Bugs, nits and pollens on loose

Bugs to look out for this summer, with tips on dealing with them from Colleen Fakalogo-toa, Plunket's general manager of northern operations:

Gastroenteritis


A tummy bug causing vomiting and diarrhoea. It can be picked up from contaminated water and food, or children not washing their hands after going to the toilet.

Take care with children's school lunches, says Colleen Fakalogotoa. Heed the TV ads telling you how to keep food.

Store it properly in cold conditions, particularly chicken and ham.

Water rules


Tied in with tummy bugs is dehydration. Vomiting and diarrhoea can quickly dehydrate a child, especially in summer heat. Make sure children have access to water at school, and Colleen Fakalogotoa does not recommend juice or sweet drinks, which tend to make children more dehydrated.

Hay fever and allergies


It is that time of the year when children may turn up with red, sore eyes and develop conjunctivitis from rubbing and scratching at the eyes.

They may get hives, rashes or eczema, and they could have a runny, stuffy nose in the middle of summer.

"Because their nose is stuffed up they will sleep with their mouth open and they can get a dry sore throat and maybe not sleep that well," says Colleen Fakalogotoa.

"And if they're not breathing properly through their nose they can get their ears blocked - it sets up a chain reaction."

Allergies are caused by pollens in particular at this time of year, especially grass pollens. When children come home from school have them change out of their uniform.

A shower is good for washing the pollen off face and hair.

"Wash the uniform, wash the clothes and wear something different the next day."

Antihistamines can keep symptoms at bay, but get advice from your GP or pharmacist.

Ever-present


The cleaner the hair, the more mouth-watering the head for nits.

The only way to get rid of the little blood-suckers is to use a proper solution on the hair and treat brushes and combs.

Instructions must be followed strictly. If the solution, which is an insecticide, is supposed to be on for 10 days "and you wash the hair in the middle with shampoo then you completely annul the work of insecticides."

Brush the hair thoroughly every day to break the nits' legs.

The whole family may need to be treated.

Scabies


These mites burrow under the skin and lay eggs. When these hatch and the bugs come out of the skin they cause tremendous itching.

"The skin breaks and has rashes and that can be quite infectious."

Again, an insecticide will kill the scabies mite and again, see your GP or pharmacist.

But if your child has a rash, take him or her to the doctor. Treat all the family.

Cellulitis


An inflammation and infection of the skin.

Heat does not help. The treatment is antibiotics.

General advice for parents


Colleen Fakalogotoa says follow your instincts and take children to the doctor if worried. Any sore or infection that fails to clear up needs investigating.

Keeping children healthy is a matter of good sleep, plenty of exercise "and all the usual stuff that we heard from our grandmothers: drink plenty of water, eat a balanced diet ... and kids being happy. Kids heal up better when they're happy."

* Plunket can be reached on 0800 933-922 or check your phone book for the local office.



Border:

HOW DISEASES SPREAD

Childhood infectious diseases are spread in different ways.

* Requires direct contact with an infected person's skin or body fluid: chickenpox, cold sores, conjunctivitis, head lice, impetigo, ringworm and scabies.

* Passes from one person to another through the air via the lungs, throat or nose: chickenpox, common cold, measles, mumps, rubella, whooping cough, pneumonia.

* If you touch faeces then your mouth, you might contract illnesses such as: campylobacter, E. coli, infectious diarrhoea, pinworms.

* Spread by touching the fluid from another person's infected sores: skin infections.

* Spread by an uninfected person being exposed to saliva or mucus from an infected person then touching own mouth, eyes or noses: Respiratory tract infections (coughs, sneezes, runny noses).

* Contracted by coming into contact with germs from the faeces of another person: Intestinal tract infections.This can happen, for example, when small hands pick up toys which have been contaminated by other small hands and the germs are transferred from the toy to the mouth.