Elternratgeber / Kurse

Was the child not unconscious after the fall on the head, did it calm down again after a while, is there no bump, no blood on the ear, no bruises behind the ear or around the eyes, is it not vomiting and is it behaving as you are used to? - Then a serious injury after the fall is very unlikely.

If it is a rather dangerous accident mechanism (roughly orientated fall height > 1.50 m for > 2 year old children and > 90 cm for < 2 year old children, car accident with other injured persons or generally from fast speed), your child has a soft swelling on the head (like a water bed), a bruise behind the ear or around the eye, blood on the ear, was unconscious, vomited more than twice, memory loss (amnesia), severe headache, twitching (seizure) or, above all, is your child different than usual? Is your child acting differently than usual and do you as a parent have a bad feeling? - Then you should take your child to a paediatrician as soon as possible.

Gastrointestinal infections that occur in our part of the world are usually viral and self-limiting. No medication must or can be given against the cause. However, children and especially infants can lose a lot of fluids in the form of vomiting or diarrhoea, so that they become weaker and weaker and a kind of vicious circle begins.

No effective medication can be given at home to treat vomiting or diarrhoea in children. You can give paracetamol (by mouth or as a suppository) for abdominal pain. Be careful with ibuprofen if the child has not been able to retain much fluid, as the medication is metabolised by the kidneys.

If your child has vomited a few times or had watery and smelly diarrhoea, offer them drinks such as sweetened tea or water. Babies may also be given milk, especially breast milk is a good choice. Food is not important in the acute stage.

If the child has already vomited many times, then only offer them liquids very slowly. The best solution is a rehydration solution (salt-sugar solution), which is available from pharmacies and gives your child exactly what they need. Offering slowly means: one teaspoon per minute. Offering it cold in the fridge is often a good tip. After vomiting again, take a short break and then continue slowly. If the diarrhoea is bloody, the child doesn't want to or can't eat anything and refuses drinks, has hardly had any wet nappies in the last few hours, no more tears when crying, is vomiting green or the abdominal pain is too bad, then you should take your child to a paediatrician.

Infectious diseases can have serious consequences. Vaccinations are the most effective form of protection - not only for your own child, but also for newborns, pregnant women, other children and adults.

The Federal Commission on Immunisation and the FOPH issue the vaccination recommendations in Switzerland.
The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child recognises the right of every child to be vaccinated against preventable diseases and health (Switzerland ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1997).
Parents have the right to parental care in the best interests of the child. If a child in Switzerland is not immunised according to our immunisation schedule, the child's right to be protected from preventable diseases is violated.

Middle ear infections are common in infants.

If the child's general condition is poor, if secretions or blood are visible on the outside of the ear or if the ear protrudes abnormally, consult your paediatrician.

"It often touches its ear" is not a good and reliable sign of earache. If a small child keeps waking up crying in the evening and at night after lying down and is unable to sleep, then a middle ear infection is typical.

Not every middle ear infection needs to be treated with an antibiotic; on the contrary, most of these infections are self-limiting. Antibiotic therapy, which is intended to prevent the infection from spreading, can have side effects, only slightly shortens the illness and does not help with the pain.

Middle ear infections can be extremely painful. Give painkillers generously, preferably ibuprofen.

You can also try onion pouches as a home remedy: e.g. fill an old sock with sliced onion, place it on the ear and fix it with a cap; the vapours have an anti-inflammatory effect. Ear drops are no longer recommended these days.

A child with an acute middle ear infection is not allowed to travel by plane.

A breastfed infant may only have a bowel movement every 10-14 days; this may be normal. However, if the stomach is very bloated and the child appears to be in pain, help is needed.

Especially when introducing complementary foods, periods of constipation are not uncommon.

Babies can be given a glycerine suppository (Bulboid), which is available over the counter in pharmacies and usually helps quickly and effectively. Overly aggressive use of enemas, which are also available for children, carries the risk of traumatising children.

Older children with persistent or painful constipation may need to be started on a laxative: Macrogol is an active ingredient that only acts locally in the intestine, is well tolerated, has no habituation effect and can also be used over a longer period of time. Parents should see their paediatrician for a medical history, examination and discussion.

Drinking lots of fluids, eating plenty of fibre and dried fruit is not wrong, but studies have shown that it does not help much.

Grossly contaminated wounds must be cleaned well (e.g. with water and a soft brush) and then disinfected. Gaping wounds may need to be stitched or glued. Adequate tetanus immunisation status must be considered.

Burns and scalds should be shown generously by a paediatrician, especially in small children, over joints, on the genitals, on the face or in the case of extensive injuries. After the accident, only cool locally with 20° warm water (not too cold and not too extensive), otherwise hypothermia may occur.