Top 10 Most Common Diseases in Children Under 1 Year Old

The skin of children under 1 year old is extremely sensitive, making them prone to bacterial attacks from the environment, leading to itching or skin inflammation. According to statistics from doctors, the rate of infants under 1 year old suffering from congenital dermatitis is very high. Typically, most babies will recover naturally within 1-2 years if parents know how to care for them properly. Congenital dermatitis does not affect life, but it often causes itching and discomfort, making the baby cry. Advice for mothers with babies suffering from congenital dermatitis is to review their daily hygiene practices.

You should clean your baby's bedroom thoroughly, dress your baby in soft cotton clothes, avoid exposing them to dirt, and pet dander indoors. Mothers should never self-administer oral medication or apply skin treatments for congenital dermatitis to their babies; instead, they should keep the baby's skin clean and apply moisturizing cream to reduce itching for the baby.

When a child's body is infected with a virus, they often exhibit symptoms such as high fever (above 38.5 degrees Celsius), fatigue, irritability, and refusal to breastfeed. Many mothers often confuse a viral infection with other common illnesses. Only when the virus aggressively attacks, causing severe complications, do mothers panic and rush their child to the doctor.

Therefore, a note to mothers with children under 1 year old is that if your child exhibits symptoms such as fever, loss of appetite, and excessive crying for more than 2 days, you should seek medical advice. Furthermore, mothers should regularly monitor public information channels to stay informed about any disease outbreaks in their area.

The causes of fever in children under 1 year old are often due to superimposed bacterial infections accompanied by various other conditions (teething, colds, viral fevers, or digestive disorders). However, when you notice your baby has a fever, mothers should stay calm and handle it appropriately. Doctors always advise you to monitor your child's temperature regularly using a thermometer.

If your baby's fever is below 38.5 degrees Celsius, you don't need to give them fever-reducing medication; instead, use a warm cloth to apply to areas such as the armpits, groin, forehead, loosen clothing, and increase breastfeeding. But when your child's fever is higher, you should consult doctors and give them fever-reducing medication according to the dosage and instructions for your baby.

Vomiting is a common condition in children under 1 year old. Typically, if babies experience mild vomiting, parents shouldn't worry too much. The causes of vomiting may be due to overeating, swallowing air during breastfeeding, or the baby catching a cold. In such cases, mothers only need to adjust the baby's breastfeeding position and keep them warm. Vomiting becomes a serious concern when you observe continuous vomiting, crying, loss of appetite, or reluctance to eat.

In this situation, mothers need to pay special attention to the baby's diet and rest regimen. You should offer water to prevent dehydration, avoid forcing the baby to eat, which can lead to fear and exacerbate vomiting. Consider the possibility that your baby may have digestive issues causing frequent vomiting.

Colds, coughs, and runny noses are respiratory diseases that infants under 1 year old often suffer from. In exclusively breastfed babies, breast milk contains antibodies to help them cope with weather changes or bacterial invasion. However, this doesn't mean that your baby is completely immune to respiratory diseases. When you notice symptoms like coughing, colds, or runny noses, mothers should ensure the baby is adequately warm, use saline nasal solution for hygiene, and consult a doctor for the best treatment.

Absolutely avoid applying traditional folk remedies (such as honey, sugar, lemon, parsley leaves, or basil leaves) to your baby. Because for babies under 1 year old, their stomach's ability to contract is still poor, self-administered medication can negatively affect their development.

This is a common illness in infants and a leading cause of mortality in young children, especially those under 1 year old and newborns under 1 month old. When afflicted with pneumonia, infants experience inflammation of the small bronchioles, alveoli, and surrounding tissues. Dispersed lung inflammation disrupts gas exchange, leading to respiratory distress, with newborns prone to severe progression and potential fatality.

Pneumonia typically exhibits no specific symptoms in the early stages. Parents need to be vigilant and seek medical attention if any of the following signs occur: Poor feeding or refusal to feed. Fever above 37.5 degrees Celsius or low body temperature despite being kept warm. Lethargy. Rapid breathing exceeding 60 breaths per minute or difficulty breathing.

Preventive measures: Ensure warmth for the baby. Care for and breastfeed the baby exclusively to boost immunity. Maintain hygiene for the baby, caregivers must wash hands before and after caring for the baby to prevent bacterial infection. Baby care tools must be clean, dry, and sterile.

Milk is the most important source of nutrition for infants under 1 year old. Whether your child is exclusively breastfed, formula-fed, or starting to eat solid foods, it is crucial for mothers to pay close attention to their child's digestive system. According to doctors, the majority of cases of digestive disorders in infants under 1 year old (frequent bowel movements, loose stools, diarrhea, or constipation) are due to the mother's diet.

Therefore, in daily meals, mothers should ensure adequate nutrition and avoid reheated foods. For infants who are starting to eat solid foods, mothers should pay attention to the preparation method and choose suitable, nutrient-rich foods appropriate for their age.

White patches may appear along with small ulcers on the surface of the baby's tongue. These ulcers may spread to the gums, mouth mucosa, hindering the baby's breastfeeding process.

Mothers should use gauze and saline solution to clean the baby's tongue twice a day if the baby has mild tongue thrush. If it's more severe, consult a doctor.

Absolutely avoid using honey and lemon to clean the baby's tongue as honey contains harmful bacteria for the baby. Do not try to scrape off these white spots forcefully as the baby is still too small and may cause bleeding. Moreover, using gauze or cloth to rub vigorously can damage the baby's tongue mucosa.

There are many reasons for diaper rash, but the most common is due to the baby's urine or prolonged 'residence' in the diaper because mothers change diapers infrequently, allowing the dirty diaper to come into contact with the skin for too long, and from the signs of rash, redness, if left untreated, the skin becomes shiny and may produce pus-filled pimples.

Prevention: Keep the baby always clean and dry by changing diapers regularly. Clean and wash thoroughly for the baby every time you change diapers. When diapering the baby, mothers should pay attention to keep the baby's diaper a little loose, using diapers with breathable holes so that the air around the diapered area of the baby circulates better.
Apply Bepanthen ointment in the diaper area 2-3 times/day after each cleansing. Do not use talcum powder on the baby's diaper rash as it will clog the pores, causing more severe irritation. Dress the baby in loose-fitting, thin, absorbent pants.
Note, if you have followed the above method and the baby is still not getting better, has a fever, develops many pus-filled pimples, or the diaper rash spreads widely or diarrhea, you need to take the baby to the doctor immediately, mom.

Appearing as small pinkish, slightly hardened beads, sometimes with water, usually found on the back, chest, arms, and legs of babies prone to excessive sweating, especially in hot sunny weather. Heat rash is a phenomenon where sweat glands are compressed, sealed off, making sweat unable to escape.

Treatment: Dress the baby in thin, light, sweat-absorbent clothing. Mothers should avoid rough, stiff fabrics that may irritate the baby's skin. On hot days, let the baby sit or lie freely in a cool room, instead of constantly hugging the baby.