Frequently Asked Questions

• Why should you prefer your doctor to a big multispeciality hospital?

  • Less number of pathological and biochemical tests.
  • Lesser chance of exposure to radiological investigations.
  • Greater accessibility.
  • Easy communication over telephone with your doctor.
  • Lesser medicines and lesser chance of getting overdruged.
  • Lesser consultation fee.
  • Convenience of frequent reporting.
  • Less chance of getting admitted, with hugely inflated medical bill.
  • Your doctor knows you better and can treat you better.
  • Greater time saving.
  • Saving on transport cost and fatigue.

  When it comes to health care your personal doctor can provide you much better services than a larger multispeciality hospital. It saves you time, money and worries. Remember a hospital investing huge amount of money will try to recover it from its patients. Therefore doctors working there are under immense pressure to write tests and get patients admitted unnecessarily. Statistically only one in twenty five patients will genuinely need the services of a big hospital with its sophisticated equipments in his/her life time.




• Does your child have early sign of Autism. Please check.

  To aid in the proper diagnosis of autism, the world renowned Mayo Clinic has developed this 18 point check list of possible autism signs found in three crucial areas of development. If you notice your child is exhibiting one or more of the following, seek further medical advice and testing.

  • Social skills
    • Fails to respond to his or her name
    • Has poor eye contact
    • Appears not to hear you at times
    • Resists cuddling and holding
    • Appears unaware of others’ feelings
    • Seems to prefer playing alone — retreats into his or her “own world”
  • Language
    • Starts talking later than other children
    • Loses previously acquired ability to say words or sentences
    • Does not make eye contact when making requests
    • Speaks with an abnormal tone or rhythm — may use a singsong voice or robot-like speech
    • Can’t start a conversation or keep one going
    • May repeat words or phrases verbatim, but doesn’t understand how to use them
  • Behavior
    • Performs repetitive movements, such as rocking, spinning or hand-flapping
    • Develops specific routines or rituals
    • Becomes disturbed at the slightest change in routines or rituals
    • Moves constantly
    • May be fascinated by parts of an object, such as the spinning wheels of a toy car
    • May be unusually sensitive to light, sound and touch




• I do not have enough breast milk. Is it OK to give my child tinned milk ?

  Why do you think your breast milk is insufficient ? If the child passes urine more than 6 times in 24 hrs and gains weight at least 500 gm in a month, you may be sure that he is getting enough milk. Anxiety of any type may reduce milk secretion. Be confident and enjoy feeding your child on breast




• My 10 days old son has firm and nodular nipple. His grandma has suggested squeezing and expressing out the milk. Is it right?

  The swelling of a newborn's breast is due to influence of mother's hormone on the child, which dwindles with time. Leave the breast alone. Squeezing may invite infection.




• My 21 days old child has frequent hiccups. What shall I do?

  Hiccup in a baby is not a sign of any disease. It may subside if you feed him. The child is not distressed, as he seems to be.




• My 1 ^1/2 month old child cries before passing urine.Should I go for a urine test?

  When a child's bladder is filled up, it is stretched causing pain. The pain is relieved after he passes urine. There is no need for a urine test.




• My 2 months old child is exclusively breast-fed. He passes stool every alternate day. When can I do to make him pass stool regularly.Should I feed him a little water in summer?

  A breast-fed baby may normally pass stool 5 to 6 times a day or at 3 to 4 days interval. So your child's bowel habit is within normal limits.When the child is thirsty, give him breast milk, which will quench his thirst as well as provide nutrition. Giving her water is unnecessary and may invite infection.




• My 7 months old child sweats a lot on his head. His forehead feels quite warm. What should I do?

  Sweating of head is normal. Record his body temperature and if it is more than 100 F he is having fever. Body temperature less than 100 will not be considered as fever




• My 10 months old child is cheerful and active but has no tooth yet. What medicine will help in tooth eruption?

