Symptoms

The symptoms of PTSD resemble those of stress and depression. If they last for more than a month after the event they may affect a child physically. He may become irritated over small matters and can get angry easily. A smell, or a similar building or scenery may trigger anxiety and nervousness. The child will fail to concentrate on his work or pay attention to what his teacher is saying. When someone calls him he will be startled. His sleep pattern will be disturbed too. He will find it difficult to fall asleep and then will wake often, not getting sound sleep.

The child may suffer on a physiological level, experiencing the event again. He may have nightmares in which he may find himself trapped or helpless. His thoughts may turn repeatedly to the trauma. It may seem to him as if he is reliving the entire event again. If anyone talks about it in his presence, he gets frightened and distressed. His demeanour is edgy and anxious.

Because the child is affected so deeply, he tries to avoid anything concerning the event. He does not like to answer any questions about it and stays away from places and people that remind him of it. At times his mind may go blank or he may not have registered some aspect of the event. He may keep a tight leash on his emotions, not sharing them with others and may feel detached from them. He keeps to himself and does not want to participate in activities which remind him of what he has been through. He may develop a pessimistic view and feel that he may not live long.

Treatment

Parents have to come forward and help their child climb out of this emotional pit with love and understanding. If necessary seek the help of a qualified therapist. Some ways in which the parents can help are:

• A child will take some time to go back to normal after a traumatic event so allow him that space. Keep a watch on him and tell him that you are there near him.
• Do not insist that he should talk about that event. Take your cue from the child and discuss it only when he is ready and willing. Encourage and praise your child for having come through the difficult time.
• Assure your child that he is in no way responsible for what happened. Assuage his feelings of guilt so that he does not blame himself for the mishap.
• Tell the child that whatever he is feeling is a normal reaction and that you support him fully.
• Involve your child in decision making in small things at home. Let him decide what the family should do on the weekend or what you should order at a restaurant. This will build his confidence and he will start to feel important and appreciated.
• Do not belittle or scold a child if he wants to sleep with the lights on or wants someone around him all the time if it makes him feel better.
• If there are support groups for trauma survivors near your home take your child there. He will cope better, learning from and talking to others who have been in the same situation.
• Alert his teacher, baby sitter and relatives that the child has been through a difficult situation so that they are sensitive to his feelings.
• If you think that your child is thinking of suicide, take it seriously and get professional help immediately, no matter what the age of the child is.
• You have to be strong and patient in order to help your child. Support from parents is of paramount importance in trying times.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in Children is a post from: MyChildHealth

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• Nutritional deficiency, the patient may be deficient in iron and anemic.
• Pregnancy, during which there is increased desire to eat such non food items.
• Mental retardation or any other form of mental illness.

The word has been derived from a Latin word magpie which refers to bird that eats excessive quantity of feed. Medically pica has been associated with feeding and eating disorder of infants and children in early childhood up to the age of three. The patient or the child indulges in the activity of eating unwanted things continuously for at least one month. This behaviour of the child is inappropriate for development but the disorder makes the child crave for non food items.

Causes

The exact cause of pica has not been ascertained. This is diagnosed as a development disorder. The cause has also been linked to many other factors like cultural influence and low socioeconomic status of the family of the child, some disease or psychological disorder. Pica has also been associated with malnutrition. It has been suggested that a child deficient in iron will eat clay. In some cultures clay eating by kids is common and the young kids are taught to eat clay. Though the link is unknown but kids with iron deficiency are said to chew ice cubes. Similarly children from poor families have been found to eat paint due to lack of supervision of parents and hunger.

In case of children suffering from mental disorder, they are said to indulge in this habit due to inability to distinguish between food and non food items. Even in case of normal children who are well fed, when they start to crawl they will put anything found on the floor in their mouth. However as per the researchers, an anaemic child may suffer from this disorder as due to deficiency of supply of oxygen to brain, it may not be able to properly function and may not send impulses to prevent the child from indulging in such activity.

