Common Infant Illnesses

Pediatrics defines an important role for parents so that the doctor can diagnose a baby correctly and prescribe the right cure, medication or treatment for the baby. It is to be a keen observer of baby’s activities so that they can narrate the symptoms correctly and accurately to the doctor. All parents learn how babies communicate and can easily differentiate between crying for feeding, sleeping, cuddling and changing of diapers. They also learn the sleeping and eating patterns of the baby and recognize any change or abnormality in baby’s behavior, which may be an indication that the baby is sick. Here, you can read about some of the most common infant illnesses:

	Colds - Babies succumb to colds several times in their first years.
	Constipation - Most babies suffer from constipation when they start eating solid foods.
	Diarrhea - Too frequent and watery bowel movements are known as Diarrhea.
	Ear Infections - Ear infections are often a result of accumulation of fluid in the middle ear that results in growth of germs.
	Fever - Fever is nothing to worry about in itself. It just indicates that there is something wrong with the body.
	Gastro-esophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) - GERD happens because the circular band of muscle that acts as a valve between the esophagus and the stomach is still immature in babies and let the acidic stomach contents regurgitate back into the esophagus, which cause pain.
	Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) - This viral infection is really serious and pretty common in early infancy too.

Be patient with your child when he/she is sick and know that they are crying and clinging to you because they are hurting. Think of this time as extra cuddling time and to bond with your child and giving him the tender love and care than only a mom or a dad can give to the child.