Friday, July 24, 2009

Gross Pediatric Health Conditions


CNN has a better title. "The four grossest kid health problems"

They list these 4 conditions:
  1. Pinworms
  2. Lice
  3. Ringworm
  4. Scabies
Notice the "infectious disease" theme here? I don't think ringworm is that bad, but the other three can be quite nasty. Of course, you're not going to see other exotic parasitic conditions here in the U.S. However, go on a medical missions trip to a developing nation and all of a sudden you'll see all sorts of worms, including: Trichuriasis (whipworm), Ascariasis (my favorite), Necator americanus (hookworm), Strongyloidiasis (threadworm), Trichinella (not Trichomoniasis which is an STD), and Wuchereria bancrofti (OK, maybe this is really my favorite, but I've never personally seen someone with Elephantiasis).

So why do kids get all these wonderfully gross infections? Much of it boils down to sanitation and hygiene. If they're exposed to infected kids at day care or school, then there's a greater risk. At the end of the day, it's important that kids wash their hands using soap and water and that they bathe regularly. Sounds pretty basic, doesn't it?

1 comment:

  1. The advice given in this article about how to deal with head lice is grossly inadequate. In the Los Angeles Unified School District, the head lice problem is of epidemic proportions. Parents send their children to school, knowing they've got head lice and thinking that the common remedies, such as pesticides, work. They don't. Head lice in this area have developed an immunity to most pesticides. The best and only way to get rid of head lice is to have a professional treatment applied by someone who is experienced at finding and removing lice and nits. And this has to be done every three days for more than a week. Anything short of that and your child is probably still has an investation.

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