One of the most common childhood infections is urinary tract infection, especially in younger children who still wear diapers. The main symptoms are strong-smelling urine, frequent urge to urinate accompanied by burning, high fever, and loss of appetite. Diagnosis is done through a urine culture test, which will check for the presence of bacteria and the specific type for treatment. The treatment consists of oral antibiotics; in more severe cases, hospitalization may be needed for monitoring.

Another infection that occurs several times throughout childhood is cough. It can be a symptom of flu, cold, but may also result from allergies, such as allergic rhinitis, asthma, reflux, or respiratory allergies. The treatment must be indicated for each case. Normally, to relieve discomfort, homemade or pharmaceutical syrups are administered, and inhalation with saline, which, besides soothing, helps expel mucus from the lungs if present, and keeping the sleeping environment more humid, either with a humidifier, wet towels, or a basin of water close to the bed.

Conjunctivitis is a less common infection. It is an inflammation of the outer membrane of the eye and is highly contagious, often resulting in the entire family getting infected. The symptoms include irritation and excessive itching of the eyes, yellowish discharge, and swelling. In the case of viral conjunctivitis, treatment is only to relieve symptoms, as you must wait for the illness to resolve on its own. For the bacterial type, antibiotic eye drops may be prescribed to ease symptoms.

Photo: Beki Bartlett