. Place in the freezer until thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the fruit, if desired. Chill in the refrigerator until firm.
EADY
R
EFERENCE
Common Home Remedies
Most treatments recommended to handle many of the common ills or injuries of childhood are easy to administer at home—if you know how. If the specifics (how long to treat, for example) given by the medical professional treating your child differ from the advice here, follow the professional advice. Of course, how long you
can
treat may be limited by your child’s tolerance (see page 680 for kid-friendly approaches to treatment).
Fill a basin (an ice bucket or cooler works best) with cold water and add a tray or two of ice cubes. Dip a clean washcloth or towel in the water, wring it out, and apply it to the injury or around the injured part. Rechill the cloth when it’s no longer cold. Continue compresses for 15 to 30 minutes or as directed by the doctor or another medical professional. Do not apply ice directly to the skin.
Fill a basin (an ice bucket or cooler works best) with cold water and add a tray or two of ice cubes. Immerse the injured part for 15 minutes or as directed by the doctor. Repeat in 30 minutes, if necessary.
Fill a basin (an ice bucket or cooler works best) with cool water from the tap. Dip a clean washcloth or towel in the water, wring it out, and apply to the injury. Redip when the cloth no longer seems wet and cool. Continue for 15 to 30 minutes or as directed by the doctor.
Dip a clean washcloth in warm, not hot, water (test temperature for comfort on your inner wrist or forearm), and apply to your child’s eye for 5 to 10 minutes every 3 hours.
Proper hand washing by adults
and
children can prevent the spread of infection. It can sometimes even help in treatment, by preventing self-reinfection and secondary infections. Use soap or detergent
and warm water (warm enough to cut through grease and grime, but not so hot as to burn) and rub vigorously for 10 seconds. Be sure to get under nails, around cuticles, and into creases. Rinse very thoroughly to wash germs away. (Help your child do a thorough job until he or she is old enough to wash solo.)
Cold sufferers breathe easier and sleep better with their heads slightly raised. Raise your toddler’s head by putting a pillow, cushion, folded blanket, or telephone book
under
the head of the mattress.
If you use a heating pad (a hot-water bottle, which has no cords or heating element, is usually safer to use with a toddler), re-read the manufacturer’s directions before each use and follow them carefully. Be sure the pad and cord are in good condition and that the pad has a cover (if it doesn’t, wrap a towel or cloth diaper around it). Keep the temperature low and apply the pad for no more than 15 minutes at a time. Do not leave your toddler alone with the heating pad.
Alternative medicine, of which homeopathy is a part, is growing in popularity in the U.S. and elsewhere. Many homeopathic treatments have been around for a very long time and have been used in other parts of the world. Research to discover just how effective such therapies can be continues in the U.S. The work is still investigational, but there is some indication that homeopathic remedies can work for at least some illnesses: diarrhea, for example. Check with your doctor before using this or any other alternative treatment for your child or anyone in your family.
Never use hot compresses on a toddler; use warm compresses instead (page 839).
Fill a basin (an ice bucket or cooler works best) with water that feels
comfortably
hot on your inner wrist or arm. (Don’t test water temperature with your fingers; they can tolerate even excessive heat—and never use water you haven’t tested first.) Soak the injured part in the hot water for 15 minutes.
Fill a hot-water bottle with water that is just warm to the touch. Wrap the bottle in a towel or cloth diaper before applying to your child’s skin.
See “Humidifying,” page 838.
Use a commercial ice pack (keep one in your freezer at all times) or a plastic bag filled with ice cubes (add a couple of paper towels to absorb melting ice and tie closed with a twist tie or rubber band). Also effective: an unopened can of frozen juice or package of frozen food. Do not apply ice directly to your child’s skin; wrap the ice pack in a towel or a cloth diaper. To avoid frostbite, keep the ice pack on for only 20 to 30 minutes at a time.
HUMIDIFYING
Indoor air that is too dry tends to make for drier skin and scratchier throats, and may even lower resistance to respiratory infections. Some studies have shown that increasing the moisture in the air can reduce the incidence of respiratory infections and allergies. In fact, adding humidity to the air is an often recommended treatment for respiratory illnesses (such as colds and flu)—though whether humidification is effective or not isn’t clear.
Air that is
too
moist (humid), on the other hand, may be as unhealthy as air that is too dry. Excess humidity can encourage the growth of bacteria, dust mites, fungi (including molds), and some viruses. You can monitor the relative humidity in your home with an inexpensive hygrometer (available in hardware stores). Most experts suggest that maintaining indoor humidity between 30% and 50% is ideal. (Many airborne bacteria and viruses tend to thrive at levels of humidity that are either higher or lower, and die more quickly at this level.) If your child or anyone in the family suffers from mold allergies, keep the humidity close to 35%.
The Hows of Humidifying
There are a variety of ways to add moisture to the air in your home:
Central humidification.
A central system can add humidity to the entire home but is not very useful in a house without a vapor barrier (most pre-1950 homes do not have one), because the humidity can escape through the walls. A central system may also have many of the same problems that other humidifiers have (making the air
too
moist, filling it with microorganisms, minerals, molds, and so on).
Room humidifiers.
