Persistently enlarged lymph nodes (glands) cause terrible anxiety in parents. They are most commonly caused by infections. They are usually limited to the area they drain, for example in the neck after infections of throat/ear/scalp etc. Sometimes it can take weeks or months for them to shrink in size and that can be worrying for parents and carers.
Most often, parents only need reassurance but if there are features like fever, night sweats, weight loss etc. or if there is generalised enlargement in multiple places, then, blood tests can be done to rule out rare but serious conditions like Leukaemia and Lymphoma etc.
Colic is when a baby cries a lot but there’s no obvious cause. It’s a common problem that should get better on its own. Unfortunately, we don’t know why it happens and how to treat it. No medicine has been shown to work and it just gets better with time.
It is fascinating to see babies develope and learn new skills. Every baby is different and so is the development. Some babies do things sooner than the others. Sometimes they may be having movements which might happen suddenly and repeatedly. These can be normal or abnormal. Some babies are very active and can move their arms and legs, try to lift their trunk and these may appear abnormal. Usually these are normal and you can stop them if you hold them.
Abnormal movements are usually sudden and happen repeatedly. It is difficult to stop them by holding the baby as they are due to abnormal electrical activity in the brain. The most common and serious ones are ‘infantile spasms’, in which the baby suddenly startles and this keeps repeating for few seconds. The baby may be staring and vacant when these are happening. The diagnosis is confirmed by an EEG (trace of the brain activity). If you are concerned about your baby movements, you should see your GP or specialist.
It is sometimes very difficult to put kids to bed. Someimes, you feel start feeling sleepy, but the kid is still wide awake and full of energy. Most often it’s due to behaviour and lack of a routine. Rarely, it could be due to a medical reason, specially children with ADHD / Autism etc.
This NHS website has excellent ideas and strategies to tackle sleep problems in children.