  Normally a child has first tooth at 7 months while some may be born with 1 or 2 teeth. If the child otherwise is growing normally there is no need for concern with this delay. Vitamins and calcium supplements are unnecessary. Malnutrition or vitamin D deficiency may delay eruption of teeth, but manifestation of this deficiency will be apparent in other parts of the body as well.




• My daughter is 1 year 2 months old. She cannot walk. How can I teach her to walk early? Will a walker help?

  Many children start walking at 1^1/2 years. So you can wait for a few months more, provided there is no other problem with the child. If the child can stand with support, he is normal. a child in a walker may trip and hurt himself. Walker should not be used. As the nervous system matures the child will begin to walk. There is no way to hasten the process of maturity.




• My 2 years old son when annoyed holds his breath while crying and turns blue. How can this be managed ?

  Many stubborn children have this problem of breath holding spells. Ignore this and leave the room, when the child cries. Do not get anxious.This does not harm the child.




• When can I send my 2 ^1/2 years old child to school?

  A 3-years-old child can attend a nearby school to play and interact with other children. There should not be any formal study in such schools. Only playful activity is encouraged. The child learns to be social.If your child is happy at home and interacts well with other children at home, there is no need to send him to a nursery school. A 5 year old child should be sent to a school.




• My 3 years old child scratches his anus. I have given him worm medicine several times but the problem recurs. What medicines should be given to eradicated worms?

  Your child has thread worm infestation. Usually these worms reaches the anal opening at night and lay eggs, irritating the area. So scratching is frequent at night. These eggs may stick to the clothes and bed linens and contaminate others. So all the members of the household should take the worm medicines at the same time. Besides trimming the nails, wearing underpants to prevent direct scratching of the part will prevent recurrence. Putting dirty things in mouth or dirty water will reinfest the child. So hygienic measures are important to prevent it from recurring.




• How can you treat prickly heat in summer ?

  There is no powder which can cure prickly heat and further prevent it. It may sooth the itching. Regular bathing with soap and wearing light cotton clothes and keeping the child cool will prevent prickly heat to some extent. Dry and cooler weather will cure prickly heat.




• My 3 months old child is breast-fed. I have to join my job from next month. How do I prepare him for tinned milk?

  Before going to work breast-feed the child. An average child needs feed every 3 to 4 hours.So you can express the breast milk and store it in a steel container. Each time your child needs 100 ml of milk on an average. This milk can be stored at room temperature for 8 hours. Cover the container with a clean cloth. Feed the milk when the child demands. If the child remains hungry or if you are late, feed him tinned milk with a spoon. Bottle-feeding is not advised. There is no need to practice the child on tinned milk before you join office.




• My 1^-1/2 year old son does not talk. He uses gestures to communicate. What should I do?

  If your child did not have any problem during birth and if his physical and mental development is normal, he understands language and can hear, there is no reason why he won't speak. Many normal children have delayed speech. If he does not speak even after 3 years consult an ENT to see if the child has haering problem. If everything is normal speech therapy may help.




• My 5 year old child passes frequent small amount of urine but remains dry at night most of the time. His urine test reports are normal. What should I do?

  This problem will be solved with age. There is no need to be concerned.When he has the urge ask him to hold it for some time. Ask him to stop for a few seconds in the middle of passing urine.




• My child is very naughty and frequently hurts his head. Will this harm the child?

  A severe injury may definitely damage the brain. A child's head is soft and hence can absorb considerable amount of impact. If the child becomes senseless. vomits repatedly, becomes drowsy or have a weakness of limbs he needs medical attention. From experience it may be safely said that 99% of children hurting their head will not have any serious consequences.




• My child is 3 years old. He had jaundice after birth, which decreased by its own. Will this jaundice affect him in future?

  Jaundice appearing in a newborn on the second day of birth is usaully physioslogical jaundice and disappears by 8 to 10th day. This does not harm the child.If the jaundice is severe and child's body becomes yellow or the serum bilirubin exceeds 20 mg per 100 ml of blood especially in low birth weight child,it may damage the brain. Your child did not have such severe jaundice, so there is no need to be concerned.