Symptoms and effects

A small kid suffering from pica will commonly eat clay, paint, plaster, hair and cloth. In case of older children he or she may be attracted to eat bird and animal droppings, sand, insects, pebbles, leaves and cigarette butts. The consequences of eating this material could be serious. Some of the consequences can be listed as follows:

• A child who eats sand and soil can suffer from gastric pain and bleeding.
• Who chews ice may suffer from bleeding gums.
• Eating clay may suffer from chronic constipation.
• Eating metal objects may cause injury to stomach or intestines.
• Eating droppings can cause severe infection in to the child.
• A child eating paint which generally contain lead, may lead to damage to kidneys and may start to suffer from mental retardation.

Treatment

Once contracted the disease may continue till the age of adolescence when the child is able to analyse the consequences of what he is doing and is able to understand counselling by parents. In rare cases it continues in case of adults unless they are suffering from mental disorder.

In some cases the non food material consumed by the child accumulates in stomach or intestines. This can be detected by X-ray examination of the child when he begins to feel pain or uneasiness.

There is no medical approved treatment for pica. In case it is due to some deficiency, it can be cured by treating the deficiency. Some doctors prescribe calcium or manganese to the patients. In case of accumulation of foreign particles, surgery may be required. If not properly treated pica could continue for years but generally the habit ends spontaneously. Educating the child to refrain from such activity is the best method of prevention.

Pica Eating Disorder in Children is a post from: MyChildHealth

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Symptoms

In the case of children who are allergic to peanuts, when a child consumes peanuts in one form or the other many chemicals are released by the body which affect different parts of the body. Some of the symptoms could be:

• Vomiting.
• Diarrhea with acute abdominal pain.
• Swelling in throat, lips and face.
• Attack of asthma.
• Skin rashes and eczema.
• Anaphylactic shock.

The allergic reaction could appear within minutes of eating nuts or other products made of these nuts. In some cases the reaction may appear in hours. The initial symptoms are sneezing and tingling of tongue and lips and full symptoms follow soon.

Statistics point out that peanut related allergic reaction is the cause of maximum number of food related deaths. However peanut allergies are also found to correlate to race. Native Americans are less allergic to peanuts as compared to migrant Europeans in USA. Maximum chances of contracting this allergic reaction is by eating peanuts in any form, however reaction to some extent could be noticed as a result of external exposure. Some people suggest that the reaction could trigger as a result of touching or smelling peanut products. However by external touch the reaction could be minor. People exposed to processing of peanuts like shelling or grinding of peanuts could get a reaction and may develop minor rashes due to particles which go airborne during processing and these particles settling down on the skin.

Treatment

The best treatment for this allergic reaction is to keep the child away from consuming peanuts. In restaurants or school cafeterias where peanut butter is used, a separate table has been provided for people allergic to peanuts. To make the body accept peanuts, small particles are introduced in the body which grow slowly to desensitise the system and make it immune. This should be tried under strict medical supervision and under no circumstances tried at home. If your child is sensitive, do pay a visit to the doctor who can suggest some medicine to be kept with you for use in case of accidental consumption.

The doctor will ascertain from you about the time lapse between eating peanut products and appearance of symptoms, severity and period during which these symptoms last. He may also apply a drop of peanut oil on the back of the child to study the reaction for testing. If the skin turns red the child is definitely allergic. Generally the doctor will prescribe anti allergic drugs in minor cases. Depending upon the part affected the most, the medicine will be prescribed.

Some injectable drugs have been developed, and some over the counter drugs are also available in market, but it is always be better to avoid peanuts if your child is allergic.

Scientists have developed a process to make the peanuts totally free of allergies. Roasted kernels have been made 100% allergic free and safe for human consumption. This process does not have any effect on the taste or quality. These may be tried if available near you.

