Informed – Accurate – Sincere – Real Information
On children and parenting
By Professor Claudia Gray, Paediatrician, Allergy Specialist and Proud Parent.
What is normal, what is not?
What’s too noisy, what’s too hot?
What’s that cough and what’s that spot?
Worry a little or worry a lot?
Parenting is a mammoth task, and brings with it a lot of uncertainty as to what is actually within the norm, and what may need more urgent attention. Coupled with this uncertainty, parenting in the 21st century is complicated by overwhelming amounts of information available at the push of a button – some of it useful, some of it inaccurate and even harmful!
In this website we aim to bring you real, sincere information which has been researched and experienced, to help separate the useful facts from the overwhelming noise.
Our skin is the most amazing organ! It is our first line of defense against water loss, heat loss, protects against the cold, infection as well as allergies. Performing all of these functions requires an INTACT SKIN BARRIER. Our skin barrier can be leaky for various reasons: 1️⃣ The cells can be damaged 2️⃣ The “cement” between the cells (protein and lipids) can be faulty (eg in eczema) 3️⃣ The “basement membrane” under the skin (a foundation layer) can be damaged 4️⃣ The skin microbiome (a set of bugs that live on our skin) can be unhealthy (eg using harsh products on the skin) 5️⃣ Skin infections can damage the skin! If the skin barrier is broken, it can lead to: ?️ Entrance of allergens, possibly setting up food allergies or eventually respiratory allergies ?️ Infection- bugs living safely on our skin surface can enter through a broken skin ?️…
More on how can we boost our child’s immunity? ☀️Sun and Sand Outside time, messy play and controlled sun are so important for general health • Controlled sun…
Boosting a child’s immunity. Infections are everywhere, many are very catchy, and we cannot dodge every bullet! There is no magic “immune booster” to keep a child healthy, but the following can help, right from pregnancy through to toddler days. 1. During pregnancy: – Eat a varied diet – Avoid excess antibiotics and anti-acids – Don’t smoke – Avoid excessive stress (excess stress can affect the baby’s lung development!) 2. Breastfeeding: – Breastmilk is a “soup” of healthy stuff! – It has superb nutrients as well as antibodies, prebiotics and anti-bacterials 3. Newborn skin care: – The skin is a possible site of penetration of infection as well as allergens – To preserve the skin barrier, use bland products, avoid harsh soaps and keep the skin moisturized with a bland emollient. 4. Establishing a healthy microbiome: A healthy set of bugs (“microbiome”) in our guts, airways and on our skin…
So what is “normal” in terms of infections in toddlers and children? The number of infections a baby has in the first few years is determined to an…
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