Healthy Child Clinic

Services We Provide General Paediatric advice - specialist interest in paediatric asthma, eczema and obesity Paediatric homoeopathy. Referrals accepted from General Practitioners, other Consultants and parents for diagnosis and management of medical paediatric problems. Referral if necessary to specialist paediatric opinion (usually available within 48 hours) and allied paediatric services on site: dietetics, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, eye and hearing tests. In-patient hospital assessment if necessary. Developmental assessment. Immunisations (including travel immunisations): Flu, BCG, Hep A&B, Chicken Pox, Prevenar 13, Single Measles and Rubella, MMR, Rotavirus, Meningitis, Pediacel, Gardasil, Preschool Jab  Advice and written reports prepared on behaviour problems and problems related to schooling, ADHD etc. Support and advice offered to parents regarding a large range of medically related conditions Medico-legal advice including preparation of reports and attendance in Court.      Code of Practice Copy of medical report/GP letter given to parents Waiting time less than 1/4 of an hour Out-patient appointment (new) within 48 hours Out-patient appointment (urgent) within 24 hours. We have an out of hours line if you need to contact us urgently. Complaints. Please contact Kelly Anyogu on 020 7224 4668 Location: The Clinic is located at 117a Harley Street London                                    W1G 6AT                                    02072244668                                    info@healthychild.co.uk  Nearest tube stations: Regents Park                                  Baker Street  Buses: 30,27,18,453 to Harley Street

Hepatitis B Immunisation

Hepatitis B immunisation

 The disease hepatitis B can be contracted from being bitten or scratched at school ( this is why hepatitis B immunisation is given to all children in America at birth and has been for more than 10 years ).It can also be acquired at birth from and infected mother or from breast feeding. As an adult it can be acquired from sharing needles and from sexual intercourse.

There is a 10-20% mortality from acute liver damage and then it can cause liver cancer and progressive liver damage for life .For this reason it is an important cause of death in developing countries.

The immunisation which is very safe and effective is given at time zero, 1 month and at 6 months. A fourth dose is generally given in 5 years.

It can be safely combined with hepatitis A (both are killed, mercury free vaccines) and given using the same time schedule.

Hepatitis A is usually a less serious disease than B rarely causing death but is much more easily caught usually from contaminated water or food.

I have been giving hepatitis B immunisation at my clinic to children now for  over 7 years and I now give both as combined hepatitis A and B immunisation particularly if foreign travel is considered.

Chicken Pox

Chicken Pox

Another immunisation which is given routinely in the USA where this illness has been eradicated because of the immunisation policy. This disease can cause an initial encephalitis and cerebellitis chest and ear infection. In the longer term the illness tends to worse with age and children who have had chickenpox are at lifelong risk of shingles which can be extremely debilitating. If a mother has not had chickenpox in the first 3 month of her pregnancy then her child is at risk of developing congenital infection.

For these reasons I recommend vaccinating against chickenpox after the age of 1 year. Children between 4 and 6 years of age should be given a second dose of the vaccine, as well as any other individual who has previously been given one dose.

It is a live vaccine and it should be separated from any other live vaccine at least 1 month.

The vaccine used is called VARIVAX and is made by Merck Sharp and Dohme. The company licensed to sell VARIVAX in the UK is Sanofi Pasteur MSD Ltd.

Possible side effects of VARIVAX:

As with any vaccine, VARIVAX can have side effects.

Very common side effects are pain at the injection site and fever.

Much less commonly (1:100) may develop a chickenpox like illness with spots often appearing around injection site.

Glue Ear

 Glue ear is very common in children in the first five years of life.  At any one time one in five children of this age will have glue ear particularly if there is a family history or personal history of allergy.  Most children with glue ear will not get significant symptoms and therefore do not require treatment, only monitoring.

 How glue ear comes about

What happens in glue ear is that enlarged adenoids and excessive secretions at the back of the throat cause blockage of the Eustachian tube.  The air in the middle ear then gets absorbed and is replaced with sticky fluid (the glue of glue ear).  In this situation the tympanic membrane is retracted and quite often swollen and inflamed.  The fluid in the middle ear can act as a culture medium so just one bacterium there will grow rapidly and white cells will come in to attack the bacteria.  As the pus builds up the negative pressure then becomes positive and the ear becomes extremely painful.  Without antibiotic treatment there may be a tympanic rupture after which the pain is greatly eased.

 Symptoms

The sort of symptoms that would make you consider treatment are problems with speech development, problems with hearing, problems with balance, and pain and discomfort in the ear which may lead to behaviour disturbance (this can be difficult to be sure of objectively).  The other indication is recurrent ear infections particularly if these lead to perforation.

 Treatment 

Initially it may be enough to asses the effect of removing diary products and the use of a homeopathic treatment and Otovent.

Thereafter a a two month course of low dose antibiotic, such as Amoxycillin taken once a day 125 mg orally, and Flixonase taken one snort to each nostril once a day also may be assesed.

If this is unsuccessful then referral may be made to an ENT surgeon for consideration of insertion of grommets and adenoidectomy.  Before embarking on treatment however it is important to ascertain whether the glue ear is causing any significant symptoms and to appreciate that although the immediate effect of grommet insertion under GA may be very dramatic there is little difference between  treated and non treated ear within 3 months..

When to call us

 If you feel that your child‘s glue ear is causing any of the following

1 Delayed speech

2 Behaviour disorder – it can be very disorientating to have only partial hearing

3 Balance problems.

4 Recurrent ear infections – especially with tympanic membrane rupture

5 Poor hearing – either noticed at home or on formal hearing testing.