Peanut Allergy Symptoms in Children is a post from: MyChildHealth

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The habit of smoking starts at an early age. Once a child develops this habit, it generally continues for the whole life and it becomes difficult to quit smoking. Up to middle level only 1 of 16 students are said to smoke. By the time they reach high school level 1 in 5 students smoke. This reflects the extent of indulgence of kids in this habit. As the children move upward in age and study, the number or ratio of smokers continues to increase. About 90% of adult smokers developed this habit during school or college time.

Why do kids start smoking?

Kids may start to smoke out of curiosity to know the effect of smoking on their body. Other children who have a revolting nature may start smoking with an idea to do something dangerous or as a mark of rebellion to the society or parents or other relatives who may have told them not to smoke. Other set of kids may start smoking as they see other adults smoking and want to look like adults. Some others may start to smoke to reduce tension of life, studies or exams. As such no one reason could be pinpointed for starting of smoking by kids.

To discourage starting of smoking habit at the young age many governments have banned the sale of tobacco products around schools and colleges. Selling tobacco products to kids up to a particular age has been made an offence in many countries. Warning signs printed on the packaging and on the shops selling tobacco have also resulted in dissuading children from smoking and now fewer kids start smoking as compared to earlier years. This could also be a result of health consciousness developing amongst the section of society.

Effects of smoking for kids

There is growing enlightenment amongst the members of the society about the adverse effects of tobacco on human beings. In addition to the likely hood of contracting by a kid at the later life dread diseases like cancer, lungs disease and heart attack, both of which are life threatening, the child may get cough and cold which may not be easy to cure, he will have yellow teeth and will have bad breath and the clothes will also stink. This will force his non smoking friends to part company. Smoking results in reduced stamina and the child will not be able to participate in sports events in school and college and above all will have empty pocket thus disabling him from enjoying many events and activities.

How parents can help children to prevent smoking ?

To dissuade the kids from starting this habit parents can play an important part. Parents are the first teachers of any child. They should establish clear communication with their children about any and all subjects. If there is the slightest suspicion in their mind about smoking by their child, they should immediately establish communication with the child and explain ill effects which can befall them in future life. It is important to keep cool and indulge in continuous persuasion. A lot of material is available on the net about the ill effects and even dread pictures of the cancer patients are available on the net. You may show them to the child. This will help dissuade him or her from smoking.

In case the parents are non smokers it will be easy to persuade the child to quit this habit. In case one or both the parents smoke, it will be advisable not to smoke in the presence of the child or at home and not at least in the room of the kid. Do not smoke in the car with children as this is passive smoking for children and also this act may encourage kids for smoking. Even passive smoking is equally bad for health for kids. In case the child does not listen to you and continues the smoking habit it will be necessary to take the child to a doctor or a counsellor who can be of help.

Smoking Information for Kids is a post from: MyChildHealth

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Kids who are at the growing stage of life need to do a lot of exercise. This is necessary for both physical and mental development. Exercise helps build muscles and bones. A person with healthy muscles, joints and bones will be better placed in life during the time to come, especially at an advanced age. Regular exercise also helps sharpen the brain of the child and such a child is generally good at studies. After exercise the child will be able to have good sleep and the child will be active throughout the day. Children who do regular exercise face decreased risk of contracting type 2 diabetes. Also the cholesterol level remains within a limit, which is good for arteries and heart in long run.

Benefits of Exercise for Children

With increasing tendency of obesity in children in the developed world exercise becomes more important. Children love to eat fast food which is full of fat, starch and sugar. With inadequate or lack of exercise this will result in obesity. It becomes the duty of the parents also to ensure that the child indulges in outdoor activity and does not remain glued to the TV set or computer surfing the net after school hours. Parents can set an example for the children by maintaining an active life style.

Exercise can be in any form or at any time. It is not necessary that the child does a particular exercise at a fixed time. Exercise can take any form and even going to school walking or biking could be a good exercise if the school is at some distance. A child can participate in dance or yoga classes at school as they are very good exercises and help move each and every part of the body.