The array of appliances for humidifying the air in the home can be intimidating. But choosing a good one is important. Options include:
A cool-mist humidifier.
This kind of humidifier breaks water into tiny droplets, which it then sprays into the air as a cool mist. Because the water is unheated, it may contain potentially harmful germs, fungi, and molds unless the appliance is cleaned and sanitized according to the manufacturer’s directions.
Ultrasonic humidifier.
These humidifiers pulverize bacteria and mold, rendering them harmless. But they also pulverize minerals in the water and send them into the air as “white dust.” This white dust can be harmful, especially to those with allergies or asthma. So it’s best to use only distilled or demineralized water or demineralization cartridges or filters, if recommended for the unit. This will reduce scale buildup inside the unit as well as the release of white dust.
Wicking and evaporation-type humidifiers.
These units, in which a fan blows air through a wet pad or filter, send moisture into the air via evaporation rather than a spray. For this reason, they do not emit white dust and—as long as the filters or pads (which can become a breeding ground for germs) are cleaned regularly—are less likely to spread germs than other humidifiers.
A steam vaporizer.
This device boils water and sends steam into the air. It doesn’t spew germs or large amounts of white dust, but the minerals left behind when the water boils need to be removed periodically, so regular cleaning is necessary. The major drawback: A child can pull the appliance over and be scalded. For this reason, vaporizers are
not recommended
for homes with children; if you do use one, be absolutely certain your toddler can’t get to it.
A warm-mist vaporizer.
This type of unit boils the water, but the steam is cooled slightly before being discharged, resulting in a mist of warm-water droplets instead of real steam. It is still, however, hazardous and
not recommended
for a home with children.
Therapeutic humidifiers.
Available only by prescription, these are used for treating serious respiratory disorders—asthma, cystic fibrosis, and other chronic pulmonary conditions. Atomizers or non-ventilatory nebulizers can spray an over-the-counter medication (such as a nasal decongestant or cough suppressant) into the air, but use only on the advice of your child’s doctor.
Keep in mind that many humidifiers that are sold in department or discount stores make no medical claims and are therefore not subject to FDA regulation. A device that claims to help clear congestion is a better bet because it does have to meet FDA standards.
Bathroom steam.
This provides only short-term humidification and is best for dealing with a sudden attack of croup.
Kitchen steam.
A pot of water simmering on a hot plate or on the stove on the lowest heat (checked regularly to be sure the water hasn’t boiled out or a gas flame hasn’t flickered out) adds moisture to the kitchen and adjacent areas, but it’s risky in homes with young children and
not recommended.
A large coffee maker (without its innards or cover) filled with water and allowed to simmer or a pot of hot water on a radiator or a wood stove can also provide moisture, but again can be
very dangerous
if a toddler can get to it.
Keeping a Humidifier Clean
A humidifier that’s in regular use should be cleaned daily. When cleaning, empty any remaining water, wash according to manufacturer’s directions, and thoroughly wipe dry inside and out with a clean, lint-free towel. In addition, the unit in use should be sanitized every 7 days (or 14 days if it has a capacity of 5 gallons or more). To sanitize, follow the manufacturer’s directions, or empty and refill it with a solution of 1 teaspoon bleach to 1 gallon water. Let soak 20 minutes, swishing the water around every few minutes. Empty. Then remove any scale or mineral deposits with a soft brush or towel and a solution of equal parts vinegar and water. Rinse with water until you can no longer smell the bleach. Replace or clean filters or belts as recommended. Always sanitize and thoroughly dry a humidifier before storing. When taking it out of storage, remove any dust on the outside and sanitize the inside again before using.
Though it’s possible to use a homemade saline solution (
1
/
8
teaspoon salt to
1
/
2
cup boiled water, cooled to body temperature before using), commercial saline solutions are safer and easier to use (but do not use those that contain medication). To soften crusts and thin nasal secretions, put 2 drops of saline solution in each nostril with a clean small dropper. The child should be lying down, or sitting with his or her head back in order for the drops to be effective.
To provide quick and abundant steam for a child with croup (see page 602), close the bathroom door and turn on the hot water in the tub or shower full blast. The room should fill quickly with steam. Remain with your child in the bathroom until the croupy cough stops.
Fill a basin (an ice bucket or cooler works best) with warm, not hot, water (the temperature should feel comfortably warm on your inner arm). Dip a clean washcloth or towel in the water, wring it out, and apply it to the injury as directed by the doctor.
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Common Toddler Illnesses
When your child is sick, you want to know immediately what is wrong. Though that isn’t always possible, skimming the symptoms columns on the illness chart and comparing them to those your child is displaying can often yield some clues. For most illnesses, you should then check with the doctor for a confirmed diagnosis (see the “Call the Doctor” column) and for advice on what to do next. Treatment of many illnesses is symptomatic—you treat just the symptoms (acetaminophen for fever, humidifier for a stuffy nose, and so on) rather than the illness itself. Treatments for the most common symptoms are described starting on page 836; fever is dealt with in depth starting on page 578. When medication is prescribed be sure to give it correctly (see page 592). Note that the most common illnesses (colds, flu, earaches, tummy aches) are covered in Chapter Twenty.
