Caring for Common Childhood Complaints

There are many ways to make your child feel more comfortable at home during the duration of their illness and a number of symptoms which indicate further medical attention may be required. Parents are the best judge of a child's illness, but when in doubt it is best to seek professional medical advice.

Colic is a term used to describe instances when a young baby cries for several hours a day and is distressed for no apparent reason. Babies use crying as a way to communicate and it’s usual for young healthy babies to cry for up to two or three hours a day.

This can cause parents to feel distressed or anxious because nothing they do seems to help stop the baby from crying. Conflicting advice can often cause further confusion. Medical research indicates that a baby who often cries and appears unsettled is probably developing normally and that crying is the baby's way of communicating. As the baby learns to use their crying as a way of communicating specific needs such as hunger to the people who care for them (usually occurring from three months onwards), the 'excessive' crying will lessen.

Although there is no actual treatment for colic, there are many ways to make things a little more bearable whilst your baby 'grows out of' the problem. It is important to take your baby to a GP to make sure there is no physical problem underlying the crying. Talk to, soothe and hold your baby so they may be distracted from crying or offer them a bottle or a dummy to suck on. It is a good idea to try to find some peaceful time for yourself during the day - perhaps have a nap whilst your baby is asleep.

If you are unable to cope with the constant crying or are concerned about your baby, it is best to speak to your GP.

Almost all babies will get nappy rash at some stage of infancy. Babies have soft, sensitive skin which may be easily irritated by wetness, soaps, detergents and loose bowel movements and a red sore-looking nappy rash may develop.

To help prevent nappy rash it is important that you: change nappies as soon as you notice they are wet; avoid using plastic pants for extended periods; use nappy liners; clean your baby's bottom with diluted sorbolene cream instead of soap; use zinc cream or powder after each nappy change; and leave your baby nappy-free as often as possible.

Consult your family GP if: the rash is severe and doesn't respond to treatment after three or four days; the rash spreads or becomes pimply; or your baby shows signs of other illnesses such as fever.

Teething usually begins between six and ten months of age. Some babies may show no signs of discomfort whilst teething and others may appear bothered by each one of their twenty teeth as they come through.

Signs that your baby is teething range from the more obvious signs including red swollen gums and a visible bump in the gum as the tooth begins to push through, to signs which may also be due to a range of different reasons such as difficulty sleeping, irritable behaviour and dribbling excessively.

To help relieve your baby's discomfort: use your little finger to gently rub their gums; give them something firm to chew on such as a rusk, crust of toast or a clean toy designed for teething infants; and offer extra hugs, comfort and attention when your baby becomes irritable.

Teething gels containing a local anaesthetic may be applied to the gums of a teething baby but must be used only as directed. Paracetamol may also be given to teething babies to help minimise pain. However, it is important that you consult your local pharmacist or family GP before administering any medicine to your baby.

Although these common childhood complaints are a normal occurrence, do not hesitate to consult your family GP if you are concerned about your baby's welfare. Information provided by Chemmart pharmacies.