Generally schools have exercise time for the kids. Depending upon the time spent in school, additional exercise can be planned by the parents. After the child is home from school, you can take him to a playground where he can run around or play some game. Daily exercise should be planned in a way that the body of the child gets endurance, strength and flexibility. Endurance comes from aerobic exercises like playing baseball, soccer, swimming and cycling. Likewise stretching exercises help increase flexibility of the body and the muscles.

In addition to the bones and joints, exercise helps to have a healthy heart. Heart is itself a muscle and works day and night pumping blood. With passive lifestyle, instances of heart disease are increasing and have been noticed even in the case of kids. Once a person gets a heart related problem, his future life gets affected. Exercises, especially aerobic exercises, are very helpful in development of heart muscles. When a person does aerobic exercises the heart rate increases and lot of oxygen is breathed in due to rapid breathing. This provides strength to the heart. Swimming, basketball, hockey and other games involving physical movement are good exercises for the kid’s development.

These days kids spend on an average more than 5 hours before TV or computer. This needs to be cut down. Time saved from screen should be utilised judiciously between studies and outdoor sports. Even an additional hour or so spent on sports will have a marked effect on the child and will be apparent in a short period of few months. Teach exercise to the child as a fun activity and participate in it as far as possible. This will help in raising a well balanced and developed child which will be a source of joy for the whole family.

Why Exercise is Important for Kids? is a post from: MyChildHealth

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As per the experts the child should get exercise both on his own count and also with the help of the adults. The extent of exercise necessary depends upon the age of the child. A child between 1 to 3 years of age should get 30 minutes of daily exercise playing with adults and another 60 minutes of exercise when on his own.

When the child is at home generally moms, to keep them free or do their work, let the child watch TV. Many children’s channels are available on TV. This is not a good habit. A child under 2 years of age should never watch TV. Instead he should crawl or walk around, if there is nothing special to do let the child follow you wherever you go. Children of more than two years of age may be allowed limited access to the TV set but with limitations as to what the child can watch and time for which TV is allowed to him.

Making your toddler physically active is not so difficult, this habit can inculcated by following some fun ways. These could be –

• The toddler should be encouraged to indulge in the activities which make the toddler move. This will make him learn to balance himself and coordinate movements. The child should be encouraged to pick up the toys which he has thrown on the floor, he should try kicking a ball in forward and backward movement and should be encouraged to throw ball when playing outside the room

• Children generally love music and like to dance on it. You can start music and dance with the toddler. Both of you will get the necessary workout.

• Generally during rainy season or cold weather it is difficult to move out and indulge in outdoor activities. This should not mean that the child becomes passive and sticks to watching TV. You can place a children’s gym indoor and let the child climb it and play on it while you are watching.

• Play such games with the child that make him run around or move around quite a lot. This will help the toddler strengthen muscles.

• A toddler of the crawling age should be encouraged to crawl over or under an obstacle. You can lie down and let the toddler crawl over you. This way the toddler will get both physical and mental exercise.

If there are other toddlers living in the vicinity it will be better if they all come out to mix up amongst themselves. This way they will get exposure to the outside atmosphere and will also become friendly. They can play games together and share toys. While playing they will learn how to be social. To begin with the toddlers may not be interested to mix up or share their games but very soon you will notice that with the slightest encouragement they will be friendly and will indulge in lot of playing around.

When outside it will be necessary to keep an eye on the child to ensure that he is safe and does not go too far off or on the road where there is traffic.

Activities to Keep Your Toddler Fit is a post from: MyChildHealth

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In strength training bodyweight is used to build muscles. Machines, light weights or rubber resistant bands are used for this purpose. More effort has to be put in to move and muscles go stronger overtime. Tendons and ligaments attached to the bones and muscles are also strengthened as they move against resistance. The quantity of minerals such as calcium and phosphorus which are responsible for bone density also increases. This results in overall good health.

