Most children will have infections and colds that are usually not that severe. Some infections will resolve given time, rest and plenty of fluids, while others will need to be treated. Thus, all of a child's illnesses should be brought to the attention of his pediatrician, for there are some infectious diseases that pediatricians must pay special attention to.
Bronchiolitis
According to Gwendolyn Kerby, M.D., of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, bronchiolitis is the most common serious respiratory disease for infants and small children, for as many as 3 percent of infants who are diagnosed with bronchiolitis will need to be hospitalized. Bronchiolitis is the inflammation of the bronchioles, the small airways of the lung. It is usually caused by a virus called the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The child will have a low fever, cough, a runny nose, and will be breathing very fast with wheezing. Children who are at risk of developing severe bronchiolitis are those who have a congenital heart disease, cystic fibrosis, a lung disease or an impaired immune system.
Epiglottitis
Epiglottitis is the inflammation of the epiglottis. As Dr. Kerby writes in "Current Diagnosis & Treatment: Pediatrics," due to the H. influenzae type B vaccine, this infectious disease is now rare in the U.S. If a child does contract epiglottitis, she has not been vaccinated or contracted it from N. meningitidis or from the nontypeable H. influenzae (not from H. influenzae type B). Children will have a sudden high fever, talk in a muffled voice, make a high-pitched sound when they breathe in, have difficulty swallowing and will drool. When she sits, you will notice her leaning forward, with her chin sticking out. She is doing this so she will be able to breathe, because the inflamed epiglottis is swollen and interfering with the passage of air.
Viral Croup
Viral croup is also called laryngotracheobronchitis, as it is the inflammation of the larynx, trachea and bronchi. This infectious disease is usually caused by a virus called the parainfluenza virus, but can also be caused by RSV, rubeola virus, influenza, adenovirus and M. pneumoniae. Children will have a low fever, hoarse voice and make a high-pitched sound when they breathe in. But the child will also have a cough that is described as a "barking" cough, according to The Merck Manuals online.
Otitis Media
Otitis media is an infectious disease of the middle ear. Otitis media is usually caused by bacteria; namely S. pneumoniae, nontypeable H. influenzae and M. catarrhalis. Children are susceptible because when a child has a cold, bacteria can become trapped if his eustachian tube gets swollen. (This tube is in the middle ear.) The child will have an earache and may tug on his ear. He may also have hearing loss, as well as a fever, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting.
Erythema Infectiosum
Erythema Infectiosum is also called the fifth disease. Caused by a virus with the name parvovirus B19, a child will have a low fever. But then in several days, she will have a rash covering her cheeks, which then spreads to her arms, trunk and legs. The appearance of the rash on the cheeks gives this disease the nickname "slapped cheek fever."
References
- "Current Diagnosis & Treatment: Pediatrics;" William Hay, Jr., M.D., et. al.; 2009
- The Merck Manual: Croup
- The Merck Manual: Otitis Media (Acute)
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Bronchiolitis -- Overview
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Fifth Disease -- Overview
