308 Where There Is No Doctor 2011
Worms and Other Parasites of the Gut (see p. 140)
If one child in the family has worms, all the family should be treated.
To prevent worm infections, children should:
♦ Observe the Guidelines of Cleanliness (p. 133).
♦ Use latrines.
♦ Never go barefoot.
♦ Never eat raw or partly raw meat or fish.
♦ Drink only boiled or pure water.
Skin Problems (see Chapter 15)
Those most common in children include:
• scabies (p. 199)
• infected sores and impetigo (p. 201 and 202)
• ringworm and other fungus infections (p. 205)
To prevent skin problems, observe the Guidelines of
Cleanliness (p. 133).
♦ Bathe and delouse children often.
♦ Control bedbugs, lice, and scabies.
♦ Do not let children with scabies, lice, ringworm, or
infected sores play or sleep together with other children. Treat them early.
Pink Eye (Conjunctivitis) (see p. 219)
Wipe the eyelids clean with a clean wet cloth
several times a day. Put an antibiotic eye ointment
(p. 378) inside the eyelids 3 or 4 times a day. Do not
let a child with pink eye play or sleep with others. If he
does not get well in a few days, see a health worker.
Colds and the ‘Flu’ (see p. 163)
The common cold, with runny nose, mild fever,
cough, often sore throat, and sometimes diarrhea is a
frequent but not a serious problem in children.
Treat with lots of liquids. Give acetaminophen (see
p. 379). Let children who want to stay in bed do so.
Good food and lots of fruit help children avoid colds
and get well quickly.
Penicillin, tetracycline, and other antibiotics do no
good for the common cold or ‘flu’. Injections are not
needed for colds.
If a child with a cold becomes very ill, with high fever and shallow,
rapid breathing, he may be getting pneumonia (see p. 171), and antibiotics should
be given. Also watch for an ear infection (next page) or ‘strep throat’ (p. 310).