It’s always difficult when your child is sick. Even if all your child has is a cold, you will worry and wonder about their health to an outrageous extent — and that’s a part of being a good parent. But when your child has a health issue that is more serious, those worries start feeling ineffective. Parents understandably hate feeling helpless, and nothing will make you feel more helpless than having a sick child who needs more than a bit of cold medicine and a few days in bed to make them feel better. Sometimes, more serious health issues don’t immediately look very serious. For example, your child getting a sinus infection is not that big of a problem. But if that turns into a series of sinus infections, you’re looking at an issue that is much more problematic. Luckily, there are solutions to chronic medical issues like these. Caring doctors can help children get new leases on life, and for that matter help parents feel much better about their children’s futures. Everything from sleep disordered breathing to chronic ear problems can often be traced back to a small collection of ear nose and throat issues known to plague young children. With that being said, let’s look into some of the options available to children suffering from these health issues.
Airway Reconstruction
An airway reconstruction sounds very serious and even dangerous in theory. In reality, it’s a surgery that is done quite often, and can fix a number of problems both big and small. Most often, an airway reconstruction is performed to help a child breathe better. It’s very common for parents not to notice that their child is having breathing issues until they’re a bit older. This is because it’s not unusual for these issues to not become apparent until the child is sleeping. Children who have breathing issues while sleeping can show symptoms as innocuous as snoring, or as serious as stopped breath during sleep. While snoring is very common in children, seen in about 12% of the population, sleep disordered breathing is a bit more serious and can actually become serious sleep apnea in the future. This can down the line cause heart problems and even strokes. Therefore, an airway reconstruction is best done as soon as possible. Although it is a surgery, an airway reconstruction done when a child is very young is something they likely won’t remember. For that matter, a young child’s body is more likely to adapt to the new structural formation a reconstruction would present. Ultimately, you’ll rest easier once your child is breathing better.
Cleft Palate Repair
A cleft palate or cleft lip is a fairly common facial abnormality. According to the CDC, about 2,650 babies are born with a cleft palate, and 4,440 babies are born with a cleft lip with or without a cleft palate. While this can be shocking for parents to see initially, most babies with this problem are still healthy aside from it. With that being said, a cleft palate can become obstructive to breathing as the child grows older, and certainly can make eating more difficult, as well as increase the risk of a child choking on food. For these reasons and cosmetic and psychological reasons, surgery to a cleft lip is recommended within the first 12 months of life, and is usually done within the first few months of life. Surgery to repair a cleft palate, conversely, should be done as early as possible and preferably within the first 18 months of life.
Ear Surgeries
Children are known to suffer from ear problems — but if these issues become more intense or more frequent, surgery may be the solution. It’s believed that 90% of children will suffer an ear infection by age two. By three, about 30% will have suffered three or more episodes. If this sounds like your child, talk to a doctor. Ear surgeries are best done at an early age, and can stop these issues permanently.