• How do I care for my child with fever?

  Remember fever is a friend and it fights disease. It is body's protective response to infection. Give paracetamol syrup if fever exceeds 101ºF. Give the child plenty of fluid and rest. Offer her normal diet but do not force feed. Keep the child is a cool environment. Sponge with cold water liberally if fever crosses 104ºF.




• When should I consult a doctor for my child's fever?

  

  • If the child is less than one year.
  • If the child's temperature is more than 101º F.
  • If the chiuld is lethargic or too cranky.
  • If fever is accompanied with cough and cold, loose stool, vomiting, stomachache, headache or convulsion.
  • If the fever persists for more than 5 days.
  • If there is an epidemic like malaria, encephalitis, dengue in the locality.




• When should I worry about my child's appetite and seek medical advice?

  • If the child suffers from frequent fever, cough and cold ie. More than twice a month. (suspect urinary infection or TB)
  • If the urine color is dark yellow every time (suspect jaundice).
  • The child is lethargic (suspect blood or brain infection).
  • He cannot retain food and throws up after each feed or always nauseated. (suspect jaundice of intestinal obstruction).
  • If he loses more than 1 kg in a month or does not gain at least 1 kg in 6 months, on the same weighing machine. (suspect chronic infection, heart or kidney ailments).




• When should I seek doctor's advice in case of diarrhea or loose motion?

  • If the child has stomachache.
  • If the stool is greenish or contains blood.
  • If the child is vomiting continuously.
  • If the child is lethargic or restless.
  • If his abdomen is unusually distended and hurting.
  • If he does not pass urine for 8 hours. In such cases child may need medication or intravenous fluid.




• How can I prevent diarrhea?

  

  • Wash hands thoroughly before feeding or preparing food.
  • Give the child boiled water.
  • Trim nails.
  • Prevent the child from putting dirty things in mouth.
  • Prepare food hygienically and keep them covered.
  • Do not use pond or river water for bathing, drinking and cleaning utesils.




• How to Stop a Nose Bleed?   

  While it can be scary to see blood coming out of the nose, staying calm is very important. If you follow the steps below, you should be able to successfully stop a nose bleed.
  Steps :
  During the Nose Bleed :Pinching Method

  • 1. Pinch your nose hard just below the bridge. There is a vein just below the nose bone that is the culprit in 99% of bloody noses. Pinching puts pressure on it, which arrests the bleeding and speeds the clotting process.
  • 2. Find a bathroom as you continue pinching. Now that you have slowed the bleeding by pinching, you should find a bathroom where you can clean up once the bleeding has stopped.
  • 3. Keep applying pressure for at least 5 minutes at a time. Periodically stop pinching to check if it is still bleeding. (This is also a good time to quickly wash any blood off your hands and get a paper towel or toilet paper to pinch with so that blood gets on the paper and not your hand.) If it is, continue pinching. Don't check every 30 seconds, as the key is constant pressure.

  During the Nose Bleed :Pinching Method

  • 1. Find the two very slight depressions on the back of the skull, approximately four finger-widths from the base of the skull (in line with the tops of the ears) and four finger-widths from the mid-line of the back of the skull. If you had eyes in the back of your head, this is where they would be.
  • 2. Press the spots firmly, but gently, and if you have connected correctly, the bleeding should stop immediately. Keep up the pressure for about five minutes and then release. If the bleeding starts again, just repeat the process, but hold it longer: you may have to keep up the pressure for ten to fifteen minutes to stop it completely.

  Upper Lip Method

  • 1. Roll up a piece of gauze or tissue into a "cigar shape" approximately 2 inches long and a little thicker than a pencil.
  • 2. Wedge the tube under your upper lip where it's tight and close your lip over it.
  • 3. Apply light pressure by compressing your lip over the wad. Tilt your head forward.

