What is colic?
Colic does not have a standard definition. It is best described as a state of prolonged and excessive crying in a baby that is otherwise well. A baby with colic is probably not hot, hungry, cold, or in any kind of pain. Crying is normal in infancy. All infants cry more in the first 3 months of life than at any other time. In fact, babies normally cry for up to 2 hours per day.
Infants with colic cry excessively for no apparent reason. In order to diagnose a colicky baby, the “rule of three’s” should be present – the baby cries for at least 3 hours per day, at least 3 days per week, and this should continue for at least 3 weeks.
Jaundice is the yellow tinge of the skin, sclera (whites of the eyes) and inside of the mouth that arises when the bilirubin level in the blood is higher than normal. While it is often referred to as “yellow jaundice”, the word jaundice in itself means yellow tinge. Jaundice is more often seen in newborn babies but can also occur in adults as a result of liver and blood disorders.
Diarrhoea, or “runny tummy”/”running stomach”, is frequent liquid stools or loose bowel movements which is one of the most common illnesses that affects all age groups. In most cases it resolves on its own without leading to any complications. However, in babies, toddlers and children, a parent has to be especially careful and guard against dehydration. This can rapidly set in with dangerous consequences and may even become life-threatening. In babies, sometimes the stool can be so liquid that it can be mistaken for urine.
Chickenpox is one of the most common childhood viral infections and in most cases it is a mild disease. However complications arising from chickenpox can be quite severe and like other childhood diseases, it can be prevented with the proper vaccination. Chickenpox is highly contagious and affects most children within the first 10 years of life. In adults, the disease can be more severe but complications are usually rare aunless the person is immunocompromised like in HIV/AIDS patients.
The MMR vaccine is a 3-in-1 combination vaccine offering protection against measles, mumps and rubella (German measles). While only the measles vaccine is mandatory, many parents opt for the MMR vaccine for the added protection from mumps and rubella because both infections can cause serious complications. Unfortunately, the MMR vaccine has also received a lot of negative press because of supposed links to autism which is totally unfounded.
The dangers of cigarette smoking is widely publicised in the media and smokers cannot claim to be ignorant about the dangers of this habit as cigarette packs now contain warnings. While cigarette smoking poses a health risk to all smokers, pregnant women should be more cautious as they are risking both their pregnancy as well as the health of their child in the future. Pregnant women who do not smoke but are exposed to cigarette smoke (secondary smoke) are also at risk of these detrimental effects associated with cigarette smoking in pregnancy.
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