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Boots-Baby and toddler health & wellbeing webchat-22nd Feb

Angela Chalmers, an expert Pharmacist from Boots will be joining us here on Monday 22nd February for a live webchat to answer your queries on baby and toddler health and well being. Exact time and more information to follow shortly...

Replies

  • HI Angela.
    Not sure if I'm supposed to post yet, but thought I'd get in early. What's the best type of thermometre to use for a baby? There seems to be under arm, ear, mouth, dummy ones... What will give me the best most accurate results? And then what should be her correct temperature?
  • Hi, Angela here. I'm online now and ready to answer your questions...
  • Hi Angela, my little girl (26mths) is suffering from the sickness/diarrhea bug going around. We thought she was recovered, and gave her milk again last night (about 30hrs after her last sickness bout) - but she was sick again a couple of hours later.

    Are we right to avoid cows milk/dairy when they've been sick? If so, how long?

    Its so difficult because she keeps asking for it!

    Thanks for any advice you can offer.

    Mx
  • Hi Molly May, Thanks for your question on thermometers. In my experience, parents find the ear thermometers the easiest to use. They can give an accurate reading quickly and you can use them while the baby is asleep for minimal fuss. A child or baby's temperature can vary between 36 and 37.5 degrees Celsius. Doctor's will usually say a baby has a fever if the temperature rises to 38 degrees or above.
  • Hi Angela
    My daughter is 6 months old and every few weeks she keeps getting very chesty and coughs all the time. What is the best over the counter treatment for her?
    thanks Bonnie x
  • Mims, The theory behind avoiding dairy based products is that they are not digested well during bouts of diarrhoea, hence they tend to 'run through' the gut causing runnier diarrhoea. What I would advise is not to withhold dairy products but to give smaller quantities more frequently throughout the day if your toddler is asking for it. To help bind a runny tummy, try to introduce small quantities of fibre-rich foods. This could be boiled rice, crackers or rusks as this can help absorb some of the excess water and give a firmer stool. You can buy rehydration sachets mixed with rice powder from your Pharmacist. These will help replace lost fluids and help slow the diarrhoea. Also encourage your child to sip rather than gulp liquids as this will help reduce vomiting and avoid foods that are fatty, spicy or difficult to digest until the child's stools are back to normal.
  • BonBonnie, The best thing for chesty coughs is steam inhalation and using a vapour rub on the chest. A steamy bath before bedtime can help loosen chest mucus and then massaging the baby's back, as you would do when winding, can help to bring up some mucus before sleeping. The vapour rub will help ease the chest and help your baby breathe more easily. Unfortunately chesty cough mixtures can only be given to children over 6 years. However, a cough mixture containing glycerol or paediatric simple linctus may help coat and soothe an irritated windpipe due to all the coughing. Repeated chesty coughs or chest infections should be seen by your GP, especially if there is coloured mucus, as this could indicate a bacterial infection.
  • Thanks Angela! WIll try giving her small amounts. xx
  • Thanks Angela! WIll try giving her small amounts. xx
  • I have a shocking cold and chesty cough that has been hanging around for ages, is there anything I can take that is safe while I'm breastfeeding?
  • Hi Angela, My 16 month old always scratches her right bum cheek each time I change her nappy. She scratches it so much it leaves marks and bleeds. It's not near her anus just on her cheeks? She wears Pampers Baby Dry nappies but I was thinking of changing the brand. We do use Aqueous cream and dipro base on her everytime she has a bath but it dosn't seem to help. What can you suggest?
  • Star Gazer, paracetamol and ibuprofen are both suitable to be used while breastfeeding, these will help reduce symptoms such as fever, aches and pains and sore throat. Avoid products containing decongestants, and instead try steam inhalation with aromatic inhalants (there are many to choose from, or your Pharmacist can recommend). This will help to break up mucus and ease the chesty cough. Saline nasal sprays are also suitable to be used to a relieve stuffy, blocked-up nose.
  • Ginger_pixie, It sounds as though this is unlikely to be a allergy to the nappies as the rash would be all over the nappy area. Pop in to see your local pharmacist so they can have a look at the rash, they will let you know if you can treat over the counter or if you should see the GP. It could be fungal nappy rash, a patch of eczema, or dermatitis. Also switching from diprobase cream to an ointment might help the broken skin to heal. All Boots pharmacies have consultation rooms where your baby can be seen in private.
  • Hi Angela, can you recommend a good website for health and advice on children's health as I don't always have time to get to the pharmacy or to see my GP thanks
  • Today's webchat is now coming to an end. Please do not post any more questions.
    Many thanks to Angela Chalmers for her informative answers.

    For more parenting and children's healthcare information log onto: http://www.boots.webmd.com/children



    [Modified by: bxwebmaster on February 22, 2010 03:37 PM]

  • Thanks for your question susie_mow. Boots have recently partnered with WebMD, the world's largest provider of online health information, to offer BootsWebMD. This has a dedicated children's health section which has loads of information on infant health and wellbeing. You can find it at www.bootswedmd.com/children.
  • Thanks for all your questions. Hope I have been some help but remember you can always pop down to your local Boots store to talk to a pharmacist. We're always happy to help!

    Also until 17th March Boots is offering Mums and Dads a series of baby bargains on everything from nappies to nursery equipment including an amazing 10 Advantage Card points per ??1 when you spend over ??20 on baby products.

    Don't miss out on these, and other, offers and visit your local Boots store or log on to www.boots.com now.
  • Fab thanks. I'll check the BootsWebMD site out.
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