Infant

What can I do to relieve painful teething symptoms?

To relieve teething pain, you can:

• massage your baby’s gums
• use gels containing analgesics to reduce irritation (e.g. Bobodent, Anaftin Baby, Dentinox N and Calgel)
• rinse your baby’s gums with camomile tea
• give your baby slightly cooled teething rings to chew (never put a teething ring in the freezer! Baby’s gums are very delicate. A frozen teething ring can very easily cause frostbite on their gums)

If the pain is severe and your baby has trouble sleeping in the evening or eating, you can give them a painkiller (paracetamol or ibuprofen) following the manufacturer’s instructions given in the patient information leaflet. Do not exceed the permitted single and daily dosage of the medicine and do not give the medicine “just in case” when your baby feels OK.

How can I tell if my baby is constipated?

From about 6–8 weeks of age, babies who receive only breast milk can start having a poo in a new rhythm: every 2, 5, 7 and 10 days or even less frequently. Pay attention to the consistency of the poo. If the poo is mushy and your baby is pooing for example every week, it is not constipation. Hard, lumpy or pellet-like poos, even if your baby is pooing every day, mean that your baby is constipated. As long as your baby is not constipated, feels fine and has an appetite, there is no reason to help them with their bowel movements.

How can I help my baby when she has colic?

Massage the baby’s tummy – gently, clockwise or from top to bottom using the edge of your right and left hand.

Lay your baby on her tummy – remember to keep an eye on her.

Place your baby with their tummy resting on your hand/forearm, belly or chest – heat has a relaxing effect on your baby’s tummy.

Perform these procedures not only during colic bouts. Do it regularly throughout the day.

Colic can be reduced by giving a probiotic containing Lactobacillus reuteri (e.g. BioGaia) for about 3 weeks.

Pay attention to the feeding technique – check whether the breastfed baby is not swallowing too much air or whether a hole in the teat of the bottle you use to feed your baby is not too big.

Fever

What to do if my baby has a fever?

Babies YOUNGER than 3 months

If your baby is less than 3 months old, ALWAYS consult your doctor.

Babies between 3 and 6 months of age

• Reduce your baby’s body temperature by placing cold compresses on their head, neck, belly and groins.
• If your baby’s body temperature exceeds 38°C, give antipyretics upon consultation with your baby’s doctor.
• If this does not help, give your baby a 15-minute bath in lukewarm water – water temperature should not be more than two degrees lower than your baby’s body temperature.
• It is very important that your baby drinks a lot – give them lukewarm liquids..
• Remember that your baby should be dressed in a way that suits the room temperature – do not let your baby become overheated! The temperature in the room should not exceed 20°C (ideally 18–19°C), the room should be regularly aired (even for 2–3 minutes, but every hour) and the air in it should be humidified.

Babies OLDER than 6 months

• Reduce your baby’s body temperature by placing cold compresses on their head and neck, and in the case of small babies also on their belly and groins.
• When your baby’s body temperature exceeds 38°C, you can give them antipyretics such as paracetamol and/or ibuprofen. Medication should be given taken into account your baby’s body mass:
• ibuprofen: 5 mg/kg/dose
• paracetamol: 15 mg/kg/dose
• Salicylic acid should not be used in children under 12 years of age
• Usually one drug is given in 3–4 doses per day, that is every 6–8 hours. If the fever is high or difficult reduce, ibuprofen and paracetamol can be given alternately every 6 hours. Do not exceed permitted single and daily doses.
• If this does not help, give your baby a 15-minute bath in lukewarm water – water temperature should not be more than two degrees lower than your baby’s body temperature.
• It is very important that your baby drinks a lot – give them lukewarm liquids.
• Remember that your baby should be dressed in a way that suits the room temperature – do not let your baby to become overheated! The temperature in the room should not exceed 20°C (ideally 18–19°C), the room should be regularly aired (even for 2–3 minutes, but every hour) and the air in it should be humidified.

Fever in babies – when to contact a doctor?