  After the Nose Bleed

  • 1. Clean out your nose after the bleeding has stopped. Lightly blow your nose to clear out any excess blood. You might try twirling the edge of a paper towel to use as a makeshift swab to help clean your nose. Be delicate. This should not start the bleeding again but if it does, that is a sign that it wasn’t properly stopped in the first place.
  • 2. Clean up everything else. Your hands, your face, the sink--anything you dropped blood on needs to be cleaned.
  • 3. Moisturize. If you have chap stick, moisturizer or Neosporin on hand, put a little of that in your nose to help healing and prevent it from bleeding again. If you are prone to bloody noses, it is a good idea to do this every morning to prevent bleeding, especially in dry weather.
  • 4. Put an extra paper towel in your pocket just in case it starts to bleed again. If it doesn’t start for the next hour, you should be in the clear.
  • 5. Avoid doing anything to cause your nose to bleed. Don't blow your nose, pick your nose, or bump it if at all possible. Nose bleeds can be caused by accidents, but are more commonly caused by dry conditions, causing the nasal membranes to dry out and crack. While we don't feel this, the end result is obvious.

  Tips

  • • There are as many ways to stop a nose bleed as there are to cure hiccups. You'll have to experiment to find which one(s) work most effectively for you. Some other tips and tricks to consider are:
    • For severe nose bleeds (lasting longer than 5 minutes) you may need to hold an ice pack to your nose. This will constrict blood vessels slowing the flow of blood.
    • Keep a set of metal keys in the freezer in a ziplock baggie, and when a nose bleed starts, take them out of the freezer and hold to the back of your neck until the bleeding stops.
    • Take a junior "light" tampon and push it a little ways into the nostril. It will soak up all the blood and when you stop bleeding, you can gently pull it out. While tampons are not considered sterile, they are generally low in bacteria count.
    • You can also apply pressure to the hollows next to the spine directly where it joins the skull, as this helps to keep the sinuses clear.
    • A folk method that sometimes works is to lift one of the sufferer's legs, take off their shoe, and smack the bottom of their foot several times. While it sounds rather odd, it sometimes actually works.
  • • Open your mouth when you sneeze. This reduces pressure on your nose if you've previously had a nose bleed and are worried about starting another one.
  • • If you get a lot of nose bleeds, talk to your doctor about getting your nose cauterized. This can greatly reduce them if not stop them all together.
  • • Use a saline nose spray during allergy season if you get frequent nose bleeds during this time.
  • • *Breathe through your mouth during the nosebleed, you'll do this automatically, but don't try to inhale through your nose, it won't be fun. Exhaling through your nose will encourage the nosebleed.
  • • To prevent problems in the future, raise the humidity level in your living quarters by using a humidifier. Most nosebleeds occur when nasal blood vessels become dry and cracked.

  It is not recommended that you tilt your head back while suffering a nose bleed (contrary to popular belief). This allows blood to flow into the esophagus and poses a choking hazard. Tilt forward instead.

  
  

• What to do if my child limps?

  First find out if the child has hurt himself. Look for evidence of trauma or painful spot. Most cases of limp may be identified with meticulous examination. If the child can squat and can stand on his own without support you can be sure that he does not have any problem in his joints or any sort of muscle weakness. If the child has fever with limping it may be due to muscle pain caused by viral illness (viral myalgia) If the child with limp is disoriented or drowsy he should be admitted to exclude brain infection or brain tumour.
  A child with a limp should be always taken seriously moreover if he has following associated symptoms:
  • Fever
  • Rash
  • Poor Appetite
  • Pale Complexion
  • Severe Pain Causing Excessive and Persistent Irritability
  • Drowsiness
  
  Limping is never normal in childhood. Deviations from a normal age-appropriate gait pattern can be caused by a wide variety of conditions. In most children, limping is caused by a mild, self-limiting event, such as a contusion, strain, or sprain. In some cases, however, a limp can be a sign of a serious or even life-threatening condition. Delay in diagnosis and treatment can result in significant morbidity and mortality.
  So don’t wait for it to pass, see your doctor right away.