8 March 2004
Dear Readers: Sincerely,
Dr. Warren hopes to help all who ask his advice and to enlighten all who read Ask Dr. Warren. For your own well being please keep in mind that
advice you read here may not apply exactly to your own situation, and that if you are sick, no information on the web can take the place of a hands on examination by your physican who knows you and cares about you.
Dr. Warren
-Ms. D
Dear Ms. D: Some infants simply sweat more than others. Infants have a high metabolic rate, and therefore produce a lot of heat. It is not unusual, when they are sleeping, if part of their bodies are against a nonabsorbent surface, for that part to become soaked with perspiration. If the baby has a vinyl, or other nonabsorbent mattress cover to protect the mattress, you might try putting an absorbent pad under the sheet. If your infant continues to be soaked with sweat, even though you don't feel she is overdressed, it would be reasonable to lower the room temperature by a few degrees.
Sincerely,
Dr. Warren
Is this usual with salmonella, and if so, how long can I expect this to continue?
THANK YOU
-JAL
Dear JAL: Neither joint pain nor chest pain are a routine part of salmonella intestinal infections. If these symptoms are related to the salmonella infection, they suggest a reaction to the infection or involvement outside the GI tract. Complications such as arthritis and pericarditis could cause the symptoms you describe. You should have your son reevaluated by his doctor.
Sincerely,
Dr. Warren
Thank you very much in advance for you reply. God bless you.
-L
Dear L: Eczema is generally caused by allergies. It may be related to food allergy. Infants with severe eczema may benefit from being on a hypoallergenic formula. If there is a family history of allergy and eczema, although you cannot prevent it, you may avoid it for a while or minimize it by nursing and avoiding formula.
Creams like hydrocortisone reduce the inflammation (redness, scaling, itching) of the rash, but do not cure it. Eczema tends to be recurrent. It is also a very dry rash. You should avoid excess bathing and use a moisturizing soap like Dove. After bathing and as necessary you should apply a moisturizing ointment such as Eucerin or Aquaphor Ointment.
Sincerely,
Dr. Warren
He doesn't have a temperature. He chokes almost every time he eats and has been very congested... I don't know if that could have any thing to do with it.
Could how much he eats and how well we burp him have anything to do with it?
Thanks.
-JH
Dear JH: Overfeeding can cause infants to vomit. If infants don't burp after a large feeding, they certainly may bring up a portion of their meal on top of a bubble. Congestion from a cold, with coughing may also cause vomiting. Finally, infants with pyloric stenosis do not appear ill and have a perfectly good appetite, but their vomiting becomes progressively more forceful and frequent. If the baby is not holding down most of his feedings or is feeding poorly or acting sick, he needs to be seen by his pediatrician.
Sincerely,
Dr. Warren
-DG
Dear DG: This is a very broad topic about which volumes have been written. I cannot provide information on such broad topics via e-mail and suggest you ask a more specific question. The effects of abuse on children are variable, but children generally suffer psychological scars which result in withdrawal, difficulty forming relationships, and a tendency to be abusive to others. The nature of the abuse has a significant bearing on the effects it has on the child since physical abuse may leave physical scars and result in permanent disability.
Neglect can leave similar psychological scars and also carries with it the risk of disease and malnutrition.
Certain drugs used during pregnancy, such as alcohol, can cause specific abnormalities, such as fetal-alcohol syndrome. Infants born to addicts suffer withdrawal after delivery. In the extreme, this can result in seizures. Many of these children suffer with attention and learning disabilities although direct cause and effect has not been established.
Sincerely,
Dr. Warren
Thank you.
-CH
Dear CH: If you could provide me with more information, perhaps I could figure out what vaccine you're talking about. Currently, a wide variety of allergies are treated with immunotherapy, which is similar in principle to vaccinations. In order to do that, a patient must first be tested to determine what he is allergic to. Then the desensitization process is carried out by giving weekly injections of extracts of what the person is allergic to, starting with the smallest dose and gradually increasing to a maintenance dose which is continue once monthly. This can be of benefit to eczema depending on what allergies are causing the eczema. I'm not aware of a single vaccine useful for all allergies.
Sincerely,
Dr. Warren
-Monique
Dear Monique: Men and women both have Adam's Apples. They are larger, more angular, and more prominent in men.
Sincerely,
Dr. Warren
Thank You.
-The Rs
Dear Rs: The dishwasher probably provides adequate cleaning of bottles and nipples; however, as an added safety precaution, I generally advise sterilizing by boiling empty bottles and nipples for 3 minutes until the child is 6 months old.
Sincerely,
Dr. Warren
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