ALWAYS contact your doctor when:

• the fever occurred in a child under 3 months of age
• the fever occurred for the first time in the child’s life or has an unusual, non-standard course
• • red spots, petechiae or small ecchymosis (a condition that requires IMMEDIATE medical attention) have appeared on the child’s skin
• when your child is excessively sleepy, complains of blurred vision, headache or stiff neck
• when abdominal pain, stools with blood or frequent and heavy vomiting occur
• when your child is dehydrated – they pass a small amount of urine, have dry lips and tongue, and cry without tears
• when your child breathes differently than usual – breathing is fast and restless
• when the fever exceeds 39.5ᵒC and is not reduced despite taking antipyretics
• when your child has convulsions – if they last for longer than 10 minutes, call an ambulance (emergency number: 112 or 999)
• when the fever exceeding 38ᵒC lasts longer than 3 days

Influenza

Should my baby be vaccinated against the flu?

Vaccination is the best protection against the flu – it reduces the risk of getting sick by 70– 90%. Even if despite vaccination one catches the flu, the vaccine will help reduce severity of its symptoms and the number of complications such as viral pneumonia, bronchitis, myocarditis, pericarditis and otitis.

When is the best time to get a flu vaccine?

The best time to have a flu vaccine is before the flu season, which in Poland lasts from September to the end of April. Most people fall ill between January and March, so it is worth having a vaccine in December or early January.

Children should be vaccinated from the age of 6 months. To achieve a satisfactory level of protection, children up to the age of 9 and those who are vaccinated for the first time should be given 2 doses of the vaccine at an interval of at least one month. In subsequent years, only one dose of the vaccine is given.

Should flu vaccination be repeated every year?

Yes, vaccination should be repeated every year as influenza viruses are constantly changing. Every year the World Health Organization (WHO) gives recommendations on the composition of the vaccine.

Can the vaccine give my child the flu?

The entire virus is not injected into the body with the flu vaccine, so it is not possible for the virus to penetrate the cells, multiply and cause the disease. It may happen that a person with other infection starting to develop gets the flu shot, which by temporarily reducing immunity, paves the way for another infection. Therefore, before getting a vaccine, a qualifying visit to a doctor is necessary.

Tick bite

Who should remove the tick and when?

You should remove the tick as soon as possible yourself or with the help of another person. Do not wait for a doctor or nurse to help you if this would delay the removal of the tick.

How can I remove the tick myself?

• Use tweezers to firmly grip the tick as close to the skin as possible.
• Smoothly pull it out until it is completely removed.
• If any part of the tick remains in the skin, remove it with a needle (like a splinter).
• Having removed the tick, disinfect the skin.
• You can use special tools available from pharmacies, such as a tick twister, a tick lasso or a small pump.

When to see a doctor after a tick bite?

See a doctor if:

• erythema with a diameter of about 5 cm with central clearing (erythema migrans) appears in the area of the bite within 6–60 days. The skin lesion visible in the first 6 days after the tick bite is not erythema migrans, but usually local inflammation or local allergic reaction;
• there are other symptoms: swollen lymph nodes, slightly raised temperature, headache, joint pain or muscle pain.

There is no indication for the routine administration of antibiotics after a tick bite or for testing the tick for transmitted infections.

Having removed the tick, should I take it for testing?

The tick is not tested for Borrelia burgdorferi because, regardless of the result, it does not change the procedure, i.e. careful observation of whether erythema, slightly raised temperature, swollen lymph nodes or flu-like symptoms accompanied by fever, headache, joint pain, muscle pain and fatigue occur. If such symptoms occur in your child, see a doctor immediately.

Allergy

Can skin tests be performed in children? From what age?

Skin tests can be performed in children over 3 years of age. In younger children, the skin’s reaction to allergens may be weaker and the tests will not be fully reliable.

If allergic rhinitis is suspected, is it necessary to visit an allergist or can medicines be prescribed by a paediatrician?

When allergic rhinitis is suspected, an e-prescription can be issued by a paediatrician or GP.