ECD 170-3
Chapter 5 Conditions Affecting Children’s Health
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Undiagnosed and untreated chronic illness can interfere with the child’s
development of early learning skills
When evaluating conditions affecting children’s health, we must consider
o Financial limitations
o Exposure to environmental pollution
o Increased stress
o Disruption of traditional family unit
o Exposure to persuasive media advertising
Allergies:
 Greatest single cause of chronic health problems among young children
 Believed to affect 1 in 4 children
 50% of symptoms are undiagnosed
 symptoms can be disabling and severely restrict a child’s activity
 allergen—substance that triggers allergic reaction
 error in the body’s defense system causes it to overreact to an otherwise
harmless substance in the environment
 Classifications of allergens:
o Ingestants—cause digestive upsets and respiratory problems
o Inhalants—affect respiratory system causing runny nose, cough,
wheezing, and watery eyes
o Contactants—frequently cause skin eruptions such as rashes, hives,
and eczema
o Injectables—can trigger respiratory, digestive, and skin disturbances
**Allergies can contribute to many behavior and learning problems including
disruptive behaviors, hyperactivity, chronic fatigue, disinterest, irritability, and
poor concentration—no child can learn under these conditions
Common signs and symptoms of allergic disorders: page 89
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There are no known cures for allergic conditions
Often inherited and seldom outgrown
Can change periodically
Treatment aimed at limiting exposure
Treatment: antihistamines, decongestants, and bronchodilators
o Drawback—only temporary relief and can cause drowsiness
Some allergic reactions can be life threatening—bee stings, medications,
and certain foods
Anaphylaxis—severe allergic reaction---can cause shock, extreme
difficulty in breathing and requires urgent medical attention
o Symptoms
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 Wheezing and difficulty breathing
 Swelling of the lips, tongue, and/or eyelids
 Itching and hives
 Nausea, vomiting, and/or diarrhea
 Anxiety or restlessness
 Blue discoloration around mouth and nailbeds
We can not ignore emotional affects of allergies on children
Don’t allow allergies to be a means of gaining attention or special
privileges
Teach to be independent and self-confident when coping with their
problems
Asthema:
Increasing health problem
Chronic and acute respiratory disorder
Affects boys twice as often as girls
Significantly higher among minority children and those living in poverty
Factors that trigger attacks:
o Airborne allergens
o Foods
o Secondhand cigarette smoke
o Respiratory infections
o Stress
o Changes in temperature
o Vigorous exercise
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Symptoms of acute attacks:
o Wheezing
o Coughing
o Difficulty breathing, especially on exhalation
Many children will outgrow asthma attacks as the size of passageways
increase with age.
Encourage children to participate in regular activity as their condition
permits.
Attention Deficit Disorders (with or without hyperactivity)
 Hyperactivity—a condition characterized by attention and behavior
disturbances, including restlessness, impulsive and disruptive behaviors.
 Often inappropriate label for children behaving within normal limits
o Young children, by nature, are exceedingly energetic, curious,
impatient, and restless.
 ADD—a developmental disorder that includes a wide range of learning
and behavior problems.
 ADHD—ADD with hyperactivity
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Definition—a syndrome of attention and behavior disturbances that may
improve when stimulant-type drugs are administered
ADD/ADHD is known to affect boys four to five times more often than girls
Often runs in families
Typical Behaviors
o Explosive
o Inattentive
o Fidgety
o Aggressive
o Defiant
o Forgetful
o Easily frustrated
o Clumsy
Guidelines suggest that the behaviors must have been present before a
child reaches ages seven and observed for at least six months
Management:
o No one simple method
o Individualized approach
o Medications: Ritalin, Cylery, and Dexedrine
 Stimulant and antidepressants tend to have opposite affect
on children with ADD/ADHD---calming affect
 Criticized for overuse
 Sometimes viewed as the easy way out
 Often prescribed before other intervention is tried
 Medication alone is not the cure—symptoms usually
reappear when medication is stopped
o Medication must be combined with behavior management
Basic Principles:
o Creating a structured environment
o Establishing a daily routine that is consistent and predictable
o Giving directions that are clear and easy for the child to follow
o Offering praise and positive reinforcement
o Providing experiences that are challenging yet within the skill and
tolerance level of the child
o Providing opportunities for developing new interests, especially
physical activities where children can channel excess energy and
learn to relax
Dietary management has also been suggested for treatment
No one method will specifically work for every child
Diabetes:
 Relatively low among children
 Chronic health problem that occurs when the pancreas does not
produce a sufficient amount of insulin.
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Insulin is necessary for the storage and release of glucose (energy) that is
obtained from the digestion of carbohydrates.
If inadequate…sugars will circulate freely in the blood rather than be
stored for later use.
