Health Help for You | The A-Z Of Health Care

Health Help for You The A-Z Of Health Care: "Every new parent hopes that their child's health will be free of all health complications, but a number of illnesses have been shown to afflict many newborns on a regular basis. This article will discuss five common illnesses in newborns, giving causes, symptoms and treatment options for each. The rotovirus is a viral infection found in babies and young children. Symptoms of the illness include diarrhea, vomiting, nausea and fever. The virus acts by attacking the lining of the small intestine. This results in dehydration from excessive loss of fluids and electrolytes. Often these symptoms will last from three to ten days. Children infected with the rotavirus can be contagious for ten to twelve days following the first signs of diarrhea. Home treatment consists of rest and administration of specially made electrolyte replacement products. Examples of these include gastrolyte, pedialyte and plamalyte. Oral thrush is an infection caused by the yeast fungus known as Candida albicans. It is also called candidosis or moniliasis, but usually these terms describe the appearance of infection in adults (candida albicans). Oral thrush often finds its way into the human body when the immune system is in a weakened state. Newborn babies are especially at risk from infections such as oral thrush. Two specific causes of oral thrush are a reaction to antibiotics and transmission from a mother with a yeast infection. The main symptom of oral thrush is evidence of painful white lesions on the inside of the mouth."