Treatments
Pediatric Asthma
- Prevalence and Impact: Pediatric asthma stands as one of the most prevalent chronic childhood ailments on a global scale, affecting approximately 5-10% of children. Its ramifications are profound, significantly diminishing a child’s quality of life by leading to frequent hospitalizations, missed school days, and restrictions in physical activities.
- Symptoms and Triggers: The hallmark symptoms comprise recurrent episodes of wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness. These symptoms are often exacerbated by triggers such as allergens, viral infections, exercise, and exposure to smoke. Identifying and effectively managing triggers play a pivotal role in controlling asthma symptoms and averting exacerbations.
- Treatment and Management: The management regimen typically encompasses a blend of long-term controller medications, notably inhaled corticosteroids, aimed at mitigating airway inflammation. Additionally, rescue medications like bronchodilators are employed for acute symptom alleviation. Dr. Sathish Kandha provides comprehensive services in the diagnosis, treatment, and management of pediatric asthma, ensuring optimal care and improved quality of life for young patients.
Pediatric Nutrition
- Optimal Growth and Development: Dr. Sathish Kandha stresses the significance of nutrient-rich foods in pediatric nutrition. These include a diverse array of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and dairy products. Such foods are packed with essential vitamins, minerals, and macronutrients crucial for supporting children’s growth, bolstering immune function, and fostering cognitive development.
- Promoting Balanced Meals and Snacks: Dr. Sathish Kandha advocates for the promotion of balanced meals and snacks to ensure children receive adequate nutrition throughout the day. This entails offering a mix of carbohydrates, proteins, and healthy fats in each meal, which helps sustain energy levels and supports overall health. Emphasizing portion control and moderation is also key in preventing childhood obesity and maintaining a healthy weight.
- Ensuring Hydration: Dr. Sathish Kandha underscores the importance of proper hydration for children’s well-being. Encouraging regular water intake, particularly during physical activity or in hot weather, is essential to prevent dehydration. Additionally, Dr. Kandha advises limiting the consumption of sugary beverages like sodas and fruit juices to reduce calorie intake and instill healthier hydration habits.
Vaccinations
- Public Health Protection: Dr. Sathish Kandha underscores the pivotal role of vaccinations in safeguarding public health by thwarting the spread of infectious diseases. Not only do vaccinations shield vaccinated individuals, but they also bolster herd immunity, curbing the overall transmission of diseases within communities.
- Disease Eradication and Control: Dr. Sathish Kandha emphasizes the pivotal role of vaccinations in controlling and eradicating lethal diseases like smallpox and polio. Through extensive vaccination campaigns, these diseases have been either eradicated or effectively managed in numerous regions worldwide, leading to the preservation of innumerable lives and alleviating healthcare burdens.
- Continual Research and Development: Dr. Sathish Kandha highlights the imperative of ongoing research and development in vaccination. This continual progress is indispensable for combatting emerging infectious diseases and enhancing existing vaccines. Breakthroughs in vaccine technology, such as mRNA vaccines, hold immense potential in addressing forthcoming health challenges while bolstering vaccine efficacy and safety.
New born care
- Feeding: Dr. Sathish Kandha emphasizes the importance of ensuring proper feeding for newborns, whether through breastfeeding or formula feeding, following the recommended schedule provided by the pediatrician. Breastfeeding is highlighted as particularly beneficial, providing essential nutrients and boosting the baby’s immune system, while formula feeding is acknowledged as a convenient alternative. Dr. Kandha also stresses the importance of proper burping after feeding to prevent discomfort from gas.
- Hygiene: Dr. Sathish Kandha advises parents to maintain hygiene by regularly changing diapers, cleaning the umbilical cord stump with alcohol if recommended by the healthcare provider, and bathing the baby gently with lukewarm water. Keeping the baby’s surroundings clean and free from potential hazards such as sharp objects or small items that could pose a choking hazard is also emphasized.
- Sleeping: Creating a safe sleep environment is highlighted by Dr. Sathish Kandha, recommending that newborns be placed on their backs on a firm mattress without loose bedding or soft toys that may pose a suffocation risk. He advises ensuring the room is at a comfortable temperature and minimizing exposure to direct sunlight. Additionally, Dr. Kandha suggests developing a soothing bedtime routine to help newborns establish healthy sleep patterns.
Children growth monitoring
Comprehensive Health Check-ups: Dr. Sathish Kandha conducts regular health assessments for children, encompassing measurements of height, weight, and head circumference for infants. These check-ups utilize standardized growth charts to monitor and analyze growth trajectories accurately.
Nutritional Assessment: Understanding the critical role of nutrition in growth, Dr. Kandha provides thorough nutritional assessments. This includes evaluating dietary intake and habits to pinpoint any deficiencies or imbalances that could impact a child’s development. Personalized nutritional counseling and interventions are offered to optimize growth and overall health.
Early Detection of Growth Disorders: Dr. Kandha prioritizes early detection of growth disorders and medical conditions that may hinder a child’s growth. Through meticulous tracking of growth patterns, deviations from expected trajectories are swiftly identified. Dr. Kandha promptly intervenes with suitable medical management or specialist referrals, ensuring timely treatment and fostering healthy growth and development in children.
General health issues in children
- Nutrition: Dr. Sathish Kandha emphasizes the importance of ensuring children receive a well-rounded diet abundant in essential nutrients. Proper nutrition is key to fostering overall health in children, as inadequate intake can result in stunted growth, weakened immune systems, and developmental challenges.
- Physical Activity: Dr. Sathish Kandha advocates for regular physical activity among children to support healthy weight management, muscle and bone strength, and the prevention of chronic diseases like obesity and diabetes. Discouraging sedentary lifestyles is crucial, as they can contribute to a range of health issues including cardiovascular complications and mental health concerns.
- Immunization: Dr. Sathish Kandha underscores the significance of staying current with recommended immunizations to protect children from serious diseases such as measles, polio, and pertussis. Vaccination not only shields individual children from harm but also plays a vital role in curbing the spread of contagious illnesses within communities, thereby promoting overall public health.