This document summarizes common childhood illnesses under several categories: communicable diseases, deficiency diseases, and other illnesses. It provides details on symptoms, causes, prevention, and treatment for specific diseases such as common cold, diarrhea, measles, chickenpox, tuberculosis, and deficiencies like PEM, rickets, and anemia. Childhood is a vulnerable period as the immune system is still developing, making children more susceptible to infectious diseases especially those under 5 years old.

1. CHILDHOOD ILLNESSES
COMMUNICABLE DISEASES
DEFICIENCY DISEASES
OTHER ILLNESSES

2. Introduction
 Children are more susceptible to diseases for
a number of reasons. Childhood is a period
when the immune system is still being
developed.This vulnerability explains the
large number of diseases that affect
children. Children under 5 are especially
vulnerable to infectious diseases like ,
pneumonia, diarrhoea, and tuberculosis..

3. COMMUNICABLE DISEASES
 DISEASES SPREAD FROM PERSON TO PERSON
 CAUSED BY HARMFUL GERMS
3 STAGES in Communicable Diseases
– INCUBATION STAGE –The period from the time the germs
enter the body to the time the symptoms appear. During
this stage the germs multiply rapidly and start affecting the
body systems.
- ACUTE STAGE –The period of actual suffering . During this
stage the germs multiply rapidly and start affecting the
body systems
-CONVALESCENCE STAGE -The patient recovers gradually
and returns to normal, but may continue to be a source of
infection even if feeling better

4. COMMON COLD- SYMPTOMS
Causative Agent -COLDVIRUS
Symptoms
 RUNNING NOSE
 HEADACHE
 Light temperature
 COUGH
Prevention
APPLY CAMPHOR OIL over chest

5. DIARRHOEA
Symptoms
 Loose Watery Motion due to infection of the
digestive system
 Excessive loss of water and minerals leads to the
death of the child. It is called KILLER DISEASE
 DEHYDRATION- excessive thirst, dry mouth
&tongue
Prevention
 ORT –ONE PINCH OF SALT AND FOUR PINCHES
OF SUGAR IN A GLASS OF BOILED & COOLED
WATER

6. DYSENTERY
 BLOODY DIARROHEA
 ABDOMINAL PAIN
 MUCOUSAND BLOOD INTHE STOOLS
 Some times there is HIGH FEVER

7. MUMPS
Causative agent : Paramyxovirus
Symptoms
 Swelling of Glands
 Fever
 Difficult to swallow due to
enlargement of Salivary Glands
Prevention
MMR vaccine

8. TONSILITIS
 CAUSED BY BACTERIA
 THROAT IS AFFECTED
 FEVER & COUGH
Treatment
 GARGLINGWITH HOTWATER CONTAINING
SALT

9. SCABIES
 ITCHING
 ULCERATIONAND CRUSTING
Treatment
 BENZYLE BENZOATE EMULSION

10. MEASLES
 Causative Agent: MEASLESVIRUS
 symptoms-cold ,cough &fever
 Eyes become red & watery
 Rashes
PREVENTION
 ONE DOSE OF MEASLESVACCINE
BETWEEN 9&12 MONTHS

11. CHICKEN POX
Causative agent : VARIOLA MINOR
Symptoms
 FEVER
 RAISED PINK SPOTSON HEAD, FACEAND
WAIST
 NODULESAND BLISTERS & CRUST
 INCUBATION PERIOD – 11-21 DAYS
 Treatment
Put calamine lotion on itchy areas

12. DIPTHERIA
 Causative agent - CORYNEBACTERUM
DIPHTHERIAE
 SORETHROAT
 DIFFICULTY IN SWALLOWING
 MILD FEVER & DIFFICULTY IN BREATHING
PREVENTION
 3 DOSESOF DPT BEFORE FIRST BIRTHDAY

13. PERTUSSIS
 WHOOPING COUGH
 CAUSED BY BACTERIA –BORDETELLA
PERTUSSIS
 Symptoms- COLD ,COUGH& RUNNING
NOSE FOR 7 DAYS.After 7 days non stopping
cough.The child finds difficult to breathe.
 Treatment
 3 doses of DPTVaccine

14. TETANUS
 CAUSED BY BACTERIA – CLOSTRIDIUM
TETANI
Symptoms
 Sucking reflex stops
 Cannot open the mouth
 Jaws become rigid
 Fever
 Convulsions

15. POLIOMYELITIS
 CAUSED BY – ENTEROVIRUS
 Childhood Paralysis
 Fever , Mild Cough & Cold
 Pain in the Legs and Arms
Prevention
 Three doses of OPV

16. TUBERCULOSIS
CAUSED BY- MYCOBACTERIUM
TUBERCULOSIS
 PROLONGED LOW GRADE FEVER
 COUGH
 LOSS OFWEIGHT
 AFFECTANY PART- GLANDS,LUNGS,BRAIN
&BONES
PREVENTION
 BCGVACCINE

17. TYPHOID
 CAUSED BY SALMONELLA TYPHI
Symptoms
 High Fever
 Severe headache
 Inflammation of Stomach
 Diarrohea
INCUBATION PERIOD
THREEWEEKS

18. INFECTIVE HEPATITIS
 CAUSED BYVIRUS
 FEVER
 NAUSEA
 VOMITING

19. WORM INFECTION
 ROUNDWORM
 HOOKWORM
 THREADWORM
 TAPEWORM
 ABDOMINAL PAIN
 LOSS OF APPETITE
 VOMITING

20. DEFICIENCY DISEASES- PEM
KWASHIORKAR
 MOON FACE
 LUSURELESS HAIR
 ODEMA
 SWOLLEN FEET
MARASMUS
 WRINKLED SKIN
 LOSS OF
SUBCUTANEOUS FAT
 IRRITABLE

21. PEM….
 Kwashiorkar Baby
 MOON FACE
 LUSURELESS HAIR
 ODEMA
 SWOLLEN FEET

22. PEM…
MARASMUS
 WRINKLED SKIN
 LOSS OF
SUBCUTANEOUS FAT
 IRRITABLE

23. VITAMIN A DEFICIENCY
 NIGHT BLINDNESS
 CONJUCTIVAL XEROSIS
 BITOT’ S SPOT
 CORNEAL XEROSIS
 KERATOMALACIA
 PREVENTION
 MEGA DOSE OFVIT A SYRUP

24. Bitot spot

25. Xeropthalmia

26. THIAMINE DEFICIENCY
INFANTILE BERI BERI
 RESTLESSNESS
 LOSS OF APPETITE
 SLEEPLESSNESS
 WHOLE CEREAL FOOD

27. Vitamin B2 Deficiency
 Ariboflavinosis

28. VITAMIN C DEFICIENCY
SCURVY
TENDERNESSOF BONES
SPONGY BLEEDING GUMS
IRRITABILITY
CITRUS FRUITS

29. VITAMIN D DEF
RICKETS
 BOW LEGS
 KNOCK KNEES
 ENLARGEMENT OF BONESATWRIST
&ANKLE
 BONESARE SOFT
 Rich source : Milk and Milk products , egg,
fish etc

30. Bow legs

31. IRON DEFICIENCY
ANAEMIA
 PALE- CONJUCTIVA ,LIPS &TONGUE
 SPOON SHAPED NAILS
 POOR CONCENTRATION
 Rich source: Dates, Rice flakes,
capsicum,sprouts, jaggery, etc.

32. Anaemia