Before starting you should visit the doctor along with your child so that he can evaluate and declare the child fit for these exercises. You must make sure that your child does the exercises safely and does not suffer from muscle strains and lower back injury. These are common when proper technique is not used for lifting weights or too much is attempted at one go. For this a supervised routine suitable for the age of the child should be followed and the equipment used should be safe for children.

Children who are about seven years old can start with some muscular exercises of strength training. As soon as children start playing organised games like soccer and baseball, they can follow instructions and begin to be interested in getting stronger. Choose a trainer who has the experience of working with children and is able to design exercises which are age appropriate. He should be able to show the proper technique, how to use the equipment properly and point out the precautions to be taken.

To begin with activities like sit ups should be practiced. Then strength training exercises can be done but without using weights and resistance bands. When the technique has been mastered then a small amount of resistance can be added. As the muscles get stronger it can be increased gradually. The experienced trainer can determine what weights are suitable for a child.

Young children should focus on technique and not be overly concerned about adding bulk to their muscles which is possible only after puberty. An adult should always be on hand when children are using weights.

The muscles should be toned by using a low amount of weight repeatedly. This weight should be according to the size of the child. The child should be able to lift that weight at least eight to ten times. If he is unable to do so it means that the weight is too heavy for him. A small weight lifted many times is much better than lifting a heavy one a couple of times.

It is very important that precautions be taken and proper technique and suitable weight used to save muscles from injury. Also the cartilage near the bone end, called growth plates, will not be adversely affected when due safety measures are taken. This is where the growth of the bone occurs.

Children should be educated on the harmful effects of anabolic steroids. They might get misled by unscrupulous people who advocate their use to improve performance in sports and to build muscles. Besides being illegal they will cause grave harm to the growing child. Proper exercise, on the other hand, will endow the child with control and a sense of balance.

Guidelines

Some guidelines should be followed:

• The instructor should have prior experience with strength training of children. For every 10 children there should be one instructor.
• Stretching exercises and proper warming up should be done before and cooling down after strength training.
• Children should do their exercises under the supervision of the instructor in a well lit and ventilated room in which there are no obstructions.
• To begin with no weights or resistance bands should be used. Then start with light weights and gradually weights can be increased depending upon the increase in the strength of the muscles. Slowly the number of repetitions can be increased.
• In the beginning stress should be laid on the major muscles of the lower and the upper body. Just one set of five exercises with about ten to twelve repetitions should be done.
• After a few months types of exercises can be increased as well as sets of exercises but they should not exceed three.
• Training sessions should ideally be conducted on alternate days.
• For complete fitness aerobic exercises will complement strength training.

Strength Training for Kids is a post from: MyChildHealth

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SAD can be distinguished from other forms of depression by the fact that it occurs only for a few months every year for a specific time. It does not affect a person for the rest of the year. The symptoms may be mild, affecting a person’s routine minimally or they may be severe and hamper a person in performing his day-to-day task.

A person’s physical makeup, environment, experiences, family history and chemistry of brain make some people more prone to SAD. It can affect children but it is most common in young adults. Females are more likely to suffer as compared to males. Those with a family history of depression or SAD are more easily affected.

Some people are more sensitive to variations in light and their hormonal production varies with it. The further they live from the equator and the higher the latitude, greater is their chance of developing SAD.

Causes

The occurrence of SAD can be explained logically. The brain’s response to decreased day light availability results in depression. The production of certain hormones by the brain is believed to be governed by exposure to daylight, although it seems to vary from person to person.

The two main chemicals which are associated with SAD are melatonin and serotonin and they occur naturally in the body. The production of serotonin increases with exposure to sunlight and low levels of this chemical cause depression. Melatonin on the other hand, is produced more when it is dark and is associated with sleep. When more melatonin is produced, a person feels lethargic and sleepy.

In winter, the days are shorter and darkness hours are longer. This causes melatonin levels to increase and serotonin levels to decrease, which may lead to depression.

