Raising a newborn baby is so tough, but if you expect things to get easier as your child gets older, you’re in for a big surprise. Trying to handle a toddler can be just as difficult as raising a newborn baby, and there are a lot of new challenges that you have to contend with. Keeping them healthy can be tough because there are a lot of new health problems that you need to be aware of in toddlers. It’s perfectly normal for children to get sick from time to time and you can never avoid it completely, but you will find it a lot easier to help them stay healthy if you are aware of some of the common health problems that toddlers may face and how you can deal with them. These are some of the health problems that you need to watch out for in toddlers.
Injuries
When your child starts walking and they can get around on their own, they will start exploring the world. That’s great and it’s an important part of their development, but it does mean that they have an increased risk of injury, especially if they are playing outside with other kids. It’s important that you watch them at all times, but even then, there is still a chance that they will fall and hurt themselves. You should have already baby proofed your home, but now that they are standing upright and walking, you need to rethink safety in the home. There are certain dangers that they may not have been able to reach before, so make sure to update your baby proofing to ensure their safety at all times.
If they do get injured, it’s important that you know when to take them to a doctor. If they get a small bump or scrape, that’s nothing to worry about. They will be in a bit of pain but as long as you clean any cuts and keep an eye on it, they shouldn’t need to see a doctor. However, if there is excessive bleeding or the pain persists for a few days and seems to be getting worse, you should get them checked out. Remember, it’s always better to be safe than sorry in these situations so if you are unsure about something, see a doctor.
Dental Health
Once they start teething, it’s important that you look after their dental health. This is especially important for toddlers because they like to explore the world by putting things in their mouths, and they’ll be eating a wider range of foods. Even though they are going to lose those baby teeth, that doesn’t mean you can neglect dental health because they are still at risk of issues like gum disease which can cause pain and infection.
You need to find an affordable dentist as soon as their teeth start coming through and take them for regular checkups. Always make sure to supervise them when they are brushing their teeth as well so you can be sure that they’re doing it properly. If you teach them good habits now, it will be easier to manage their dental health as they get older.
You need to be careful with their diet as well because lots of sugary foods will cause tooth decay. Some parents get caught out here because they avoid the obvious foods like candy and soda, but they don’t realize that things like juice also contain high levels of sugar. It’s best to check the labels on all foods and cut back on sugar as much as possible.
Mental Health
You may not think that mental health is something that you need to consider yet, but the signs of a condition can start to present themselves early on. It can be tough to spot because toddlers tend to display difficult behavior. However, it’s important that you know how to identify some of the different mental health problems in young children so you can see a doctor and start treatment right away. Things like anxiety disorder and depression are not very likely to occur in toddlers, but you may start to see the symptoms of other issues like ADHD or autism.
It is normal for toddlers to go through some changes with their behavior and that is not always a cause for concern. But if you start to notice regular mood swings and extreme anger, or difficulty in engaging with other children, for example, you should have them examined by a doctor. Often, it will just be a normal part of their development but, in some cases, they may have a more serious mental health issue that needs to be treated.
Ear Pain
Ear pain is one of the most common health problems in young children, and there are a few different causes. Usually, it is caused by an infection in the inner ear, known as otitis media, but it can also be caused by an infection of the skin around the ear canal (this is very common if your child goes swimming on a regular basis). If the pain is caused by an infection of some kind, your child may also have a fever. You need to get them to a doctor and they will be able to determine the cause of the pain and usually, they will give you an antibiotic to deal with the infection.
In some cases, ear pain is not caused by an infection. It can be caused by blocked sinuses if your child has a cold, so if they are also displaying other symptoms, you should see if it passes in a few days. It may also be due to a virus rather than an infection, in which case, it should sort itself out without antibiotics. Ear infections can be quite painful and that worries a lot of parents, but most of the time, they’re nothing to worry about.
Toddlers are prone to a lot of different health problems, but the good news is, most of them are nothing to worry about. Just make sure to watch out for these problems and you can make sure that your toddler is happy and healthy.
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