Onset is usually abrupt
Symptoms
o Rapid weight loss
o Fatigue and/or weakness
o Nausea or vomiting
o Frequent urination
o Dehydration
o Excessive thirst and/or hunger
o Dry, itchy skin
Children develop juvenile or Type 1 diabetes
Must be giving injections of insulin daily
Teachers need to learn about dietary restrictions and medical procedures
Plans for handling medical emergencies must be enacted
Teachers must help children learn to accept their condition and lead welladjusted lives
Eczema
 Inflammatory skin condition commonly associated with allergies,
especially to foods and substances that com in contact with the skin
 First appear on cheeks and/or forehead of infants and toddlers
 Older children develop dry, itchy, scaly areas on outer surfaces of knees,
elbows, wrists, and back of hands
 First line of defense is identifying and eliminating allergens
Fatigue
 Children to experience fatigue and listlessness
 Cause and symptoms are usually temporary
o Growth spurts
o Late bedtimes
o Moving
o Recovery from illness
o Birth of sibling
o Participation in too many activities
 Repeated or prolonged fatigue is not normal for young children and
should be investigated due to negative affect on growth and
development
 Can be indicative of other health problems including:
o Poor nutirition
o Chronic infection
o Anemia
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Allergies
Hepatitis
Endocrine (hormonal) disorders
Heart disorders
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effects
 Estimated over 45,000 babies are born each year with FAS/FAE
 Most serious consequences tend to occur during the first two or three
months when all major fetal organs are developing
 Symptoms
o Low birth weight
o Mental retardation
o Facial abnormalities
o Behavior and learning problems
 No are no studies to establish a safe level of alcohol intake---stop drinking
Lead Poisoning
 Not exclusively associated with poverty and inner city populations
 Typically higher among children living in these areas primarily because of
lead based paints
 Young children are especially vulnerable
 Frequently put toys and hands in mouths and their body more readily
absorb lead
 Brain and nervous system are especially sensitive
 Symptoms develop slowly and affect the child’s CNS
 Symptoms
o Irritability
o Loss of appetite
o Headaches
o Unexplained abdominal pain
o Constipation
o Nausea
o Listlessness
o Learning and behavior problems
o Elevated levels—4-5% decrease in IQ
 Those at risk should be screened for lead poisoning between 6 and 72
months of age
 Most effective preventable measure—public awareness and community
education
Seizures
 A temporary interruption of consciousness sometime accompanied by
convulsive movements
 Describes a cluster of symptoms rather than a particular disease
 Caused by abnormal electrical impulses in the brain
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Abnormal activity leads to involuntary and uncontrollable movements in
various body party
Some are momentary lapse of attention or interruption of thought while
others may last several minutes and cause vigorous, spasmodic
contractions of the entire body.
Temporary loss of consciousness, frothing, and loss of bowel and bladder
can occur
Contributing factor—heredity in some families
o Exact cause may never be identified
Conditions know to initiate seizure activity in children
o Fevers that are high or rise rapidly
o Brain damage
o Infections
o Tumors
o Head injuries
o Lead, mercury, and carbon monoxide poisoning
o Hypoglycemia
o Drug reactions
Types:
 Febrile seizures:
o Triggered by high fever
o 5 to 10% of infants and children under 3
o May cause loss of consciousness and have involuntary jerking
movements
o Stops when fever subsides
 Petit mal seizures
o Momentary loss of attention including repeated incidences of
daydreaming, staring off in space, blank appearance, brief
fluttering of eyes, temporary interruption of speech or activity,
twitching or dropping of objects
o Children 4 to 10 years
o Characterized by a brief loss of consciousness
o Usually lasting 10 to 30 seconds
o May suddenly stop an activity and resume it almost as quickly once
the seizure subsides
 Grand mal seizures
o Most common form of seizure disorder
o Convulsive movement of entire body
o Aura or warning immediately prior can be a sound, smell, taste,
sensation, or visual cue
o Sudden rigidity or stiffness (tonic phase) is followed by loss of
consciousness and generalized muscular contractions (clonic
phase)
 Focal seizures
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o Characterized by involuntary convulsive movements that begin at
the tip of an extremity and spread toward the body trunk
o Child does not always lose consciousness
Temporal lobe seizures
o Distinguished by spontaneous episodes of unusual behavior which is
considered inappropriate for the circumstance. Ie..run in circles, cry
for no reason
o Common to experience aura before this seizure begins
Most seizures can be controlled with medication
Document, Document, Document
Teachers play an important role in the inclusion of children with seizure
disorders in child care programs by arranging environments and
mastering emergency plans
A teacher’s own reactions or displays of genuine acceptance can go a
long way in teaching understanding and respect for persons with special
problems
Sickle Cell Anemia
 An inherited disorder that affects the ability of red blood cells to carry
oxygen
 Primarily affects the African-American population as well as
Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and Latin America descents
 10% of African Americans carry the trait
 Abnormal formation of red blood cells, shaped like a common or sickle
rather than round shape
 Can slow and occasionally block blood flow to the body
 Clumping of deformed blood cells results in period of acute illness called
crisis
 Crisis can be triggered by infection, injury, strenuous exercise, or
dehydration
 Symptoms include: fever, severe abdominal and leg pain, vomiting, and
ulcers on arms and legs
 Children are often small for their age and are irritable and tire easily
 No known cure
 Genetic counseling can help parent who are carriers decide if they will
produce off-spring
 Antibiotics on a regular basis can prevent infections which are the leading
cause of death
 Frequent blood transfusions can be helpful in preventing acute crisis.