Symptoms

• A person has low levels of energy and feels tired for no reason.
• He loses interest in things he usually enjoys. He feels guilty for neglecting tasks or does not feel satisfied with what he is able to do.
• He becomes unable to take criticism and gets upset easily. His mood changes often, ranging from a feeling of sadness to irritability to hopelessness. This mood may last for a fortnight.
• He starts sleeping more and finds it difficult to wake up in the morning.
• He may find it difficult to concentrate. This affects schoolwork and the child will have trouble in bringing himself to do her assignments.
• She will binge and overeat in the winter months preferring starchy and sugary foods, resulting in weight gain.
• Socializing and playing games will be low on her list.

Treatment

Many therapies and treatments are available and the choice of one over the other depends upon the severity of the symptoms.

Increasing light exposure may be sufficient for those with mild symptoms. They may disappear when the availability of light increases so treatment can be to spend more time outside in the daylight. The child will be advised to take a walk daily, play games or exercise outdoor. Indoors full spectrum light bulbs which duplicate daylight can be used in the winter months.

Psychotherapy or talk therapy is used to change negative thoughts and a sense of loneliness. It helps a person to understand his condition and devise strategies to minimize future attacks.

Phototherapy or light therapy is used for symptoms that are more persistent. A special light box is placed on a table and the person sits in front of it for 45 minutes or so daily. He has to glance at the light occasionally so that light is absorbed through the retinas. Improvement can be seen in a week.

Pharmacotherapy or medication is used with the other two therapies. A doctor will prescribe anti depressant medicines to regulate neurotransmitters in the brain which have an effect on mood.

When children are diagnosed with SAD, parents can help by explaining in a simple way what SAD is. They can encourage the child to exercise and spend time outdoors. They can take walks together. Parents can spend extra time with the child so that the child is not alone and feels loved and cared for. Be patient with the child and make allowances for his mood swings. Help with his homework and talk to his teachers so that they are aware of the child’s problem. Give your child vegetables, fruits and whole grains instead of sugary and starchy stuff. Ask your child to follow a regular bedtime so that he gets enough sleep and is out during the day.

Seasonal Affective Disorder in Children is a post from: MyChildHealth

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Food intolerance could result in development of gas, burps, indigestion and loose stool, headache and nervousness which is common between the two i.e. food intolerance and food allergies but food intolerance will never result in affecting the immune system. A common instance of food intolerance is intolerance of the body to lactose. A lactose intolerant child will immediately show signs of sickness when he or she drinks milk or substance containing milk.

Food allergies are more common in children and the effect of these items goes on reducing as the child grows up. As per a survey, about 6% of children below the age of 3 are allergic to some or the other item of food and the instances are quite less in adults.

Generally the items to which the children are allergic are milk, eggs, peanuts, nuts or fish. 80% of the children who are allergic to milk or egg or soya will outgrow them by the time they are of five years of age. However, in respect of allergies caused due to other food items, they rarely get over it with age. Some types of food allergies start to appear as a person grows up. A child may not be allergic to fish but when he grows up into an adult he may develop an allergic reaction to fish. In case of some people who are allergic to some items of food, the reaction may be milder as compared to the other set of people. Some may get reaction on one part of the body while in case of others several organs may get affected.

Symptoms

Those children who get severely affected by food allergies can develop one or more of the following symptoms when they eat or come in contact with the item to which they are allergic:

• In case the skin is affected the child may develop red bumps on the skin and may feel intense itching. The face may the most affected part of the body in case skin is affected. The face of the child may get swollen and he may feel swelling or intense itching on the lips, tongue and mouth.

• Many children report problem with their gastrointestinal tract. There is acute pain in the abdomen associated with abdominal cramps. The child may suffer from nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.

• Respiratory tract is also adversely affected in the case of many children. This results in a wheezing sound coming from the wind pipe of the child when he breathes. This can be accompanied with running or stuffy nose, sneezing and coughing. The child may feel breathless. This state of child needs immediate medical attention.

• In more serious cases the cardiovascular system may get affected. The child may faint and the condition could be fatal.

The most serious type of allergic reaction from an item of food is called anaphylaxis. This has adverse reaction on many parts of the body and could be life threatening. The common symptoms are excessive swelling inside airways, resulting in breathing problem. The blood pressure of the patient falls and the child could get unconscious. It may result in death if immediate medical facility is not made available.

Diagnosis and Treatment

When you will take your child for treatment of allergic reaction, the doctor will like to know the history of the allergic reaction of the family as a whole. Frequency of allergic reaction, time between eating particular food and appearance of reaction etc. He may like to get some test conducted to ascertain about the alleged allergic reactions.

First of all testing for food allergies in children is done by the doctors by the skin test. Liquid extract of the item of food to which the child is allergic is placed on the back of the child and the effect is noticed by the doctor. If the skin turns red in about 15 minutes it is certain that the child is allergic. There are some more specialised tests done on the child once the initial test is positive. These are to ascertain the effect of a particular medicine. In certain cases a particular item of food to which a child is allergic is given under strict medical supervision in increasing doses.

Though, no medicines are generally prescribed for a particular type of allergy the child is advised to keep away from that item of food. An effort should be made to ensure that the child does not eat that item even in precooked or pre packed food. To reduce the discomfort, some anti allergic medicines are given to the child. Slowly, as the child grows older, the reaction will decrease and the child will be normal and able to eat whatever he wants.

Most Common Food Allergies in Children is a post from: MyChildHealth

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OCD in kids

Take the instance of a girl who is worried about her health. She develops a habit of washing hands due to this worry of cleanliness. She continues to wash hands for a time longer than needed both before and after meals. This could continue till her hands become red and appear raw. When at school she may not like to touch even the door with her hands, fearing that they will become dirty. Similarly, another child may not be able to complete her work in school or exam because of erasing and rewriting some words or sentences, worrying that they have not been done in a perfect manner.

Such children do know that whatever they are doing is not desired from them and they are losing their time of playing and enjoying with other children, but are unable to overcome this habit. Some children worry about the health of their parents, or even about how the home will run smoothly if the parents lose their jobs. This habit developed by some children is called Obsessive Compulsive disorder.

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a type of anxiety which the child faces when his or her brain has a problem in how to deal with the things about which the child worries or has doubts. Such children worry too much. They generally feel that bad things will happen to them or the people they love the most. This is why the girl in our example washes hands again and again to keep disease away. The habit keeps the brain of the child occupied with one irrelevant thing or the other at all times.

Anxiety or excessive worry has become a major mental health problem in the developed world and, as per an estimate, about 13% of children and adolescents in USA are suffering from problem of excessive worry. It is an admitted fact that under normal circumstances the child experiences some worry and occasional nervousness. When a child is faced with a situation new to him, he is bound to have some worry thinking about it, like first day in school etc. This is normal. A normal child when faced with such worry will overcome it when he is face to face with the situation may be with the help and effort of the teacher or parents.

If you notice that the child has reached a situation where the worry has started to impact the normal functioning of the child, or worrying is preventing the child from participating in the typical children day to day activities and he is keeping away from friends. Such a child will be easily distressed and will become agitated very soon and will continue to ask reassuring questions like what if. This is the time when your immediate intervention is needed.

What should parents do?

To begin with, you will need to do a lot of counselling and discuss the problem being faced by the child. The child needs to be assured that everything is well and will go smoothly when done in a normal manner. Try to understand what is at the back of the mind of the child which is making him do repeated acts and what he is worrying for. When you are able to assure the child and clarify the thoughts circulating in the mind, in all probability he will be able to reduce worries for different things running in his mind. This is more in the nature of a habit which needs to be changed.

In extreme cases or where you think that you are not able to adequately tutor the child, help of a professional psychiatrist may be taken. In some cases it may be necessary to take the child to a doctor for medication. It will be better if the problem is resolved as early as possible as with advancing age the disorder may aggravate, resulting in serious consequences.

OCD Symptoms in Children is a post from: MyChildHealth

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